This summer, save the date for Renweneth Farm’s very first wedding!
As the seasons change, so do the lives of those who call the farm home. Bustling with activity in anticipation of a busy Spring, it’s all go with Jess and Riley’s wedding on the horizon and Renweneth Manor’s restoration in full swing.
But while the farm business flourishes, Jess and Ivy need to learn to navigate unforeseen challenges – financial worries, two disgruntled locals, and even a blast from Riley’s past… In the midst of it all can Ivy juggle a new and unexpected arrival with her booming business, and can Jess keep track of her perfect day?
Join Jess and the team at Renweneth Farm as they struggle to make the pieces of the intricate puzzle that bonds them together, fall neatly into place.
A story that celebrates love, life, and the way friends become family in this growing community.
Available on multiple platforms in various formats. For Amazon UK and US click on the buy links below:
HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK/SUMMER-WEDDING-CORNISH-MANOR-FEEL-GOOD-EBOOK/DP/B0CLJ75JJ6
HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.COM/SUMMER-WEDDING-CORNISH-MANOR-FEEL-GOOD-EBOOK/DP/B0CLJ75JJ6
Read the opening pages:
PROLOGUE
An intimate, get-to-know-you, real-life interview with Jess Griffiths, who runs Renweneth Farm.
By Susan Penhaligon from A Cornish View magazine
Susan: Thank you for taking part in our newest feature, Jess. Everyone’s journey is unique and yours is particularly inspirational. I hear on the grapevine that from the very first day you arrived at the farm, you embraced the community spirit. What inspired the move from Stroud, in Gloucestershire, to an isolated moor in Cornwall?
Jess: An age-old story many will connect with, Susan. My world literally imploded when the man I loved broke my heart.
Susan: I’m terribly sorry to hear that. They do say that the range of emotions you go through is on a par with a bereavement; there is no quick fix, and everyone’s experience is different.
Jess: Well, I can attest to that. It took nigh on eighteen months, and involved me, and our daughter, Lola, leaving family and friends behind to start over again. It was a huge upheaval and I freely admit that it was a struggle at first, but it made me reinvent myself.
Susan: They do say that every cloud has a silver lining… Have you found yours?
Jess: I like to think so (followed by gentle laughter). I swapped the stress of wondering why my husband fell out of love with me, for the challenge of becoming caretaker of my grandparents’ farm. In that bewildering first year of sweat and toil, I not only learnt some new skills, but I also discovered a lot about who I was; my strengths and my weaknesses.
Susan: All good, I hope!
Jess: Mostly. My husband realised our relationship was over long before I could admit it to myself. Once I faced up to the truth, I felt free, and even more determined to turn Renweneth Farm into a hub for the community. I think it’s important to show my daughter, Lola, that life is what you make it. Change is something to be embraced, even though it can be daunting at times.
Susan: You’ve certainly succeeded in putting Renweneth Farm on the map, Jess, in tandem with making a wonderful new life for you and your daughter.
Jess: We’ve made a good start, Susan, but it’s an ongoing journey into the unknown. Every time a challenge is conquered, the next one is already waiting in the wings. I’m lucky that as our team here has grown, it’s attracted hard-working, like-minded people who are totally invested in what they do.
Susan: It was an inspired idea turning an old barn into the Renweneth Farm Hub. It’s been a lifeline for a wide variety of local businesses who have now found a home there. But this is a family operation still, as I hear that your granddad – Cappy – is back lending a hand.
Jess: Yes. The weekly market days have proved to be very popular too. So much so, that we’re extending our car parking facilities and he’s going to be managing that project. And my lifelong friend, Ivy, recently took over The Farmhouse Bakery. Opening the self-service café has turned the bakery into the beating heart of Renweneth Farm. It’s a place for people to sit and chat over coffee and cake, after a leisurely browse around the wonderful stalls in The Courtyard Hub.
Susan: It’s safe to say that last year ended on a high, then?
Jess: It did indeed. Family and friends – old and new – joined us for a fabulous Christmas Day celebration at Renweneth Farm Bakery. Ivy, and her husband – Adam – supported us from day one and now this is their home too.
Susan: With the worst behind you, is it time to relax a little and take some time out to enjoy your new lifestyle?
Jess: (after a hearty chuckle) I’m afraid not. A new year dawns and the to-do list seems endless… but do you know what? I wouldn’t change a single thing because I’m an eternal optimist. Maybe you should come back in August, though, and ask me that question again.
Susan: Why August?
Jess: This is the summer that I hope everything in my life will suddenly fall into place. If we really do have the power to manifest our wildest dreams, I won’t just be rolling up my sleeves as I have done, but I’ll be leaving the universe in no doubt at all about what I want.
Susan: And if it doesn’t turn out quite as expected?
Jess: (there’s a short pause) I’m aiming for the moon, but I’m a realist. I guess the stars will do for now.
January
Jess
1
The Big Day is Finally Here
It’s Monday the ninth of January and my granddad, Cappy, gives his great-granddaughter, Lola, a wink across the breakfast table before insisting he does the school runs today.
‘That’s great, Cappy.’ My daughter’s eyes light up. ‘Don’t forget we’re giving Daisy a lift, too.’
A loud ‘miaow’ makes us all turn in the direction of the doorway, as Misty – our feline princess – announces her arrival.
‘You don’t like school days, do you, girl?’ Lola puts her hand out and Misty eagerly trots over for an ear rub and, no doubt, a treat.
She knows exactly how gorgeous she is, with her beautiful grey and white markings and those citrine-coloured eyes, but she is a little minx. I smile to myself. If it weren’t for the bell on her collar, she’d be proudly carrying in presents several times a day. She’s Lola’s devoted companion when she’s at home and fills the empty hours when Lola’s not here honing her hunting skills.
‘Will there be lots of people working on Renweneth Manor today?’ Lola asks, as she tucks into a plate of scrambled eggs.
‘Riley, three other builders and me.’
‘It’s exciting, Jess,’ Cappy joins in.
‘I know but—’
He flashes me one of his sobering looks, raising an eyebrow. ‘Don’t you go worrying about the unknowns. It’s an old house and we know most of the timbers are rotten. Riley intends to replace everything, and he’s a man who knows what he’s doing. The roofing work I had done a couple of years ago means it’s watertight, so once the interior is all stripped out it’s just a case of putting in new services and fitting it out again.’
Cappy makes it sound easy, but I know from poring over the plans with Riley that there’s a huge amount of work to get through. Fortunately, I have the best builder in the whole wide world on board.
When Riley Warren breezed into my life last summer, I wasn’t expecting him to steal my heart. As autumn approached, an easy friendship had become so much more than either of us expected. Unfortunately, his situation isn’t clear-cut. Riley has an eight-year-old son he lost contact with until recently. Ollie asked his mum to reach out to his dad, but the situation is rather delicate and, for now, Riley is a part of our daily lives here but returns each night to Wind Rush Cottage, a short drive away.
I’ve given my handsome and caring builder-man a deadline of the beginning of August for the manor to be partially habitable. Enough for Riley, Lola and me to start our life together properly. Lola can’t wait, but our happiness won’t be complete until Ollie is able to join us for visits and Riley is still working on that.
The plan is to celebrate our union with a civil ceremony for our small, inner circle, to be held at Renweneth Village Hall. It will be followed by a party for friends and family here in the grounds of Renweneth Manor. There won’t be a honeymoon until the manor is complete, which could take a year. Then, we hope to fly off with Lola and Ollie to travel around Italy and, as our blended family bonds, make some forever memories.
I’m hoping that before the year is out, I will have convinced Cappy to return to the farm to live for good. He left because he couldn’t cope with his grief after losing Grandma. Having moved close to my parents in Stroud, it’s been obvious to Mum, and me, that he’s been struggling to occupy his time. It’s been affecting him both mentally and physically.
The recent passing of another of his long-time friends hasn’t helped, either. But as with all losses, time is a natural healer and he’s the sort of man who thrives when he’s active and feels needed. So, he’s staying at the farmhouse for six months, taking over the role of site manager, while I’m tied up with the next round of building works.
He thinks I’ll be letting out The Farmhouse once Lola and I move out, but how can I? Grandma was all about family and friends, and I can’t bear to think of strangers living here. And while it took Cappy a while to walk back through the front door, when he’s here, he’s his old self again. Our lives are better with him in it and even if one of us is in a grump, every single day is precious.
In the meantime, I need to stay focused to drive the project forward. My intricate plan has a lot of moving parts and to say it’s ambitious is an understatement. ‘Only you, Jess’, as my best friend Ivy often says. Sadly, life has taught me not to take anything for granted. So, I plough forward with gritted teeth, determined nothing is going to prevent my dream for us all from coming true.
‘Look at the time!’ I glance up at the clock. ‘We’d better get a move on. Finish your breakfast, Lola, then grab your school bag and coat. Your lunch box and drink are on the island.’
‘Don’t worry about us – you get off, Jess.’ Cappy ruffles Lola’s hair as he walks past her. ‘We’ll sort the dishes, won’t we, my sparkly girl?’
Lola nods her head enthusiastically.
‘Thanks, you two. I’m off to wield a sledgehammer.’
I give them both a quick kiss on the cheek and hurry out into the hallway to grab a beanie hat, my work gloves, and pull on a hi-vis vest over my padded jacket. Bending to tie the laces on my steel-toe-capped boots, I reflect that building work isn’t glamorous, but a little fizz of excitement still courses through me. It’s time to turn the plan into reality.
As Lola and Cappy come to give me a good luck hug, everything in my world feels right. The thought of all those happy years Granddad spent at the farmhouse with Grandma, before the spark in her began to fade, warms my heart. At the very end of her life, we could all see that she was at peace. But the truth is that we weren’t ready to face a future without her. She instinctively knew that and this is where she wanted us all to be: together at Renweneth Farm. It wouldn’t be the same without his presence and it’s simply a case of waiting until he realises that for himself.
*
After a long and tiring day, Riley and I give our hard-working team a grateful wave, as the guys all head for home. We walk back inside Renweneth Manor feeling content and I pull off my beanie hat, shaking out my hair to make me feel a bit more human. At least the dust in the air is settling a little and it’s nice not wearing a mask. Riley comes closer, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tightly.
‘You certainly held your own today, Jess.’ He steps back, grabbing my gloved hand. ‘Come on, let’s inspect our handiwork.’
We traipse up the stairs to the first floor, which is now almost entirely open plan. The outer walls are all exposed stone, but the internal walls were ripped out many years ago and replaced with panelling. Some of the wood is salvageable, but a lot is water-damaged from the leaks that went unchecked for several years.
‘Don’t worry, Jess. I know what you’re thinking. We’re smashing everything up and you feel there won’t be many original features left. But we’ll probably have enough usable panelling to create an updated but period feel in the sitting room and maybe even the hallway.’
I gaze around, my arm muscles still trembling from the constant reverberation of swinging the sledgehammer against the splintering wood. I’m aching all over and I can’t wait to sink into a hot bubble bath.
‘I’m glad we’ve made a start, Riley, but August seems like an eternity away. Every single day that we’re not living together as a family is a day wasted… one we’ll never get back again.’
Now he looks as downcast as I feel, but that wasn’t my intention. We rarely acknowledge that ache that doesn’t go away, because at the end of a long, hard day, we simply want to lie in each other’s arms. Like any new relationship, even though we work side by side most days, it’s still a journey of discovery. Past hurts, present worries and future hopes are things we’re still diving into. To do that, we need alone time in a relaxing environment and the chaos of The Farmhouse isn’t it.
So, late at night, we lie in our separate beds chatting on the phone, discussing our dreams for the future. And, occasionally, he spirits me away to his beautifully renovated cottage for some time together; it’s enough to keep us going for now.
I’m not one for dwelling on the past because I simply don’t have the time. Day to day, my biggest headache is keeping an eye on the cash flow. The business is growing fast; a lot of people are now dependent upon the farm for their livelihoods. General overheads and taxes mount up as we expand, and it’s a balancing act when it’s all about reinvesting the profit to secure the future.
‘I know,’ he replies, softly. ‘Hopefully, by then Fiona will be more receptive and agree to us having some sort of regular access to Ollie. Then we’ll really be a family, Jess.’
It’s hard not to sigh. Riley has a lot more faith in his ex than I have. Just before Christmas last year, Ollie came to stay with Riley at his cottage for the first time. It was supposed to be a chance for the two of them to bond. It didn’t turn out quite as expected when Fiona invited herself along, too. She was supposed to be dropping her son off on the Friday evening, staying overnight and returning home the next morning. She ended up staying all weekend, even though that wasn’t the arrangement they’d made. Hearing about what happened after the fact did unsettle me at the time. Having had my heart broken once, I’m understandably wary. It’s not that I doubt Riley’s love for me, but if I had to choose between a man and my daughter… well, I just hope it doesn’t come down to that for Riley and his son.
He’s a good man and he has a big heart. Being a mum in a similar situation to Fiona, now that my ex-husband Ben has a significant other in his life, I totally understand her wanting to satisfy herself that Ollie was in safe hands for that first visit. Fiona didn’t really know much about Riley’s new life after their acrimonious split four years ago. I get that she wanted to see for herself where her son was staying.
However, it threw Riley into a bit of a panic when she invited herself to stay the second night and at breakfast, started planning out their day. What sort of signal was that sending Ollie? I can’t help wondering. Riley should have put his foot down at the time, but he didn’t and that threw me a little.
The following Monday, when Riley sat me down to tell me how the weekend turned out, he was clearly uncomfortable about it. It was then that I pushed him to tell Fiona about us and it’s something I’ve come to regret. Ever since, it’s either been total silence from her end, or when he has reached out hoping to at least talk to Ollie, he’s received hurtful text messages suggesting that he’s not putting his son’s interests first.
‘I do hope so, Riley. Renweneth Manor is made for family gatherings, and it’ll only be special if we can all spend time there together.’
The sadness I see reflected in his eyes pulls on my heartstrings and I give Riley the biggest smile I can muster. ‘Come on. Let’s head back to The Farmhouse for a shower. Cappy assumed you’ll be staying for dinner tonight.’
My lovely, warm-hearted man gives me one of his artful grins.
‘Great, I’m starving. I’ll just get some clean clothes from the van.’
Will there ever come a day when Riley can hang his clothes up here? I sigh, as we make our way downstairs. How wonderful that would be. Looking at it now, it’s going to involve nothing less than a miracle to get this place into any sort of shape. There’s a lot more demolition work to come before we can even begin to think about putting the manor back together again. From where I’m standing, it’s not a hill we have to climb; it’s a flipping mountain.
*
Wednesday is yoga class at The Hub Studio, and I have knots in my back and shoulders that I’m hoping will benefit from some gentle stretching. The mid-week slump I’m feeling is down to a real fear that I’ll run out of steam before Friday is here. Being surrounded by four burly men working like well-oiled machines, I’m pushing myself as hard as I can.
My bestie, Ivy, is in a downward-facing dog pose and glances across at me from beneath her arm, making me laugh. I wince and it’s all I can do not to groan out loud, as my tired muscles are screaming at me.
‘Are you okay?’ she mouths at me.
‘Sorry, everything hurts,’ I mouth back.
Our teacher, Flo, talks us through the final movements before we finally get to lie prostrate on the floor. Thankfully, the winding-down stretches seem to even out a few kinks. The only problem is that everyone else is now up on their feet, and I’m simply lying here, staring up at the ceiling considering whether it’s natural for parts of me to feel numb.
Ivy stares down at me. ‘Do you need a hand to get up?’
‘No. I’m in heaven. If I stay completely still, nothing hurts, nothing at all – it’s total bliss!’
Flo wraps up the session with a few motivational words and as everyone begins clapping, I reluctantly ease myself into an upright position to join in.
As we filter out of the studio, I give Flo a warm smile. ‘Sorry I lagged behind a bit tonight,’ I admit.
Ivy and Flo make eye contact and they both start laughing.
‘What?’
‘We were all suffering with you at every groan,’ Flo replies.
I stare at them apologetically. ‘I thought that was just in my head and when I did let slip, I hoped your voice helped to mask it, Flo.’ I laugh.
‘Don’t you worry about that, Jess. We’re all eager to see some life breathed back into Renweneth Manor. It’s a shame to see a beautiful old building like that standing empty for such a long time and everyone is in awe of what you’re doing.’
‘That’s kind of you to say so. How are things going with…’ I glance around, checking the three of us are now alone. ‘…Prudie?’ She’s an old friend of my late grandma Maggie’s, and by association, Cappy. Although I think he usually disappeared whenever the two ladies got together for their little chats.
Flo rolls her eyes. ‘You won’t believe this, but the man who rents out the village hall where I used to hold my classes gave me a call yesterday. He offered me a discount if I move back there. I declined and told him that the studio at Renweneth Farm is perfect for me. Then he mentioned that our esteemed local artist has been bending his ear.’
My jaw drops and I don’t quite know what to say.
‘Prudie not only exhibits for free in the bakery café, but she still wants the studio all to herself for her art classes?’ Ivy sounds scandalised.
‘That’s about the long and the short of it,’ Flo confirms. ‘I moved away from the village hall because the ambience isn’t quite right there. So many clubs use it for different things and the noticeboards are cluttered. The studio here is all clean lines with no distractions and it feels like a sanctuary. Adding this mezzanine floor to the old barn was an inspired idea, Jess. I’m not giving in to Prudie Carne just because she thinks she’s superior and her art classes have more to offer the community than my yoga classes.’
I can see that Ivy is just as shocked as I am. Flo is usually such a relaxed and quiet person; admittedly, she’s put up with a lot from Prudie and clearly this latest upset is the final straw.
‘Oh, Flo, she’s just annoyed with herself for missing out on the opportunity to take the studio on, that’s all. If she doesn’t respond to her emails that’s her fault, because she had the chance.’
‘Well, whatever, but I’ve bent over backwards to accommodate her classes and have rearranged my own itinerary to keep her happy. If she keeps this up, I’ll be less amenable in future when she wants to add extra dates. I know she’s an old friend of Cappy’s and your late grandma, and while I don’t want to cause offence, my patience is wearing thin.’
I think it’s time I sorted this out once and for all, and this time, it’s not my aching muscles that make me groan; it’s the thought of confronting Cappy…
Read the opening chapters to books 1 and 2 in this story (all standalone reads) here:
https://linnbhalton.com/summer-at-the-cornish-farmhouse/
https://linnbhalton.com/a-cornish-christmas-at-the-farmhouse-bakery/
