Come Geeking

I wouldn’t say I was a geek. But when I heard about an English literary event only a couple of hours from home, I was like a dog when its master holds up its lead and says, ‘Walkies!’

A writing workshop?

At a château?

In the Dordogne?

Wagging my (figurative) tail, I signed up for an afternoon focussing on memoir. And that’s how I found myself, on April Fool’s Day, at the beautiful Saint-Germain-des-Prés château, writing my life story alongside 15 other geeks writers.

The event was a collaboration between Manor & Maker, the business name chosen by château owners Sara and Stephen Cole, and an experienced memoir workshop leader called Catharine.

And the good news is that it’s not a one-off event.

The idea behind the Manor & Maker retreats is to provide a safe space where people can enjoy doing their favourite creative activity with like-minded people. As Stephen says: ‘If you geek out about something, come and geek with us.’

Our hosts welcomed us into their home with tea, coffee and biscuits, giving us the necessary sustenance for two hours of writing under Catharine’s guidance.

The 19th century château is charming, not just from the outside, but also in terms of the interior decoration with its wooden panelling and period furniture.

We were even invited to climb up the inside of the 16th century tower.

The top room was closed, a home for bats while it awaits renovation, but I preferred to imagine a young princess imprisoned inside, poised to let down her hair.

Fifteen of us sat around the dining table for the workshop. It was lovely to see familiar faces but also to meet lots of people with fascinating life stories to write.

Through a series of exercises, debriefs and discussions, Catharine whetted our appetites to continue meeting and sharing work.

After a pause, during which Sara and Stephen treated us to delicious nibbles and wine while we got to know each other, we were regaled with readings from memoir authors.

Susie Kelly read a moving extract from I wish I could say I was Sorry and a light-hearted flying anecdote from It’s a Mad World. Jackie Skingley read from High Heels and Beetle Crushers and gave us a sneak preview of the sequel, Burnt Eggs and Caviar. And Patrick Doherty read from his Irish memoir I am Patrick.

It was a convivial afternoon in a setting that’s perfectly adapted for group events. Sara and Stephen’s attention brought a warmth we wouldn’t have had in a village hall.

Given the excellent attendance at the workshop, Catharine is hoping to make it a monthly event, so if you live near Excideuil and are interested in writing your memoir, contact Manor & Maker.

I caught Sara and Stephen as they mingled, checking that everyone had everything they needed, and asked them a few questions about the inspiration behind their business and their decision to leave Canada and buy a castle in France.

Stephen is a painter and designer, while Sara is a historical clothes maker. Here’s a photo of them, costumed, in Venice (photo courtesy of Stephen Cole).

The couple have many artistic friends and loved the idea of bringing people together so they could comfortably be their best selves with others sharing the same passion.

But why France? Why a château?

‘It’s my parents’ fault,’ says Sara. ‘They were a pilot and flight attendant, which meant we travelled a lot. When I was 15, we stayed in a Loire château and I was impressed when the marquis swept into the castle wearing his cape. That moment stayed with me.’

Although they love Canada, they’d been talking about living in Europe for a decade. ‘In Toronto, it felt as if I was living to work,’ says Stephen. ‘The attitude in Europe is more about working to live. Also, we both love art and history. We wanted to be surrounded by them.’

They almost moved to the UK, but the idea of being able to drive to another country in the space of a few hours tipped them towards mainland Europe. ‘In Canada, you can drive 24 hours and still be in the same province,’ says Stephen.

Having searched the Limousin and Creuse for Sara’s dream castle, they found it in the Dordogne in 2020. ‘As soon as we opened the front door, we fell in love,’ says Stephen. By August 2021 they were living there – though Sara’s marquis hasn’t swept into the château yet.

Perhaps the marquis led to the idea of their inaugural Belle Epoch retreat, to be held in May. This will bring together costumers and artists for a weekend, the idea being that the artists paint costumed models while they stroll around the château grounds. Does this raise geek reactions in you? If so, contact Manor & Maker.

‘When designing clothes, it’s important to have the right garments for the right periods,’ says Stephen. ‘Clothes speak strongly about cultural differences throughout history. They’re a way to time travel.’

Costuming isn’t the only creative activity you’ll find at the château. Forthcoming retreats in 2023 include encaustic painting (painting with beeswax – a technique used by the ancient Egyptians); a Gourmet retreat with a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef from Paris; a poetry course with talented poet Kate Rose; and an open writing residency, fondly referred to by Sara as ‘Ditch the Distractions’.

If you’re interested in participating in any of these – or if you have ideas for other creative retreats you’d like to see there, Sara and Stephen would be happy to hear from you on their Manor & Maker website or youtube channel, where they vlog regularly about life in their château.

But of course you need to be a geek to participate. And none of us are that, are we?