What are the opening hours?

Monday 7am - 10pm Tuesday 7am - 10pm Wednesday 7am - 10pm Thursday 7am - 10pm Friday 7am - 10pm Saturday 7am - 10pm Sunday 10am - 11pm

http://Www.starboyretreats.com/

Starboy Fitness & Massage, Congburn Garden centre, Durham (2026)

17/08/2026

🌳✨ WOW… WHAT A WEEK THAT WAS! ✨🌳
An exemplary week of diversity, inclusivity, accessibility and affordability — and probably one of the widest-ranging weeks I’ve experienced in over 8 years of Starboy. ❤️💙

From 2-year-olds taking part in the Durham Fun & Food programme at Trimdon Grange… to a group of 10 strong women from South Tyneside connected through su***de support and mental health, the Confident womens community of South Tyneside council employees & more !

People touched by bereavement.
Wheelchair users. ♿
Clients into their late 70s.
People living with different physical and mental health challenges.
Different nationalities, professions, backgrounds and life experiences.

And equally, people feeling fit, healthy, happy and in a really good place in their lives.

All coming together. No judgement. No hierarchy. Just people. ❤️

That, for me, is what the has become.

🌊 Around the lake at The Hub, Barnard Castle
🌳 Deep in Congburn Woods
🌿 The parks and woodland around Trimdon
🌊 Beside the sea at South Shields
🐴 And last night, surrounded by beautiful County Durham countryside, horses and nature at Wagtail Equine Therapy CIC.

Fitness. Massage. Soundbaths. Movement. Nature. Kids activities. Retreats. Mental wellbeing. Laughter. Conversation. Connection.

Some experiences are fun.
Some therapeutic.
Some a little mystical. ✨
Some deeply connective.

But there is room for everyone.

I honestly don't think, in my 8 years of doing this, I've ever had such an incredibly diverse range of fantastic people coming through Starboy in a single week.

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make one of the busiest weeks of this summer so memorable. 🙏❤️

And huge gratitude for the glorious weather too! ☀️

Life is about balance though… and it looks like we're finally going to get some of the rain that our countryside desperately needs. 🌧️🌱

Perfect timing really, because I'll be spending quite a bit of the coming days indoors offering my HALF-PRICE 60-minute Swedish Body Massage — just £29! 🔥

I've even created a couple of additional appointments for Saturday, which would normally be my day off.

And there's plenty more happening behind the scenes…

🌟 Retreats now running at least weekly across the next 12 months
🌟 Regular fitness and wellbeing sessions
🌟 Continued work with some of the more vulnerable groups within our communities
🌟 Massage and one-to-one wellbeing
🌟 And, hopefully in around a week's time… my shiny NEW Starboy website! 💻✨

Then in another week or two, I'll be taking a few days away to rest, recharge and reset ready for autumn. 🍂

Until then…

FULL STEAM AHEAD! 🚂🔥

📌 2026-2027 pinned to page / in comments 💫

I'm loving this journey more than ever — and from the smiles, laughter, conversations, feedback and people returning again and again, I get the impression that many of you are loving your own Starboy journey too.

More good times ahead. ❤️💙🌳✨

✨ LOW PRICES – HIGH VIBES ✨

16/08/2026

❤️✨️ HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY BRAD! ✨️❤️

Happy 21st birthday to my amazing, beautiful, strong and handsome son, Brad. ❤️

My twinny, my shadow and my absolute bezzie from day one. 🥰

I'm always incredibly proud to see how much you grow each year — physically, mentally and spiritually — becoming more and more of the man you are today.

21 years of memories, laughs, adventures and plenty of moments I'll never forget. ❤️

Have an absolutely amazing birthday and the BEST time away. You deserve it.

Happy 21st, son. ❤️✨️

Love you always,
Dad ❤️✨️✨️

And make sure you scroll to the last photo for a very special birthday message from Taylor Swift… 🤣🤣❤️🎤✨️

16/08/2026

🐴🎵 SOUNDBATH & EQUINE THERAPY — WHAT A BEAUTIFUL EVENING! 🎵🐴

Tonight, guests enjoyed a full soundbath on the edge of the woodland at Wagtail Equine Therapy CIC surrounded by the County Durham countryside. 🌳✨

The natural sounds around us, combined with Atusa and her beautiful gongs, created such a peaceful ambience — birds, breeze, woodland and horses all becoming part of the soundbath itself. 🎵🌿

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. ❤️

And of course, I'm sure everyone enjoyed their time with the herd — including the two little Shetland pony characters Mickey & Valentine, who always seem determined to steal the show! 🤣🐴

Big hugs too to Desmond, Splash, Twirl & Flint for allowing us to share their home, presence and energy. ❤️ and of course Mollie whos knowledge, passion & understanding of the horses is outstanding ✨️

🐴 THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT BEING AROUND HORSES...

Horses have an incredible ability to simply be present.

They aren't worrying about tomorrow or replaying yesterday. They're highly sensitive to their surroundings, body language and the energy of those around them.

For many people, spending quiet time alongside a horse can encourage us to slow down, become more aware of ourselves and reconnect with the present moment.

And for those who connect with horses on a more spiritual level, there can be something incredibly grounding about simply standing beside such a powerful yet sensitive animal — no words needed, just presence, connection and energy. 🐴✨

🌳 WE'RE RETURNING! 🌳

📅 Sunday 1st November
⏰ 4PM
💷 £29 per person
📍 Wagtail Equine Therapy CIC — DH9 6FF
Near Craghead, County Durham

Your evening includes:

🎵 Full Soundbath & Gongs
🧘 Guided Meditation
🐴 Time and connection with the horses of Wagtail Equine Therapy
🌿 Beautiful countryside surroundings

Another slightly different experience — combining sound, nature, mindfulness and the incredible presence of horses. ❤️

💌 Message the page to book & arrange payment for 1st November.

✨ LOW PRICES — HIGH VIBES ✨

✨️ For a FULL LIST of upcoming retreats & events, see the PINNED POST at the top of the page and in the comments! 👇✨️

OTHER NEWS...

🔥 MASSAGE HALF PRICE — 60 MINS £29 🔥

👇👇👇TAG A FRIEND WHO NEEDS THIS 👇👇

16/08/2026

🌳🤣 WHEN WELLNESS DOESN’T TAKE ITSELF TOO SERIOUSLY… ✨

Wheelbarrow races, egg & spoon and some of the usual Starboy craziness! 🤣

This part of the evening isn’t really designed to break you into a sweat — it’s simply about MOVING OUR BODIES, warming ourselves up, laughing and connecting before the pace completely changes. ❤️

Then we slow everything down…

🌬️ Breathwork
🌿 Grounding in the woods
🧘‍♀️ Sunset yoga
🔥 Connection around the fire
✨ And, as darkness fell, the stars came out above Congburn Woods.

That’s what I love about these evenings.

They can be FUN and THERAPEUTIC at the same time. You can laugh, move, breathe, slow down, connect with other people and spend a few hours away from the noise of everyday life. 🌳❤️

And the whole evening is just £21 per person.

✨️ MOVEMENT, YOGA & WOODLAND CONNECTION RETURNS ✨️

📅 FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER
⏰ 6:15PM – around 8:45PM
📍 Congburn Woods, Durham DH7 6DY
💷 £21PP

Come as you are. You don't need to be super fit or an experienced yogi — this is about enjoying movement, nature, connection and a bit of Starboy madness along the way. 🤣🌳

🔥 Message the page to BOOK & arrange payment.

Tag someone you'd bring into the woods with you! 👇❤️

16/08/2026

🍎🫐 BLACKBERRY & APPLE CRUMBLE… STARBOY STYLE! 🤣🔥

Made from scratch and filmed hands-free using the 👓🎥

Fresh blackberry & apple crumble, a bit of experimenting in the kitchen… and apparently my massage career has now prepared me perfectly for making crumble topping. 😂🙌

45 seconds in… DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDS — HOT! 🔥🤣

Those years of massage have finally paid off…

💆‍♂️😂

Simple ingredients, proper homemade food and plenty of messing about along the way.

Who else loves a good old-fashioned fruit crumble? 🍎🫐

15/08/2026

🌳🔥 WHAT DOES YOUR NEXT ESCAPE LOOK LIKE? 🔥🌊

STARBOY RETREATS | AUGUST 2026 → 2027

Maybe it's sitting beside a lake as the sun goes down.

Maybe it's a massage in the middle of the woods. 🌳

A soundbath beside the sea. 🌊

Yoga in the grounds of a castle. 🏰

Sitting around a fire under the stars. 🔥

Or perhaps it's packing a small bag and disappearing for the night on an affordable overnight wellness retreat. ❤️

This isn't just a list of dates.

It's a list of things to look forward to. ✨

🎥 Starboy — as featured on BBC TV's Robson Green's Weekend Escapes

🌳 Established 2018
❤️ LOW PRICES – HIGH VIBES

Here's where you could be heading next...

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌞 AUGUST 2026

🐴 EQUINE THERAPY • MEDITATION • SOUNDBATH
📅 Sunday 16 August
📍 Wagtail Equine Therapy CIC
🕡 6:30pm–8:30pm
💷 £29pp

🌳🔥 MASSAGE • MEDITATION • WOODLAND BUFFET
📅 Friday 21 August
📍 Congburn Woods, Durham
🕕 From 6pm
💷 £49pp

🌊🎵 SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE ON THE BEACH
📅 Sunday 23 August
📍 South Shields
🕕 6pm–10pm
💷 £29pp

👩✨ WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT OVERNIGHT RETREAT
🥋 Self-defence • Yoga • Massage • Wellbeing
📅 29–30 August
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £109pp
⚠️ LAST FEW SPACES

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🍂 SEPTEMBER

🔥 FIREWALK
📅 Friday 4 September
📍 Christon Bank, Alnwick
🕡 6:30pm–10:30pm
💷 £39pp
👧 Under 10s FREE with a paying adult

🌳🎵 WOODLAND SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE
📅 Sunday 6 September
📍 Congburn Woods, Durham
🕕 6pm–10pm
💷 £29pp

🏰🧘‍♀️🎵💆 CASTLE YOGA • SOUNDBATH • MASSAGE RETREAT
📅 Sunday 13 September
📍 Lumley Castle
🕞 3:45pm–9pm
💷 £69pp

🌊🎵 BEACH SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE
📅 Sunday 20 September
📍 South Shields
🕕 6pm–10pm
💷 £29pp

👩✨ WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT OVERNIGHT RETREAT
🥋 Self-defence • Yoga • Massage • Wellbeing
📅 26–27 September
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £109pp

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🍂 OCTOBER

🆕🏠 OVERNIGHT WELLNESS RETREAT
📅 Friday 2 – Saturday 3 October
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £99pp
✨ NEW DATE

🌳🎵🏠 NORTHUMBERLAND OVERNIGHT RETREATS
Soundbath • Massage • Meditation
📅 9–10 OR 10–11 October
📍 Wooler, Northumberland
💷 £119pp

🏠🎵 SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE OVERNIGHT
📅 24–25 October
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £99pp
🔴 SOLD OUT

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🍂 NOVEMBER

🏰🎵💆 SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE CASTLE EVENING
📅 Sunday 15 November
📍 Lumley Castle
🕕 6pm–10pm
💷 £49pp

🏠🎵 OVERNIGHT SOUNDBATH • MASSAGE • MEDITATION
📅 21–22 November
📍 Barnard Castle
🔴 SOLD OUT

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

❄️ DECEMBER

🏠🎵 OVERNIGHT SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE
📅 5–6 December
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £99pp
🔴 SOLD OUT

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

✨ 2027 ✨

❄️ JANUARY

🏠🎵 OVERNIGHT SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE
📅 16–17 January
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £99pp
⚠️ FEW SPACES LEFT

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

❤️ MARCH

🆕❤️ MOTHER'S DAY OVERNIGHT WELLNESS RETREAT (SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE)
📅 6–7 March
📍 Barnard Castle
👥 Limited spaces
💶£99pp

A night to relax, reconnect and spend some proper time together. ❤️

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌸 APRIL SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE RETREAT

🆕🏠 OVERNIGHT WELLNESS RETREAT
📅 17–18 April
📍 Barnard Castle
👥 Limited spaces
💶£99pp

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌿 MAY NEW !

🆕🎵💆 NEW SOUNDBATH & MASSAGE OVERNIGHT RETREAT 🆕
📅 15–16 May 2027
📍 Barnard Castle
💷 £99pp

Soundbath • Massage • Relaxation • Nature • Connection • Overnight accommodation

✨ BRAND NEW DATE

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎨 May 2027 — NEW!

🆕🎨🧘‍♀️💆 ARTS & CRAFTS • YOGA • MASSAGE OVERNIGHT RETREAT

Creativity without pressure.
Yoga and movement.
Massage.
Nature.
Connection.
And time simply to switch off.

📆 22nd -23rd May
📍 Barnard Castle
✨ NEW 2027 DATE
💶£109pp

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌿 SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT FOR 2027...

🧘‍♀️💆 MARYSTONE HOUSE LUXURY WELLNESS RETREAT

📅 Friday 11 – Saturday 12 OR
Saturday 12 – Sunday 13

📍 Marystone House
💷 From £279pp

Yoga • Pilates • Massage • Beautiful private surroundings • Time to completely unwind

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

❤️ SO WHICH ONE LOOKS LIKE YOUR ESCAPE?

You don't need to be super-fit.

You don't need to be experienced in yoga or meditation.

And you definitely don't need to arrive knowing anybody.

Come for the massage.
Come for the soundbath.
Come for the countryside.
Come for the fire.
Come because you need a night away.

Or simply come because life has been busy and it's time to put yourself first for a change. ❤️

🌳 Nature • 🌊 Beaches • 🏰 Castles • 🎵 Sound • 💆 Massage • 🧘 Movement • 🔥 Fires • 🎨 Creativity • ❤️ Connection

From £29 wellbeing evenings to overnight retreats from just £99pp.

✨ LOW PRICES – HIGH VIBES ✨

📩 Message Starboy Fitness & Massage to BOOK & ARRANGE PAYMENT.

👇 Tag someone you'd love to escape with — or someone who deserves a little time for themselves.

15/08/2026

🌿 AN EVENING OF MASSAGE, MEDITATION & CONNECTION IN THE WOODS — £49 🌿
📍 Congburn Woods, DH7 6DY
🕕 6pm – approx. 10.30pm
📆 FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST 📆🌟🌟🌟

Imagine a late-summer evening where, for a few hours, you don't need to do anything for anyone else.

You simply slow down, put yourself first and allow the Starboy team to take care of you from start to finish. ❤️

We'll enter the woods through the Herbert Arboretum, before walking to an incredibly beautiful, peaceful space beside the Congburn stream — the place I've called my outdoor home since 2018.

Hopefully another glorious late-summer evening awaits us, finishing beneath star-lit skies. ✨🌳

🔥 YOUR EVENING INCLUDES:

🌿 Forest bathing amongst the trees
🧘 Guided meditation
❤️ Optional sharing circle
🔥 Connection and conversation around the fire
🍽️ A delicious, freshly prepared bespoke buffet, beautifully served in handcrafted pottery
💆 20-minute Starboy massage — choose back, neck & shoulders OR a relaxing foot massage
💆‍♀️ PLUS a 20-minute Indian head massage

Yes — TWO massages are included in your £49. 🙌

The vast majority of dietary requirements can also be catered for — simply let me know when booking.

This isn't about rushing from one activity to another.

It's a healthy, positive and connective night designed around slowing down, being present, spending time in nature and giving yourself permission to be looked after.

I've now worked in beauty, massage and events for 16 years. In 2018, I swapped the city environment for Congburn Woods and began creating something very different — what has gradually become the Starboy Wellness Zone. 🌳🔥

Come and experience it for yourself.

🕕 Meet: 6pm
🌙 Return to the main car park: approx. 10.30pm
📍 DH7 6DY
💷 £49 per person — including both massages AND your buffet

A full evening of wellbeing, massage, nature and human connection for under £50.

📩 Message the page to book & arrange payment.

⭐ Starboy — as featured on BBC TV's Robson Green's Weekend Escapes

Tag someone you'd love to spend a late-summer evening in the woods with. 🌿❤️

14/08/2026

🌅 IT’S ALWAYS HARD TO CAPTURE THE TRUE ESSENCE OF AN EVENING LIKE THIS… 🌳✨

But with the last rays of the evening sunshine upon us, this came pretty close. ❤️

A little Chakra Breathwork — using the breath and awareness to connect with the body’s energy centres — followed by yoga, after some body movement which, naturally, included an egg & spoon race! 🤣🥚🥄

And yes… there was an adult sack race too! 🤣🤣
🎥 Reel of that coming Saturday!

This is what I love creating: wellbeing that thinks a little outside the box.

Working alongside Donna from Blue Skies Yoga North East works so well. 🙏 Huge gratitude for this collaboration.

We energise people. We slow things down. We help people reconnect with themselves, with others and with nature — but importantly, we have some fun along the way too.

No pressure to be perfect at yoga.
No need to be the fittest person there.
Just come as you are. ❤️

And then we finish the evening with conversation and snacks in the heart of Congburn Woods, beneath the starlit skies. 🌳🔥🌌

Sometimes wellness doesn't need to be complicated.

Move. Breathe. Laugh. Connect.

📅 NEXT EVENING — Friday 11th September
💷 £21 per person
📍 Congburn Woods, County Durham

Message the page to book & arrange payment.

🔥 NEW TO THE PAGE? Like & follow and check out the pinned post at the top of the page — or the comments below — for ALL the latest Starboy dates, including overnight retreats from just ..........£99pp !!

Low prices — High vibes. ✨

14/08/2026

🌳 FROM THE SHY 10-YEAR-OLD… TO THE MAN I AM TODAY

Here I am, around 10 years old.

Incredibly shy. Low in confidence. Very little self-belief.

Funny how life turns out.

Back then, I quite fancied joining the police or fire service. Then for a while, I wanted to be a chef.

Fast-forward through plenty of life experiences, lessons, mistakes, highs, lows and things I could never have imagined…

Today I'm comfortable in my own skin. Quietly confident, but importantly, never cocky. Hugely empathic, understanding and always aware that everybody you meet has their own story.

And somehow that shy little lad ended up doing fitness, massage, wellbeing, beauty, retreats, den building with kids, community work, occasional guest speaking, appearing on BBC TV and running a page that regularly reaches around one million views a week.

But I've never really had any intention of being the star of the show.

The stories I share about my own journey, nature, wellness, mental health, the woods and the loss of my son aren't about putting the spotlight on me.

They're about highlighting what I've learned, what I can offer and, most importantly, how it might help somebody else.

I'd like to think the real stars of the show are the clients, guests, families, children and communities I've had the privilege of working with — and this incredible community we're continuing to build week by week. ❤️

As I head into this evening's Yoga & Movement event in the woods, I just wanted to say a genuine thank you for your continued support.

For just over eight years, I've tried to keep doing things my own way — keeping prices low, making wellbeing accessible and creating experiences that the vast majority of ordinary people can afford to be part of.

And if you're reading this as somebody who still feels like that shy 10-year-old…

Maybe you don't believe in yourself yet. Maybe your confidence is low. Maybe your self-esteem has taken a few knocks.

Give me a shout.

I've got an excellent track record of helping people begin to believe in themselves again.

Not by changing everything overnight.

Just one small step at a time. 🌱

A little more movement.
A little more nature.
A little more connection.
A little more confidence.

And slowly, you can start creating a life that feels fun, healthy, positive, meaningful and full of joy.

You might be surprised where that shy little kid inside you eventually takes you. ❤️🌳

🔥 ALL the latest , events and upcoming dates are in the comments below AND pinned to the top of the page. 🔥

Starboy Fitness & Massage

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Monday	7am - 10pm
Tuesday	7am - 10pm
Wednesday	7am - 10pm
Thursday	7am - 10pm
Friday	7am - 10pm
Saturday	7am - 10pm
Sunday	10am - 11pm