Arvon One Extraordinary Week

Published on isbi School News dated Thursday 17th of November 2011

A group of seventeen students from St Benedict's School, Ealing, were lucky enough to spend an intensive week of reading, reflecting and writing in the depths of the Shropshire countryside. Their home was playwright John Osborne's house, The Hurst, now part of the Arvon family. Authors Christopher Wakling and Helen Cross, and poet Neil Rollinson enthused the young writers and a wonderfully creative week culminated with the production of 'Ink' an anthology of prose and poetry. English teachers Jayne Euvrard and Emma Dibb organised this literary experience and accompanied the young authors.

Fifteen year old Joseph Curran gives a flavour of the week's activities. 'As the sun pours in through the open windows, the authors, still half asleep, begin to find their way out of bed and over to the kitchen where they make their own breakfast. Then they head down to the Foyle studio on the lake, for the morning tutorial. Later, as a misty rain begins to fall, some writers move inside to the comfort of the 'Ted Hughes' Room', affectionately known as the Hughsey. As the final touches are added to stories, some of the group choose to read their work aloud for fellow students to offer constructive criticism; others prefer to enjoy a quiet chat with friends about their day. When four o'clock arrives, several young authors meet in the kitchen to prepare the evening's dinner which is served in the clock house. In the evening, as a few pupils wash the dishes, the rest of the group heads back to the Hughsey to settle in for the evening session�The week flies by with many moments of inspiration and desperation. Sitting around the Hughsey for the final time and reading their favourite piece of work, the young authors reflect on what some have described as the 'best week of their lives'.'