NEFS Winter Residential Weekend 2024
Fri 29th Nov – Sun 1st Dec 2024
Arrival
If you are booked in for the Friday evening, please plan to arrive at or after 5.00 pm. This is the settling in time, with a few tunes to take us to dinner – the main music session will be after dinner. Dinner is a sit-down meal at 6.00 pm, so if you know that you will be late, or don’t now require dinner, please let me know. For last minute changes, please call or text me on 07843 238139.
If your first event is the Saturday workshop, please plan to arrive from 9.30 am. You can join us for a Physical Warm-up at 9.45 am and the first workshop will start promptly at 10.00 am.
Venue
Shepherds Dene Retreat House, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
01434 682212
http://shepherdsdene.co.uk/
Travel and Parking
If you are following Google maps, the entrance to the driveway for Shepherds Dene is a little further along on the left than shown. In the driveway, fork right for the Main House. Car parking is on the right hand side of the driveway as you approach the house – please don’t drive or park on the soft verges. There are some spaces closer to the house, including two disabled access spaces. If these areas are all full, you can drop off your luggage into the hall, and there is an extra car park if you follow the driveway around the house and up the other side, bending left. The car park is at the top on the left and you can walk back down the way you drove up.
Please ring the bell at the front door of the main house to gain entry. A door code will then be provided so you can come and go. Please sign in on the group registration form (they request an emergency name and contact number), and sign out and back in at the door if you leave the house for any reason.
If you would like to travel by public transport, lifts can be arranged from Riding Mill station – please let us know if you would like help with this.
Resources
All of the teaching materials will be available on the NEFS Winter Residential 2024 Resources page. For the sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings, we will again use the NEFS Live Tunes as a basis for shared repertoire. All materials can be found on the Live Teaching Resources web page.
As there are a lot of tunes in our Live Tunes repertoire now, nearer the time we will provide a shortlist of a few tunes that we will definitely play. Please check back in the week before the event.
Refreshments
Daytime refreshments are included in the Saturday workshop, and on Sunday morning at coffee time. If you would like a bar drink with your dinner or during the sessions there is a small honesty bar (bottles only), which you can settle up for directly with Shepherds Dene (cash or card) before you leave. We can only take water into the Chapel, where we will be holding the daytime sessions, but there will be breaks for coffee and tea, and you can take your drinks into the lounge or the Terrace Room. In the evening, we will use the open lounge space for our informal concert and session where drinks can be brought in from the bar.
Signing in and out
Signing in and out is very important at Shepherds Dene for fire regulations. Over the weekend there will be a lot of people coming and going at different times, so please help by using their process. There is a clipboard on arrival where you need to sign in to the event, and sign out when you leave.
Warm layers
Shepherds Dene is an old building and certain rooms might feel chilly at times if the weather is cold, especially if sitting for longer periods of time. Please bring extra layers to wear to keep you warm!
Tutors
We are so delighted that both Grace Smith and Kevin Lees will be teaching alongside Stewart over the weekend, during the day on both Saturday and Sunday. Grace is able to be with us for Friday and Saturday evenings too. There will be a short, informal concert after dinner on Saturday at around 7.30 pm and this will be followed by an evening session.
Weekend Outline Timetable
Friday
Time | Event | …………………… |
17:00 | Arrive & tunes! | |
18:00 – 19:00 | Dinner | |
19:30 – 23:00 | Session |
Saturday
Time | Event |
08:30 | Breakfast for residential guests |
09:30 | Arrive and set up |
09:45 | Physical warm-up |
10:00 – 17:00 | Full day Saturday Workshop |
18:00 – 19:00 | Dinner |
19:30 – 20:15 | Informal Concert |
20:30 – 23:00 | Session |
Sunday
Time | Event |
08:30 | Breakfast for residential guests |
09:30 | Physical warm-up |
09:45 – 11:00 | Workshop |
11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee |
11.30 – 12.45 | Workshop |
12:45 | Depart Shepherds Dene |
COVID-Secure Guidelines
We will run the weekend with care and consideration for all. If you feel at all unwell, we ask that you take a lateral flow test before travelling, and do not attend if you get a positive result or think your illness might be contagious. Please continue to wash or sanitise your hands regularly and thoroughly, maintain a safe distance and bring an extra layer of clothing in case ventilation leaves the room slightly chilly.
By attending an in-person event organised by NEFS, you agree to follow any COVID-secure Workshop Guidelines in place, and any further reasonable requests made by the venue, the Tutors or Directors to keep the group safe and all attendees feeling as comfortable as possible.