Sisters are doing it for themselves – after fun DIY classes

London Event Reviews by May B

My DIY career came to an abrupt halt many years ago after the dreadful rawl plug episode which I won’t bore you with right now. But after years of paying large sums of money for a handy man to put up a shelf or throwing myself on the mercy of a male friend to help me hang a painting I decided that the “New Year, New Me” angle was going to be of a self-sufficient DIY nature.

My eye scanned over workshops including “Basic electrics” (£45) and “Don’t hate – decorate” (£135) but I was drawn to the “DIY in a day” weekend workshop, which at £135 was likely to pay for itself in one avoided callout.

The GoodLife Centre, a spacious, white, clean and workwomanlike studio with fabulous bulbous paper light shades, tool sheds looking like beach huts and work benches that resembled those for a cooking class, is just 15 minutes’ walk from Waterloo station so the four evenings course lasting from 6.30pm until 9pm seemed like a good bet.

As each of the 10 participants arrived through the cheerful bell-jangling door we were offered a cup of tea or coffee by Alison (course leader and self-confessed gadget girl) and Scott, her helper who is more of a traditional tools kind of guy.

We were instantly put at ease – there were a couple of couples but mostly women spanning 20 to 50 years of age. One or two had been given gift vouchers for classes as a present but we were united in our desire to be able to tackle those pesky jobs around our homes. One or two admitted that they had just acquired a property and were preparing for serious work ahead. We were steered away from the chairs that had been put aside for the furniture restoration classes – they looked a little wobbly.

We had the briefest of health and safety briefings and offered aprons and gloves. Only eye protectors – when we got to that bit – were obligatory. Alison started off by explaining that investing in a toolbox was a good idea – not just to keep things tidy but as a handy step or seat. She also urged us to acquire a folding work bench. For each item we were told the likely price and a good source – nothing was more than £10 and quite a few suggestions included Poundland. I realised that my previous efforts had been thwarted by the lack of a clamp, masking tape and a carpenter’s pencil that doesn’t roll away. There’s a saying about having the right tools, and it became obvious just how true this is.

As each item was introduced, Alison explained what it was used for and allowed us to have a little play with it. There was no shame – as one person admitted – in having never heard of or seen a spirit level before. Within just 30 minutes we were using the tools. We spent some time getting to grips with the humble tape measure and learning how to measure up the wall and the reason the little bit on the end is wiggly (to do with accurate internal and external measurements - I’d always assumed that this was a design fault). And it was amazing to learn the reason for the red 16inch markers (to do with the distance between wooden struts on stud walls). My goodness, I already sound like a pro!

We were allowed to make holes in our bits of wood with bradles and gimlets and shown how to hold a hammer – and even encouraged to make “moon” marks deliberately. We all made a bit of a racket while we experimented with whacking nails into wood (very therapeutic after a day in the office) and were told not to worry if we accidentally nailed our bit of wood to the workbench (oops).

There was a little bit of a discussion about when to use a nail or a screw (to be elaborated upon further next week) and then we had an introduction to saws. Now I know that the hack saw is for metal and plastic and other saws are all for wood. Apart from the plasterboard saw. And off we went, using our knuckles as a guide, using tenon and gents saws. Never before was so much fun had by so few with a couple of saws! And we even discovered how to avoid those irritating splintery bits. Then the cordless jigsaw was rigged up and we lined up to have a go with that. The time flew by and the next morning my email contained a full set of notes.

Next week it’s drilling and fixing (power drill time), then plumbing (leaky taps, blockages, sealant etc) and in week four it’s electrics and we are going to build a switched light circuit. Wow! I have every confidence that Alison and Scott will get us through this without drama.

So to learn some really practical skills in a fun and pleasant environment, and to create your own very real Pussy Cat Dolls “I don’t need a man” moment – get yourself down to the Good Life Centre. I’m seriously considering taking more courses with my daughter, as I think it’s a brilliant skill set for everyone to have from the outset.

For further details contact http://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/

Posted Date
Jan 13, 2012 in London Event Reviews by May B by May B