Sat. 31st March 2012 - Sunday 1st April (10am - 4.30pm)
Sara Grey - Old Time Banjo

On Saturday - We will work on frailing, drop thumb and double thumb, and various other techniques that make up the old time style. If time allows, and if the group "surges ahead", we will incorporate these techniques into a tune!

On Sunday - if enough people are interested, we will work on co-ordinating the banjo and song. If, however, the majority of the group prefer to continue to just work on the banjo without adding on any songs, that's what we'll do.

What people have written about Sara . . .

"… clear singing done from the heart … my opinion is that her butterfly voice which expresses a lyric so well, needs only her banjo behind it to make a complete musical statement." . . .  Roy Harris

"… An evening in her company is akin to sitting in a friend’s kitchen, drinking her wine and sharing her songs and stories. When it comes to an end, you feel at peace with the world.". . .  Mick Tems, Taplas

"… Sara’s distinguished frailing style on the banjo showed just how this instrument should be played, stylishly enhancing her silky melodic vocals. … new Hampshire born Sara Grey, one of the warmest individuals you’re ever likely to meet … her relaxed smooth singing style was conveyed with effortless ease.". . .   Maurice Hope, Hexham

As part of Gleanings Concert Series, Sara will be performing an evening concert at Hope Village Hall on Saturday evening, 31st March, 8pm. Tickets £6 available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net for more details

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments during course time. Booking essential.

More info:  www.saragrey.net/
www.hrmusic.com/artists/sgart.html    www.youtube.com/watch?v=rndm8NMtHlw

Sat. 14th April 2012 (10.00am - 5.00pm)
Steve Turner - A Concertina Song Accompaniment Workshop
Steve will be running a full days concertina song accompaniment workshop. The day will consist of an introductory talk about concertinas in general, what to look at in an accompanying instrument and general thoughts in accompaniment. This will be followed by a Questions and Answers session. There will be time for thoughts on singing and warm up for singing. Then we will take a song and work on it, hopefully coming out with a nice sound! The aim is to give profile ideas as to how to accompany. I'll give tips from my experience in examining the contents and feelings of the song and interpreting it in the accompaniment.

"Steve Turner is one of the finest exponents of concertina accompaniments around, if not the best. . . Shirefolk

"A CD full of brilliant songs and tunes, well worth getting your hands on . . . The Mike Harding Show, Radio 2

"Put simply the guy is superb, using counterpart and inversions against a sure singing style - unbelievable concertina accompaniment . . . Readfolk Newsletter

As part of Gleanings Concert Series Steve will be performing at a House Concert in gleanings at 8pm. Tickets: £5 (Gleaners £4) available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net 
Numbers are limited so booking essential.

Cost of One Day Workshop: £60, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunch, snacks and refreshments.

More Info: www.steve-turner.co.uk

Vicki & Jonny have been working together as duo on the folk scene for over 10 years and have gathered together lots of experience of using the potential of the Duo-team to maximum effect.
The workshop weekend will centre around the creation, rehearsal and performance of a new arrangement of a traditional song, with orchestration, harmony and 'polish'.
The workshop sequence will create a new arrangement of a traditional song.  It will explore the use of instruments to drive and underpin the song.  We will then explore vocal harmonies, instrument counterpoints and arrangement to enhance and annotate the story and message.  Finally we will look at practice, rehearsal and performance techniques to ensure that the duo comes together for a performance to the best effect.  Part of this process will include the recording of a performance and critical assessment.
YOU DON'T NEED TO COME AS A DUO.  Duo teams can be created from the participant list at the time.

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments during course time

More info: www.swan-dyer.co.uk

Multiple Folk Award winner Nancy Kerr is an exquisite English folk fiddler. Her tone, fluidity and ability to use the fiddle as a backing for voice have cemented her worldwide reputation.

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments

Nancy Kerr and James Fagan will be performing in Hope Village Hall on Saturday evening, 19th May at 8pm. Tickets £8 (Gleaners £6) available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net for more details. 
James has been nominated for Male Folk Singer of the Year at the Spiral Earth Awards 2012

More info: www.kerrfagan.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4tryN2UBVQ&feature=related

Sat. 26th May 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Amanda Munday, QTSBA Hons Music: QTS - Harp for Beginners (Harps provided)

The workshop is suitable for complete beginners and also elementary players, aged ten upwards.  Harps are provided.  You can expect to play 4/5 simple tunes, some in ensemble form. Please bring an object, picture or poem for the creative element of the day.  Places limited so book early! 

Come and enjoy a fun day in fantastic surroundings and a friendly atmosphere . . . and get your hands on a harp!

Cost of Day: £45, which includes harp hire, lunch of home-made soup and rolls, snacks and refreshments during the day.

Sat. 26th May there will be an evening concert in Hope Village Hall with Harpists Amanda Munday and Friends - Eleri LLoyd, members of Harpscape Ensemble; Penndragon Ceilidh Band; Jon Letcher, Dulcimer; Traditional Song. Starts at 8pm. Tickets: £6 (Gleaners £5) available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net

Harps and Dulcimers are also available for purchase or hire.  Contact: 07787 187324

About Amanda:
The harp is the oldest stringed instrument known to man, naturally soothing, but also surprisingly ’funky,’ and certainly social! I have been teaching as a music specialist for over ten years and have gained a wealth of experience both in the classroom and in the community.

On Saturday evening, 16th June, Sarah and Carolyn will be performing a House Concert in Gleanings - ticket price: £5 (£4 to Gleaners) available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net 

Cost of Weekend: £130, includes home-cooked lunches, plus snacks and refreshments for weekend. Booking essential as numbers are limited.

Comments from Gleanings 2011 Workshop Weekend with Sarah and Carolyn:

I enjoyed the weekend tremendously, I rarely get the opportunity to focus wholly on one thing for such a long period of time!
I feel increasingly that all I have learnt in the past is stripped away and I am challenging my notions of what singing is about from a very different perspective, you and Carolyn were great enablers for this process, and I feel inspired  (Lorna)

It was a lovely weekend and a challenge for me. I feel I have learned a lot.  One of the things I wanted to achieve was to come away feeling more confident that I could 'hold my own' when singing my part in our choir. I think I am on my way to this!  (Claire)

More info: www.cmr-harmony.org.uk

Rees Wesson - Beginners Melodeon (D/G) & Beginners Anglo Concertina (C/G)
Simple Tunes and Chords . . .

Saturday will be melodeon biased and Sunday Anglo, but either are welcome at both. Please note: C/G anglo players booked into the melodeon workshop will be fine but melodeon players attending the anglo workshop will need a C melodeon as well as a D/G.

All workshops are geared to the general ability of the class but slow and quick learners are given attention in equal measure.

Cost of Each Day: £50, this includes home-cooked lunch, refreshments and snacks. You are welcome to gather at Gleanings from 9.30am onwards for a drink and chat.

About Rees:
Rees learned to play the melodeon on the night shift in a cheese factory in Wales! Although passionate about English Country Music he has spent half a lifetime searching out melodeon music from all around the world. These global influences have been assimilated into a unique style which you can learn more about at his Melodeon Workshops at various venues around the UK... Hear him live, playing solo or with his dance crazy chums "Joe le Taxi and the Zydeco Band" or the exciting new Welsh band that is "Parti Gungrog". See the gig list for details.
Rees also sells new and used melodeons at www.melodeons.com and plays English Country Dance Music with "May Contain Nuts".
More info: www.myspace.com/reeswesson

This course will dip into a wide range of guitar styles from my Folk & Blues repertoire. As well as giving you instruction in finger picking & slide techniques, I will help you demystify the use of open tunings!

We will look into understanding how simple chord forms can be used all over the finger board to produce beautiful sounding arrangements of instrumental pieces and song accompaniments. I will also give you advice on how to set up your instrument for "bottle neck" or "slide" playing to achieve the best action and tone. I've also had over 30 years experience singing for a living, so this could be another subject we could look into! Whether you're just starting out as a player or have been playing for some time, I'm sure there will be plenty here for you to enjoy.

On Friday evening (15th July) from 7pm onwards, there will be an informal session in Gleanings.

Cost of Weekend: £120, includes home-cooked lunches, plus snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited

On Saturday, 30th June - Jim will be performing at a House Concert in Gleanings at 8pm. Tickets: £5. Numbers are limited so booking essential.

More info: www.jimcrawford.org.uk/home.html
www.myspace.com/jimcrawfordmusic

Sat. 7th - Sun. 8th July 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Karen Tweed : The Piano Accordion - transporting melodies into arrangements for performance and pleasure
I will be leading this fun and inspiring workshop for accordionists of intermediate standard and above with the aim of taking simple melodies and developing them into arranged pieces for the solo accordion.There's so many ways you can develop your music, with the idea in mind to dynamically build up your interpretation of the music, really make it your own and work within boundaries that give you confidence.

We'll look at ornamentation, variation, developing themes within the melodies and basslines to different approaches to intros and endings. There will be guidance on how to link a medley together and how to develop your confidence whether playing for yourself, in a session or to a wider audience. . . This course is designed to give you ideas to take away and use in your whole repertoire.

Notation will be supplied and participants are advised to bring recording facilities and a music stand.

On Saturday evening, 7th July, Karen will be performing a House Concert in Gleanings - ticket price: £5 (£4 to Gleaners) available on 01743 891412 or email: yj.hart@virgin.net 

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments

Booking Form

More info: www.karentweed.com

Fri. 31st August - Sun. 2nd September 2012 John Kirkpatrick - The Anglo Concertina - 'Adding Chords to Tunes and Songs'
(Fri. 3pm-5pm approx – Sat. & Sun.10am - 4.30pm)

Back by popular demand . . . Following the runaway success of last years' weekend John is returning to Gleanings to run this very successful course. It takes place  over three days, starting after lunch on the Friday. The course is aimed at helping players of the Anglo concertina discover the full musical potential of their instrument. John will be looking at all the various technical aspects of playing, but will mostly be exploring what can be found in the way of chords and harmonies in the left hand to support melodies in the right hand. This is all very physical stuff, and teaching will be in terms of patterns and finger memory, rather than a more abstract intellectual approach. Although a broad grasp of the complexities of music will naturally grow out of the work involved, the ability to read musical notation is by no means essential, and may in fact be a hindrance!

The sessions will not be suitable for complete beginners, and as they are very specific to the instrument they will not be suitable for players of the other kinds of concertina either - the English or the Duet. And please note - the small twenty button Anglo will not be adequate for this course.You'll need an Anglo concertina with not less than thirty buttons, and ideally a keyboard chart of what all the buttons are. If you haven't got a chart, John will help you to knock one up, and, thus equipped, whether your interest is in beefing up your tune playing or adding floating parts to accompany your favourite song, Mr Kirkpatrick will be able to bring a lifetime's experience to bear and help you along the way.

In 2003 John was awarded the English Folk Dance and Song Society's Gold Badge for his outstanding contribution to English Folk Music and in 2010 he received the Musician of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Cost of Long Weekend: £140, includes small buffet and informal session on Friday night from 7pm, plus home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments on Saturday and Sunday. Booking essential as numbers are limited.

Some comments from John's Anglo Concertina Course in 2011

"Just wanted to say thank you again for your amazing organisational, culinary and other skills that made the concertina course with JK so rich. It almost felt like being together with old friends although we've never met before. For me this is always the sign of some real humanity, which you seemed to pour out in bucket loads. Well done! Hopefully Mr JK will do another course soon. Can't wait" - Terry, Ceredigion

"Just a quick note to thank you all for such a great week-end and look forward to coming again sometime in the not to distant future" - Steve, Surrey

More info: www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk

Sat. 29th - Sun. 30th September 2012 (Sat.10am-4.30pm/Sun.10am-3.30pm)
Janet Russell - Singing with Purpose – the emotion, the message, and/or the rhythm
A workshop for singers who are not total beginners but have some confidence with their singing skills, can carry a harmony part, and will be interested to play with their voices a little in terms of vocal tone and rhythmic emphasis.

I’ll start with some warm-up work and short pieces from around the world as well as from the UK.  The main body of the sessions will deal with a mixture of songs that I’m interested in at the moment – songs of social comment (peace and justice, green, equality, etc), traditional and contemporary songs from rural North England, and singing for dancing (use of “vocables” as well as words and strict tempo).

As you might gather from the above description there will be a tumble of different moods and vocal skills required, and we shall mix up the styles and skills throughout the day.  I hope this sounds like an enticing and varied weekend with lots of different harmonies and rhythms! Booking essential.

On Friday evening, 28th September, you are invited to an informal session with light buffet in Gleanings from 7.30pm onwards. Hope you can make it!

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, refreshments and snacks.

On Saturday,29th September - Janet will be performing at a House Concert in Gleanings at 8pm. Tickets: £5. Numbers are limited so booking essential.

More info: www.harbourtownrecords.com/russell.html

Sat. 13th October 2012 - (10.30am - 4pm)
Steven Sproat - Ukulele - “Taking it to a Higher Level”
This is the chance for all uke fans to catch Steven’s final workshop . . . here at Gleanings!

This course is designed for 'seasoned' players of at least 1 year playing and knowledge of most common ukulele chords.

Steven will look at chord inversions, flamenco strum, split stroke (Formby style ), fan stroke, strum patterns and give general tips and advice and, of course, his fine selection of rock, pop and old time tunes.

Steven Sproat is a singer songwriter guitarist and probably the best known Ukulele personality in the UK. With 4 albums behind him his music has been played on Radio 2 in 2011 (Jeremy Vine, Aled Jones) and he featured in Frank Skinner’s BBC4 TV doc about George Formby.

A seasoned performer since those Butlins’ Recoat days! Venues including Ronnie Scotts’ London, Edinburgh Festival, Mean Fiddler , Cheltenham Jazz Festival and appearances in New York and Dublin.

He is author to Bestselling ukulele tutor books ‘Absolute Beginners Ukulele’ Series and ‘Starting Ukulele’ (Music Sales/Wise Worldwide) with a 4th book to be released early 2012 . His ukelounge DVD has sold thousands worldwide.

Cost of Day: £60, includes home-made soup and rolls for lunch, plus snacks and refreshments during the day. Booking essential as numbers are limited for Steven's final workshop - 2012 will be Steven's last year of workshops as he is taking time out to concentrate on his songwriting and other projects.

More info: www.stevensproat.com

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Sat. 24th March 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Kate Gittins - Learn the Art of Knitting

Have the satisfaction of making individual garments and things for the home that you can't buy in the shops, simply and easily.  Learn how to understand knitting patterns and adjust patterns to your own taste. In this one day course you will learn how to cast on, basic stitches and cast off.  From there you can let your imagination run riot.

All you need to bring along is a 50g ball of double knitting and a pair of 4mm knitting needles (or similar size).

Cost of Workshop: £15, which includes home-made soup and rolls for lunch, snacks and refreshments during the day. Booking essential as numbers are limited

Sun. 25th March 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Crochet for Beginners - with Julie Argue
Learn the basic craft of Crochet and gain the hands-on knowledge to be able to creat soft furnishing items for the home. I will start with basic stitches and then move on to creating squares for throws, cushions, etc..

All you need to bring along to this fun day is a crochet hook, size 5/6 and one ball of double knit wool or any odd bits of wool you may have.

Cost of Day: £15 which includes light lunch, snacks and refreshments.

Sat. 21st April 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
John Hart - Willow Basket Making for Complete Beginners 
I’ve been making baskets and growing willow for the last 4 years and have enjoyed the whole process. It’s the sort of skill you can get lost in. During the day I will teach you to make a small basket that you will be proud of, describing the pitfalls and how to overcome them, instruct on the amount of soaking required, and teach borders and the different weaves that I use. Also, we will look at the hedgerow plants you can use and take a trip to my willow beds.

This course will give you a chance to dip your toe in the water and be ready for the next course with Pippa on the 9th-10th June.

Cost of Day: £25 which includes home-made soup and rolls for lunch, plus snacks and refreshments during the day. There will be a small charge for materials used.

Fri. - 11th - Sun. 13th May 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Sue Linton B Ed, Assoc SBA - Watercolour Skies and Trees Through the Seasons
In this three day course we shall be concentrating on two of the most important aspects of painting landscapes in watercolour. The way we depict the sky creates the essential mood of a painting. Clear summer, cold winter skies, clouds, dramatic storms, and beautiful sunsets – we’ll try them all. Have you struggled to make your trees convincing?  We will look at the bare shapes of winter, fresh colours of spring, rich full summer and glorious autumn hues. 

Throughout the three days, Sue will demonstrate the many techniques needed to produce beautiful paintings in watercolour and every student will be guided and encouraged to develop their own individual style.   

Some comments from Sue's previous courses . . .
"Fabulous week, good tuition, good company and first class food. Such a warm welcome . . . " -  Audrey S, Brighton, Sussex (2010)
"What at week! I have learnt and enjoyed so much. Can't praise the course enough - all superb. Above all it's been fun and met super people. Thanks for the motivation, the memories and super duper tuition!" - Su, Minsterley, Shropshire (2010)
"Thanks again for making everybody so welcome.  You have an amazing set up there at the Gleanings.  I do hope to come again if Sue is doing another painting course - Jenny, Rickmansworth, Herts (2011)

" . . . a big thank you for last week - really enjoyed it and has given me the inspiration and confidence I needed to get painting again. Lovely food and good company as well . . . Best holiday in a long time! - Gill, Longden, Shropshire (2011)

Sun. 27th May 2012 (2pm - 6pm)
Foraging Around Gleanings with Rob Rowe
Come and enjoy an afternoon spent around the fields and hedgerows of Gleanings, searching for, identifying and collecting edible wild plants . . . finishing off with a stir fry and tea with Rob Rowe, local botanist and forager!

Cost of Workshop: £15

More info: www.robrowe.co.uk

Pippa with her proud students and their baskets

Sat. 9th - Sun. 10th June 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Pippa Scott - Frame Willow Basket Workshop
Historically frame baskets were usually made by the users themselves, rather than by trained craftsmen in workshops. Used mainly for agricultural purposes, especially potatoes, they were made from the local willow using few tools.
Learn traditional techniques and make your own beautiful rustic frame baskets, based on the Welsh Cyntell and the Irish Sciathog. 
You will also learn about growing, harvesting, and preparation of willow.
The workshop is suitable for beginners in willow basketmaking and for those with some experience. 

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited. 

About Pippa
“I was introduced to Basketmaking by a friend who encouraged me to attend the Basketmakers’ Association Summer School in 1987. In the following years I developed my skills with the help of wonderfully inspiring teachers in Wales, England, Ireland, and Poland. It is easy to become enthusiastic about basketmaking – an enthusiasm which is very infectious and which gathers many friends from among those who share it! Apart from making and selling baskets I have led workshops for adults and children, and for people with learning difficulties. Over recent years there has not only been a revival of willow basketmaking as a craft, but also an increasing recognition of the extraordinary versatility of willow in other uses. I have extended my exploration of willow into growing and harvesting, as well as the making of larger structures and living-willow projects for gardens and schools. I also make willow coffins and coracles. Once learned the basic techniques used in basketmaking can be applied in these less traditional contexts. What’s more, basketmaking must be almost unique in that such simple and non-specialist tools are needed. It is therefore not difficult to continue to practise what you have learned in a workshop.

Everyone is invited to Supper on Saturday night at 7pm in Gleanings to celebrate the 21st anniversary kindle publication of Smarties Prize winning ‘Midnight Blue’. The evening will include music and story-telling, so please join with us and invited guests to make this a truly memorable night. A small buffet will be provided and any contributions towards this will be gratefully received.

Cost of Weekend: £120, which includes 2-course home-cooked lunches, snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited. 

About Pauline:
Pauline Fisk has had a long and distinguished career as an author for children and young adults. She’s written novels, short stories, poems, radio plays and television scripts. Her latest novel, ‘In the Trees’ involved a highly adventuresome research trip to the jungles of Belize. Her Smarties Prize-winning novel, ‘Midnight Blue’, draws on the legend of Wild Edric, who sleeps beneath the stones of the Devil’s Chair – which can be seen from the windows of Gleanings. 
Pauline has five grown up children and is a weaver in her spare time.  She’s Shropshire based and knows the county and its stories very well. This is her first visit to Gleanings, and she’s looking forward to sharing what she’s learnt about writing.

More info: www.paulinefisk.co.uk  

Sat. 21st - Sun. 22nd July 2012 (10am - 4.30pm)
Paul Priestley - Landscape in Acrylics for Beginners
On the first day we start by looking at sketching the landscape with the emphasis on using tone. We shall also complete short sessions on colour mixing and how to apply acrylic paint and follow this by completing a couple of small paintings, one under the direction of Paul. On the second day we shall aim to complete one larger painting, from initial sketch to final painting. Paul will be on hand to give advice and guidance throughout the day. Having completed our masterpieces we shall have a short plenary session where Paul will discuss the work and give hints and tips about how to proceed further.

Cost of Weekend: £120, includes home-cooked lunches, plus snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited

More info: http://www.paulpriestley.com
www.pppaintings.com

Sat. 18th August
Hannah Charman - Introduction to Herbal Medicine - "Field Pharmacy"
Join Shropshire Herbalist Hannah Charman on this practical one day introduction to using herbal remedies at home. You will learn about some of the herbs that grow in your garden and the surrounding countryside, how to identify medicinal plants, harvest them, and make them into simple remedies. Hannah has worked as a Medical Herbalist since 1999 and now practices in the Telford area. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, the oldest body of western Medical Herbalists in the world. 

Cost of Day: £60 which includes 2-course homecooked lunch, snacks and refreshments, notes and all materials. You will get to take your remedies home with you.

More info: http://www.panaceaholistichealth.co.uk/page

Sat. 25th - Sun. 26th August 2012 (10am – 4.30pm)
Ivan Williams - Dynamic Drawing and Mark Making
Experience Drawing/Mark Making using charcoal, ink, a range of pencils and an eraser. You will be surprised at the dynamic results you will achieve. We are extremely lucky that Ivan is able to spare time to share his immense creative knowledge at Gleanings - an opportunity not to be missed!

Cost of Weekend: £120, includes Art Materials, home-cooked lunches, plus snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited

More about Ivan:
Ivan is trained in Fine Art and has always worked in the creative field, from Set Designs, Special Effects and recently he was commissioned to produce 10 bronzes for Hereford Cathedral. He has lectured in Fine Art at several art colleges and is now working in a number of alternative projects and is constantly producing drawings for animated films. Ivan has received awards from a Design Centre in London for exemplary Design Projects.

The photo shows one of the Ivan’s many talents – he was commissioned, by Hereford Cathedral, to create ten cast bronze disks to illustrate iconic images from the history and fabric of the cathedral interior.  The roundels are located along the pathways of the new close and present the viewer with a series of delightful and intriguing images that include the Shrine of St Thomas of Hereford, the cathedral’s Anglo Saxon font, the seventeenth century poet and mystic Thomas Traherne and the Green Man, as well as images from the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library.  Hereford Cathedral’s Head of Communications, Dominic Harbour, explains “Ivan has done an excellent job in interpreting the intricate and magical qualities of each subject.

More info:
www.herefordcathedral.org/about-us/cathedral-close-project/latest-updates

Sat. 22nd - Sun 23rd September 2012 (10am- 4.30pm)
Simon Whaley - Writing for the Magazine Market
Writing for the Magazine Market is aimed at complete beginners, or those who’ve had some success, and is designed to show you how to write for magazines, in a fun and relaxed environment. This course will look at writing letters and fillers, magazine articles, and short stories for magazine.

On Saturday we’ll look at:
•           Letters and Fillers – the quickest and easiest way to publication.
•           Ideas – where to get them and how to develop them.
•           Magazine analysis – discovering where the freelance opportunities are and how to write for that magazine’s reader.
•           Article structure – how to write an article and choose a suitable structure.

On Sunday the course will investigate:
•           Article Extras - fact files, sidebars, boxouts and photos.
•           Short Story markets – which magazines use stories and what type of stories they use.
•           Writing the Short Story – analysing how they tell the tale.
•           Administration – how to layout your manuscript and submit your work.

If you have any specific magazines you’d like to write for, please bring along a couple of copies, and if you have some ideas you want to develop then bring them with you too!

Cost of Weekend: £120, includes home-cooked lunches, plus snacks and refreshments. Booking essential as numbers are limited

About Simon Whaley
Simon is an author, writer and photographer, whose illustrated articles have appeared in publication such as BBC CountryFile, Discover Britain, Country Walking, The Countryman, and British Heritage. His articles have also appeared in The Lady, Outdoor Photography, Dogs Monthly, Cheshire Life and Amateur Photographer. His short stories have appeared in People’s Friend, Take a Break, Fiction Feast, and the Weekly News, and also in Australia’s That’s Life Fast Fiction and the Irish Ireland’s Own. 

More info: www.simonwhaley.co.uk