The Journey and Association Continues

We started the international programme in 2017, and prior to that several UK students volunteers came to us. It is gratifying to note that a goodly proportion of the international residential student shave chosen to remain in contact with us.

Indeed three of them have become official Trustees of the charity and their input in invaluable. Three have have been back to visit us, and many more want to do so. Additionally 9 or so of them contribute a short resume of their studies/activities/life to the Quarterly Report for Trustees and Friends of the Trust. 

Some of us have also met up in Germany. And I have visited some in Switzerland and Germany.

Feedback From Some Past Students

SIMON 

I can't really put it into words how nice it was to be allowed to stay with Stephen for 6 weeks. It has been a big new experience to help Stephen in his garden and with his charity. Stephen has a terrific personality, so living with him for those 6 weeks was wonderful. He has such a great humour, so we were making jokes all the time... It was immense fun.        Stephen is a very kind person and takes care of you in a way that you will feel like being home. He is one of the persons who does really understand what Workaway is all about. So working hours will never be longer than 5 hour's, in fact you will work most likely only 3 hours each day.    Since he was a teacher some years ago he will be able to show and guide you around all the local cites and sights like Stonehenge and give you a lot of interesting information.   

The accommodation and food in general is very good too. Stephen speaks a very clear English, that's why I was able to improve my English so rapidly. I have learned a lot about gardening and building too because Stephen offered me a verity of different working projects. I was allowed to choose from and he explained to me how it's done each time which is very helpful too. I got in touch with a lot of people from the village because Stephen took me quite regularly to the pub. Being surrounded by native people got me even closer to the English culture.       

I even became a Trustee of his charity organization because I really like the mentality and purpose of this trust. Stephen and I are already planning to meet up again in the near future, since we became really good friends.        Stephen thanks again for having me around your house and garden and taking care of me during those 6 weeks.

Simon: GERMANY

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DAVIDE  

Originally, I was scheduled to stay at Stephen's for 6 weeks, but I couldn't stay more than three because of his terrible jokes! Just kidding, we got along very well actually, and his sense of humour helped me feel at home right from the beginning. It's obviously a question of affinity as well, but I think he's just a nice human being: open, knowledgeable and funny. And a lot more, but I hope you'll have the chance to know him in person so you can judge yourself. I had to leave early, in mid-March, because of the Covid pandemic. As a Workawayer, I think the hours of work to put in every day are fine (about 4h 5 days a week).      When I wasn't feeling too well for a couple of days, he didn't let me work.      Derry Hill, the village, is a nice and peaceful place to stay, it's quite small, but you can reach bigger towns or cities by public transport. The hills and meadows in the vicinities are really very beautiful, as is the garden!      Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to see the garden in "high season", which would be late spring and summer.      Stephen and I are keeping in touch, and I am grateful for the opportunity and the time at his house.

Davide: ITALY

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RENAUD

I'm not afraid to say, be gone to Stephen's home was one of my best experience.      He is great man , always with the smile with good value. Stephen is not afraid to give you responsibility and always trust in you. He is able to change his mind about how to make an garden task , he is not like a "Chief". If you think , you have an better idea to make it , he will listen to you and follow your lead. It's quite satisfying, you feel useful.     

He has the "classic" English accent , so its pretty easy to understand what he's saying. His home is great, a real typical English house, with an private garden that you never seen before ( I swear ! )       Stephen is also a great "Life teacher" , He has a really big knowledge and will learn you some stuffs about different subjects, you just need to ask question, you will see !      Stephen is clearly passionate about nature and flora, and its so great to listen to him when he speak about his passion, you will learn a lot...      As a conclusion, Go to Stephen's home will make you change your perception of the world ( at least , a bit ) and it's the best gift that he can offer , you will grow up after this. Thx Stephen .

Renaud:  FRANCE

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NIKLAS

My time with Stephen was, and I can only agree with my predecessors, unforgettable. I have enjoyed my time here sooo much. I was able to come down, sort out my thoughts, and prepare for the coming studies.      Derry Hill is very small and cozy which can be a welcome change to a city life. The area is perfect for walks, hikes or to go jogging as I did from time to time. First I had to get used to the house itself, but soon I felt almost at home, which is due to the very considerate behaviour of Stephen. Even if you live in the same house you do not have to give up your privacy. All this first to the environment.     

The work is absolutely feasible, too, for people who, like me, have barely had anything to do with gardening in their lives. Stephen explains everything very closely, is always nearby and will not judge you for any questions or mistakes.     Stephen himself is a great man. He is a very interesting character with whom you can talk about the whole world and in my experience has no prejudices in any direction. He has a special sense of humour I found very refreshing.   

Finally, a few personal words. Stephen, thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to meet you and Wiltshire. I noticed from the first second I met you, that you really care about the person you work and live with and that's definitely not the case everywhere! I had an unforgettable time and I hope I can visit you again sometime. Best regards from Germany -Nik

Niklas: GERMANY

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JULIAN  

Stephen is a great host, he really cares about your interests, to make the stay as nice as possible for both sides. After I mentioned that I enjoy working with wood, he got me into the local carving club and gave me a lot of things to make out of wood.      I liked to tell him that he didn’t have the hang of hosting Workawayers: Instead of making them work hard to then feed them with a watery soup, he wants you to work only 4 hours, but often it’s less. Thus, if you’ve been at other Workawayers before, Stephen might be a nice holiday! (That’s at least how it felt like for me, as I more or less had the change described above.)     

The region he’s living in is great, you’ve got Stonehenge and other prehistoric sites within range, as well as major cities like Oxford or London.      And on top of that, Stephen is a great tour guide, who knows everything about the history of a place. He generally has got an amazing amount of knowledge in so many different topics. I had many great conversations with him heard brilliant stories, from which I learned a lot, whether it was about English culture, or when Cider is ready to be consumed. By the way, talking about alcohol, Stephen makes his own beer! Which is great, unfortunately I had a bit too much of it at the beginning so I kept away from it for the rest of my stay!

Dear Stephen, thank you very much for everything, when I’ll be around your area the next time I will definitely pay you a visit to see how things are going! Cheers, Julian.

Julian: GERMANY

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JUNG  

When I first arrived here, I saw someone waving at me smiling: He was my new host! He made me feel very welcomed and at ease. That was our first meet. After I was getting to know about him.      He was garden-lover. He was not only knowledgeable but also tried to give me understanding for the future. His purpose is to live with nature and other people. When it comes to working. Although people every work is hard, this placement was really good and easy During my working time he was always showing me everything I needed to know and explaining everything. If you are interested in gardening. You can extend your knowledge of garden. That would be great for you.      Yes he is really patient and respectful. He is like a guru to me! Because he knows many things and also taught me English a lot!!! And we had conversations on many subjects. Especially what he would say to me was about history of the U.K. such as King Alfred the Great and many other things! Come here and learn and live up with your host! All I regret now is my English!! If I had a good English skill I would have talked to you a lot more! Thank you. I will never forget you and the time being here.

Jung: SOUTH KOREA

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THEO

 Stephen is a brilliant man, very kind and funny ! I was so happy to have him behind me for support and jokes ! Thank you very much for your help, your host and your joy ! You were a sunshine which crossed the clouds and the snow this winter ! 

Theo: FRANCE

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RYAN

Stephen is great! Wiltshire is great! I definitely enjoyed my time here. It was great to see what life is like in a village in rural England. Stephen is such a great guy. He will take care of you. The Garden is beautiful and will continue to build popularity in the community as a place to visit.      I truly had all the time I needed to do the things I wanted to do. Stephen is very accommodating. Transportation can be tricky since it is not right in a city and he doesn't have a car. However, Stephen has thought of that and has a bike so you can pedal into town. There is also a bus stop right in front of his house with a bus that comes every 20 minutes so getting into town is easy if you know when you're going.     

I would highly recommend giving Stephen a visit if you want a rural England experience. He makes a great effort to make sure you are comfortable, enjoying your stay, and are doing the things you want to do. I will definitely be back to visit. I met such great people in that area that I have lots of love for.

Ryan: CALIFORNIA  U.S.A.

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BASTIEN  

I spent six weeks with Stephen and it has been some really good time. The work in the garden is interesting and not so hard. Stephen is more than a simple host because he has exactly understood, I think, the purpose of Workaway. He doesn't want workers only for the work they do, but to give them what they were looking for in their travel as well. Stephen is a really funny dude and full of historical knowledge ! Thank you Stephen and happy Christmas!

Bastien: SWITZERLAND

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DAVID

My stay with Stephen is unforgettable. He was the best host I've ever had since now.      During my stay we became friends. Stephen and I spent many evenings together drinking beer, making jokes and laughing together. He was very interested in my well being and as he knows a lot about history I learned a lot about the English history and tradition. His house is a typical countryside cottage. He decorated it nice. The garden is very big and contains different themes.      The work in the garden wasn't to hard and it was really nice as we worked together in the garden and talked. (Only working is boring.) I went often for a walk/run/bike tour as the house is situated in the beautiful countryside of Wiltshire. Thank you very much Stephen for this unforgettable stay.

David: SWITZERLAND

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TITOUAN

I originally came in England to learn English , but after one month I learn a lot more than English. When we talked about geo-politics or history, because he was so knowledgeable about those domains it was even more interesting for me. Stephen is really a fantastic person, I just felt that he was dedicating himself to the others, by the way of the charity and just helping me and others students through our journey.

I managed to do a lot of visiting (Bath, Bristol, the Dorset coast, Aveburyhenge) and some skateboarding and cycling. I learnt about gardening skills.

Titouan: FRANCE

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JONATHAN

Stephen!! Thank you so much for being an incredible host and friend for these past two weeks. Studley, your beautiful garden, and your amazing hospitality will forever remain on my mind. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me for you to emphasize the cultural aspects of the trip so much: I truly felt like i was valued friend and intellectual partner, and not just a source of labour. It was also an honour to learn from you in the so many areas in which you are clearly well versed: politics, free masonry, carpentry, and gardening, to name just a small few. It is so bittersweet that omicron had to cut my stay short, but I am so privileged to have had that short stay and all those amazing memories we happened to squeeze into them. Please stay in touch and let me know if you are ever in the States!!

Jonathan: NEW YORK STATE U.S.A.

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ANTTON

I couldn't have wished for a better host for my first Workaway. Before I arrived, Stephen made sure that everything was well organized. He gave me a lot of useful info about the upcoming visit which was very helpful and made things so much easier for me.

Stephens garden is one of the finest I've seen, and working in the garden didn't really feel like work to me. The tasks were all very manageable and there was no hurry or stress. It shows that Stephen really wants you to learn and have a good time. I often spent time in the garden just relaxing and thinking, enjoying the atmosphere. Became friends with Emeer the cat, he would often supervise and check my work.

There are loads of interesting places and sites to visit nearby, most of which are accessible by train and bus. Stephen was a great guide, he knew to recommend various places to go to and also came along with me as often he had time. Since Stephen is also an expert on everything about England , he knew how to describe each visited location; its history, best places to see and what do there etc.

Stephens kind and wonderful friends helped out whenever they could, they took us to see the beacon lighting for the Queen's Jubilee - party and also visited the village of Lacock.
I also got to join the local wood working club (Via Stephens recommendation) ! I'm studying to become a handicraft teacher so that was useful and fun for me.

I really enjoyed my time with Stephen. We spent time together talking, laughing, watching tv, pub crawling, travelling. Truly had a blast with the man! He is very kind, helpful and fun to be around with. Stephen has a very unique way of viewing life and for that he became a great inspiration to me, I loved to listen to his stories and I think I learned a lot from him. I would love to visit him again.

Antton: FINLAND

I had a wonderful stay at Stephen's garden ! It was a great experience, very unique and so rich in teaching !

Stephen was very welcoming, he told a lot about the history of England, the places around : he has a lot of knowledges about England. And of course you will enjoy a lot of his jokes, and that helps to feel quick at home !

I had the occasion to discover the Wiltshire, with some nice villages around Derry Hill (Castle Combe and Lacock!), to see the beautiful Wells' Cathedral, to drink hot chocolate and tea in pubs !

The people in the village are also very welcoming, I could visit Gloucester (and its cathedral), and Bristol, or play at the church organ thanks to them.

The environs are pretty good for walking, hiking, or running. It was easy to visit other places with the bus and the train, you can go easily to London, Oxford, Bristol for example...

The gardening tasks weren't difficult, he explained what he expected and was opened if you have other solutions. I had mainly to prune shrubs, plants. It was never more than 4 hours a day, and I always had a break with a cup of tea...

I won't forget my stay in England, it was a very nice experience, thank you Stephen !