Dear Friend,

Our big news is that from the middle of June, the Watermill has become self-sufficient in energy, followingthe commissioning of our photovoltaic electricity-generating system. We are now putting far more back into the National Grid than we consume, so we are feeling proud of our contribution to a greener planet, even though it’s a tiny one. There are more details below.

Making electricity on a sunny day

And following the successful inauguration of the solar-generated electricity system, we are now beginning to introduce air-conditioning. We made a start in the communal dining room and studio, and in some of the bedrooms. And by the beginning of next season, we hope to have air-conditioning, powered by the sun, everywhere in the Watermill complex.

We only have a few places left on our 2019 courses: the latest availability is detailed below and, as we have also said before, don’t be too disappointed if you find that a course you really want to come on is fully booked: there are often cancellations. Let us know when you would like to come, and we’ll put you on a waiting list.

But if you’re a painter, to be sure of a place this year, how about coming on Sue Ford’s or Jude Scott’s courses where, at present at least, we still have a few places; and if you’re a writer, why not learn the secrets of scriptwriting for television and the screen with Laurence Marks?

Looking ahead to next year, no fewer than 40 people have already booked up for our 2020 courses. There is a special Early Early Bird offer: if you book one of our 2020 creative courses before this September, you can enjoy it at 2019 prices. For a preview of next year’s courses and the link for you to reserve your place, please click here.

In this month’s newsletter there are stories on:

• the Watermill mill is becoming even greener
• a glimpse of the new Gentileschi bedroom
• adding music to the Watermill week
• The multi-talented Sue Ford
• availability on all our 2019 Watermill creative courses
• Take Ernest Hemingway’s advice and stop writing while you’re doing well

Happy reading....

Our friend, the renowned Italian photographer Francesco Lastrucci came to visit us again in June for a couple of days and produced some more marvellous pictures which will be using on our website when we update it in a month or so’s time. Here are sneak previews of some of them. The pictures at the top capture the concentration and the sheer fun of a Watermill painting course, while the two below show the newly refurbished watermill dining room ready for our guests and, to the right, everyone tucking into the famous Watermill Sunday buffet lunch.

‘I fancy a week at the Watermill, Bathsheba.
It would take us Far from the Madding Crowd.’,
Julie Christie and Alan Bates

Bring a partner:
there’s plenty for them to do

Why not bring your friend or partner?
They don’t have to participate in the course, but they will be able to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the mill and, whenever they want, to come out with you to our beautiful locations.

We also offer a range of Alternative activities for partners on all our courses, as well as a generous £GBP 250 discount if they share a room with you.

The Watermill is becoming greener

More yellow than red means green:
our self-generated supply easily outstrips demand

In the middle of June, we commissioned our new photovoltaic electricity generation system and after a fortnight, we are happy to say that thanks to the power of the sun, we are now producing much more electricity than we are using.

The snapshot on the right shows the position on 25 June. With more sunny days at the end of the month, we have now generated more than 1000 kWh and, furthermore, we’ve avoided the production of some 700 kg of CO2.

Bill is enjoying regular visits to our photovoltaic app, which shows in real-time just how much electricity we are generating

Our sincere thanks to the architect Stefano Santini and his team, and our brilliant builders Nico and Daniele, who aesthetically incorporated the photovoltaic panels in our ancient roofs.

As well as helping to save the planet, our solar powered electricity will help to make our guests even more comfortable. We have already made a start on installing air-conditioning units in the Watermill bedrooms and public rooms. There is now air conditioning in the studio and in the communal dining room (and in our industrial kitchen, to keep our cooks cool and calm as they prepare your delicious meals). We also now have units in the Lippi Suite and in the Brunelleschi and Donatello bedrooms.

We will be working again in October to complete the whole system, so that by the beginning of the 2020 season we should have air-conditioning everywhere, all powered by the sun. Along with our moves to cut down on the use of plastic, notably with our reusable vacuum flasks and our delivery system for cool natural and fizzy water, we are working hard on the “greening” of the Watermill. Come and enjoy the fruits of our labours yourself!

A glimpse of the new Gentileschi bedroom

Pictures: Francesco Lastrucci

As part of our efforts constantly to improve our offering at the Watermill, we are slowly working on re-styling our bedrooms, to give each of them a distinctive motif and ambiance. Here are some pictures of the newly created Gentileschi bedroom, with giant dandelion puffballs floating on the walls, painted by Lois and our friend Vivienne White.

The pictures on the wall above the bed are by our friend and Watermill tutor Mike Willdridge, part of his ‘100 pictures in 100 days’ challenge. You can see the final picture, number 100, on the sitting room wall. In fact, the whole of the Watermill is gradually becoming an exciting contemporary art gallery.

But why not come and see for yourself? As we said, we still have a few places on our 2019 creative courses, and we are already taking bookings for 2020. For a preview of next year’s courses and the link for you to reserve your place, please click here.

Adding a musical dimension to our creative courses

We’ve been adding an extra aesthetic dimension to our creative courses, with a little light evening music to entertain our guests during their Tuesday evening aperitivi. Local teenagers Letizia and Harry, sitting under the rose pergola, play tunes ancient and modern as we sip our pre-dinner drinks under the vine verandah. The perfect way to relax after a strenuous creative day and before and delicious home-cooked Italian dinner.