Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses reviews

Estelle reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"What a fabulous time we had on the pottery throwing and ceramics workshop course. Matthew and Rachel are both expert and passionate about their ‘trade’ as well as being excellent teachers. Their enthusiasm was infectious and we were throwing pots and bowls in no time at all under their superb guidance. Ours was a family group celebrating a milestone birthday and this was an activity that easily held the attention of three generations. I cannot recommend this course highly enough – in fact I’m already thinking about booking again to go to the next level. It was an absolute joy – thank you Matthew and Rachel."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Estelle, it was a pleasure to have you and all your family on the course. I can honestly say that Rachel and I had a fantastic day teaching you all and seeing the progress made, especially all the creativity in the work that was produced. It will be great to see you again. Best wishes Mathew & Rachel"

Kevin and Sue reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"When we arrived Matthew was already waiting at his front door and he beckoned us in with a warm smile and a welcome cup of tea. He immediately put any nerves at bay - but set the target for the day quite high, so we were excited to get started on making pots. There was no sense of rushing, however, and Matthew took time to work with each of us in turn, again and again, gently guiding us so we went from throwing clay on the wheel for the very first time to shaping bowls and a dainty jug, which we were able to decorate before the end of the day. Matthew is clearly a talented and very experienced potter - but he is also a natural coach and teacher, building confidence alongside skills, minimising disasters but also teaching from mistakes and mishaps. We drove from South Wales to take part in this workshop and it was absolutely worth the journey. We made a weekend of it, visiting three pottery museums in Stoke (including the two where The Great Pottery Throwdown has been filmed) and even staying in the Potbank, a hotel set up in the former Spode pottery works. It was all in all a really enjoyable themed weekend - with Matthew's class very much the highlight. We'd thoroughly recommend it to others. Thank you Matthew!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Kevin and Sue, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It was great to have you both on the course and your progress throughout the day was evident in the forms that you both produced. It was also great to hear that you took the opportunity to visit other historical pottery sites and museums whilst here. The area has a great to deal going on and being on the doorstep of Trentham gardens is also great for visitors too. Best wishes Mathew"

Annabel Sampson reviewed: 1.5hrs Potters wheel throwing for beginners Dimbleby Ceramics Trentham Stoke-on-Trent

"Husband and I just did an hour and half lesson with Mathew which was just brilliant and exactly what we needed to get away from work and kids for a treat. Mathew is a great teacher, very patient and a lovely welcoming person. We learnt a lot and completed two pieces each. I would highly recommend taking a lesson or a course with Mathew (wish I lived in the area). His studio is cool and you can spot a squirrel or two! Book a session, you know you want to!!!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Annabel, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I had a great time teaching both of you and seeing the lovely forms that you both created throughout your time in the studio. Best wishes Mathew"

Chris Walton reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"What a fantastic day we had at Dimbleby ceramics. Matt was a brilliant teacher. Patient and understanding he showed us step by step how to make a piece of pottery to be proud of. It was a birthday experience for my Mum that none of us will forget for all the right reasons. Highly recommend."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Chris, thank you taking the time to leave a review. I had a great day teach all of you and the work that you all produced throughout the day was excellent. Say hello to everyone from me too. Best wishes Mathew"

Janette Gormley reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Mathew is an excellent teacher and I learnt a huge amount in a short space of time. He is very informative, patient and encouraging; we all received individual tuition throughout the course with very clear group demonstrations. I highly recommend this course."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Janette, thank you for taking the time to leave a review and I had a great day teaching you all the skills to throw great forms on the wheel. The pots that you produced look fantastic and they are now in the process of being fired ready to be used. Best wishes Mathew"

Azhara Ali-Howell reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"What an amazing day! The Pottery Workshop with Matt was a 60th birthday present from my son, Yasin. Something for us to share together. There was a cosy group of just four of us in the workshop, and to be honest I was slightly apprehensive. Yasin on the other hand was really excited to try something creative and hands on. In no time at all, Matt had put us all at ease. During the day we were taken through several skill levels, each resulting in a finished product. Matt was an excellent teacher with an abundance of patience, and complete faith in our capabilities. There was much encouragement, enthusiasm and laughter throughout the day! Each of the pieces we made were glazed with a colour of our choice and left to be fired, and collected at a later date. We are both thrilled with our five pieces! Did we really make them? Wow ? An incredible and rewarding experience. Highly recommended!"

jo tuck reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Fun day with excellent tutoring and attention from Mathew. We each had our own wheel and Mathew first demonstrated and helped us achieve our own pots- with careful encouragement, direction and humour. Great day out and left us wanting to do more and have another go another time. Jo"

Victoria Clark reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Really fun day - a great experience and love the 4 pots I made - thanks Mathew"

Amy reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"We had a brilliant day with Mat. We had never done any throwing before and I was surprised at the amount of pieces we produced, this was obviously down to Mat's superb teaching, he made it seem so simple. He was highly knowledgeable and passionate about his work and teaching, I highly recommend this course for anyone who loves to create."

Fi D reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"A group of friends for over 35 years we were looking for the perfect weekend activity with laughter and learning combined. What a find. Matthew was patient and the perfect host. Guiding us all to achieve more than we could have hoped for. The pace and support was fantastic. Setting for a days activity comfortable and opening up his home to us was an added bonus. It’s left us all wanting to do more. Thank you so much."

Fleur Taylor reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Fantastic day, something different and made some great pieces.. Would definitely recommend and would love to come back with friends.. Thank you Mathew ?"

Katrina Khattri reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"An excellent teacher and great communicator. His approach towards his new students are ingenious and thoughtful. I had a wonderful, full of fun first ever pottery lesson and very glad that i got Mat as a teacher. Look forward for more lessons to hone my skill. Katrina"

Tom & Jemma reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"We had an amazing day with Mat. He's a fantastic teacher and a great host. We were complete novices going into the session but by the end of the day we'd produced 4 pots each - and had we'd had a lovely tim while doing it. Highly recommended all round."

Paul Singh reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Thoroughly enjoyed it!! Matt was an excellent host and teacher. I took my wife for a surprise birthday present and she loved every min ? You get to paint and keep what you’ve made which is the icing on the cake!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Paul, Thank you for your review of the course, I had a great time teaching all of you yesterday and your fantastic creations are now drying ready to be turned and fired. Best wishes Mathew"

Maria Ditch reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"A couple of months after having completed the one day course with Mathew, I'm still super excited about it and intend to do another day. Mathew runs the course in a workshop at the bottom of his garden, next to a little stream. It is really pretty. There were 5 of us on the course. We were all made to feel very welcome and trained to throw and centre clay, then to transform it into beautiful, practical pots. I came home with several bowls and a cream/milk jug. My friends and family are amazed and many are inspired to book a course with Mathew. Mathew made everyone feel at ease. He's a natural teacher. Even when someone is struggling, he doesn't give up and makes sure they learn in a nurturing manner. I came away feeling absolutely elated and very happy with my work, but also with great knowledge on how to throw pots. It was just so incredible. I LOVED it! I returned a couple of weeks later to collect my lovely pots and was amazed at how great they looked, especially as I'd never thrown a pot in my life before that day! I could've had them posted out to me, but I couldn't wait to get back in Trentham. This is possibly the best present ever given to me by my other half! I loved it. Go for it! Book it and you'll be so glad you did. PARKING - is on the road outside Mathew's house. There is plenty of space and it is free to park. LUNCH - Mathew provides a fridge and hot drinks, you just take your own lunch along. HOTEL - I stayed in the Travelodge. It was inexpensive and a short drive. There was plenty to do at nearby Trentham."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Maria, Thank you for taking the time to leave a lovely detailed review. I had a great day teaching all of you, it’s brilliant to see everyone progress throughout the day. The pots you produced looked fab and it would be lovely to have you both back on the course in the future."

Liz Mulley reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"What a fantastic day! Highly recommend whether you have done pottery throwing before or are a complete novice like me! I bought this course for my best friend's birthday because she does clay sculpting and always expressed an interest in throwing. I went along for the ride basically but I had so much fun! Mat is wonderful teacher and so easy to get on with. He adapts his teaching style to suit you and really makes you feel at ease (and oh the laughs!) I didnt expect to come away with much and I made 4 beautiful pieces! Thank you Mat, would do it all again in a heartbeat!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Liz, Thank you for leaving a great review of your day. The pots you produced looked fantastic and it’s great to hear that you had a fun and enjoyable day. It would be great to have you back on the course in the future to have a go at more complex forms. Best wishes Mathew"

Linda reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Matt Just wanted to express our many grateful thanks to you for our lesson! Wonderful place, great company, highly informative and left feeling so much better about using our wheel! Hope to return soon but going to practise first! Everyone should attend your inspirational class! Paul said the clay was ES? So we can order the same clay! Tea excellent too! What I found useful is that you do not just guide with hand positions but teach where the pressure should be applied from the hands, to get maximum shaping out of the clay. (I hope I have explained that sufficiently.) Few tutors fail to add that point. Even some of the literature guides fail to stress that too! We both cannot wait to get started with throwing."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Linda, Thank you for taking the time to leave a lovely review of your day. I had a great day teaching both of you and lots of fun too. It’s fantastic to hear that you both left feeling much more confident using the wheel and it would be lovely to have you back on the course in the future to extend your skills with more complex forms. The clay we used is LF Earthenware, if you need any more information just drop me an e-mail or give me a call. Best wishes Mathew"

James reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"I really enjoyed this course and was surprised at how much we were able to produce during the day. Mat was a great teacher and very patient. It was something that I'd always wanted to try and was certainly not disappointed. I would definitely recommend this course."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi James Thank you for taking time to leave a review as it is really helpful for others looking for a suitable course. The pots you produced looked fantastic and and even better with the final shiny glaze finish. Best wishes Mathew"

Angie page reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"I did the course with my Husband, Son and Daughter in Law. It was their treat to us and we had no idea what to expect. It was an amazing experience. Matthew has a wonderfully relaxed teaching style and made us believe we could achieve anything. We learned so much with plenty of laughs along the way. We produced some beautiful pots, and can't wait to pick them up once they are fired and ready for us. I really recommend this course for anyone who may have an interest in pottery, or even if you think you don't. You may surprise yourself. I certainly did."

Tessa reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"My father-in-law and I absolutely loved this day course with Matthew. We didn’t expect to come away with much to show, but we came away with 4 items each! Matthew has excellent teaching skills and is very good at boosting your confidence while pushing you to step out of your comfort zone. We both thoroughly enjoyed the course, and my father-in-law has even looked into buying the equipment himself and taking more classes closer to home. It was an experience we won’t forget and would recommend to everyone! Thank you, Matthew!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Tessa Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I had a great day teaching both of you and your pots look fantastic. I can’t wait for you to see them and it’s great to hear that your father-in-law is looking into getting a wheel to continue throwing. Best wishes Mat"

Tom reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"My Mum and I had a fantastic time at Matt's class. As complete beginners, we'd never thrown clay before but Matt's methodical & enthusiastic approach to instruction meant we finished the day with a selection of bowls that we were both incredibly proud of! Thanks so much for a really wonderful day Matt!"

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Thanks you for the lovely review Tom. Your pots have turned down and biscuit fired and will be glazed sometime next, they look fantastic. You really made some great forms during the day and I can't wait for you to see them once they have been glazed. Best wishes Mathew"

Jane Sobanski reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Right from the start, Mathew made us all feel welcome and relaxed. He is an excellent teacher, very energetic and full of praise and encouragement. His experience meant that the day was very well balanced and with just four students there was plenty of personal attention. I'd been struggling on my own and I've improved 100%! I look forward to doing a further course with Mathew...worth every penny. Many many thanks."

Amanda reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"Organised this course for my birthday with my daughter. Mathew is an exceptional teacher with so much patience. Really great experience. Most enjoyable day."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Amanda, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It was great to see you both exceed your expectations of the course and grow in confidence throughout the day. You both achieved a great deal and the pots produced were excellent. Your pots are now drying and will be fire over the next few weeks. Best wishes Mathew"

Paul Garrison reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"My son Karl (14) and I both had a great day with Matthew. The course was very enjoyable and at a relaxed pace, but we also felt like we learnt a lot, and produced eight pieces of pottery each to boot. Matt demonstrated & talked us through all the stages and techniques in such a good way that we achieved more than we imagined beforehand, and are very proud of the pieces we produced. We are really looking forward to seeing them after they have been fired & glazed. Would definitely recommend to anyone who fancies having a go."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Hi Paul, thank for taking the time to write a review about the course. I had a great day teaching both of you and the pots produced were excellent. It will be great to see them once they are glazed and out if the kiln. Best wishes Mathew"

Michelle Bourne reviewed: Beginners Pottery Day Course

"I had this experience as a birthday present which I shared with my sister. We both had a wonderful time learning all about making a selection of pots and painting them. Matthew was a fantastic teacher and we absolutely had the best time. Highly recommended."

Dimbleby Ceramics - Studio Pottery Courses responded:

"Thank you Michelle, I had a great day teaching you both and the resulting pots produced were fantastic. Best wishes Mathew"