We are at the Chapel now (for Christmas)
My daughter just keeps saying, "Wow!"
I have a terrible cold.
Sunday 21 December 2008
Friday 19 December 2008
Inside & Outside Capel Bethel
A Good shot of the woodwork!
Dinner, anyone?
A Grand Entrance!
Outside of the Chapel
The Chapel again, Look carefully on the right for the red and yellow Post Office sign. A long walk of ten or so feet!
Local Scenery
Dinner, anyone?
A Grand Entrance!
Outside of the Chapel
The Chapel again, Look carefully on the right for the red and yellow Post Office sign. A long walk of ten or so feet!
Local Scenery
Thursday 18 December 2008
Getting to Capel Bethel
This is a shot taken in the last three weeks between Machyntleth and Llanidloes on the mountain road which is a totally delightful drive.
Wales, is, quite simply, beautiful.
The road to "Mac" from Llandiloes.
I just like the shapes here.
Early morning mist.
All three shots same time, same place
Writers Retreat
The Bar-Billiards Table
Bar Billiards is easy to learn and MUCH more fun than pool.
You pot the red or white balls in holes that score points. BUT.
But if you knock over either of the red mushrooms, your score fr that "break" goes back to zero. Knock the BLACK mushroom over and all your scores go to zero.
NOT a game to play after a bottle of wine.
The table, by the way is near-antique and refurbished.
A view from the kitchen of the stairs and landing area
A close-up of the elders' pews, now for storage
Original stuff from the Chapel
Bar Billiards is easy to learn and MUCH more fun than pool.
You pot the red or white balls in holes that score points. BUT.
But if you knock over either of the red mushrooms, your score fr that "break" goes back to zero. Knock the BLACK mushroom over and all your scores go to zero.
NOT a game to play after a bottle of wine.
The table, by the way is near-antique and refurbished.
A view from the kitchen of the stairs and landing area
A close-up of the elders' pews, now for storage
Original stuff from the Chapel
Inside Capel Bethel
A view from back to front. To the right the bar-billiards, central is the French-Oak table, and over to the left, the kitchen.
Those windows at the far-end are original stained glass!
One View of the Kitchen
The ornate wood you see was in the original chapel. It was the "elders' seats" that were in front of the pulpit. Turned round, and seats as shelves it forms an excellent "bridge" between the functionality of the open-plan kitchen and the warmth of the lounge. Old wood is just lovely.
And BTW we have pews for sale!
I LOVE this Welsh Dragon!!
Driftwood from Llwyngwril Beach.
Entered in the Turner Prize, a sure winner!!
Outside one of the neat bunk-rooms. Note the fantastic curved ceiling! The plasterer was a real craftsman. (And I love all the signs!)
Those windows at the far-end are original stained glass!
One View of the Kitchen
The ornate wood you see was in the original chapel. It was the "elders' seats" that were in front of the pulpit. Turned round, and seats as shelves it forms an excellent "bridge" between the functionality of the open-plan kitchen and the warmth of the lounge. Old wood is just lovely.
And BTW we have pews for sale!
I LOVE this Welsh Dragon!!
Driftwood from Llwyngwril Beach.
Entered in the Turner Prize, a sure winner!!
Outside one of the neat bunk-rooms. Note the fantastic curved ceiling! The plasterer was a real craftsman. (And I love all the signs!)
Capel Bethel: More Photos
The place is filled with pictures and objects designed to stimulate. They are things I like, and they worked for me!
The bunk room over the stairs (OK Harry?)
Kids love this room. Debbie thinks it's "sexy!"
The storage is UNDER the beds, really neat!
More Books!
And yet more books!
Capel Bethel Books & Bedrooms
Inside one office cupboard.
We have a lot of author-chat books, interviews and biographies
Here there's
Ernest Hemingway
Saul Bellow
Joseph Campbell
Raymond Chandler
Brecht
Beckett
Burgess
Ian Fleming
Jane Austen
Oscar Wilde
Virginia Woolf
Checkhov
Dylan Thomas
Alistair Cooke
Oscar Wilde
T S Eliot
James Joyce
Al Alvarez
Wayne C Booth
This is the larger double bedroom. It has a double bed, two bookshelves, a sofa which can sleep two more people (eg Mum & Dad want the kids in there)
There's a DVD and TV and CD-playing Stereo
And, of course, a computer desk and computer!
It's double aspect, too!
Another view of the double-bedroon
The second double bedroom
Has a long bookshelf. Short-Stories, Journals
15 Years of Best American Short-Stories
We have a lot of author-chat books, interviews and biographies
Here there's
Ernest Hemingway
Saul Bellow
Joseph Campbell
Raymond Chandler
Brecht
Beckett
Burgess
Ian Fleming
Jane Austen
Oscar Wilde
Virginia Woolf
Checkhov
Dylan Thomas
Alistair Cooke
Oscar Wilde
T S Eliot
James Joyce
Al Alvarez
Wayne C Booth
This is the larger double bedroom. It has a double bed, two bookshelves, a sofa which can sleep two more people (eg Mum & Dad want the kids in there)
There's a DVD and TV and CD-playing Stereo
And, of course, a computer desk and computer!
It's double aspect, too!
Another view of the double-bedroon
The second double bedroom
Has a long bookshelf. Short-Stories, Journals
15 Years of Best American Short-Stories
More Shots of Capel Bethel Writers Retreat
The hallway
One of the Three Shower Rooms
First shower room beind closed door left
Second shower room open to left, loo ahead
Part of the utility area, washer tumble-drier etc
One of the Three Shower Rooms
First shower room beind closed door left
Second shower room open to left, loo ahead
Part of the utility area, washer tumble-drier etc
More...
The Chapel is on the coast in a lovely village called Llwyngril. It sits under the brooding presence of Cader Idris and the walking around the Chapel is first class
So one thing we put in was a place to clean boots etc! Unfortunately kids just lurrrve to play with the squirty thing, so be warned.
:
:
Over the years I've had my fill of places that are cold and damp. I was determined to make sure Capel Bethel had LOADS of hot water.
I was also fed up of showers that dribbled out luke-warm water: SO:
We have installed "DIRECT" tanks. Direct tanks mean ALL the water throughout the Chapel is at near mains pressure. That means the showers are all like power showers, and the bath water RUSHES in!
You will see there are TWO tanks. We have SIX HUNDRED litres of hot water at any time. A normal house has 110 Litres.
Mind you, if a dozen people come in from a long walk on a hot day, maybe we'll need the water. So far, with the boilers switched to just 300L we have never got close to using all the hot water.
NOW BACK TO BOOKS.
The shot here (above) is just the entrance! You'll find HUNDREDS of periodicals.
Glimmer Train
Granta
London Magazine
Cadenza
Buzzwords
The New Welsh Review
Planet
Boulevard
Cambrensis
Timber Creek Review
Alaska Review
Cimmaron Review
and dozens of others.
Writers MUST read and all these journals used to be mine. There are hundreds of short-story collections, too, and plenty of good modern novels and classics.
This shot shows one of the bunk rooms. Good, sturdy bunks with "memory foam" mattresses in this room.
The room has a TV, a quality stereo, a working desk, a computer (of course) and plenty more books. The books (but not the beds) in this room are for under 18s and there will be an X-Box and games.
Another "cubby-hole" a two-seater sofa (emergency bed) under the stairs (plus books.)
So one thing we put in was a place to clean boots etc! Unfortunately kids just lurrrve to play with the squirty thing, so be warned.
:
:
Over the years I've had my fill of places that are cold and damp. I was determined to make sure Capel Bethel had LOADS of hot water.
I was also fed up of showers that dribbled out luke-warm water: SO:
We have installed "DIRECT" tanks. Direct tanks mean ALL the water throughout the Chapel is at near mains pressure. That means the showers are all like power showers, and the bath water RUSHES in!
You will see there are TWO tanks. We have SIX HUNDRED litres of hot water at any time. A normal house has 110 Litres.
Mind you, if a dozen people come in from a long walk on a hot day, maybe we'll need the water. So far, with the boilers switched to just 300L we have never got close to using all the hot water.
NOW BACK TO BOOKS.
The shot here (above) is just the entrance! You'll find HUNDREDS of periodicals.
Glimmer Train
Granta
London Magazine
Cadenza
Buzzwords
The New Welsh Review
Planet
Boulevard
Cambrensis
Timber Creek Review
Alaska Review
Cimmaron Review
and dozens of others.
Writers MUST read and all these journals used to be mine. There are hundreds of short-story collections, too, and plenty of good modern novels and classics.
This shot shows one of the bunk rooms. Good, sturdy bunks with "memory foam" mattresses in this room.
The room has a TV, a quality stereo, a working desk, a computer (of course) and plenty more books. The books (but not the beds) in this room are for under 18s and there will be an X-Box and games.
Another "cubby-hole" a two-seater sofa (emergency bed) under the stairs (plus books.)
More Pictures
.
.
The first thing to notice is:
There are books EVERYWHERE
Above is one view of the office. The bookcases go back under the stairs.
That's the hall and a bathroom shower-room just across.
This is "my" office.
The cupboards are full of books and we are filling the corner cupboards with books by Boot Campers and ex-Boot-Campers and journals containing BC stories.
This computer is available to visitors, and there are three more. There's a printer.
There's good broadband, and a phone, of course. If you bring uour own lap-top there's wi-fi to connect to our network
The shot above is not the world's most exciting picture but a lead in to tell you about washing facilities.
Below the first of the shower rooms
Almost opposite the office is a bathroom with basin and WC and a separate shower-room, with basin and WC.
In all the building has a bath, three separate showers, and three loos.
The "Victorian" bath.
.
The first thing to notice is:
There are books EVERYWHERE
Above is one view of the office. The bookcases go back under the stairs.
That's the hall and a bathroom shower-room just across.
This is "my" office.
The cupboards are full of books and we are filling the corner cupboards with books by Boot Campers and ex-Boot-Campers and journals containing BC stories.
This computer is available to visitors, and there are three more. There's a printer.
There's good broadband, and a phone, of course. If you bring uour own lap-top there's wi-fi to connect to our network
The shot above is not the world's most exciting picture but a lead in to tell you about washing facilities.
Below the first of the shower rooms
Almost opposite the office is a bathroom with basin and WC and a separate shower-room, with basin and WC.
In all the building has a bath, three separate showers, and three loos.
The "Victorian" bath.
Internal Shots
Perhaps writers will baulk at such items as Flat-Screen TVs, Hi-Fi's and a bar-billiards table, but we all need breaks from the slog.
I use certain film information when teaching "theme" so for that, a TV is essential.
But we can spend a week in the Chapel and never turn the TV on. I need music though!
The Chapel measures 37 feet by 22 feet at its smallest and 38-23 at its maximum. NOTHING is square! Upstairs is a huge open-plan area with a beautiful kitchen with six-ring hob and two ovens. There's a French Oak dining table that seats 12 at a time, the bar-billiards table and THREE separate seating areas. Two are either side of the pulpit for 2-3-4-5 people to chat or work. The other sitting area is around the TV and can sit 10 easily.
Capel Bethel Writers Retreat, Wales
I've been a professional writer and teacher since October 1992 and I have taught in log-cabins, my own home, in cleared offices, in Universities and on cruise-ships.
My dream was always to have some dedicated place that I could teach in, that had personality, an ambience, some spiritual air about it, but at the same time wasn' as stark and cold as a monastery.
So we came up with the idea of Capel Bethel.
Capel Bethel was first raised in 1837 and extended in 1870 or so. We bought it in 2004 and have spent the last three years gutting it and renovating it.
We wanted a holiday home's facility, but 5-star, with warm rooms, loads of hot-water, great light, telephone, broadband, Sky-Plus, HD TV, good Hi-Fi (we take holidays, too) and books, books, books, books.
We would move there tomorrow, but that is now on hold while the kids go through GCSEs and A-Levels, but for the next three years we will rent it out as a holiday home, as a writers retreat, and for courses in creativity, most especially writing.
I will post pictures on a regular basis, and gradually update the blog with directions, costs and information on the surrounding area.
There will be a lot of pictures, and hopefully not too many words.
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