Writing Courses in England and Wales
In February 2019 you can attend the Writers Holiday in Fishguard, Wales.
The train goes to Fishguard and Goodwick from Paddington in London. Fishguard and Goodwick station is just below the Fishguard Bay hotel which is on the clifftop.
The train runs here to the edge of WALES transporting tourists to the terminal where you catch the ferry across to Ireland.
Painting
Courses cover aspects of writing, and painting - so you can illustrate a book or paint a romantic or spooky scene to inspire a story. Susan Alison tells you all about perspective and colour. She is very thorough and helpful. Materials, watercolour paints, paper and brushes and so on, are provided.
Later in the year you could attend Swanwick, the Writers' Summer School in Swanwick village in Derbyshire.
The programme is published on line.
Who will be there? The usual favourites including Della Galton, on writing a novel, a change from her usual area of expertise, short stories. Alison Chisholm as usual will be encouraging novice and seasoned poets, with her soothing voice.
Why book now. Why early? Why not wait? Because by booking now you are sure of getting a place if they are fully booked. Because you can choose the cheaper accommodation before it sells out. Because rooms are allocated when you book so you have a greater chance of getting the building you prefer, the level - ground or above, and the price your prefer - the cheaper rooms, or the dearer ones in prime position.
One year we went on from the Writers' Summer School to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland which is also in August.. We drove north from Swanwick across the border and took in several sights including a puppet theatre and the cave where Bruce reputedly saw the spider. (Several caves claim to be the one. I puzzled over this for several hours on the journey, as we passed motels. Eventually, after comparing the dates of the claims, I realised Bruce hopped around caves, over the years, between battles, like a modern man on the run would hop from motel to motel, evading pursuers.)
So go north from London to Scotland, by train or coach or car, or drive on from Swanwick. That's August. At a big conference centre. Accommodation prices vary at the Hayes Conference Centre which has several buildings.
A smaller, shorter, cheaper event is the long weekend at Wales in February at Fishguard Bay Hotel with views over the bay.
If you travel to Wales by train you will see Welsh signs on the train and at the Welsh stations. You can learn Welsh through the free online website, Duolingo.
Writers' Holiday
Friday 15 to Sunday 17 Feb. Stay a day longer before or after and make sure you see the tapestry of the invasion of Fishguard by the French - and their capture by a group of women - displayed next to the library in the town hall.
Plenty to think about, talk about and write about, at your destination and surroundings at either of these holidays or both. Visitors travel from far away: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the USA. So do the speakers and course leaders.
Swanwick 10-16 August 2019.
I tried to find my previous posts in this blog and could not - but a google search brought them up!
Useful Websites
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2017/07/fishguard-bay-and-films-in-wales.html
writersholiday.net
https://www.
duolingo.com
Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my previous posts on both these holidays, and photos.
Please share links to your favurite posts.
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