How do you like them apples? Scrumptious news from the Hurst

As ever it’s been a busy time at the Hurst Shop – we had open courses right up to the middle of December, and then leapt straight back into things on January 22, with a terrific partnership week with Princess Royal Trust for Carers. They spent the week in the esteemed company of tutors Ian Marchant and Jemma Kennedy, with Jo Shapcott featuring as our guest reader. While any number of aesthetic goals were reached, for us the highlight was to find that one of the participants had not been to the pub in sixteen years – a duck she broke on the Tuesday. And the Wednesday. And the Thursday…As a reward for rejoining the fray, she was awarded our first Champagne Moment of 2007.

Meanwhile we’ve been girding our loins for the start of the Open Programme (all our courses advertised in this year’s Arvon brochure). The bookings have been thundering in, and everyone who has booked seems really, really nice, so I’d encourage you to join their number. Space prohibits a list of highlights, but I’m sure you carry your Arvon Course guide with you wherever you go, and have the Arvon Foundation as your home page (Google is so 2005), so I’m sure you’re up to speed.

Before the Open Programme begins we have a number of School Weeks, which are always a highlight. If you’re a teacher and you haven’t brought a group to the Hurst, then you’re obviously insane. Check out the young people pages at www.arvonfoundation.org for more details.

Aside from things writerly, scrumping fans – and who isn’t a scrumping fan? – will be excited to hear that our local committee member Keith Pybus recently selected a number of apples from our orchard for dating and identification. It seems most of the trees were planted in the late 19th Century, and that one of the varieties – called a Curl Tail – is a rare apple, first recorded in Woking in 1872 and not before recorded in the Marches. So if you visit us during October/November next year, and are partial to rare and strange apples, you’re in for a treat.

Finally, congratulations to all at Pentabus Theatre, who were nominated for a South Bank show Decibel Award, which recognises work which contributes to the development and promotion of ethnic diversity in the arts. The nomination was for White Open Spaces, a theatre piece developed at the Hurst in November 2005.We look forward to seeing you here soon

Peter & Kerry, Centre Directors, and Dan, the Administrator