Capel Bethel Writers Retreat, Wales

More Llwyngwril Pictures

2010-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

This boulder is on a delightful walk along the cliff-tops above the village (you can get to The Blue Lagoon) and legend has it that a villager is buried under the rock.

The river Gwril, this shot is about a hundred yards from the chapel (but the river is much closer than that.)

And More Pictures

2010-01-19T01:48:00.000-08:00

A (man-made?) lake between Llanidloes amd Mac. Lots of lovely walks in this area

Lightning Tree!

Remember, these pictures, on display in the chapel can be purchased by contacting Errol or Chantal at the cafe opposite.

The chapel is ten yards from a cafe/bistro, five yards from the Post Office, thiry yards from the River Gwril and a 120 yard TREK to the pub....

More Pictures

2010-01-19T01:45:00.001-08:00

The road shot (I just like the curves) is on the road from Llandiloes to Macynthleth, on a favourite "mountain road" route through Wales.

Some Chapel Photos

2010-01-19T01:33:00.000-08:00

Many of the photographs that will be seen on this blog have been printed on large canvasses, displayed on the walls at the chapel, and for sale.

No, not the chapel, but the photograph, on canvas can be bought!

The Blue Lake is a disused quarry close to Llwyngwril and the lake is totally enclosed. You approach it through a five foot high tunnel through the rocks.

Great for letting the dogs run.

Last year Boot Camper Cedric Popa stripped off and swam in the dark (and cold) waters.

There are brilliant walks and runs all round the chapel, many starting FROM the chapel and the third picture, Standing Stones was taken on the "top road" from Llwyngwril to Dolgellau.

Contacting Alex

2009-07-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Someone has just pointed out there's no contact info on this blog. (Oops!)

alex.keegan@btinternet.com

Tel 01635-34317

News Just In

2009-07-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Some of our readers may know that 5/6 writers have been using Capel Bethel as a retreat this week. Here is a message from them.

A message from the team at the half way point of the retreat:

We are now six, having met Pauline (from Co Kerry via London) off the tiny train at the tiny station. We are currently (5.00 pm) all writing in the huge living area. Three on the farmhouse table, three sprawled on the deep leather settees.

Every day we have worked quietly, systematically, stopping for lunch in the cafe across the road, or for a cuppa, a walk. Then work again in the afternoons. We haven't counted the new stories and flashes that have been born here in the chapel. And add to that the flashes, stories, novel and poems that are being made better - it feels good.

The chapel is a fabulous space for writers. It is geared, and very inspirational. The rooms are not just comfortable, they are very comfortable, and we are sleeping the sleep of long distance writers. Martin has been a real gent and has given up his room for Pauline, and is sleeping in the living room tonight, on a bed settee.

This week is going too fast.

J, P, M, C, V and V

More Course Feedback

2009-07-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

• Lovely accommodation that offers both comfort and functionality
• Hard work but great fun!
• Variety of different tasks to enable exploration of mood, tone and character
• Variety of tasks to stimulate and manipulate ideas
• Plethora of books and magazines to inspire and provoke discussion
• Entertaining anecdotes and honest appraisals
• Numerous handouts that offer clear explanations and examples of what not to do
• Plenty of time to write and attempt implementation of the skills explored through texts and handouts
• Well researched theories on the craft of writing
• Different teaching methods employed and an ability to be flexible with the tasks set
• Intense and enthusiastic approach to writing
• Value for money.
• Lovely accommodation, full days of work and tasks (but the opportunity to opt out if it’s too much), convenient café for brunch and dinner just ten metres from the front door, lots of resources, handouts to take away afterwards, debates and humorous anecdotes, numerous computers available to work on and time to write and relax with other like-minded people.

Carly Ellis

Course Feedback

2009-07-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

I recently returned, exhausted but happy, from one of Alex Keegan's face-to-face writing courses. For three days we wrote, and discussed craft and all sorts of other things, into the early hours. There is nothing nine to five about these courses. Alex is ready to work until the last person says enough. Generous with his energy and writing expertise, he never instructs then sits back. He writes alongside the group, usually with enviable ease but sometimes, reassuringly, he struggles like anyone else.

I was apprehensive beforehand, thought I wouldn't be good enough, but needn't have worried. The ethos is one of respect for anyone who's serious about improving, whatever their current level. I got lucky when Alex used one of my stories to illustrate the editing process. His blue pen slashed through words, sentences, paragraphs - highlighting my particular weaknesses, and showing us all how we can strengthen our writing.

There's flexibility in what's looked at (Openings, Dialogue, etc) but also in how much writing is done. One evening I was too tired, my mind a blank, so while the others wrote I sat on a sofa in the corner, browsing through books of photographs.

The spaces within the Chapel have been created to allow withdrawal from the group whilst still being able to listen in to any interesting chat. There's the large table, great for laptop users or anyone who prefers sitting upright to lounging, and then there are several comfy seating areas with low coffee tables. The Chapel is well-supplied with all mod-cons, beds, computers and showers, a great place for any writing course, retreat or holiday. Just across the road is the very reasonably-priced café in which we ate most of our meals. Down the road is the sea and behind the village are hills and mountains, including Cader Idris.

I left on Sunday afternoon having learned a huge amount about writing, and sorry to have to say goodbye to new friends. I will definitely be back, just as soon as I've done enough writing to deserve another great weekend away.

Margot Taylor, Somerset

Not Enough Hints for Mrs Golightly

2009-06-29T00:13:00.000-07:00

Thinking of Bridport (deadline tomorrow) I recall this article of mine from a while back and published in the Internet Writers Journal.

Please note the article is not sour grapes.

Not Enough Hints for Mrs Golightly

I recently picked up a second prize in a magazine competition, then in the issue announcing the winners I read from a subscriber: "Dee, A Dancer stood head and shoulders above the other competition entries. It's the only time I have ever been moved to give nine out of ten for a story."

PS, this is neither about "my writing" or "my story"...

Another reviewer wrote: "Dee, A Dancer gets under our moral body-armour and imparts an unacceptable feeling which robs our black- and-white judgment of absolute certainty...sensitive writing. A third reviewer wrote "I like the neutral tone to convey powerful stuff," another thought Dee was the most enjoyable story, but awarded marks to another for originality. Then a fifth reader said, despite awarding top marks: "the husband doesn't know what's wrong, fair enough, but I was frustrated that he, the writer, couldn't have dropped more hints that the reader could make sense of".

Yet, to others "Dee, A Dancer was insubstantial." "Depressing and self-conscious" and another "didn't understand the end. Was it only this reader or did others think that the last paragraph had slipped in from another story?" And third critic said "Dee, A Dancer tried confusedly and unconvincingly to relate."

If I ever actually understand that last sentence, I promise to let you know, but ignoring that, the whole experience leads me to wonder and to worry about the state of much of the short-story market. I have talked in the past about the "disease of competence" and at least three editors have confided in me that they daren't "push it too far", that they often dare not print material which taxes the reader at all. They tell me wanting quality is all very fine, but not at the expense of a readership. Though I might pretend to understand this, what this eventually means is that the safer (and often lack-luster) "decent" stories, find their way into the magazines, competitions are often won by these safe and easy (but smoother than the others) stories, and the readers think this is the norm, the top end of the mid-quality literary canon. Beginners imagine these are the story types to aspire too. The result? More blandness, and yet more authors dropping in hints that the character wouldn't know (terrible art, but we must keep Mrs Freda Golightly of Chiswick happy. She votes!)

Alice Munro would struggle, Borges would be laughed out of the room, Carver would be dismissed probably because he was "too thin".

My question is, where, below the top five-six American magazines, and the few dozen magazines based on American University campuses does a writer go if she wants to push beyond the easy-to-swallow general fiction that is often seen in many of the small British magazines?

I can take three of my stories, one near my best quality, rich and literary, a second, lighter, less ambitious, and a third a lightweight, relative failure. If I enter these three in a competition I can predict the outcome. The best flops, the mid-range is short-listed and the make-weight gets a prize! This hasn't happened just once, it's happened maybe five, six a dozen times. Why?

One why is "readers". Many volunteer readers for competitions, those who narrow down four thousand entries to a more manageable couple of hundred stories, have been raised on the mid-range "easy-to-swallow" magazines I've already mentioned. Many are writers or aspiring themselves. Often, I think, they choose, not the best work, not the most enjoyable, but the best works that they could imagine themselves writing. That is, if it's tough, if it's something currently that bit of an extra reach for them, it's dismissed as "arti-farty" or "intellectual junk" or perhaps "self-conscious" or "MFA stuff".

The result? Even if the final judge is Saul Bellow, what he gets to see are those stories where we've put in the crude make-it-easy-for-Freda bits, removed a few allusions, kept it under the glass ceiling. The poor judge gets two-hundred plain vanilla me-too stories, stories that (ask any judge) he can't remember a month later.

But does Ray Carver's "A Few Good Things" get forgotten? Do people forget the baby in "The Shawl" or the abortion scene in "Differently," the fisherman's boots in "The Ledge"?

I know the owners of magazines have a terrible dilemma, but doesn't something need to be done? Reader, ask yourself. Think of the copies of little magazines you have on your shelf, or the ezines you've read. Now close your eyes. What stories do you remember? Which ones got under your moral radar, which ones subverted you, changed you, even if only for a while. Can you remember ANY of the stories?

Someone once said, "Be one per-cent different and they call you a genius, be two-percent different they call you mad; five per-cent different and they kill you." The problem with much of the short-story market, particularly the competition-driven market is "different" never means "tougher", different never means asking the reader to think, to move through emotional application, into a greater realization, change. Different means, the same plus a one-liner, what I can do, with a twist.

More Feedback

2009-06-23T07:27:00.001-07:00

A brilliant W/E - buzzy and exhausting, lots of hilarity. I learned loads about writing too.

PS no walking breaks on the uphills next time.

Margot Taylor

Great course. Thanks Alex. Returned intacta. Done in. Found Eth in my case. Now, she's riding around on my cat.

Tamera Howard.

Ten thirty and time to go to bed after exhaustion of weekend and journey but I just wanted to say a huge thank you for a great weekend - learnt loads, lovely people and great location. I've spent the last two hours digging out old stories, writing and editing - feel very inspired. Hope you had a good journey and have a great week.

Genevieve Lovegrove

Excellent weekend and course! Thanks to Alex and 'the girls'. Chapel lovely. You're tired Alex because you haven't had any exercise this morning!

Carly

2009-06-23T03:38:00.000-07:00

I have made myself available at Capel Bethel for a variety of possible courses between these dates

Thursday 22nd July to Tuesday 4th August

One course is now specifically penned in

(arrive Friday 31st)

Course starts early Saturday 1st and covers 1-2-3 August

Cost £180

Other courses eg one week, can be accommodated

Alex

First Feedback on Writing Course

2009-06-23T02:27:00.001-07:00

I have learnt more in one weekend of Alex Keegan's Bootcamp then I have in all my writing practice to date. Bootcamp equals action. From morning to night, there are endless discussions on writing and life. These are filled with intensity, laughter, the dawn of understanding and plenty of writing. Bootcamp is focused and directed, unfocused and indirected - the two complementing each other to give writers the perfect approach to the craft. Alex is a wonder and I'm booking my place on the next course. I've also connected with other writers and found new friends.

The chapel which is right in the centre of Llwyngwril is a beautifully converted space. Upstairs, you'll find a large open plan living-kitchen space where writers hunker down around the 12-seater table or sprawl about on the many sofas. Distractions include: Wifi, Bar billiards, a massive TV, books, DVDs and music. If you want to preach then the pulpit is yours for the taking. Downstairs there are bedrooms with comfy memory foam mattresses, bathrooms with power showers and an enormous roll top bath. There are books and pictures everywhere.

A hill stream rushes down through the village of Llwyngwril to the sea. The takes ten minutes to walk from the chapel to the beach - there are also other fantastic walks all around. There's a village shop (with cash back and booze!), post office, cafe and pub. The village also has its own train station and you can get a return, if you pre-book with Virgin trains, to London and back for about £25.00.

Tamera, London UK

Writers Who Run!

2009-06-23T01:43:00.001-07:00

Morning Folks.

I am on Facebook as AlexBootCampKeegan (all one word) and I have just started a group called

Runners Who Write; Writers Who Run

The following is a note I've posted on FaceBook about it. If you write ad run (should be BOTH, that's the point) then why not join me?

I have only run three hours in the last 4-5-6 months but I was a serious veteran club runner AND I WILL BE RUNNING TODAY.

Imagine going on a writers retreat where you ran first thing in the morning and everyone was so ALIVE!

I have just finished a weekend of teaching creative writing in a very intense atmosphere, up around 0600, going to bed around 0100. That intensity was on the back of almost thirty days of non-stop, heavy-duty writing and too many late nights. I went INTO the course dog-tired.

Once upon a time, as an athlete, I would have been overjoyed at the surroundings of the chapel. All those fantastic runs, with great views. This time I went, only just recovered from an injury having done no exercise whatsoever for six weeks and abusing my body with too-long days, too much time at the computer and too much (I drink when I write a lot) wine.

But one of the ladies on the course was out first morning, out there running with the sea air in her face. Day Two I HAD to go out.

I was three stones and more (as much as fifty pounds) over my racing weight, unfit, slightly upset tummy, hungover, mentally running on empty AND WE WALKED-RAN FOR TWO HOURS.

We didn't exactly hammer things. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that our mile-running pace was nearer ten minutes than nine, but we walked up those hills, ran along the cliffs, saw an amazing blue lagoon, came back sweaty (and I was sore) but the day FLEW by and I was twice as good a teacher, full of energy again.

This is what I remember when I was running a lot (up to seventy miles a week at my peak).

The physical, mental, philosophical side-effects of running are fantastic. When I'm fit, especially through running (and carrying a lot less weight) I feel younger, sharper, cleverer and insights come so fast I can't catch them all. I used to say running "empties my head of fat".

So, I want to form a group of people who firstly consider themselves writers (whether professionals or serious non-professionals) people who wake up and 19 days out of 20 are immediately thinking, "When and where today will I get my writing space?"

Ability and publications is NOT the point, desire an seriousness, and how you define yourself is the mark of "writer". I was unpublished when my son Alex was born. On the birth certificate my wife, unprompted, put my profession down as writer. That must mean I was, even if the 350-400 publications I now have hadn't started.

And running?

Well, the definition of writer is above. My definition of runner is similar. Do you get up evry day WANTING to run? Is it your main way of being fit? You may or may not be super-slim or fast, but at some time in your past you ran seriously (say 4-5 or more days a week) and raced a bit (even if you finished way down the field.

You own running shoes, shorts, vests etc and you get somewhere and you want to run, want to run, want to run.

You might be like I am right this minute (but watch this space) grossly overweight and maybe a bit ashamed, with short-term and long-term injuries. Running might now make you breathless. You aren't supple, you may not be quite so young. There's no way you are going to enter the next County Cross-Country, and the idea of The National, try to stop laughing.

BUT, like with me last weekend, someone was going running and you HAD TO try, because that's what you are, even if you're a fat old fat, you define yourself as a runner, you want to be fit again, want to feel that sharpness in body, brain and soul.

You quite like the idea, a year down the line, of a half-marathon where every person in the field is a writer. Wouldn't that be glorious?

JOIN ME!!

PS

If you write and don't run, START.

Chapel Course in June

2009-06-06T02:25:00.001-07:00

I'm running a writing course at Capel Bethel Fri-Sat-Sun 19th-20th-21st June

FEEL FREE TO PASS ON THIS INFORMATION

The Chapel can cater for 24 people during the day, sleeps 12 in bedrooms, can sleep more.

There is a B&B next door. If the course is fully subscribed and people choose to stay there the costs of the course would be slightly reduced.

The Course

The intention to produce to near-finished stories from scratch and
to help with improving any existent ones.

Very useful for entering Bridport

Post course there will be another 9 days to tidy if necessary (if entering Bridport)
but the aim is that two stories will be finished structurally and blue-pencilled, so virtually done

The courses normally tend to be very "full-on" and for those who can hack the
pace there will be writing-talk from 7AM through to the early hours

For this course there would be writing breaks, for "relief"

If you haven't been on one of these courses and experienced just how much can change
ask around. Maybe some of the people receiving this could respond with comments?

The Chapel is fantastic. There are two double beds, six beds as bunks, two twins
and 3-4 double sofa beds... The French Oak table seats 12...

There FIVE stereos, one has an iPod Dock

There's 42" Flat (HD) screen, DVD and Blu-Ray Player (I use video occasionally to illustrate a point)

Bar Billiards Table, thousands of quality books, hundreds on writing prose and poetry

If you think that a full blue-pencil feedback on a 5K story would cost you £50-£90 the course is very cheap

£120 for the two days £150 for the three, but you are FAR better off arriving Thursday night and doing all three days

I promise you that you will be able to start 2-3-4 stories, will learn a load, can fix those stories that haven't quite worked.

I will be writing fresh alongside you all

The Chapel is at www.capel-bethel.com

also see the blog

http://capel-bethel-wales.blogspot.com/

Please respond asap

Alex

Alex Keegan
Newbury RG14 5TH

Telephone 01635-34317

Some Shots of the Refurbishment

2009-06-06T00:50:00.001-07:00

Prompts & Chapel

2009-06-06T00:49:00.001-07:00

Over at http://alexkeegan.blogspot.com/ we post a set of pompts for writers most days and out popped an old shot of the chapel

Before we continue, may I just say

The street is empty, I smell smoke

I often wondered about other mothers

It's a small, pretty place, near Milford Haven

Probably isn't definitely

The hand that rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket

Slum Dog Millionaire

Perhaps I should return to my apartment

How Plaster Dries

Something in the night sky, lights

Red Sea Peril

We went kite dragging, not flying

Another storm is battering at the windows, the wind keens

Clothes lines flapping with white, the sound of children

She was, in the end, more or less unharmed

PINK!

Some prompts

2009-06-06T00:45:00.000-07:00

On one of the other blogs I'm posting daily prompts or writers

Here's a sample

Before we continue, may I just say

The street is empty, I smell smoke

I often wondered about other mothers

It's a small, pretty place, near Milford Haven

Probably isn't definitely

The hand that rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket

Slum Dog Millionaire

Perhaps I should return to my apartment

How Plaster Dries

Something in the night sky, lights

Red Sea Peril

We went kite dragging, not flying

Another storm is battering at the windows, the wind keens

Clothes lines flapping with white, the sound of children

She was, in the end, more or less unharmed

PINK!

Not Very Bright

2009-06-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

There are, of course, loads of pictures of the Chapel

Previously known as Capel Bethel

Will be known as Capel Cader Idris

The web-site is here

Capel-bethel.com

(There are many Capel Bethels) This url should get you to the correct one (with Capel Cader Idris mentioned)

3 Day Intensive Course in Wales

2009-06-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

I'm running a course at Capel Bethel (LL37 2JU)

Fri-Sat-Sun 19th-20th-21st June

To book, please contact me

alex.keegan(at sign)btinternet.com

Intention to produce to near-finished stories from scratch and
help with improving any existent ones.

Very useful for Bridport, but useful anyway

Leaving another nine days after the course
to tidy if necessary (if entering Bridport)

The Chapel is fantastic. A purpose-designed refurbishment to run
writing schools.

There are two double beds, six beds as bunks, two twins
and 3/4 double sofa beds... the French Oak table seats 12...

Here are two shots of one of the bedrooms

FIVE stereos, one has an iPod Dock

42" Flat (HD) screen, DVD and Blu-Ray Player

Bar Billiards Table,

Thousands of quality books, hundreds on writing prose and poetry

There's telephone and broadband and a wireless network.

Four computers in-house but people usually bring lap-tops

and then there's me (cough)

Cost of the course is £120 for Sat-Sun £150 for Fri-Sat-Sun but I would strongly recommend people attend for the three days.

If you are wondering what Alex Keegan courses are like I think we can provide a few references, not the least being that Boot Campers have won more than 130 first prizes.

Bedrooms at the Chapel

2009-05-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

The chapel has the following beds and sofa beds

One double-bed room (BASS)

One double-bed room (POETRY)

One 2 x Bunk Room (Lemony Snickert)

One bunk room (Dinky

One twin (raised beds room) also dinky

This weekend we revisited the chapel and swapped a double with the bunk room and amazingly both rooms were dramatically improved.

Pictures to follow

Excellent Video

2009-05-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Check Out

~THIS~

http://saltpublishing.com/

They have a neat video "VIRTUAL REP" and Ballistics gets featured twice. COOL!

Capel Cader Idris

2009-05-20T09:51:00.002-07:00

Capel Bethel should also come up when googling Capel Cader Idris.

If you search for Capel-Bethel.com it may come up as "Capel Cader Idris"

Don't worry, it's the same place

Unfortunately there are dozens of Capel Bethels so we will be renaming the retreat as soon as we can

Meanwhile the place is now letting and I am trying to get a long-weekend course together in mid-June with the specific object of getting every attendee 1 or 2 stories with their first draft critiqued and blue-penciled so they can submit to The Bridport Prize.

Alex

SOS!

2009-05-20T09:51:00.001-07:00

Folks, I heard on the grapevine that SALT PUBLISHING
have had a serious drop in cash-flow and really need some urgently

If we could all of us buy just one book
(but I guess a few more would be a good thing)
that would surely help a lot.

If you don't have a copy of Ballistics order one today, PLEASE.

I think if you order direct it's better for them, but you can order through Amazon or a bookshop, anywhere

Ballistics: Alex Keegan

ISBN 978-1-84471-477-3

Maybe you could buy 1-2 of mine as presents, help two causes at the same time?

(Smile at this point)

Save the short-story. Support short-story publishers.

Alex

Twitter

2009-05-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

Trying out TWITTER,

I am on there as AlexKeegan136 (all one word) and may well post information on the chapel there.

URL for Chapel

2009-03-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

You can now access the chapel by entering the URL

www.capel-bethel.com in the URL ADDRESS

At the moment a Google search brings up a different Chapel

The following address also works

www.capel-bethel-writing.com

WEB SITE

2009-03-13T16:22:00.001-07:00

The Beta of Capel Bethel's Web Site is now up

http://web.me.com/snowball136/Site_2/Welcome.html

Christmas in Wales

2008-12-21T03:29:00.000-08:00

We are at the Chapel now (for Christmas)

My daughter just keeps saying, "Wow!"

I have a terrible cold.

Inside & Outside Capel Bethel

2008-12-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

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

Getting to Capel Bethel

2008-12-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

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

Inside Capel Bethel

2008-12-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

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!)

Capel Bethel: More Photos

2008-12-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T10:17:00.001-08:00

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

More Shots of Capel Bethel Writers Retreat

2008-12-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

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

More...

2008-12-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

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.)

More Pictures

2008-12-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

.
.
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

2008-12-18T04:33:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T04:12:00.000-08:00

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.