Friendship is all about sharing experiences, so we were delighted that two close friends came on our December introductory course.

Rosie Swanson (left, above) and Irene Goodall first met over twenty years ago when they both worked in IT for the Bank of Scotland.

Irene’s father was a joiner, so perhaps she has more than a little sawdust in her blood, while Rosie’s father was a builder, so maybe she too has inherited his practicality.

They’ve both remained good friends over the years but weren’t planning a week at the Chippendale school until they bumped into someone they knew in a local coffee shop – and who just happened to be one of our professional course students.

Both Irene and Rosie have thoroughly enjoyed their week at the school, with Irene saying that “it’s been intensive, but has opened my eyes to design as well as working with wood.

“It’s also a course that introduces you to a variety of tools and different equipment, encourages creativity, and certainly does fire an interest in woodworking.”