"An excellent introduction to skills in making an oven. The emphasis on touching and feeling the material means that even though you may wait until the spring to start it is more than just x sand to y clay but a real feel for what is required"
"I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was well structured and although the second day was rather slow it allowed us to fire up the oven and get some practical experience of how to operate it. Only one problem. The timing was poor. It is not practical to start building an oven in late summer early autumn. A base must be built, fire bricks and clay sourced and the oven left to dry. Drying is not likely to be successful in the autumn and the oven is sensitive to rain. The process really needs to start in the spring and the course should reflect that by being held in early spring."
"Amazing what you can achieve in a day with a good tutor and convivial surroundings. Completely from scratch, we managed to make a block pattern, print and make up a lampshade, and have some printed material to play with at home too. Brilliant day to get absorbed into a new craft and not have to worry about anything else. Thanks Georgia & Annie : )"
"I had a great time on the course, coming away with my own 1-piece ash longbow and the skills to do the same thing again. Thanks to Tony's informal and friendly approach we all came away with a lot of transferable knowledge on green woodwork, and thanks to his infectious work ethic we managed to cover everything from hewing a stave to properly preparing the bowstring and shooting off the first arrows from our new bows.
Greystoke is a lovely little village and a warm welcome awaits for all at the cycle cafe."
"Brilliant. Greystoke Cafe is a beautiful venue, the sun shone both days (which I guess doesn't happen every time) and Annie and her team kept us supplied with lovely food and drink.
Tony is a great teacher - explains everything clearly, let's you get on with it and steps in quietly when the grain gets the better of you. I enjoyed it very much."
"Super venue and hostess keeping us topped up with food and drinks. The scheduled end time had to be extended on both days perhaps because the lovely warm days were not ideal conditions for manual labour, but great for sitting around admiring the view and enjoying a cuppa! Tony ensured everyone left with a working longbow (even in the event of a catastrophic failure) and stepping in to help in the event of any problems."
"As a venue, Greystoke cafe is excellent for courses and workshops. Annie is a wonderful host and the food is delicious. Lovely surroundings and a relaxed ambience. Highly recommended for a stop off on your travels or a range of activities."
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