Nailsworth Community Workshop reviews

Phil reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"As a preface, I have zero practical ability, I haven't been in a workshop environment for over 20 years, and I certainly hadn't done anything along these lines before. I knew this was way out of my comfort zone, but I picked this course primarily on the basis it would expose me to a nice variety of disciplines (metalwork, woodwork and leatherwork at the least), and I'm so glad I did. I fully expected to make something a bit rubbish, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. I am so ridiculously proud of what I managed to produce, and I think everyone who knows me is as baffled as I am that it turned out as well as it did. The guidance from Arian was perfect; he doesn't take over and do things for you, he gives a brief demonstration of the technique, then lets you get on with it, so you can honestly say that it's your own handiwork. That being said, he's always nearby to make sure you don't go too far wrong. As others have mentioned, not only do you learn how to make something beautiful and practical, but you also learn all about the materials used and the reasons for using them. Overall, I had a great weekend on this course. I'm extremely tired and achy, but it was absolutely worth it! Massive thanks Arian and co. for such a fantastic experience."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Dear Phil, I'm delighted to read your review, and am so pleased that the course met and exceeded your expectations. Having been involved with knifemaking for so long, I aim to structure my courses with enough clarity and direction so that even the folk without previous experience walk off with work they can be proud of. You have certainly achieved that: thank you for your focus and hard work. I can still see your bushcraft knife with burr elm handle in my mind's eye! Do get in touch if you have any questions or pop by for a bit of sharpening as needed. Kind regards, Arian"

John reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"What a great experience and very interesting. I have no particular skills beneficial in the making of an English Longbow, but with Gavin’s and Tom’s expert help I have created, what I think, a thing of beauty. Lots of banter, bad jokes and laughs. Highly recommended."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Thank you for the review John - glad you enjoyed the weekend and 'happy shooting' Pam"

Mark reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"A great weekend. Really friendly atmosphere and left with a bow I can be proud of. "

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Thank you for the review Mark . Glad you enjoyed the weekend and hope you continue to enjoy your bow. Pam"

Matt Rowse reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone interested in creating their own longbow. Gavin and Tom were very knowledgeable and helpful throughout, and I'm delighted with the bow that they helped me create. A great experience."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Thats great Thank you for the review and so glad you enjoyed the weekend. As we said at the end let us know if you have any issues and enjoy shooting the bow Pam"

Caleb Lambourne reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"An absolutely fantastic weekend, cannot recommend highly enough. It was remarkable for me, with no real experience, to take the raw materials and (under Arian's patient wisdom), turn them into a beautiful and unique knife that I am genuinely proud of and should last a lifetime. It was fascinating to get a real insight into the 'why' of each stage and process, rather than just following instructions. Arian ensures that you come away with a real appreciation of the craft and the reasons for each step or decision. He genuinely cares for the work being undertaken, and wants to connect with the people participating. It was very refreshing amid the busyness of life to have a weekend in the quiet of the workshop to focus on a single, practical task and objective; not have your attention pulled in lots of different directions! Good for the soul."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Hi Caleb, thank you so much for this heart warming review. I'm delighted you appreciated the way I run the course, and I'm sure you'll get years of use out of your knife. Enjoy your foraging, and if you have any questions or need advice with anything do give me a shout. Regards, Arian"

Jeb Coates reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Just finished the English Longbow Making course and I must say it has been an amazing experience. The course was handled excellently and the expert guidance from Gavin and Tom was spot on. The weekend was a lovely relaxed atmosphere with a coming together of different people all looking to achieve the same goal. I am completely blown away with what I have produced. I can’t wait to shoot the bow to see how it fires. I would highly recommend this course to everybody whether experienced in woodworking or not. With the help of the guys you will certainly produce a thing of beauty. I am one happy aspiring bowmen. "

Kimberley Jones reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"We came as a group of three and we all really loved the experience, and each of us came away with a beautiful, unique knife. This isn't a course where you are given a kit and follow instructions to an end product, but instead one where you design and handcraft something tailored to you. I personally started the weekend with little to no experience working with metal, wood or leather, but at the end of the weekend had managed all three. And Arian was really great at not only explaining how to do something, but why we did each step of the process. Highly recommended!"

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Hi Kim, many thanks for your review. really happy that you appreciated the individual aspect of the course, i get a lot of satisfaction from seeing how participants bridge their own ideas and the limitations of craft. It was lovely to meet you three, and i hope you get lots of use from the great knives you made. Warm regards, Arian"

Mark Butcher reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"What a fantastic course and a truly wonderful experience, Arian is such a dedicated and delightful tutor, so willing to pass on his knowledge in a very inclusive manner. I really can’t imagine anyone, no matter how unfamiliar with diy skills, not getting real engagement with this course, you learn metalworking, woodworking and leatherwork techniques in a lovely friendly environment Well done to you all"

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Hi Mark, Thank you for this, it was great to meet you and welcome you at our community workshop. I particularly like that we get to engage with 3 very different materials, each very much a part of the process, as you saw. All the best and hope your knife serves you for years to come! Arian"

Adrian reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Amazing course. Gavin and Tom were always patient and knowledgeable. They passed on so many useful skills over the weekend and spured everyone's confidence. Definitely get a buzz from exceeding your own expectations and walking away with a beautiful and fully functional Longbow!"

Jonathan Howell reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"No idea what to expect? Absolutely grand! Gavin and Tom were experts in whom one could place complete trust; jokes, music, tea & biscuits were an essential bonus that kept us all focused yet relaxed. And yes, in the end, the longbow produced by each one of us (+ a lot of help from G&T) - a thing of beauty. It matters not whether you have one or not, or indeed whether you shoot at all, it is a craft weekend to be relished and remembered. Thank you to everyone involved."

Richard reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"This course was everything I had hoped for and more. The tutors, Gav and Tom, were excellent instructors with a deep understanding of the craft, the various tools and getting the best out of all the students. The whole weekend was conducted in a relaxed, friendly and patient manner. Whether you are a seasoned woodworker or an absolute novice, you will love this course and be unbelievably proud of the English longbow you make. I cannot recommend this course, or the organisation, highly enough. Thanks guys."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing thank you so much and glad you enjoyed the weekend. Let us know if you ever need any follow up Pam "

Alex reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Excellent course, Gavin and Tom were fantastic instructors, patient, knowledgeable and friendly, they made the course not just about walking away with a bow, but a genuinely wonderful and enjoyable experience. I’m obsessed with the stunning bow I produced under their watchful eye, and can’t wait to try it out. Would recommend this course to anyone wanting to try their hand at making a bow, from complete novice woodworker to seasoned archer and bowyer alike. The town it’s in is also a lovely place to watch the world go by over lunch. Brilliant, thanks again! "

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing thank you so much and glad you enjoyed the weekend. Let us know if you ever need any follow up Pam"

Rachel Smith reviewed: Stained Glass weekend workshop

"The course took place at Nailsworth Community Workshop within the Subscription Rooms. What a place! It oozes character, charm and a love of crafts. The two-day course was led by Roland who was an excellent tutor. His love of glass shone through. He supported us all to make two pieces each, guiding us every step of the way and providing all the tools and materials we needed. He was also a keen advocate for us all to continue practising this ‘at risk’ craft after the course should we wish to do so and gave helpful advice on where to buy glass and tools, as well as an indication of the cost of these. Thank you Roland and the Nailsworth Community Workshop more widely, I will definitely be carrying on with creating more stained glass pieces in the future!"

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing review Rachael Im so glad you enjoyed the weekend I hope the sun shines on your glass. Best wishes Pam"

Giles Tennick reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Gavin and Tom really make this course a joy to be there from start to finish, they have loads of archery and making knowledge to share and ensure you end up with a top quality bow by the end of the weekend. So glad my fiancee got me this for my 50th birthday. It didn't feel like a course, more of a man cave weekend with friends! 10/10 would definitely recommend!! Oh, and they have a decent selection of vinyl to play there too!! Thanks!!"

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing Giles. So glad you had a good weekend . Happy shooting. Pam "

Helen M reviewed: One Day Stained Glass

"What a wonderful day spent learning the art of stain glass making with our fabulous teacher, Roland. Our lovely group each came away with a piece of individually designed stain glass…..would highly recommend and will definately be back😊"

Tilly reviewed: One Day Stained Glass

"Absolutely brilliant course! Everyone came away with a beautiful piece of glasswork and Roland was an exceptional teacher. Highly recommended, thank you. "

Kendra d reviewed: One Day Stained Glass

"Absolutely loved this workshop and Roland was an amazing teacher! Highly recommend! "

Mike Hammond reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"Arian was the perfect host with all the answers you needed. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend it in a heartbeat, doesn’t matter what type of knife you choose to make, you will come away with a beautiful handmade piece of art. Hopefully will be returning to spend a weekend in the forge with Arian. "

Jody and Sarah reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"The course was excellent. We had no woodworking experience going into the course but Gavin and Tom were really helpful and knowledgeable (and patient!). We learned a lot and had a fantastic time, and would gladly repeat the experience in future."

Tony John reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Very informstive, you may talk Longbow with confidence. A must to be on every archers bucket list!"

Patrick reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"This course is a must for anyone interested in archery. I had a fantastic time and have learnt so much!. Gaz and Tom made the course enjoyable from start to finish and their knowledge and attention to details was so helpful. I'm so happy with my longbow and it's given me the confidence to make more in the future "

Sinbad Wilmot reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"Excellent course, very well run. I was thoroughly absorbed in the knife making process throughout, enjoyed every bit of it and came away with a beautiful knife that I am very proud of."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Hi Sinbad, thank you very much for your feedback. I'm really glad you enjoyed the course, thank you for your energy and fine work, certainly you've created a beautiful knife, a friend for life. Hope you returned to Ireland safely, stop by the workshop when you in Stroud next. Best wishes, Arian"

Adam gibbs reviewed: Knife making weekend Gloucestershire

"The experience I have been part of for the last 2 and a hal days has been nothing short of amazing. To take time out from a busy life and career to just concentrate for a while, without being distracted or pestered by anyone was like returning to my roots, before I got busy. Arian is a true expert and unbelievably knowledgable about his craft. This is one string to his bow, but making a knife from raw materials has been a fantastic experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would recommend this to any metal worker, engineer, want to be craftsperson or simply anyone interested. The final result is a knife that will live with me for life, something to be proud of. I could not be happier with the final result."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Hi Adam. Thanks a lot for your feedback: I'm delighted that you had such a worthwhile experience, as well as a great knife which I'm sure will serve your for years to come. beautiful bog oak handle and razor sharp edge: that's what we like to see! Thank you for your great energy, skill and enthusiasm, I really enjoyed sharing what I know with you and the others on the course. Many thanks again, and I'll try to come and see your engineering set up. Arian "

Bridget reviewed: Creating automata - weekend course. Explore the combination of movement and materials such as wood, wire, metal tube and sheet, found objects and figures.

"Fantastic course. Fi is a great teacher and helps you to problem-solve whilst making room for learning. Supplies for the course and tools are excellent. Lovely vibe and absorbing. Recommended "

Gemma reviewed: Stained Glass weekend workshop

"Had an amazing weekend learning how to make stained glass. Roland was friendly and welcoming, taking the time to make sure we had all the skills we needed. I came away with a mirror and another stained glass piece which I'm very happy with."