Lakeland Cabinet Makers reviews

18 Dec 24'

Chris reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I really enjoyed the course which exceeded my expectations. Mark is an excellent teacher and throughout the week we learned lots of techniques and use of tools. By the end of the week the project allowed me to take away an impressive step stool, and more importantly the confidence to try more challenging projects on my own. The daily talks on a range of topics were interesting and useful. Thanks Mark."

16 Dec 24'

Nick B reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"A brilliant course. Mark is a great teacher who strives for perfection and helps you to try to do the same. I made a step stool during the week and love it. All of the work involved beautiful oak. During the week we learned how to use and maintain several tools. After being shown how to use tools Mark allowed and expected us to use the tools independently. But he was vigilant and spotted emerging issues early, and was always available to reassure and resolve problems. I would highly recommend the course."

1 Sep 24'

Rob reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Great week and great course in August 2024. Mark is a great teacher - lets you get on but also steps in if needed! Thrilled with my new coffee table and learnt so much about woodworking, hoping to do course 2 soon!"

27 Aug 24'

Meg reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Course was very good. Mark is a great teacher and very patient. I love my new step stool!!! Would recommend to anyone fancying a go at woodwork "

20 Jul 24'

Linda reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Excellent week, learned so much and came away with an amazing piece of furniture. Mark made the whole process really enjoyable, he has a very supportive and relaxed approach with great advice on how to get started with wood craft, from information on tools, wood suppliers, health and safety and getting your work space set up. Met some lovely people as well. The setting is perfect, easy to get to from the M6, parking is great, plenty to do of an evening in the local area. I now have a real appreciation of what proper wood working is based on and how much work goes into making things. "

19 Jul 24'

Chris reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Such a good week - learned so much, came home with a great piece of furniture and much more knowledge and skill. A perfect setting to get away from it all and had a great time and many laughs with Mark and my co-trainees!"

19 May 24'

David McCall reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I had a fantastic week on the course. Mark was welcoming, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The course is suitable for both novices and people with some prior experience. There was a choice of 4 nice projects for the week and you could also learn from the projects other participants were undertaking. I made a piece of furniture that I’m really pleased with and will use for many years to come, which I couldn’t have done without Mark and his well kitted out workshop. I will definitely come back for another course as and when time permits. Thanks Mark!"

17 May 24'

Angus Burnside reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I've just finished this course and it was a great experience! Mark is a great teacher and extremely knowledgeable on everything about woodworking! I'd recommend this for everyone from beginners to people who already know a little and are looking to learn more as there were so many tips and techniques and things I learnt! Although you are choosing from a list of projects you then can be as creative as you like and I felt I came away with a usable and unique piece of furniture that I'm proud of and could never have made without Marks help. I'm definitely going to return in the future for the second course. 10/10 week. "

26 Mar 24'

Andrew Parker reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Excellent course! I made a small side table. Mark taught me how to use the lathe, band saw, sander, router table, woodrat, and many other tools. He was patient, helpful, and supportive throughout. I look forward to taking the second course in the series at some point in the near future."

25 Mar 24'

Michael Jones reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"A brilliant course - I made a superb coffee table under Mark's supervision having never done anything of the sort before and learned a great deal about looking after and selecting tools not to mention how to use them. "

22 Feb 24'

Patricia Weir reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Really good course. I am ( was) a complete beginner yet was able to make a lovely coffee table with Mark's supervision. I think he has the level of assistance just right. He shows you how to use tools and then you do it. Would highly recommend to either a beginner or someone with some experience who wants to gain a bit more confidence. "

21 Feb 24'

Paul Dixon reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Really enjoyed the week and very proud of what I was able to create. Brilliant setup and just the right amount of "supervision". Thanks Mark and see you next year for course 2."

8 Dec 23'

Jayne reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Excellent course, the tutors are amazing and I can't believe the quality of the footstool I made - neither can anyone else! Never used any of the power tools before but feeling confident and keen to do more. Highly recommend."

4 Nov 23'

Hazel reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Really enjoyable week and ended up with a gorgeous product. Jay and Mark were fantastic teachers, very friendly, patient and helpful, and the helpers Pheobe and Hamish really made the week. The small class size of 4 people makes a really nice friendly atmosphere and you get plently of 1 to 1 tuition, which means you can get guidance on how to put your own design into the product. I would recommend this course to anyone who's ever had any interest in woodwork or feels like trying something new."

15 Jul 23'

Keith Lockwood reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I’ve just spent a very enjoyable week on course 1. The workshop is a great and realistic place to work and the limit to 4 students works well. To come away with a valued product is a great feeling. Mark’s tuition is friendly, but professional, by demonstrating and talking about the various aspects of the tools and techniques is a very informative way of presenting the course. I was so impressed, I will probably do another."

14 Jul 23'

Andrew Shepherd reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Outstanding. Mark exceeded all my expectations. The instruction, facilities and tone were all spot on. I genuinely struggle to think how it could be improved. "

14 Jul 23'

Louise D reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Just finished the 5 day course and I am setting off with my step stool in the car feeling proud as punch. The whole week was great, excellent tuition, not only to complete your project but also on wider woodworking subjects. The workshop is cosy with tea and coffee and biscuits. This week I have used lots of clever woodworking machines (with great supervision and explanation to boost confidence and stay safe) as well as the more basic chisels and scrapers that I used at school a million years ago. I’d recommend this course to everyone. Deeply enjoyable to make something from beautiful wood. Thanks to Mark. "

31 May 23'

Tom reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"The 5 day woodworking course served as an excellent introduction to woodworking for novice to the skill. I haven't done any woodworking previously but by the end of the course felt happy enough to start constructing a small workshop in my garage ready to start a new hobby! The tutors were excellent and very patient, providing good tutorials on how to use tools and then giving you enough space to learn and use the skills. For anyone new to the hobby or looking to learn a new skill I would thoroughly recommend this course, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did!"

17 Apr 23'

Kevin reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I really enjoyed the course. I went on this as I had enjoyed woodwork at school and wanted to see if I would as an adult. The relaxed atmosphere and great knowledge sharing by the experts not only made the experience enjoyable but also resulted in a good quality product being manufactured. I would highly recommend this establishment, so much so that I am returning for the second course to learn more theory, hand and power tool skills."

16 Apr 23'

David Vose reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I can completely endorse all the positive comments from previous reviews. I had no experience of woodworking and now have a much treasured spinning stool to go with our wheel……AND(I) I can boast that I made it myself. Obviously I’ll be playing down all the hugely positive instruction, encouragement and support that Jay and Mark provided to make it happen. Perhaps more important than the stool though is the certainty that I won’t be stopping there. My son wants me to make a him a desk. I’ll be back!"

16 Apr 23'

Phil reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Fantastic course packed full of useful know how. I've spend a fair bit of time doing DIY joinery but wanted to up my woodworking game. The instructors are both really knowledgeable and the course content helps teach a wide range of skills. Learned a ton and would highly recommend."

16 Mar 23'

Sam reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I recently attended The Wood Wokshop for the second time for the second course on the types of wood, having done the first course on tools in 2020. The course this time was just as good, and I was very pleased to make a lovely coffee table with sliding drawer, and learned a whole new set of skills since my first course. Since taking the first course, I have felt much more confident woodworking at home, having learned how to properly use (and maintain) my tools and equipment. The workshop is very well equipped, and it really makes a huge difference having 'the right kit' available, such as a morticer and the excellent "Wood Rat" (perfect for tight-fitting dovetail joints!). I learned just as much again during the second course though and am looking forward to making some new projects at home. The instructors are both great and keep a close eye on everyone at all times, but don't 'hold your hand' unless you want them to, and the finished project is very much made by you. I would also strongly recommend buying a pot of the finishing oil, as it is fantastic - very easy to apply and use and lasts for ages!"

12 Mar 23'

Ian Heginbottom reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I am hoping to retire soon and looking for a potential new hobby. I signed up for the level 1 course having never had any previous woodwork tuition. The course far exceeded my expectations and has certainly inspired me, and given me the confidence, to take up woodwork at home. My project was to make a spinning stool. Mark and J are brilliant tutors. They create a very friendly and relaxed environment, and explain and demonstrate in detail the various techniques required, both for power and hand held tools. What I particularly enjoyed was that once explained they let you get on with work, keeping an eye on your progress and stepping in to help/advise only as necessary. I honestly couldn't believe the quality of the spinning stool I produced given my lack of previous experience. In addition to the practical tutoring, Mark gave a number of interesting talks, including about the various types of wood and their respective qualities, and what to look for when buying wood. The setting is lovely with open views across fields to the Lake District hills in the near distance. All in all I thoroughly recommend this excellent course for anyone interested in learning woodwork."

5 Dec 22'

Aly reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Being female, and never having had the opportunity to do wood working before, I was very excited when I signed up to do this course as it was always something that I had wanted to do. I was not disappointed. Under Mark and Jay's expert supervision, not only was I cutting out mortices and tenons within two hours of starting the course, but I was also using lots of power tools including routers and band saws to produce a very professional looking table. I learnt such a lot in a very short space of time thanks to their brilliant teaching and enjoyed every minute. I am now going to make my table into a long stool which requires a bit of upholstering and so I have signed up to do this with Jay - can't wait. Thanks to Mark and Jay for such a fun week."

2 Dec 22'

Simon reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"I have just completed the Course 1 Tools and Things (28th Nov -2nd Dec) and what a fantastic experience it was. Mark and J were excellent tutors providing friendly, constructive, patient and attentive support throughout. The majority of the week was practical furniture making but there were also really useful talks from Mark covering common aspects and principles of furniture making. Highly recommended."