Day two has been one where we’ve really settled in.
The morning saw us begin at the very leisurely time of 10
a.m. (although not quite early enough for George) with writing a workshop in
which we were asked to write poems about the most mundane subjects. Alexandra
wrote a genuinely powerful piece on a rug while Lily’s supermarket poem was
haunting.
After a delicious lunch we broke off into various groups:
some went to see the writers in residence for one-to-one tutorials while others
reported for duty in the kitchen under the expert leadership of Chef Maxted.
The stars of the kitchen today were Matthew and Amber whose cooking was so
good, there were no leftovers!
While a few stragglers were lounging around in the beautiful
grounds, an intrepid group, led by the ever energetic Mr Goldsmith, popped up
the track to the nearest metropolis, Sheepwash. A quick trip to the shop and a
circuit of the main architectural sights of the village (see photo (can you
spot the shark made out of straw?)) then allowed them to return via a more
scenic (or perhaps should we say soggy?) route. While the return leg was
supposed to be a meandering stroll along the river, it became a more epic quest
to return in time for supper. Eventually, after fording a stream, avoiding a
herd of very friendly cattle and skirting an electric fence, they made their
way home, hot but proud of their adventure. Cas was particularly enamoured of
the cows.
Finally, we enjoyed a birthday ‘evning’ (for Ev) who turned
17 today. Instead of cake, we celebrated with vegan ice cream (his request) and
were then treated to a recital by our two writers who wowed us with their
vivacity and creative bravura.
Thursday at the Arvon Centre and things have got so busy that only one student (the intrepid Richard) wanted to go for a walk. People have
been writing songs (Amber), plays (Lally) and short stories (Ev) amongst
others, buoyed on by our wonderful tutors who’ve been giving the group more
one-to-one tutorials.
