End of an era

[Peter Sefton]

It's with a heavy heart but ready for a fresh start I have decided to finish running my long furniture making course. The past year or so has been very challenging running the school, impacting two long course cohorts. keeping the students and staff safe and managing continuity of teaching with the variety of lockdowns and tier restrictions has proved difficult and also also impacted our short course programme.

We will now be concentrating on our short courses whilst having a better/work life balance, my girls were just babies when I started the school and now, they are in senior school and thinking about their own life choices! My one piece of advice to them is try and find a job that they enjoy as much as I have all of my career.

We will be launching a new website in the coming weeks with new short course dates and online booking, I will also be developing new tools and catching up with tool shop customers, so plenty to keep me busy!

We won’t be running our summer open day this year but hope to catch up with some of you at the woodworking shows when they reopen.

Looking forward to this week’s beginners’ course, first time we have been able to deliver it since September 2019!

Cheers Peter

 

[doctor Bob]

my girls were just babies when I started the school and now, they are in senior school and thinking about their own life choices! My one piece of advice to them is try and find a job that they enjoy as much as I have all of my career.

This 100%.

Good luck Peter.

 

[MARK.B.]

I had a few jobs during my working life and have both loved and hated each one at some point or other but i can honestly say i enjoyed doing all of them ,even had a spell unblocking drains and sewers to pay the bills . The best of luck Peter as you make your new plan's for the future

 

[Yojevol]

You've successfully managed several ends of eras in the past, Peter. I'm sure this one will be just the same.
Good Luck with the new ventures.
Brian

 

[Wildman]

good luck with the new course

 

[pfilcek]

Good luck with the new approach, I’m sure you’ll find the right balance with it. Brave to make the shift!

 

[Ollie78]

"Work life balance" sounds like one of those daft marketing messages, but it is certainly an important thing.
Often the imbalance is only realised when it is too late. Sounds like you made a good move for you and your family.

I hope this kind of thing is one of the positives to come from the pandemic, it has certainly made me think about what is really important.

Good luck

Ollie

 

[Doug B]

Shame about the summer open day Peter but fully understandable fingers crossed I’ll see you at Harrogate. Best of luck for the future.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Good luck with the next chapter. I ignored work life balance for many years and when I look back realise how foolish that was.

 

[Jameshow]

Hi

Peter I might consider one of your courses in a few years time. Esp as Chris Tribe has retired.

Just a quick question - do the courses fit in to where the student is at?? All the courses I have seen have started at the basics whereas something which helps inprove the quality of a piece would be very much appreciated.

Cheers James

 

[Nelly111s]

Peter,
Good luck with the new chapter in your life. I'm sure that not running the long courses is a hard decision to make, but if that means more short courses and more time for yourself, then that's got to be a good thing. I wish you well.

 

[Nick.]

Hi Peter, good luck with it all and yes that work/life balance has been put into focus for many in our industry too with all the challenges over the last 12 months.

I'm in the same boat where my children have grown up more and you realise how time has passed / priorities change.

As always, I look forward to a quick catch up together maybe when shows re-open - Harrogate possibly? Who knows.

Also I'll PM you with a good UK contact for new products/inventions to market as he is now freelance & may be of some use to chat too.

Cheers and all the best to you and yours,
Nick

 

[Peter Sefton]

Thanks for all your messages, try and answer more tomorrow night.

Cheers Peter

 

[gregmcateer]

Best wishes for the future plans, Peter

 

[houtslager]

It's with a heavy heart but ready for a fresh start I have decided to finish running my long furniture making course. The past year or so has been very challenging running the school, impacting two long course cohorts. keeping the students and staff safe and managing continuity of teaching with the variety of lockdowns and tier restrictions has proved difficult and also also impacted our short course programme.

We will now be concentrating on our short courses whilst having a better/work life balance, my girls were just babies when I started the school and now, they are in senior school and thinking about their own life choices! My one piece of advice to them is try and find a job that they enjoy as much as I have all of my career.

We will be launching a new website in the coming weeks with new short course dates and online booking, I will also be developing new tools and catching up with tool shop customers, so plenty to keep me busy!

We won’t be running our summer open day this year but hope to catch up with some of you at the woodworking shows when they reopen.

Looking forward to this week’s beginners’ course, first time we have been able to deliver it since September 2019!

Cheers Peter

Never been on your courses , though through your youtube videos I;ve re learned some techniques I forgot, sorry to hear that your " shrinking" the school. Mind you, your just a couple years ahead of me Peter, so I think the new work/life balance will be more enjoyable. I wish you all the best for the future.

All the best, Karl W

 

[AndrewS]

I’m relatively new to the forum and your business Peter but some of your DVDs landed on the doormat this morning.
I’m planning my own second career right now so it would be hypocritical to comment on your decision. I know the course will be missed but I wish you all the very best with your future endeavours; it would be nice to join you for one of your month-long courses.
Andy

 

[Peter Sefton]

Fingers crossed for the Harrogate show and catching up with old friends, one of this weeks students is a GP and today we were talking about the pandemic-his thoughts were of the third wave and when it might come not if.
Trying to plan too far ahead is tricky so best to enjoy today as much as you can. Thanks Bob, Mar, Brian, Roger, Ollie, Doug, Pfilcek, Blackswanwood and Neil.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Hi

Peter I might consider one of your courses in a few years time. Esp as Chris Tribe has retired.

Just a quick question - do the courses fit in to where the student is at?? All the courses I have seen have started at the basics whereas something which helps inprove the quality of a piece would be very much appreciated.

Cheers James

Hi James, Chris was a nice guy, used to catch up Harrogate.
I am running the beginners course this week, which covers tool care and sharpening, hand planing, marking out and cutting joints including through and lap dovetails and mortice and tenons. Cleaning up, assembly and finishing with Shellac and wax.

I have other more advanced/improver courses for box making, table making etc. It's good to know that any student has a good understanding of the subject covered in the beginners course either with me or another school who works to a similar level. It has been know for a student to come on a more advanced course to find after a couple of days they are lacking the basic skills, so it depends on personal experience.

The routing or veneering courses have quite different skills required, so no prior training isn't usually any issue.

Worth taking a look at the new website when we launch it next month to see what best suits you if possible.

Cheers

Peter

 

[Spectric]

Hi Peter

we all need a reset at some point, and no matter how enjoyable doing something is eventually a change beckons. I can see Covid would have played havoc but how much might be down to a changing society, ie if my kids are anything to go by then they just lack motivation and the get up and go.

We will be launching a new website in the coming weeks with new short course dates and online booking, I will also be developing new tools and catching up with tool shop customers, so plenty to keep me busy!

The "new tools" is interesting considering your eye for quality and what you already supply so if that side of your business expands it can only be a good thing. Are you planing any more video tutorials, often helpful for those who live far away from where you deliver courses?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I'm sorry to hear that the challenges of running your courses has left you rather overwhelmed. I suppose the one bright spot is that this last year's disruption to normal business has led to you focusing on an alternative or modified direction. Hopefully this will work out for you and your family. Slainte.