Meet Livvy & Sam

If you follow us on Instagram, you already know Livvy and Sam, even if you've never met them in person.

Livvy is my daughter, and these days her hands are properly full — she's mum to Willow, who's three, and Elowen, who's just a month old. Being a mum to two under three is a full-time job on its own, but somehow she still finds the time (and the eye) to run the socials for both the Rising Sun and Selkie. She's built the pub's Instagram up to 14,000 followers and counting, which still stops me in my tracks a bit when I think about it — most of the people who find us for the first time do it through one of her posts.

Sam's a professional photographer, so between the two of them the pub gets photographed properly — not just a quick snap on a phone, but shots that actually capture what it's like to be here. If you've seen a photo of the sunset over the bay or the beer garden looking its best, chances are it's one of his.

They live above the pub with the girls, so their view every morning is the cove — Livvy moved down here with me back in 2020, long before any of this started, and I don't think either of us pictured it turning into what it has. She and Sam have been together just over a year now, and watching them build a life here together, with the sea on the doorstep and two little ones in tow, has been one of the genuine joys of the last year for me.

Livvy's always been the one in the family who believes in choosing what actually makes you happy rather than what you're supposed to do — and honestly, waking up to this view every day is a pretty good advert for that way of living.

Next time you're scrolling and land on one of our photos, that's Livvy and Sam. Say hello if you spot them around the pub.

Kelly x