My revelations of the detox week were: dancing pretending to be a french metling ice cream, trampolining with a gang , singing in African with a beautiful Irish girl ,standing on your head with extra ordinary Hugh , leaping over fires with ahem ......., swapping life stories , sharing , slowing down in a nurturing safe placeput the girl back into the girls and the sould back into the souls . The wisdom of Catherine and Kim helps you to see things differently and if feels better to shift your mindset on a problem... coffee is ok, sugar is evil. Kale crisps are the new must have the story of choosing your own cross and realising that everyone is carrying a cross , or two, or three or four. Learning how to be yourslef and take care of yourself rather than carro on with others expectations is the secret living well, is a matter of the heart, body, mind and soul. All need your care. Try to make three real changes.

I want to express my profound joy and gratitude to you for the amazing transformation that you have helped me experience in just 5 days. Honestly , I can't believe it. I heel like I have a fire burning indise me. You are such a beautiful and inspirational woman. I shall miss our daily hugs. Thank you , thank you, thank you.

I came for ' just a detox week' and I most certainly got a lot more than I could have ever expected. Detox, yes but a detox on ALL levels- educationally, emotionally and spirtually. It was a huge week for me.

I checked in with my personal trainer today and she confirmed that I have lost 3.5 kilos somewhere in my week with you

Could you briefly explain to me why my eyes are now so clear and sparkling and the redness etc seems to have disappeared (and getting better all the time?) - Just so I can explain it to people when they ask me?! x

What has been interesting is that since the detox .. my inner voice is audible again. All this time, I hadn't realised that it had stopped, but now I can feel myself having answers coming to me from "nowhere" again. A flow of thoughts and ideas, even answers, from inside ….. I no longer feel that I'm lost. …. So my task now is to continue to get healthier physically and to grow stronger in my newly re-found sense of a more unified self.

I have come home with such knowledge of how to lead my life both physically and emotionally to the highest level. The course is is professional with the VERY best therapists on the planet... It was certainly life changing and will have such an impact on my future health and on my family's as I spread the work and put it all into practice.

Thank you all so much for making my first introduction into the world of detox such surprizing fun! I did so many things for the first time it was indeed rather like being reborn.

You are a true inspiration! Your belief in what you do and how to pass this on to others is intoxicating.

I visit around nine or ten spas a year and I am fairly picky about which ones I choose. Some are medical clinics, some are bootcamps, some are yoga retreats, some are simply fabulous hotels with lovely spas. All of them claim to be transformative. But I can honestly tell you, hand on heart, that none has been such a revelation to me as your Village Barn. My week with you was one of the best weeks of my life. Namely because I have left it not transformed, but restored. I feel myself again. At one. Calm, centred, reflective. I have been taken back to my beginnings. I have reassessed what I want out of life, and how I wish to move forward. I have slowed down. What a relief! You have a unique ability to draw people to you, hold them lightly in the palm of your hand, connect them to each other, wash out their neurosis, stresses and niggles and then gently slide them back into their former lives with a new found consciousness and inner light (forgive me for sounding like a hippy, but the blame is entirely with you!). You are a hostess, mother and friend to them. You are a rock for the rivers to run to. And your detox week is an all round education. It is not just about the key nutritional issues of our time, which range from your brilliant lectures on sugar, fats and oils, and hormones to the power of raw foods, it is about the world at large and our place within it. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that it is about the very human struggle of striving for happiness, and that I am a happier person for having spent some time under the warmth of your umbrella. When I think back to everything we learnt about – energy fields, dousing, alkalising, reflexology, kinesiology, rebounding, the importance of hydration, castor oil packing, bacterias - it seems impossible that we also found time to sleep like happy cats in the sunshine, laugh, sing, and dance around the fire of life. As you know I have an innate fear of public speaking and the whole "Hi, my name is ***" approach that can sometimes accompany a retreat, but somehow the whole we're-all-in-togetherness of our little gang made us all, I think, feel protected yet open (even the most traditional British gents were comfortable!). I hope I contributed, even in a very tiny way, to our group as positively as the utterly fascinating people you attract. I don't think the Dalai Lama would have felt at sea in our company! And I haven't even mentioned the food yet! Or lack of food! Or the enemas. Or the lessons in making nutmilk, sprouting and potent green juice. Ohhh and lunchtime - the salads, the quiches, the soups – all were sensational. And then there are your therapists, experts in their field, indeed forerunners in their field. Talking to Tricia was a like unloading a small truck that I had been carrying around on my shoulders– spinning together the silent strands of my family history and giving me practical advice as well as an uncanny mix of professionalism and spirituality – what a powerhouse. And then there is Gillie – an otherworldly healer. Not a day has gone by yet when I do not think of Village Barn. I am drawing reserves from it. Tangoing along to what I hope is a new tune. And to think I wanted it, in any way, to be about weight loss! (incidentally I did lose four pounds!). It was a powerful purification – of both body and mind – and I didn't even have to get on an airplane. Result. Huge congratulations to you for creating something so very special. Its obvious you care about every last detail. I would pay very good money to reward myself this time once a year. And I will recommend it to friends, anybody who is struggling, stressed, grieving, feeling low, managing eating or digestive issues or running on low energy - that's probably just about everybody I know! I wish for the word to spread. My heartfelt gratitude to your very special team, and most especially to you - a pioneer, a survivor, and a life enhancer. Daisy Finer, Editor, Tatler Spa Guide

I recently had and ankle operation and once my cast was off and I could walk again, I went and spent an amazing 5 days at Village Barn for a raw food detox. It is not a run of the mill health spa at all! It is tiny, yet incredibly personal. They have truly, world class therapists offering everything from rolfing, reflexology and healing response therapy to yoga, Nordic walking and rebounding and more. It’s You will not meet anyone as passionate about de-toxing and good nutrition as Catherine who runs it. You tell her in advance why you are coming and what you feel you need and she then creates a program suitable for you. We drank amazing de-toxing green juices and ate the most delicious raw food. We listened and learnt a huge amount from some very interesting (and scary!) nutrition talks plus started to learn the principles of raw food cooking. It was also just great time to rest, consider and re-evaluate life! We came away having lost weight (me 4lbs, my husband nearly a stone!) but more importantly feeling rejuvenated and inspired to change the way we will eat as a family for life! It was amazing. I cannot recommend enough. Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company

I really enjoyed myself over the week, in was so much better than I had imagined (although it looked good on the website!). You (and the team) are fabulous!

...I really do not know where to start to thank you for all the amazing kindness, warmth and care you gave to me last week..

The main thing I notice is energy levels.... eating raw and learning how to look after myself really shook up my energy levels. At the beginning of the week of detox I was buried in the mattress at 8am thinking how was I going to open my eyelids! Come day 4, I was awake at 5.30 and jumping out of bed with the dogs in tow for a walk and feeling so excellently clear."

I was fascinated by the research and writings on how our food is changing our DNA and why so many teenagers/kids are getting cancers/ADHD etc etc. It really hit home wiht me that food is not just about a greater figure, or a feeling of more energy... it is behoven to us to keep the genetic line clear for the next generation.

Every citizen of the counrty/globe should be learning how to do this , even if only to body brush or do hot/cold showers which are so inexpensive and effective. Every child in school should learn about this.... Can you imagine how differnt a population we would have!

Village Barn provides a real, down to earth practical, usable security that I do not find in the well trodden healthcare system, or in the superfical luxury of a spa. This is a rare and precious Gem to have in the UK.

I have lost 3/4 of a stone in two weeks and am feeling so positive.

Yesterday with you ,... was just so fantastic and I hope a turning point in my life. Thank you so much for caring so much and for surrounding me with so many lovely and positive people last week.

Congratulations to Catherine and her family for providing a visionary reality in progressive health care.

I CANNOT tell you how amazing I feel - My family were pretty gobsmacked at the change both in my face and all over my body!! The weight is falling off me and I feel BRILLIANT!!!! I tried to sip some wine the other night and couldn't stomach the taste. Think the no wheat and no gluten is massive and no caffeine too......I'm now a total evangelist - I feel so clear!!

I am SO thrilled with the juicer, and the children are already pestering me for more carrots and apples - AND celery!  I can't believe it ...