Student Comments

Gerard Somers (2 day bricklaying course)

Hello chaps, since I did your course last year, I've progressed (see attached photos). Not bad for an accountant (though I do say so myself).

Sean, (1 day bricklaying course)

Hi Barry - Just a quick note to say thanks for the 1 day bricklaying course last month. I built my firepit with the skills leartnt that day. Exellent course - really worthwhile, all the best!

                                                                                

 

Mel V (2 day bricklaying course)

Just wanted to show you my gratitude by passing on my comments about the two-day bricklaying course. As an absolute beginner, I now feel confident that I can build a fairly decent wall with minimal supervision. If there is anyone out there sitting on the fence about the one or two day course and like me you are a beginner, I would highly recommend the two day course. I returned after the first day and built on my knowledge and confidence by the second. If you absorb information / instructions slowly, then this course is for you, as everything is hand's on and the verbal instructions are repeated throughout each day. The staff were excellent and the course was well priced. I'm even considering returning for a plastering course.
Thank you again, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Darron (1day plastering course)

I was impressed by what I learned on a 1 day skimming course. I came on the course on the 24 Feb and atempted my kitchen ceiling on the 25 Feb I thought it came out pretty well, this is the result.

                                

 

Gillies

As promised, here's the pictures of the wall I built following your 1-day bricklaying course. See you on Saturday for the plastering course!

              

Chris (2 day plastering course)

Hi Rob/Bob, I came on the plastering course in November, its Chris with the methodist chapel. Just to let you know i came on the course so i plaster my hall stairs and landing. i have now completed this including the ceiling at the bottom that had artex on. I have attached a few pics to show you what I've done. Both my wife and me are over the moon with it.

 

                                       

 

John Duxbury (2 day plastering course)

Just thought I would let you know how much I enjoyed the plastering course last week and how much I feel that I have learned. I started on Thursday morning having never held a trowel before, and would have been quite happy to have learned enough to plaster my sitting room to a good enough standard to wallpaper over.

Now, not only do I feel that I can do this, but am now thinking that I don’t need to paper…….. I can achieve a good enough standard to paint over!

When I first saw your website, I felt that the course looked rather expensive, especially if I then still needed to get a professional in. Now I feel it was terrific value for money and will pay for itself the first time I put my new learned skills into practice.

Best regards & many thanks

Kevin Clarke (1 day bricklaying course)

I came on your July course when I wanted to rebuild the top of my flint wall.  The wall is 130 years old and is protected so I had a few trepidations about messing it up, so I came along to your place and after a one-day course with Barry I felt confident immediately.  I went home and within days had started the wall.  I did the top three layers only, leaving the flint areas intact.

The three layers were composed of a layer of facing bricks, a layer of plinth stretchers and a layer of coping bricks. I am really pleased with the result. I've also done the repointing of the pillars and put new pier capping stones on.  I just hope it lasts another 130 years.

Many thanks indeed to Barry - he made it look so easy.

                

 

Dr Nik Sharma

Just to say that I had a great time on the course and have managed to skim our hallway! My girlfriend is still speaking to me so its cant look too bad!

Simon Beal ( 2 day plastering course)

Hi, I’d like to thank you for the plastering course last Thursday/Friday… really enjoyed it and feel ready to start practicing on our bedroom walls before moving on to the living areas!

Brian Hull (2 day plastering course)

I just thought i'd let you know how i got on with my plastering jobs that i had. I was the person who had a bedroom to plaster and a converted garage that was to be a dining room....ring any bells??

Anyway the bedroom nearly got finished in one day, and then i just had to finish it off the next morning, and the dining room including ceilings and recessed walls(lots of awkward angle beading everywhere) and new doorway and external blocked up door took me about 2 and a half days.

Both of the rooms came out quite well, but still lots of room for improvement, and i definitely need to get my speed up. I guess all this will come with experience.Thank Mark for me once again, I'm sure he must of been tired of my two days of constant questioning, but it was all really useful information that helped me get through my plastering jobs

 

Rob, Many thanks to you and your team for a very enjoyable team building event. The guys thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it fulfilled my aim of getting them to understand the skills that are involved in certain aspects of the building process.

As requested I attach a couple of photos for your web site, as you'll see it looks like I've got a couple of budding plasterers and bricklayers on my hands!

David Middleton
Group Building Manager
Mitchells and Butlers

 

 

 

      

Martin ( 2 day plastering course )

I have been on may courses over the years but can honestly say that this was the best  - presenting a massive amount of information whilst gradually building our confidence and ability to tackle the seemingly impossible . The two days were enjoyable and I can't wait to put my new skills to good use. Cheers & good luck.

Allan Jackson 

I attended the 2 day plastering course during which I learnt a lot of valuable information that has helped me carry out plastering jobs to a high standard, including skimming a hall, stairs & landing, boarding & skimming a brick fireplace & boarding & skimming a brick extension.

I found the instructors very helpful & patient as they guided me through every step. I would advise anyone that needs any plastering doing to attend this plastering course & give it a go themselves as I think they would be surprised how much you can learn in 2 days. Thanks again.

Phil Kay (2 day plastering course)

Fabulous, truly amazing - from complete novice to confidently competent DIY plasterer in two days! I can recommend this course to anyone who wants to plaster a wall and ceiling or two of their own - on their own. I was a little apprehensive prior to the course, wondering whether two days would be enough to gain the knowledge and practical skills involved. Have no worries, two days is all you need.

The excellent tuition, though explanation, demonstration and practice on a bay of purpose built walls of your own, enables you to fully implement the techniques required. The instructors are experienced, expert plasterers in their own right, yet they understand and acknowledge a 'novices' capabilities. You are taken through a number of 'step' processes which all but guarantee a successful finish. I was really surprised and very proud of my own achievements. There were four other people attending the same course & we all achieved professional looking finished plastered walls and ceilings.

Gerard

Hello everyone, my apologies for taking so long to write and say a huge thank you for the plastering course the other week ( wait a minute , I paid you , you should be thanking me !!!!!!) ! Seriously, It was very well done ! Lots of time taken with the individual! And I did pick up quite a lot , anyway I've just had my first chance to put your good work into practice . Not a huge job but most of the walls turned out fine.

Phil Kay

This two day bricklaying course has given me the confidence to erect all but the roof of the intended extension on my own. The no-nonsense approach and tuition from a real bricklaying tradesman with a wealth of experience is simply the best and quickest way you could possibly wish to benefit from.

Maarc

Thanks for everything. As you can see from the pictures me Dave & I have finished the upstairs in 2 days! Walls repaired and skimmed and even done the ceiling. I thought I'd need to paper over everything before I did the course but they've come out better than I imagined so I'm just going to paint them. My wife's well fussy but couldn't believe what a good job we've done. Thanks again, best money I've ever spent.

Aaron Houghton (2 day plastering course)

Hi Lads, Just like to let you know, even though I've been plastering for a firm for 3 years now, I found the course worthwhile & very helpful. It just goes to show you can always learn more & better ways of doing things. The way Mark teaches is very clear & exact, making it easy to understand & put into practice whether you've had a go before or not. Thanks again, it was brilliant.

Desmond Adeley

I am just writing to say how much I enjoyed the plastering course that I attended last week. All the help, practical guidance & information you gave me will be most helpful in combating some of the damp proofing problems that exist in the house. I thought the sessions were brilliantly run & I would have no hesitation in recommending your course to any of my friends. Many thanks

Ian Price

I'd like to thank you for the course I attended last week. I thought your organizational skills were efficient & well structured, the course itself surprisingly good fun & the verbal instruction well delivered & easily put into practice. In the 5 working days since going back to work, I have got back at least twice what I paid for your time. The best £280 spent in a long time, Cheers Lads.

Daniel Kent.

Just wanted to thank you again for what can only be described as a fantastic couple of days. I`m not the sort of person who reads manuals so I was looking for an intensive course. Before attending I questioned what I could possibly gain from only 2 days and I was cynical about all the thank you letters posted on the web site.

I can assure anyone thinking of attending the course that it is worth every single penny. Without any previous experience I now have the confidence/self belief to tackle my planned extension. Many thanks again

Heather

Thanks once again for the really helpful workshop. Despite finding it Physically more tiring than I had expected, I found the course really good & the standard of the finished result much better than I had expected.

Cheryl Fisher

Thanks for the course. I had a wonderful time and I think it was money well spent and I'm sure I will more than make it up in what I will save being able to do my jobs myself. It was a fun day and thanks to your skillful and patient tuition, I was able to more than exceed the goals I had set out to achieve.

Andrew Warwick

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and was quite surprised at the ability I came away with. I have no reservations about tackling whole walls or ceilings and I'm not going to bat an eyelid at small repairs. Your tuition was always spot on, there with constructive advice and guidance and distant enough at the right times to allow us to have a go. Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable and very worthwhile two days, I will definitely recommend it to friends or anyone looking to acquire this skill.

Darryl Stace

Thoroughly worthwhile course. Gained the confidence to carry out the work on my own property and for my own construction business. I will definately be putting the experience to good use. Thank you for the day.

Jane Fitzpatrick

"I was very pleased with the progress I made and was genuinely surprised how much we covered on the 1 day plastering course. Thanks very much for your time and patience"

Fiona Peacock & David Fidler

' We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and would highly recommend other plastering novices to have a go. The day was fun, extremely informative and left us feeling confident enough to plaster the walls in our garage.'