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| Lundy Island - here we come! |
Running a retreat has been a dream of mine for some time and
having successfully run a number of online courses I felt ready to take the
leap to create something bigger. Something much bigger!
It was to be A Creative Adventure with all the excitement of a Famous Five book, but for adults.
Set on a secret (ish) Island where we could explore, create,
laugh and have fun (maybe meet a mad professor and solve a mystery?)
Somewhere that would challenge us and where we could drink lashings
of (alcoholic) Ginger Beer…
Somewhere we’d hopefully spot some Puffins.
Lundy Island. The mystical isle off the coast of Devon
that’s only three miles long and half a mile wide. A tiny place that’s a
world of its own. This was where I wanted to hold my first retreat. Somewhere
that would hold a real sense of adventure and yet wasn’t actually that far
away. Oh and had a feel of The Famous Five about it…!
In fact the ‘Mystery’ would be ourselves. I saw this as an
opportunity to offer some ladies a creative break away from day to
day life and step away from distractions to focus on themselves and what they
wanted in their lives. Combining my Creativity, Adventure & Nature (CAN)
ethos I created something that I hoped would also speak to others who were looking
for a retreat with a bit of a difference.
Dates were booked for May, Four lovely ladies signed up and
off we went….!
We were due to arrive by boat – but the weather meant that
we had to arrive by Helicopter. The Adventure was off to an exciting and
unexpected start.
The views were absolutely stunning. I was lucky enough to go
up front with the pilot. I felt very lucky.
Our luggage would follow so we set about making our way to
The Old Lighthouse where we were staying. Straight up the lighthouse we went to
survey the island from the highest point.
Old Light, completed in 1820 and obsolete by 1897, was
designed by Daniel Asher Alexander. Built of Cyclopean blocks of granite, it
stands on the highest point of the island. The keepers' quarters are still
divided into the two original flats, Lower and Upper. Unusually for Lundy, they
look out over the northern part of the island. It was soon discovered, however,
that this lighthouse was in fact too high and often obscured by fog so wasn’t
very effective. Another light house was built at another point lower down. We were staying in the Old Light Upper.
Being right at the very top of the island like this meant we
could see the full island from here. It felt very magical indeed. Even the sound of the
wind sang to us as we were buffeted about – it can be rather windy here! We had
warm clear days and lots of sunshine.
The two days on the island actually felt so much longer.
There was no TV in the lighthouse or Wi-Fi. There was a connection sometimes
but it was very patchy and really we wanted to be engaged in our surroundings.
Not be online.
Ours days were a mix of creative explorations individually
and as a group, eating together, one to one coaching and sometime was spent down
the pub, The Marisco Tavern. The local and only pub on the island which has won
Pub of the year since 1986…!
We had space to explore, to create and to challenge
ourselves.
For such a small island it held so much wonder. We were also
there the same time as the Anthony Gormley sculpture LAND celebrating 50 years
of The Landmark Trust who have looked after Lundy since 1969.
Sadly I didn’t get to see any puffins on this trip – other
than the ones on the stamps and the pencil I bought as a momento, but that
really didn’t dampen the wonderful time I had running the retreat and seeing the
transformation of each of the ladies over the few days that we were together. I
felt really honoured. It was fun, it was exciting, it was calming, it was
enlightening, it was magical.
Here’s what the 'Puffineers*' had to say about the trip:
"A delightful combination of holiday, inspiration, freedom
and creative fun with a lasting impact of new directions and happy memories. I
would do it again tomorrow!"
Alison Stephenson, Costumier
***
"Morwhenna inspires with brilliant adventurers and gives
opportunities to really question yourself in a fun, safe group of supportive
fellow artists & puffineers! Had the best fun."
Rhian Wyn Harrison,
Illustrator
***
"I came needing space to rediscover me – needing to
re-connect with my first love, photography. Needing to get some clarity on my
work as an artist and on balancing aspects of my life and integrating them.
And
thanks to The Creative Adventurer and the magic of Lundy, I have!"
Lisa Tregenza, Textile Artist
***
"Windy, Wild, Friendly, Sheep. Had some lovely Creative
Adventurers in our brief time here. Hoping to spy some puffins today and
adventure some more!"
Justina Hart, Novelist & Poet
*Puffineer
- a person who goes looking for puffins and creative adventures on Lundy Island.
***
I’ll be running one again next year so if you’d like to be
the first to know when I’ll be taking the next Creative Adventure to Lundy
Island – please make sure you are signed up to my playletter – or reply to this
post so I can put you on first refusal. There will only be four places
available. I can’t guarantee we’ll arrive by helicopter next time although I
can guarantee a Magical Creative Adventure!
This is really only a snapshot of the trip – but one that I
hope makes you think – “I want to go next time!” ps You don't have to be an artist to enjoy this Creative Adventure!
