Latest reviews

25 Aug 16'

Christine reviewed: Art & Craft Days - Christmas Wreaths & Swags – Willow

"Deb Hart – Christmas Wreaths & Swags – 24th November 2015 Dear Brian and Julie, Just wanted to send a quick email to say a massive thankyou for today, both Lisa and I enjoyed ourselves very much and are very proud of our wreaths and swags. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting such a fantastic lunch, pastries & tea, it really was lovely. Unfortunately I am not on facebook but will certainly recommend your art and craft days, and am sure that I will be booking another course in the new year. Once again, thank you very much. Christine."

25 Aug 16'

Janet reviewed: Art & Craft Days - Stained Glass Christmas Decorations

"Carole Gray – Make a Stained Glass Panel in a Day – 21st September 2015 Thanks to Carole, Brian and Julie for a lovely day. Really pleased with my stained glass panel."

25 Aug 16'

Katherine reviewed: A Practical Dry Stone Walling Workshop Central London

"Fun day of hard work in the very hot August sun, but learnt lots about the fundamentals of DSWing. Very interesting."

25 Aug 16'

Enamelling on Copper reviewed: Glass Enamelling on Copper for Jewellery - kiln enamelling

"Brilliant course, I really enjoyed myself. Eleanor is so friendly and helpful and has a real enthusiasm for enamelling. I got to make and bring home 4 beautiful pieces for jewellery. I'd thoroughly recommend it."

24 Aug 16'

Colin Reece reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day, 1 person)

"Colin was given a wood turning tuition lesson with Graham for his 80th birthday from his family. Colin arrived to a warm welcome from Graham. Colin found the experience very enjoyable. He said that the tuition was first class. Top quality equipment was used. It was an interesting morning and Colin was really pleased with the bowl that he came home with. He would recommend this session to others who are interested. Even the grandchildren had a chance of a little go which they thoroughly enjoyed as Colin was finishing his session. Thank you."

24 Aug 16'

Creative and fun! reviewed: Thrills and Chills: Writing Crime, Suspense and Horror - Nottingham Trent University

"I had a fab week on this course during the summer. Jason was an excellent tutor - very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I was able to create a wide range of ceramics, using traditional methods and new technology. There was freedom on the course to explore any direction that you wanted to go on, using the vast array of state of the art equipment at NTU. I really enjoyed the week, I learnt loads and enjoyed having the time and freedom to play and explore. The amount we got to make and the materials we used certainly made it excellent value for money. I would wholeheartedly recommend."

24 Aug 16'

Sandra McKim reviewed: Two Day Stained Glass Course with Gallus Glass

"I had a wonderful weekend with Maureen and 5 other novices. Maureen explains all aspects of producing stained glass very clearly and with a great sense of humour. Everyone managed to produce at least one piece, most produced two. If you are looking to do something different in a fun, friendly atmosphere look no further ....."

23 Aug 16'

William Gough reviewed: Pottery classes in Teesside

"Very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, with a few simple guidance lessons you'll be off and running, great fun meeting new people, lou and Ann are are very informative and helpful. Just what I needed to break up my day"

23 Aug 16'

Alison Grainge reviewed: Pottery classes in Teesside

"Brilliant teaching and lovely atmosphere."

23 Aug 16'

Brian E reviewed: Wood turning tuition, New Forest, Hampshire (1 day) (2 people)

"What an excellent two days instruction by Graham as a present from the family. I have no experience of wood turning but do have joinery and woodworking knowledge and skills so I was very pleased that Graham accommodated that and, after an introductory bowl from softish cedar, we went on to some quite challenging things. I managed 3 complete and finished bowls and a bit of spindle practice in the two days and that is much more than I expected. The second bowl was from hard Bay wood so it was taken down very thin with waney bark edges and is certainly good enough to have on display. Chuffed to bits with that one. Grahams way of teaching with demonstration, attentive but not in-your-face supervision worked really well and I learnt a lot in an enjoyable way. Keywords would be friendly, instructive, knowledgeable, achievements. A really great 2 days and very successful! I'm now thinking about a lathe and workshop of my own but that has to come after some major jobs around the house so maybe spring 2017 when I am due to retire?"

23 Aug 16'

Richard Robinson reviewed: One day blacksmithing course

"Me and my brother had already had a quick go at back garden blacksmithing and wanted to expand our knowledge of the craft. This course was fantastic, Julian helped us understand what we were doing at home and how it all worked, helped us improve our skills and master some new ones and generally went above and beyond everything we expected from the course. Would highly recommend this course to anybody who enjoys or is interested in the craft, or anybody that just likes being creative."

23 Aug 16'

Paul Collings reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"What a brilliant course, any one with the slightest interest in wood would love this! and the great thing is that you get to take something home that you have hand made from a branch and slab of wood. Peter was a great instructor, had everyone feeling relaxed from the off with his laid back attitude but kept us working to an invisible time table. Jarv, Peters assistant was always available with answers and help when anyone needed it. All eight of us finished our stools or tables and I'm sure went home inspired to do more. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to anyone whatever your ability."

22 Aug 16'

James Hill reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"A superb course - Peter is an excellent tutor, and led a group of varying abilities to complete some remarkable pieces of furniture. I did not expect to enjoy myself so much and found the process of shaping green wood very satisfying. I would recommend this to anyone and will certainly do more of his courses."

22 Aug 16'

Dr Mike Leonard reviewed: One day stained glass classes by Le Breton Traditional

"At first there was the uncertainty that "I cannot cut and shape glass" but Matt quickly taught the techniques and created the confidence to have a go. Attended three classes and created two lovely pieces of work that I treasure and am proud of. Would recommend Matt's classes to anybody who has wanted to try stain glass but never felt they could do it."

22 Aug 16'

Jan Dawe reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"I have just returned from Peter's 2 day green woodworking course and the proof of the pudding is that I want to return and have another go. Day 1 is relaxing amid good company, lovely surroundings: an excellent way to unwind using edge tools to shape our chosen wood. Day 2 is more technically challenging with an array of tools to encounter. Peter and Jav were excellent teachers, stopping short of doing things for us but encouraging and promoting confidence. By the end of day 2 everyone had a finished item which was amazing. The camaraderie in the workshop will be memorable with everyone prepared to stop and help. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates learning hands-on and no previous experience seemed necessary."

22 Aug 16'

Paddy Lambton reviewed: Blacksmith for a day in the Yorkshire Dales

"Really good. Given that the things you would make are worth about 60 quid if you bought them, that means the food (there is loads) and tuition is only £40. Excellent value for money and a really great day."

22 Aug 16'

Angela reviewed: Leather satchel course

"Another brilliantly enjoyable course from Gaynor and her team. The workshop is well set out giving each person plenty of space to work with all the tools they need immediately to hand. The tuition is clear and responsive to the level and skill of each person. As always good humour is in plentiful supply too! I thoroughly recommend anyone thinking about doing a course - just go ahead and book! You will have a great time and produce something beautiful to be proud of. Thank you gals!"

22 Aug 16'

Naomi Patkai reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"I have just returned from a wonderful weekend on one of Peter's "Green Woodworking Courses". I went with low expectations of my abilities to produce anything that would look good and everything far exceeded my expectations. Peter and Jarv were brilliant tutors with great humour, patience and encouragement. Both are friendly and taught us so much in such a short time. The two days flew by, but in a really relaxed environment where we were all able to work at our own level and ask for as much or as little help as we needed. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I hope very much to return to a further course in the future."

21 Aug 16'

Chris Harper reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"Such a great way to spend a weekend. I have done quite a few different types of woodwork over the past 15 years but have always been self taught and not tried green woodwork before. I found this to be such a satisfying way of working with wood and Peter is a great teacher. There is a lot to get done in the 2 days and it is quite a physical course because it is almost all done with hand tools. I am quite particular in relation to attention to detail so my recommendation would be to just go with the flow and don't worry about triple checking measurements etc or you will struggle to get everything done. And because of the organic nature of green woodwork the end result is always going to be unique and wavy anyway. I will definitely be booking on another course with Peter in the future."

21 Aug 16'

Claire Lawrence reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"We had a very enjoyable day learning glassblowing with Ricky. There were just two of us in the class and we learnt a lot in just one day. Ricky's a great teacher and helped us make some lovely pieces to take home. I'd thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who fancies having a go!"

21 Aug 16'

Richard and Sarah reviewed: All inclusive artisan baking weekend in Devon

"We'd like to say a huge thank you to Dragan and Penny for a wonderful weekend. Spending an entire weekend immersed in bread baking with our two expert hosts filled our heads with baking knowledge. Dragan and Penny passed on a wealth of advice and tips based on their experience of baking over many years, from techniques and theory, to advice on how to fit bread baking into a busy life. In addition to learning so much we also had a wonderful, relaxing stay in Devon. The cottage was beautiful, in an idyllic location, and all our meals were mouthwatering. We can't speak highly enough of this course. If you want to kick start your bread making skills, this is the course you need. Thank you Dragan and Penny!"

21 Aug 16'

Amanda Halpin reviewed: Container candlemaking course and wax melts with afternoon tea

"This was a really informative and fun course. Julie was an excellent and knowledgeable tutor. I can now make beautiful candles for friends and family. Lovely afternoon tea in a great location in the centre of Holmfirth......what more can a girl ask for? xxxx"

21 Aug 16'

James Dawes reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"My dad and I had a great day being introduced to the basics of the craft. Chris is very welcoming and an excellent teacher, allowed us to go at our own pace. The leaf key-rings are a good example to begin with as you learn a variety of techniques in one piece. Also very happy with how our coat hooks turned out and I can confirm that the 'rustic' bottle-opener works perfectly. Cannot recommend this course enough, thank you!"

20 Aug 16'

Sue Watson reviewed: Fused Glass for Beginners - One day workshop

"A fantastic day, love all things glass, thought I would try to make something and hopefully learn a new skill in the process. The day is not disappoint, 3 of us on the course, all made to feel very welcome - chocolate cake as well! As described on the website, morning spent learning the 'technical bits & how to use the various tools safely', afternoon, the fun bit making our chosen piece. Will be going again! Looking forward to seeing the finished product once it comes out the kiln."

20 Aug 16'

Sarah Pringle reviewed: 'Art of Stained Glass' - Oldbury, Birmingham

"My mother, daughter and myself had a very enjoyable, relaxing and productive day. Would highly recommend this to beginners like ourselves or experts also and we will be back to do more. Thank you."