Listening

This course is now full.
15 places, £225
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 10th – Sunday 12th February
Led by James McCarthy
Listening as a skill is vastly under-appreciated. This weekend will look at what good listening is, what it leads to, and how we can become better at it. Listening inwardly to ourselves and learning to notice the promptings of our hearts deepens and informs our relationships. We’ll work together in small groups as well as in plenary and on our own. This course is about acceptance and change. You are likely to come away feeling buoyed up, inspired, and more connected with yourself and others.
James and Ruth are Quakers who have experience in running courses in a variety of settings. Ruth is a retired community nurse and James a retired social worker. James’ book Listening As Quaker Practice is published by the Kindlers. Course finishes at 1pm Sunday.

Spiritual Adaptation to the Climate and Extinctions Crisis

this course is now full
25+ places, £235
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 17th – Sunday 19th February
Led by Rupert Read
We need to accept that our way of life will be changed forever as a result of the climate crisis, which is now far too advanced for us to be able to prevent or entirely mitigate against. That means adapting to the new brutal reality of the changed Earth, which is no easy task. Partly material, partly spiritual, such adaptation needs to include grief-work plus a major change in values and what we hope for. It also includes a new humility. This short course focuses uncompromisingly on spiritual adaptation to the reality of our present and future. It does so in the context of the need for continued brave truth-telling, and of the possibilities opened up by the emerging movements and organisations, ‘radical’ and ‘moderate’, which are willing to start from there. Rupert Read is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion and co-founder of the Moderate Flank Incubator. He is the author of several books, including This Civilisation is Finished and Parents for a Future. He has been a Quaker for many years. His past and present teachers include Thich Nhat Hanh and Joanna Macy. Be prepared to be challenged. Course starts 8.30pm Friday. (There will be a special one-hour session at 3.15pm on the Friday for those who attended the 2022 weekend in February).

Patchwork for Fun

this course is now full
9 places, £420
Monday 13th – Friday 17th March
Led by Gillian Waddilove
Patchwork and quilting, by hand or machine, is a fun way of making useful or decorative items. The group works co-operatively, 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 to sew, piecing fabrics and making quilts, bags or clothes in a friendly atmosphere, sharing expertise and fellowship.
Course starts 5.00pm Monday and finishes 12.30pm Friday.

Circle Dancing

15 places, £465
Thursday 30th March – Monday 3rd April
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. Anne-Lise continues to attend workshops to bringing new dances and cultural flavours to her groups and numerous holidays she leads nationally and abroad. She uses circle dancing as a way of bringing people together in community. Courses begins 8.30pm Thursday and finishes 12.00pm Monday.

Modern Slavery: roots and challenges, & how we respond

12 places, £245
Monday 3rd – Wednesday 5th April
Led by Roy Love
Quakers were deeply involved in the British abolition of slavery movement of the 18th century andremain active in challenging its widespread contemporary forms. This course considers suchquestions as: how ‘modern’ is modern slavery? Why so endemic across the globe? How feasible to eliminate it? What are the personal, societal and systemic factors in its prevalence? What can we do as concerned individuals? These questions are considered in the context of the Modern Slavery Act, its workings, achievements and critiques. This leads on to international aspects, focusing mainly but not exclusively, on Africa; including vulnerabilities to entrapment such as ag e and gender; human trafficking supply chains and problems of prosecution; long-term implications; links with climate change, conflict, and the global economy. Roy has published on child soldiers, small arms, modern slavery in Ethiopia, prepared reports for UK asylum courts, and delivered short courses on modern slavery at York University. Course finishes 12.30pm Wednesday.

Walking Holiday

Five places left.
12 places, £465
Monday 17th – Friday 21st April
Led by Robin Hargreave & Terry Winterton
A holiday of walks local to Glenthorne. We will 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 will 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.

Boot, Boat and Goat

Two places left.
14 places, £520
Monday 24th – Friday 28th April
Led by Terry Winterton and Grace Ogilvie
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 will be 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.

Centering Prayer

Five places left.
12 places, £245
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 19th- Sunday 21st May
Led by Richard Eddlestone & Rosemary Field
Centering Prayer is a specific method for opening to the presence of God, the sacred, ultimate reality. It’s one of a range of personal spiritual practices available to Friends, and one that may be particularly suitable for us. The weekend will welcome those new to Centering Prayer and those with more experience. It will include introductory talks, time for reflection and sharing, and, above all, practice. Richard has been a Quaker for over 30 years and practising Centering Prayer for over a decade. He has facilitated three local groups for over eight years. He has run a course on Centering Prayer at Woodbrooke and attended various retreats. Rosemary has been practising Centering Prayer for five years and believes it to be at the heart of her Quaker Faith. Course finishes Sunday 1.00pm.

Circle Dancing

This course is now full.
15 places, £465
Monday 29th May – Friday 2nd June
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. Anne-Lise continues to attend workshops to bringing new dances and cultural flavours to her groups and numerous holidays she leads nationally and abroad. She uses circle dancing as a way of bringing people together in community. Course begins Monday 8.30pm and finishes Friday 12.00pm.

Living out of Joy, Dying into Love

12 places, £470
Monday 5th – Friday 9th June
Led by Rhonda Riachi
What happens to us when we die? Where was I before I was born? From the 17th century to the present, Quakers have collected evidence of what happens after our death and before we arrive on earth. We’ll explore personal testimony in the new QAFS anthology, The Life That Never Ends, and share uplifting accounts form other times and texts, including international scientific research. Rhonda works in professional health education. She has followed developments in near death experience and survival research for 20 years and is a member of the Quaker Fellowship for Afterlife Studies. Course begins at 6.00pm Monday and finishes 11.00am Friday.

Today it’s Sunny: Meditations to Keep a Happy Mind

This course is now full.
15 places, £280
Friday 9th – Sunday 11th June
Led by Adam Dacey
Learn inspirational methods to keep a happy mind through the practice of Meditation. Regardless of what arises in our life with a peaceful mind we can learn always to rely upon a happy mind. Adam is a former Buddhist monk and the founder of Mindspace and Meditation in schools. He has been teaching Mindfulness since 1994, beginning at a Tibetan monastery in the Himalayas. Course finishes Sunday 12.00pm.

T S Eliot – Exploring the Four Quartets

This course is now full.
12 places, £465
Monday 12th – Friday 16th June
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 12.00pm.

Tai-Chi & Chi Kung Silk Reeling

15 places, £280
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th June
Led by Kim Noy-Man Jackson
We will 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, in beautiful surroundings. Please bring suitable clothing and shoes for indoors and outdoors. The retreat will suit novices 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. Course begins Friday 5.00pm and finishes Sunday 1.00pm.

Music as Spiritual Nourishment

Last place available.
12 places, £480
Monday 3rd – Friday 7th July
Led by John & Diana Lampen
This course will have the character of a retreat, listening to inspiring music in a context of silence and worship. There will also be opportunities to share our thoughts and responses to what we hear. Each day will have a theme: peace and tranquillity; sadness and grief; courage; joy; and spiritual depth. Diana and John worked for peace in Northern Ireland from 1983 to 1994. Since then, they have been involved in development and healing work and supported local peace groups in several post conflict situations. Diana is a qualified yoga teacher and John is author of Mending Hurts, The Peace Kit for Teenagers, Peaceful Inside (for 5 – 7 year olds) and books on Quaker history. Course finishes Friday with breakfast.

Connecting with Plants

12 places, £555
Monday 10th – Friday 14th July
Led by Letta Jones & Jane Brook
With local short, easy, walks we will explore wild and garden plants growing in the local area, considering the effects of climate change on plant communities. Grassland, woodland, garden, hedges, stream and water side habitats all provide a rich variety of plants to discover. There will be a visit to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside, to see Beatrix Potter’s original fungi and moss illustrations (£10.00 admission fee). You will need to be able to stand for 15 to 20 minutes and negotiate uneven paths and slopes safely. Letta Jones MA, is a Lecturer in Landscape Horticulture who teaches in London at the Chelsea Physic Garden, at Claridge House, The City Lit, Holehird Gardens Windermere, and Denman At Home. Jane Brook,MSc, is a Lecturer in Plant Science, who co taught with Letta at Capel Manor College and Middlesex University for over 15 years.She lectured in woodland ecology at University of Hertfordshire, has worked in the horticultural retail sector and is an examiner for the Royal Horticultural Society. Course begins on Monday 8.30pm and finishes Friday 12.00pm.

The Heart of the Quaker Way – Woodbrooke Course

Last place available.
14 places, £280
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd July
Led by Ben Pink Dandelion
This course will outline the essentials aspects of the Quaker way of faith, its core understandings, and its message for the future: direct encounter with the divine; a distinctive form of worship; the centrality of discernment; and our witness in the world. There will be mix of input and discussion, with no prior knowledge assumed. This course is ideal for newcomers as well as those seeking a refresher. Ben is a well-known Quaker writer and teacher on the Quaker way. The author of numerous books, he has been a Quaker since the 1980s. He worships at Clitheroe. Course begins Friday 8.30pm and finishes Sunday 12.45pm.

Sketching & Mix Media Painting

This course is now full.
12 places, £495
Monday 24th – Friday 28th July
Led by Sue Ford
We have use of the Studio, surrounded by stunning scenery of the Cumbrian Hills. Daily painting exercise and sketching if the weather is nice, in and around Glenthorne. If students want do work on their own reference material, that’s fine. Working in watercolours, acrylic and pastel. A full itinerary will be sent nearer to the course and published on Sue’s web site www.sueford.co.uk. Starting with a demonstration on the arrival day at 4pm, each day we commence at 9.45am and finish at 5pm. The course finishes on Friday morning with breakfast.

Walking with Trees

Last place available.
12 places, £295
Friday 11th – Sunday 13th August
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 the 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 twenty years. She has taught at Woodbrooke, Holehird Gardens and the Chelsea Physic Garden and has a special interest in trees. Course finishes Sunday 12.30pm.

Dru Yoga – Stillness in Motion

Last place available.
12 places, £515
Monday 14th – Friday 18th August
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. There will also be free time for walking, socialising and peace and quiet. Julia is a qualified yoga teacher, aromatherapist and reflexologist. Treatments will be on offer for an additional cost. We will gather together before
the evening meal on Monday to meet and greet. There will be yoga sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Course finishes Friday after breakfast.

Praying with Mark’s Gospel

One place left.
12 places, £235
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 18th – Sunday 20th August
Led by Janet Scott
This course uses the Gospel of Mark as a resource for thinking about prayer. It looks at the significance of locations, such as solitary places, the lakeside, the garden and the road. These are interwoven with some of the themes of the gospel, including healing, nourishment, struggle, waiting, surrender, and faith. “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Mark 11:17). Can this gospel help us build our inner sanctuary? Please read Mark before you come, and bring a Bible with you. 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 Sunday 12.30pm.

Sketching & Mix Media Painting

This course is now full.
12 places, £495
Monday 21st – Friday 25th August
Led by Sue Ford
We have use of the Studio, surrounded by stunning scenery of the Cumbrian Hills. Daily painting exercise and sketching if the weather is nice, in and around Glenthorne. If students want do work on their own reference material, that’s fine. Working in watercolours, acrylic and pastel. A full itinerary will be sent nearer to the course and published on Sue’s web site www.sueford.co.uk. Starting with a demonstration on the arrival day at 4pm, each day we commence at 9.45am and finish at 5pm. The course finishes on Friday morning with breakfast.

Circle Dancing

this course is now full
15 places, £465
Monday 28th August – Friday 1st September
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. Anne-Lise continues to attend workshops to bringing new dances and cultural flavours to her groups and numerous holidays she leads nationally and abroad. She uses circle dancing as a way of bringing people together in community. Courses finishes 12.00pm Friday.

Living in Dark Times with William Penn

1 place left
12 places, £235
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 8th – Sunday 10th September
Led by Rex Ambler
An introduction to William Penn, an outstanding man of his time, 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 30 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.

Practising Prayer – Connecting with the Source

14 places, £475
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Monday 11th – Friday 15th September
Led by Terry Winterton & Margaret Calvert
Everything is a gift. Our planet nurtures us, but how do we respond? Together we will explore how action and prayer are intimately linked in responding to our times. You are invited to share your experience of balancing prayer with action in a time of global emergency. There is free time each afternoon. Opportunity for individual spiritual accompaniment is also offered. Terry is the Quaker Friend in Residence at Glenthorne and a registered counsellor. Margaret is a Quaker who draws on many faith traditions in her prayer life. Course finishes Friday 12.00pm.

Simplicity: A Quaker Buddhist Retreat – Woodbrooke Course

This course is now full.
11 places, £280
Friday 15th – Sunday 17th September
Led by Woodbrooke Tutors Timothy Ashworth and Lesley Collington

‘Life from the Centre is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is radiant.’ During this retreat we aim to discover something of the truth of these words of the Quaker teacher and mystic, Thomas Kelly.

To nurture this experience, as well as drawing on Quaker insights, we will look to the practical wisdom of the Buddhist tradition as taught in the west by Thich Nhat Hanh.
There is no need to have previous experience of mindful practice to enter fully into the retreat. All that we do will be explained.

Times of teaching, mindful practice and Quaker worship will be woven through our weekend together in the beautiful setting of Glenthorne. Thich Nhat Hanh says that ‘when we live simply, we have much more time and we can be in touch with the many wonders of life.’ By making that real on this retreat our purpose is to be better able to ‘live from the centre’ in our everyday lives.

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Soul, Silence & Song

5 places left
12 places, £456
Monday 18th – Friday 22nd September
Led by Meri Goad
If you enjoy singing and contemplation, this course is for you! 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 include unaccompanied rounds and simple part songs from a range of traditions. Meri has been leading two small community choirs for twelve 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. Meri Goad has a B.Ed, a diploma in Music and a BA Hum. with Music (OU). She has been leading two small community choirs over the past twelve years in Fife, Scotland and is a member of the Quaker Meeting in St Andrews. Enabling communities to harmonise is her passion. Course starts Monday 5.30pm, finishes Friday 12.30pm.

Myth & Symbols: Doorways to the Numinous

This course is now full.
12 places, £245
Persons under 35 qualify for £100 reduction
Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th September
Led by Roswitha Jarman
We will explore the value of myth and symbols as doorways to our spiritual life. We will be helped by wise guides of all ages and times as well as sharing our own discoveries and understandings. The numinous has no words nor forms and can only be shared through symbols
and myth. If we lose myth and symbols, we deprive ourselves of essential spiritual guides. I have been a Quaker for some 60 years. Much of my work has been in relationships as mother, teacher, counsellor and active peace worker both at home and abroad, over many years. I have led retreats with Quakers and other groups in a number of different countries. Whilst being Quaker Representatives in Moscow with Peter, my husband, we set up of the Quaker Meeting there and helped to lay down the foundations for Friends House Moscow. Course finishes 12.30pm.

Boot, Boat and Goat

this course is now full
14 places, £520
Monday 2nd – Friday 6th October
Led by Terry Winterton and Grace Ogilvie
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 will be 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.

Timeless Wisdom for Modern Life

This course is now full.
15 places, £280
Friday 6th – Sunday 8th October
Led by Adam Dacey
Drawing upon the wisdom shared in ancient mediation texts we spend an inspirational weekend applying these teachings to our daily lives and discover the secret to a fulfilled mind. 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. For more information, please visit mindspace.org.uk. Courses finishes Sunday 12.00pm.

Circle Dancing

this course is now full
15 places, £465
Monday 9th – Friday 13th October
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 flavours to her groups and numerous holidays she leads nationally and abroad. She uses circle dancing as a way of bringing people together in community. Courses finishes 12.00 pm Friday.

Perceptions of the Seen & Unseen

12 places, £245
Friday 13th – Sunday 15th October
Led by Peter Jarman
This course is based on the substance and queries of the Kindlers’ booklet by Peter Jarman on Seen and Unseen – Ways of Being along Quaker and Buddhist Paths. How do we perceive the Guide in our lives? How do our perceptions contrast with what is objectively known about the wonders of the physical universe that will be displayed? How do we become awakened by our seen and unseen perceptions arising from the practice of Buddhists and Quakers? We may engage in some mindfulness and meditative practices. Peter Jarman is a Buddhist Quaker, a physicist and a member of the Sea of Faith movement and the Buddhist Community of Interbeing. He has served as Europe Secretary of Quaker Peace and Service, and as a Quaker representative in Russia helping to promote conflict resolution and alternatives to violence. Course finishes 12.30pm Sunday.

What has Wordsworth to Offer us Today?

1 place left
12 places, £465
Monday 23rd – Friday 27th October
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.

Sketching & Mix Media Painting

This course is now full.
12 places, £375
Friday 27th – Monday 30th October
Led by Sue Ford
We have use of the Studio, surrounded by stunning scenery of the Cumbrian Hills. Daily painting exercise and sketching if the weather is nice, in and around Glenthorne. If students want do work on their own reference material, that’s fine. Working in watercolours, acrylic and pastel. A full itinerary will be sent nearer to the course and published on Sue’s web site www.sueford.co.uk.
Starting with a demonstration on the arrival day at 4pm, each day we commence at 9.45am and finish at 5pm. The course finishes on Monday morning with breakfast.