9 Apr 19'
"Totally blown away by the whole experience with everything exceeding my expectations.
So, what did I expect? I thought I’d have the opportunity to make perhaps a poker, a toasting fork or perhaps candlestick holder, following instruction and guidance from the tutor. I would have been pretty pleased with that, regardless of the fact that I don’t have a real fire to poke or a passion for candlelit toasted dinners.
Julian was great, tremendously passionate and knowledgeable. The workshop was really interesting and we had the opportunity to see some of Julian’s incredible work. After a good brew and chat Julian gave us pretty much free reign on what we would like to create, with a steer toward achievable goals within the two days. Julian gave us the space to consider our original concepts and shared his own creative knowledge to enhance our pieces. His fantastic and patient instruction, from measuring out, creating test pieces to working the metal was brilliant, managing to support two of us with totally different projects in such a way that we always felt both engaged and supported. I swear he must have eyes in the back of his head! He was generous with his time, encouragement and creativity. All of this ensured we spent most of the two days grinning and we’re incredibly proud of our projects.
Personally I love getting stuck in and having a go but it has to be said, just watching Julian work on test pieces was mesmerising in itself.
I’d recommend this course to anyone with an interest in Blacksmithing and wanting excellent personal instruction."