Stillhour Come and sit
A group of people sitting on cushions in a loose circle in a bright room with tall windows and plants.

Forty quiet minutes, three evenings a week

A zen sitting group in the old Methodist chapel on Albion Street. No beliefs required, no fee, cushions provided.

See this week's sittings
People sitting cross-legged on the floor of a wooden-floored room, seen from behind.

Next sitting
Tuesday · 7.30 pm
Doors at 7.15, tea at 8.20

First time? Read this

Sitting, walking, tea

We believe stillness should not need a retreat, a mountain or a membership. So we borrow a chapel on a Tuesday, a Thursday and a Sunday morning, sit facing the wall together, and go home a little slower than we came.

Rows of people sitting on mats in a long, light hall with a wooden floor.

Two rounds of twenty

A bell starts and ends each round. Between them, ten minutes of slow walking around the room.

A small group talking in wicker chairs on a covered porch surrounded by trees.

Tea, then home

Afterwards we talk, or we don't. There is always a pot of green tea and a tin of biscuits.

Three people meditating on mats under autumn trees in a park.

Sittings this month

All free. Leave something in the bowl for the chapel rent if you can.

  • Tue 14 Oct · 7.30 pm

    Evening sitting

    Details
  • Thu 16 Oct · 7.30 pm

    Evening sitting with a short reading

    Details
  • Sat 18 Oct · 9.00 am

    Park sit by the bandstand

    Details
  • Sun 19 Oct · 8.00 am

    Morning sitting, then breakfast

    Details
A teacher sitting cross-legged speaks to a group lying on mats in a room with big windows onto trees.

A chapel that was nearly a flat

The Albion Street chapel stood empty for six years. The trust that owns it now rents it by the hour to a choir, a toddler group and us. We look after the floor and the radiators, and we never leave a cushion behind.

How we use the space
A woman sitting alone on a cliff edge looking out over hazy mountains.

Twice a year, a whole day

In April and October we sit for a full Saturday, with lunch eaten in silence. Places are limited to twenty-two, the number of cushions we own.

Ask about the day sit

Before your first sit

A woman sitting cross-legged on a low wooden platform between pale curtains.

Wear something loose

Socks are fine. Shoes stay by the door. Bring a jumper; the chapel is never as warm as you hope.

A woman meditating at the end of a wooden dock in morning light.

Arrive by quarter past

Someone will show you how to sit in five minutes. Once the bell rings, the door stays shut until the walking.

A woman sitting on a rock beside a misty river with her hands together.

Chairs are welcome

Half of us sit on chairs. If you need to move, move. Nobody is watching, which is rather the point.