Latest reviews

22 Aug 17'

Adam reviewed: Dry stone walling course Lancashire/Yorkshire/Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield/North West

"Fantastic course. John is a great teacher and allowed us time to try, fail and eventually succeed ! We completed 2 metres worth of walling and loved every minute of it. I would highly recommend this to anyone and the little addition of mindfulness along the way is an added bonus!!! Thanks John"

22 Aug 17'

David McCallion reviewed: Dry stone walling course Lancashire/Yorkshire/Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield/North West

"As a Community Connector for the Early Help service in Oldham I was tasked to find two willing young people who would like the golden opportunity to learn an exciting new skill, work out in the countryside, get expert tuition and have fun. Well Dale and Josh Volunteered, they completed the weekend and absolutely loved it. Thank you John for giving these two young men an experience that otherwise would never have been possible. The art of Dry Stone Walling, the countryside and fresh air, the beautiful landscapes and hard graft. What a recipe for good health and well being. A million thanks John."

22 Aug 17'

Jenny Wilks reviewed: Canal art roses and daisies - decorate a wooden stool in narrowboat decoration

"We had a very good day. Julie was very skilful in teaching the steps to painting roses and expected us all to achieve a good standard whatever our previous experience. All materials provided and lunch was great. A relaxed, friendly atmosphere made for an enjoyable but very productive day."

22 Aug 17'

Philip Martin and James Martin reviewed: One day leather work course - small leather goods

"We both found the course excellent on all counts. Jason is a very able teacher as well as a craftsman, exercising a great deal of professionality and skill as well as patience, encouragement and inspiration (ably assisted by Louise, of course!) In crafting our items, we learned some of the basics of they types of leather, introductory techniques and the use of basic tools that will stand us in good stead for future work. The setting of Jason's workshop in an old mill with a view onto the Huddersfield Canal adds to the experience and interest. I would unhesitatingly recommend the course."

21 Aug 17'

Sara and John reviewed: Pottery / ceramics wheel throwing, full day

"Fantastic day with Lorraine. Her passion, teaching techniques and knowledge of the history of pottery was great and interesting. Thoroughly enjoyed the day. We would recommend this course and will no doubt return to practice our newly learned skills. The plum and ginger cake was also very tasty, thank you to Lorraine's Mom. Thank you Lorraine."

21 Aug 17'

Ali and John reviewed: Blacksmithing Beginners day courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"This course was a surprise gift for my 60th birthday and what a good day. The booking arrangements (I am told) were excellent and efficient and the directions were spot on. We had a full day punctuated by a lovely lunch, including some excellent local cheeses, where we were shown how to create a key ring out of steel rod and then to create an artistic dragon coat hook ( it was artistic for some but not all of us) . The support and supervision were very good. We both had a great day, thank you"

21 Aug 17'

Gavin Cawley reviewed: Woodcarving for beginners - two day course in Suffolk

"I started going to Gerald's woodcarving classes to support my interest in making musical instruments, and it turned out to be a very good decision indeed! As the other reviews have mentioned, Gerald is master carver, and an excellent teacher. He provides carving exercises that teach the basic (and not so basic) techniques, but is also very helpful for students with projects of their own, giving excellent guidance on both technical aspects and on the modeling of the carving (i.e. the artistic side of carving). The workshop is very well equipped and it is useful to be able to work with a variety of tools to determine what you most need to buy for your workshop at home. The lessons are also great fun, and one of the high points of my week - very highly recommended!"

21 Aug 17'

Jackie Hesling reviewed: Willow Chicken / Duck / Pheasant Weaving Workshop

"Thoroughly enjoyed spending Sunday with my daughter and the other lovely ladies on this course. Thanks to Victoria and her teaching, we both came away feeling very pleased with our creations - a pheasant and chicken. We are now thinking about Christmas and reindeers?"

21 Aug 17'

Jennifer Cawdron reviewed: Hand-Spinning & Natural Dyeing Retreat, Highlands, Scotland

"Relaxed and informative. Great food and scenery. Thoroughly enjoyable experience."

21 Aug 17'

Dale Rees reviewed: Dry stone walling course Lancashire/Yorkshire/Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield/North West

"Was great weekend with the team also john you were great leanrt a lot from weekend didnt know anything about but now i do. I say you teaching is brillant. Thanks john for having us."

21 Aug 17'

Lynda Watts reviewed: Woodcarving for beginners - two day course in Suffolk

"Gerry offers simple practical tuition using a full range of tools within achievable goals from beginners to the advanced. However small or uninspiring your project may seem, he will make it matter for you. He lends himself well to each student and is very fair with his time. He gives good sound advice and demonstrates his skills well. My carving has much improved since going to his classes."

21 Aug 17'

Dan Ahern reviewed: Full day leather craft workshop

"Rosanna could not have been more friendly, patient and informative. It was great to get out of London for the day in the countryside studio. I spent the day working on 2 items which you can take away with you. I learnt a great deal and Rosanna was able to advise on all things leather and it was great fun spending the day there. I would highly recommend this course for anyone wanting to learn a new hobby or for someone who wanted to eventually make products on their own. Thanks!!"

21 Aug 17'

Salamander Stoves Ltd. reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Just back from an amazing course at Fransham Forge. Nigel is an excellent teacher and a fabulous blacksmith. We all had a brilliant time and came away with an immense amount of knowledge, our metal creations and broad smiles. I would highly recommend this course for anyone with a slight interest in metal working. Thanks again Nigel. 5*****"

21 Aug 17'

Tina Tindill reviewed: Willow Chicken / Duck / Pheasant Weaving Workshop

"Enjoyed every minute and learnt some new skills for the future. Will be looking at coming to the next Piggy Course! Duck taking pride and place in the garden. Thanks Victoria for your patience and encouragement. Will be suggesting your courses to friends and our Study Group in the village."

21 Aug 17'

Christine Arthington reviewed: Willow Chicken / Duck / Pheasant Weaving Workshop

"Thoroughly enjoyed the day. Excellent hospitality and clear instructions with friendly individual support given as required. Ended up asking to make a pheasant as I get a lot in my garden and Victoria produced a picture to copy very quickly. Lovely to have learnt a new skill and come away with an attractive addition to the garden in a one day course."

21 Aug 17'

Sarah jones reviewed: Willow Chicken / Duck / Pheasant Weaving Workshop

"Excellent! This course is one of the most enjoyable courses I have done in a long time. Victoria ( course leader ) is a lovely lady who instantly put everyone at ease. Her instructions and demonstrations were precise and clear and everybody came away with a willow animal to be proud of. Victoria was also a very good host providing endless cups of tea, coffee and cake. Finally, although the course ran from 10am until 3 pm, there was absolutely no rush to finish and we all ended up staying well past 4pm."

20 Aug 17'

Paul Jones reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Just spent the weekend learning to blacksmith with Aaron from Ferric Fusion. The course was bought for me as a birthday present and it was fantastic. Great fun learning to make a rams head fire poker, as well as many hooks and fire tongs. Aaron is a very knowledgable blacksmith and a great teacher of his trade. I would highly recommend this course to those looking to try something new. ? — in Saint Clears, Carmarthenshire, United Kingdom."

20 Aug 17'

Jill Duffy reviewed: Summer art workshops for Adults and Children Monoprinting and Drawing Suffolk

"Lucy was extremely thorough in her explanations of the processes involved with creating mono prints using silk screens. She allowed each course member to work at their own space and develop their work based on their own theme. Her studio is well equipped and Lucy is very organised, making it an enjoyable experience. Great coffee and cake too. I will definitely be booking on more of Lucy's courses."

20 Aug 17'

David Handley reviewed: Woodcarving for beginners - two day course in Suffolk

"I cannot recommend the Woodcarving weekly classes too highly. Gerald is a Master Carver and a great teacher. He also manages to create a wonderful friendly atmosphere in his classes which is a joy to work in. After several years carving away after work or at weekends on my own in my workshop, I am now able to take advantage of retirement and spend time with like minded carvers who want to get better and a bit more creative. I always look forward to my weekly classes and hope to continue to improve my carving skills at Gerald's classes for many terms to come."

20 Aug 17'

Colin Williams reviewed: Beginners’ Dry Stone Walling Course

"Two full days of coached (1 to 4 student ratio) dry stone walling. Content included staged deconstruction of dilapidated walling, structured laying out of stone, base preparation and wall setting out followed by re construction. Principles clearly explained and easy to follow with guidance on each stage. Excellent experience and value for money."

20 Aug 17'

Catherine Villegas reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"My mother and I did this course on the recommendation of a friend. We had a fantastic day. Ricky is knowledgable, patient and fun. We produced some lovely pieces and were thrilled with the results. If you are looking for a "doing present" for someone and are bored with the same old afternoon tea's and spa days, I would thoroughly recommend this one day course."

20 Aug 17'

Shirley Firth reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"We had a really lovely day with Amanda. She is very friendly and made the day really enjoyable. It was great to try something new and leave with a delightful blue tit. She was patient and a perfectionist so we had all the time needed to take us through each stage of the process. She showed us the variety of glass available and we could choose what we wanted to make from a selection of templates. When we saw the Xmas decorations she is making we have booked another workshop in October to have another go!!"

20 Aug 17'

Traci Whitehead reviewed: Make a silver ring or bangle

"I spent two days with Lucy at her fantastic workshop and learned so much. She is the perfect teacher for taking what you already know (in my case very little) and stretching you just enough that you accomplish far more than you thought you'd ever be able to. I am now going to consolidate my skills and, I hope, book another day or two with her when I know where I want to go with my learning next. I am utterly certain that whereever that is Lucy will be a great person to guide the way."

20 Aug 17'

Claire Fell reviewed: Silver Clay Jewellery - Textures in Nature' with Jo Dix: a 'Quirky Workshop'

"Had a thoroughly enjoyable and was delighted with the results. Jo is any excellent friendly tutor and the hospitality was excellent. Would definitely recommend, and go back."

20 Aug 17'

Jac Tavener reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Have photographed and admired dry stone walls all my life and appreciated them as a part of our heritage/landscape, however had no idea how they were built. So googled away until I found the DSWA and decided to attend a weekend course. It was fantastic, really lovely instructors, ditto the other attendees. We got stuck in and got to see our wall grow, satisfying, physical and fun. All good."