Dear Friend,
The undoubted highlight of last month was our one and only creative course of 2020! Like many others in the hospitality business, our programme was devastated by the coronavirus pandemic and governments’ reaction to it. Although restrictions in Italy were relaxed in early summer, many of the people who had booked to come on our 20+ creative courses this year, notably our friends from the UK, the USA and Australia, were unable to travel.
Thanks to our supportive tutors, however, we have been able to postpone many of their courses to next year, so we are happy to report that we already have some 190 bookings for our painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language days in 2021.
Just click
https://watermill.net/ for more info
We are optimistic that things will be more or less back to normal everywhere by the end of this year or the beginning of next, and we are confident of returning to another successful season here at the Watermill. So if you would like to sample the unique delights of a Watermill creative course, now is the time to reserve your place.
There are more details later on in this newsletter, but you can also just click watermill.net to see our updated Watermill website and to be inspired.
Our one and only creative course was painting with our old friend Mike Willdridge and the select group of participants certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. One said that it was the best holiday of her life. There’s more about this sun-filled (although it did rain a bit!), fun-filled painting course below.
We’ve also:
- a story on how our online painting sessions in association with Mike have attracted hundreds of participants and engendered a great sense of international community in these difficult times
- an intriguing video of a nocturnal visitor to the Watermill gardens
- a celebration of how we have made more than 20,000 kWh of environmentally friendly energy from the sun, as part of our small effort to combat global warming
- insights into why tutor Sandra Strohschein manages to paint rainy pictures even when the sun is shining
- an introduction to more of our talented and inspiring tutors for 2021.
Happy reading!
Elementary my dear Sherlock,
a week at the Watermill is
the perfect solution.
Picture: Deviant Art
Bring a partner: there's plenty for them to do
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.
Mike’s online painting sessions engender a sense of international community
A montage of participants’ pictures from our latest online, interactive painting session
As well as being inspirational and fun, Mike Willdridge’s free, interactive, online painting sessions are creating a sense of international community in these difficult times.
A sunlit Italian seaside café, in the village of Vernazza in the Cinque Terre, was the latest subject, and as well as inspiring people to pick up their paint brushes, the session engendered a great sense of camaraderie. I have selected just a few of the comments from participants’ latest emails to Lois:
- "Full of admiration for your get-up-and-go attitude in these horrid times."
- "In these times, the art sessions have helped enormously making me feel part of a group and an international one at that!"
- "Since we’re in the middle of a severe lockdown, the painting sessions with Mike have been a wonderful distraction with loads to learn."
- "Thank you and Mike yet again for your morale boosting lessons. My husband took a look at my painting and said,“Perhaps we should go back to the Watermill“, so who knows, I hope so."
The montage above is of just a few of the many paintings sent in by the enthusiastic participants after Mike’s latest session. They are probably a little small to see properly in the newsletter so we have made a fun 30-second Facebook slideshow which you can see by clicking here.
Come and enjoy painting and international camaraderie yourself.
We have organised more of these inspiring sessions. They are designed to help you brush up your painting skills, and they are completely free, though many of our guests have generously sent us donations, for which many thanks. If you would like to donate (it is purely voluntary), Lois will tell you how to do so when you sign up for one or more of the sessions. (Details below.)
The next session will run on Thursday 15 October and, as usual, will be at 2.30pm in the afternoon (UK time). The next topic is ‘painting skies’. Here (right) is a reference photograph:
The following weeks’ subjects are ‘flowers’ and an ‘autumnal scene with couple walking a dog’. The dates are 29 October and 12 November. When you register with Lois, she will send you more images, and a drawing of the scene, to inspire you.
Please register by using the Watermill contact form, which you can find by clicking here. Mark the topic as ‘Mike’s free interactive sessions’.
Unlike many online painting programmes, Mike’s will not expect you to ‘look over his shoulder’ for a long demonstration, and perhaps be allowed to ask the odd question or two. No, you will be painting along at more or less the same time, trying out the watercolour techniques that Mike has shown you, step-by-step. He will demonstrate some basic techniques for only a few minutes before you start painting the same subject at home. Then, after you have had your turn, Mike will move onto the next part of the process. Lois will be on hand to feed your questions. The session will last a couple of hours.
A previous striking subject for our online painters:
the fish market by the Rialto Bridge in Venice:
challenging but fun
Before each session Mike supplies a photograph, maybe a drawing of what is going to be painted if the subject is tricky, a finished painting so that you can see where you're heading, and a list of equipment and colours for your palette. We will send these beforehand to all the participants in the session. After the session we will send you a link that will enable to you revisit Mike’s step-by-step teaching.
When you’ve enjoyed working with Mike online, why not join him for real, on his Watermill course next year?
To learn more about Mike and his week at the Watermill, please click Mike's tutor profile page here.
You can learn about all our renowned creative courses, in painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language, by clicking watermill.net. We would love you to join us!
Nightlife in Posara: an intriguing visitor to the Watermill gardens
Our gardener Flavio Terenzoni has been having fun using one of those night-vision cameras to spy on the nocturnal wildlife around the Watermill. We are really searching for badgers and wild pigs, but no sign yet, although Flavio did spot some porcupines near the badgers’ sett.
The latest excitement comes from pictures, like the one above, from a night-time video of the bridge from the riverside gardens across to the bamboozery. Yes, it’s a self-confident fox, who even had time for a slow scratch on the bridge. Here is a still from the video on the left and a close-up of the scratching fox on the right. You can see the short video Flavio made by clicking here.
20,000 kWh and counting: the Watermill is a mini-power station!
Towards the end of September our photovoltaic electricity-producing system passed another significant milestone: we clocked up more than 20,000 kWh of electricity produced directly from the sun.
The picture on the right, from our handy little monitoring app, shows the achievement. And what’s more, we have reduced the world’s carbon dioxide production by 14 tonnes. (Not much, it must be confessed in the face of China’s continuing building of coal-fired power stations, but at least we are doing our bit...)
Our arrays of photovoltaic panels, hidden away on our south-facing roofs overlooking the river make us totally self-sufficient in electricity generation, even powering the new air-conditioning units in all our bedrooms and public rooms.
Early morning at the Watermill:
all this and self-sufficiency
in electricity too
As you may know, The Watermill is surrounded by two environmentally protected areas: The National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, the backbone of Italy, and the Regional Park of the Apuan Alps, home of the marble mountains of Carrara.
The air and the water are pure and unpolluted, and the area abounds in wildlife. Come and share it yourself on one of our internationally renowned painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language courses.
This really is an idyllic setting to overcome your coronavirus blues and plan to enjoy inspirational teaching in the unspoiled Tuscan countryside next year.
We would love to welcome you here. Just click watermill.net, here to see what’s on offer.
Why does Sandra paint ‘rainy’ pictures when the sun is shining?
We’ve always loved this dynamic watercolour demonstration painting (right) by one of our most popular tutors, Sandra Strohschein. It’s a view through one of the gateways from the imposing castle of Verrucola and the village nestling around its 13th Century walls. This is our painting venue on Mondays, before we enjoy an authentic Italian lunch in the trattoria beside the bridge.
The picture purports to illustrate the consequences of a sudden rain squall, with our painting guests huddled under their umbrellas, while another umbrella spins topsy-turvy on the ground
Sandra is very proud of this dramatic watercolour, and so she should be. But one small meteorological point: it didn’t rain at all during that morning painting session! Sandra simply wanted to show her students techniques for capturing the effects of wind and rain on the landscape, so she made up the whole watery scene, wind, umbrellas and all. All great art is an illusion and what a fine example we have in Sandra’s demonstration picture. We liked it so much it’s now hanging in the Watermill’s inspiring picture gallery on our sitting room wall.
Sandra Strohschein is one of our longest-serving and most popular painting tutors. We’ve lost count of the number of times she has run sun-filled (but it does rain occasionally!), fun-filled painting weeks, but it must be round about 10 by now.
And we’re looking forward to welcoming her back again in 2021, for not one, but two glorious weeks in 2020. Her courses in watercolour will run from Saturday 5 June to Saturday 12 June 2021 and from Saturday 12 June to Saturday 19 June 2021. We would be delighted if you could join us for one or both of them.
Here’s (right) another Sandra Strohschein (sunlit) picture, of the view down the valley towards Posara from the nearby walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano, where we go with our groups not only to paint but to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the weekly market.
We have made one of those short Facebook slideshows with more of Sandra’s vibrant watercolours. You can see them by clicking here.
If you fancy capturing the stunning Tuscan countryside, rain or shine, now is the time to book, particularly since we have 11 reservations for her first week already, and nine for her second.
To learn more about Sandra and her weeks at the Watermill, please click Sandra's profile page, here.
Our thanks to Rebecca for an online masterclass in pastels (and more to come we hope.)
As we go to press, the versatile and talented English pastellist Rebecca de Mendonça, in association with the Watermill, is making a free, live, online demonstration of the art of using soft pastels.
Her subject was an evening view down the valley of the river Rosaro, looking towards the Watermill at Posara. (That’s Rebecca’s demonstration picture above right. Note the contrast between pastels and Sandra Strohschein’s watercolour version of the same view in the previous story.)
We are sorry if you missed it, but we did let as many people as we could know about it beforehand: we emailed our large database of painters who have expressed an interest in our Watermill activities and made blogs and Facebook posts. We are planning to arrange more of these online sessions with Rebecca, and, if you get in touch via the Watermill Contact Form, we’ll put you on our database and make sure you know about all our free online sessions. Just click here to bring up the form. Please mark the subject as ‘Mill online painting sessions’.
As well as watching Rebecca online, why not join her for real, on her Watermill course next year? To tempt you, here’s another beautiful Rebecca pastel (right), of the gate to the walled village and castle of Verrucola, where we go to paint on Mondays before a tasty lunch in a traditional Italian trattoria.
Rebecca will help you to capture the architecture and landscape of the beautiful Watermill painting venues with a combination of materials: soft pastels, pen and ink, Conte crayons and pastel pencils, separately and in combination, to achieve lively sketches and finished pieces.
To learn more about Rebecca and her week at the Watermill, please click Rebbecca's profile page, here.
Looking forward to an inspiring and creative year in 2021
Yes, after the annus horribilis of 2020 were looking forward to a ‘wonderful year’ in 2021. We have created a very full programme of creative courses and we hope we can entice you to come and join us.
Many of our regular tutors will be with us again, and we have some exciting and inspiring new tutors too. So, whether you’re métier is painting, creative writing, knitting or learning more of the wonderful Italian language, the Watermill is the place to be.
We will be introducing them individually in our newsletters and in our daily blogs, which you can see by clicking here.
Cast off your (and our) coronavirus blues and get your booking in now! We can’t wait to welcome you here.
In this month’s newsletter, we are featuring the work of two new inspiring Watermill tutors, both watercolourists: Carl March from England and Grahame Booth from Ireland. Below are Carl’s striking watercolour of a tropical garden and Grahame’s delicate watercolour of a man at work in his allotment garden. (For more about Carl and Grahame, please see Painting News below.)
On the knitting front, we have two exciting new tutors: Norah Gaughan from the USA, and Louisa Harding, from the UK. There is more about them, and about our Knitting Retreat, in Knitting News, below.
Our two exciting new knitting tutors, Norah and Louisa
Our writing tutors are old friends: Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran will be presenting their unique Scriptwriting course, while Jo Parfitt will be here for another of her world-renowned Writing Your Life Stories. There’s more about them in Writing News, below.
And, last but by no means least, we are delighted to welcome back our old friend and language tutor Francesca La Sala, for another of her unique Italian Language weeks. Again, there are more details below.
Laurence and Maurice, Jo and Francesca.
Come and enjoy inspiring tuition, a beautiful setting, warm hospitality, delicious food and the convivial company of like-minded people.
Just to remind you that we are Cool and Green
Vicki Norman’s evocative oil painting
of sunshine on a nearby vineyard
Just in case you were worried that it may be too warm for you in the summer months in Italy, don’t forget that we are a thousand feet above sea level and enjoy cool breezes from the mountains. But within the Watermill complex itself, we are also Cool and Green!
We have installed air-conditioning units in all our bedrooms and in the public rooms (the dining room, the sitting room, the studio). They are all powered by our array of photovoltaic cells, installed last summer, which are already making more than enough power to ensure that we are self-sufficient in electricity. We have now produced more than 20,000 kilowatt hours of solar-powered electricity and what’s more, we’ve saved more than 14 tonnes of carbon dioxide production.
Tutor Carl March is passionate about drawing and design
Our new Watermill watercolour tutor, Carl March, an English painter and printmaker, has studied in Milan and lived in Dubai: a truly international artist! His week with us next year is called 'Drawing and Painting for Pleasure’. It will run from 15-22 May 2021.
Drawing and design are Carl’s passions: he likes to experiment with various drawing mediums, combining them with traditional watercolour painting processes to create distinctively subtle works. The evocative watercolour above is called ‘Garden on the Coastal Walk’, painted on a holiday in Muscat, Oman.
Carl is also a great teacher. He says:
“I love the genuine satisfaction in passing on my knowledge to others. For example, demonstrating a 'step by step' exercise, then witnessing students repeat the exercise for themselves. Suddenly the penny drops, and it all makes sense. Surely this is the real reward for any teacher.”
Here’s a comment from a previous student:
“Carl has a gentle but effective way of teaching and we have learnt a lot from him. Most importantly, however, under his guidance the class always becomes a very sociable and happy group. Quite simply, his classes are not only well planned and informative but also great fun.”
And another says: “When I went on my first painting holiday with Carl, I had never picked up a paintbrush other than to paint a ceiling. But within a day I had produced my first ever watercolour and the result was beyond my wildest dreams. Since then I have spent two further holidays under Carl’s tutelage, each time learning new skills as well as refreshing my knowledge of basic techniques. Thanks to Carl’s endless patience and encouragement I have become an enthusiastic watercolour painter and look forward to further enjoyable holidays led by this inspirational teacher.”
Here’s a watercolour sketch by Carl, called Sarah’s Lilies, a study showing great spontaneity.
If you would like to see more of Carl's paintings, we have made one of those short Facebook slideshows, which you can see by clicking here.
We already have eight people signed up for Carl’s 2021 course at the Watermill, so if you’d like to join us, now really is the time to book.
To learn more about Carl and his week at the Watermill, please click Carl's tutor profile page, here.
Enjoy the watercolour world of Grahame Booth
We are delighted to welcome Grahame Booth to the Watermill painting tutors team. He will be with us to teach in watercolours from Saturday 22 May to Saturday 29 May 2021.
Grahame paints only in watercolour, and his success is reflected in the numerous awards he has won over many years. Also, his YouTube channel now has more than 20,000 subscribers.
He only started to paint in his early 30s, some 30 years ago, and, because he clearly remembers the problems and frustrations of learning to master watercolours, he is a particularly sympathetic tutor.
Grahame’s painting above is called Market Day and shows how you can successfully paint crowds by painting a few people with reasonable accuracy and by just suggesting the rest. You will be able to try the techniques yourself when we go on Tuesdays to our nearby walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano to enjoy, and sketch, the weekly market there. Here’s another lovely Grahame watercolour, this time of a courtyard in the French town of Lumieres:
Grahame believes that plein air painting is the key to success in this beautiful medium and he will show how to use a logical approach to translate the landscape into watercolours full of light, excitement and impact. One previous student said: “Grahame can both paint and teach. He can manage a group of all levels and everyone learns and improves. Most importantly it’s always fun.”
We have made one of those fun, short Facebook slideshows with more of Grahame’s wonderful watercolours. You can see it by just clicking here.
Grahame’s 2021 course at the Watermill, is already pretty full, so if you’d like to join us, now really is the time to book. To learn more about Grahame and his week at the Watermill, please click Grahame's profile page here.
2021 Painting Courses
Here is the complete list of our painting tutors for next year. You can find out more about each of them by clicking on the Tutor Profile page link in their entries below.
Keiko Tanabe
17 - 24 April 2021 - places available
Watercolours
To learn more about Keiko and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Mary Padgett
1 - 8 May 2021 - fully booked, waiting list open
Pastels (and other portable media) en plein air
To learn more about Mary and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Carl March
15 - 22 May 2021 - three or four places remaining
Drawing and watercolours en plein air
To learn more about Carl and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Grahame Booth
22 - 29 May 2021 - fully booked, waiting list open
Watercolours
To learn more about Grahame and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Sandra Strohschein
5 - 12 June 2021 - one or two places remaining
12 - 19 June 2021 - three or four places remaining
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Paul Talbot-Greaves
19 - 26 June 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Paul and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Rebecca de Mendonça
26 June - 3 July 2021 - four or five places remaining
Pastels and Mixed media
To learn more about Rebecca and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Vicki Norman
3 - 10 July 2021 - one or two places remaining
Oils and watercolours (and other mediums)
To learn more about Vicki and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Sue Ford
10 - 17 July 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Sue and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Caroline Deeble
7 - 14 August 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Caroline and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Randy Hale
21 - 28 August 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Randy and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Jude Scott
28 August - 4 September 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Jude and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Mike Willdridge
4 – 11 September 2021 - four or five places remaining
Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)
To learn more about Mike and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Milind Mulick
11 - 18 September 2021 - Places Available
Colourful watercolours
To learn more about Milind and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Brienne M Brown
18 - 25 September 2021 - four or five places remaining
Watercolours
To learn more about Brienne and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Charles Sluga
25 September - 2 October 2021 - Places Available
Watercolours
To learn more about Charles and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
Tim Wilmot
2 – 9 October 2021 - one or two places remaining
Watercolours
To learn more about Tim and his course at the mill, please visit his 2021 Profile Page.
Ali Hargreaves
9 - 16 October 2021 - two places remaining
Watercolours
To learn more about Ali and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Come and join us and enjoy the magic at the mill!
Why not bring your non-painting partner as well?
There’s a generous £250 discount for him/her if they share a room with you - and there’s plenty for them to do. Have a look at our Partner’s Activities Page for suggestions.
Be in vogue, knitting with Norah
Knitting under the shade of the vines in the Watermill garden.
Photo: Phil Wright
We have organised a relaxing holiday in the beautiful Tuscan countryside in Italy, with renowned knitting designer Norah Gaughan: leisurely knitting days, wonderful food and wine, making new friends and learning new skills . We would love you to join us for the week, which we have called Knitting and La Bella Vita. It will run from Saturday 24 April to Saturday 1 May 2021.
Norah Gaughan is an independent knitting designer working out of her studio in historic Harrisville, New Hampshire, USA. She has just been appointed editor-in-chief of Vogue Knitting, the premier knitting publication in America.“I’m inspired by nature and science, while at the same time keeping an eye what’s happening in the fashion world. My teaching style is rather relaxed. My goal is to have the class be fun and interesting.”
Norah will bring two special projects for her week, based on her new book, Twisted Stitches, which will be out in 2021.
To learn more about Norah and her week at the Watermill, please click Norah's profile page here.
Our other relaxing knitting weeks: Louisa and a retreat
We are delighted also to welcome Louisa Harding, the celebrated cashmere knitter and yarn producer, to the Watermill knitting team. She has also established a new brand, called Yarntelier, combining the finest yarns from the English county of Yorkshire with beautiful designs, to make each item a piece of hand-crafted couture.
Louisa’s Knitting and La Bella Vita, week will run from Saturday 29 May to Saturday 5 June 2021. She is now planning the projects she will bring for our knitters during her week and is talking of a cashmere shawl, where you can draw on designs in the Tuscan countryside and incorporate them in your knitting; and another, smaller project, involving beading using a crochet hook. Please click Louisa's profile page here to learn more about Louisa and her course at the Watermill.
Many of our knitting guests at the Watermill have asked is whether it would be possible to run a knitting retreat here, in which there would be no tutor, but rather individual knitters would bring their own projects and enjoy convivial like-minded company in the peaceful ambience of the Watermill, as well as our usual offering of wonderful food and outings into the surrounding unspoiled Tuscan countryside of Lunigiana.
So, by popular demand, we are doing just that. A number of people have have already booked so if you're keen, please let us know as soon as you can. Since there is no official tutor, we are offering a special blanket discount of £200 per person. The knitting retreat week will run from Saturday 17 July to Saturday 24 July 2021. Please click our Knitting Retreat page here to learn more about our retreat.
As a ever, your knitting weeks at the Watermill will combine expert tuition, like-minded company, wonderful food and the delightful ambience of the Watermill, it's gardens and riverside walks, and outings into the surrounding unspoiled countryside of Lunigiana in Tuscany Italy.
2021 knitting Courses
Norah Gaughan
24 april - 1 May 2021 - still plenty of places
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Norah and her course at the mill, please visit our 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Louisa Harding
29 May - 5 June 2021 - fully booked, waiting list open
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Louisa and her course at the mill, please visit our 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Knitting retreat
17 - 24 July 2021 - three or four places
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about our knitting retreat week at the mill, please visit our 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Don't forget your partner!
And don’t forget that your friend or partner doesn’t need to participate in the creative course, whether it’s painting, knitting, Italian language or writing.
We offer them a range of Alternative activities for partners on all our 2021 courses, as well as a generous £GBP 250 discount if they share a room with you.
Learn the secrets of successful scriptwriting from two ‘living legends’
Comedy legends Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran are the creative minds behind classic television programmes such as Birds of a Feather, Goodnight Sweetheart and Shine on Harvey Moon.
And in a new incarnation they’ve written hit stage musicals, like Dreamboats and Petticoats and Save the Last Dance for Me.As well as comedy drama, Marks and Gran also create serious, award-winning scripts for stage, film, TV and radio.
They are returning to the Watermill for a unique course in scriptwriting, which will provide signposts to success for any aspiring writer. Laurence and Maurice’s course will run from Saturday 8 May to Saturday 15 May 2021. Grab a place and to help your scriptwriting career take off.
Sharing thoughts
on the Watermill’s vine verandah
The week-long residential course will provide fascinating and expert insights into what it takes to create a successful script. While concentrating on comedy drama, Laurence and Maurice’s unique insights are invaluable for anyone wishing to discover the secrets of scriptwriting for all drama genres.
You will learn all about the complete scriptwriting process, from developing an original idea, through structure, character, plot and, finally, script. There will also be one-to-one tutorials, team writing sessions and, of paramount importance, the study and analysis of classic films and television programmes.
A scriptwriting group out on location,
before lunch at a typical trattoria
in a local village
As a previous guest on a Watermill scriptwriting course said: “The teaching is truly inspiring, the setting beautiful and the hospitality, second to none.”
Laurence and Maurice say: “We can’t promise you success, of course, but we can promise that you will leave the Watermill a much better scriptwriter than when you came.”
We have made one of those fun 30-second Facebook slideshows with more pictures to give you a flavour of the scriptwriting course at the Watermill. You can see it be clicking here.
How to write your life story
We are also delighted to welcome back Jo Parfitt, for another of her inspiring Write Your Life Stories weeks, the perfect first step for any writer wanting to develop the skills and confidence necessary to move into writing memoir, non-fiction, articles or blogs Jo's a compassionate, inspiring, and encouraging teacher: her motto is 'sharing what I know to help others to grow'. Her course next year will run from Saturday 14 August to Saturday, 21 August 2021.
Seeking inspiration
in the wonderful scenery
surrounding the Watermill
The workshop will include several methods and genres and is perfect for anyone wanting to write about their own lives for an effective journal, memoir or blog. If you would enjoy an injection of inspiration in a safe and supportive environment this course is for you. It is appropriate for students of any level.
Here are some comments from guests on Jo’s previous courses at the Watermill: “The most magical trip to Tuscany, which will stay with me forever!” “It is a very special and beautiful place, and everything was organised so perfectly. Jo is a great tutor and we all had an amazing time.” “It was just wonderful. The attention to detail and beauty are a sure recipe for a wonderful stay. Jo is an inspirational teacher.”
2021 Our illuminating creative writing courses
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran
8 – 15 August 2021 - Places available
Scriptwriting
To learn more about Laurence and Maurice and their course at the mill, please visit their 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Jo Parfitt
8 – 15 August 2021 - four or five places remaining
Write your life stories
To learn more about Jo and her course at the mill, please visit her 2021 Profile Page.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Sun-dappled Italian language learning
Our language week really is a ‘course with a difference’. Not only are there formal lessons on the vine verandah (some 20 hours in the week), but we also make trips and excursions to savour the natural beauty of Lunigiana, the area surrounding the mill, to explore its history and culture, to sample its traditional foods – and above all, to meet the people, speak Italian, and practise what we’ve learned.
We’ve teamed up again with the experienced and sympathetic language teacher Francesca La Sala, to design a week in which people can learn Italian in the most natural and enjoyable way ever. You'll meet Italian people and interact with their daily lives. Your immersion into the language and culture of real Italians will be customised for you, to suit your curiosity and your interests, helping you to treasure everything you learn and make it a seamless part of who you are.
You will have the perfect opportunity to make new friends in the company of like-minded people learning and improving their Italian language skills... and enjoying unspoilt Italy and, of course, fantastic food and wine.
2021 Language Course
Langues Services and Francesca la Sala
16 - 23 October 2021 - Places Available
Learning Italian with the Italians
To learn more about Francesca and her
2021 course at the mill, please click here.
*Book now to come on this 2021 course at 2020 prices.
Everything's included in your watermill painting holiday, creative writing holiday, knitting week or Italian Language course
Don’t forget that everything is included in the cost of a painting holiday, writing, knitting, or language holiday: tuition, accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals and local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; an excursion by train to visit the ancient walled city of Lucca or the stunning seaside villages of the Cinque Terre).
All you have to do is to get to Pisa airport and we do the rest.
Whether you're travelling alone or with a partner you can be sure of a warm welcome, and that you'll be well looked after. We have built our reputation on the comfort of the mill and the care we provide.
Become a Friend of The Watermill at Posara
Visit our Friends Website (Link below). Just follow the instructions to Register as a Friend and then Log In to enjoy special privileges. If you become a ‘Friend’ (it will cost you nothing) you’ll enjoy many exclusive benefits, including dozens of practical and inspiring tips from our international painting and creative writing tutors and recipes from the watermill’s mouth-watering menus. And there will be exclusive offers for Friends to make our courses and holidays even more attractive.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to the mill and, for those of you who have already tasted the many delights at The Watermill at Posara, we look forward to welcoming you back.
With very best wishes a tutti
Lois and Bill Breckon