Thompsons Wood reviews

22 Feb 24'

Sue Sumner reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I had a fabulous day yesterday on the wood turning for beginners course. Jake is a good teacher, very knowledgeable, supportive and easy to get along with. I came away with a beautiful oak bowl and lid and also a ‘bog oak’ pencil that I am very proud of. I didn’t think that I could have completed to such a high standard on my first visit to a lathe! I am hooked now."

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Thank you for the kind words sue, you're a natural, so easy peasy to teach in fairness 😄 thanks for using my services and leaving a lovely review! "

11 Jan 24'

Dan reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Great day at Jake's workshop. Learned lots, picked up lots of tips and advice and created a beautiful oak bowl with purfling inlay, which was far beyond my expectations. Highly recommended. Top bloke."

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Cheers amigo, was great to have you in the shop! "

9 Jan 24'

Simon Foster reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Wow! This was the word I used many times during the day, for so many reasons. I was a novice in the morning and returned home in the afternoon with a beautiful bowl and lid. The experience was excellent from start to finish and Jake is an exemplary teacher. He is knowledgeable, patient and easy going. This made learning fun. I would thoroughly recommend the course to anyone."

7 Jan 24'

Sam Grundy reviewed: Furniture making and Cabinetry beginners course

"Jake was brilliant, full of wisdom and expertise. Friendly, patient, kind and generous with his time and knowledge. Was a real pleasure to spend the day with him. His teaching was excellent, and I came away feeling a great deal more confident and knowledgeable. His workshop, tools, materials and machinery are top class. I'm super proud with the table I took away with me, something I'll keep for life! Honestly, the experience was well worth the cost and I'd recommend wholeheartedly. Thanks Jake!"

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Wow, they're some kind words mate, thank you, choked up a bit there fella 😄 "

7 Jan 24'

D O'Reilly reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I have been interested in woodturning for a while now and could not have wished for a better course. Jake was clearly an expert and delivered the course in a fun and friendly way. At the end of the day I had a beautiful English Oak bowl with an ash lid and bog oak handle. I will definitely be back for another course in the future. I will"

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Thanks Dan, it was a pleasure to have you in the shop mate! "

5 Dec 23'

Ste N reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I had a great day on this course. Jake was really good at teaching, and with it being a one-to-one course, he was always at hand to make sure you did things safely and didn’t ruin your work. Using the lathe was great fun and a great experience. A bonus was that I had a beautiful bowl at the end of the day which was far more professional than I had ever imagined I would be able to achieve. If you are thinking about doing this course, I would say go for it! "

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Thank you kindly, lovely words mate, thank you "

20 Nov 23'

Jazz reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Had a great time making my bowl with a lid yesterday. Jake was friendly and a good teacher, I learnt a lot and had a great day. Would recommend this course! "

18 Nov 23'

Brenda Williams reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"24 hours on and I’m still buzzing from the workshop with Jake yesterday! I had a fantastic day, Jake is an excellent teacher, explains everything clearly and patiently, and with his help and guidance I made a bowl and lid I’m incredibly proud of. The day flew by with good humour and coffee and I have no hesitation in recommending Jake’s workshops 100%. "

22 Oct 23'

FX reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Amazing time spent on the lathe with Jake. He knows his craft and he is very good at teaching. Clearly a passionate individual and that makes the experience all the more interresting. Never touched a lathe before but still went home with a nice bowl and a surprise."

29 Sep 23'

Rob Snape reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I had such an amazing day learning how to turn my first bowl! Jake is an excellent and really knowledgeable teacher, and all-round nice guy to boot! As well as learning a multitude of skills you are guaranteed to have a good chat too. Family and friends are blown away that I made the bowl I came away with. I can't wait to take away this knowledge to use in my own future projects. Don't hesitate to book, you will have a fantastic day! Thanks Jake!"

3 Sep 23'

Nick reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I've always wanted to do a wood turning course. The feeling you get from holding an unworked piece of wood in your hands and then being shown step by step, how to work that piece of wood into something that is practical, useable, a gift or just a memory from that day is absolutely priceless.. Jake will teach you how to do just that. The fee for this course may seem a little steep to some, but believe me,......it's not. The time and effort that goes into this course from Jake is extremely worth it. He's very knowledgeable, patient, very down to earth and fun to work with . There is an awful lot that goes into this course and you come away with something that you're extremely proud of. Book today. You won't regret it ."

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Wow, what a review, thank you so much Nicola, it was an absolute pleasure to work with you, thank you for your kind words and custom, hopefully I'll see you again to make the other 3 bowls for your set! "

26 Jul 23'

Dave reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Had an absolutely brilliant day with Jake. He's an excellent tutor who quickly gave me confidence on the lathe. He's also extremely friendly and makes a good brew! Highly recommend this course, a great day and I came away with a beautiful bowl to boot!"

5 Jul 23'

Dan reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Jake is a fantastic tutor and kept the atmosphere casual but informative. It was my first attempt at turning a bowl out of timber and the result was fantastic. If you want to spend your day turning electricity into sawdust and wood chips then this course is for you. You might even want to go a second time for another bowl."

Thompsons Wood responded:

"Thanks Dan for them lovely words, give us a text and I'll send you your pictures! :) "

28 Jun 23'

Mario Prost reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Absolutely brilliant woodturning beginners course. Jake is a skilled (and entertaining!) teacher. Everything is clearly explained but the course is very much centred on hands-on training, with Jake doing an excellent job at making you feel confident to take on increasingly complex tasks. The day went by in a flash. Highly recommended."

20 Jun 23'

Vicky reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I had an absolutely brilliant day with Jake and learnt some invaluable skills. I would highly recommend! "

15 Jun 23'

Elli reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"This was a brilliant days crafting! As an absolute beginner to the lathe, Jake immediately made me feel at ease and guided me through making a beautiful lidded bowl and a pen. He's clearly passionate about woodworking and is a great teacher. Now the only problem is I want my own workshop! "

2 May 23'

Richard Collins reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I really enjoyed my woodturning course with Thompsons Wood. Jake was super-friendly and helpful and the whole thing exceeded my expectations"

11 Apr 23'

Chelsea reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"This is really fun!I I have done a beautiful bowl and a pen, I did it extra early and having three and a half hours extra time, I asked if I could do something extra , I requested for a sword holder because my obsession with anime, especially demon slayer. I used it to hold yoriichi's sword and it looks really cool. I spray painted it as well. "

21 Mar 23'

Chad reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Had a great day, was quite anxious at first but made to feel very welcome and relaxed by Jake. Jake is a very warm, experienced, generous and professional person. I have got a lathe but not used it yet so I am fully motivated to get going. The course was a very full day and well worth every penny, thank you Jake"

15 Mar 23'

Paul reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I was a little nervous prior to attending this course , my skill level at all things woodwork had been proven to be limited at school and hadn’t really improved over the next 50 years . However the warm welcome from Jake and his Partner Katie soon dispelled any nerves and soon I was ushered into the purpose built work area at the bottom of the garden. After a discussion on safety and how the day would unfold and the tools we would be using we got to work . Jakes style is very relaxed and calming with just enough input to keep you on track and guide your “artistry “, whilst always making sure you’re safe . There is plenty of time to make mistakes and not to feel rushed . Jake is always close by ensuring the tools you are working with are kept sharp and fully functional . The end result was really surprisingly good all down to the great tuition. I can’t recommend this day enough , don’t think about booking just do it Thanks again Guys All the best Paul"

14 Mar 23'

Bruce Perrin reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Jake is a great teacher, and skilful craftsman who is passionate about his wood turning. I would recommend spending a day (or more) with Jack. Not only did I turn out a beautiful piece, but I learned a huge amount that I will take back to my shed and lathe for the future"

27 Feb 23'

Steve kenwright reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Great and enjoyable day with Jake he’s a very good teacher explaining all aspects of lathe turning and soon had me feeling confident and able to do something I’ve never done before with an amazing finish Thanks "

24 Feb 23'

Brian reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"I had a great day with Jake. Both informative and entertaining. Everyone is impressed with the bowl I made with Jake's instruction. I can only say give it a go. I'm planning on taking wood turning up I enjoyed it so much. Many thanks again. "

22 Feb 23'

Tom W reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"A really lovely day with a friendly, helpful teacher. Lovely to meet Jake and his partner, and even though I was mainly there to learn, I’m really pleased with the bowl I made too!"

22 Jan 23'

Stuart Robinson reviewed: Lathe turning for beginners with Thompsons Wood

"Very enjoyable day. Well organised. Pleasantly surprised that I could use a lathe after 45 years. Would definitely recommend it."