Programme of Events, Courses and Special Interest Holidays 2021
NOW AVAILABLE – Download a copy of the 2021 brochure (PDF) here: Special Events 2021
These events are only available for bookings made over the phone 015394 35389 or emailing info@glenthorne.org
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Monday 15th – Friday 19th March – Patchwork for Fun
Led by Gillian Waddilove FULL
Patchwork and quilting, by hand or machine, is a fun way of making useful or decorative items. The group works cooperatively, suggesting projects to share and bringing their own projects to ‘show and tell’ and perhaps get completed. There is plenty of experience to guide anyone who hasn’t tried this before. This course is for people who like sewing, piecing fabrics and making quilts, bags or clothes in a friendly atmosphere, sharing expertise and fellowship. Course starts 5.00pm Monday and finishes after breakfast on Friday.
9 places: £375[/color-box]
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Monday 29th March to Friday 2nd April – Creative Writing
Led by Tony Rossiter
Whether you are a beginner or a more experienced writer, this flexible course will inspire you. With discussion, syndicate workshops and individual writing, you’ll be able to ask questions, share experience and explore and develop your own specific writing interests. There are be tips on effective writing and the opportunity to put these into practice, for example in writing magazine articles. We also look at what we can learn from the styles and techniques of some
well-known authors. Tony is a member of the Society of Authors, a long-standing contributor to Writing Magazine and The Dalesman and has written seven non-fiction books. Course begins 5.00pm Monday and finishes 12.30pm Friday.
12 places: £450[/color-box]
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Friday 23th – Sunday 25th April – Art History in the Lake District
Led by Roy Love
The Lake District and its nearby environment has not only attracted painters over the years but also art collectors, critics and designers. This short course visits three major venues: Sizergh Castle (NT) near Kendal, dating from the 14th Century: Brantwood, 19th century, home of John Ruskin near Coniston, and Blackwell near Bowness, a substantial Arts and Crafts house designed by M.H. Baillie Scott in 1901. All have gardens. The evening programme includes a look at landscape painting. Roy is an economist with an interest in art markets and museums, backed by academic studies of art history and its theories. Course finishes 12.30pm Sunday.
12 places: £410[/color-box]
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Monday 26th – Friday 30th April – Boot, Boat and Goat
Led by Terry Winterton and Grace Ogilvie FULL
Visiting various parts of the Lake District by minibus, this holiday is suitable for those, both able and less able, who would welcome the companionship of a small group. There are short, gentle walks and a cruise on the lake every day. We visit a Quaker Meeting House and old churches along the way. Stout footwear and suitable clothing will be required. All excursion costs included. Course finishes Friday with breakfast.
14 places: £470[/color-box]
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Monday 3rd – Friday 7th May – Walking with the Alexander Technique
Led by Hilary Cook
Join Hilary in the beautiful Lake District to explore walking with the Alexander Technique. We look at our skeleton through anatomy and movement discovering a more accurate map of ourselves. In addition, we look at the Principles of the Alexander Technique in a practical, fun and experiential way helping you improve your posture, de-stress, ease back ache as well as move with less effort and tension. We apply the Alexander Technique in the lovely gardens at Glenthorne as well as short low-level walks in the local area. Afternoons are free for you to explore the surrounding area (possibly putting into practice what you have learned). Bring your walking shoes, waterproofs, a small rucksack and walking poles plus a mat and some thin paperback books. Course finishes 12.30 pm Friday.
12 places: £450[/color-box]
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Monday 10th – Friday 14th May – The Beauty of the Earth CANCELLED< SORRY>
Led by Mey Hasbrook
This course grounds climate action as everyday spiritual practice. We explore insights about Right Relationship as peaceable living with all creation, giving special attention to Quaker and indigenous viewpoints. We listen to the Light through the Beauty of the Earth, with queries for worship sharing. We draw connections between our concerns and apply our shared experience in varied ways: respecting youth as leaders, reclaiming the Bible for “Creation Care”, and
relating to the whole Earth as living. Creativity is threaded throughout the programme in song, poetry and simple hands on activities. Mey has travelled in ministry among BYM and serves within Quaker Earthcare Witness and Friends World Committee for Consultation. Mey is an artist and Friend from the USA and identifies as of Irish and Cherokee descent. Course finishes Friday 12.30pm.
12 places: £450[/color-box]
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Monday 24th – Friday 28th May – Walking Holiday
Led by Robin Hargreave
A holiday of walks local to Glenthorne. We include Easedale Tarn, Alcock Tarn, Elterwater and Rydal Water. A good level of fitness is required as occasionally some of the sections will be steep and fairly strenuous. We are not be doing any high-level walking but we will be rewarded with climbs that give stunning views across the lakes and surrounding mountains. Please bring wet weather footwear and waterproof clothing. We hope for good weather but plan for the worst! Course finishes Friday with breakfast.
12 places: £435[/color-box]
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Friday 28th – Sunday 30th May – Guide to the Inner Zen
Led by Adam Dacey
At every moment there are many people across our planet engaged in peaceful and positive actions. Through establishing our Zen Meditation practice on this weekend retreat, we confidently become one of them and have a life which will influence and shape a more meaningful world for everyone to enjoy. We sit with an open, compassionate mind. Through being mindful of our posture and mental flow, we enjoy awareness in our daily activities. Being fully present, naturally, the stress, anxiety and worry in our life will lessen and bring inner peace. As we sit, we wake up to the present moment. Based on Adams new book with the same title. Adam is a former Buddhist monk and the founder of Mindspace. He has been teaching Mindfulness since 1994, beginning at a Tibetan monastery in the Himalayas.
15 places: £245[/color-box]
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Monday 31st May – Friday 4th June FULL, Monday 30th August – Friday 3rd September FULL & 25th – 29th October FULL – Circle Dancing
Led by Anne-Lise Kryger
This course welcomes people with experience as well as newcomers to circle dancing. It is an inclusive form of community dancing where no partners are required.
The dances we do are drawn from many countries and cultures. They are always walked through before dancing. We dance for our pleasure and enjoyment in a supportive group with no pressure to ‘get every step right’. The pace of the dances varies from lively to meditative and leaves participants with a sense of belonging, joy and inner peace. The afternoons will be free to explore the delights of our surroundings. Finishes 12.30 pm Friday.
15 places: £410[/color-box]
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Monday 7th – Friday 11th June – Exploring T S Eliot’s Four Quartets
Led by Barbara Windle
“I said to my soul be still”. In Exploring the Four Quartets we will discover together what this poetry says to each of us; open discussion will encourage all to contribute actively, whether new to Eliot or steeped in the Quartets. While there is introductory material and opportunities to develop our awareness of Eliot’s wider work and background, the focus throughout is on getting to know the Quartets in depth, seeing them individually and as a
whole. Barbara, a York Quaker, spent much of her career opening up literature to pre-university teenagers. Since retirement she has continued exploring some of her favourite poets with adults for the sheer joy of it. Course finishes Friday 5.00pm.
12 places: £400[/color-box]
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Friday 11th – Sunday 13th June – A Concise History of the Quaker Way
Led by Ben Pink Dandelion
This course offers an overview of the history of the Quaker way, from its dramatic beginnings to its current place in the spectrum of spiritual options. We cover four centuries of Quaker adaptation and change in order to better understand our tradition and the choices we have made as Friends along the way. The weekend is based on a series of talks but with plenty of time for questions and discussion, all in the beautiful Lake District setting. Ben is a well-known Quaker writer and teacher. He has worked at Woodbrooke for 25 years and gave the Swarthmoor lecture Open to Transformation. Course finishes Sunday 1.00 pm.
14 places: £245 (Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction via bursary).[/color-box]
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Monday 14th – Friday 18th June – Thinking Nonviolently
Led by John & Diana Lampen
Most of us try to avoid violent actions and language, but are still conscious of the seeds of violence in our thoughts and attitudes. This course offers the chance to work together in gentle and practical ways to think, speak and act in a peaceful spirit, gain insight into the personal roots of violence and learn ways to function more peacefully and develop relationships free from destructive thoughts. Diana and John worked for peace in Northern Ireland from 1983 to 1994 and have been involved in development and healing work in several post conflict situations. They have also been very involved with peace education with children. Diana is a qualified yoga teacher, John is the author of Mending Hurts, the peace kit (for teenagers), Peaceful Inside (for 5 – 7 year olds), books on Quaker history and a novel, Hester and Sophie. Course finishes Friday 12.00 pm.
12 places: £440[/color-box]
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Friday 18th – Sunday 20th June & Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd October – Tai-Chi & Chi Kung Silk Reeling
Led by Kim Noy-Man Jacksons
We introduce the practice through exercise, meditations and the teaching of the theoretical and philosophical aspects of Tai-Chi and Chi Kung Silk Reeling. Most of the sessions are practical, with body and mind exercises, indoors and outdoors in beautiful surroundings. Please bring suitable clothing and shoes for indoors and outdoors. The retreat is suited to novice and skilled students from all disciplines and abilities. Kim is a Quaker and has had a passion for practising and teaching the art of Tai-Chi and Chi Kung Silk Reeling for 30 years.
12 places: £240[/color-box]
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Friday 25th – Sunday 27th June – Living in the Mystery
Led by Jan Arriens
An exploration of the place of mysticism in the Quaker tradition, from the early days of Quakerism through to the present time. A particular focus is the life and work of the American Quaker Rufus Jones and the subsequent rise of liberal Quakerism. The weekend is also an opportunity to explore and share our personal experiences of mysticism and its relevance for us today in this rational and scientific world. What does it mean to lead one’s life as an act of
meditation? Jan came to Quakerism in the mid-1980s, shortly before founding the charity LifeLines, whose members correspond with prisoners on death row in the US. He is the author of two volumes of all-age stories (Journeys in the Light, and Seeking the Source). Course finishes 1.00pm Friday.
12 places: £200 (Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction via bursary)[/color-box]
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Monday 5th – Friday 9th July – Knitting Soothes the Soul
Led by Hilary Grundy
Wearing knitting that fits and flatters is every knitters dream. We spend time accurately recording critical dimensions and understanding how to adapt patterns to suit our silhouettes. Some attention is given to identifying which colours and styles best suit us. The second part of the course is devoted to the techniques of knitting ganseys, the traditional fisherman’s jumper. An outline programme and a list of what is required will be sent to you six weeks before the course commences. Hilary is a Friend who promotes knitting as therapy. Her approach is both analytical and innovative.
Course starts Monday 5.00 pm and finishes Thursday 5.00pm.
8 places: £455[/color-box]
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Monday 26th – Friday 30th July FULL, Monday 23rd – Friday 27th August 2 PLACES LEFT & Friday 29th Oct – Monday 1st November – Painting and Sketching in the Lakes
Led by Sue Ford
An exciting week painting and sketching in the Lakes using mixed media, pen and wash, acrylic and pastel. Depending on the weather we will be working on local sights. There will be daily demonstrations and exercises. Sue has many years teaching experience, exhibiting at many exhibitions in the UK and at the Mall galleries in London. Sue runs weekly classes near her home in North Yorkshire and has guided popular courses at Glenthorne for many years. Course starts on Monday with a demonstration at 4.00 pm and finishes at 10.00am Friday.
12 places: £440[/color-box]
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Monday 2nd – Friday 6th August – Creative Textiles – Fun with Fabric
Led by Jenni Simmons
A practical course of informal workshops which will include rug making, hand spinning, weaving on a peg loom and quilting with recycled fabrics. Materials and equipment are provided. Jenni is a textile worker and teaches handcrafts. Course starts 5.30pm Monday and finishes 1.00pm Friday.
10 places: £450[/color-box]
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Monday 9th – Friday 13th August – Soul, Silence & Song
Led by Meri Goad
This invigorating week welcomes all voices that love to sing! Join us to let go of everyday constraints, absorb songs easily, explore local places – and relax into singing simple harmonies as well as enjoying guided meditations or taking time out. No need to be able to read music. Previous experience of singing unnecessary. Songs will include unaccompanied rounds and simple part songs from a range of traditions. Meri has been leading two small community choirs for ten years. She is a vibrant and energetic facilitator helping anyone who thinks they can’t sing to find a voice.
Monday 5.30pm – Friday 12.30pm.
12: places £400[/color-box]
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Friday 13th – Sunday 15th August – Walking with Trees
Led by Letta Jones
An exploration of the local area and its magnificent trees and landscapes, with gentle walking, standing and pausing to appreciate and better understand the landscape and their settings. A visit to Rydal Hall‘s trees and gardens included. Letta is a landscape horticulturist who has taught adults and taken garden study trips abroad for over 20 years. She has taught at Woodbrooke, Holehird Gardens and the Chelsea Physic Garden and has a special interest in trees.
Course finishes Sunday 12.30 pm.
12 places: £240[/color-box]
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Monday 16th – Friday 20th August – Dru Yoga – Stillness in Motion
Led by Julia Slater
A graceful style of yoga for all shoe sizes! There will be strengthening exercises for postural muscles, helping to stabilise and balance the spine with free time for walking, socialising or peace. Julia is a qualified yoga teacher, aromatherapist and reflexologist. Treatments will be on offer for an additional cost. We will meet before the evening meal on Monday and sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Course finishes Thursday evening.
12 places £445[/color-box]
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Friday 20th- Sunday 22nd August – Letting the Scriptures Lead us
Led by Janet Scott
‘We are all thieves’ said Margaret Fell, because we did not know how we might find in the scriptures strength for our spiritual lives. Janet taught religious studies in the University of Cambridge. She is a trustee of Churches Together in England and gave the Swarthmoor Lecture What Canst Thou Say. Course finishes Friday 12.00 pm.
12 places: £205[/color-box]
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Monday 23rd – Friday 27th August – Painting & Sketching in the Lakes
Led by Sue Ford
Details as Monday 27th – Friday 31st July
12 places: £440[/color-box]
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Monday 30th August – Friday 3rd September – Circle Dancing
Led by Anne-Lise Kryger
Details as Monday 1st – Friday 4th June
15 places: £410[/color-box]
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Friday 10th – Sunday 12th September – Living in Dark Times with William Penn
Led by Rex Ambler
An introduction to William Penn, the 17th century Quaker, who still speaks to us today. This course gives time for participants to voice their own experience of living in a time of turbulence and anxiety. Drawing on the wisdom and insights of Penn we then explore ways that we can respond to the challenges we face. Rex was a lecturer in theology at Birmingham University for over thirty years. He now works mostly with Quakers, giving talks and workshops on Quaker
Faith and practice. He is an author of many books including The Quaker Way, Light to Live by, Truth of the Heart and the Pendle Hill booklet, Living in Dark Times.
12 places: £220 (Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction via bursary)[/color-box]
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Monday 13th – Friday 17th September – Encountering the Divine in Nature
Led by Terry Winterton & Margaret Calvert (Kindlers’ team)
We share our experience of stillness and nature, exploring ways of going deeper together. In the mornings there are mindful short walks in atmospheric and beautiful parts of the Lake District (via minibus), meditations and time for reflection and also fun! There are opportunities for individual spiritual accompaniment and free time for artwork, craft or journaling in the afternoons each day. Terry is the Quaker Friend in Residence at Glenthorne and a registered counsellor.
14 places: £430[/color-box]
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Monday 20th – Friday 24th September – Finding Peace through Yoga
Led by Leah Barnett
The course aims to show participants how yoga practices can be used to connect with and dwell in the inner realm of peacefulness. We use a combination of movements with breath practices, chanting (singing Sanskrit words), deep relaxation and meditation to access this space and take time to really savour how it feels. All practices are optional and each student is encouraged to work at their own pace. Leah has been teaching for many years. Her focus is on allowing
space for students to feel into their bodies so they can fully experience each practice from the inside. Her influences include BKS Iyengar, Vanda Scaraveli, Donna Farhi, Adhyashanti, Ekhart Tolle, Penne Chodron and Tara Brach.
13 places: £455[/color-box]
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Friday 24th – Sunday 26th September – Martin Buber in Practice
Led by Roswitha Jarman
Martin Buber was a religious philosopher of the last century. We look at his concept of I – Thou relationships: relationships that are subject to subject and explore how our inner formations get in the way of such relationships. Martin Buber said beautifully: “If you want to talk with God, you must put your arms around the world.” ‘The World’ includes the whole of creation. What a subject to explore! Roswitha joined theSociety of Friends nearly 60 years ago and has lived in many different countries as part of the Quaker family. Much of her work has been in person-centred activities as a teacher, a counsellor, a workshop leader and as a peace activist. Course finishes Sunday 1.00pm.
12 places: £220[/color-box]
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Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd October – Tai-Chi & Chi Kung Silk Reeling
Led by Kim Noy-Man Jackson
Details as Friday 18th – 20th June
12 places: £240[/color-box]
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Monday 4th – Friday 8th October – Boot, Boat and Goat
Led by Terry Winterton and Grace Ogilvie
Details as Monday 26th – Friday 30th April
14 places: £470[/color-box]
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Friday 8th – Sunday 10th October – Guide to Mindful Walking
Led by Adam Dacey
A unique opportunity to enjoy the practice of mindful walking in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Mindful walking strengthens our ability to be present while enhancing our appreciation of nature, helping us to cultivate confidence, positivity and inspiration. To get the most out of our weekends a reasonable level of walking fitness is required outside in nature. Some of the walking sessions take place inside and are at a very slow pace. Adam is a former Buddhist monk and the founder of Mindspace. He has been teaching Mindfulness since 1994, beginning at a Tibetan monastery in the Himalayas.
15 places: £245[/color-box]
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Monday 11th – Friday 15th October – Before, during and afterlife: Quakers and immortality
Led by Rhonda Riachi
What happens to us when we die? Where was I before I was born? These questions are asked by every generation, and some might claim that they are unanswerable. From the 17th century through to the present, Quakers have collected convincing evidence of what happens when we die. We shall explore recent personal testimony in the new QFAS anthology, The Life That Never Ends, and share accounts from other times and texts, including international scientific research. Rhonda works in education for the wellbeing of healthcare staff and patients. Her Masters dissertation was on communication for dementia carers. She is a member of the Quaker Fellowship for Afterlife Studies, the Alister Hardy Society, the Scientific and Medical Network . Course starts 6.00pm Monday and finishes 11.00am Friday.
12 places: £430[/color-box]
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Monday 18th- Friday 22nd October – What has Wordsworth to Offer us Today?
Led by Barbara Windle
Wordsworth’s poetry offers strong feeling and sensibility combined with rich meditative thought and spiritual awareness. His openness to mystical experience in its very broadest sense strikes a chord with us today as he moves beyond conventional labels to find the deep places within himself. Our sessions include an opportunity to explore a fresh, in depth look at the Immortality Ode, Tintern Abbey, Michael, parts of The Prelude and The Excursion. Barbara is a Quaker and an inspirational English teacher. Course finishes Friday 12.00 pm.
15 places: £400[/color-box]
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Monday 25th– Friday 29th October – Circle Dancing
Led by Anne-Lise Kryger
Details as Monday 31st May – 4th June
15 places: £410[/color-box]
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Friday 29th Oct – Monday 1st November – Sketching & Painting in the Lakes
Led by Sue Ford
Details as Monday 26th – Friday 30th July
12 places: £360[/color-box]
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Friday 26th – Sunday 28th November – Our Mental Well-being – Part of our Spiritual Journey?
Led by Alison Mitchell
Our mental well-being may include pain and joy, self-knowledge, acceptance and honest relationships. Do these factors shape our spiritual journey? How much is this within our control? This weekend we reflect and share within a supportive and inclusive community that we build. We use worship, discussion, games, films and readings to explore how our experiences are part of our spiritual lives. This is not a therapeutic weekend, but might be unsettling for some Friends; please seek advice if you’re not sure if it suits you. Alison worked as a social worker in mental health services for many years. Until recently she was the Mental Health Development Officer for the Retreat York Benevolent Fund, a national Quaker mental health charity. She is an active member of Exeter Quaker Meeting. Course finishes on Sunday 1.00pm with a cooked lunch.
25+ places: £200 (Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction via bursary)[/color-box]
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NOW AVAILABLE – Download a copy of the 2021 brochure (PDF) here: Special Events 2021
