LeisureCourses.net – short courses & residential study breaks in great locations

Stumpwork Strawberries

Intricate strawberry designs have embellished embroidered textiles all through history, particularly in the Elizabethan age. This course will cover many different ways of working raised strawberries, together with their flowers, to build an attractive piece of work that could be made up into a scissors holder or needlebook. This course will cover a variety of...

An Astonishingly Brief History of the Piano – From Bach to Boogie, From Ragtime to Rachmaniov, From Jane Austen to Jazz’

Join Chris Howes for a whirlwind journey through pianos and their musical sounds - from the harpsichord and spinet to the concert grand. Our music includes the wit and wonder of composers and star musicians, including Franz Liszt, Jane Austin and her ‘square’ piano, Horowitz, Duke Ellington, Ravel and more.

Study Tour – A Cultural Adventure to Seville & Moorish Spain

Following on from the weekend Course, we pack our bags and head for the south of Spain and the unique city of Cordoba where we spend four nights in a hotel next to the great Mosque. We shall experience a rich and wonderful four days: two in Cordoba itself, the most 'Moorish' (still) of all...

Eggstra Special Floral Designs for Easter

Come along and join our enthusiastic and flamboyant tutor and create three sumptuous designs for Easter from seasonal flowers, foliage and materials to enhance your home and delight your family and friends. During the day there will be demonstrations and lots of hints and tips. You will be provided with a list of items to...

News From the Fronts: Verdun and Allied Planning for 1916

As the Allied military chiefs assembled at Chantilly to discuss plans for co-ordinated offensives on Western and Eastern Fronts, the French position at Verdun had been rendered tenuous with the German capture of Fort Douaumont, keystone to the whole front. News from the mInor theatres was mixed but in Mesopotamia a British force was trapped...

Saqqara: Egypt’s Most Important Ancient Necropolis

In this weekend course we will enjoy an in-depth exploration of one of Egypt’s most significant ancient sites – Saqqara, the necropolis of Egypt’s ancient capital Memphis. We will examine the architecture, reliefs, inscriptions, statuary and funerary equipment of the extraordinary tombs of pharaohs, nobles and sacred animals, dating from the Early Dynastic Period through...

Moorish Spain

No era of European History was as remarkable or left as indelible a mark as Moorish Spain. The history, language, architecture, decorative arts, music, gastronomy, personality of the Iberian Peninsula owes so much to the civilization that occupied at least part of Spain for nearly 800 years. We shall follow the history of Moorish Spain...

Nefertiti: Ancient Egypt’s Most Intriguing Queen

Nefertiti is arguably the most famous queen of pharaonic Egypt. Her bust displayed in Berlin is iconic. She was the Chief Royal Wife of the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (c1352-c1336 BC), and together they continue to fascinate. Intriguing changes appear in the art and religion of this period of Egypt’s history – peculiar representations of...

Oliver Cromwell: Saint Or Serpent?

Oliver Cromwell, the only commoner ever to become supreme head of a British state, has always produced deep divisions of opinion, between those who view him as one of the greatest of Britons, to those who see him as a usurper, tyrant and fanatic. This lecture is designed to show why Cromwell is such a...

An Introduction to Chi Kung

An introduction to a gentle and effective exercise routine that stimulates all the energy channels, major organs, muscles, bones and joints. This course has been running several times a year for a number of years and attendees have been known to repeat the course to increase their knowledge and ability. It is aimed initially at...

Explore the River Axe

Spend a spring day with David Hunt in the valley of the River Axe in east Devon exploring some beautiful countryside and visiting unusual sites including the World War 2 defences. Our minibus takes us to places off the beaten track and (weather permitting) to some interesting views and excellent photo opportunities. Packed lunches and...

Sibelius: The Man and The Music

Sibelius is one of the giants of music. In particular his seven symphonies are recognised among the towering achievements of western man, but they and other masterpieces were only created out of enormous struggle. Using both musical and visual illustrations we will explore the relationship between the man and the music as his remarkable career...

William the Conqueror and His Sons

The Battle of Hastings and William's Norman settlement which followed it were one of the great watersheds in English history. It was a period of revolutionary change but also some striking continuity with the Anglo-Saxon society and culture it was replacing. The reigns of his sons William Rufus and Henry I were to build on...

Chinese Brush Painting – Summer Flower with Bird and Insect in Freehand Style

Flowers and birds have been popular subjects in traditional Chinese brush painting for over two thousand years. This course will focus on the basic skills of painting different kind of flowers, birds and insects in free hand style, such as: wisterias with swallow, peony with butterfly and Chinese lotus flower with dragonfly. The course will...

Book Club: Ours Are the Streets

Looking Good Feeling Good

Our style needs to evolve as we age so if it’s been a while since you took an honest look at your colours and styles, this is the perfect opportunity to spend a relaxing day gaining input into what suits you and why. Realise your true potential with colours that suit your natural colouring and...

Berlioz & The Trojans

We will explore Berlioz’s greatest work, the epic grand opera Les Troyens (the Trojans) which was based on Virgil’s Aeneid, a work which stirred the composer’s soul deeply. The opera portrays the capture of Troy by the Greeks and the subsequent arrival of the Trojan survivors in Carthage. The ensuing tragic romance between Dido, the...

Classical Guitar Orchestra Weekend

A unique musical experience for classical guitarists of all ages and of varying abilities (but not complete beginners). The emphasis is on participation, with students working in a non-competitive and supportive environment. Parts of the orchestra range in difficulty from elementary (Grade 2) to advanced (Grade 8) and are allocated in accordance with each students’...

Elizabeth Bowen – Selected Short Stories

Elizabeth Bowen’s stories explore childhood memories, the natural world, love, loss and the occult. Place is as significant as character and her writing is noted for its sharpness of observation. Both World Wars inspired many of her best short stories. From The Demon Lover, we learn what it was like to live in London during...

Four Medieval Christians

What inspired medieval men and women to give their lives to God? We will examine the lives and writings of four very different individuals: St Benedict, Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi and Margery Kempe. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries was a foundational text throughout the Middle Ages; Hildegard was a gifted abbess. In contrast, Francis...

From King Lud to King’s Cross: The History & Life of London

Dr Johnson wrote: 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life;for there is in London all that life can afford'. In this course, we shall look at the life of London from its foundation to the present day: its trades, industries, docks and rivers; its theatres, music halls and other entertainments;...

Made in Britain: How Prehistory Shaped Our World

Before the coming of the Romans the people of these islands were non-literate, relying on word of mouth to pass on their skills and knowledge. Through an exploration of the archaeological inheritance they left behind this course reveals how their craftsmanship, ingenuity and endeavour shaped our world, laying the foundations for the Britain we inhabit...

Songs, Satire and Sophistication: the History of Revenue’

One of the most popular and fashionable forms of entertainment in the 1920s and '30s was the revue, which provided humorous, fast-moving and sophisticated sketches and songs on topical themes. The early revues concentrated on music and spectacle; but gradually they became more intimate, emphasissing wit and style, as perfomers like Noel Coward joined-in. Come...

Boost Your German

Having even more than a basic knowledge and understanding of a language is extremely useful when on holiday, but not just then. Whether you studied German in the dim and distant past, or more recently, neither your age nor the amount of experience you may have in learning and using German is a barrier to...

Understanding Watercolour

Vincent Van Gogh said you needed twenty-seven heads to paint a watercolour, vowed to get to grips with the medium and then promptly dropped it. Is it any wonder? A big favourite with leisure painters and hobby artists, watercolour is both approachable and unintimidating, but takes a lifetime to master. This one day course will...

The History of the Arts in Britain

It is hard to imagine but most of our great artistic institutions are very young indeed. Some of our most famous such as the Royal Ballet, the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company being created only after the Second World War. This course will explore the history of music, theatre, literature, publishing, the...

Schuberts Final Years

This course will examine the last flowering of Schubert's remarkable music in the final few years of his short life. It will look closely at such works as the song-cycle Die Winterreise, the 'Great' C major symphony, the last string quartet, the String Quintet in C and the final piano sonatas. The course will also...

Embroidery With a Silver Sheen

This course focuses on hand embroidery projects, using stitches such as stem stitch, french knots, long and short stitch, and incorporates a bit of silver work to the design. The silverwork can be using metal threads, such as pearl purl and jap, or simply silver stranded cotton and tiny silver sequins. Participants will be working...

No Boundaries Accoustic Band Workshop Extra

This extended 'No Boundaries' acoustic band course is open to any acoustic instrument player. We’ve successfully catered for every combination so far, including fretted and bowed stringed instruments, saxophones, clarinet, piano, flute and harmonica... what do you play? With a good social atmosphere, exchanging ideas and learning from each other, you will be encouraged to...

Usui reiki level 1 workshop – learn reiki healing for yourself, friends, family, pets