Words by Tom Cronk

It's been a few days since we said our fond farewells to our final Summer Camp guests, so today we're taking stock of a month of hard work, fun and new friendships.

Keep scrolling to see lots of amazing photos from the Camps, as well as our 10 reasons why we think Summer Camp was the perfect event for the summer of 2021.

But first, a warning. If you didn't join us in The Walled Garden this year, this might make you a little bit jealous.

Before we dive in, let me tell you a little more about Summer Camp ‘21.

Summer Camp was an opportunity for 100 guests to escape into nature. It was intimate and it was inspiring.

Guests stayed in the idyllic Walled Garden of Hawarden Castle and spent their days in the company of world experts in outdoor craft and nature who gave talks, lead expeditions and ran workshops.

The evenings were spent as one around the campfire.

The focus was on existing in and learning from the natural world, on slowing down, on having fun, on being around other like-minded people. We wanted there to be something for everyone - wild swimming, historical tours, wellness, runs, dog walks, tennis, paddle boarding and much more.

All guests camped in luxury with access to newly renovated showers and loos, and dinner was prepared by our team of chefs at Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.

In total, each weekend of Summer Camp lasted for four days, running over four consecutive long weekends.

In short, it was the event we had always dreamt of hosting. So, let’s get to those reasons, shall we?

#1. The food and drink.

From the communal evening meals, enjoyed by guests and educators alike, to the pub lunches at The Glynne Arms and the amazing café at Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and the campfire breakfasts we dived into each morning.

We certainly ate well at Summer Camp.

And then there were the campfire cooking sessions with Damian and Xanthe and Grace. Oh, and the fantastic foraging with Lisa and Cynan.

Not forgetting the tastings with Natural Born Wine, Wye Valley Mead, Futtle and Little Pomona, too.

Yep, we certainly drank well at Summer Camp.

#2. The wild swimming.

The lake at Hawarden is a magical place.

Aside from a few weekends a year, it is an untouched nature reserve brimming with wildlife and plant life.

At Summer Camp, we wandered across the park and down the the lake on our daily pilgrimage. It was a chance to escape the heat and drift, eye-level, among the lily pads.

We tried our hand at paddle boarding too, with mixed results.

And, for lucky Weekend #3 guests, we enjoyed a midnight swim beneath the full moon. Opportunities like that don't come around too often.

#3. The campfires.

When we first dreamt of Summer Camp, we knew campfires would be right at the very heart of it.

The warmth, the fireside conversations, the gooey marshmallows, the lingering woodsmoke that clings to your jacket long after you leave.

We cooked over them, we huddled around them and we shared a drink with new friends beside them.

#4. The dogs.

We'll always be fiercely dog friendly at The Good Life Society. After all, your happy hounds are part of the family, so why shouldn't they get to join in the fun?

At Summer Camp, we welcomed around 50 dogs across the four weekends, and every single one was a complete joy.

For the water-obsessed Labradors we had a big lake to dive in and for the more lazy lurchers we had great big bean bags to snooze on.

Bear and Goose, our team's latest recruits, certainly stole the show on one or two occasions!

#5. The weather.

We're not sure we could have asked for more. But then again, the sun always shines in Hawarden.

Over four long weekends we basked in bright sunshine as we wiled away the days building, painting, whittling, foraging, toasting, walking, swimming, abseiling, printing...

#6. The Walled Garden.

Within the high brick walls of Hawarden Castle's Walled Garden we spent four days and three nights sharing stories, learning new skills and camping in complete luxury.

The bar was buzzing, the campfires were stoked from dawn until bedtime, we soaked in the wood-fired hot tub, worked up a sweat in the sauna and then blasted the cobwebs away in the icy plunge pool.

Elsewhere, Kate and her team offered massages and yoga all weekend long in the rock garden while Mark led morning qigong sessions beneath the ancient oak tree.

Then there were the showers and loos. Described by many as being "nicer than the one I have at home!"

#7. The evenings beneath the canopy.

When the sun dipped below the garden walls, and with bellies full of wonderful food, we would gather beneath the candy stripe canopy to try our hand at campfire singing with James, dance to Atsushi's French vinyl collection, soak up Tom's campfire set, try some great new booze and party as Jono DJ'd.

There may only have been 100 or so of us, but that only made it more special.

#8. The educators.

Quite simply, we could not have picked a better bunch.

By Sunday evening guests, educators and members of our team were talking like old friends around the fire. Together we pushed ourselves to try new things, learn new skills and take a lasting memento of Summer Camp home with us.

From whittled knives to linocut prints and fishing flies to lego sculptures.

You may not have headed to Hawarden hoping for these things to one day sit on your shelf. But now you have them. Now they're special.

And the best bit is you made it!

#9. The friendships.

The word 'friendship' is scattered throughout this message. It's something that's tricky to pin down, or indeed promise potential guests when you're hosting a new event.

But, with four long weekends under our belts, we now know that friendship, and the community it builds, is at the very core of Summer Camp.

The perfect example of this is Rob Walker AKA Signs by Umberto. Over the course of Summer Camp, Rob almost certainly met each and every guest.

He gave the confident artists license to express themselves and nurtured the more nervous painters until they felt ready to contribute to our shared mural.

The truly special thing isn't the mural at all though, it is the act of community that created it, and the lasting friendships Rob forged along the way.

To the cynical this may seem cheesy. But trust us when we say there is true magic in that mural.

#10. The fact we're going to do it all again!

Yes! Summer Camp will return in 2022.

To a person, each member of our team feels Summer Camp is the best event we have ever hosted. We can't wait to get to work on the next one.

We hope we'll see you there?

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