HomeMeet the team at the watermill
The people who will look after you at the watermill are dedicated to ensuring all your needs are met. We've been running our painting holidays and creative writing courses, and looking after our self-catering guests for 20 years now and we would like you to love the place as much as we do.
Lois and Bill Breckon
Lois and Bill Breckon currently live in Florence, where their two daughters are at school.
Lois has a track record of successful entrepreneurship with particular experience in publishing and marketing. For many years she worked alongside Bill in Media Alliance, the international marketing and communications consultancy. With Bill she also organised the restoration of a 16th century castle in Scotland, establishing it as an acclaimed centre of excellence for residential painting and creative writing courses. She is currently concentrating on her musical studies.
Bill's early career was as a writer and broadcaster specialising in medical topics and in current and consumer affairs: it spanned newspapers and magazines, radio, television and books. He set up and ran Media Alliance for many years, but is now largely retired, working only with a few selected clients. He runs the watermill with Lois and is trying to write a detective story set in Renaissance Florence.
Kerstin Rommel
You will be looked after during your stay by Kerstin Rommel, who is in day-to-day charge of the mill and all its activities. Kerstin lives in the nearby hilltop village of Terenzano. She is originally from Germany, but has lived in Italy for many years. Her early career was as a theatrical photographer and she still undertakes photographic projects, mainly landscapes and people. Kerstin has gained a great reputation for the calm and caring way she looks after our guests.
Mirella Musetti
Mirella Musetti looks after the fabric of the mill, making sure everything is clean and tidy. She also cooks some evenings for guests on our courses and her homemade lasagne and her tiramisu are wonderful. She lives nearby and is also an expert in finding the elusive wild porcini mushrooms.
Paolo Uno
Paolo Vallerini is our driver for painting holidays and creative writing courses. He is an expert in manouevering his minibus in the tiny villages and on the twisty local roads.
Our 2012 Painting Holiday Tutors
All our painting holiday tutors are sympathetic and enthusiastic teachers as well as great artists in their own right. Our tutors this year come from all over the world. They are:
Our 2012 Writing Course Tutors
Our creative writing course tutors are best-selling authors as well as perspicacious and inspiring teachers.