Mark Hancock reviews

4 Feb 19'

Dave Strange reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"A great introduction to woodturning. Mark has an infectious enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge which he shared with patience. This amazing day was bought for me as a present by my son, who was fed up with me saying how much I enjoyed woodturning at school some 50 years ago and wanted to take it up again in my retirement. He cleared out the junk from my cabin at the end of the garden, bought me some woodturning tools, two books and now the course with Mark. After the course I was sent a shopping list that included lathes. No excuses now!!"

30 Jan 19'

Adrian Whybrew reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Thank you Mark for a great introduction to woodturning. Your enthusiasm and the tuition I received were second to none. I intend to contact one of the local groups and begin to equip my workshop to enable me to begin turning in earnest."

22 Jan 19'

Paul Hussell reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Mark’s in depth knowledge of wood turning together with his enthusiasm for the craft, makes for a unique and unrivalled experience. He is an extremely efficient communicator and is very keen to impart his knowledge. The structure of his course allows for flexibility of content and his backup and support post training is comprehensive. Following the training day I am determined to set up and progress in wood turning."

14 Jan 19'

Denholm reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Couldn't have wished for a better course to introduce me to wood turning, I had a great day with mark everything, anything and more was explained and taught. Mark shows you from the very beginning the do's and don't of essential equipment needed to start up wood turning without having a salesman have u spend your money for you to the essentials of tool care and use of them and the improvements to them for a much more professional result. Also you get a mass of information that he gives you when you leave on course notes and also takes time to email you a essential beginners/improvers list of recommended equipment and tools that you never get on courses these days....Side note mark should start a instagram account so you can see his amazing work ."

30 Dec 18'

Paul Jeanes reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Had an amazing day with Mark and despite my total lack of knowledge he was extremely patient! From start to finish he explained everything and guided me through the process of a beginner. Since the course I have naturally had questions and he has answered them quickly and thoughtfully. Although I have still not bought a lathe I will do so next year and having Mark on hand to guide me is very reassuring. Great course and for a complete beginner like myself I would thoroughly recommend Mark and the course."

23 Dec 18'

Pam wootton reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Went on a beginners woodturning course with Mark on 10 December 2018. This activity was always on my bucket list and I can’t praise mark for his patience and all the help and encouragement he showed me. The course fulfilled all of my expectations including a fabulous wooden bowl to take home. I have thought about taking up woodturning has a hobby but I still have many things I wish to achieve on my bucket list . Perhaps at a later date ."

20 Dec 18'

Raymond Sancroft-Baker reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I went for a second day with Mark and took some of my own wood and tools. He could not have been more helpful especially when I lapsed back into bad habits! I came away with much more confidence and have been practicing what I learnt and feel I can tackle most of the projects I have in mind. I am sure that a fairly regular update is necessary to iron out problems and doing things the right way is not only easier but very rewarding."

15 Dec 18'

Jeremy Stadward reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I have just spent a wonderful day with Mark on a 1 to 1 course which has left me exhausted but full of confidence and buzzing. He has an extremely good style of teaching, helping when it is needed and letting you get on with it when he thinks you need to stretch yourself a little. He will suddenly turn up behind you when you are making strange noises with the tools or when he sees, often from the other end of the room, the wrong sort of wood shavings appearing and say just the right thing to calm you down. I must say for a total beginner with zero confidence he has shown me that I can do things and that with a little bit of encouragement I can actually produce things that look good. I walked away that evening full of tea, he is a great maker of brews, encouragement and not a little confidence. Thank you Mark for an amazing day, I will be back! Great value and seriously relaxing in a funny way!"

12 Dec 18'

Alan Thompson. reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"This was my second class with Mark, the first was my 65th birthday present and the last was my employers retirement present, best presents ever. Totally absorbing both with the quality of teaching , equipment and tools. Marks skill and knowledge are infectious , I am eagerly looking forward to my next class, by which time I will have practiced the techniques of both shaping the wood ,and sharpening the gouges. The class does not just finish with the days session, follow up direction and information regarding further help are also given. Brillant"

11 Dec 18'

Joe Z reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"It was a cold morning when I turned up at Mark's workshop, and was greeted by a warm stove, cup of coffee and a really relaxed environment to learn in. From start to finish, Mark's enthusiasm and passion for the craft shone through. He was very patient and great at adapting the day to a varied skill set, speeding up and slowing down his teaching style for the areas that you may or may not know and focusing in on the areas which need more attention. I would highly recommend Mark to anybody who wants to take the time to learn, improve or otherwise just have a go at turning."

9 Dec 18'

Mike Dustan reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I was given vouchers for a 2 day course, Mark was brilliant, I had not touched wood since school (45 yrs) he was so patient, and explained everything in a way that I could understand. Mark is a passionate bloke regarding wood turning and a bit of the passion rubs off. I would highly recommend any one of any experience level to have Mark as an instructor. Thanks Mark"

8 Dec 18'

ROGER reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"A huge 'Thank You' to Mark! I have not turned anything since at school over 50 years ago and felt it time to enjoy my retirement. Having bought a lathe and some tools, I needed someone to put me on the right road to safely use these and produce some 'pieces'. I now feel confident to move on. I will then have another course with Mark in 3 or 4 months time to further quality of my skills. Mark is knowledgeable, patient and has the ability to explain things well. Keep up the good work Mark. Roger."

7 Dec 18'

Martin Belshah reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Brilliant course, can’t recommend it enough. Mark tailored it to my needs and explained everything very clearly and logically. You could really see his passion for it and he’s super supportive. Money well spent"

7 Dec 18'

Kelly Smith reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I am a pyrography artist & have been wanting to learn & include woodturning in my pieces, but always too scared to teach myself! So I attended this course, crammed in to 4 sessions,(my choice) as a total “newbie”, with no experience what so ever, I hadn’t even held a woodturning tool! By the end of the 4 sessions, & feeling very proud of myself & just how quickly I picked it up, I feel confident enough to do this & I am so excited to start my new venture! Mark has been fantastic, extremely patient & a really nice man! An excellent tutor, always encouraging you with every step, answers and helps/advises with any questions you have, along with the offer to keep in contact after the course, as and when I need his help and advice. I would HIGHLY recommend Mark Hancock for his tutoring and woodturning skills! I hope to book some more sessions in just to boost my confidence even more. Thank you very much, Mark."

30 Nov 18'

Andrew Poyner reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I attended my wood turning course on Wednesday 28th November with Mark after a self induced wait due to house refurbishment with my lathe moth balled in my workshop. The prolonged wait was thoroughly justified as any intervention prior to my tuition would have been disastrous. Mark's style of tuition is incredible. The one to one teaching is second to none and the attention to detail of both instruction, theory and practice is unbelievable. He is patient and tremendously encouraging which instills confidence in the student. I felt very proud of my efforts which Mark was only too pleased to commend. I am now totally hooked on my future in wood turning but will no doubt make future contact with Mark to further my education. If you are looking to start out in the hobby of turning then look no further that Mark Hancock. Thanks Mark for a truly memorable experience."

12 Nov 18'

George Balanos reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I had a full day’s tuition on woodturing by Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Mark’s passion for what he does is obvious in everything that happpens over the course of the day and he puts a lot of effort into transferring his skill to his students. His feedback is constructive and he managed to even get someone as poorly coordinated as me to give some shape to a piece of wood. He teaches excellence and he takes all the time that is need to achieve a good result. I was probably his most incapable student but I left the workshop late at night feeling satisfied that I knew what woodturing was all about. Thanks Mark!"

23 Oct 18'

Alison Plant reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Mark's enthusiasm and skill for the craft shone through all day. His meticulous attention to detail ensured that I gleaned as much information and experience as it was possible to pack into one day - albeit a long day. This is an intense day but well worth it. Thanks!!"

23 Oct 18'

James reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"What a great day. So much information covered and with someone who has so much passion for wood turning. A wealth of experience gained over the years to be passed on but as hard as he tries it will not be done in a day !! Even though we were there late into the night and I got in trouble with the wife !! Well worth the money, made me feel comfortable and offers a lot of follow up support and advice. Thank you for the experience, I thoroughly enjoyed myself."

18 Oct 18'

Stuart reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"As a novice wood turner I decided to attend a course with Mark to get a feel for wood turning and learn from an experienced turner. Mark was great throughout the day, very informative and he provided great notes for future reference. The day was long, but we covered a lot of techniques and what to watch for when buying turning tools and equipment. Mark's workshop is large enough for probably 4 people at once, but I would recommend a 1-2-1 course to get the most out of the day. On the whole this course was well worth it. I don't think I could have chosen a better suited tutor or course."

16 Oct 18'

Peter Townley reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"An excellent and informative day. My wife organised as a Christmas present, much better than the usual "item". Mark is patient, and explained everything in a logical and structured way, even to a complete novice, like my self. I leaned a great deal and recommend the course for any interested wood turners"

11 Oct 18'

Ian Higginbotham reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"40 years ago, as a teenager my Grandfather, a Master Carpenter, taught me to use a treadle lathe in his workshop. Eventually he mounted an old vacuum cleaner motor on the wall to stop me getting so tired and I was happy turning any piece of wood he gave me. I loved it. As I approach early retirement my children bought me a day's woodturning with Mark to see if I still loved it, as I always talk about buying a lathe and doing what pleases me in an artistic way........ Well, what can I say. We started at 9:30, stopped for 30 minutes for lunch and finished at 8:30 in the evening. So much came flooding back and the more I picked up on Mark's passion the more I realised it was a passion I still had, and that probably showed because Mark commented a few times on how quick I picked up on things. It was a lovely day, with a wooden bowl as a memento for my wife, lovely memories for me and a shopping list as long as your arm for when I do set up my own workshop. I think I even coerced Mark into agreeing to help me hone the shopping list to perfection so as not to waste money when I do eventually pull the trigger........ Just need to convince the wife that £6,000 is cheap for a lathe.......!!! Mark, thank you for sharing your passion, thank you for rekindling mine, and thank you for listening, challenging and your expert tutoring. I loved every minute of it. Ian."

20 Sep 18'

Steve Robertson reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"What a fantastic day! Mark's friendly and relaxed manner was apparent from start to finish making it a very enjoyable and fulfilling day. As a complete beginner to wood turning Mark took me through everything I needed to know, from all the different tools, sharpeners and Lathes to use, including which ones on the market were the best to buy and which ones to steer clear of. Throughout the morning, we focused on the different cutting techniques, which through Mark's clear and easy instructions were made simple. Mark walked me through sharpening tools and I was left feeling confident on doing so again on my own. During lunch Mark was able to share with me a fountain of knowledge that he has on everything to do with working with wood, including the cutting of bowl blanks from logs and wood drying techniques. He was also able to offer advise on courses I should take in which to pursue a career in furniture making. In the afternoon we went on to starting the bowl which I'd leave with at the end of the day. Through his excellent care and attention to detail I was able to produce something of professional standards. Even after the course was over I was contacted by Mark with all the information we had talked about throughout the day and a shopping list of all the best and most affordable tools and equipment to get me started. I definitely recommend this course to anyone with any interest in wood working and at any level! Thanks Mark."

18 Sep 18'

Martin Smith reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"I recently took a one day,1 to 1, introduction to wood turning given by Mark. To say that I was a novice in wood turning is an understatement as I have no experience of working wood since I was at school a long while ago. Mark showed me around the workshop explaining what the various tools and machines were used for. He took time to advise on the minimal tools and type of lathe to get should I wish to pursue wood turning as well as websites where these can be purchased for a reasonable outlay. For the rest of the day he showed me the various steps required in turning a bowl. After demonstrating each step and watching me my attempt, he left me alone to complete the task whilst he worked elsewhere. This approach, rather than standing over and watching me, took the pressure off me although he often could hear when I did something wrong and return to put me right. They say you learn by your mistakes and I possibly made most you could. Mark however appears to have the patience of a saint and merely showed me what I was doing wrong and how to correct it. All in all a very interesting and enjoyable day. Mark is incredibly talented and knowledgeable, and indeed a nice guy, and I would recommend him for tuition at all abilities."

18 Sep 18'

carly lee reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Wonderful day! Mark was a fantastic teacher... funny, patient and clearly had a wealth of expertise. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1 day course I took and left feeling very enthused and so proud of myself for the wooden stool I had produced. I was very impressed by the way that Mark gave help when needed but also allowed me to 'have a go' for myself- it made me feel like I really was capable of woodturning and not just being spoon fed the instructions. Highly recommend to anyone!"

17 Sep 18'

Sean Kirby reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"WOW! What a day. Having never turned a piece of wood before and looking for a new hobby I was bought a days course with Mark. From the start Mark was vey patient and informative. Explaining about Lathes, tools and techniques. At each stage going to the lathe to practice the tool and technique. By lunchtime having tested Marks patience ( he is very patient) i felt confident enough to try a bigger challenge. The Bowl. The afternoon was spent putting all the mornings practice into creating a bowl. It was amazing seeing this block of Oak taking shape. It took a while but the result was well worth it. I have been on other course doing different stuff and you get the feeling that some teachers are happy for you to make somthing and say "not bad for a first attempt". Not in Mark's case. Whatever you make Mark wants it to be right, and i felt the time spent getting the bowl right was so worth it. The after course email is brilliant giving you lots of recommendations on what to buy and where to get the beat deals. Thankyou Mark"