A few months ago I decided that I would like to go on a short writing retreat. I asked the dog what he thought, but he just said that as long as I bought him back a present when I came home, he’d be happy. I then asked for advice from members of the writing groups that I belonged to and was given several suggestions, but many of the places were either too far away from where I lived, or too structured – I didn’t want to go to writing classes or workshops while I was away (or pay for them but not use them). A standard hotel also wasn’t going to fit my rather exacting bill, as not only did I want somewhere with comfortable bedrooms and nice food, but I also wanted it to be quiet, provide decent-sized desks, and definitely not have the distraction and irritation of loud voices, music or TVs blasting out from nearby rooms, when I was trying to work. I just wanted a ‘writerly’ place where I could stay for a few days… and write.
After receiving lots of advice, I noticed that one place kept coming up – Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, in North Wales. At first I’d dismissed it as being too far away (ideally I wanted somewhere that was quick and easy to get to), but when I realized that nowhere else fitted the bill, I started looking into it further.
I learnt that Gladstone’s Library is a residential library that was set up in memory of the Victorian British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, with the aim of providing accommodation and a quiet work space for reading, writing and research, the present building being built with a bequest in his will. It looked perfect (apart from the travelling) and seemed to have not only food and accommodation, but – best of all – the quiet, ‘writerly’ atmosphere that I was looking for. It was set in a pretty village that had several shops, too, so it seemed likely that one of those would sell dog treats. The library also offered discounts for members of the Society of Authors… It looked like I would just have to put up with a longer drive, and I booked a three night stay.
You can imagine my horror when, only a few days before I was due to set off, I tested positive for Covid. But when I called the library to tell them that I couldn’t come after all, they kindly allowed me to move my booking to several weeks later. I wrote the new dates in my diary and settled down to (impatiently) wait…
In my November post in two months’ time, I’ll talk about what Gladstone’s Library was like when I got there!
Catherine Rosevear 