As you read this I will be getting on a plane to south west France and no, it’s not a holiday; its work! Honest!

Chez Castillon is a writers’ retreat set in the Dordogne between Bordeaux and Bergerac and just ten minutes’ drive from the wonderful town of Saint Emilion. It’s here I started writing my bestseller THE OYSTER CATCHER.

I first visited on a writing course with Anita Burgh but I have returned several times since with other writers including Veronica Henry and Sue Moorcroft. That’s where I’m heading now with writing buddies Katie Fforde, Jane Wenham Jones, Catherine Jones and Judy Astley. They’re a lively bunch and it’s important that things don’t get out of hand which is why a set of STRICT RULES APPLY:

1. Regular exercise must be taken! That could include a walk past the Dordogne river for the serious amongst you, a dip in the pool for water babies or for me and others like me, it’s a wander round the Monday market, a visit to St Emilion for a sundowner or a walk across the road to the chocolate shop or Monique’s bar where she makes a mean gin and tonic!!

2. Absolutely no housework or washing up! Unless you feel you want to straighten your towel before lying on it on a sunlounger after lunch or rinse your glass out if you’re swapping from rose to red wine.

3. On the subject of refreshment…liquids should be sipped regularly. Okay, so there’s great coffee at breakfast and tea for those who don’t do coffee, but frankly I find a glass of rose with lunch helps the words flow! (Or at any time of day frankly!)

4. You must eat regular meals to keep your strength up when you’re writing all those words. (Owner Janie’s food is irresistible.)

5.  Then of course there’s the talking rule. Lots of it! And laughter too! Ideas and enthusiasm bounce off the walls in this place. Plot problems are solved and new ideas born.

6.  Entertainment – positively no entertainment in the evening. Unless of course, you find yourself with an overwhelming desire to sing, tell poems or do anything else you wouldn’t think of doing at home, in which case, what happens in Castillon stays in Castillon.

7.  No daytime napping. However, thinking time with your eyes shut by the pool or in your lovely big spacious bedroom is allowed.

8. No fraternising with the staff; well that’s the owners, Janie and Mike, even though Janie, the chef, is a writer herself and loves nothing better than a chat over plot ideas whilst she’s doing the dinner and the pool boy Mike is a complete charmer who always keeps your glass topped up at dinner!

9. No Petting. No matter how much the house dog tries to be your best friend for the week, he’s fickle! It’ll be someone else next week!

10. Word count. Well, I could tell you there’s a daily word count limit but you’ll find you’ll break that rule in no time. Because whether you like it or not, this is where words get written, ideas become stories and happy memories made.

I told you, it’s all work, no fun at all. Honest!!!

Courses are available for all levels of writing and there are retreats for those who simply want to get the words on the page.

www.chez-castillon.com

7 Rue Victor Hugo, 33350 Castillon-la-Bataille, France
+33 5 57 47 97 94

And if you do go…shhh, keep it to yourselves; we don’t want everyone finding out what fab fun it is.

Jo Thomas set her SUNLOUNGER 2 story – Bride Comes Before A Fall – in Saint Emillion.