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Milford Writers' Retreats

A full week with nothing to do but write. We all take meals together and socialise after dinner (or not, your choice), but there are no critiquing sessions. Your time is your own. You can write in your bedroom, the common room or Gladstone's pn-drop silent library. Newcomers are very welcome. You don't have to have attended a Milford Conference week to come on a retreat. We had a fantastic retreat in May 2024. Everyone loved it.

Venue
Our retreat takes place at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, North Wales. (Pronounced Harden according to the lady in the Post Office.)

Accommodation is in ensuite rooms, with tea and coffee-making facilities, a radio but no TV. Breakfast and evening meals are included. Lunches and additional drinks can be purchased in Gladstone's own on-site cafe. The village - in very easy walking distance - has a coffeeshop, pubs, a post office with a tiny general store (which sells sandwiches and snacks), and a pharmacy. There's a garden centre with a cafe a short walk/drive away in one direction and a farm shop a short walk/drive away in the opposite direction.

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. Some of us are writing first drafts, others are editing or writing short stories. In May 2024 we wrote close to a quarter of a million words between us, edited three and a half books, finished two final drafts and wote one synopsis and a cover letter and began the submissions process for a finished book..

Retreat 2025

BOOKING FORM FOR THE MILFORD RETREAT 2025

• 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. All booking forms should be returned to: Jacey Bedford to the postal address on the form or (preferably) by email to jacey@jaceybedford.co.uk
• If booking from abroad, you can do an international money transfer in UK pounds. (Check out www.wise.com for cheap money transfers.) Email for international 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 everyone sets 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. People often cooperate on transport, give lifts, share taxis from Chester station etc.
  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. Wear whatever you are comfortable in.

RETREATS are at 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 pubs.
• 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.
• Some of the rooms have only one power outlet. You might want to bring a multi-plug power bar, (or arrange to borrow one if you are coming from abroad.).
• 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. 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.