Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning reviews

Sandy reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Great introduction to woodturning. Paul is very knowledgeable & experienced. Came away knowing enough to have a go on my own. And very pleased with my bud vase!"

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks Sandy, good luck with your own creations!"

Tom reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"This was an excellent course which I thoroughly enjoyed and learnt a lot from. It was well structured, starting with all the safety issues, going on to the setting up of a piece on the lathe and then looking at the various techniques of using chisels. Paul is a good communicator and explains things in a clear way. During the practical work he kept a close eye on each participant, giving advice and tips the whole time. "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Tom. I'm glad you found the day useful."

David reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"A most enjoyable day with Paul. I have never done wood turning before but at the end of the day I came home with a rather nice vase (and a satisfied smile on my face). Plenty of tea and coffee was available and Paul's wife provided a lovely lunch. Paul was very patient with me and the other complete beginners. Recommended."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback David. I'm glad you enjoyed the day."

Paul reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Paul was very knowledgeable and very patient, always available for additional support and advice as required. We came away with a lovely bud vase each which will take pride of place in our home. A tasty lunch and plentiful teas/coffees supplied throughout the day by Paul's wife made this a great experience to remember. Thankyou Paul."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for your feedback Paul, it was a pleasure."

Tessa reviewed: Woodturning - Beginner's Platter and Bowl Turning

"Paul is an amazing and patient tutor! I’m sure I must have tested his patience to the extreme! I needed telling again and again the same thing! I’m not sure I ever totally understood (not a reflection on Paul, just me!) but I still made two incredible pieces that I’m so proud of. I attended with my husband for his birthday and he thoroughly enjoyed himself too. He may have understood more than me, but at the end of the day, our pieces looked pretty much the same! So just put your faith in Paul and you’ll be fine. Don’t get frustrated, if like me, you'd never done anything like this before, you’ll still have fun! I signed up with craft courses so that I could try as many new crafts as I can and sometimes things outside my comfort zone as this was for me, I’m so pleased I did. Worth every penny, you won’t be disappointed! "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Tessa, I'm glad you both enjoyed your day."

Avril Wareing reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"I was extremely disappointed with this course that I bought as an 18th birthday gift for my grandson. Described as a ‘beginners’ course, my grandson, who has no experience of woodwork but was keen to have a go, found himself in a group with three older men who all had considerable experience. My grandson was totally out of his depth and there was no consideration of his being an actual beginner. Having expected him to come out with a small memento of a pleasant day that he could keep as a reminder of his special birthday, he is totally disillusioned and has no interest in taking his interest in woodwork any further. This course is not inexpensive so I regret having wasted time and money that would’ve been better spent in any other way. "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"The course is aimed at complete novices and no prior knowledge or experience is assumed or required and I have been running these courses for nearly 20 years without a single complaint for both adults and children. Actually, two of the other three people were complete beginners, the third had limited experience in other aspects of woodworking but none of the three would have booked the beginners course if they were "considerably experienced " as I offer more appropriate courses for people at that level. Had your grandson completed the day, I'm sure he would have gone away with the small memento but instead, he gave up. I offered your grandson additional support, which he declined to take up and I also emailed you to offer time for your grandson to return to complete the course, potentially with additional one to one support (as he was obviously struggling on the day) but I received no response. The offer is still open if you wish to contact me directly to discuss."

Tim reviewed: Woodturning half day taster

"Attended the course Saturday and it was a fantastic experience. Paul is very knowledgeable ref woodturning and made the experience fun. Made welcome on arrival. Plenty of refreshments through the morning. Will be back for some more experience."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Tim, I hope to see you again."

Geoff Cranwell reviewed: Woodturning - Beginner's Platter and Bowl Turning

"Had a really good days course with Paul. He explained everything in great detail and was very patient while as a novice he was always there to guide you and explain when I was having problems. I cannot recommend him enough. Thank you very much for a very instructive day. Regards Geoff."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks Geoff, I'm glad you found the day useful."

Jodi reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"I bought the beginners woodturning course for my husband and me. It was a great day. There were four of us on the course and we were all amazed we came away with such a lovely looking bud vase at the end of it. Paul was very knowledgable and the homemade lunch made by his lovely wife was fab! "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Jodi. I hope you do more turning in the future. "

B Terry reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Really good introduction to wood turning. Shown and practiced various techniques and cuts. Lovely lunch included and all very friendly. "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the day."

David Lawrence reviewed: Woodturning One to One Course

"I booked a one-to-one day with Paul to improve my skills and confidence in woodturning. I had done some turning before so didn't want an absolute beginner's course, but nor did I want to be in a group with people a lot more advanced than me. One-to-one seemed ideal - and it was! Before the day I sent Paul a list of skills I'd like to improve, and tools I'd like to try, and throughout the day we ticked off most of the list. Paul is highly skilled and knowledgable, but was able to relate to my much lower ability level and work with me where I was. Paul's manner was friendly and supportive throughout, balancing sufficient challenge with great patience! Overall a very worthwhile day, and I may well return in the future for another session. "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback David. I hope to see you again "

Elizabeth Evans reviewed: Woodturning - Beginner's Platter and Bowl Turning

"Really enjoyed Paul’s Woodturning course. I’m not a natural, but he was patient and explained everything really well to me and showed me different ways of cutting. I came away with two lovely pieces that I’m very proud of and had a great time. "

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks Elizabeth, it was a pleasure working with you."

Tony reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Fantastic day, so friendly and professional. Very recommended"

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks Tony, I'm glad you enjoyed the day."

Peter Harvey reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"A really fantastic day with Paul, for me a total beginner. Always liked wood products, the infinite grain patterns and colours, to be able to craft something myself was just great. Thanks Paul"

Heather reviewed: Woodturning - Beginner's Platter and Bowl Turning

"This course was a present for my husband. He had a wonderful time and produced two beautiful items, a platter and a bowl. He would definitely recommend it and will be going back for another course."

Chris howard reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Fantastic course. I had an excellent day and really pleased with what I made. Paul is extremely knowledgeable and very patient making sure I got to grips with using the tools correctly. He also went above and beyond going through other aspects of wood working. I would highly recommend this course. Thanks Paul!"

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Chris. I'm glad you enjoyed the day."

Stuart Jefferies reviewed: Woodturning One to One Course

"What a great day, from the coffee offered almost as soon as I arrived, Paul took me through some essential safety elements first and then it was into turning the platter. A delicious lunch was followed by more tutoring turning a bowl. For anyone who has watched the videos of wood turning on YouTube and thinks it looks really easy, I can assure you it isn't although Paul does make it look so. With immense good humour and patience, Paul repeatedly corrected my errors until it finally clicked as to what I should be doing. I came home with a platter and bowl which my wife keeps picking up and commenting on how smooth they are. 55 years after I last turned anything on a powered lathe, it is great to come home with something that is useful and beautiful to look at. I will be back for more."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Stuart, I'm glad you enjoyed the day. "

Andy reviewed: Woodturning half day taster

"Wood turning with Paul was a delightful experience. He strikes a great balance between stepping in to make sure that you’re safe and know what you’re doing and stepping back to let you get on with it when he sees you’re on the right track. This really helps you build confidence as you work through the different tasks and cuts he teaches. In the half day session we took a square practice block, turned it into a cylinder, and learned how to make concave and convex cuts. We then repeated the process with another block also drilling the middle out to create a vase. Walking away with a lovely little vase was the perfect end to a great session. I would recommend this experience for anyone young or old who wants to start a new hobby, or is just curious about how ornate furniture was made."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the experience."

Gary Smith reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Great day, really informative and a worthwhile experience. Being able to practically create something was fantastic. A delicious lunch was provided and I would recommend the day."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the day."

Richard Worrall reviewed: Woodturning Absolute Beginners

"Fantastic course by Paul Hannaby, lovely cozy workshop. Paul was very patient, he took us through the safety aspects of using a lathe, tutored us in tool sharpening and all the basic cuts in Woodturning, definitely recommend for the beginner, as with most craftwork, it’s harder than it looks until you know some of the tricks of the trade, then it’s practice, practice, practice. Thank you Paul, will be back for an ‘Improvers Course’ when I’ve practiced some more."

Paul Hannaby Creative Woodturning responded:

"Thanks for the feedback Richard. I'm glad you enjoyed the day and I look forward to next time."