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The central communal space, featuring an A for Ara audio system, gong and Tibetan bowls, hosts up to 80 guests for sound meditations and healing music experiences.
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The center is also available to rent for local businesses and has hosted several dinners organized by the local community. The Thyme is open year-round, welcoming visitors for all four seasons of Berkshire beauty. Programming at The Thyme is very much centered on allowing visitors to enjoy the majestic nature, including the famous Sage’s Ravine. With a 2,000‑square‑foot dining hall, it can accommodate up to 110 people for meals in a variety of configurations.
James Davies in front of the Manor House.Provided
There are 11 other buildings on the property. Two are the homes of Davies, Murray and their families. The central communal space (separate from the dining room) has been equipped with a cutting‑edge audio system designed by local business A for Ara. Together with one of the largest gongs in the Northeast and Tibetan singing bowls, this space can host groups up to 80 for sound meditations and other curated musical experiences that facilitate healing, relaxation and personal growth.
There are accommodations for 60 people in four buildings, with plans to add more. The beautifully renovated guest rooms are decorated in earth tones in a peaceful, minimalist style, with large windows that showcase the spectacular natural surroundings.
Visitors to The Thyme — whether for day trips or longer stays — will have spectacular views of mountains, rolling hills, a pond, streams and a beautiful walking trail. The Appalachian Trail awaits just down the road from the campus for more serious hikers.
To prepare the property and buildings, the team at The Thyme has hired a number of local workers — landscapers, carpenters, designers. As The Thyme sets up its programs, it’s also hiring specialists such as masseuses. In addition, the center has welcomed core staff members as full‑time residents to head up kitchen operations, music programs and other guest offerings.
Davies and Murray have already been welcoming a mix of generations to The Thyme and have put multigenerational programming at the heart of their offerings, focusing on research showing that strong community connection boosts well‑being. A recent family weekend was attended by guests ranging from newborns to people in their eighth decade.
For more on its programs or to inquire about using the space, visit thethyme.co or email hello@thethyme.co
Stupid people in the jungle, Jess Franco-style. This group is dumber than average.
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Which brings us to one of the rules of schlock: It can be appalling but it can’t be boring.
Nightmare Beach (1989): The immortal John Saxon stars in the flick that answers the question “What Do You Miss the Least About the 1980s?” Feathered hair, high-waisted jeans and wet t-shirt contests are all good answers and feature heavily in this movie. But the real star is the soundtrack, particularly a ditty called “Mean ‘n’ Nasty.” The story: Biker gang raises hell in Florida beach town during spring break, and a masked biker is electrocuting people. Our hero is a college quarterback who lost the Orange Bowl and makes up for it by saving the plucky bartender girl. Meanwhile a lot of young women in various stages of undress cavort on the beach. Crispy critters. Gratuitous nekkidity. Unconvincing bikers. John Saxon looking like he’s about to fire his agent. And relentless, horrible, generic 80s rock throughout.
Stupid people in the jungle, Jess Franco-style. This group is dumber than average.Provided
Diamonds of Kilimindjaro (1983): From the prolific and immensely untalented Jess Franco comes this tale of Stupid People in the Jungle. See, a plane crashes in Africa and the only survivors are a Scottish guy and his granddaughter. He retreats to a hut and plays the bagpipes for 20 years while she grows up to be the local goddess. And this completely satisfactory state of affairs is rudely interrupted by a team of adventurers, some of whom want to find the girl, some want to find her and leave her so they can collect the inheritance, and some of them are there because Franco realized he was about 30 minutes short on the running time. We’ve got fun with machetes. Gratuitous snakes. Gratuitous spears. Gratuitous stock footage crocodile vs. nekkid lady in lake (shown twice, once with dubbed sound and once in pure silence). Gratuitous bagpipe music, actual bagpipes not shown. Starring the immortal Katja Bienert, wearing nothing but a loincloth and a pleasant expression. Plus “Kilimindjaro” spelled with a “d.” Outstanding.
Alien Outlaw (1986): Hicktastic zombie flick featuring an elderly Lash Larue sounding like he gargles with Thunderbird to start the day and the lissome Kari Anderson as a modern-day Annie Oakley. The story: Alien spaceship comes to the sticks, aliens hide in medium-sized creek where they attack one idiot successfully but miss the other idiot. Meanwhile gun gal Jessi Jamison is trying to get her career back on track. The aliens learn fast because they can twirl their six-shooters. Lots of gratuitous nekkidity, not all of it welcome. (Unfortunately we’re looking at you, Lash Larue.) Bad fishing. Good shooting. Horses. Mumbling. Jessi’s legs. Extended meditation on the ins and outs of the motel business. Highlight: A bargain-basement Walter Cronkite in a canoe tells a cop to “suck worms.”
The aliens learn to use Earth-based weaponry, with fair-to-middling results.Provided
Zoltan: Hound of Dracula (1977): This flick was the outstanding find of this fall’s schlockfest.
Soviet soldiers accidentally open up a tomb belonging to a cadet branch of the Dracula family, and in the confusion the Dracula servant (played by Reggie Nalder, who was the assassin in the 1956 version of “The Man Who Knew Too Much”) and a vampire dog named Zoltan are revived and set off to find the last Dracula, who’s named Michael and lives in Los Angeles. Vampire dogs. Vampire puppy. Gratuitous RV parking. Gratuitous driving of rental cars. The highlight is when Zoltan gets Mike Dracula and the Romanian cop (played by Jose Ferrer) holed up in a cabin and eats through the roof, only to be foiled by the rising sun.
