…your wonderful hospitality and the serenity of the atmosphere … everything was wonderful – weather great – food excellent and Pig Pen spoilt me dreadfully … as always a delight to share time with you all … thank you for arranging Angela as the conductor – I have great admiration for her. Thank you for everything. I look forward to future ‘Fringe's
I would have found my stay at Sheldon more enjoyable if ... I had not kept losing my duvet during the night – not used to a single bed – not that I expect you to provide a double!!

… of the silence, the prayer, the content of the retreat, the way it was led by Rev Angela Tilby who interpreted the ‘thoughts' in such a relevant way for today. She has a light touch as well as a wealth of knowledge and a great sense of humour. The services in the chapel were so meaningful and the opportunity for private prayer in the Chapel of Christ the Servant was also helpful … the sun shone, it was warm and lovely walks in the grounds … the warmth of the Community in their welcome and subsequent care I found an example to us all … a very special and, I hope, to be repeated time
I would have found my stay at Sheldon more enjoyable if … maybe clearer direction signs for the walks in the grounds – I have very poor navigational skills even on two feet!

…the hospitality is wonderful, the setting is spectacular, the food is delightful … as a ‘back sufferer' I found the bed very hard but an appeal to Hillary brought a foam mattress and an extra duvet which made sleeping much easier. Thank you Hillary.
I would have found my stay at Sheldon more enjoyable if … a kettle in the room would be good for those of us who are light sleepers.

… the staff were as welcoming and helpful as always even though they had to do it silently .… stimulating input with lots of space from Jonathan although without the ‘discussion' (which broke our silence a bit) it would have been poorer .… fantastic grounds and countryside … thanks Philippa for the massage.
I would have found my stay more useful/helpful/enjoyable if … there was music at meal times, but for me the silence was fine as was a silent drink in the fat Pigeon bar .… it might have been good to know someone else was coming from my deanery. Is this possible while at the same time respecting confidentiality?

... my stay was absolutely perfect for many reasons the chief one being that the Dean of Exeter was leading the sessions.

I found my stay at Sheldon useful because of …the warmth and comfort of the thoughtfully designed and fully equipped Pig Pen with its superb view. All other rooms and spaces we used were bright, modern spick and span and in perfect working order .… the brilliant and perceptive retreat addresses, and the learning experience and good humour of the conductor and the fact that it was a genuine silent retreat .… the utter stillness .… the good weather .… excellent walk plans.

Thank you all so much for your welcome, friendliness and care and discreet thoughtfulness. Thanks be to God for the vision and for its implementation.
I would have found my stay at Sheldon more helpful … if the officiate had not sat with her back to the congregation including for reading. Could it be tried sitting at the back of the chapel facing forward?

~ the staff were very welcoming and helpful.
~ the setting is superb. I enjoyed walking in the woods and fields.
~ the poetry and the way it was put across was food for mind and heart and spirit
~ the buildings were so right for refreshment and prayer – especially the old chapel.
I would have found my stay more enjoyable if…there had been music at mealtimes.

I found the process of leading a retreat stimulating and personally refreshing partly because of the preparation I had to do partly because of the place and partly because of the community here. Your commitment to assisting the Retreat experience for others is self-evident and very supportive.

... Interesting course content. Good accommodation and food!!! Temperature good!
I would have found my stay more useful/helpful/enjoyable if ... there was a basin in my room. No silence at meal (pm) and in bar. Bar open after prayers on last night.

... it gave me time out, but in the company of lovely people. Brendan gave us plenty to think about and made it fun. I've rediscovered the joy of being.
I would have found my stay more useful/helpful/enjoyable if ... it would have been nice to have "proper" coffee, at least at breakfast.

~ warm and friendly welcome
~ excellent accommodation and hospitality and catering
~ Quality of retreat input with Margaret
~ Overall a wonderfully refreshing few days
Thank you.

... of the quality of the leadership - its honesty and integrity. The warmth and welcome of all the community and volunteers, who made my stay restful, relaxing and fun, especially Jan and Freda. The beauty of the surroundings - the colour of the autumn leaves was lovely. To be able to amble about the woods and fields in safety, as a woman on her own, was very special.
I would have found my stay more useful/helpful/enjoyable if ... this sounds very nit picking ie. especially considering the above, but more space/places to sit/read quietly and enjoy the countryside from the warmth of inside would be good.

~ Very warm welcome
~ Excellent food
~ Peace and relative quiet (only because of building works!)
~ Above all - prayerful atmosphere and Esther's wonderful talks - all eleven of them.
I would have found my stay more useful/helpful/enjoyable if .... There is a very noisy light-pull in the upstairs WC in the Long Barn. It reverberated throughout the upstairs - but this is very very minor! How I am ashamed that I have written that. You are all wonderful!

~ This place has become my "spiritual home".
~ Esther brought St Benedict alive : soaked as she clearly is in both the man and his Rule.
~ The worship was beautifully led.
~ The hospitality, by community, staff and volunteers, just right, and the food - as always - great.
I would have found my stay more enjoyable if ... the weather had been better! But not even you have control over that and it stayed dry for most of the time! Thank you.
P.S. the building site was not that obtrusive!

... Thank you to everyone for looking after us so well on the pre-Advent retreat. As usual, everything at Sheldon was simply excellent, and it is a great joy that you are there to accommodate us. I meant also to say to you how much I appreciated the photographs mounted on the dining room walls, especially the long landscape. They made all the difference when sitting with back to the garden. The retreat was led very well indeed by Barbara. To my mind not only were the addresses more stimulating than on earlier occasions, but the worship was so much more accessible, and ideal for a retreat situation. Thank you for taking on board our earlier comments in this respect.
There is just one slightly negative comment I'd like to make about this year's retreat, and that is about the degree of silence. I was surprised and a little alarmed when, on arrival, I discovered that silence could be broken during the afternoon and up to the end of supper. I thought it had been advertised as a "silent retreat", as is the equivalent event in 2006, though I've discarded the 2005 programme so might have remembered the details incorrectly. As it turned out there was only one part of the day where the talking of those who took up the non-silent option intruded on the two-thirds of us who wished to remain in silence. That was at supper, when the 'noisy' table really was noisy, with many outbursts of laughter and no attempt to moderate the noise level out of respect for the wishes of the rest of us. While it was possible to a great extent to close our ears to it all, I couldn't help being made to feel that our refusal to join in was somehow spoiling their party.
If partial silence is going to be the pattern for future retreats, could I suggest that those wishing to break silence be asked at supper time to keep their conversations at the level of talking quietly? As you're probably aware, I so love coming to Sheldon at this time of year, for the comfort of the accommodation, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the surroundings, that it would take more than a bit of noise at supper-time to keep me away! But I hope you don't mind my making these comments...
[Webeditor: thanks for the feedback - we agree this aspect didn't work well. It was actually billed as a retreat with "plenty of silence" but we will make sure to be clearer in future, and also to avoid mixing silent and non-silent tables at supper. It works okay at breakfast, but obviously not later in the day!]

... of the beauty of the surroundings, the peace within the place and the care of all the community and volunteers. Thanks especially for all the extras you did for me for my food, the cake, the yogurt, the milk and the alternative meals. I really appreciated the them.
... A suggestion for making twin beds into doubles: 1. Remove the wheels. 2. Have a hook and bar that joins the beds together so they don't move. 3. Don't try and leave them as twins. [Webeditor: we're working on this.] Thank you to the community and volunteers; those we saw and those who were quietly working and praying and resting in the background.

~ of the beauty and peace of the place
~ the retreat was stimulating and often fun
~ the new chapel is very beautiful and already very prayerful
~ the resident community and volunteers were friendly and helpful and produced beautiful food!
~ I appreciated your grounds, and the suggestions for walks further afield (even though I didn't see the kingfisher).
My stay might have been more helpful/enjoyable/productive if ... my room door (Pound House 2) hadn't rattled whenever I had a window open. I tried locking it and even wedging it, but nothing stopped it.

~ Because of the setting, living in London means constant noise, and a chronic inability to see the night sky.
~ Because of the warmth and comfort of the place and the generous and cheerful hospitality.
~ Because of the silence.
~ Because of the rhythm of the day. As a generally undisciplined person it is always good to have a rhythm of food, worship, space, reflection and sleep.
~ The daily eucharist in a beautiful chapel.
~ Not least the way time wore a tapestry of old and new ideas into a fabric that might be a 'throw' or a shawl for the future.
My only problem was the loos and the showers and the lack of wash basin in the room in the Long Barn. The shower itself was great - there just need to be more of them!
A minor quibble in a wonderful week.

• it's a good time of year to have some time away from work before the Christmas rush starts, and didn't take up either weekend!
• plenty of time to do my own thing: good walking/walks around the local area and comfortable sitting places in the warm!
• really nice to have a room to myself. Unusual even for adults on youth residential's (I'm a youth worker!)
• the food was lovely
• [better if] there was a dictionary in the library (maybe there already is and I just couldn't find anything!) (Yes, I am struggling to find anything!)

• the addresses were well prepared and well delivered
• the surroundings were conducive to waiting on God
• the worship was quiet dignified and "unfussy"
• the meals were sustaining varied and nourishing especially for a vegetarian such as myself!
• [better if] the clatter of cutlery at mealtimes might have been less intrusive had a little light classical music been played. I don't say it spoiled the retreat, and may be opinion has been canvassed widely and I am in a minority, but since you ask, this is a very minor enquiry that may help, or not!

... Helpful because of the addresses and because it gave me time to both relax and reflect.
... Enjoyable because of the lovely food, lovely grounds and lovely walks. I especially enjoyed visiting the lakes in the hills.
... Productive because it put me back in touch with God again.
[better if] I would have loved to stay longer.
The bed did seem a little narrow, but maybe that is a comment on me being too wide!!

Brigid was encouraging, open and honest, full of good things which she shared freely. The atmosphere of peace in spite of difficulties. The caring of Hillary and Lindsey. Thank you.

... of the skill, humour and wisdom of the Retreat Leader - the size of the group was very helpful too. As always the beauty and peace of the place is very healing. Your welcome and gentle care enables growth and refurbishment. It was sheer joy to stay in the luxury of the Pound House - I still can't quite believe the transformation from the old dormitories!

.. It's lovely to be here again, though it took me a while to get used to the new buildings! Brigid was super and the worship led by Jim just right. As always the food and hospitality were great. The weather was dry and I could make the most of my Wellingtons on two long walks! I needed this week of peace and quiet and got much more from it than I did the "Quiet Week" I came to last year. (Boundaries much more clear on a Retreat.)