Highlights of The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, (near Alfreton), Derbyshire DE55 1AU

I enjoyed a delightful week on a Writers' Summer School at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire - what a delightful setting for talks and walks. At breakfast time I discovered that although our conference had more than a hundred members and seemed to occupy the whole building, including the three accommodation areas of the main house, the ABC and Lakeside, The Hayes was still open to the public for bed and breakfast. I learned from the bed and breakfast guests, who were walking and sightseeing in Derbyshire, that they knew of The Hayes from staying at the management's other properties. All three are properties are open for conferences.

The Hayes - back lawn and colourful flowerbeds 

The Hayes - Lawn and Flowerbeds 

(The green gabled roof far left is The Vinery, a glass walled area where you can sit and drink your coffee or tea when on a conference. The Vinery's interior is pictured below.

The Vinery

Great place to sit drinking a glass of water, or alcoholic drinks you can buy from the licensed bar at lunchtime, before dinner and in the evenings.

Magnificent fir trees

Walks
In fine weather you can stroll past the field of cows down to the lake. I was on a conference and one of our members ran a meditation group in the monrings by the lake. On one wet day although it was raining it was wet underfoot and some people had brought mats to sit on so she moved the group indoors into the Lakeside accommodation's Tissington Room off the front hall.

A previous year I walked up the sloping path behind the furthest car park and downhill through the trees.

Gift Shop
The Hayes gift shop is open during conferences at the morning coffee break for you to buy postcards, books of first class postage stamps, religious books for adults and bible stories for children, key rings, and assorted knickknacks - my favourite being the wooden button boxes in the shape of a button on a cylindrical base - prices from about £5-10 according to size.


Accommodation and toilets
The bathrooms and toilets have been upgraded since last year. a member of staff told me that this is an ongoing process. Like painting the Forth Bridge, when you finish decorating at one end it's time for your team to go back and start repainting at the other end.
   In the ladies' toilets I liked the wall covering which looked like tiles but was a clever imitation. All in one piece, wallpaper style. The advantage is that its easier to clean. The white 'grout' stays white. Quick to install or replace.

Bathrooms' Ensuite Shower Curtain Magnets

In the bathrooms I was entranced by the shower curtains which snapped together with nifty magnets at the bottom corners. (I looked up and saw the top corners also had top magnets so ensure a dry floor as well as total privacy. But those of you who have watched Hitchcock films may wish to leave eye level open to watch out for approaching strangers!)

Here's the magnet sewn into the seam of the shower curtain, clasping its twin from the other curtain of the pair. What a great idea! You might have shower curtains or bath curtains which could do with this trick. 

If you don't have shower curtains, what about bedroom curtains? If you have bedroom curtain which you struggle to close every night, magnets can be sewn at the bottom of both curtains of the pair. Or on the outside edge of a curtain to match one stuck on a wall. Then another at the top where the two curtains meet. 

But you want your bedroom curtains overlapping? Just sew the second magnet an inch or two further along.

The toilet brush attached to the lid.

I particularly liked another feature, the toilet brush attached to the toilet holder lid. Only two pieces instead of three, less to go missing, fall apart. Very neat.

You could easily be so busy with walking and sightseeing or seeing your friends, or family, that you might miss the games room. If it's too wet to go out, or too late and dark, you can have a game of indoor table tennis.

To all the friends I see at the annual Writers' Summer School - see you next year.

More details from:

The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, (near Alfreton), Derbyshire DE55 1AU
Tel:+44 0300 111 4444

http://www.cct.org.uk/the-hayes/introduction

(Loading about four pictures and text on the Writers' Summer School Courses and Entertainment to my next post today Monday Aug 18 or tomorrow - come back for more.)