Surrey and Sussex Well being Weekend 2026

NORMALLY THE well being weekend takes place in May, but this year it was pushed forward to June.   Personally, I was hoping the weather would be really nice, like one of those summer weekends you remember from your youth.   But whatever the weather decides it never dampens our spirits.   For the first time I didn't need to worry about what I was working over the weekend, or when I came back or any of that old malarkey!   I could just go and enjoy it.

The weekend is spent at Hay-on-Wye with it's unique position on the border of England and Wales, it is ideal for visitors to enjoy and explore the border country.   Hay is known for it's books and bookshops and is the first book town in the world, with a yearly festival, which lasts for a week, attended by thousands of people.

Karl sorted the accommodation out, giving us a good base to work from and come back to relax at the end of the day.   The activity weekend is great for both your mental and physical well being, going off grid a little and just being with other people makes a big difference, especially when the groups come together as they are so relaxed, friendly, and inclusive.

Day 1 - Formation

[EUTIERRIA (yoo-TEE-air-ee-ah):   Eutierria is a positive emotional state defined as a powerful, deep sense of oneness with the Earth and its life forces.   It describes a harmonious feeling where the boundary between yourself and the natural world softens or evaporates replacing alienation with a profound sense of connection and belonging.] 

Everybody was arriving at different times on the Friday, depending on what time they got off work, and the journey time.   I arrived at 10:00 to find Karl and Forrest at the accommodation and we set out for a coffee at the local gardens.

The plan then was to set off for the first activity, walking around Cussop and into the forest we found a river with water running from the mountains.    This fed into a natural plunge pool, which looked cold!   But we decided to give it a go and got ready, Forest was the first one in, jumping from the bank into the icy water.   Karl and I both climbed down the bank and "gingerly" got into the water.   I was not disappointed by the coldness of the water, which took your breath away (on a previous gorge walking activity we were shown how to acclimatize to cold water before getting in).   Great way to wake yourself up and start the weekend, officially we had begun.

We went back to the accommodation to see if anybody else had arrived and in the evening walked down to "Burger Me", for food at The Globe.   The Globe is interesting because we don't know what you are going to get.    Last time it was an open mic night that was dire!    Very dark, very depressing and that night they had another open mic night!    Hold on a minute though, this one was was really good, lots of amateurs, singing, and reciting poetry but a great night out.

By the time we got to The Globe everybody had arrived and the weekend was just starting, good friends, beer, and entertainment.

Karl: "We kicked off with a cold water plunge that woke everyone up fast.   Bracing, but the banter made it worth every second."

Day 2 - Connect

[Anima Mundi (an-th-mah moon-dee):   The soul of the world ... an ancient understanding that all of life is connected through a shared living presence. The idea that beneath the diversity of nature exists a deeper unity, linking all living things as part of the greater whole.]

The following morning there was no messing about on the next activity a 9 mile hike from Capel Y Ffin to Llanthony Priory.   Very close to the beginning was the walk was a mountain that needed to be climbed with an ascent of 465 meters!    On a hot sunny day this required some dedication to the cause!   Its not all about endurance, you have to have the right mindset to power through and get the the top.

The reward was waiting at the top where you reach the height of the Brecon Beacons looking down long valleys where you can see how the ancient glaciers from the ice age has formed and shaped the landscape.   It's breath taking and makes you realise how small you are in the large scheme of the Universe.   The next stage was taking us across the top to the downward paths to Llanthony Priory, what a walk that was.

It was great to get back and hit the showers to get rid of the dirt and dust of the walk.   In the evening we went to the Red Indigo Indian restaurant for the evening.   Curry and a beer is always welcome, especially after the romp that we had.

Karl: "From there it was boots-on hiking through stunning country, with the views from Capel Y Ffin reminding us why we do this.   The trails, the wind, the quiet moments - all of it built that easy comradeship that comes from shared effort."

Day 3 - Team

[Mugda (moog-dha):   A sanskrit word describing a state of wonder inspired by beauty.   The feeling of becoming completely captivated by a moment, standing in quiet awe as time seems to slow and the ordinary reveals something extraordinary.]

After the hard work on the Saturday and the team disbanding for 2026 we needed an activity to enjoy and relax, working together before the journeys home.

This was a two hour canoe session down the river Wye.   Setting off from Glasbury we had four canoes in the water and started the journey following the river, feeling at one with nature, no rush, taking it easy.

There were high river banks with house martins nesting in holes along the way.   The house martins flew around the canoes, trying to catch the flying insects on the river before diving back into their nests.   There were a few kingfishers, looking for small fish in the river.

At the end of the trip there was a trip into Hay, looking at the many bookshops.   Then departure for everybody ending an amazing and productive weekend.

Was the weekend like that long lost summer weekend from my youth?    Absolutely it was, loved every moment of it, taking away a lot of memories.

I will leave the last words to Karl: "One day you will be walking down the street and see someone from this weekend, you won't need to say anything, just smile because you know you were here and have this shared experience."