Mind Chi is a concept which helps you to build, manage and direct your mental energy to maximum effect. During this weekend we combine three different brain skills. Firstly, Mind Chi mapping which allows you to organize your thoughts, absorb new information and apply the information rapidly for decision making and problem solving. Secondly, Mind Chi speedy-reading which will enable you to read at least 600 words per minute and make short work of books, magazines and reports. Thirdly, Mind Chi memory skills - a series of exercises designed to aid recall and increase information retention. The interactive learning sessions are suitable for all individuals and can be used in the context of leisure, learning or work.

For most of human history, our knowledge of the universe around us has been based on what we could see with the naked eye. Then, 400 years ago, the invention of the telescope revolutionised the way in which we viewed the cosmos and our place within it. This course will examine the ways in which we explore the universe today, from the satellites in orbit around the earth, to the spacecraft which orbit and land on other planets. Presentations will focus not only on the key discoveries themselves, featuring many stunning images, but also on the techniques used to make those discoveries. Observations have ranged far beyond the light to which our eyes are sensitive, with modern telescopes probing the universe at wavelengths from radio waves to gamma-rays. The course will feature a fascinating visit to the South Downs Planetarium in Chichester on Saturday afternoon. Click here to download a copy of the detailed timetable.

Here is a course for the beginner-writer who would like to be published but needs practical guidance and encouragement. There will be information to help you submit your work to a magazine and how best to approach publishers and editors – also, the benefits of entering competitions. We shall take a look at the basic ingredients of a short story and how to tackle an article in a way that makes it irresistible to an editor. There will be time available for some practical writing and a brief critique by the tutor, who is herself a published author and short-story writer.