Make a spindle-back chair

What a wonderful week I had taking my woodworking to another dimension by turning a "bit of a tree" into a fantastic chair using traditional hand skills.
Thanks Peter for sharing your skills and expertise with me in a way that encouraged a better understanding of what can be done with green wood and opening up a whole new interest for me.
As well making the chair the social aspects of the course were great, allowing collaborative working and a good ethos.
The set up Peter has is well organised and resourced to allow the chair to be completed in the one week timescale.
The food provided was also excellent.
One week on and at home I have built a shave horse and am gathering tools from ebay and looking to source green ash.
I'm hooked!
George

This is simply a wonderful course. The old quarry at Broughtonknowe wood is an idyllic setting, and Peter has invested so much thought and attention into equipping the site for chair making. Peter is a thoughtful and patient teacher, and had a special capacity to connect with all of us as individuals. The group dynamic was therefore very special, which is important, because you spend a fair amount of time working in pairs at various stages of the making process. Peter also went out of his way to help us complete our chairs on time, so that we all were able to leave on Friday with something that looked really special. I felt I had learned a whole raft of new woodworking skills, which I'm now eager to try out at home. I'm still astounded that it possible to turn a log into piece of strong, elegant furniture in five days -- with essentially just hand tools, and without glue!
Thank you, Peter, for sharing your time and your skills with us.

Peter teaches well and shows a sound understanding of the skills and methods needed for all aspects of these projects. He makes a brilliant cup of tea, and is a lovely guy. There was just a whole Zen about the experience for me. The people, the location, the project. It just made for a very calm week.

Th experience of immersing yourself in learning and making for a week is fantastic. Peter is a kind, patient and encouraging teacher who seems to know when you need a bit of help, and when it's best to leave you to get on with it at your own pace. Love my chair, and couldn't recommend this course enough!

this is a really amazing course and I would recommend it to everyone. peter is an amazing tutor and the whole process of making the chair is made clear and simple from the start. I can't express how fun and rewarding this course is. to be honest I probably would have done it even if I didn't get to keep the chair! this is a great course and I think everyone should do it!

After a week on the job again and in the quiet of the weekend after this great course in Fushiebridge comes back to my mind. The chair I could build with Peters specialized assistance for my wife, we both like very much. Even more I enjoyed being with Peter and the other participants and having this time with them, the talks about green woodworking and the senses of working with nature as a companion. In that way Peter have shown us how to build a chair in the open air and with simple tools, how every step became obvious, everyone will be able to do it. I'm glad I was there.
Hermann from Franconia (Germany)

Making a chair quite literally from scratch is an experience I won't forget. The sense of achievement and pride at the end is well worth the effort. I was impressed with Peter's ingenuity and his hand made tools. It was deeply humbling to learn a little of his craft. If you have any apprehensions about signing up, be brave, you won't regret it!
P.s. a shout-out also goes to Peter's wife who made us such delicious lunches each day. Thank you to you both!

For me taking taking part in this course was both tranformative and elevating and I enjoyed it so much. "Following the grain" was not only in working with the wood, it was also in the way I related to myself during this process and also in the way Hakim related to me. I feel truly humbled and grateful to have been taught how to make a chair to seat on...and it fits so beautifully in my kitchen. Merci.
Sylvain Ayite

It was a wonderful experience to learn how to make a chair with a few branches of ash, some hand tools, my own hands and Peter's guidance. For me green wood work was new and I feel I made a great discovery; It suspended the time for 5 days, opening a place for letting go. Peter's way of teaching is in harmony with this idea of letting go: pressureless, enjoyable and safe! ... Going with the grain.

Thank you Peter.

This course in Greenwood Chair making allowed me to deepen my understanding and appreciation of woodworking and the art of 'going with the grain'. I came to the course with no previous experience in woodworking, but the pace and intimacy of the course accommodated my skill level, and I was able to absorb as much learning as I could. The location was peaceful and green, and the quiet of the surroundings made for a heightened level of awareness, as we were fully immersed in the tasks at hand. Peter is a clear and responsive teacher. He offered good direction, whilst allowing room for the creativity of each student. The course allowed me to develop craft skills and to take a step outside of my routine to see things differently. And I also made a beautiful chair!

Making my chair was a challenging undertaking as I had never done anything like this before. Peter was very patient in introducing and helping me with the new skills needed.
It was inspiring to make a beautiful object starting from a log of wood and using traditional tools.
The woodland setting is perfect for this course.
I am delighted with my chair.