The Coppice Plot reviews

Berrian and Tom reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"The whole experience was fantastic! Dave was an outstanding teacher with a very calm presence and obviously enjoyed his work which translated well to our experience. The course was very informative and enjoyable giving us the basic skills to go and wood carve at home. Also Dave cooked a very nutritious and delicious meal. Would definitely recommend."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Berrian and Tom. I'm glad you had a good day and well done on your lovely spoons (and butter knife Tom). All the best, David "

Paul Nutt reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Spoon carving was something I had never thought of doing! My wife had booked me onto the course as a surprise gift, and I approached it with a little apprehension. I need not have worried. The course was meticulously planned in small manageable steps. David’s attention to safety was constant throughout, and his explanations, demonstrations and continual support ensured both enjoyment and progress….. and a successful outcome. I fully intend to carry on. Many thanks."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Paul. Thank you very much for your review. I'm really pleased you enjoyed the course and delighted that you plan to carry on carving!"

Glynne Morgan reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"The course exceeded my expectations & was superbly delivered by David. Having not performed anything anything like this before we were guided through the carving process in a supportive manner. It catered for all experiences of those attending. David evidently is a mine of experience & I could have listened to him for hours! The food was exceptional matching that of some top restaurants! I hope to continue with some carving but not sure what yet! Will need a link to some tools. Thank you David. "

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Thank you so much Glynne. Really pleased you enjoyed yourself, it was great to meet you. Happy carving!"

Elaine reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"What a wonderful course. David is an excellent tutor, explaining things well and guiding us all through the stages of spoon whittling. He has a great depth of knowledge and showed great patience as he taught us all the skills required to carve out own spoons. The atmosphere at the studio in the woods was peaceful and relaxed, surrounded by birdsong, as we all focused on our wood, axes and knives. He also provided a delicious meal, which was much appreciated. A truly enriching experience. Thank you"

Carol Greenhalgh reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"A wonderful day with David on the spoon carving course, lovely relaxed atmosphere, clear and understandable instructions. Will be buying some tools to finish my spoon and practice some more."

Tracey reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"I was lucky enough to be taught by David for a day at a beautiful workshop in a woodland setting in the art of spoon making. A beautiful learning experience with a very yummy lunch too. i also got to take a spoon home ,one i hand crafted myself. A very pleasurable day with a tutor who has a wonderful teaching style. o"

Rhian Browning reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"The only thing that would improve this course is if it went on for another couple of hours - I didn't want to go home! David is very welcoming and an excellent instructor, explaining everything clearly and making sure everyone was working safely and in the most effective way. There were only four of us so we got plenty of support and it was a pleasure to spend the day with such friendly and interesting people (thank you G, J and M). The workshop is in a sheltered clearing in beautiful woodland, and there was sunshine, birdsong and bluebells as an added bonus. There's also delicious food, excellent coffee and home made cake. My spoon is still a bit rustic but I'm intending to buy some tools and carry on carving because I enjoyed the whole experience so much. If you're considering this course, I would recommend it without any reservation; I'm certain you won't be disappointed."

Marc Elsley reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"I have a small amount of experience making green wood spoons but still came away learning loads from David. David is knowledgeable, passionate and calm and obviously knows what he is talking about, importantly he can also transmit this to a range of students, I would definitely recommend this course."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Thanks Marc, I'm really pleased you enjoyed the day carving. Thanks again, David"

Yasmin Barlow reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"This was a wonderful way to spend a day! Being able to concentrate on learning a new skill in such lovely surroundings was mindfulness at its best. David is a very patient teacher who was able to guide us skilfully to improve whilst still making encouraging comments. There was a lovely pace to the day and the delicious snacks and lunch were much appreciated. David went through the safety measures carefully but not laboriously and would gently remind us if we weren’t holding tools correctly. Even though it was wet outside, the wood burner provided a cosy but safe environment. I would recommend this course highly and hope to attend another one at some stage to improve on my skills."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Yasmin, thank you very much for your review and I'm delighted you enjoyed the course. Happy carving, David"

Paul reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"We decided to try this course to celebrate our 5th 'Wooden' anniversary and we were both so glad that we did. The course was set in the middle of a charming woodland, miles away from any hustle and bustle and the entire day was both relaxing and cathartic. David was incredibly friendly, informative and, most importantly, very patient with the five of us partaking in the activity and the six and a half hours flew by. What I really appreciated was that David didn't patronise us, despite his own obvious skill, and we felt supported throughout. Having lunch provided was an extra treat and hot drinks on tap kept my wife particularly happy. We were delighted with the outcome of our work and enjoyed so much that we've just bought our own set of tools to practise more at home. Overall, a fantastic experience."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Paul, Thank you very much for your review. Delighted you enjoyed the course and even more so that you have got your own tools and plan to keep on carving. David"

Eva John reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"An excellent, really enjoyable course, with a well-structured step-by-step approach, enabling everyone to produce their own individual spoon. David was an outstanding tutor, providing encouragement and expert advice, whilst maintaining awareness of the health and safety aspects throughout. Extra interesting links and information were sent out by him very promptly following the course. The setting was idyllic, the weather perfect and the food, prepared by David, was delicious. It was great to meet and share the learning experience with a friendly group of new people. We'd definitely like to do more Coppicewood College courses."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Eva, Really pleased you enjoyed the day of spoon carving. All the best and happy carving, David"

Tony Forey reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Really enjoyed the course, sitting in a wood on a sunny autumnal day, carving a spoon from a slab of wood, using all manor of really sharp tools, with 4 other participants who were really friendly and expertly taught by David. My wife even recognised my work as a spoon, so well done David! By the way the stew was very good."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Tony, Thanks for the review and really glad you enjoyed the course and the stew! Happy carving, David"

Christine reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"This one day course was bought for me as a present, and I had a really lovely day working in the woods with a small group of people led expertly by David - he clearly knows all about wood and carving and has a quiet patient teaching style. The day was a good mix of demonstration and instruction, hands on carving, good conversation and breaks for homemade snacks and a tasty lunch. Highly recommended."

Ann PHILLIPS reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Thoroughly enjoyed my day at Coppicewood. Excellent tutor, location, food and company. Highly recommended."

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Hi Ann, thanks very much for your review. Glad you enjoyed the course!"

Gethin ap Dafydd reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Fantastic day. Very informative and knowledgeable tutor. Superb venue. Very tasty lunch too! I'd highly recommend this."

Simon Holden reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Great course in a beautiful woodland setting. The course leader was knowledgable and generous with his advice. The food provided was homemade and very tasty with regular breaks for a good cup of tea (Yorkshire man here, I know) All in all I would highly recommend this introductory/ intermediate course on spoon carving. See you again for sure. Simon"

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Thanks very much for the review Simon. I'm glad you enjoyed the day and congratulations on your two spoons. Happy carving!"

Lyn thomas reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Excellent tuition. Great selection or tools. Each stage of the carving explained in detail. David’s “criticism “ was always constructive and very helpful. Great bonus was the weather as we worked outside all day. Good choice of refreshments and drinks. Can recommend the carving course without reservation. An enjoyable day!!"

The Coppice Plot responded:

"Thank you very much Lyn for your review. Really pleased that you enjoyed your day. I hope you enjoy using your cawl spoon!"

John Cocker reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"My partner organised a Spoon carving day as a birthday gift. I didn't really know exactly what to expect from the experience, or just what I was going to achieve throughout the da The pace of the day was just right, instruction was great. The use & purpose of tools clearly explained. A delicious lunch & regular tea/coffee breaks made it an overall great day & above all, I found it very therapeutic. An even though my hand carved "spoon" at the end the day might not have looked anything like Davids, practice makes perfect & I hope to find time to put into practice, what I learnt from the day."

Karl Watkins reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Sorry for the late review, the spoon carving seed sown on your course has now become an addiction. What a wonderful day it was (Feb this year). I joked with my wife that I may never return - it was a close run thing. I learnt so much, I relaxed, I unwound and I created something unique, a cherry 'spoontula' now finished and given as a new home present. I'm now experimenting with different woods, tools and designs-my mind is certainly working faster than my hands although I'm doing my best to keep up! Many thanks, I shall return...."

Andy Gill reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"Great intro to spoon carving in a very beautiful and tranquil setting. Dave is a good teacher and very knowledgable. He also provided delicious homemade sour dough bread, soup and amazing cake. Real coffee too. Couldn't fault it and would recommend it to anyone"

Julie reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"What a great day! It was everything I wanted it to be - informative, friendly, welcoming, with a great (small) group of like minded people. We started by choosing a piece of branch (cherry for me) and learned how to split it and use an axe properly to shape it into a blank. Then onto using straight and curved knives to create the spoons we wanted. All were different and wonderful. The setting was perfect, with a woodburning stove crackling away while the wind and rain (February) did its worst outside. The sense of quiet absorption as we all settled down and concentrated on our carving as the afternoon went on was just magical. David was good company and very generous with his calm encouraging tuition. Lots of really lovely food - I have particularly fond memories of the cake!"

Suki reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"I booked this course for myself and a friend and although we were a little nervous we absolutely loved it. We have dabbled with woodwork but didn't have the benefit of advice from people who have previous experience so this was just perfect. From location, to experience, skills and enjoyment this day is 10/10 and I could not recommend it enough. If you're at all curious then book it up."

Judith reviewed: Spoon carving course (1 day)

"This half day course was a Christmas present - and it proved a perfect day out for my sister and I and her 23 year old son. It was great to get away from the crazy commercial feel of Christmas and spent the day together carving our spoons. David was a great instructor, sharing his knowledge and showing us different cuts. We were all very impressed with our finished spoons and have continued carving after the course. We highly recommend this course."