Artistry in Wood reviews

14 Mar 20'

Simon Jones reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Thank you very much for hosting me yesterday - I had a great day both learning and making yesterday, and very much enjoyed the hospitality and welcoming atmosphere you set. I would definitely recommend to a friend, and will be displaying my bowl proudly in our home!"

10 Mar 20'

Michael Barry reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I attended a one day course with George which I found to be very informative, this has given me the confidence to be able to operate a lathe to the standard I wanted. George's years of knowledge and passion for this activity were clear, his coaching techniques are direct and his communication is very well suited to give his students the skills they need (after just one day!) The pace of the day was perfect and lunch was great! I would strongly recommend George to anyone who would like to learn a new skill. I will be back for some more tuition soon! ?"

8 Mar 20'

CAIN LEWIS reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I had a great day yesterday with George teaching me the art of Wood Turning. It was a very good day, I learned a lot, he has a lot of knowledge and is happy to share it with you. Went home with a lovely ash bowl. I would just like to thank George and Sue for the hospitality. Hopefully will be going back again in the future."

4 Mar 20'

Chris and Bob reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Bob and I are most grateful for these last two days of woodturning tuition under your George's expert hand. His approach, insisting on the basics of the craft, was exactly what we hoped for but also gave us a real sense of progress and achievement over the two days. The four bowls we brought home were welcomed with enthusiasm. We also appreciated Susan’s hospitality and her delicious lunches, as well as the frequent cups of tea/coffee and biscuits. I will be in touch shortly, I hope, to seeking his advice on fitting out my workshop with a starter kit for woodturning. Both Bob and I have definitely caught the bug! With all good wishes and many thanks Chris and Bob"

17 Feb 20'

Jackie Mc Clennan reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I have just returned from a wonderful 2 days woodturning with George. I went with my 85 year old Dad who wanted to give woodturning a try, and we were not disappointed. George had a large well-equipped workshop in his garden so there were regular trips back into his conservatory to be looked after by his attentive wife Susan. So, although you spend a lot of time on your feet it wasn’t too much for my Dad. We made 2 bowls over the 2 days to help consolidate skills. George was a good and patient instructor and was able to keep us both busy at the same time while ensuring complete safety. The workshop was just the right temperature despite the wind and rain outside and we were given overalls to ensure we kept clean (although Dad did find some wood shavings down his top from forgetting to zip it all the way up!) Neither of us had any woodturning skills beforehand, so don’t feel you need any. Susan plied us with tea and biscuits, sandwiches and a lovely soup for lunch the second day. Warm fresh scones were our reward for all our hard work in the afternoon. We felt very well looked after. If I lived closer I would definitely go again, even living where I do (Manchester), I will consider it. Thanks George."

8 Feb 20'

Sophie Hanley reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Superb training day, tailored to all abilities, delivered with patience and concise tuition. George has a vast wealth of knowledge, freely given to participants in his awe inspiring course, well recommended for all abilities. Sue supplies all refreshments through out day with a lovely pleasant manner, putting you a ease. The vegan soup was absolutely fabulous. Thank you George and Sue ?"

27 Jan 20'

Charles Atkinson reviewed: Wood turning courses

"One Day Wood Turning Course for Beginners – with George Foweraker Saturday 25/1/20 A Christmas present from my wife: a fabulous day laid on by George and Sue. George takes a maximum of two on the course at any one time, so the level of personal attention is high which is just what I needed, not having used a lathe since school woodwork classes back in the 70’s - which showed! We received a warm welcome and a cup of tea and then the day began. Many thanks to Sue for feeding us and providing teas and coffees through the day. George is an excellent tutor, splitting the session into discrete and logical sections with a clear explanation and demonstration for each step. He then leaves you to get on with the job and although never intrusive appears like magic when you need some help – he is friendly, approachable and patient. The whole day flew past and was never less than fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable. At the end of the day I had produced a bowl that I take an enormous amount of satisfaction (and not a little pride) in - three days later I’m still gawping at it in amazement. Thank you, George, you are inspiring."

20 Jan 20'

Ricky Coombes reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Thank you George. It was lovely, I feel I came away having learned a lot. Dinner was also very nice so a big thanks to Sue for that. I'm looking forward to our next club meet on the 29th"

12 Jan 20'

Phil Picton reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and hospitality yesterday. The training was fun, safe and enjoyable, enabling us produce beautiful bowls by the end of the day. I really value the advice on tools and machinery as almost certainly I will be taking this up as a hobby. I still have so much to learn so will definitely be returning for some further training in the future"

9 Dec 19'

Paul Bartlett reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Just a quick note to say 'Many Thanks' for the great day I spent with George, Sue and Jax on Saturday. This was not my first occasion with George but every occasion is a new experience. It was good to meet Jax whose brilliant sense of humour ensured we all had a laugh whilst learning. This coupled with George's usual top notch knowledge and training style and Sue's catering and easy conversation made for yet another lovely day. Apologies for insisting on creating a different piece to Jax but I am sure you enjoyed the challenge! LOL"

7 Dec 19'

jax hill-wilson reviewed: Wood turning courses

"As always a fun day and lots learnt .... I’m very happy to have created the bowls and Christmas trees that I did today. I continue to learn and with your tuition I feel that I have developed my skills over the last two years. Practice makes perfect - thank you!"

5 Dec 19'

Alister Harpur reviewed: Wood turning courses

"A return visit to George after some 11-weeks spent clearing and repairing a small garage in order to embark on Woodturning as a retirement hobby. We agreed it was important to spend the day understanding correct use of tools and sharpening before embarking on projects on my own (new) lathe. Again, thank you to George for a most enjoyable day, his factual, sympathetic and reassuring instruction is much appreciated and already proving beneficial. Many thanks also for Sue’s hospitality keeping me well topped up with coffee and a filling soup for lunch followed by mince pie."

2 Dec 19'

Ed Brooks reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I have always liked the idea of woodturning and thanks to George it is now a reality. The day I spent with George was time well spent as George really knows his stuff and is able to transfer that knowledge in a clear and concise way so you do not get bamboozled. There is quite a bit to learn but you get to do it in stages so you never overstretch yourself and always remain safe. Woodturning may not be the cheapest hobby to get started with but it has a value and satisfaction in time well spent, producing something beautiful out of a rough lump of wood. Thanks George, I wonder if Santa could get a lathe down the chimney?"

4 Nov 19'

Hazel Nixon reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Great day with George and have the most beautiful bowl to show for all my efforts and learning on the day. George gives expert tuition with tips and knowledge that can only come from years of experience. This really helped with making the bowl, each stage was well explained and practice was fabulous so you could try different techniques along the way. I have been given the confidence to work with wood and turning in the future. The day was well paced and included plenty of delicious refreshments. I definitely have a new found hobby and can’t wait to do more. Thanks George a great day!”"

29 Oct 19'

Paul Bartlett reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Just a note to say a huge ‘thank you’ for yet another great day turning with George in Burnham on Sea last Friday. As ever his instruction was patient and informative and I came away with my turning skills refreshed and revitalized with the added bonus of a lidded pot with pewter medallion of which I am very proud. With George's brilliant instruction and Sue’s excellent catering the day feels like a mini holiday for me where I can forget any other issues and fully enjoy the day."

29 Oct 19'

Martin Gard reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Thanks for a great day of tuition at your workshop. The pewter lidded box looks wonderful in my display cabinet. More important to me was the help you gave me to unlearn many of the bad habits I have developed over the years. I am practicing every day the things you have taught me until they become second nature. Thank Sue for the wonderful lunch, the soup was fantastic."

28 Oct 19'

Ed Livingstone reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I had an excellent time on the course. I'm very happy with the bowl I made and George made every effort to make sure that I knew how to use the tools and machinery safely and efficiently. I felt very welcome and had a great day, would definitely recommend that course to anyone who wanted to try their hand at woodturning."

24 Oct 19'

Dan Clark reviewed: Wood turning courses

"The woodturning day course with George was excellent. He was very knowledgeable in every aspect and gave very helpful and safety conscious tips all throughout the day. By the end of the day I had turned a bowl made from sycamore and was delighted with the finish too. Would look to book another course very soon. Also, George's wife was on hand making tea and filling me up with biscuits and lunch too!!! Thank you very much George and see you again."

23 Oct 19'

Gareth Lewis reviewed: Wood turning courses

"A worthwhile experience with knowledgeable tuition. I came away with an item that I enjoyed making and a smile on my face that lasted for days. I would highly recommend the experience with a man that was so polite and patient. His wife that provided our refreshments made us feel very welcome."

16 Oct 19'

Robin reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Just wanted to say thanks again to George for a really fun and informative day. I was totally new to wood turning but George's patience and expertise meant that we all went away with not only a fantastic object that we could be proud of (a beautiful sycamore bowl in my case) but also the knowledge and confidence to continue and hopefully progress with it. Robin Lapworth"

12 Sep 19'

Alister Harpur reviewed: Wood turning courses

"An enormous thank you to George for a most enjoyable day to re-introduce me to Woodturning (50+years since early attempt at school). He provided so much information (not all remembered) on various interesting techniques, tools, materials and finishes. His relaxed and jovial manner was very engaging, with a strong emphasis on safety and a hands on approach, he very comfortably oversaw two of us stepping in as necessary to correct minor issues throughout the day. Much inspired, Woodturning is now set to become my new retirement hobby and I hope to meet George again for further guidance on suitable equipment and perhaps a further course.? Many thanks also for Sue’s hospitality keeping us well watered and fed throughout the day with regular supplies of tea/coffee/cold drinks, biscuits and a very welcome lunch sat out in their sheltered garden outside the workshop."

9 Sep 19'

Alan Boyle reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Many thanks to George for an excellent day. He is an intuitive teacher and fills you with complete confidence. He is an expert in both the physics of wood and wood turning, as well as having the artistic flair you would expect in a master craftsman. Highly recommend anyone to take this course. Many thanks also to Sue for keeping us topped up with coffee and a lovely lunch."

22 Aug 19'

Christine Macfarlane reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I really enjoyed my day with George and Susan, thank her for her hospitality, and George's patience and expertise.. I sent a pic to my daughter, and she cheekily said I must have bought it!!!"

20 Jul 19'

Tim Taylor reviewed: Wood turning courses

"I had a stimulating and creative day today with George Foweraker teaching me the essential theory and basic practice of woodturning. George is clearly a master craftsman and he instilled a lot of confidence in me as a complete rookie. His workshop is well equipped and safe and we had regular breaks for drinks and snacks and lunch at the halfway mark. Ending up with a bowl to bring home was a bonus and the offer of help with further advice and tuition most welcome. Highly recommended for anyone who is thinking about getting into the discipline of woodturning or who like me just wanted to try something new."

26 Jun 19'

Meriel Norris reviewed: Wood turning courses

"Thanks George and Sue for your hospitality and importantly the skilled teaching on the lathe. I am normally a bit gung ho about learning new things but this needed clear guidance which we got throughout. The result was an amazingly beautiful bowl, which has received many compliments. Everyone has commented on the beauty of the wood- thanks so much for allowing us to use those pieces- made it extra special. Thanks again and a special shout out for the scones Sue - what a gorgeous treat at the end of the day."