....As the introductions continued I realised what a wonderful diverse group we were, all of us from such different backgrounds and levels of ability and an age gap from 17 to 67!, however seldom if at all, did this come to the surface during our week together, in fact I think it actually helped us all bond.
As the evening wore on and the introductions continued we discovered amongst us an English teacher an IT marketing consultant, retired executives an ex soldier etc, all with such wonderful tales to tell and all keen to share their own experiences and tales of writing or beginning to write, I was enthralled at how easy going everyone was and how well we all got along so quickly, something I am sure that Arvon Foundation design into the course from the outset, you are continually prompted to get involved without undue pressure and continuously asked for input and no-one is ever left behind.
After the wonderful colourful introductions were over we all had a glass of wine that loosened us all up a little more and the way the course would operate during the week was spelt out. It entailed a class that started at 10 am prompt taken alternately every day of the week by each tutor, our first session would be alongside Morag and would finish at 12.30, after which we would have some lunch and then have time to write and read and walk, before a 10 minute meeting with either John or Morag in the afternoon. We all had a great chat in the evening and enjoyed listening and talking about writing and books we had read etc, I myself had very little input in this last subject as, to my utter shame and disgust I have read very little but snippets since Animal Farm was first cast upon my attentive ears many years ago. I suddenly felt a little uneasy as I realised I was a long way behind my fellow students due to my continuous excuse of being 'too busy' to read books of quality, but if this was the case my wonderful new friends never let it slip, instead they would describe the plot to me and talk with glee about their own favourite bits of the classics, I truly came to realise just what wonderful people i was amongst.
All too soon bedtime came around and we bid each other 'goodnight' and sloped off to our beds. I myself am always a light sleeper and seldom require hours of sleep but this first night would be a little less full of sleep than even I usually like!. I turned the light off and dozed casually with my heavy eyelids just hovering over each other like a venus flytrap being teased by the juiciest of flies just millimetres from it's grasp, they clasped then opened, clasped then opened and for some reason my usual immediate 'hit the pillow' kind of sleep eluded me. It must have been about 2.30 am and i was still just lay there staring unconciously into the room when suddenly i felt a tingling sensation the likes of which i had felt before, it was all too obvious to me what it was all about and i froze for a few seconds, the feeling is similar to that of your pet cat or dog i guess when it's hackles raise at something they are unsure of and i had felt this many times before in old houses where there was a prescence, my heart sank, I thought 'oh no not here I don't want this' but almost as soon as those words had entered my head a calming influence at once put me at ease, call it stuff and nonsense if you like but I firmly believe if you open the doors of your soul to the world then open doors work both ways and you allow some other souls to enter yours. This was seemingly however, just an introduction from a spirit to say 'hi, i am here, i am glad you are too' and as quickly as it had let itself be known it was gone and uncannily almost at once, I fell asleep almost straight away.
The alarm went off at 5.30 am and i was already awake, so reached over and switched it off. Once dressed i slipped across the large dining area and lounge and got myself washed and ready for the day, I lit the wonderful log burner almost straight away with some of the smaller sticks sat in a wicker basket to the side of the fire, i struck the match and lowered it to the firelighter and instantly it burst into life devouring the smaller kindle sticks almost as quickly as i could load them, then i grabbed two rather large round dry logs and put those on top of the kindling and hey presto! one very warm real fire. Next was a cup of coffee all freely available in the kitchen with hot water always on tap via a worktop boiler, now, if there is something most people know about me then that is my love of THAT first cup of coffee!...heaven was there as i sat in front of the now crackling and spitting log burner and it's wonderful orange glow as it warmed my feet on the hearth, complete with caffeine, it couldnt get better could it?.
With coffee drank and spirits raised (no pun intended) I stepped out for a walk in the cool September morning air, the view was like nothing i have ever witnessed, red sky lying across mountain tops that reached for the disappearing stars like a forlorn lover leaps towards her doomed partner, so close yet so far away, the scenery was as breathtaking as the air was cold but the two seemed to co-exist in this place as if to remind you of the harshness of such landscape and it's embattled history. I put one foot on to the bottom rail of the five bar gate and crossed my arms and lent on the top rail and there i stood for almost half an hour. This indeed was a very special place.
Back in the cottage the next to rise was Chris, he and I enjoyed each others company very much over the course of the week, hardly surprising in a way because we were the only two guys out of the other 11 students but I think if even that had that not been a factor myself and Chris would have still gotten on very well, he had a wonderfully dry sense of humour, something we all saw much of during the week!. Hannah was usually up next followed by the effevescent Magis whom i had informed was my new adopted Mum, which made her warm face light up every time i said it and she would chuckle away while disappearing back in to her room. Hannah disappeared for a quick cigarette along with Chris most mornings as the rest of the group appeared for breakfast, Heidi, who was from Switzerland and the eldest of the group would be the last to appear but that was because she was in the tutors cottage just below the main house, she had such wonderful stories to tell and was very attentive to everyone's plight but that didn't mean she would not put her own case across when it was called for!.
Reluctantly, to a point, I had mentioned my little spiritual visit to Chris while we had a coffee and as is always the case in such a great group of close knit people it soon became common knowledge during breakfast, it got the usual raised eyebrows from many but not the ridicule that mostly greets such dispelled information, in fact tutor John exclaimed 'ya've had a wee visitor in tha nit ah hear?' which made me chuckle a little and i replied 'yes John, but it was merely a nudge to say 'hi I am here' though to this day i think he believes it was an over active imagination....maybe, maybe not.
The next hour or so went by and at 10 am we were all gathered and sat round the long table in the dining room with our pens and note books at the ready. Morag came in and sat at the table and we fell silent as she introduced herself again and gave us an insight in to our lesson for the day. This was indeed an eye opener as she commenced to dispel many myths and sayings that accompany the writing profession such as 'writers block' and the fabled 'inspiration' excuse. It had us all captivated and keen to put in to practice what we were being told, so much of it made perfect sense when actually explained in detail and I remember thinking to myself just how much more there was to writing a book than just sitting there typing aimlessly to suit yourself.
The second half of the tuition was to involve something that is very close to my heart, it focused on our own self belief and told us despite our own reservations 'we were enough'. This last part of the sentence is something I have always chased down as i have never believed I have ever been good enough at anything, my own worst critic with bells on. But here was a famous well published author saying simply that 'we are enough, don't let those adult thoughts sabotage your child-like free thoughts'. At once I could see freedom from so many restrictions that my own 'adult self' had put into place unconsciously. It was the spur we would all carry with us for the rest of the week..
to be continued.....
As the evening wore on and the introductions continued we discovered amongst us an English teacher an IT marketing consultant, retired executives an ex soldier etc, all with such wonderful tales to tell and all keen to share their own experiences and tales of writing or beginning to write, I was enthralled at how easy going everyone was and how well we all got along so quickly, something I am sure that Arvon Foundation design into the course from the outset, you are continually prompted to get involved without undue pressure and continuously asked for input and no-one is ever left behind.
After the wonderful colourful introductions were over we all had a glass of wine that loosened us all up a little more and the way the course would operate during the week was spelt out. It entailed a class that started at 10 am prompt taken alternately every day of the week by each tutor, our first session would be alongside Morag and would finish at 12.30, after which we would have some lunch and then have time to write and read and walk, before a 10 minute meeting with either John or Morag in the afternoon. We all had a great chat in the evening and enjoyed listening and talking about writing and books we had read etc, I myself had very little input in this last subject as, to my utter shame and disgust I have read very little but snippets since Animal Farm was first cast upon my attentive ears many years ago. I suddenly felt a little uneasy as I realised I was a long way behind my fellow students due to my continuous excuse of being 'too busy' to read books of quality, but if this was the case my wonderful new friends never let it slip, instead they would describe the plot to me and talk with glee about their own favourite bits of the classics, I truly came to realise just what wonderful people i was amongst.
All too soon bedtime came around and we bid each other 'goodnight' and sloped off to our beds. I myself am always a light sleeper and seldom require hours of sleep but this first night would be a little less full of sleep than even I usually like!. I turned the light off and dozed casually with my heavy eyelids just hovering over each other like a venus flytrap being teased by the juiciest of flies just millimetres from it's grasp, they clasped then opened, clasped then opened and for some reason my usual immediate 'hit the pillow' kind of sleep eluded me. It must have been about 2.30 am and i was still just lay there staring unconciously into the room when suddenly i felt a tingling sensation the likes of which i had felt before, it was all too obvious to me what it was all about and i froze for a few seconds, the feeling is similar to that of your pet cat or dog i guess when it's hackles raise at something they are unsure of and i had felt this many times before in old houses where there was a prescence, my heart sank, I thought 'oh no not here I don't want this' but almost as soon as those words had entered my head a calming influence at once put me at ease, call it stuff and nonsense if you like but I firmly believe if you open the doors of your soul to the world then open doors work both ways and you allow some other souls to enter yours. This was seemingly however, just an introduction from a spirit to say 'hi, i am here, i am glad you are too' and as quickly as it had let itself be known it was gone and uncannily almost at once, I fell asleep almost straight away.
The alarm went off at 5.30 am and i was already awake, so reached over and switched it off. Once dressed i slipped across the large dining area and lounge and got myself washed and ready for the day, I lit the wonderful log burner almost straight away with some of the smaller sticks sat in a wicker basket to the side of the fire, i struck the match and lowered it to the firelighter and instantly it burst into life devouring the smaller kindle sticks almost as quickly as i could load them, then i grabbed two rather large round dry logs and put those on top of the kindling and hey presto! one very warm real fire. Next was a cup of coffee all freely available in the kitchen with hot water always on tap via a worktop boiler, now, if there is something most people know about me then that is my love of THAT first cup of coffee!...heaven was there as i sat in front of the now crackling and spitting log burner and it's wonderful orange glow as it warmed my feet on the hearth, complete with caffeine, it couldnt get better could it?.
With coffee drank and spirits raised (no pun intended) I stepped out for a walk in the cool September morning air, the view was like nothing i have ever witnessed, red sky lying across mountain tops that reached for the disappearing stars like a forlorn lover leaps towards her doomed partner, so close yet so far away, the scenery was as breathtaking as the air was cold but the two seemed to co-exist in this place as if to remind you of the harshness of such landscape and it's embattled history. I put one foot on to the bottom rail of the five bar gate and crossed my arms and lent on the top rail and there i stood for almost half an hour. This indeed was a very special place.
Back in the cottage the next to rise was Chris, he and I enjoyed each others company very much over the course of the week, hardly surprising in a way because we were the only two guys out of the other 11 students but I think if even that had that not been a factor myself and Chris would have still gotten on very well, he had a wonderfully dry sense of humour, something we all saw much of during the week!. Hannah was usually up next followed by the effevescent Magis whom i had informed was my new adopted Mum, which made her warm face light up every time i said it and she would chuckle away while disappearing back in to her room. Hannah disappeared for a quick cigarette along with Chris most mornings as the rest of the group appeared for breakfast, Heidi, who was from Switzerland and the eldest of the group would be the last to appear but that was because she was in the tutors cottage just below the main house, she had such wonderful stories to tell and was very attentive to everyone's plight but that didn't mean she would not put her own case across when it was called for!.
Reluctantly, to a point, I had mentioned my little spiritual visit to Chris while we had a coffee and as is always the case in such a great group of close knit people it soon became common knowledge during breakfast, it got the usual raised eyebrows from many but not the ridicule that mostly greets such dispelled information, in fact tutor John exclaimed 'ya've had a wee visitor in tha nit ah hear?' which made me chuckle a little and i replied 'yes John, but it was merely a nudge to say 'hi I am here' though to this day i think he believes it was an over active imagination....maybe, maybe not.
The next hour or so went by and at 10 am we were all gathered and sat round the long table in the dining room with our pens and note books at the ready. Morag came in and sat at the table and we fell silent as she introduced herself again and gave us an insight in to our lesson for the day. This was indeed an eye opener as she commenced to dispel many myths and sayings that accompany the writing profession such as 'writers block' and the fabled 'inspiration' excuse. It had us all captivated and keen to put in to practice what we were being told, so much of it made perfect sense when actually explained in detail and I remember thinking to myself just how much more there was to writing a book than just sitting there typing aimlessly to suit yourself.
The second half of the tuition was to involve something that is very close to my heart, it focused on our own self belief and told us despite our own reservations 'we were enough'. This last part of the sentence is something I have always chased down as i have never believed I have ever been good enough at anything, my own worst critic with bells on. But here was a famous well published author saying simply that 'we are enough, don't let those adult thoughts sabotage your child-like free thoughts'. At once I could see freedom from so many restrictions that my own 'adult self' had put into place unconsciously. It was the spur we would all carry with us for the rest of the week..
to be continued.....
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