Gladstone's Library

A couple of years ago I spent a morning at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden in Flintshire at a workshop with the poet Wendy Cope; it was such an atmospheric, inspiring environment that I promised myself a return visit to get to know it a little better. Last weekend I eventually got there - but I really need to go again, preferably for a week, to properly immerse myself in it!

The publicity material for the library describes it as "a unique institution - a residential library and meeting place dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals and groups who are looking to explore pressing questions and to pursue study and research in an age of distraction and easy solutions". The four times Victorian prime minister founded the library in 1895; on his death, public subscription paid for the amazing Grade 1 listed building that houses it and Gladstone's family later funded the addition of the residential wing which has now welcomed visitors from all over the world for the last hundred and twelve years. The library itself is free to use and there's a wide variety of courses each year covering everything from literature to theology, philosophy to languages, some running for just a day - or even an evening - others for a week. Many people use the facilities for private writing retreats too - they certainly lend themselves to that sort of activity.

I was there this last weekend for a course with the poet Judy Brown, advertised as a "playful masterclass"; it was certainly most enjoyable. Judy teaches and mentors for the Poetry School and the Poetry Society and was previously a writer-in-residence at the library. There were sixteen of us on the course and we benefited greatly from the one-to-ones on offer as well as the group sessions. Sadly, most of the other writing courses at the library later this year are already sold out - but I'm determined to get back before too long under some pretext (although "Greek in a Week" may not be quite my cup of tea!).