Not your ordinary day on the beach

Last weekend we headed down to Saunton Sands to join one of the local legs of the Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) Autumn beach cleans.

There was a great turnout with over 100 eager volunteers, young and old, getting stuck in.

"Well done Liza and Millie! What have you found there then?"

The general idea of the morning is to get your gloves on, grab a bucket (and a friend!) and go fill it with as much marine litter as you can possibly find.

A couple of hours later and the bucket is full.... But what sorts of things did we find?

A smelly sock - OK not so shocking (apart from the fact you're holding it in your hands, Daisy!)

And who hasn't left a pair of flip flops on the beach before? (OK maybe that's just me). We did check that the owner hadn't just gone for a paddle!

Some of the items left on the beach can however be very damaging to the environment. For example, plastics make up the vast majority of marine litter and they never truly break down. Experts suggest plastic left in the environment will be with us in some microscopic form for many thousands of years.When in the sea, plastics can adsorb toxic chemicals, becoming increasingly harmful over time, and often enter the food chain when mistaken for food items by marine life. Over 100,000 marine mammals and over 1 million seabirds die every year from ingestion of or entanglement in marine litter.

A closer look along any of our beaches is likely to provide you with a history of modern packaging and branding. Remember the ''Its the real thing!' strapline? Apparently that stopped being used in 1985!!!

It may take as long as 500 years for an aluminium can to fully break down and the rusting process obviously poses risks to both humans and marine life (notice the irony of the only legible thing left on this can!)

Along the edges of the sand-dunes we began to find dozens of these tiny plastic pellets. One of the SAS staff told us that these have been dubbed 'Mermaids Tears' and they are used in the manufacturing process of plastic products. 

Once you begin to recognise them you won't be surprised to learn that the Marine Conservation Society found them to be the second most common litter item found on UK beaches

There is a competitive element to add to the fun of the SAS beach cleans and a prize is given for the oldest item found. You can check out the Sun newspaper's report about the 45 year old Golden Wonder crisp packet found during one of last year's cleans of Saunton beach.

There is also a  prize for the finder of the item likely to have travelled the furthest....

As well as the most bizarre find of the day.... Somewhere out there is the fridge to go with this door!

Tides, currents and storms can also sometimes cause marine litter to gather in alarming clusters.

Our friend Jo took these shocking pictures the previous week at 'Crow Point' (just round from Saunton)
At the end of the clean it's time to gather the buckets together....

To survey the contents of the trailer......

And to guess the weight of the finds.... In total our marine litter experts at SAS estimated that we found almost one tonne of litter in the space of 2 hours on Saunton!

There is then time for a little creativity....

Great work kids!

Look at that beach - spotless!

Thanks to SAS for continuing to educate and activate us. They have got some great information and resources so check them out and support in any way you can.

 If you fancy looking further at the global impact of marine litter then you can watch a brilliant BBC documentary called 'Hawaii: Message in the Waves' here . We recently had a showing at the Croyde Deckchair Cinema which was followed by a really interesting discussion time.

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

Verity

Last week heralded the arrival of our new local celebrity 'Verity'. She is a 20 metre (66ft) bronze statue of a naked, pregnant woman wielding a sword. The statue was designed by Damien Hirst and has been erected on the harbour at Ilfracombe. With so much press coverage and controversy, including the description by Catherine Bennet from the Observer that 'it has brought public art to a new low', I could not resist a trip to Ilfracombe to see for myself.

I have a real soft spot for Ilfracombe as a place. It does not always get great press locally as there are some less beautiful aspects to it. However, I think it is full of hidden charm, quirkiness, amazing views, some great people and plenty of history, so well worth a visit.

The harbour has what can only be described as spectacular views of the Torr behind it and Wales out across the Bristol channel. As a once glorious Victorian seaside town, that has fallen upon hard times, I think it is really trying to break into a new era. Ilfracombe is trying to find an evolving identity for the future and so the idea of a statue that might speak of this and draw people to this fascinating place, for me can only be a good thing. So here she is.....

This, some may say, is her 'good side'. Her stance is taken from Edgar Degas' late 19th century bronze 'Little Dancer of Fourteen Years'. I love his work and really liked this side of her. Like many of Degas' bronzes, there is something young and full of life about her. However, from the other side.....

There are aspects of 'Verity' that are not altogether pleasant, particularly the peeled skin on her leg and the side view of her stripped away skull revealing her eye ball and socket!!

It has been said that art is not supposed to be comfortable and there is something uncomfortable about her. However, the children found the inner workings of her body and in particular her baby growing inside her completely fascinating! She inspired lots of questions such as 'why are babies are upside down?' and then lots of giggling at her funny knobbly boobs...and this was just from Richard!

Damien Hirst, who has lent 'Verity' to Ilfracombe and lives locally, has described her on his website as a "a modern-day allegory for truth and justice". It really helped me with my discomfort to know the story behind her. Her name 'Verity' is from the Italian word for truth, she holds the traditional symbols denoting justice - a sword and scales but...........

The scales are hidden and off balance behind her back, while the sword is held confidently in her outstretched arm. On his website, Damien Hirst says that "Without the perfect equilibrium enacted by the scales, the sword becomes a dangerous instrument of power, rather than justice." I like this reminder.

Here she is last week under construction. If you would like to read more about 'Verity' and how she was made, take a look at Damien Hirst's website.

If you want to see more of Damien Hirst's art in Ilfracombe he has a restaurant on the harbour 'No 13, the Quay' which is very interesting, has amazing views and lovely food. However, on our visit it was a picnic in the sunshine for us!

After pondering over 'Verity' we could not resist a climb up to 'The North Chapel' to eat our packed lunch and explore.

This little light house /chapel  dating back to the 14th century is perched on the hill. I have seen it  many times but not ventured up there to explore. It turned out to be the perfect place for a picnic with my lovely friend Sarah and her children.

What a view (I am not talking about us of course).

Inside was the cutest, tiny hickledy pickledy house,where the light house keeper lived in 1850 with his 13 children! It is full of amazing photos of Ilfracombe in days gone by.

Millie-grace had lots of fun exploring.

It was also at one point a Chapel and a place of rest for pilgrims landing by boat at Ilfracombe (I can't quite remember where they were going, sorry!)

All in all it was a great day, I enjoyed meeting 'Verity'. I liked her because she made me think, she inspired us to ask questions and to giggle. Perhaps best of all she is bringing visitors to Ilfracombe who hopefully will look beyond the press of both 'Verity' and Ilfracombe itself and discover what both have to offer.

A Surfing Party!

Zac has always loved being in the sea, but this last year has been huge for him in terms of both surfing and also surf lifesaving. 

No surprise then, that for his 10th birthday party he chose to go surfing with his mates.

This is the second birthday cake i have made in my life, so i had to prove that i did actually do it..

 (well, actually, Steve's mum made the sponge, i just decorated it!) Can you tell that it's the sea and a beach? (Putsborough beach to be precise - check out the walnut rocks!)

 Take note of the frothy white water....am thinking of adding my name to our wedding cake makers list...what do you think?

The waves were flat at Puts so we headed to good old Croyde Bay instead. Zac (and Liza) chose their best surfing mates to come along

and we couldn't have asked for better conditions.

For October, the weather was amazing and the sea still warm.

Lots of people were out and holiday-makers still around, so in many ways it still feels like the remnants of summer. 

Loving the luminous pink wax. Zac, and his long-term friend Kieran, who has recently moved here, often go in together.

Luke was first up on the wave, showing the boys how its done.

He was riding his Dad's old board known as a 'big wave gun'...Luke's dad is a well known electrician around these parts so we will have lots of jokes now we have this ammo (ammo...get it?!)

As i watched from the beach it just looked idyllic out there.

Liza was riding a board we call 'The Pudding'. The girls were straight up...

Liza, 7 and Daisy 8, show the boys how its done..

Zac jumps up

and rides the wave

He was riding his Dad's 'Gulf-Stream fish' short-board, that Steve got from a number of friends for his 40th...the take-over didn't take long! 

Luke was riding Steve's old 'mini-mal' 

The anticipation of the next set.

Rez loving the ride on his Redwood 'grom short-board'.

Henry on a 'pop-out' board 

and then dropping off and getting sea in the eye..not so good! I am relieved to say, despite appearances, Henry was ok..it was only Zac with an injury by the end.

Kieran rides in style on his 'fluid-juice' short-board, shaped in Cornwall.

Hughie prefers fishing to surfing, but you would never know!

Riding his 'Redwood Long-board' like a pro.

Almost a barrel there Hughie!

Zac was keen for me to put up more pics of him so here you go...

I think this was just before the accident of his board smacking him above his left eye..poor Zac.

Never one to let a small thing like that get in the way, after a bit of reassurance and mopping up, he went straight back in for more.

Although Steve was in the water with them, we were reassured by the presence of the life-guards.

 I am sure they are great at their job; but Baywatch, they are not.

As the light started to change, we changed location and drove everyone over to Putsborough beach cafe.

There are not many cafe's in the world with a view like this.

Tony cooked up a wonderfully healthy tea made up mostly of nuggets, burgers and chips!

Then out came the cake. No Baker birthday is complete without a firework in there somewhere. Just a shame Steve chose to plonk it straight in the middle of my sea! Mind you with the Atlantic Array wind farm most likely on its way, it was probably a fairly accurate prediction of the future..

After tea they all formed their own games on the beach (i was pleased as they might have run off some of the stodge before the Mum's and Dad's arrived).

As we left the beach, the light changed again 

and by the time we had got on the Pickwell road, this is the scene that greeted us. 

A beautiful end to a beautiful day.

x

Tom and Hanni's wedding - Seashells, Apple Green and Handmade Treasures!

Our last wedding of the year took place at the weekend and it was a wedding full of surprises from start to finish!

The first surprise was that after 6 days of heavy rain the sun found its way back and gave Hanni and Tom a warm and blue skied day making their dream come true to get married outside with a view to the sea!

We had a new team of suppliers for this wedding with Sue and Louise from Balcony hairdressers in Fremmington, styling the girls hair into relaxed, beachy style waves. Then Louise from Toast Events provided the chair covers with sashes matched to colour perfection!

Tom has been blessed with an extremely talented family and introduced us to Annie Fowler who has now joined our recommended list as florist. Annie created some stunning displays that added so well to the apple green colours, seaside influence and young creative fun of the day.

Hanni, along with her Dad Martin and Mum Pamela, have spent the last nine months collecting treasures in the colour scheme, making all the decorations and thinking about everything you could possibly need to create a breath-taking wedding breakfast setting.

Pamela made these little boats (with hand painted spots!) and filled them with traditional seaside sweets (such as mini sticks of rock and gold coins) giving the guests a unique favour at their place setting.

Hanni saw little bird cake toppers in a magazine and took on the tough feat of making her own. I think her creation is amazing and perhaps could be a sideline business for her?!...

Hanni and her Dad Martin are not just father and daughter, but business partners and amazing friends! Martin worked extremely hard to help Hanni and Tom have a stylish, individual and personal wedding.

 I could write a huge list of all that he did; like having their initials made in metal that he sewed on to wicker hearts, hand painted and then placed throughout the garden. But there was one thing he did which really showed his love for his daughter. He managed to get hold of the letters 'H' and 'T' from a Parisian hotel sign where they had once spent a precious holiday together. (The hotel was about to be rebuilt so sign no longer needed). He gave it to Hanni and Tom during his speech as a memory for their home!

I also must not forget Tom’s hard work, who had silver hipflasks engraved for each of his grooms men with their name, and the date of the wedding.

Then to top it all off he had a glass of Gin and Tonic at the ready to help them toast the day into full swing!

Lee and Kristina Timmins our wonderful partnered caterers produced a day’s menu that tied the themes together perfectly.

On our Terrace in the lovely sunshine, guests were treated to canapé’s such as fresh smoked salmon on crisp bread and miniature scones with cream and jam and fresh strawberries.

After being seated at the gorgeous decorated tables, individual anti pasti platters with home made bread were served, followed by Sea bream served with lyonnaise potatoes and hand-tied vegetable parcels.

These individual wedding cakes, supplied by Emily Rose Cakes Shop, came in 3 different flavours and filled that sweet spot perfectly!

During the day guests were not short on things to keep them entertained... After canapés, those that were able, all went down to Putsborough beach for photo’s and a quick paddle in the sea! Croquet and giant chess were laid on the lawn for those with a competitive streak.

Michael Wells came as photographer and did a great job capturing all the aspects of the day and have given Tom and Hanni some fantastic memories to keep.

Hanni also made this gorgeous wishing tree that she covered with hearts and personal sentiments (like an angle she’d had since a child). Placed under the tree were luggage tags for guests to write their wishes and memories of Hanni and Tom.

Then came the evening along with extra local friends and more entertainment...

Lee held court outside with a huge BBQ serving freshly cooked bacon butties.

Hanni and Tom also set up a HUGE sweet station that never ran out and completed it with retro stripy bags. This was a hit with evening guests and helped fuel the energy for some very funny dancing later on!

As night fell, along came the local band TheDambuskers. They got all 140 guests in the full swing of dance with a folky rock set which saw all of the musicians enter the dance floor whilst playing; the lead singer start off some great dancing; and a good sing along with some classic covers such as brown eyed girl!

And as a brilliant way to make sure Hanni and Tom didn’t miss out on anything, they provided a Polaroid camera and fancy dress bag! – I couldn’t contain my laughter when I saw the father of the groom Richard appear on the dance floor in hotpants and full ladenhoes! Or John, Toms brother who spent the final 3 hours dressed as the pink panther!

Hanni and Tom created a perfect wedding full to the brim of personal touches, comfort for their guests and heaps of laughter and fun for all involved! The obvious love their family and friends show for them is a true testament to them as individuals and together as a beautiful couple.

Have fun in Thailand and all the best for your future together Mr and Mrs Hunnibell!

Holly x

Es and Paul's wedding- Silver Ribbons, Deep Red Roses and a Campervan or Two

Es and Paul arrived on Friday in their lovely campervan called 'Custard' (she was yellow before her recent face lift, hence the name). It was exploring this area in 'Custard' that made them fall in love with the North Devon coast. You would not believe what gorgeous things came out of the van......

Here is Paul bringing in the elegant table centre pieces.

Paul and Es had sourced these amazing silver candelabras, they placed one either side of the top table, beautifully decorated with flowers by Kelly from Offshore blooms.

They then had a smaller candelabra on each windowsill, creating a stunning effect. The arrangements and bouquets contained these amazing deep red roses called 'Black Bacara', that looked just like they were made of velvet.

Es and Paul came up to the Designer Wedding Show in London with us back in March where they met the wonderful cake maker and designer Anna Tyler from Bristol. This is her Mum who helped her deliver and put together the cake on the Friday. You can see some more photos of her cakes on our wedding show blog.

You can see how impressive it looked when it was finished and topped with flowers. The guests raved about how completely delicious the lemon cake itself tasted too.

They chose to name each table after their favourite beaches and seaside locations.

Clever table plan hey!!

All hands on deck. Es's cousin Pete gave me a lesson in Welsh name pronunciation whilst we put out the favours. I'm not sure I did very well!

Not that this particular name was very Welsh! These were the lovely favours put together by Es's Mum, well done Chris.

I thought these little boxes of table entertainment were a great idea.

Altogether it created a stunning and elegant effect.

There was attention to detail at every turn. This gorgeous wreath on the front door provided a beautiful welcome and a taste of things to come.

Saturday morning, the boys all suited and booted, headed off  to the Kings Arms pub in the village for a cheeky pint to steady Paul's nerves.

Casey, Paul and Es's gorgeous staffy joined the boys on their wedding morning outing.

The beautiful bride with her Dad. The sun shone and Es got her wish to get married outside with the view of the sea.

Es walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon.

This is actually a copy of a photo that one of the guest's took (so sorry for the quality) but I thought it was such a wonderful shot and I never get to be this close to the action!

Confetti at the ready, Es's little nieces handed out cones of dried red rose petals to the guests ready for a photo opportunity.

Now onto the serious business of a celebratory Mojito. Richard and I thought we ought to double check the recipe at 9am on Saturday morning and boy was it good! However we were a bit squiffy putting the chairs out!

A nice cold beer was on offer for those not up for a cocktail, both went down a treat.

And so did the canapés which ended with yummy miniature scones. Es's bridesmaid Alisa certainly thought so.

With the guests seated, the speeches began. Es's mum and dad did a brilliant double act with hilarious comedy timing.

Es and Paul are self-confessed foodies and so chose the most exquisite menu. I only managed to photograph the starter before getting side tracked but this is what they had:

Smoked salmon and prawns topped with a leaf salad. 

Saddle of venison served with dauphinoise potatoes, hand tied fresh vegetables and a redcurrant jus.

Chocolate truffle torte served with a vanilla and raspberry sauce.

Yummy!!

After dinner, whilst guests enjoyed coffee and home made fudge on the terrace, Es and Paul nipped down to the beach in 'Custard' for a few sunset photos. I can't wait to see them.

I think 'Dougal', 'Custards' friend went too.

They cut the cake and the evening began.

Much dancing followed (although Paul insisted he couldn't dance.... I beg to differ)

Alisa made a great dancing partner instead.

During the evening the guests wrote lovely messages around this amazing photograph from the pre wedding shoot. Andy Green the photographer is a talented man and what a great memento.

The videographer also set up this twinkly area in the candle lit courtyard, where he filmed well wishers messages (even if a few were quite cheeky!).

Congratulations Paul and Es, I have so enjoyed helping you plan your wonderful weekend and what a wedding weekend it was! You really are a very special and lovely couple. Dyminiadau gore i'r dyfodol (Best wishes for the future, or at least that's what I hope it says, no laughing Tegid and Pete!!)