London Green Wood CIC

Fantastic day with Jo, a fantastic teacher who talked us through the basics of green wood, knife safety, tool handling & after some practice, on to make a wooden cooking spoon out of a wedge of newly axed Sycamore greenwood. Left feeling very inspired, happy & ready for more. Just give it a go!!

I had a great time learning to spoon carve yesterday! The gorgeous setting of Abney Park was the perfect backdrop to our class, and Jo's expert and friendly tuition kept us safe and enabled us to all come away with a usable spoon by the end of the day. It was all over too soon!

A really enjoyable day with gentle attentive tutors, tucked away in a quiet little park in London. It really is a lovely thing to take a log of fresh green wood and chop, carve and whitlle it away into something you can use every day. A very friendly supportive and safe atmosphere is cultivated and I think everyone left very happy with their day's work. I'd imagine sales of axes, woodcarving knives and various guide books are boosted every time the course is run. Recommended.

It was a lovely workshop, Thank you very much X

Amazing. I loved it.

A really lovely day in a peaceful setting. Jo was patient and kind as well as being very instructive and helpful in ensuring we all got support and advice.

Great place, great community, best tutors!! Thank you!!

Everyone is very lovely. I like them to share them own woodwork experience and have lunch together :) I will go back to learn more from them

Really enjoyable day learning new skills working with an Adze and using an axe to carve a rustic bowl . Plenty of excellent tuition from Jo.

The course was excellent. Jo is a great teacher. She takes you through: how to use the tools safely and effectively, what tool to use - and when and how, and she makes it all great fun. Working outdoors with pots of tea on the go just makes it even better. Highly recommended.

We really enjoyed our spoon carving course with Jo. There were a total of 6 in the group which worked very well so we had sufficient guidance and attention.Jo was a calm, clear, cheerful teacher. The day was well planned and timed, for each part of the spoon process. Definitely recommend.

A great one day spoon carving course. The tutor was excellent, with lots of skills and techniques that she taught in a straightforward, easy to understand manner. After seven hours I had very sore hands but a wooden spoon that I was very proud of!

Spoon Carving workshop was great and had a lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to friends and family.

I'd highly recommend this workshop - fun, fulfilling, relaxing and delivered wonderfully by the patient, talented Jo.

I really enjoyed the Spoon Carving Workshop. It took place outside which in itself was a treat and the teaching was great. Jo was enthusiastic and very professional in the way she lead the class. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the day to a friend. Thank you.

Lovely warm and welcoming atmosphere. Super friendly. Very knowledgeable teachers. Great venue, nice to be outdoors, all the tools you could need. Nice shared lunch.

Really enjoyed my day, even with the cold and rain it was so worth it. Teacher Jo was great she gave you great encouragement and taught great skills. She had an assistant Dave who was very helpful and supportive as well. On booking I really did not think I would achieve a spoon by the end of the session, but I did and I am very proud of it.

Fun and thorough class with knowledgable tutors. Held in a rustic outdoor space with plenty of tea and coffee provided. It's quit physical and was pretty chilly in February, but it was totally worth it. Very satisfying day out :)

it was brilliant I learned loads and had fun

We had a great day and the teaching was good. We had Jo as our main instructor and Julian and Dave assisted. They were skilled and experienced themselves and communicated well and with appropriate authority. The tools were good quality and everything was prepared beforehand for the session. The weather in early March was bearable outside, but I don't think sufficient warning that it was a day outside was given before booking. I think a venue with indoor space, even in a workshop or shed, is needed for winter courses. Thank goodness the weather had improved over the previous week! The afternoon went rather too quickly and we all enjoyed ourselves. Thank you.

It was great fun! Good vibes, good strong milky tea, good teaching, and good company. Would highly recommend it and for sure do it again!

This was a first class course which I would recommend to anyone.

I had one of the best days ever at the spoon carving workshop. It was a really lovely day so it was nice to work outside. I was quite intimidated by the idea of woodwork but Jo made us really comfortable and had a lot of patience with me when I couldn't get the hang of the techniques. There was tea flowing all day which was great. I would love to come back and make another spoon to improve on what I've learned.

A very enjoyable and fun day with a great teacher highly recommended! Sean

Jo was such a fantastic teacher, clear, friendly, expert and patient. Using local wood was lovely and the setting is beautiful. Couldn't ask for more.

Really fun day of woodwork. Jo is great at making sure the course is informative but also fun. Came away with a great spoon and inspiration to do more!

Such an excellent workshop, I can't recommend it enough. You'll come away with a beautiful cooking spoon to feel proud of – and you'll be amazed at how quickly you transform a wedge of wood into a work of art. Jo is a really lovely and helpful instructor, very encouraging and helps you get the best from the course. Really recommend it.

So happy to have achieved so much, Jo is an excellent and patient teacher. Class was relaxed but learnt lots about techniques. Can't wait to try out my new skills at home

Fantastic class! The tuition was brilliant and the setting was beautiful.

Great experience, definitely plan to go back. Lovely activity & lovely location.

We all really enjoyed it

We loved it.

Fantastic. Lovely surroundings, and nice to do something calming and learn a new skill!

An inspiring afternoon workshop from which we not only took away our wooden creations but sound knowledge of types of wood and safe whittling tips. Getting to work on the 'shaving horse' with a two handled knife was an added bonus. Great to be outdoors working with our hands - we loved it! Thank you.

The only downside was the cold, it was 2 degrees and felt a bit too cold to spend that much time outside. But we did have a fire to help.

Another great class from Jo. Was very useful for improving knife skills and getting more familiar with cutting with the grain. Small group which means you get lots of support from the teacher. Great setting in lovely Abney Park Cemetry, with a little fire and hot drinks to keep warm in winter.

This was an amazing day. I did the workshop a week after my Mum died and found a lot of peace in the connection with nature. The tutor was lovely - engaging, patient and talented. I highly recommend it!

Absolutely brilliant! I hope to come back for more.

Great atmosphere!

Day one of a one-day-a-week course done and it was great. Small group, great teacher - I have already acquired a huge amount of knowledge!

Fantastic, inspiring, workshop with great teaching and friendly students. Learned lots of practical skills and I love having breakfast every morning with my hand carved spoon!

Really great course . Jo is a very good teacher - relaxed, but full of instruction. We all got to learn different techniques, and how to use tools and devices which are specific to green woodwork (and not available in any diy store). I would definitely recommend this course.

Really fun classes, I hadn't ever picked up a spoon knife before and this got me slightly addicted!

Absolutely loved the introduction to Green Woodwork workshop. Really practical and hands-on. Very friendly people and Jo is a great teacher

I found this course very well resourced and organised with a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere. The location is second to none for a course of this type in London -it was wonderful to be working under the trees and the weather was kind Jo is a patient and knowledgable teacher providing clear instructions of safe working techniques and there is plenty of opportunity to practice sharpening and the opportunity to work individually and together . Added bonus is that past students also attend on Thursdays to work on their own projects so plenty of opportunity to pick up tips from more experienced students. I hope to be able to join in Thursday community access sessions from time to time.

A brilliant course for people with little or no knowledge of woodworking. By the fourth and final session, we had acquired enough basic skills to cut down a piece of hazel and for each of us to turn a section of it into our own wooden spoon - immensely satisfying!

The introductory course is brilliant. Though it’s very relaxed you’ll earn how to make a range of different thing and you’ll come away with plenty of finished pieces. As well as a great teacher in Jo, you also get the support of a super helpful community of makers that use the space. I’ll be going back for sure - I’m currently shopping for tools.

Great course in a brilliant spot. Very welcoming and really informative

Great course. Attentive tuition, friendly people, lovely setting for the workshop. I'll be going back for sure!

I would fully recommend this workshop, for Jo’s very gentle, knowledgable direction, the well organised stages of getting you going and keeping your attention on task (a challenge with three children) and the huge satisfaction of making something truly beautiful. All six of us who attended felt it was a a wonderful way to spend a day.

Great experience - highly recommended

The bowl carving workshop takes place outside in the peaceful surrounds of the cemetery at Stoke Newington. Jo the workshop leader has infinite patience and a great deal of knowledge that she is happy to share. A cup of tea, a chat and a chocolate biscuit whilst taking a break made for a great day.

Wonderful workshop! Skilled teacher giving thorough explications and tips, high quality tools and a step by step approach to reach our goal and carve beautiful bowl! I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to know how to carve and also how to safely use the different tools. An enjoyable experience!

Another brilliant workshop from London Green Wood. Excellent and patient tuition from Jo, a great atmosphere and very lovely biscuits. Would recommend!

First rate teaching from a first rate teacher. Great day of learning and activity in a superb setting inside Abney Park cemetary in Hackney. Will go back for more.

Jo, the tutor, is amazing - so knowledgeable and patient. The class was just fantastic from start to finish! It was so beautiful to be outside all day and the fire and ever replenishing cups of tea kept us warm when we weren't working hard. I would recommend this to anyone - I had the best day. I couldn't stop smiling and looking at my bowl all evening!

I very much enjoyed the Bowl Carving workshop yesterday. It was wonderful to be working outdoors, in the beautiful surroundings of Abney Park. There were five of us doing the workshop with instructor Jo and volunteer helper Paul and all the work was carried out in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The bowl carving workshop gave us an excellent introduction to the use of different tools for working with green wood. Jo was an excellent instructor: she kept an eye on us all and gave instruction without being intrusive, with little bits of help here and there where necessary to ensure we would have a completed item by the end of the day. I will be coming back to London Green Wood for more!

So wonderful to work with natural materials and feel the accomplishment of the making something on the day. We would have loved a much more informative workshop however. More information about different woods, tools and their purpose, how to achieve different results and what to expect while using the tools we have. We know one can ask but it is not the same as experiencing a workshop that is more structured in terms of knowledge. Plus we are introverts and rely on the teacher to lead the class rather than students to know which questions will bring more appropriate results. We have got a bowl but neither of us knows whether we would know which wood to use next, we don't know how to take care of the wood afterwards and what to do in case of trouble shooting. We have only been assured that nothing bad will happen. We don't know where to get tools from and how to acquire them and we don't know what we could use this experience for next. Another bowl would be great, but it would be nice to know there is a follow up or continuation if we enjoyed the workshop and would wish to learn more. It was lovely to have a very laid back approach but we didn't think that would compromise the overall amount of education. Jo and Dave are really nice people. They both seemed really tired towards the end of the day, so we hope they are all well and happy. We wish them the very best of luck in the future with their workshops. xxx

Great day spent carving a bowl. Hard work paid off thanks to excellent teachers.