Cheshire Woodworking Courses reviews

15 Jul 16'

Darren Graham reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I've just completed the 10 week beginner course and from the first lesson I was hooked and looked forward to it every week. From preparing and sharpening tools through to creating your own piece of furniture, the course is invaluable for learning the fundamentals of woodworking. By the halfway point I had already been inspired to collect and prepare a full set of vintage and new tools which I used on the course (although a fine set of tools is provided) and I have already started my first piece of furniture at home. Ciarán is a great fella and teacher creating a really laid back atmosphere with no pressure and with the small class size it's like having one to one tuition. If you are interested in learning woodwork, Get it booked!"

14 Jul 16'

David Cowan reviewed: Intermediate woodworking course

"First class project and an excellent teacher who dealt with everything his pupils threw at him in a relaxed and professional manner. Well Recommended."

14 Jul 16'

Gary Cartwright reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I have just completed the beginners course, what a fantastic experience, Ciaran certainly brings out the best of your abilities. The course is small enough to get one to one help when required which is invaluable. I have been looking for a suitable course for a while, this was just perfect so much so I have now booked for the intermediate course. Ciaran is an excellent tutor, the course is very relaxed and I would recommend it to anyone."

7 Jul 16'

Richard Morgan reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I’ve just completed the 10 week beginners course. I was really impressed with Ciaran’s knowledge, he is a great teacher and a true craftsman. There is a really friendly, easy going atmosphere in the work shop. With only 5 people on the course, Ciaran is able to spend plenty of time with each person if needed. I’d highly recommend the beginners course to anyone who is interested in taking up wood working. Ciaran will show you the basics and give you the confidence to create your own pieces. I’m enrolled on the next wood turning course and will definitely be booking onto the intermediate course in the near future. Thank you Ciaran."

5 Jul 16'

Sam Howell reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"This course has provided me with the core skills necessary to take on new challenges and larger projects. Before the course my skill level and knowledge was fairly basic. A simple box was the extent of my capabilities. I now feel confident to tackle larger pieces of furniture. I have also been taught that only a few tools are necessary to complete a job, how not to waste wood and how to go about planning a project from start to finish in the right way and dealing with problems that may arise. This is an excellent all round course. Ciaran is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and has taught me a lot. Would recommend this to anyone. I hope to progress onto his intermediate course."

1 Jul 16'

Ian Walton reviewed: Intermediate woodworking course

"I have just completed the Intermediate Woodworking Course, which was really excellent. I already had some woodworking and diy experience, but thanks to Ciarán's skilful teaching, patient guidance, and advice on related topics such as sharpening and tool selection, I feel I have made significant progress over the 10 weeks of the course. The small class size, together with the convivial atmosphere and Ciarán's knowledge of, and passion for, all things involving wood made the sessions thoroughly enjoyable. It is a fast paced course but that's part of the fun - total immersion which means that you will learn lots. I will watch out for more of Ciarán's courses and I have no hesitation recommending this one. A truly excellent course."

14 Jun 16'

Caroline Salthouse reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Intensive is the right word for the beginners course but it was well worth every second. Ciaran is a great teacher; patient, humorous and prepared to put the hours in well over and above the stated times in order to ensure we all came away with a finished piece. I learnt things I never even knew I didn't know - incredibly useful for a complete beginner like me. I am now confident that I know what to do to restore and maintain my tools, and of course how to use them. Hard work but I enjoyed every single minute. And the biscuits really helped!"

20 Apr 16'

Rachel reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I had a great time on the beginner's course, and enjoyed it so much I've signed up for the intermediate one! Ciaran provided a great combination of a relaxed atmosphere and thorough teaching of skills. :-)"

13 Apr 16'

Dave Smallman reviewed: Intermediate woodworking course

"I recently completed the 10 week intermediate course having completed the beginners course last year, and found it equally as interesting, enjoyable and helpful. Combining the skills I learnt in the beginners cours with the new skills learnt in this I managed to create a coffee table that I was proud of and felt confident to carry out my own projects. Highly recommend this course to anyone who did the beginners course or has some experience in woodwork that would like to extend their knowledge. Ciaran is a great and patient teacher and an all round nice guy who clearly enjoys sharing his knowledge with people who want to learn. 10/10"

6 Apr 16'

Ian Simpson reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Just completed the 10 week Monday night beginners course. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Ciaran was great; helpful guidance and very encouraging. The small group worked well and very happy with the table produced and the new knowledge and skills acquired. It has motivated me to sharpen all those old tools, clear out the shed and create some bench space for some more projects ! Can definitely recommend and will be going back to do the intermediate course later in the year. Ian"

5 Apr 16'

martin sherwood reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Amazing. Great tutor. Will be booking onto another course in the future."

5 Apr 16'

paul edwards reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"just finished the 10 week beginners course and learned a lot not only about sawing, planing and chiselling safely but completed a hand made display stand. Perhaps as importantly I also now know how to maintain and restore some of my old woodworking tools. Ciaran is an excellent teacher and an easy going instructor. I enjoyed the course so much i am now enrolling on two more!!"

26 Mar 16'

Jim reviewed: Intermediate woodworking course

"I have just completed the intermediate course having attended the beginners course last year. This one was much more challenging, it actually spread to 11 nights rather than 10. I consider myself a woodworking novice (and a bit ham fisted), but with Ciarans patient tuition I managed to produce a quite reasonable looking table. I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot. Ciaran is very amiable and an excellent teacher. I would thoroughly recommend this course."

25 Mar 16'

Glyn Handley reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I was on the recent 10 week beginner course and it covers everything a beginner will need to know, and with Ciaráns excellent learning style and patience you don't realise what you have learned until the last few lessons when suddenly out of all the sawdust, chiselling, planing and sanding appears a very nice looking display table. The course explains techniques for creating mortise and Tenon joints, how to mark out, how to saw (sounds simple but essential for good looking tenons!), look after your hand tools and much more. Also whilst it is advertised from 6pm, it is open from 5 so if you need some extra time to catch up you can, and if you have questions Ciarán will be there to answer, or you can just continue where you left off. 5 people were on the course with varying experience and we all managed to finish at the same time with everyone's table looking fantastic, considering 10 weeks prior most had never picked up a chisel or a planer or considered what they could do with basic hand tools. At the end of the course the question was asked, "Could you do this now at home if you wanted", and i do believe the answer was yes from everyone. Everyone learned techniques, skills and more importantly gained confidence, which is something Ciarán focused on, and before the course I was 'Can I?' when looking at the end result, and after the course i am now 'I Can!' Do the course, you wont be disappointed, just be aware that you will be marking the days off your diary until the next weeks events.."

24 Mar 16'

Richard reviewed: Intermediate woodworking course

"Woodworking courses are hard to come by these days but this one is a gem. On first acquaintance the training room seems quite small but belies many facets of my 'Excellent' rating. Class sizes are kept small and Ciarán is always, literally, close at hand and extraordinarily willing to advise (both 'on-' and 'off-' syllabus). I'd challenge anybody to count how many tools he has in there even before you enter the mysterious 'staff room'. If you have some woodworking tools already then take them along - by the end of the course he'll have shown you how to refurbish, sharpen and hone every one of them. Conversely if you have nothing then everything is provided (normally with a choice - the shiny ones on the wall are the sharpest/best!). Ciarán himself? His talent and experience as a Tutor matches that of his undoubted woodworking capabilities. Very easy-going but with a cunning, unnoticeable method of setting the pace required to finish the course. On that, expect to work fairly hard! Although most of the core technical skills are covered off in the early weeks, what your really learn comes with practise which is well supervised with hints and tips whenever you need them. I travelled for over a hour in each direction to attend this course as it was rare in matching my requirements. That travel time, and the course fee, turned out to be a very worthwhile investment."

24 Mar 16'

David Aspinall reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Just finished the 10 week Beginner course, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about wood working without hesitation. Genuinely the best course I have ever been on, and with only 5 people per class you really feel you are getting his full attention.. Ciaran is a gentleman, and an excellent teacher. He has a lot of patience, and is very knowledgeable about his subject. He is a true craftsmen, and it was brilliant to learn from him. Over the course i learned so much, and Ciaran was only too happy to answer any questions we had about woodworking. I now know how to take care of my tools (very important!), saw correctly, plane, mortise and tenon, and ultimately how to make a piece of furniture. It is the confidence the course gives you which i feel is key. The display table is of such high quality, i doubt people will believe i made it. But i did, and I know it will spur me on to make more items for my house!"

24 Mar 16'

Hannah Sievewright reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"For the last 10/11 weeks I have been on the beginners wood work course & it's been brilliant! I finished my display cabinet on Tuesday & it looks great in the corner of our living room! Ciaran is such a good teacher, he was very patient with me & he would always notice if I was struggling & come help me! He is a true craftsman, so passionate about his work, & he makes everything look so easy!!! I had no experience with woodwork before this course, but now I feel Ciaran has given me the confidence to give things a go. I have my own chisels & work bench now so theres no excuses! Thank you Ciaran! Come see the giraffes some time"

12 Jan 16'

Hilary Kenworthy reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Excellent course which is recommended without hesitation. Ciaran is an excellent teacher and makes a decent cup of coffee too. The course project, a display stand, was proficiently accomplished by everyone on the course, even if it took some (i.e. me) a little longer than others to finish. Despite not ever having had any woodwork lessons before, I never felt out of my depth. The expert tuition with constant good humour and good company ensured the course was thoroughly enjoyable."

6 Dec 15'

Grant Mealyou reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I missed the first two weeks due to other commitments but Ciaran has able to help me catch up with the others. Over the course I gained more and more confidence and ended up maing a piece of furniture I was proud of, despite constantly thinking I messed up every time, especially when chiselling the wood or joints. Ciaran has the patience of a saint as there were times that I thought I ruined the wood but he was able to help me and teach how not to make the mistake again. I also had some tools that needed re-sharpening that he was able to repair them as well. I will definitely be using these skills for making new pieces of furniture and other works."

2 Dec 15'

Jim reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Just completed the 10 week evening beginners course. Ciara is an excellent teacher and the course was very enjoyable. I really learned a lot in a very friendly and easy going atmosphere. The course overun the allocated time but Ciaran was happy to accommodate the group with patience and good humour. I shall certainly be attending the intermediate course and would have no hesitation in recommending this course all to aspiring woodworkers"

26 Nov 15'

James Hobson reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Ciarán is a fabulous chap, knowledgeable, experienced, patient and entertaining. His teaching style is superb, he inspires confidence in you and empowers you to achieve great results. The folk on my group were all lovely and between us we created a fun learning vibe which really made the course for me. I learnt far more than I thought I would and walked away with a nice table to show for it. Having a delicious generous sit down lunch in the café opposite the workshop was a real bonus and a chance for us all to exchange stories and experiences. I would highly recommend Ciaran and his courses to anyone."

25 Nov 15'

Frank Rowlands reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I have just finished the 10 week beginners course with Cairan, As a novice with very little knowledge of woodwork and recovering from a serious illness, I was unsure as to wether this course would be beyond me, when I met Cairan he made me very welcome, he is a very experienced and skillful teacher which put me at ease. He explains things simply which makes them easy to understand. He helped and encouraged me throughout the whole course. I learn't a lot of basic skills which I used to make a Jardiniere, which I brought home at the end of the course which was appreciated by the family. I now feel confident to tackle woodworking projects and have made myself a small workshop, all thanks to Cairan."

23 Nov 15'

Doug Colton reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"Ciaran is brilliant! He is a real craftsman with a great passion and pride in what he does. I've just finished the 4 day intensive course and he was the ideal tutor. His explanations, guidance, encouragement, assistance and flexibility all together really made it a pleasure to learn in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. I'm delighted with the quality of the piece that I made. The ash and black walnut have a great contrasting look. I'd feel pretty confident now about tackling fairly intricate joinery compared to my previous rough and ready DIY skills! The tasty lunches at the cafe next door were a daily treat included in the price :-P"

31 Aug 15'

Dave Smallman reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I recently completed the 10 week beginners course and I have already signed up for the intermediate course! After just a few lessons Ciarán had taught me enough basic skills to confidently build myself a garden bench using tenon and mortise joints, and by the end of the course I had created a hand crafted piece of furniture that I am very proud of and never would have thought I could produce! Ciarán is a genuinely nice chap and it was always a great atmosphere in the workshop (so long as you don't mind his singing) even if it hadn't been one of the best decisions I've ever made going into this course, I'd still be going back for the chocolate hobnobs and good craic, so I would. Roll on September! Dave Smallman"

26 Aug 15'

Martin Bennett reviewed: Beginners 10 week woodworking course NO LONGER RUNNING

"I really enjoyed the time on the course, it’s given me something I want to continue to learn and a set of skills I love putting into practice."