Dance for Gaza

You may have seen in previous posts that Steve and I are both part of a group of local runners here that have become known as the 'Baggy Breakfast Club'. Earlier this year seven of us entered the Gaza marathon to raise money for the UN's humanitarian work with refugee children in Gaza.  

After several months of hard training we were all really disappointed, on so many levels, to hear the news that the UN had been forced to cancel the marathon after Hamas took the decision to ban men and women running in the event together.

  

Undeterred, we quickly focused on trying to find an alternative marathon and were amazed to find that just two weeks later was the inaugural 'Right to Movement' Palestine marathon in the West Bank in Bethlehem! Really sadly Steve is not able to make the amended date - which is really gutting!  

 On Friday night the runners, along with the Pickwell crew, hosted a local fundraising night here at the Manor called 'Dance For Gaza'.

  

 We chose a few themed elements to the night to try and give it a middle eastern feel. Firstly, we served Arak - a traditional aperitif from the region. A translucent coloured, aniseed flavoured drink of about 57%.... It is definitely an acquired taste!

   

 Mind you Katie definitely looks like she is making a good job of acquiring it! 

 So to go with the Arak a few delicious Mezze, courtesy of Damian & Ali (thank you guys!). 

Then to follow magnificent lamb kebabs, courtesy of the culinary skills of Tracey and Jake. 

"Oh no they've caught us.... quick back to the bar and look busy!"

 Sa'ad bought Fezes for the running boys on the bar. The look was much more Tommy Cooper than 'authentic Turkish headwear'! My favourite Tommy Cooper joke of the night: I said to the gym instructor 'Can you teach me how to do the splits?'. He said 'How flexible are you?' I said 'I can't make Tuesdays'.

It wasn't just the Fezes as uniform. Dave (our Kiwi runner) insisted on wearing his now infamous 'stubbies' for the night. A 1970's trend that perhaps should have been left there rather than resurrected!

If proof were needed it looks like Nige in his pullover is having more luck with attracting the 'ladies' than Dave in his stubbies!

The final key middle eastern theme of the night was our 'Shisha Palace' (lovingly created in Sa'ad's bell tent).

Many thanks to Medhat from Bar Venezia in Exeter for his very generous loan of the Shisha pipes and to Sa'ad for his kind donation of the tobacco.

Damian was a natural in his role as shisha host for the evening "You want hubbly bubbly?"

Anna looks like she was particularly enjoying the experience.

Nige adopted a less traditional grip on the shisha pipe.

Whilst it took Susie a while to realise that her pipe had got disconnected "This apple tobacco is so smooth... its like the air".

Damian's role as Shisha host made him the most popular man of the night. Men wanted to be him. Women wanted to be with him.

His popularity was closely followed by Pete Cox whose dance offs are not to missed.

Throughout the night great tunes were spun by DJ's Pete Robinson and Steve Baker. Thank you guys! It took a while but eventually everyone did 'Dance for Gaza'.

There were a couple of reminders throughout the night that this was all to try and help give Gazan children the opportunity to have some glimpses of the sort of childhood that our children take for granted.

Thank you to everyone who came and made Friday such a fun night and helped to raise over £1300.

So on Sunday 21st April we will be attempting to  run 26.2 hot miles around Bethlehem. If you want to check out more details or throw in a few quid you can find our giving site here.

December

You may have heard about the rain and the floods...mostly we have been unaffected, but today..

This is our wood.

The fog hung in the air and it was actually quite beautiful in places, if you didn't need to get anywhere!

This is Rock Hill, a road in the village...well its more of a stream than a road now really.

Hard to think it was only a couple of days ago when the weather was like this.

This month has flown by. 

We held our annual charity ball - this year it was the GOLD Ball. We raised money for 2 amazing surfing charities both at home and abroad. We have learnt much recently of how surfing can be used as a tool to give young people hope, self esteem and respite from difficult circumstances.

The night was an immense success and we raised £6,500 in total. As a team, we were blown away by the generosity of so many people in this community that made this night all that it was. 

So last night some of the Ball team went to the pub to celebrate. I think Tracey is regaling the girls with a story or two?

This week we also had lunch with our wonderful Pickwell team. It's these guys who keep everything looking clean and tidy, both inside and out. We are very blessed to have them.

Always ready to enter the spirit of things, Tracey sports the antlers to get everyone into the festive mood.

Also this week, the school had their production of 'Olivia'. Our kids did us proud! Pickwell has been full of song for the last month, to the extent that none of them can get to sleep at night. The words 'you can't pick a pocket or two' keep going round, and round....

The village hall was packed for both the performances. 

I have to admit I did shed a small tear at the end!

The school hold a great afternoon where the kids themselves design and run the stalls. Every stall is geared as a mini-fund-raiser to make some much-needed funds for the school. This is Liza and Molly's stall. Steve had to forage into the stocking and guess what was inside.

 I stayed up for hours getting things made for Zac's stall at the school fair. He did help for about 15 minutes...to be fair....

We also went to the Christingle service which the kids love...

especially the bit where they get to toast the marshmallows in the candles! (not sure i should be promoting that? - see how I cleverly chose to put someone else's child in the picture, rather than incriminate my own)

Our Pickwell Molly had her 9th birthday last week,

  

and Tracey and Rich ran a brilliant roller-booting party in a local village hall.

Tracey and I had a wonderful night where we learnt how to make these gorgeous angels,

all from this one piece of fabric. 

and a tiny piece of trim.

Thanks to the talented Emma Cocker for teaching us, and Jooley F-S for the cake and the styling :)

So that's it for this year. 

We are all staying around at home for Christmas as our house feels so special and well, christmassy! Our families are coming to us. Lovely.

We wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. 

Hopefully we will see many of you in 2013...

The Pickwell Gang

xxxx xxxx

Bonfire Preps. Pickwell Style.

If you are a long-standing follower of this blog, you may remember that this is Steve's favourite time of year. The time of year when he walks round with a permanent smile and a spring in his step. 

Never is this more acute than when the lorry arrives to deliver the fireworks. He even tries to draw the kids in to checking them all off the list.

This is why he has been nicknamed Gandalf (thanks PT). 

So here follows the Pickwell recipe for bonfire night preps:

1. Prepare the bonfire. Start by forming a structure which allows for a series of tunnels 

through which the wind will blow thus 'fanning the flames' from below. (make sure you check for hedgehogs at this point as they like to make little houses in a wood pile). 

Then load on anything you have to burn. 

2. Make paper lanterns. 

Start by cutting up bamboo into short and long lengths.

These will form the frame.

Make a triangle shape and masking tape the ends together to hold in place.

 Take a candle, wrap in tin foil (to collect the drips of wax) and fix into place with wire at the bottom. Create a higher, smaller triangle of bamboo and Voila! 

Next, using pva glue, dab liberally over tissue paper and stick onto each side, allowing for lots of overlap.  

Only take the tissue paper up to the point of the higher bamboo frame so it allows for the smoke of the candle to blow out the top.

When they are dry, cut a small window in the side so you can light the candles. Poke wire through the top of the triangle in a circle shape. Wrap wire around the long length of bamboo and create a strong hook to attach the lantern onto. 

3. Make paraffin torches. Cut lengths of wood about 80cm long (Hazel is particularly good for this as it is long and straight).

Cut up felt (make sure it isn't fire retardant as so much is these days), or towelling (we find is just as good) into long, thin strips..

Wrap tightly around the end of the wood and secure well with wire. These will be dipped in paraffin on the night!

4. Go for a walk and find all things 'autumnal'. These will be used to decorate the Ballroom, alongside our beautiful 'pattypan' squash (remember them from a previous blog post?). The final look of the decorations can be seen on a later post.

5. Find friends to keep you entertained while you work (and not just for what they are wearing)

Whatever props come to hand, we don't care! Just keep the entertainment rolling!

6. Invite the headmaster to keep the 'entertaining' friends in order.

7. Get a whole bunch of willing friends to start prepping the food! Bean and chorizo cassoulet and roasted butternut squash soup takes a heck of a lot of chopping!

We are ready. Let the games begin! 

(We will fill you in on the night afterwards - sorry you can't all be here!)

x