Conversations in the Corridors

Imagine the events that have unfolded in the gardens and rooms of West Horsley Place through a thousand years of history! Who has walked the corridors? Which secrets have been whispered amongst the leaves? What intrigues have unfolded whilst the walls bore silent witness?

Join children’s author, Lucy Reynolds, for a captivating dip into the rich history of West Horsley Place to explore the house and grounds and discover some of its fascinating private archives. Then work with Lucy to bring these forgotten stories vibrantly back to life. 

In this fun, hands-on workshop, children will learn key creative writing techniques, including plot planning, character development, story starting and story shaping, working on their own re-telling of West Horsley Place’s stories to take home and share with friends. This is the perfect workshop for half term and a wonderful way to spark a love of storytelling in children - no experience needed!  

More About Lucy 

Together with her illustration partner Jenna Herman, Lucy creates lovely books for little explorers, encouraging children to pause, notice and care about the world around them. With a PhD in 19th century poetry, Lucy combines her love of words with Jenna’s background in Fine Art to create beautiful, keepsake children’s books. Their first publication, Parrots Don’t Live in the City!, hit the shelves with great success in 2017 and their second book, Hedgehogs Don’t Live in the City!, quickly followed suit. Their third book, We Are Family, launched in hardback in February 2022 and as a paperback in February 2023. It immediately attracted praise for its empathy, beauty and touching portrayal of family diversity and was longlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2023. 

“The best book I’ve seen about family diversity” - Catherine Millar, Blue Peter Awards Judge

“Brimming with empathy” - The Sunday Post

"Lucy was kind, warm and animated. The children thoroughly enjoyed her workshops, as did all the staff!" - Busbridge Infant School 

"Captivating, enthralling and humorous, Lucy had a wonderful way with the children" - Longacre School

Important Information:

The workshop is aimed at children aged 8-12. All children must be accompanied- grown up will be joining in and have the chance to get creative with their kids. 

Adults and children require a ticket. 

No skills required, all materials provided. 

We can offer 2 FREE places per session for this workshop to make it accessible for those who would not otherwise be able to join us. 

Workshop lasts 90 minutes. 

Access information here.