By Sue Bradbury
Altarnun is a picture-postcard moorland village. Nestling in a sheltered valley, it comes complete with a fifteenth century packhorse bridge, an old rectory that features prominently in Daphne du Maurier’s novel Jamaica Inn and a church rather splendidly known as ‘the cathedral of the moors’.
Little wonder that wedding planner Lester Gethings and his husband, wedding and event florist Simon Nickell, fell in love with the place during regular visits from London. Both at the zenith of their professional careers in the capital, they relished the peace and quiet that the rural hamlet offered. So, despite having originally planned to re-locate once they’d retired, the pair bought a 200-year-old cottage that had once been Altarnun’s post office and made the village their permanent home just before Christmas 2017.
Simon grew up in Cornwall where his ancestry dates back to the fourteenth century. The family were farmers who lived in and around the mid-county areas of St Tudy and Helland and, although the Nickell name seems to have largely disappeared locally, he’s proud of an agricultural heritage that might well explain his outstanding talent for floristry.
“I went to Callington School and then took a job as a National Trust guide at Cotehele, on the banks of the river Tamar,” he says. “I was the Trust’s youngest room steward in the country and one day I asked if I could help out with the flowers for the house. I really enjoyed it and ended up doing them twice a week with the head guide Maureen King who was a tremendous source of encouragement. We’ve kept in contact ever since.”
Inspired, Simon went on to apply for an apprentice position with a Plymouth florist, whilst studying for a City & Guilds qualification one day a week at college. With that under his belt, he set his sights on London and an event floristry job with Harper & Tom’s in Notting Hill.
“It was a mad place in Portobello Road,” he remembers. “It was the mid-1990s and we worked with a wide variety of clients, including celebrities like Alan Rickman, John Cleese and Ruby Wax. Every single day we would go to market and bring back a van filled with all sorts of wonderful things I’d never seen before. It was an incredible experience that taught me so much.”
From there, Simon went on to work with Jane Packer, whose company continues to enjoy an international reputation, and then Stephen Wicks and Mark Welford at Bloomsbury Flowers in Covent Garden. After ten years with them, he launched Euphoric Flowers with a friend in 2005 and finally went solo with Simon Nickell Design in 2015. Named the world’s best wedding florist in 2016, Simon’s latest venture is running floristry workshops.
“I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained to help others achieve floral works of art,” he enthuses. “Whatever the occasion, beautiful displays of flowers can make all the difference.”
Simon and Lester met 18 years ago whilst on holiday in Spain. At the time, Lester was working as a sales and marketing manager with Orange but made the change to wedding planning when Simon suggested his organisational flair would be perfect for that role.
“I was always interested in logistics and back in 2004 wedding planning was new and there were very few people doing it,” he says. “I love the job but it’s hard work ensuring everything goes exactly according to plan. Detail is everything and I spend months leading up to the couple’s big day checking and re-checking every aspect so they can relax in the knowledge that it’s all under control. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing their reaction when I do the big reveal and they see how everything looks. It’s a truly wonderful moment.”
Lester and Simon run separate businesses but from time to time find themselves working together on the same event. One such occasion was a recent wedding at Boconnoc, near Lostwithiel.
“Lucy and Michael are based in London and wanted three days of celebrations on the estate,” says Lester. “I did all the planning and Simon did the flowers. It was a wonderful occasion that later featured in Brides magazine and Vogue Japan.”
Having worked in some of the country’s most beautiful locations, both men are clearly over the moon to have made their home in Cornwall.
“In London, we were like hamsters on a wheel,” says Simon. “There never seemed to be any time for leisure but here it’s very different. Everyone has been very welcoming and we’re enjoying life far more.
“We’re still travelling for work of course but a lot of the preparation is done in our cottage, a million miles away from the 24\7 hubbub of the city.
“It’s the perfect combination and we honestly couldn’t be happier.”
For more information, visit www.lestergethings.com and www.simonnickelldesign.com