Go on a course: woodworking

Mastering the basics of working with wood. By Kate Langrish

'Be it mending a fence or building a new chicken run, there are lots of little jobs on the smallholding that require a basic grasp of woodworking.

'Picking up a power tool can be daunting, which is where tutor Nick Parker at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex stepped in. When he went through each of the basic tools - electric drill, hammer, handsaw and jigsaw - the six of us in the group agreed that he made it all look rather easy. Remembering Nick's tips - don't fight the saw, watch the nail as you swing the hammer and you'll never miss - I was eager to get started.

'After a practice session, we set about the main task: building a bird table. Nick moved around the class, leading us through all the elements of the bird table construction, from sawing out our bases to nailing in the supports and measuring out the angle for our roofs. He lent a hand, but made sure we learnt the skills for ourselves. By mid-morning we were all sawing, drilling and hammering away. Some of us, it would seem, were hammering a little too eagerly, as I remembered Nick's tip about watching the nail and enthusiastically brought the hammer down...on my thumb.

'After lunch in the museum grounds, it was back to work. I was quite impressed by how sophisticated the constructions were for mere beginners. They looked much more interesting than anything you could buy - and I'm sure the birds can tell the difference.'

'Timber training from scratch' is held at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, West Sussex. For more details call 01243 811363 or visit www.wealddown.co.uk.

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