Most students who come on our one-month intermediate course are here to learn a variety of skills to take their woodworking hobby up a few levels.

But Dmitri Stuckey, originally from London, had a more business-like reason for coming to the Chippendale school.

Dmitri is a builder by trade who only recently moved to Edinburgh for family reasons and because the Scottish capital is “more peaceful.”

He now intends to set up a buy-to-sell property business, renovating old or tired houses and flats – and having woodworking skills is an important part of that.

It was Dmitri’s final day with us last Friday, and he showed himself to be a very gifted furniture designer and maker.

His main piece was a coffee table in spalted beech, with complex legs that curve inwards, and which he intends to keep for himself.

However, he also used his month to make a beautiful and practical wall cabinet in lacewood, oak and walnut which is to be a present for his sister.  He also found time to restore an old chair.

He thoroughly enjoyed the course, saying “how fantastic” it was, and giving particular praise to Alan McGovern, the head tutor on the intermediate course, and who has been with the school for some 35 years.

The great things about the intermediate course is that we only ever have two students on the course at any one time, start and finish dates can be fitted around you and, if a month is too long a commitment to make, the course can be split up into more manageable segments.

We wish Dimitri every success with his new business!