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Milford Writers' Retreats

The retreats are just as written on the tin. We all take meals together, but there are no critiquing sessions. Your time is your own. There are are plenty of places for you and your laptop. Newcomers are very welcome.

Venue
In 2024 our retreat will take place at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, North Wales. The cost will be £725 for a full week, bed, breakfast and evening meal.

Possibilities
In 2019 Catie Murphy wrote 33,000 words during the retreat week. We now do wordcounts in 'murphys.' Most of us would be happy with a half-murphy! In 2022, Mike Lewis managed a whopping 57,000 words - almost a double-murphy.

Retreat 2024

• Milford Retreat 2024: Sat 11th - Sat 18th May. Venue: Gladstone's Library, North Wales. Non-refundable deposit £200. Full price £725 Booking open now. As of April 2023 all our allocated places have been booked, but it might be possible to add extra rooms. Please check with the secretary jacey(at)jaceybedford.co.uk if you would like to come.
• Apart from a small Milford admin fee of £25, all fees represent your booking with the venues

BOOKING FORM FOR MILFORD RETREAT 11th May 2024 (GLADSTONE'S)

• The venues require a deposit, so no booking is considered firm until you have paid your deposit and sent us a booking form. Please note that it's a non-returnable deposit in the event you decide to cancel, but fully returnable if you are on the waiting list and are not allocated a place.
  Once the Milford Retreat is fully subscribed you can join the waiting list by sending your booking form and deposit. This deposit is returnable in the event of a place not opening up for you.
  All booking forms should be returned to: Jacey Bedford to the postal address on the form or by email to jacey(at)jaceybedford.co.uk
  Questions anytime? Email the secretary: jacey(at)jaceybedford.co.uk
• If booking from abroad, you can send a money order in pounds sterling, drawn on a British bank, or do an international money transfer in UK pounds. (Check out www.wise.com for cheap money transfers.) Email for our bank details.

What happens after you book?

• When you have signed up for a Milford Retreat and paid your deposit you will receive basic information about the coming event by email.
  A few months before your Milford week you will be given the email addresses of your fellow attendees. We suggest you set up an email distribution list so we can get some group conversation going. This is for you to get to know each other beforehand, for newcomers to ask questions and for old hands to offer sensible advice.
  If you haven't been to North Wales before, please be aware that the weather can be changeable. Outdoor shoes and a raincoat are advised, even in spring. Dress is whatever you feel comfortable in.

  

RETREAT 2024 GLADSTONE'S LIBRARY

• Gladstone's Library is the only residential library in the UK
• There are plenty of places to write, from your room or the cosy common room to the pin-drop-silent, awesome library itself.
• The accommodation is (ensuite) bed, breakfast and evening meal. Lunch can be purchased in Gladstone's own cafe, Food For Thought, or there's a coffee shop in the village, just a few hundred yards away. The village also has a post office and general store, a pharmacy, and a pub.
• There's a choice of main meal. (You choose at breakfast time.) There are vegan, vegetarian and meat options.
• There are kettles for tea/coffee, and radios in the rooms (but no TVs)
• There is WiFi throughout the building.
• The common room has an honesty bar. Write what you've had in the bar book and pay at the end of the week. Let us know if you want us to ask them to stock your favourite tipple, or bring your own and make a donation to the bar fund as Gladstone's is a charity and their bar profits go towards the upkeep of the building.
• If you haven't been to North Wales before, please be aware that the weather can be changeable. Outdoor shoes and a raincoat are advised, even in spring. Dress is whatever you feel comfortable in.
• Chester is a mere 8 miles away. 20 minutes by car or fortyish minutes by local bus which runs every 30 minutes. .

Afterwards

• You can contnue to keep in touch with your fellow attendees via email.
  You can write a piece for our Milford blog at wordpress.
• And please come back and join us another year, or come to the Milford Conference in September.