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

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’...

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...

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...

Book Club: Ours Are the Streets

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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;...

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...

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...

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...

Concert with the Sacconi Quartet

The award-winning Sacconi Quartet will perform a programme of wonderful music: Mozart’s String Quartet in D major K499, Sibelius’s Moderato and Allegro appassionato and Schubert’s String Quartet in G major. The Quartet performs with style and commitment and is known throughout the world for its creativity and integrity of interpretation.

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...

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...

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...

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...

Creative writing: an introduction to life writing (online)

This course is aimed at anyone who wants to write a biography, memoir or other form of non-fiction. It will use examples and practical exercises to guide students through the skills needed to write interesting non-fiction: research, editing, how to tell a story and ways of using discription. Given the nature of creative writing, it...

Forensic science: poisoning (online)

The course will explore the fascinating topic of forensic science. In the first week participants will be introduced to a crime scene and each week will examine a piece of evidence relating to a suspected poisoning. As the course progresses participants will have to decide, based on the evidence collected: was a crime committed? What...

Creative writing: an introduction to short story writing (online)

The short story is often described as one of the most satisfying literary genres, both to read and to write. This course encourages students to identify how these stories 'work' by considering classic examples which, in each class, illustrate a particular aspect of short story composition. An exchange of ideas and responses between students and...

The medieval village landscape, 1000-1500AD (online)

This interactive, practical course introduces participants to the 'grammar' of the medieval landscape. It explains how visitors to villages can use evidence from the landscape around them - roads and hedges, buildings and greens - as well as from maps and other sources, to unravel the origins of many settlements. No background knowledge of medieval...

An introduction to international development: understanding contemporary issues and themes (online)

This online course is designed to introduce students to the field of international development. Participants will develop knowledge of contemporary issues and themes, such as poverty and livelihoods, global food security, aid, urbanisation, and sustainable development, and will be encouraged to think critically in looking at a variety of case studies and examples of international...

Applying psychology to the workplace (online)

This course will begin with an introduction to Applied Psychology in work settings by taking a context based approach. Students will be introduced to the development of Applied Psychology and will then see how various psychological theories help our understanding of, and contribute to explaining, human behaviour in the workplace. We will look at the...

Ancient Rome: the city, society and infrastructure (online)

This course describes ancient Rome as the Romans saw it - not as stone ruins, but as a vibrant, living city. We see how the people of the largest metropolis on the planet in AD 200 were fed, governed and entertained; who the ancient Romans were and how they lived.

Learn to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs

The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script is beautiful and intriguing. This course will help you begin to learn how to read hieroglyphs, or give you the opportunity to practice or widen your skills. You will learn about the language behind the script and will very quickly begin to read real objects from museums and ancient sites...

Intermediate French: La France et ses terroirs

This course has been designed to give people with a fair comprehension of the language (even though they might lack fluency and confidence at speaking it) an insight into French culture and way of life. In the process they will not only learn more about France and its traditions, but will see their confidence and...

The Renaissance garden in Britain: nature produces better fruit if cultivated

Italian Renaissance design and intricacies arrived in Britain via France and the Low Countries, manifesting a revolutionary attitude to the 'taming' of nature. We compare Tudor England with Stuart Scotland. We explore gardens as settings for collections of antique sculpture, courtly dalliance, philosophical discussion, meditation, theatre, allegorical and moral instruction, horticultural encyclopaedias and centres for...