For many brothers and sisters who joined U.C. in England, Cleeve House has been a haven of spiritual rebirth. Situated in the beautiful countryside of Wiltshire, outside of the small picturesque village of Seend, this 19th-century mansion house stands bold and proud, its back gardens flowing into soft meadows which stretch as far as Salisbury Plains.

It was discovered in 1974 with the help of a dream received by Doris Orme, one of our early American members, and soon purchased by our church. It became Cleeve House School, a residential primary school for blessed children and some local day students. Later, it was used as a nursery for blessed children, combined with occasional D.P. workshops for adults.

In the '90s, Cleeve House has so far been used mainly as a D.P. education workshop center for adults and blessed children's summer camp. Carlo and Barbara Zaccarelli, a 777 blessed couple with six children, have been in recent years the main family in residence responsible for caretaking the property and lending their support to D.P. workshops. Carlo is also the regional U.C. pastor and Barbara has been the national president of WFWP for the last three years.

In December 1994, the hotel my husband and I were managing in London closed down temporarily for refurbishments. We were given permission by our national leader to move to Cleeve House as a temporary dwelling place and were extremely grateful for a place to live where we could help out and also benefit from the high spiritual atmosphere.

During the previous six months, as managers of a 30-room B&B hotel, our schedule was grueling. As the employees for six days each week, we began at 7:30am and closed reception at 10pm, often receiving calls and customers until 3am through an intercom in our bedroom. Our responsibilities included reception, switchboard, accounts, serving continental breakfast, vacuuming, cleaning toilets, and light maintenance. The owner was a millionaire from India, and more demanding than your toughest MFT commander!

Soon after moving to Cleeve House, John and I took over responsibility for managing workshops, general affairs, accounts, housekeeping, and occasional lecturing. Compared to the hotel, being at Cleeve House was like being in heaven. However, our hotel experience gave us the incentive to consider developing Cleeve House as a commercial enterprise.

Throughout 1995 we continued to invest in D.P. workshops and summer camp for blessed children, while John became self-employed as a courier. Occasionally we would discuss ideas for developing Cleeve House with Carlo and Barbara Zaccarelli, especially as more and more workshops were being held at another location closer to London. It wasn't until the end of 1995, when we were told of the possibility of plans to sell Cleeve House, that we felt a strong kick in the pants to put our ideas into action.

Hence, during the last week of 1995, John and I met together with Carlo and Barbara and outlined a business proposal to recreate Cleeve House as a multipurpose conference center. With historical sites nearby, such as the Roman-built city of Bath, the famous Stonehenge, and Glastonbury (known worldwide as a mystical center for New Age seekers), it is an ideal location for tourist-related business. The initial thrust will be aimed at residential English-language courses for foreign students with the potential for an all-inclusive tourist package (i.e., flight, accommodations, tuition and excursions- e.g., hot-air balloons). This will be followed by the development of healthy living seminars (i.e., courses on universal spiritual principles and holistic health, including massage, yoga and use of local sports facilities). The grounds surrounding Cleeve House naturally facilitate outdoor recreation activities (sports, hikes, meditation, etc.).

Through market research, the advice from experienced contacts, and the support of our local U.C. community, we are developing a brochure to advertise and provide information regarding package details, fees, etc. At this stage, we are reaching out to the Unification community worldwide to seek your involvement in this worthy project. We need people in the position of agents who would receive a commission for each applicant who books one of these courses at Cleeve House.

Please consider joining us to assist this proud and bold 19th-century mansion house gain its new lease of life in the era of Kingship. If you are interested and would like more information, contact:

Ginger Nicholls
Cleeve House
Seend, Melksham
Wiltshire SN12 6PG
Tel: England (1380-828-549)
Fax: England (1380-828-024)
(44)

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