I did the full boatbuilding course at IBTC (just looked at their website — it was a lot cheaper then :shock: ). I loved it— it's heaven for anyone who is into wooden boats as there is so much going on there, many different types and sizes of boats in build, and you get to play with all of them. They aim to encourage the student to make their own decisions and get on with the job, which I think some people experienced as a bit unsupportive, but I appreciated being trusted to do that, and the confidence it gave has been very useful since. I feel very lucky and privileged to have had that experience — definitely one of the best things I have done in my life.
If it is more of a hobby angle you are interested in, they also do a shorter 12 week course concentrating on clinker dinghies, which is also good, though you won't want to leave at the end of it....
On the furniture front I found John Lloyd's courses very helpful in filling in a few gaps, especially the veneering and the finishing courses. John is a good teacher, the courses are very well structured and he fits in loads, teaching straightforward and pragmatic approaches to things, without unnecessary mystification.
Regarding other furniture making courses, I've known several people who did David Savage's course, and they all had some frustrations but they nevertheless all came out making to a very high standard, which I guess says something about it. I think he now does short courses too. It's one to consider if you are into the contemporary fine furniture thing. I think this course is particularly strong on the design side — people are encouraged to do proper, resolved designs; I think Savage himself is more of a designer than a maker these days, and that shows in the work of the students....
