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

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

"What a fun morning. The beginners half day workshop was brilliant. As a complete novice with no tools or equipment, I was a little apprehensive, but Simon quickly put me at ease and the 3 hours flew by. Tuition was top rate allowing a lot of hands on experience at your own pace. Added bonus of not having to waste time taking notes as they were all sent out by email after the day so you had lots of time to get stuck in. Simon obviously knows his trade and his enthusiasm is infectious. Very friendly and engaging. Now off to get equipped so I can practice and then book up further courses, such as how to sharpen tools. It's incredible how much difference a properly sharpened gouge delivers. Thank you so much. "

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

"Hi Mike, So glad you enjoyed the session and that it has spurred you on to get stuck in to the craft. I look forward to seeing you again soon. — Simon"

Charlotte and Paul reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery throwing workshop

"We thoroughly enjoyed our morning’s throwing lesson. Louise was an outstanding teacher, knowledgeable and talented. This was for my partner’s birthday, and he really loved the experience, and now wants to be a potter! We both managed to produce pieces worth firing, which we weren’t really expecting and my partner was brilliant and made 4 bowls! We are returning to decorate the pieces ourselves so that they are all ours 🥰 Thank you so much Louise "

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

"I'm so pleased you guys enjoyed your throwing experience. Paul seemed to be quite taken with the craft and was totally immersed! Well done to both of you ... and thank you so much for the lovely review! "

Zoe Fox reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 pottery / ceramics workshop for 1 person

"Wonderful day with Louise. Great experience would highly recommend, hand building in the morning, lovely lunch then on wheel in the afternoon "

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

"Thank you for your lovely review Zoe. It was fun having you in the studio and although you don't think it, you did make some lovely pieces :-)."

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

"A most enjoyable experience. I was made to feel welcome and comfortable throughout the whole experience. This is not something I have ever done before, but thoroughly enjoyed the time spent learning what to do and how to use the different tools, and then making my own little gift to take home with me, which has pride of place on my Welsh dresser, along with the test piece used to learn how to work with the tools."

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

"Hi Debbie, Really glad you enjoyed your experience; do get in touch if you'd like to learn more or try pottery - it was great to have you here. -- Simon"

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

"I enjoyed it a lot, it was so much fun making a bowl with Simon and I’m excited for my next woodturning session. William - Aged 10."

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

"Hi Will, Thanks for the nice review - so glad you enjoyed your session. That bowl is lovely - well done! —Simon"

SImon & Helena Hart reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our 1/2 day instruction and the actual making of our labour's, both our first time at making Pottery. Louise made it simple, instructive and fun (as well as Coffee, Tea and Biscuits). We are both very pleased with the results, we would highly recommend for all."

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

"It was a joy having you guys in the Blended Monkey pottery studio. You both rose to the challenge and created some lovely pieces! Thank you so much for your lovely review too :-). And we're glad you enjoyed staying in our Crafter's Retreat cabin too."

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

"A fantastic morning, learning the basics of wood turning. I was bought it as a gift (I had no idea before I arrived). It brought back fond memories of turning at school (that ages me🤣) Simon made the mornings lesson something I will never forget, he is so understanding, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about turning and all things to do with turning! He took me through all the safety of the machines & tools I would be using. He got me turning quite quickly on a pice of wood to practice different techniques needed for each turning tool and after some mistakes I went on to turn a mushroom out of a piece of pine. He also got me to sand it smooth, seal it and polish it. I loved the class so much I have been looking at getting my own wood turning lathe. I would recommend this course to anyone (you don’t need to be big and strong to be able to turn just have comfy foot ware and be able to stand in one place for a while). Overall a fantastic morning (he even provided me with great gluten free biscuits🤗)"

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

"Hi Paul, It was great fun teaching you - you're a very able student and will make a fine turner. Do shout if you need any further advice or help. -- Simon"

Lynn & Paul reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"Excellent course, never laughed so much at my pathetic attempts on the wheel ! I’m clearly not destined to be a potter, my husband on the other hand was heading for a full dinner service set! Great host, clear explanations, knowledgeable tutor. Highly recommend this course."

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

"I'm so pleased you guys enjoyed your pottery session - it was a good laugh too :-). You both made some lovely pieces and I'm looking forward to seeing them glazed and fired. Thank you for your lovely review!"

Gill reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs woodturning workshop

"We spent an excellent morning woodturning with Simon who has so much knowledge to share. He's an experienced teacher and we both came away with finished items - impressive! We wholeheartedly recommend his workshop to anyone interested in woodturning - fun and informative."

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

"Hi Gill (& Tony), Thanks for a lovely review and so glad you enjoyed your experience; do get in touch if you need more help or advice. -- Simon"

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

"Readers - do not hesitate! Louise is a wonderful tutor, (complete with a relaxing background audio playlist!) willing and able to share her ceramics skills in a clean and welcoming atmosphere. A few pottery failures (too tall, too wide, too thin... oops!) going into the recycling tub, but with lessons learned, six classy pieces achieved from my own hands with Louise's guidance and encouragement. A fine lunch included, shared with Simon and his trainee allowed for free conversation and shared experiences. The peaceful concentration achieved throughout the day helped make this course one of the best learning/doing days of my life - using a sensual material that transforms from lump to artwork before your very eyes. Slab, coil, and finally to the wheel - where subtle skills are learned to centre, spread, and raise the clay to form stable sides of dish or pot. Thank you Louise for your friendly tutoring, light touch, and plenty of tea! A brilliant day - can't wait to see my pieces fired and glazed, each to my choice of colours."

Terry Mitchell & Moira Mathers reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"Absolutely brilliant day! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Louise and Simon are a fantastic couple who are passionate about what they do. Highly recommend a pottery day!"

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

"Well it was lovely having you guys in the studio! You and Moira are lovely people and much more creative than you think! Thank you for the lovely review x"

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

"Great morning learning woodworking practices. I realise I have a lot to learn and feel inspired to explore classes nearer to me. I would love to come back for a whole day’s tuition but am delighted with the oak salt spoon we made today. Thank you Simon."

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

"Hi Roz, So glad you enjoyed the session and, even though we had some hiccups 😀, you made a lovely piece in the end. I look forward to seeing you again, perhaps with your own tools (?) and we can do a sharpening session followed by a bowl. — Simon"

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

"This course is well worth the price. A relaxed, insightful experience learning the art of wood turning. Simon was very welcoming and it was really interesting learning from a well experienced wood turner. I would definitely recommend this course starting as a beginner to fast track yourself to creating some great pieces. Thank you Simon. "

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

"Hi Ed, Thank you so much for your review and recommendation - means a lot! Any questions you have, please don't hesitate to get in touch. --Simon"

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

"Very enjoyable, and very informative. It gave me really good experience and a great understanding of wood, as wood was a relatively new material for me, I normally work with 3d printers. Simon, my instructor, was very friendly, much more knowledgeable than what is taught in this course, so any questions I had, Simon could answer, and was open for ideas to make the outcome as best as possible. I received this course as a gift, and before the course I was was concerned if I would be strong enough to mill the wood using the lathe. Turns out it doesn't require any strength, and it was harder to be gentle than it is to mill it, which surprised me. Also, you don't have to be a geek like me to apply any of the techniques, to get you started, there are 2-3 simple rules, if you apply them, you can make things. Although at the start, watching Simon, made it look almost too easy :D but my hands got used to making curves after an hour I think. Most of the course is doing practical work, which made it a joy. Thanks to Blended Monkey team, it was a memorable experience, which probably will just be the start of my woodworking hobby :) Hope to see you again. Kindest Regards, Egemen"

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

"Hey Egemen, So glad you enjoyed the day and got something out of it. If you need any more information, etc. don’t hesitate to get in touch. — Simon"

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

"Fantastic! Simon made me feel at ease. He has a wealth of knowledge. I gained a lot from the 1:1 session and looking forward to the next! Definitely recommend. "

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

"Hi there, Thanks for the review and look forward to seeing you again soon! 😊 — Simon"

Janine Collier reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery throwing workshop

"Absolutely fantastic! Really friendly, relaxed, enjoyable course. I’ve done one before and this was by far the best! Thank you :-)"

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

"Hi Janine, Really pleased you enjoyed the throwing workshop - and so pleased you found it to be the best you've attended - thank you for that! :-)"

Heather Robinson reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I had a Fab day yesterday, Simon and Louise were very welcoming. I enjoyed my wood turning experience, Simon was very patient and has given me the confidence to try using my lathe again. Plenty of tea and biscuits and a yummy lunch made the day even better. Thank you for all the knowledge you passed on, much appreciated. "

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

"Hi Heather, So glad you enjoyed the day. Do get in touch if you need further advice or would like to attend my sharpening course. Simon"

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

"This course was a lovely experience that I received as a gift for my 60th. The morning was spent woodturning with Simon, who explained everything really well and I came away with a completed honey dabber. Lunch was amazing and it was then time for an afternoon of pottery with Louise. Everything was explained and taught really well and during the afternoon I learnt pinching, slab building and throwing on the wheel. I look forward to collecting my pots and vases once fired and glazed. Overall a really lovely day."

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

"I had a fantastic day with Simon! The tuition was outstanding and I was shown all I needed to get started. Simon then allowed me to execute a test piece, helping me as and when it was needed. He then demonstrated the honey dipper, after which I made a dipper of my own. After a lovely buffet lunch, Simon got me started with turning a bowl, then allowed me to proceed with help from time to time. At the end of the day I had two pieces of work to take home. "

Richard Grenfell reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"I really enjoyed the woodturning day. The session was well structured, with time to explain what was needed, progressing through from trial cuts through to finishing pieces. Both projects were timed well and the day went very smoothly. Thanks"

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

"Hi Richard, Thanks for your honest review and praise. Please reach out if you need more help or information. — Simon"

Claire & Jeremy Clarke reviewed: Beginners half-day pairs pottery / ceramics workshop

"We had a great time on the pottery afternoon with Louise. We wanted to do something different together as an activity and as we had enjoyed Pottery Throw Down we thought let's have a go! We really enjoyed the whole experience, Louise was a great instructor and we laughed lots and also felt proud of what we managed to achieve. We will be going back sometime to have more time on the wheel and see if we can 'master' that. We highly recommend this experience"

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

"Guys, thank you for your lovely review! It was a pleasure and really good fun having you in the ceramics studio. You both made some really cool pieces (particularly like the musical vases Claire) and, well, it has to be said, but Jeremy you did take very well to the throwing element :-). Would be a pleasure to have you back and we're so glad you enjoyed your experience with clay."

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

"I was very pleased to be on this course, having really nil knowledge of the craft. I was made very welcome on arrival and was swiftly installed in the craft shed. Where do you start as a teacher in such a craft? Simon patiently explained about the lathes, tools and wood characteristics. Important aspects to help my understanding about carving, and the effects of the shaping and hollowing tools. Simon is -fortunately for me- patient. I know in his position I would be wanting to step in and correct the clumsy pupil, but full marks to him, the guiding hands are nearby to assist hand direction, posture and tool angles-not forgetting the bevel-leaving the carver with the illusion that he is not totally inept! I had an enjoyable day intermittently refreshed with coffees and biscuits..and at halfway point a well laid out and prepared extensive ploughman's lunch. There is a lot to learn and no pun intended....I know we only had time to scratch the surface in carving knowledge. I know the next step is to get the gear, so I'm expecting to be back some time once I've had a lot more (behind closed door) practice ."

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

"Hi John, So pleased you enjoyed the day. Do reach out if you have any questions or need any further help. I look forward to seeing you again in the future. — Simon"

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

"What a wonderful day! Started with wood turning with Simon and spent a lovely morning on the lathe and even managed to make a beautiful honey dibber. The afternoon was spent experiencing 3 different types of pottery, free form, slab and using the wheel. I surprised myself! Spending time in the wonderful surroundings with very patient and passionate people was a joy. I would thoroughly recommend this experience! "

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

"Hi Debs (& Phil), So glad you enjoyed the experience - it was lovely meeting you both - and thank you for the recommendation. — Simon & Louise"

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

"My husband booked this for us for a surprise for our anniversary and I was not disappointed. We did the wood turning first which was well explained and we got to take home our honey dibber creations. We then had lunch in the kitchen which was delicious. The afternoon was a mixture of pinch pots, slab building and using the wheel. It was fun and in a couple of weeks we will see our creations when they will be posted back to us. We would recommend this course as Simon and Louise were wonderful tutors and explained all of the elements before we got hands on. 5 stars"

Jeremy Shaw reviewed: Beginners 1-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"What a great wood turning course! Did a day 1-2-1 with Simon, and learnt a huge amount. The two projects went very well, and I got an immense sense of achievement. Simon is a really nice guy and excellent teacher, and it all felt nice and relaxed, but motivational. Now to acquire my own lathe, and put the learnings into practice! Thanks Simon! "

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

"Hi Jeremy, Thank you for a lovely review and glad that you're on your way to taking up the craft. -- Simon"