Bench Box reviews

Isabelle reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Durham

"Me and my sister really enjoyed this. You went at a perfect pace and had a really good range of materials to make fashionable jewelry. Thanks Lindsay! "

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the lovely review Isabelle, I'm glad you both enjoyed making your gorgeous rings. I hope you manage to prevent getting them mixed up since they're (almost) identical!"

Kat Frank reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Durham

"My daughters brought me this course for my birthday treat this year, I went along with my mum, we had a great time. The shop and gallery were a really nice place with a great atmosphere and the tutor was great, explaining everything really clearly and due to the class size of only six she was able to help everyone at all the stages as they needed it. I haven’t made rings before but I loved it and I am hoping to be able to attend more similar workshops to improve and learn a new skills. And we got tea and cakes!"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks Kat, I'm so glad you enjoyed the course. Such a fabulous birthday treat!"

Claire reviewed: Silver Filigree Heart Necklace Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Sedgefield

"The course was fantastic, very well organised and easy to access, even for us as beginners. Lindsay was very patient helping us to make something really lovely and was determined to ensure we all took home a piece to be proud of. Thanks so much for all your hard work. "

Bench Box responded:

"I'm so glad you all enjoyed the course Claire, thanks for coming along and for the great feedback! You should all be so proud of the lovely necklaces you made, they really are fab! "

Sophie & Judith reviewed: Beaded snowflake Christmas decorations - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic, Durham

"Thank you for a lovely afternoon! Your enthusiasm is infectious and your generosity with knowledge, tea and cake was heart felt. What a special Christmas treat"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks ladies for coming along and for the great feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope those decorations are adding extra sparkle this Christmas!"

Jan reviewed: Wire Christmas Wreath Workshop, including lunch - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic, Darlington

"Lovely morning workshop. Very busy and rewarding having my wire wreath as a forever decoration. Lunch was lovely but had little time to eat it as we were so busy creating. The venue was pleasant but it was cold and didn’t really warm up. This didn’t detract from the enjoyment but we were chilly and needed a warm when we left. An extra coffee/tea would have been good on arrival to get us settled "

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for your feedback Jan, much appreciated and some great points made too. You made a gorgeous wreath and I hope it hangs somewhere proudly! "

Joanne reviewed: Beaded snowflake Christmas decorations - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic, Durham

"Had a very enjoyable afternoon and left with some lovely snowflakes. Lindsay is a very good, patient teacher and very helpful. "

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for your feedback Joanne and for coming along to this workshop. The snowflakes you made are fantastic, I hope they add some sparkle to your tree this year! "

Helen reviewed: Wire Christmas Wreath Workshop, including lunch - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic, Darlington

"Enjoyed the course and learnt some new techniques. I came away with a lovely wreath - which I will treasure. All my family are very impressed. The course is 4 hrs and probably could do with being 1-2hrs longer. The first half was well paced with enough time to practice and produce the different leaf shapes - such as mistletoe, holly. But the afternoon was more rushed, which is where another 1-2hrs would have been useful. I finished mine off at home. Couple of comments to make it easier for others - parking around the venue is difficult with lots limited to 2hrs or residents only. Some information on where best to park would be useful. The venue although well lit and roomy was extremely cold. Other crafters put their coats back on. Either ensure that this is in the information so people wear appropriate jumpers or ensure better heating. The food spread at lunch was stunning and catered for all needs (including vegan and gluten free). I would have been more than happy to have brought a packed lunch though. I’m not sure from a financial point of view whether this level of catering is viable. I was too busy making berries to really benefit from the lunch. Still overall well worth a go - most of the group had no previous wire working experience and all came away with lovely wreaths "

Bench Box responded:

"I'm glad you enjoyed the course Helen and thanks so much for your feedback too. You've made some great points which I'll be sure to take on board going forward!"

Andi reviewed: Silver Stud Earring Duo Workshop with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"I had a brilliant time and I absolutely love my new earrings! I learned so much too! Definitely going to book more workshops with Lindsay."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the wonderful review Andi, I'm glad you enjoyed this workshop too! Those earrings turned out fab!"

Allison Pringle reviewed: Silver Stud Earring Duo Workshop with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I’ve never done anything like this before but the tutor made it easy to follow so great for beginners but as the tutor has a lot of years experience and study in this area, more advanced students can still progress. I would definitely like to do more. "

Bench Box responded:

"I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop Allison, your pairs of earrings turned out fab! Thanks for your lovely review, it'd be great to see you at another workshop!"

Penny reviewed: Silver Blossom Earrings OR Necklace Workshop: with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"Great course - Lindsay is so knowledgeable and keen to help. Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Well organised in a lovely venue, and the finished product is awesome!"

Bench Box responded:

"Glad you enjoyed this course Penny, thanks for the lovely feedback. The necklace you made was truly gorgeous, had such a lovely movement to it!"

Helen bell reviewed: Silver wire sea glass ring workshops with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"Brilliant course!! Me and my daughter loved it!! Can’t wait to do an other one x Thank you "

Gareth Martin reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Durham

"A fantastic one-off workshop experience, pity there's no ongoing course!"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Gareth, glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully I'll be able to create an ongoing course in the near future."

Lesley reviewed: Silver Textured Ring Workshop with Lindsay Forbes - Sedgefield

"Friendly session and Lindsay was very approachable and knowledgeable. We both learnt a lot and made silver rings that we were really pleased with. Lindsay was really good at listening to what we wanted to achieve and helping us do that. Many thanks Lindsay, we hope to come to more sessions :)"

Bench Box responded:

"I'm glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback and it'd be great to welcome you to another workshop in the future!"

Lyn reviewed: Silver 'loopy' necklace workshop with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Darlington

"This was such a fun workshop I was a complete beginner and Lyndsey talks us through the steps in a clear manner I love my new necklace"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the great feedback Lyn, your necklace turned out beautiful, I hope it gets plenty of wear!"

Jayne Appleby reviewed: Silver Textured Ring Workshop with Lindsay Forbes - Sedgefield

"Good value for money, great fun and excellent at teaching the skills needed. Can’t wait for the next one!"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for such a lovely review Jayne. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this course! It'd be lovely to see you at another too."

Tina Lunnon reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Sedgefield

"What a great morning! Really enjoyed the class, Lindsay was a great teacher and I managed to make 3 silver rings and a cooper one. I would highly recommend"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for your amazing feedback Tina, I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you love your new rings you made!"

Emma Wilson reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Sedgefield

"My sister and I have a lovely morning on this course. Neither of us had made jewellery before and with friendly and knowledgeable tuition we made five lovely silver rings between us. From Loft to Loved was a lovely venue with plenty of handmade items and kits to buy afterwards! Really enjoyed it, looking forward to finding another course with Lindsay."

Bench Box responded:

"I'm so glad you both enjoyed the workshop, you each made some fab rings! Thanks for your lovely feedback, it'd be great to see you at another workshop in the future too."

Kaz reviewed: Silver Stud Earring Duo Workshop with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"Lindsay was informative, friendly and helpful. I enjoyed learning new skills and surprised myself with the end results. I would however suggest that the course for a beginner, was about three quarters of an hour too short. It would have been easier for me if the we actually did each step just after Lindsay explained it as opposed to once she'd finished the whole procedure ."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks so much for your review Karen, I'm glad you enjoyed the workshop and appreciate your feedback on this course!"

Kaye reviewed: Silver Rose Earrings & Ring Workshop with Lindsay Forbes

"This was a lovely workshop enabling us to produce a pretty silver wire ring and matching earrings. Lyndsay was warm and welcoming. She explained and demonstrated the process very clearly and allowed us to practise our new skills before the final silverwork. She patiently supported us and we all came away with some beautiful jewellery."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for coming along Kaye, it was fab to have you all making some beautiful jewellery!"

Katy Pearson reviewed: Silver Rose Earrings & Ring Workshop with Lindsay Forbes

"Fabulous morning making rings and earrings. Loved learning the techniques and the unique pieces I came away with"

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for coming along Katy and making some fab pieces, I'm glad you enjoyed it!"

Ann Hunter reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Sedgefield

"Such a lovely simple workshop, perfect for beginners, I’ve caught the silversmithing bug."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the review Ann. I'm glad to have passed on the jewellery making bug, the rings you made were fab!"

Claire Hagon reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Durham

"The course was pitched at the right level. The Tutor was patient and made time for each person. It was interesting and the techniques were clearly explained. The equipment was provided and I came away with some great jewellery. Thank you."

Bench Box responded:

"Thanks for the review Claire, it's great that you enjoyed making some fabulous silver rings!"

Alice reviewed: Silver Stacking Rings Workshop - with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic; Sedgefield

"Wow-what an amazing experience this was! I got this as a gift and loved every second, Lindsay was so kind and considerate when we rearranged. I am only16 so I was nervous, however, the class was extremely interesting and Lindsay put me at ease instantly. I have had numerous compliments on my jewellery and would recommend this class to anyone with any skill set."

Sam Eastman reviewed: Silver Textured Earrings OR Pendant Workshop; with Lindsay Forbes of Laconic - Durham

"I had a lovely morning learning the skill of how to make some silver textured earrings and necklace. Lindsay could not have been more helpful. I would definitely recommend anyone to attend one of her workshops. I am hoping to attend another of her workshops in the future."

Susan Callcutt reviewed: Sea glass pendant making workshop at Crook Hall

"Another enjoyable course with lovely wearable jewellery to come away with. I felt honoured that you offered such large pieces of sea glass from your own collection. Thank you for sharing your lovely sea glass finds and your skills and experience."

Bench Box responded:

"You're welcome Sue, thanks for coming along, some more lovely jewellery you've created!"