Northern Wood Monkey reviews

Gemma Murray reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"My husband and I have had the best day spoon carving with Steve. He is such a patient, knowledgeable teacher. We learned new skills, had a laugh and left with wooden spoons. A very therapeutic day, we'll definitely be back to try our hand at making something else! Highly recommend."

Northern Wood Monkey responded:

"It was a pleasure to meet, and carve with, you both. So glad you enjoyed the day and I hope to catch up with you for another days making in the future."

Steve Hulme reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Had a fabulous day turning a lump of Sycamore into (in my opinion) a very nice bowl,. Stephen is a really good teacher patiently explaining the process bit by bit so I didn't get too bogged down with instruction. I would heartily recommend this course but you do need a strong left leg, the treadle can be hard work until you find the right rhythm. All in all a great day and the homemade soup at lunchtime was really tasty, Thanks Steve, I learned something new, who says you can't teach an old dog."

David Blackley reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

" Very enjoyable and relaxing course. Well worth the money."

Pip Forsyth reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Just what the doctor ordered! A day completely focussed on creating a thing of beauty (to me at least), out of a log of wood . It was hard physical work but that was part of the joy of it and Steve was a great teacher breaking down both the process and the effort, into manageable chunks. Sustenance breaks were also a pleasure giving time to chat and rest while enjoying tasty food in the rural setting of Steve's allotment. A thoroughly enjoyable day, and new skills learnt. What's not to like?!"

Alan Brown reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Took a long time to get the course because of covid restrictions but worth the wait. Instructions were relaxed but on the mark and easily understood. The work was quite physical but rewarding and the final result was a beautiful wooden bowl which I didn't think was possible from a complete novice. The day flew by and I would highly recommend this course and its leader. Thanks Steve"

Patricia Bainbridge reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"The course was well paced, well presented and very enjoyable. The numbers being small, meant everyone had good support and supervision. Instructions were clear and demonstrated well. It was rewarding to go through each of the steps from block of wood to a spoon to be proud of. I would recommend the course to others and look to book on similar courses in the future."

Louise Harlanderson reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"This is a fun and well organised course. Lovely soup for lunch and fabulous biscuits for the breaks The instructor is calm, friendly and able to work with all abilities (and inabilities in my case). It's lovely to leave with your own unique spoon and know how to care for it in the future. Go on, have a go :-)"

Spoon Carving reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"A very enjoyable day learning new skills and how to correct some errors that I had. A very well run course, Steve demonstrated each step as we went along and made sure everyone had followed his direction with great feedback on a one to one basis at every stage. To walk out of the room at the end of the day with a spoon made by ourselves was very rewarding."

Neil Sabin reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"Superb tuition. Modelled each part of the intricate and challenging process with patience. Plenty of time for coffee/tea. Soup and bread at lunch. A solid day's work. Really enjoyable. I have a lovely beech bowl when dried for another 2 weeks and finished with walnut oil will be ready for some porridge!"

Miranda Cowan reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"A great tutor that brings a clear and progressive structure to the course and is enthusiastic with a very calm and supportive approach to teaching. I really liked how we also covered supporting information relating to how to sharpen knives and the follow up hand outs. I now have new techniques to practice and am looking forward to recording my own progress and sharing my photos with Steve."

Chris reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"I had the pleasure of attending this course recently. I'd never done anything like this before and hadn't worked with wood since woodworking class at school! Steve was very friendly and talkative, full of knowledge and his passion for the craft showed. I was fascinated by the stories and facts that he shared and by the whole process of making a wooden bowl out of a seemingly unremarkable log. I saw my skill with an axe go from zero, to almost competent and I managed to take a small gouge out of my finger (my own fault, the tools are sharp!), but it was worth every moment. Ironically, the little wooden bowl I came away with is now not only the most expensive bowl I own, but one of my most cherished possessions! I can't wait to get some walnut oil on it! I've already recommended the course to a few friends, I'd recommend it to anybody Thanks again Steve"

Thomas Whitfield reviewed: Turn a wooden bowl on a traditional pole lathe

"I had spent the last 2 years building things out of wood - after watching a wood turning video on YouTube I’d mentioned that I’d like to give it a go. My wife booked me a course with Steve in February 2020 as a Christmas present. After a very nervous and excited drive to Steve’s house I was greeted warmly and he chauffeured me to his workshop which sits neatly in an allotment plot. As soon as you walk in - it is clear that you’re going to be going back to you’re roots the hard way. Everything is covered in the course - from knowing what you’re looking for in a quality piece of greenwood, sawing the log to shape, manually chopping the wood to a shape that somewhat resembles a bowl (with a sharp hatchet) to actually turning the wood. Steve doesn’t stand over you're shoulder and encourages you to get stuck in. Be prepared for hard graft. Wood turning on a treadle lathe is a challenge but very rewarding and with Steve’s help I managed to “turn” out with a Beechwood bowl. Thanks Steve - I’m already looking at adapting my garage to accommodate a lathe. Tom"

Claire Arnold reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Very welcoming, friendly and patient tutor. Steve was very encouraging and positive throughout.Good to feel so in touch with the wood. Totally absorbing."

David reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"We loved this session! We were totally new to spoon carving, and Steve taught us four safe and very effective techniques. It boosted our confidence and showed us a good and safe practice. We now understand how to 'see' the wood, judge the grain and use an appropriate technique to carve with that. We went and bought ourselves a starter kit to continue doing this at home - looking forward to what it will bring!"

Spoon carving taster reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Really enjoyed the course, having previously watched YouTube videos it was really great to be able to ask the tutor questions and to get practical tips."

Sue reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"A great introduction to spoon carving from our excellent tutor, Steve Ridd. In just two hours our small group was shown tools, examples and cutting techniques, told about different wood and processes and given demonstrations at each stage which enabled us to craft our first item. A respectable first attempt has given rise to an enthusiastic new spoon maker."

Angela Shaw reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Lovely, friendly tutor. Very informative & helpful, didn't make you feel as though you were wasting his time. I thoroughly enjoyed the lesson & will finish the spoon when my new knife comes."

Stuart Shiel reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"The course was very informative but relaxed and informal, was well worth the money and has made me keen to find out more about wood carving"

Peter Robinson reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Well thought out and extremely informative clear direction and monitoring. For someone who had never done this before, I found that the use of just 4 cuts was sufficient for me to take in for this taster session, and though a couple of them took some effort to get right, I eventually managed without losing too many fingers! All in all, the course was really good, better than I hoped for and has encouraged me to explore some other options as a potential hobby when I retire."

Lynn Rae reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"This was a super course and very different to the usual craft courses on offer. A great introduction to this skill. The tutor was very engaging, well organised and encouraging. There was a good mix of group teaching and individual attention. The time went really quickly and everyone was happy with the spoons they took away with them."

Sue reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Good tutor, clear instructions, interesting and great with the sticking plasters. Yes this was a challenging course, even more so for those of us who had never handled a wood carving knife before, but we all finished with good looking wooden spoons ready to finish and oil at home. I was surprised at how much we did achieve in the two hours. I hope to repeat the course again to build on what I achieved this time."

Christine Hurrell reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"Our tutor was welcoming. He gave clear explanations throughout the length of the course. The demonstrations were also clear. He has a nice sense of humour. I much appreciated the continuous individual attention and constructive help and encouragement. I would have liked the course to have been a bit longer to enable me to achieve a better finish to my spoon, though others seemed to be happy with theirs in the time allotted."

Maureen Leslie(John Leslie booked it) reviewed: Beginners spoon carving taster session

"I absolutely loved this course! It’s my first time working with wood and it was amazing. The teaching was fab. Steve was very patient and informative. I learned a lot from how to use the tools to the type of wood to use. I could’ve sat there all day."

Chris G Dossi reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"The whole day was extremely well thought out and structured from start to finish. Steve who lead the course was very friendly and thorough regarding explanation and method of working with both tools and materials. The course was set in a fantastic modern centre that was easy to find using the instructions that were sent out prior to the start. All in all a great day, and can’t wait for the next one"

Geoff Brown reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"Great course, with clear and positive guidance from Steve the tutor. I would highly recommend the course for any would-be whittlers, though don’t expect perfection on day one, and watch your thumbs."