After spending more than twenty years as an advertising Creative Director, then nearly eight years helping brands at Instagram (Meta), I left London with my two-year old daughter Betsy and our dog Bug and took to the Worcestershire countryside.

Buying the money pit of this wonky, wobbly house was just the start, as I renovated, Airbnbing it out at weekends to help spiralling costs whilst I also built a cabin in the garden in which to live. Now we’re ready for the house to take on its new life as a creative retreat for workshops and residential arts courses, and location house for shoots for ads, film and TV. We still Airbnb it too so do come back with family and friends!

I spent a number of years before the ad world as a pub landlady in Marylebone, then briefly as a chef, before starting my own Supperclub (especially for single people, in Brockley). So I love feeding people and see that as a huge part of the creative retreat experience for all our guests.

Having experienced many life-changing retreats myself all over the world – learning everything from novel-writing to stand-up comedy to yoga, I promise you a stimulating, welcoming, friendly and creatively nourishing experience.

I’m a solo mum by choice and live with chronic illness, so finding a way to balance the day job (I still freelance in the ad world) and also enjoy my passion of writing (screenplays, fiction, non-fiction, children’s picture books) will hopefully work perfectly with running a creative retreat. We’re just starting out and so we’d love to host you. Please don’t hesitiate to get in touch if you are a potential guest or a potential partner for a course.

Thanks, Julie

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