A Very Big House In The Country

We have been steadily growing in numbers over the last few months and we are now nearly at capacity with just one spare room for male guests (which is soon to be occupied by someone applying to live here) and two for women. There are currently six members (i.e. paid staff), sixteen guests, four volunteers and one baby. With occasional wayfarers, day volunteers and visitors, our meal times can get quite cosy if not outright squashed.

This is of course due to people joining but we also have not had that many leave. In the seven months I’ve been here, only two guests have left - one who just took himself off without warning because the urge to resume his old role as Chief Trouble-Maker of Bridport was too strong, and the other who decided to move on to our “move-on” house in Dorchester, Brook House. This is a kind of halfway point between the isolated rural community of Pilsdon and the so-called normal life of living alone in some council flat; it’s a community of people who mostly work or study during the day and eat together in the evenings. Alcohol is again out of bounds. It’s quite a common option for those leaving Pilsdon as it allows them to begin to build a new life whilst based in a known and welcoming place. 

Sadly today a third guest departed from Pilsdon, having been asked to leave after transgressing the number one rule of Pilsdon (see my blog post on Sep 14th if you’re not sure what that might be). He is one of my closer friends here so I find it particularly unfortunate that he has to go. He’s taking a philosophical stance on it since after a year here he was beginning to fantasise about living in the outside world, and now the decision is made for him. He’ll be living with his parents for a while and has plans to get some qualifications for the building trade, but we hope to see him again in the not too distant future.

The other move-on place where it seems that particularly ex-wardens go to recuperate after Pilsdon is Hilfield Friary, an Anglican Franciscan community about an hour’s drive east from here.  Both the last two wardens, along with their wives, have ended up there. Like Pilsdon it is miles from anywhere, deep in the gorgeous Dorset countryside, and like Pilsdon it follows a rhythm of prayer throughout each day. People eat all meals together, vegetables are grown organically for the kitchen, as are the livestock. Unlike Pilsdon it is a home for friars (which apparently are very similar to monks except they move around a bit more), who as their average age crept into the 70’s decided to invite lay people (i.e non-friars) to join them and help keep things ticking over. I have visited once for a couple of hours after dropping someone off there quite early one morning, but didn’t manage to speak to anybody because they have silent breakfasts, and then all seem to vanish.

So as Pilsdon celebrated its 54th anniversary last Sunday with more cake than has ever existed in one place at one time, things seem to be going pretty well here. The influx of new residents has made the place seem more vibrant, more energised. The freezers are full to bursting of our fruit and veg despite the worst summer ever for growing. And we carry on the practice of Christian hospitality to all and sundry as Percy Smith intended when he established Pilsdon all those fifty four years ago.