Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Christmas Sprouting

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Christmas Sprouting

We have just finished off the last of our sprouts from the festive season. As with most families our opinion is divided as to the merits of this very English of Christmas traditions. Personally I think you can’t beat a crispy bacon and sprout combination a la Jamie. Our love of this vegetable at Pickwell has been enhanced by the generous gift each Christmas Eve of several magnificent sprout stems (and a few super swedes) from our lovely neighbours at Pickwell Barton Farm. The Cooks are a wonderful family who have been farming Pickwell for over 100 years.

This year the Cooks were keen to come and support our Purple Ball despite it being one of the busiest weeks of their year with the sprout harvest. We were so delighted they were able to make it. To help out (but not much!!!) Richard offered his highly tuned sprout harvesting skills. What he discovered was the most amazing collective effort of local farmers, family and friends working hard together.

The sprout field this year was situated opposite our gates. Never has a sprout had such an amazing view, looking out over Baggy Point and the wild winter sea. Rich had taken a few photos of his morning for us to put on the blog, but then I came across this amazing video journal by Richard Gregory from www.wavedreamer.co.uk. This beautiful film captured the sprout harvest at the Cooks so much better than any photo we could take, I was completely blown away (the surfings not bad either!!!!!!). So here it is....

Brussell sprouts, Neil Clifton and a perfect swell from wavedreamer on Vimeo.

The sprout sorting barn is situated just a few yards from our back door, so me, Susie and the girls hopped over the wall with hot mulled apple juice and mince pies to feed the hungry workers at the end of a hard morning sprouting. It really is the most fascinating process watching the sprouts going down the conveyor belt, hand sorted so only the finest get through. Rich very much enjoyed the conveyor belt banter and the challenge of being constantly pelted with rejected sprouts by Peter (Cook Junior). What a treat to get a glimpse into the process behind the harvesting of this Christmas dinner essential in such great company. Thank you the Cook Family!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT PICKWELL!!

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Our Story

Many people have asked what the story is, how did the Bakers and Elliotts come to be at Pickwell?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Tracey and Susannah became friends at 6th form college. Steve and Tracey lived in the same village in Sussex. Steve's dad was the vicar and Tracey's dad was Steve's scout leader. Even more wierd, Susannah's dad (also a church minister) and Steve's dad were friends, but Steve and Sus never met.

One summer Tracey took Susannah along to a youth summer camp. Steve was one of the leaders (read : heightened attraction) and a little later Steve and Sus got together. During their 6 on/off years they met Richard, a blue eyed boy from Guildford.

At a club night run by Steve, somehow through the dark and crowded room, Tracey and Richard bumped into eachother (if you have seen the shapes they pull on the dancefloor you would know how easily this happened)..

In the year 2000 they all got married. Tracey and Susannah were eachother's bridesmaids. They have remained firm friends ever since.

When Steve and Susannah came across Pickwell Manor, they knew they couldn't manage such a project on their own. They asked the Elliotts if they would give up their house, their jobs and their community to come and live and work with them and own the project together. They knew there weren't many people they could ask to do such a thing knowing they would still love each other by the end. So they all left everything in Sussex and came to Devon.

They moved on the same day in August 2008. It has been a crazy, wonderful, scary, emotional and beautiful experience so far. All of them would say they feel very ALIVE!

Since they moved they have run 51 successful and wonderful weddings (with more to come), many, many holidays, built or totally refurbished 6 apartments from scratch, updated carpets, painted white throughout, put in quite a few kitchens and bathrooms (including 2 baths on concrete plinths), changed much of the furniture, converted a laundry and have started to convert the chapel. Every year they also have a bonfire gathering in October, an Easter Eggstravaganza fundraising event, and anything else that is not-for-profit that they can fit in. Tracey has completed a dissertation and gone back to nursing for 2 days a week, Steve has started up a new company in London, Richard has mastered a lot of the running of the house as well as training as a coach, specialising in stress management, Sus has taken on the interiors and Tracey and Susannah have learnt weddings in at the deep end! All with 4 young Pickwellians by their sides.

"Our passion is for making life count. Our values lie in
friendship, celebration, valuing others, and social justice. We see Pickwell as a reflection of these things but also a place for rest, recouperation, laughter and conversation. We want to support charities and social enterprises to fufil their dreams and make a difference."

"We love Devon, we love the community here, we love seeing our children grow with nature and discovering the great outdoors. We have to pinch ourselves sometimes when we think about our life here, it is amazing".