Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

Peter Horrabin reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Visited Steve on 20/3/24 to try my hand at turning a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe. What a great experience it was working with Steve as he is extremely knowledgeable about this subject and has the patience of a saint. I would recommend this to anyone who fancies trying their hand at something different. "

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Hi Pete Thanks for your kind review. It was a pleasure turning with you and I am glad you enjoyed the day, and made such a great bowl too. All the best Steve"

Neil reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"A fabulous day turning a bowl. Steve is an excellent tutor (with the patience of a saint!) and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended. "

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Hi Neil It was great to turn a bowl with you and to hear that you are looking to carry it on at home too. It is such a rewarding way to work. All the best. Steve"

Adam Bolton reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"A great day of one to one guidance on how to make a bowl on a traditional pole lathe. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to come away with a usable bowl, but with Steve’s teaching and guidance I managed. A really enjoyable day, which has inspired me to build my own pole lathe and crack on with some more bowls!"

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Hi Adam, It was great to turn with you last week, and what a fabulous bowl you made! I hope it is just the beginning of a journey into wood working and hope to catch up again sometime"

Harry Stephenson reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"I couldn't recommend this course enough! Having no experience with a lathe, electric or foot powered, it can feel a little intimidating at first but this feeling quickly dissipates after some instruction and guidance from the tutor Steve. He's a fantastic, patient tutor and an absolute font of knowledge when it comes to the craft of pole turning as well as other traditional crafts. I really learnt so much and I came away with a beautiful Sycamore bowl which I'm very excited to get some walnut oil on and some breakfast in, once it's dried out. All in all its a lovely day out at Steve's allotment (even in the brisk of winter) with good crack, good soup, plenty of sweat and a beautiful bowl you can call your own."

Charlie reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Very enjoyable course. Steve is a patient, knowledgeable teacher who clearly has a lot of passion for his craft. Highly recommended."

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Thanks Charlie. I was great to see you getting to grips with the lathe and making a really nice bowl at the end of the day. Hope to see you on another course one day"

Alex reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"My husband and I attended this course, learning how to turn a Sycamore bowl on a pole lathe from scratch at Steve's workshop and we loved every minute. We're so pleased with our bowls and the process was such a joy to learn. Steve is clearly an extremely skilled craftsman and a very personable, patient teacher. We'll definitely be doing more wood turning!"

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Thanks Alex, so glad you and Dave had a good day turning. It was a joy to watch you get to grips with the tools and the lathe, and so quickly, and both bowls are excellent. I look forward to catching up again at a greenwood event somewhere."

Joe reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Steve is a great bloke, so knowledgeable and passionate and also so good at sharing that knowledge and passion making it very accessible for all. I had a great learning to turn for the first time, and left with a bowl I will cherish (and use) for many years to come! Thanks Steve 👍 "

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Thanks Joe, it was great turning with you, and I am so glad you enjoyed the day. The craft has a way of drawing people into its spell as they connect with the material and the tools over the day."

Philip Robinson reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"I absolutely loved my bowl turning day. My wife bought it for me as a gift and it is one of the happiest days I’ve spent in a long time. Steve is a brilliant teacher, but as well as that it feels like a step back in time to a simpler age where communities and craftspeople lived slower and kinder lives. And at the end of the day I have a most wonderful bowl that I made myself. I am inordinately proud of it. Thank you so much Steve. I loved it so much I bought the same craft course for my brother’s birthday. He’s there today making his own bowl!"

Maria reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Bought this course for hubbie’s birthday and it was brilliant! Such a lovely day with Steve who was so patient, calm and encouraging. As an observer, I had a lovely day too - what a tonic to be in a peaceful setting, close to nature, appreciating a magical heritage craft. Thoroughly recommend this experience. "

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"Hi Maria and Phil. So glad you both enjoyed the day, from different perspectives, as the maker and the observer. In many ways the craft does all the work for me, drawing a person in, with both mental and physical focus and attention on the tools and materials in hand. "

Hazel reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"This was the most interesting and enjoyable day and the setting was perfectly situated. Steve was very inspiring, patient and knowledgeable and encouraged me throughout the day. This was the first time I had approached a lathe and I was somewhat apprehensive but with plenty of support I was able to produce what I considered to be a beautiful beech bowl which was an object of surprise and pride. It was lovely to step away from everyday life and immerse myself in something quite different and challenging. I would definitely encourage anyone to give it a go . "

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"It was a pleasure to turn a bowl with you Hazel. I am so glad you enjoyed the day, and indeed you have a fabulous bowl of your own. "

Steve Hulme reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Had a fabulous day turning a lump of Sycamore into (in my opinion) a very nice bowl,. Stephen is a really good teacher patiently explaining the process bit by bit so I didn't get too bogged down with instruction. I would heartily recommend this course but you do need a strong left leg, the treadle can be hard work until you find the right rhythm. All in all a great day and the homemade soup at lunchtime was really tasty, Thanks Steve, I learned something new, who says you can't teach an old dog."

David Blackley reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

" Very enjoyable and relaxing course. Well worth the money."

Pip Forsyth reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Just what the doctor ordered! A day completely focussed on creating a thing of beauty (to me at least), out of a log of wood . It was hard physical work but that was part of the joy of it and Steve was a great teacher breaking down both the process and the effort, into manageable chunks. Sustenance breaks were also a pleasure giving time to chat and rest while enjoying tasty food in the rural setting of Steve's allotment. A thoroughly enjoyable day, and new skills learnt. What's not to like?!"

Alan Brown reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Took a long time to get the course because of covid restrictions but worth the wait. Instructions were relaxed but on the mark and easily understood. The work was quite physical but rewarding and the final result was a beautiful wooden bowl which I didn't think was possible from a complete novice. The day flew by and I would highly recommend this course and its leader. Thanks Steve"

Neil Sabin reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Superb tuition. Modelled each part of the intricate and challenging process with patience. Plenty of time for coffee/tea. Soup and bread at lunch. A solid day's work. Really enjoyable. I have a lovely beech bowl when dried for another 2 weeks and finished with walnut oil will be ready for some porridge!"

Chris reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"I had the pleasure of attending this course recently. I'd never done anything like this before and hadn't worked with wood since woodworking class at school! Steve was very friendly and talkative, full of knowledge and his passion for the craft showed. I was fascinated by the stories and facts that he shared and by the whole process of making a wooden bowl out of a seemingly unremarkable log. I saw my skill with an axe go from zero, to almost competent and I managed to take a small gouge out of my finger (my own fault, the tools are sharp!), but it was worth every moment. Ironically, the little wooden bowl I came away with is now not only the most expensive bowl I own, but one of my most cherished possessions! I can't wait to get some walnut oil on it! I've already recommended the course to a few friends, I'd recommend it to anybody Thanks again Steve"