Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing reviews

27 Apr 22'

Mick & Lorraine reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" 1-2-1 woodturning & pottery experience for 1 person

"What a lovely experience! Having recently retired we challenged ourselves to try something different. Our hosts Simon and Louise were brilliant, giving the right balance of guidance and instruction, and freedom to ‘have a go’ on our own ! Both sessions flew by but we were amazed at just what we managed to achieve in the time . We would recommend them to anyone wanting to have a go at either or both crafts ."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Mick & Lorraine, Thank you for a lovely review. We're glad you enjoyed your day as much as we did teaching you. Any assistance required in the future, please don't hesitate to get in touch. -- Simon & Louise"

27 Apr 22'

Nigel Brewer reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"The perfect course for me, I came away with all the knowledge necessary for me to develop my wood turning skills. A really good understanding of the machinery and tools. Simon explained and demonstrated everything with great clarity which made it easy to understand. Many thanks Simon definitely a 5 star experience. Nigel"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Nigel, Thank you for your frank review and praise - much appreciated! Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need any further help or information. -- Simon"

25 Apr 22'

Daniel reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I received a wood turning work shop for a birthday gift. I have always wanted to have a go at wood turning and this was an ideal way to do it. Simon is friendly and patient and very informative, I learned a lot, I would recommend it to any one and the added bonus I came away with a nice piece."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Dan, Thanks so much for your review and really glad you had an enjoyable day. Any queries or questions please get in touch. -- Simon"

25 Apr 22'

Martin and Colette reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"We both had a thoroughly good time. Hosts were very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of fun was had and we look forward to seeing our finished creations!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"I'm so pleased you guys enjoyed the day :-). It was lovely having you in the studio and I'm also looking forward to seeing your beautiful creations once they are glazed and fired. Well done for achieving so much across all four disciplines of working with clay!"

25 Apr 22'

Kirsty reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"Fantastic day - great fun trying the different pottery techniques and chatting with Louise. Enjoyed every minute. Louise and Simon were lovely hosts and we highly recommend Blended Monkey."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Kirsty, I'm so pleased that you and Terry enjoyed your pairs pottery experience. You both made some fabulous pieces - not to mention the two massive pots that Terry threw! It was lovely to meet you both and I enjoyed chatting with you too. I'll let you know as soon as your pots have been fired :-)."

24 Apr 22'

Barry Holloway reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Very enjoyable and a lot to try and remember, but good guidance given by Simon throughout. The time went too quickly. Lovely lunch by Louise and pleasant surroundings. Definitely recommend this course."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Barry, Glad you liked the course and you should have received an email with a link to the notes today, so you shouldn't have to remember all of it! -- Simon"

22 Apr 22'

Kevin Keeley reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Really enjoyed my first woodturning experience at Blended Monkey. Simon made it a very enjoyable experience,explained and demonstrated and answered all my questions,more importantly he was very patient. Thank you Simon and Louise for your hospitality throughout the day."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Kevin, So glad you enjoyed the day. Any questions or if you need any help, please get in touch. -- Simon & Louise"

20 Apr 22'

Vivien reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"The course with Simon was a birthday treat from my husband. The day slipped by quickly as Simon guided me through the course. Simon is a very good humoured and exceptionally knowledgeable teacher who is very patient and encouraging. A thoroughly enjoyable day that has left me pondering whether this craft is something I want to explore further. Many thanks for the lovely lunch Louise provided Throughly recommend the day."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Vivien, So glad you enjoyed the course and, if you decide to take the plunge, don't hesitate to get in touch if you need any help setting up. -- Simon"

19 Apr 22'

Paul reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"An excellent day with Simon, such a brilliant teacher. Would reccommend him to anyone wishing to give woodturning a go. I just need to get my own lathe and tools now. Simon and Louise were so welcoming to ther home, plenty of coffee, and a superb luch as well. Thakn you Simon and Louise for such and enjoyable day. Paul"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Paul, Stop! I'm blushing :) Thank you for such a lovely endorsement and I'm really glad you enjoyed your day. Any queries or advice, please don't hesitate to get in touch. -- Simon"

13 Apr 22'

Trevor Keith Horner reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"First time wood turning since I was at school 50 years ago, really enjoyed my day, great venue one on one tuition, very pleasant people, Simon really knows his stuff. I am seriously looking at woodturning as a hobby for my retirement, highly recommend this training venue."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Trevor, Thanks so much for your honest review and so glad you enjoyed your day. — Simon"

12 Apr 22'

Jackie reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" pairs - woodturning & pottery experience

"This was a fun packed day, being taught wood turning and pottery in one day. Louise and Simon were very knowledgeable and patient with a sense of fun throughout the day. No hesitation in recommending them."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Simon and I really enjoyed having you guys in the studios and we're pleased you had a good experience - and a few laughs along the way! You both made some really lovely pieces and I'm also eager to see your pots when they emerge from the kiln. Thanks again for the review :-)."

11 Apr 22'

Steve reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs woodturning workshop

"We attended a half day turning course in April 2022. Simon is very patient and takes his time to explain the reason why things should be done in a certain way and doesn't rush you. Very enjoyable afternoon along with the coffee and biscuits. I would recommend a visit to Simon if you're curious about what's involved in wood turning or as we did, just wanted a bit of fun and something different."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Steve, Thanks for your lovely review and so glad you had such a fun and enjoyable experience. -- Simon"

9 Apr 22'

Nikki reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"I had such a wonderful morning with Louise learning about the joy of pottery. An experience ive been wanting to do for quite some time. With Louise's guidance i made some 'unique' pieces to collect and treasure. Louise was so warm and welcoming, i felt like we were already firm friends. Thank you so much ?"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review Nikki :-). It was a thorough pleasure having you in the studio and it was nice to have a chat and put the world to rights too! You made some really lovely pieces that you should be very proud of - even your "unique" thrown pieces ;-). Well done x"

31 Mar 22'

Debbie reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"this was something I have always wanted to try and it totally lived up to my expectation. Simon is an excellent teacher and i was amazed at what i managed to achieve in such a short time. Very enjoyable day."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Debbie, So glad you enjoyed your experience. If you need any help in the future, please get in touch. -- Simon"

29 Mar 22'

Joseph Morley reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs woodturning workshop

"My parents got me this experience day for my birthday and I absolutely loved it would highly recommend it."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Joseph, Thanks for your review and really glad you enjoyed the day. Do get in touch if you need any help. --Simon"

23 Mar 22'

Jenny Sewell reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I thoroughly enjoyed my half-day course with Simon, and although I was somewhat apprehensive never having worked with wood or machinery before, Simon quickly put me at ease and gave me lots of encouragement. I was amazed that, with his excellent guidance, I managed to make something useful and decorative by the end of the session!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Jenny, So glad you enjoyed your experience. Do get in touch if you need further help or assistance. -- Simon"

18 Mar 22'

Edd Curbishley reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Really great day with Simon, he made the day relaxing, educational, informative and inspirational, great facilities I have total workshop envy now !"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Thanks, Edd! Should motivate you to get in the shed and do a tidy-up :) -- Simon"

17 Mar 22'

Josie reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"This was a gift for my hubby, something new to try. He really enjoyed the day, finding Simon very patient and supportive throughout and was very pleased with the pieces he came away with. He was amazed at how therapeutic he found it too. Lovely lunch provided by Louise. He said he would highly recommend the experience to anyone."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Josie, Thanks for (another!) review for Jeff's day. So glad he enjoyed it - now he's just got to find somewhere to put the lathe, tools, grinder, dust extractor..... :) -- Simon"

14 Mar 22'

Jeff Thompson reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"Very interesting and informative day spent with Simon learning some of the basics of wood turning. I'm completely new to this but after only one day I think I'm already hooked- thanks to Simon for being very patient! It's great to be able to focus entirely on one thing- the piece of wood spinning round in front of you so is excellent mindfulness training!! I even managed to produce a couple of pieces to take home! Highly recommended- I'll be back!!!!!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Jeff, Thank you for a lovely review. So glad that you found the experience relaxing and enjoyable. Look forward to seeing you again :) -- Simon"

11 Mar 22'

Chris Sheppard reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I was given by my wife as a Christmas present, a one day course in wood turning from Blended Monkey. It is always difficult for her to know what to get me and, with my abilities to be practical she thought it would be a good idea. Well she wasn't wrong, I loved it! I had no preconceived ideas about how the process worked other than I knew roughly what was made on a lathe, this in mind I couldn't wait for the day to arrive. Once I had booked a day for the course, I was kept well informed about what would happen on the day and assured that COVID guidelines were in place, should I have concerns. I was warmly welcomed by hosts Louise and Simon on my arrival and taken to the wood turning room and offered a drink with biscuits, the first of many through the day. Simon then went onto talk about health and safety and the equipment we would be using and told me not to worry about remembering everything, as detailed notes would be emailed to me the next day, The notes incidentally were very in-depth and repeated in print, the whole day which is and will be a great help going forward. We started on the basics and by the end of the morning I had produced a honey drizzler which, I don't mind saying without being big headed, was amazing for a first attempt. Lunch followed and here, I have to say a big thank you to Louise who, after being made aware of my dietary preferences beforehand, this being plant based, served up a lovey platter of sweet and savory offerings. Onto the afternoon and Simon went on to explain the next project which was a bowl made out of cherry wood. Again The process was explained and by the end I had produced a lovely bowl which again, I am really proud of and looks beautiful. I am hopefully going to retire in a couple of years and am seriously thinking about investing in the equipment to give me a great and totally enjoyable pastime when the great day finally arrives. To finish, I would thoroughly recommend this course with Blended Monkey, you will not be disappointed. Many thanks to you both. :-)"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Chris, So glad you enjoyed the day and felt it was enjoyable and worthwhile - means a lot to us. Thank you for such a heartfelt review too! -- Simon & Louise"

7 Mar 22'

Jenny reviewed: "2 Crafts in 1 Day!" pairs - woodturning & pottery experience

"Absolutely fantastic day! We were given a very warm welcome right from the start by Simon and Louise in in their beautiful home and garden, having morning tea and biscuits while we had our introduction in the wood turning workshop. Simon gave very clear guidance, and really useful demonstrations and explanations. We had plenty of time on the lathes and before lunch we had learned useful basic skills and finished a simple turning project. After a very nice lunch, we then moved to the pottery workshop, where Louise was very inspirational helping us to design and create pinch pots and a slab-formed vase. She was lovely to spend time with and learn from. We then finished the day on the wheel learning to throw pots. One of us seemed to be a natural at this, the other less so (but she’s very keen to come back and try it again!). Again, excellent demonstrations - and patience when the student takes “throwing” slightly too literally… We are really looking forward to seeing our creations when they’ve been fired and sent out to us. Overall an amazing day, very enjoyable and we learned loads. We very highly recommend this course and we will definitely be back for more!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi Jenny, hi Howard, Really pleased you had a good day. Simon and I enjoyed your company in our studios and I've definitely learnt a lot about snakes ;-). We'd be more than happy if you'd like to return and get to grips with the intricacies of of throwing - you've got a score to settle with that wheel! :-) You both made some really lovely pieces and we're so pleased you enjoyed your experience!"

4 Mar 22'

Antonella reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"We had such a great time! I have booked the pottery class as a birthday gift and it was brilliant. We had such an amazing time learning and chatting. Louise is a fantastic and knowledgeable teacher and made us feel so welcomed and relaxed throughout the day :) She took us lovely photos too which we will treasure forever as well as the ceramics that we made. I cannot recommend this experience enough!!! Thank you!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"It was a pleasure having you both in the studios :-). You made some fabulous pieces - especially the Bourbon biscuit! ;-). I'll let you know when your creations are ready!"

2 Mar 22'

Beckie Harrold reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"I had a fantastic afternoon with Louise. She explained the processes and techniques so well and was very patient. She gave me loads of helpful tips and encouragement. Also she was so friendly and chatty. It was alovely relaxed atmosphere to learn in and so enjoyable. I would thoroughly recommend this experience. I'm really looking forward to seeing my finished pieces. Thank you!"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"It was a real delight having you in the studio Beckie, and I'm pleased that you enjoyed it so much you're looking to get some kit and do some yourself at home. Fabulous! You made some lovely pieces and I'm just as excited as you are to see how they look after they've been glazed and fired :-)."

1 Mar 22'

Hayley reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I had an amazing day and although I am not the best at being a student, I was made to feel relaxed from the moment I met Simon and Louise. The day then got going and didn’t stop. It was the escapism I needed for a day and I learnt lots too. Now I just need to remember it and practice!! Thanks again for your patience and for the much needed caffeine and lunch."

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Really glad you enjoyed the day, Hayley. We hope the notes will help you remember what you did - please get in touch if you need further assistance. Happy turning! -- Simon & Louise"

26 Feb 22'

Lee Davies reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"I had a great day. My wife bought me a one day pottery experience with Louise as I've always fancied having a go especially at throwing a pot or two. I'm so glad she did. I learnt so much but had one of the most relaxed days I've had in a long while due to the environment, the hospitality and the training style. Which clearly worked as Louise had me throwing cylinders/pots shortly after lunch! Can't wait to see what comes out of the kiln. If you have an interest and like me, have never used a potters wheel or touched a bit of clay since I was at school ( some 40 years ago ) then you won't go wrong by spending a day in the studio with Louise. Highly recommended !"

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Thanks for your lovely review Lee. It was great having you in the studio and I'm glad you felt at ease and came away having learnt a bit more about the various methods of handbuilding and throwing. You made some fab pieces!"