Upcoming events…
Creative Writing course for 8-13 year olds
Sarah is planning two separate one week courses for this summer’s school holidays plus a 3-day games course each week. Email back to us to confirm your interest.
The second week starts Monday August 18th till Friday August 22nd. Writing course 10.30am-12.30pm all week, 3-day Games course Mon-Wed 1.30pm-3.30pm. (Themes to be confirmed)
Cost for the above is £100 for the writing, £75 for Games, or £25 per session per child. Book with Sarah or reply here and we will forward.
These courses are always well received and we love hosting them as it gives the shop a real buzz during those weeks which is delightful - oh, and participants learn lots and have great fun!
Games Course for 8-13 year olds
The second Games making course of the summer starts Monday August 18th till Wednesday August 20th. Writing course 10.30am-12.30pm all week, 3-day Games course Mon-Wed 1.30pm-3.30pm. (Themes to be confirmed)
Cost for both the above is £100 for the writing, £75 for Games, or £25 per session per child. Book with Sarah or reply here and we will forward.
These courses are always well received and we love hosting them as it gives the shop a real buzz during those weeks which is delightful - oh, and participants learn lots and have great fun!
Games course (3 days) for 8-13 year olds
First week starting Monday 28th July till Wednesday July 30th. 3-day Games course Mon-Wed 1.30pm-3.30pm. closely linked to the Creative writing course that happens each morning of this week.
(Fantasy theme for the writing course, Dungeons & Dragons theme for Games course.)
Cost for both the above is £100 for the writing, £75 for Games, or £25 per session per child. Book with Sarah or reply here and we will forward.
These courses are always well received and we love hosting them as it gives the shop a real buzz during those weeks which is delightful - oh, and participants learn lots and have great fun!
Creative Writing Course for 8-13 year olds
Sarah is planning two separate one week courses for this summer’s school holidays plus a 3-day games course each week. Email back to us to confirm your interest, the dates are:
Week #1 Monday 28th July till Friday August 1st. Writing course 10.30am-12.30pm all week, 3-day Games course Mon-Wed 1.30pm-3.30pm.
(Fantasy theme for the writing course, Dungeons & Dragons theme for Games course.)
Week #2 Monday August 18th till Friday August 22nd. Writing course 10.30am-12.30pm all week, 3-day Games course Mon-Wed 1.30pm-3.30pm. (Themes to be confirmed)
Cost for both the above is £100 for the writing, £75 for Games, or £25 per session per child. Book with Sarah or reply here and we will forward.
These courses are always well received and we love hosting them as it gives the shop a real buzz during those weeks which is delightful - oh, and participants learn lots and have great fun!
Therapy Book Club
Join our Therapy Book Club, facilitated by Laila Hamade, a qualified counsellor dedicated to creating a safe and supportive space for open discussion and personal growth.
Our next meeting will be held on 1st July at 6.30pm, where we’ll be diving into the empowering themes of Let Them by Mel Robbins.
Whether you're a returning member or new to the group, everyone is welcome to join the conversation and explore insights on boundaries, self-worth, and letting go.
If you’re interested, message Laila on 07802 220976
Folk Horror Writing Workshop
Friday June 20th Folk Horror Writing Workshop with Alex Bestwick and Sarah Williams 7-9 pm. When the bookshop closes: brew tea, light candles and summon stories from the woods... Learn about folk horror and write your own tales! This is a free event but donations are appreciated and suggested at £3
Authors Talk
Tuesday June 17th Author’s Talks 7-9 pm: Hosted by Written in York, this special event brings together two acclaimed authors—L K Pang and Angharad Hampshire —alongside Helen Smith, director of Thin Ice Press, York’s own heritage letterpress print studio. Together, they’ll share their experiences across the literary and publishing landscape, from crafting gothic thrillers to reviving traditional printing techniques.
Get your tickets on the link below for minimum donation of £1
Creative writing course 8-13 year olds
Starting on Saturday June 14th all day creative writing course with Sarah 10.30am - 3.30pm. Theme Books on books. There is the option for parents/siblings to join in through the afternoon. Cost £45 per child, adults free! One day of getting your writing groove on, where we'll welcome (and all teach!) parents how to write in the afternoon, too! Go to eventbrite to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kids-creative-writing-let-it-flow-tickets-1373405977249?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKrgChleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABp7Q-Fy3YCGVdkEvfK3VbSflk3HIyOmTA2zS5TqAtSZCO4wVJpKfvTI-roaaw_aem_Ifg7jNQdMWBZbGd_0eoZ9A
Creative Writing course for 8-13 year olds
The February half term session will be from 17th- 21st February from 10:30am-12:30pm and you can see all the details on the Eventbrite here: Writing Course: Believable Fiction Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
Please let Sarah know if you want to book on and she can send you the invoice!
We are also considering offering a code-breaking class after the sessions on Monday and Tuesday of Feb half-term. This would be with me (Sarah) and my partner, Jack, who you might remember from the puppet show, and would be £25 per session. Jack is an experienced teacher and expert language-puzzle solver and setter (he may deny being an expert but he certainly is in most people's opinion) and a fully DBS-checked experienced teacher of Maths and English. We are considering doing this from 1:30-3:30pm and would ask that if the kids come to both session (writing and code-breaking) they bring a packed lunch for the break in the middle.
In regards to later courses this year please fill this very short survey in to let us know when you're around so far. I will be organising the next sessions in advance so you can plan around them! Dates for the rest of the year! Survey
Any questions, contact Sarah at sbewilliams95@gmail.com
Mindfulness meet-ups
Each month we host monthly moments for business women run by Sarah Hartley, Mindful Meet-ups with Blossom Tree Social. The idea is to connect with female solo entrepreneurs to chat, have a coffee and complete some mindful activities such as colouring, creating or crafting. Each month’s activity will be different. Sarah will share top tips to become more mindful within your day to day life. Plus, you get to connect with other female entrepreneurs in York. Price is £8 but can vary depending on the activity.
Future meet-up dates:
Wednesday February 12th at 10-11 am
Thursday March 20th at 10-11 am
For more information visit - subscribepage.io/wellnessworkshopyork or you can follow Sarah on social media @blossomtreesocial
Creative writing course for 8-13 year olds
The next creative writing course which will be from 30th December - 3rd January, from 10:30-12:30 each day.
The theme will be 'Stories to be told' and we'll focus on writing short stories that are written to be read aloud. These will be in keeping with the seasonal festivities and I am considering organising a Twelfth Night celebration on Sunday 5th January in which we might tell these stories to families (no pressure to read though!) and generally enjoy the winding down of the festive season. Please let me know if you'd be interested in the course, the celebration or both.
Email karen@thebluehousebookshop.co.uk
Santa Claus visit
Santa Claus is coming to town…
For the last year, our hybrid working Santa has been doing much of his preparation work in our attic. There’s usually lots of books to wrap and place in a sack to take round York so we have agreed to help out this year. Santa is pleased because it reduces his carbon footprint, as well as his snowy one. If you have youngsters or friends who have youngsters, who would like to meet Santa as he prepares for the big night, do get in touch, mark your email SANTA. Each visit costs £8 per child to include a book, and we will need some details to help Santa chat, eg name of child, what your child had last year and the kind of book they might like etc. All children must be accompanied. Santa will be around and is bookable from December 1st onwards until December 21st, after which he will be a little busy, so choose a time that works well for you.