The Shack

Hiding down our driveway is our gorgeous Shack.

It didn't used to look like this when it was a tractor shed!

We just always felt that with a view like this out of the window, it was a bit wasted on a lawn mower! 

So we made it dry  

and warm

and covered it with wood

and made it pretty.

We can now proudly present (well, as of Easter, ahem)

Our Games Room / Surf shack / laundry room. But how is this possible all within that space? You may well ask..

This is the interior of the Games Room.

We have a fabulous new table-tennis table,

complete with a selection of bats and balls;

a den building kit, with instructions, for you to take into the garden and create yourself;

a lego area for those who are partial;

oodles of toys in labelled baskets;

and for those with artistic flair

there are lots of colouring things to enjoy.

For the active, or those children who need more wearing out than others, try these 'nature spotting packs'. 

There are all sorts of things to discover in our adventurous garden.

and as if that wasn't enough,

there is a treasure hunt, a hedgehog hunt, a flower press 

AND a pirate Island activity that involves designing and decorating your own flag 

 then finding our secret island in the wood, claiming it as your own, and hoisting up your flag on the enormous pole!

After all that lot you might just want to collapse in a comfy armchair 

gaze at some calming Dick Bruna artwork

and read a book!

You see the door on the far right hand side? That is where the laundry is!

This is the other side of the Laundry, if you were accessing it from the outside.

I think my two favourite spaces in the whole of Pickwell 

are Amity and our Laundry!

Can you see why?

 I found these gorgeous, 'shabby chic' style tiles as a work-top, and they seem to go so well with the wood. 

Its only small but..

I think it has a really calming effect on you as soon as you walk in.

The smell of the fresh washing may also have something to do with the ambience too?

We have put some washing lines up, and boy, your clothes should dry quickly here.

Behind the Laundry and accessed from the drive is our Surf Shack.

This is a great space for boards/wetsuits/bikes and beach equipment. We have also put some bits and bobs in there for you to borrow while you are here.

Just outside the Shack is a brilliant recepticle for rinsing off those salty wetsuits before you hang them up to dry. 

 So. There you have it. The full guided tour of our little shack. We really enjoyed this project and i have to give lots of thanks and big up whoop whoop (i actually still think i am 16) to Mrs Tracey Elliott, as it was down to her hard work that all the Games Room activities came into being. Nice one Trace (hope you're enjoying France!) x

Jubilee Celebrations Part 1

I might have to write this blog from a personal perspective, rather than a Pickwell-as-a-whole-perspective, as i think i might be the only Royalist here?! 

But Royalist I am and I'm not afraid to say it! I was weeping with the best of 'em at the Royal wedding

and in these times of such sad news everywhere you turn, isn't it wonderful to be able to celebrate the good stuff, the stuff that brings a nation together? 

We put up some lovely (and very tasteful, i might add) bunting, made by our talented friend Lou. 

 We hoped our guests felt good about it, royalist or not?

  

Thank you Lou, our Entrance Hall looks fantastic. 

Even our gorgeous 16th Century Chapel must have known

as the red roses have suddenly come into bloom

and don't they look pretty?

I even bought some 'jubilee tea cakes' for my wedding viewings (although none of them were actually eaten)....hmmmmm...

Steve's Mum, brother, our sister-in-law and our nephew Sam all came for a few days to surf and chill.

We decided to take them, together with some guests (who came last year, so we're more like friends)

through the fields to the 'plateaux' nearby to see the coastal Beacons

there was much anticipation in the air

Zac had his trusty 'phoenix feather wand' in case of emergency

and Liza had her holiday friend Grace (can you believe Liza is actually 3 months younger than Grace - wow my girl is tall!)

and my nephew Sam had with him a ....toilet sign?!?

Apparently Steve made him carry it. I had no idea why and although we like to look after our guests, i must admit i did think providing toilets for 20 minutes of Beacon viewing was a little excessive.

When we got to the plateaux we could see a couple of Beacons to the left along the coast and Clovelly was lit up in a zig-zag shape but really, that was about it. 

This exciting image of fires burning all along the Woolacombe coast line is merely a light trick of my camera! Or is it.......??? Whatever it is they definitely weren't there when i looked with my eyes! (oh, Steve's just informed me they are street lights boooo)

Suddenly we all heard the sound of sparks flying 

and turned to see the real reason for the toilet sign! Yay! A Catherine wheel!

quickly followed by some rockets

Steve once again living up to his nickname of Gandalf..

It kind of made up for the Beacon disappointment anyway :)

The next blog post is definitely worth the wait..it involves a maypole and the WI... oh yes...