As we close the door on 2021, and enter the festive season, we look back on another unusual year for us all.
Like any hospitality business, our residential writing retreats suffered considerably from the continuing effects of the pandemic in 2021. We were only able to start operating with in-person writing retreats at the end of July, having delivered until then a substantial number of virtual writing retreats. Many of our planned retreats were disrupted - not least a carefully planned residential stay for a group of creatives from the Tate Gallery. With publications due and time running out we made the bold decision to transfer their writing retreat online. We delivered. But the frustration was deep.
Boris Johnson's last minute decision to extend restrictions a further three weeks in July had taken its toll.
At last, by the end of the month we were able to open our doors again. We knew we could do it safely as we has already run residential writing retreats with small cohorts in the summer of 2020 - and all the feedback from our retreaters had been positive.
Once again we were 'Good to go'.
In barely six months delivered nine residential writing retreats, including 3 in November to celebrate ACWRIMO. We started getting booking from GROUPS once again - and it was particularly warming when these bookings came from previous retreaters who had enjoyed the experience individually and were telling there colleagues and sharing their writing success.
We particularly loved seeing regular retreaters returning: immediately settling in and feeling at home here at Chapelgarth or finding their favourite spot, whether it was a 'desk with a view', a comfy chair to curl up on at the end of the day, or a well-trodden morning walk before setting their goals.
As many, we now look to 2022 with hope, despite the challenges that OMICRON has recently opened up. We are still planning to run our early January retreat - followed by two more in the same month. And we are now planning more dates for February, everything going well. We look forward to welcoming here many PhD students who we met online in the last year or so... that will really be the best feeling!
