There’s something about old community halls that I love. They ooze history and character. They speak of the events of yesteryear, of the sweet new beginnings of weddings, of the many flavours of meetings that took place there, of the funerals – some expected, some not – and the iconic dances that people would travel from far, far away to attend.
I was so smitten with old halls here in Golden Bay that my band Mohua Sun and I once organised an ‘Old Hall Tour’ (see the poster above) where we played our music at all the local historic halls and invited guest speakers to share their stories with audiences.
Do you have an old hall like this in your past you could write about? What did you do there? And what did it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Those little details bring a story to life.
One hall that I adore is Kotinga Hall, near Tākaka, here in New Zealand. Standing in the midst of dairy farm country, it’s over 100 years old and was once a schoolhouse. These days it’s well used and well maintained by a devoted committee and in the winter you can hire it and light a fire, enjoying the ambience of an old, very loved building.
That hall would be a great place for people to gather and write their stories together. And I am hosting an event where you can do that, this winter, which you’re invited to.
Here’s how it will work. Sign up to my online course Write Your Memoir and part of the course will be the opportunity to meet once a season, starting mid-June at Kotinga Hall, here in beautiful Golden Bay, to write your life story, memoir or family history.
You can still write at home and access all the course lessons online, but this is an extra lovely way to stay on track, alongside others in the same boat as you, with my in-person support and coaching.
For those who live far enough away you’d need to book accommodation, you can do so here and here.
So what do you say? Ready to take the leap and finally write your story? All you need to do is sign up and I’ll be in touch with more details.
Reach out anytime with your thoughts or to ask any questions,
Charlotte
x
Charlotte Squire 