Welcome to the latest issue of our Castle & Mill Newsletter
Dear Friend
In this issue…
At the castle…
At the watermill…
......and so farewell!
 The momentous news is that after seven thoroughly enjoyable years at Castle of Park the Breckon family has decided that it is time to move on, to take life a little more easily – and to begin one or two new adventures as well.
We’ve sold the castle to a private individual who is going to turn it back into a private home – and a very lovely one, too – so this September sees the end of all the painting and creative writing courses, the getaway weekends and, of course, the sumptuous weddings, that we have all enjoyed here at the castle.
We would all like to thank our numerous guests for all their support. Many people have come on courses three or even four times (and one guest has even been five times), so we guess we must have been doing something right! It been a great pleasure to meet so many interesting and, yes, downright nice, people over the years. We’ve enjoyed your company, taken pleasure in looking after you and we’ll miss you in the coming years.
Well, maybe we won’t have to miss you, because we have decided on a big expansion of painting courses at our Italian house in Tuscany, the Watermill at Posara. We’ve been running painting courses at the watermill for many years and a number of people who have been on castle courses have also been to the mill and vice versa. Next year we plan to run nine or 10 painting courses, many with favourite tutors from the castle, others with new and exciting tutors from different parts of the world. There are more details in the watermill section of this newsletter below
And for the first time ever, we are going to run creative writing courses at the watermill, with two of our most popular writing tutors, Sharon Kendrick and Anita Burgh. They’ll be there in the Spring and Autumn of 2008 respectively, when the colours of the Tuscan landscape (Spring flowers, gushing rivers, the last of the snow on the distant Apennine peaks; Autumn leaves, wine harvest, groves of ripening chestnuts) will be truly inspirational. We’ll also enjoy an excursion on the single-track railway through the regional park of the Appuan Alps to the beautiful walled city of Lucca, the quintessential Italian city. There are more details of the creative writing courses in the watermill section of this newsletter below
So there will be even more opportunities for those of you who have savoured the warmth of Scottish hospitality at Castle of Park to savour the true Italian lifestyle at the Watermill of Posara and the beautiful landscape of the Lunigiana district of Tuscany.
Quo vadis, Breckonii?
We’ve been thinking of moving for a year or so, slowing down the pace of life – and looking to new ventures.
The first of these is to build ourselves a house (or rather have one built) and we are planning on creating a modern ‘Roman country villa’. Not, you understand, something with columns and porticos, pediments and entablature, but rather a light and airy modern house, in stone and wood and glass, embodying the design concepts of a traditional Roman country villa. In other words we hope to have peristyle (a central courtyard with a (glazed) cloister around it), a vestibulum and a glazed atrium. We’ll have a hypocaust in the form of underfloor heating powered by a ground source heat pump and we’ll go for a caldarium, in the shape of a modern hot tub!
We’ve already bought a lovely two-acre site on the lower slopes of Knock Hill, the tallest hill hereabouts, rising to about 1400 feet. Knock Hill is a bit of a tautology really, since knock, or knoc, means hill in Gaelic. So the purists call it the knock, or an knoc (the hill). The plot is surrounded by whin (gorse) and hundreds of acres of recently planted deciduous woodland. The hill stretches above us, its upper slopes heather-clad. To the North-east we look out over the rolling Buchan countryside to the Moray Firth seaside. All this is great for wildlife and walking – and paradise for labradogs, of course.
Now our friends the Smiths (Stanley senior and Stanley junior) are grubbing out the whins and digging ditches with their JCB, while our good friend and architect Jill Andrews is drawing up preliminary plans for submission to the planning authorities. We’re also calling in the services of a water diviner, so we can dig our own well. There shouldn’t be much of a problem finding water: on the Southern slopes of the hill is the great Knockdhu distillery, founded in 1894, following the discovery of springs of pure crystal water there. The distillery produces about one million litres a year, so as well as crystal water we shouldn’t be short of fine single malt whisky either.
From castle to cottage
 All this is going to take a bit of time (not least in discussing the designs with the planning authority), so in the interim we are off to a nearby 1400-acre estate where, courtesy of our friends the owners, Tristan and Joan Russell, we are renting Garden Cottage. Forglen is a beautiful estate, bounded on one side by the curving River Deveron (we might even find time for some fly-fishing) and it has a magnificent walled garden, pools and waterfalls and a rhododendron glen, as well as acres of land for cycling and walking. Again it’s paradise for dogs – and children and adults.
It’s going to be funny living in a small cottage after a castle, although in reality we have mainly lived in the second-floor apartment at Park, which is roughly the same size as Garden Cottage. In the attic here, however, we have enough old toys to start several toyshops, all of which Lydia and Lara say must be kept. They warn that they’ll be traumatised for life if any of these toys are thrown away, so we’ll have to find somewhere to store these, as well as some of our furniture.
What’ll you do?
Many friends have asked us what we will do when we leave the castle. We have a number of projects. Lois is going to write a book (watch this space) and we are heavily involved in a local young people’s choir, The Inspire Choir, in which Lydia and Lara sing. We plan to take the choir -- 20 to 30 youngsters aged eight to 18 -- to the World Choir Games (effectively the choir olympics), which are to be held in Graz, Austria in 2008. So we are busy beginning to plan all that and set about fundraising.
What with that, building a house and running a watermill, as well as spending more time with the children, we reckon our days will be plenty full enough. Maybe there won’t be time for fly-fishing after all!
Contacting us
We'll be giving you our new phone number and address once we've moved but, until then, please continue to write to us at Castle of Park, Cornhill, Aberdeenshire AB45 2AX or phone us on (UK) 01466 751111. Even after that you can telephone or write to the castle, as calls and post will be automatically diverted/redirected.
Chillaxing in August
 We spent a glorious 10 days at Posara in early August, mainly just ‘chillaxing’, a very descriptive phrase coined by the girls. This consisted mainly in getting up late, ambling into Fivizzano for our traditional breakfast of a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and hot frothy cappuccino, shopping for lunch (Nadia’s wonderful potato tart, mature pecorino cheese and sliced plum tomatoes black-peppered, rock-salted and drizzled with olive oil), then reading a book in the sun or beside the plunge pool, dangling our feet in the cold waters fresh from the mountain-fed millstream.
 We managed a bit of activity too, notably in visiting (at last) the grottoes at Equi Terme, a few miles from the mill, admiring their stalactites and stalagmites. Then we swam in the sulphurous waters of the spa town’s outdoor swimming pool, supposedly very good for the skin, but rather smelly in a disturbing bottomy kind of way!
Our good friend Roberto Vegnuti and his daughters Eleanora and Caterina looked after us on lots of days out and even took us to their snazzy beach club in Marina di Ronchi, on the Italian Riviera where the girls honed their sunbathing and posing skills and where we enjoyed a wonderful sunset dinner of fresh seafood antipasti and grilled fish.
We even managed a game of (rather creaky) tennis and, one of our most popular pastimes, a cycle ride round the top of the walls of Lucca, our best-loved Italian city.
 One of the highlights of our latest trip was a dinner at Al Vecchio Tino, a delightful restaurant on the edge of one of the typical hilltop villages that abound in this part of Tuscany. The food here really is superb and the views, breathtaking: small wonder that is one of the favourite locations for our painting courses. Here’s the view of the Appuan Alps (the marble mountains of Carrara) from the terrace of the restaurant:
 We were 14 at dinner on the tented verandah, ranging in age from eight years, three hundred and sixty four days (Lara) to 64 and quite a bit (Bill) and from four nations: Scotland, Italy, Germany and France.
We were all surprised that the French spoke hardly a word of English, German or Italian, so we struggled to remember our French, our brains already in gear for speaking Italian. But we managed well enough and the fine food and local wines helped spread international communication and general bonhomie. (Now there’s a nice French word!)
 Creative courses at the mill: painting and writing
Vecchio Tino, the olive groves, mountains and valleys of Lunigiana, the walls and squares of Fivizzano, the border fortress of Verrucola and a special day-long excursion to Lucca are all part of the great creative courses we are planning at The Watermill at Posara next year.
As well as more painting courses, with familiar faces and new ones, we are also going to run creative writing courses at the watermill for the first time. These will have the same structure as the highly successful writing courses we have run at the castle, except they will last seven days, with an invigorating and inspirational day off in the middle, when there will be an excursion by train through the mountains to Lucca.
Painting at the watermill in 2008
 For centuries artists have drawn their inspiration from the Tuscan landscape and you could find few better places to enjoy your art and improve your skills than at The Watermill at Posara, set beside the curving banks of the river in a gentle, wooded valley. Secluded, yet part of the village; peaceful, yet just a mile from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops; with pleasant gardens and peaceful millstream walks and with stunning views of the mountains in the background, the mill provides the ideal location for a painting holiday.
Our courses are designed to help both experienced painters and beginners to make the most of their abilities and, most of all, enjoy their painting. Non-painting partners are welcome (at a small discount), but you’ll have more fun if you join in and dabble!
These are the 2008 course we have planned:
- Annelise Pio Hansen (watercolours): 10-17 May
- Michael Kitchen(watercolours, oils and pastels): 24-31 May
- Lyn Fraser-Roberts (watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels): 14-21 June
- Muriel Owen (watercolours):28 June-5 July
- Patricia Johnston (watercolours etc.): 19-26 July
- Frank Halliday (oils, pastel and watercolours): 26 July-2 August
- Jennifer Branch (watercolours, oils, acrylics): 30 August-6 September
- Laraine Simpson (oils, pastels, watercolours etc.): 6-13 September:
- Terry Jarvis (watercolours, oils, pastels, acrylics): 13-20 September
- Charles Sluga (watercolours): 4-11 October
Annelise, Michael, Lyn, Muriel, Frank, Laraine and Charles have all been with us before, either at the castle or the watermill (or both), while we are delighted to welcome new talent in the shapes of Patricia, Jennifer and Terry.
More details about the watermill painting tutors for 2008
Annelise Pio Hansen
(Saturday 10 May to Saturday 17 May 2008)
Watercolours
Annelise came to painting as a better way to understand the creative process; at the time she was a fiction editor and art director in book publishing and with a weekly magazine. She studied her watercolour technique in England but she has retained her Danish influence. Her colours are soft but bright, just like the light reaching the sandy beaches and the soft hills not far from where she lives just outside Copenhagen. You can find our more about Annelise on her website: www.pio-akvarel.dk
 Michael Kitchen
(Saturday 24 May to Saturday 31 May 2008)
Watercolours, oils and pastels
Michael is a professional artist and demonstrator with over 38 years’ painting experience. Conscious that everyone's requirements are different, Michael ensures that guests receive plenty of genuine teaching, personal tuition and lots of encouragement. Michael works in watercolours, oils and pastels and is skilled in portraiture and in country and coastal scenes. You can find out more about him on his website, www.woodofshaws.co.uk.
 Lyn Fraser-Roberts
(Saturday 14 June to Saturday 21 June 2008)
Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels
Lyn is an award-winning artist, based in Australia, working full-time painting and teaching in a wide range of media and subject matter. She paints in the Impressionist Realist style and her work hangs in galleries all over Australia. In recent years Lyn has become well known for her floral paintings in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolour, ranging in size from small and simple to large complex works. Other work includes landscapes, seascapes, still life and portraiture, usually vibrant and on a large scale in all mediums. Lyn enjoys the challenge of different subject matter and experimenting with colour, texture and style. You can find out more about Lyn on her website, www.lynfraserroberts.com.au.
Muriel Owen
(Saturday 28 June to Saturday 5 July 2008)
Watercolours
Muriel is a leading watercolour painter. She has been running her painting holidays worldwide since 1987. Her impressive credits include: the purchase of 28 paintings by English Heritage, now on permanent display at Yarmouth Castle, Isle of Wight; running the art department of a well known London Tutorial; and, for many years, being a prominent member of the Society of Women Artists. Muriel exhibits regularly and has had many important commissions. Her speciality is architecture and landscapes. Printed handouts accompany some of her demonstrations.
Patricia Johnston
(Saturday 19 July to Saturday 26 July 2008)
Watercolours and oils
Patricia loves painting on location, to produce exciting, vibrant work. She has won many awards and is represented in collections in Australia and internationally. She is a Fellow of the Royal Art Society of NSW and has its Diploma as well as a Fine Arts Diploma of Technical and Further Education College, Campbelltown, New South Wales. Patricia's tutorials are fun and encouraging, both to beginners and more experienced painters.
 Jennifer Branch
(Saturday 30 August to Saturday 6 September 2008)
Watercolours, oils, acrylics
Jennifer is a modern impressionist bringing her subjects to vibrant life on paper. Her style is uniquely vivid in colour and concept – and her paintings explore the full possibilities of ‘transparent’ watercolour, a medium which brings colour and light to life. Jennifer’s workshop courses in Atlanta, Georgia, USA draw artists from around the world to learn from her unique painting style, while the associated videos have inspired many artists. As well as her studio work, Jennifer makes frequent and varied inspirational travels. While she prefers to work in watercolours, Jennifer is also skilled in oils and acrylics and is happy to teach in those media, too. You can find our more about Jennifer on www.jenniferbranch.com.
 Laraine Simpson
(Saturday 6 September to Saturday 13 September 2008)
Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels
Laraine is a Fine Arts-Painting graduate of Central School of Art & Design (now Central St. Martins), London. She is highly regarded as a perceptive, patient and encouraging tutor working with beginners and advanced students alike, her main aim being to teach people to ‘see’ the relationships of line, tone, shape, colour etc which are fundamental to drawing and painting. Laraine works in oils, pastels, watercolours, and a variety of drawing materials. Her main inspiration is the wonderful interplay of light on surfaces, particularly the human form and landscape, and also animals and architecture.
 Terry Jarvis
(Saturday 13 September to Saturday 20 September 2008)
Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels
Terry is one of Australia’s leading watercolour artists. He also works in oils, pastels and acrylics. He also loves drawing and helping his students to develop their drawing skills. Terry has won several major art awards and his paintings hang in private galleries all over the world. The son of a goldminer, Terry was born in the small rural town of Castlemaine in central Victoria and from an early age was inspired to draw and paint the landscape, as well as people and animals. Among his fascinating recent projects have been working with Aborigines in Northern Australia and with refugees from Kosovo in Tasmania. His workshops at home and overseas are always in high demand and fill quickly. There’s more abut Terry on www.terryjarvis.com.
Charles Sluga
(Saturday 4 October to Saturday 11 October 2008)
Watercolours
Charles is a highly respected and sought after artist and watercolour teacher in Australia. His friendly and enthusiastic approach, and eagerness to impart his wide knowledge, is reflected in his popularity as a tutor, and the waiting lists for his regular classes. He has gained a reputation for his versatility in both his technique and choice of subject matter. He is a regular contributor to Australian Artist magazine and is currently writing articles for the International Artist magazine and the British magazine Leisure Painter and working on his first book on water-colour painting. You can find out more about Charles on www.sluga.com.au.
Staying at the mill
We should emphasise that everything is included in the cost of your course: accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals (including dinner with wine at charming local restaurants), local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; the excursion by train to Lucca) and tuition. All you have to do is to get to Pisa and we do the rest. (See Getting there, below)
 You stay in bright, well decorated bedrooms with traditional features in an elegant Tuscan house complex around a courtyard. There is a large communal sitting room with an open fire and a dining room for leisurely breakfasts. Dinner (included in the cost of the course) will be at several small and friendly local restaurants and will include regional Italian dishes and wines.
The cost depends on which bedroom you choose, but prices start at £665+IVA (Italian VAT) per person per week (based on two people sharing), with a discount of £25 for a non-painting partner. Single rooms start at £715+IVA (Italian VAT). Italian IVA is currently 20%. Our policy is not to discriminate against people coming on their own by charging a vast supplement for single rooms. We would, therefore, like friends (and married couples) to share if it is at all possible.
There are more details on www.watermill.net and if you email us at info@watermill.net, or call (UK number) 01466 751111, we’ll send you a comprehensive brochure.
Getting there
We pick you up at Pisa airport between 11am and 2pm (unless you decide to drive to Italy, in which case we’ll give you full directions).
You can book your own flights (there are good connections from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, East Midlands, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester and Bristol) or, to make life easier, you can use the services of our Personal Travel Adviser, Ann Carter, who will fix everything for you at very competitive prices. There is absolutely no obligation to use her, but if you would like her help, her phone number is 01886 889000 and her email address is ann.carter@tarsc.net. We have found that many travel agents these days are not very helpful and are often tied to big tour operators. Ann will give you personal service.
Some comments from previous guests
About the painting tuition:
“My painting improved enormously” “My painting technique has improved out of all recognition” “As I am a complete novice, the teaching gave me confidence”
About the Watermill and the Posara team:
“An enchanting place - I really loved it, endless delightful subjects to paint” “From the moment I stepped into my apartment and saw and heard the river, I realised it was going to be very special” “The other painters were so congenial - we had a lot of fun”
“I thought the organisation was absolutely wonderful and we were so well looked after” “Our hosts were kindness and efficiency personified” “Tranquil surroundings, restful garden, good company” “We’ve been on many painting holidays, but this was the best ever.”
 In general:
Thank you for a wonderful holiday. There is only one way to describe it – “PERFECT” – weather, hosts, tutor, food – and the mill, what a beautiful setting. I loved every minute of it. Pity it was only a week!
As House Beautiful magazine said:
“A wonderful setting for inspirational teaching.”
 Creative writing at the watermill in 2008
We are inaugurating our new creative writing project at the watermill with just two exclusive courses next year:
With Sharon Kendrick: Writing Romantic Fiction: 3-10 May
and Anita Burgh: Novel writing: 27 September - 4 October
Here’s how they work:
- You will join a small creative group and enjoy exclusive use of a beautiful historic Tuscan watermill complex. The secluded gardens, verandahs and millstream walks are all yours to explore.
- You’ll have individual tuition from, and discussions about your work with one of our renowned renowned writing tutors – and you’ll also learn just what publishers are looking for.
- You’ll be met at Pisa airport at the beginning of your holiday and delivered back at the end.
- You’ll enjoy an excursion by train to the beautiful walled Italian city of Lucca, for a break from creativity.
- You’ll enjoy mouth-watering meals at local caffés and ristoranti. All wines and pre- and after-dinner drinks are also included.
- You’ll relax and be cosseted and above all, you’ll have fun: our previous guests use words like ‘magical’, ‘fabulous’, ‘perfect’ and ‘inspiring’ – and they keep coming back time and time again!
- Non-participating partners are welcome
Our courses at The Watermill at Posara provide a unique opportunity to improve your creative writing skills, learning from excellent tutors and enjoying the companionship of a select group of like-minded people. We offer intimate, well structured tuition concentrating on writing romantic fiction.
A Watermill at Posara course will undoubtedly help you to become a better writer. You will have opportunities to experiment with new techniques and fresh ways to express your thoughts and ideas. As well as group presentations and discussions, each tutor will discuss your work with you on a one-to-one basis.
The ethos of our courses is creativity and enjoyment, but if one of your aims is to sell your work, you will also learn what publishers and producers are looking for and how to provide manuscripts and scripts that are more likely to be accepted. This service and the critique of your work is, in itself, worth more than the cost of the course!
 Our expert tutors will inspire and inform you -- and in your leisure moments you'll enjoy all delights of the mill, the riverside, the hills and the mountains in the background, plus savouring the delights of a truly unspoilt Italian lifestyle.
The courses at the watermill are designed to help both enthusiastic beginners and more experienced writers. We aim to help you make the most of your abilities, whatever your level. Since there will only be ten or so people on each course, you can be assured of individual attention. But, above all, we are certain you will ENJOY your time with us.
We welcome couples, even if one of you will not be taking part in the course. There is a small discount for non-participating partners.
 After your work, you'll need a breath or two of fresh air. As well as strolls around the gardens and millstream, we’ll take you to Fivizzano for meals in local restaurants.
And on Wednesday we’ll take the train on the single-track railway through the regional park of the Appuan Alps to the beautiful walled city of Lucca, the quintessential Italian city.
Your writing tutors for 2008
We are running just two exclusive creative writing courses this year. The tutors and the format are based on the highly successful format that we established at the Castle of Park in Scotland. We are transferring that expertise to Tuscany.
These are the courses:
 Sharon Kendrick
(Saturday 3 May to Saturday 10 May 2008)
‘Writing romantic fiction’
Sharon will pass on the benefits of her vast experience in writing romantic fiction and her intimate knowledge of what publishers like Harlequin Mills & Boon are looking for in a romantic novel.
Sharon has written 65 books for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She regularly tops the Waldenbooks list in North America as well as selling well all over Europe, Asia and South America. Sharon regularly gives talks and workshops and loves interacting with other people ("writing is SUCH an isolated job"), in particular nurturing the passion and talent of new writers.
 Anita Burgh
(Saturday 27 September to Saturday 4 October 2008)
Novel writing: release your potential’
For those of you who want to write a novel, but need help with work in progress or simply don’t know where to begin.
Best-selling author Anita Burgh came late to writing, starting at the age of 46 and being first published at 50. But she’s caught up fast: she’s written 19 novels - modern, historical and comic - and has just embarked on another trilogy. Having been a student nurse, worked in cancer research, the pop industry, run a hotel, and lived in France and Greece, she has a wide experience on which to draw for her novels - and has done so! She has also written numerous short stories and articles for tabloid as well as broadsheet newspapers.
While Anita loves to write, she also enjoys motivating others to do the same. This is what one had to say about Anita’s courses at Castle of Park: “A wonderful week: generous hosts, stimulating fellow participants, a warm and witty tutor and a relaxing setting. Brilliant.”
Summer lets at Posara
 We will continue to let out the five apartments at the watermill on a self-catering basis when we are not running courses and you may care to stay on for a week before or after your course, if the logistics permit. Again there are details on www.watermill.net and we can send you a brochure if you email us at info@watermill.net or call (UK number) 01466 751111.
Anything more you’d like know?
We’d like to thank you all for your generous support in the past and we hope to be meeting you again in the future.
If there is anything more we can tell you about our activities, and the true Italian lifestyle, please call us on +44 1466 751111. And keep up with our website at www.watermill.net.
In the meantime, with very best wishes,
Lois and Bill, Lydia and Lara, Bella and Rosa (the Labradogs)
- and Blaze, the guineapig.
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For the first time ever we are running creative writing courses at The Watermill at Posara in Tuscany.