What is coming up this Spring?
Dates and events
I thought I could create some sort of clarity to myself and summarise what I have planned so far for the next couple of months. I am so often doing many things at one time that I forget exactly what I am offering and when! So, it is with relief and not shame that I truly accept that this is just who I am and I am possibly all the richer- in experience, for it! But maybe listing what I have planned will encourage you to join me and also experience some positive and creative events in this busy, crazy world we all seem to be existing in at the moment. Investing in future ‘feel good’ experiences feels almost essential right now.
This (above) was one of the messages from my last Substack post, a week ago. I truly believe this. I offer Dwellbeing Walks regularly in a variety of locations.
The next walking dates are as follows
Dwellbeing Walk at Harbledown on Saturday, 24/01/26 at 11.00.
Netwalking- Friday, 13/02/26 at 11.00 in Tankerton, CT5 2BE.
Dwellbeing Walk at Harbledown on Friday, 06/02/26 at 11.00.
Netwalking- Friday, 13/03/26 at 11.00 in Tankerton, CT5 2BE.
Dwellbeing Walk at Painters Forstal on Friday, 06/03/26 at 11.00.
Dwellbeing Walk at Seasalter on Saturday, 28/03/26 at 11.00.
Here is a link to book my Dwellbeing Walks online. Any more info please contact me at clare@dwellbeinglife.com plus direct booking with me gives you a 10% discount!
When I lead a Netwalk, I provide prompts to connect people to each other. This is one of the ways to create a stronger community and a more resilient one in hard times- it is pretty enjoyable too- to walk and talk as we walk a little circular route around the coast. My Netwalking sessions will be held every month on a Friday, do come and join me and my partner Jim, at just £7 pp we start at 11.00, walk for about an hour and then go into the cosy bar at The Marine Hotel to have a warming drink before going home. It will be a good social start to the weekend and great to meet others in this relaxed way, whether you join us in a business or social capacity it would be good to meet you.
Even going out in the rain can be enjoyable- but not when it is horizontal cold rain with a storm behind it- as it was last Friday when I unfortunately had to cancel my first Netwalk of the season.
If we are able to have a warm dry space in which to dry out after a rainy walk, then this type of walk is great in the winter months. Being the only walkers out and about in nature really does feel different- we have the place to ourselves, often wildlife is more relaxed and more interesting birdsong and behaviour can be witnessed. Moss and lichen stand out as bright jewels under leaden grey skies and the ‘smugness’ felt as you sit back at home or work under artificial light amongst others who have not ventured out is palpable!
A walk this week in Blean woods was very wet, the path had become a flowing stream with leaf-litter forming its edges. But we took snacks and wore warm clothes and enjoyed having the place to ourselves.
There were some muddy puddles to navigate but the reflections in them were wonderful- it is a great way to concentrate for a moment and observe the tree canopy above our heads. The rainfall is never too hard under trees, even in the winter as the branches form some sort of protection and it is worth venturing out to hear the rainfall on already wet leaves on the ground, in the trees and onto your body as you walk- truly a sensory experience.
These WW2 concrete tank traps are fondly called ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ and for my children and I they created a wonderful landmark to visit on a regular walk- ‘the pyramids’ were great for playing hide and seek around!
The walk on this day was more drizzly than pouring, again the green colour of the moss and grass stood out strongly. We heard a Woodpecker in the distance and walked by some beautifully clear chalk streams, filled with watercress, more reflections and ripples as the rain started to drop more heavily.
A few photographs to illustrate my upcoming Dwellbeing mini-retreat at Stream Walk Community Garden in Whitstable. It will be for just 2 hours as it is still chilly and may rain and I want it to be a treat to be outside, not a punishment!
So my next event to advertise is a Spring Dwellbeing mini-retreat at Stream Walk Community Garden on Wednesday the 4th of March from 11-1pm.
Do join me at Stream Walk Community Garden in Whitstable this Spring and celebrate a beautiful place. March is one of the chillier months of the year so the session is just 2 hours long- we have use of the shelter, so the session will go ahead even if it rains. We will be spending time exploring the garden, looking at nature and learning about the season. There will be a couple of creative exercises that help us connect to the garden which are enjoyable and you will be able to practice them in the future when exploring any new place.
There is just space left for 7 participants; refreshments will be provided and all materials covered in the trial price of £15pp. To book a place please contact me at clare@dwellbeinglife.com
In summary- Spring Dwellbeing mini-retreat at Stream Walk Community Garden on Wednesday the 4th of March. Timings are 11-1pm. £15 pp. 8 people maximum
I hope to repeat this session every season to keep us in contact with the community garden, nature and its cycles and our own creativity.
Photograph of Snowdrops at Painters Forstal, near Faversham, Kent. I will be leading a Dwellbeing Walk here on Friday the 6th of March- do join me.
Another place that we will be able to see the start of Spring flowers peeking up through the leaf litter on the woodland floor is in Newnham, near Faversham, Kent. There may also be Primroses, Wood Anemones and shoots of Wild Garlic, creating a wonderful fragrance as we walk through the wood. This walk will be part of my first Dwellbeing mini-retreat ‘in the wild’ and not in a community garden- both are great experiences but different in scale. The Dwellbeing mini-Retreat at Newnham will start with a hot drink at ‘The George’ pub and an explanation of the ‘flow’ of the day, then we will go out for a circular walk, come back and eat lunch together, then finish off one of the 2 creative exercises that I encourage you to do. If you are interested look at the link here on my website. Again, if you would like a discount do email me directly at clare@dwellbeinglife.com.
One of the books I have been looking through as I wade through a years worth of sketches, photographs and writing accumulated whilst doing an art residency at Ripple Farm in Wye.
I feel quite sad that I have finished my regular trips to Wye. I felt I was building a relationship with the land both at Ripple Farm and Olantigh walled garden and I loved recording my findings, recognising the place in deeper ways the longer I was there. I knew where the sun was going to set, how the winds blew and what birds I was likely to see. But at home, cosily inside, I have been enjoying rereading my family tree research and this book has been quite handy whilst I navigate compiling a years worth of work into some order. Maybe I will write my own book or essays but what I will definitely do is to create an exhibition to show, preferably at The Beaney in Canterbury, of all the connections I have within Kent and have had for the last few hundred years and why encouraging people out and about within our lovely countryside is such a joy to me and to share with others.
A view inland to the seawall at Seasalter last Sunday. It was so cold but the views were clear, with many wintering seabirds to spot. I will be leading a Dwellbeing Walk here on Saturday the 28th of March. You can see more about my walks here.