Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd reviews

Kathryn Winstanley reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"A very informative day. I learnt so much that I could never have got from a textbook. Bill was an excellent teacher. Came away with lots of top tips. "

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Kathryn, firstly for attending but also for taking the time to do a review. That is much appreciated. I am so glad you enjoyed the day. Thank you. "

Angela reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"Bill was absolutely brilliant. He was very patient and thorough throughout the day, even waiting an hour for some of us to finish our work and helped us double check our measurements. He is a wealth of knowledge; you can really tell he has a passion for what he does and enjoys sharing that passion with others."

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you so much for coming Angela. I am so glad you enjoyed the day and really appreciate you taking the time to write a review. Thank you. Top sawing by the way. 👊🏻 Bill "

Tim reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking Weekend

"Had an excellent weekend introduction to woodworking with hand tools. Bill is a great instructor, knowledgeable and experienced in not only woodworking but in instruction. Was patient helping my easily distracted teen through the weekend while still ensuring each of us received equal tutelage. Can't recommend him or his courses more highly and will certainly be looking for the next step in our journey for my son and I to attend."

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Tim for attending and for taking the time to do a review, much appreciated. I am glad that you both enjoyed it and it was great to see your son engage with his work and also be creative. I look forward to welcoming you both back to my workshops. Thank you again. "

Vicky Gaillard reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking Weekend

"I had a brilliant two days. I love the phone stand I made but worth more than any of that is the legacy of insights Bill shared … why when I do simple DIY projects they feel harder than they need to be … well it’s because no one had ever told me some really basic things (and I’d never thought of them). Bill filled in lots of gaps in my knowledge in a fun and friendly way. His workshop is a joy to behold so carefully and beautifully put together the two days gave me far more than just skills and a product but also inspiration. Thank you Bill. "

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you so much to you both for taking the time to attend and also to then do a review, much appreciated. I am glad you enjoyed your time at my workshop and look forward to hopefully welcoming you back soon. Thank you. "

Dave Smith reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"What an excellent course and a lovely way to spend a day! Bill is clearly extremely knowledgeable and gave us a lot of useful information in a really understandable way. There was a good mixture of theory and hands on work. The idea of everyone bringing a different piece worked well as each had its own learnings. At the end I was enthused to carry on and have a go at home. Definitely recommend Bill and this course."

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you for coming and for the positive feedback Dave. Really pleased that you enjoyed the day. "

Warren Barber reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"Absolutely brilliant, Bill is a great teacher who makes learning fun & informative. Definitely going back to do more woodwork."

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Warren, much appreciated and I look forward to welcoming you back. "

Grainne reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"Ideal course for anyone who wants to learn basic wood work. Bill is so patient and a true Furniture restorer and Carpenter. My day was calm, relaxed with plenty of tea and coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. Thank you Bill for a lovely day. "

Kevin Simmons reviewed: Woodwork Joints Skills

"Brilliant course learned lots and Bill has a great way of teaching you new skills"

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you for coming Kevin and for the positive feedback. Look forward to catching up with you in the future. Bill"

Ben reviewed: Woodwork Joints Skills

"Great course and delivery! Bill balances letting you get on with it and coming over when needed really well. Great playlist as well! "

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Ben for attending and the feedback, much appreciated. You did a great job cutting your first joints 👊🏻 I am glad the music went down well too. Keep in touch. "

Vikki Browning reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"What a great day. Bill is so patient and knowledgeable, and explains it so well! He coped admirably with 2 intermediates and 2 beginners at the same time. We all managed to learn new skills. However, his tea-making is appalling, so take your own flask. Highly highly highly recommend his courses."

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Vikki, Roy, Roger and Caleb. I am glad you enjoyed the day. I will have to introduce a new rule, nobody can ask me questions and distract me when the tea bag is in and brewing 🤣 Have a great Christmas and I hope Santa brings you a lovely shiny flask. Bill"

David reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"I found it a very constructive, informative day in the workshop. Bill obviously knows his stuff and made it easy for everybody to understand. Everybody was friendly and speaking afterwards, all agreed it was a good day."

Sarah reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"What an amazing course! Learnt so much in a gorgeous environment with a great teacher. Fantastic fellow learners too. Can't wait to carry on with my chair and put to use some of the skills. Recommended book en route and saving has begun for the 2-day course. Left feeling very inspired (and a bit sad at my daily grind in IT!) Absolutely recommend this course. "

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Sarah for attending and for the lovely feedback, much appreciated. Keep restoring and I look forward to catching up with your progress soon. Regards Bill"

Indre reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ experience really enjoyed the day left me inspired and wanting to do more woodwork "

Craven Conservation and Restoration Ltd responded:

"Thank you Indre, I am so glad you were inspired. I too was inspired by your enthusiasm and sawing accuracy! I look forward to seeing your progress. Regards Bill"

RMS reviewed: Introduction to Woodworking

"Excellent course. Thoroughly recommend it for anybody wanting to develop their woodworking skills and gain confidence to embark on projects of their own."

kemal reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"I am a total newbie but Bill was so kind, sincere, and expert in his area that I felt I had the best chance to learn from someone who has that experience and is extremely helpful. I strongly advise this course! "

Sasha reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"What a great day with Bill. So knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his crafts, and such a good teacher. Very highly recommended. I am keen to return for more!"

Simon Braschi reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"A very educational and enjoyable day spent in the workshop. I would highly recommend to anybody interested in learning more about furniture restoration or woodwork in general."

John T reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"A great day of learning - Bill is very clearly an expert and a very good tutor. We covered many of the important aspects of restoration and by suggesting I took a small item to discuss, it helped to make the learning very real and the whole day very encouraging. So much more to learn but a great introduction, thank you!"

Mike Clarke reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"Great introductory day with Bill. Very friendly and knowledgable. It was just what I wanted from the day. He was able to provide some sound advice and answer all my questions. I learnt so much. What more can I ask. Thank you."

Ciaran reviewed: Chair making on Camb/Suffolk border

"The chair making course was great fun and even more informative, would recommend to anyone trying to improve their woodworking skills and will definitely be looking at other courses with Bill in the future"

Robert Duncan reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"Bill is great at going through a day like this (the intro day). I wanted some inspiration to get started, to sort out my workshop, and to learn a bit. All three nailed! The day flew by - always a good sign. Bill's workshop and equipment (and Bill himself) fills you with complete confidence and he obviously knows more than enough to address any angle you wish to take. The work ongoing around him and the materials that go with it are interesting in themselves and Bill hangs lots of the practical knowledge around that, in a very accessible way. Also, looking at little projects and ideas I had brought was really helpful. I'll be back for more specific work, once I've got my disaster of a workshop area sorted out."

Lorraine Doll reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"Had such an informative day and found it so helpful in approaching my current furniture projects. I brought a small cabinet with me to the course which needs repair and Bill helped me to assess the structure and create a treatment plan for it which I have started on my return home. I really had very little knowledge and Bill was able to advise me on the basic tools and materials I needed to buy to get started. Without Bill's input I would have made stripping all my furniture as the starting point (YouTube advice) and now I realise after the course it's actually the final resort and not what my furniture needed. Once I finish my current projects I will return to pick up more restoring skills. My course was taken August 2020 during Covid 19 restrictions and I felt appropriate measures were taken so a very safe environment was provided. Thank you Bill for a very enjoyable day."

Shirley Sampson reviewed: Introduction to Furniture Restoration at Craven Conservation

"Just spent a fantastic three days learning how to restore furniture with Bill. I took along two chairs which I had rescued and then not had the skills to restore. Thanks to Bill, I feel like a now have a thorough grounding in the correct and ethical ways of restoring furniture, with skills such as stripping upholstery, re-gluing joints, using fillers, reviving shellac finishes, and refinishing bare timber. It's been really enlightening, thanks to Bill's clear and patient teaching. I love dusty old junk, but it has been wonderful to see my 'orrible old chairs slowly regaining their beauty and dignity beneath my hands. Bill is great company, and seems to have lived several lives in one! Looking forward to returning to pick up more skills once my chairs are finished!"

Freddie Raymond reviewed: Chair making on Camb/Suffolk border

"I booked this course having been inspired by Bill's Introduction to Woodworking course and it delivered everything I had hoped for and more. The days were well-paced, low-pressure and offered lots of variety. When there were multiple options for how to achieve an effect, Bill would often take us through them, offering plenty of insight and useful advice. By the end, I was able to feel a real sense of achievement at having created the chair, but also some independence - as a complete novice except for this and the Introduction course, I still felt by the end that I could replicate the process decently and carry the skills over to many more woodworking projects to come. I would highly recommend this course. Tremendous fun!"

Keith Bickley reviewed: Chair making on Camb/Suffolk border

"This was a well paced and well thought out course. A relaxed, non pressured atmosphere led by an experienced craftsman. I already had some woodworking experience but I learned a lot; from detailed marking out to accurate planing, drilling and travishing-not a word one uses daily! I travelled a long way to do this course and I will do so again for Bill’s next course. 10/10."