All our courses are FREE to Wounded Injured and Sick (WIS) veterans, for other veterans, a 10% discount is available. To apply for any of this training, or to find out more, simply e-mail us at [email protected] or call the workshop on 01672 851979.
Beginners’ Introduction to Bookbinding Sessions – As part of the Phoenix Centre’s Rolling Recovery Programme (RRP) at Tedworth House, Tidworth, we have provided monthly introductory bookbinding lessons available to those who are participating in the programme. These last under two hours and are designed to give WIS veterans a taste of the basic skills and techniques we use, and an introduction to the tools and materials required for bookbinding. Every student goes away with a high-quality notebook that they will have made themselves. These sessions are great fun and very therapeutic, aiding both concentration and confidence.
In addition to the introduction courses at Tedworth House, introduction courses are also available at:
- The Royal Maritime Club – Portsmouth – through Veterans Outreach Support (VOS). Contact Wendy Pearson [email protected]
- Veterans Tribe Scotland (VTS): Contact Gerry McGregor for more details on: [email protected]
- H4H Scotland Students can contact Emma Weir at: [email protected]
Training Courses – We run a progressive series of courses in bookbinding that cater for the absolute beginner and cover all the skills needed to achieve a Level 3 City & Guilds certificate in bookbinding (for a list of the available courses, see our course list below.) Courses are normally held in our own classroom at the Daffodil Barn, and are normally run as full-time 3-day or 5-day course, however, during the Covid-19 pandemic many courses had to be cancelled and on-line tutorials via Zoom were developed and have proved very successful. See the table of courses below. In addition we have developed some one-day workshops to enable people undertake parts of the C&G courses in smaller chunks.
City & Guilds Awards – There is no requirement to apply for City & Guilds awards, but our members are automatically registered, and application for these nationally recognised qualifications is strongly encouraged. Courses and awards are available at Level 1, 2 and 3, and each course covers the syllabus of one City & Guilds “Unit”. By completing a Unit, a WIS member can achieve a single craft Award. For example, the successful completion of the Beginners’ Course (Unit 118) qualifies for a City & Guilds Award.
WIS members who wish to apply for a Certificate in Bookbinding simply need to complete the two Units for each Level and also one of our Craft Design courses. Awards and Qualifications are graded: at Pass, Merit and Distinction.
COURSES AT THE DAFFODIL BARN (WOODBOROUGH), TEDWORTH HOUSE (TIDWORTH), ROYAL MARITIME CLUB (PORTSMOUTH) (VOS) AND ON-LINE ZOOM COURSES – 2025
| DATE | COURSE | LOCATION |
| March 2025 | ||
| 11 Mar (Tue) (1030-1230) | BBV Introduction to Bookbinding Session at Tedworth House. This short session is for RRP Students at Tedworth House only. Students will have the opportunity to learn some basic bookbinding techniques and make a small notebook. | Tidworth |
| 11-13 Mar (Tue-Thu) & 18-19 Mar (Tue-Wed) | C&G Level 1 – Unit 118 Pamphlet & Multi-section binding. (ONLINE ZOOM) For complete beginners, this is the first unit in the Level 1 C&G certificate in Bookbinding, where you will gain a core knowledge of the basic skills and make single and multi-section bindings in quarter, half and full cloth. | On-line Zoom |
| 18 Mar (Tue) (18.00-20.00) | Veteran Outreach Support (VOS) Portsmouth: Group in-person two-hour sessions are held at Portsmouth. For further details, see below or contact Wendy Pearson ([email protected]) facilitator for VOSP | Portsmouth |
| 27-28 Mar (Thu-Fri) | C&G level 1, Unit 118 Multi-Section Cloth Binding: This is the third workshop in the 118 Passport. During the course you will make a multi-section and soft-cover, stitch-binding pamphlet. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 31 Mar – 4 Apr (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 1 Unit 119. Photograph Albums & Slip Case. For those with a little bookbinding experience, this course is the second unit necessary for the Level 1 C&G certificate in Bookbinding, where you will learn how to make two different types of photograph album, one with folded guards, and one with stiff boards, and a lined cloth slipcase. (Course is held in the Daffodil Barn workshop) | The Barn Woodborough |
| April 2025 | ||
| 8-10 Apr (Tue-Thu) | C&G Level 2 – Unit 201/202 Design and Sampling. This course is for those who would like to achieve a certificate in Level 1 or 2 Bookbinding and who have little previous arts experience. You will put together a portfolio of samples relating to bookbinding, its materials and learn about colour and design. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 10 Apr (Tue) (10.00-12.00) | Veteran Outreach Support (VOS) Portsmouth: Group in-person two-hour sessions are held at Portsmouth. For further details, see below or contact Wendy Pearson ([email protected]) facilitator for VOSP | Portsmouth |
| 21-25 Apr (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118) C&G Pamphlet & Multi-section binding: For complete beginners, this is the first unit in the Level 1 C&G certificate in Bookbinding, where you will gain a core knowledge of the basic skills and make single and multi-section bindings in quarter, half and full cloth. (Cost £20 for materials) | The Barn Woodborough |
| 22 Apr (Tue) (1030-1230) | BBV Introduction to Bookbinding Session at Tedworth House. This short session is for RRP Students at Tedworth House only. Students will have the opportunity to learn some basic bookbinding techniques and make a small notebook. | Tidworth |
| 28 Apr-2 May (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118) C&G Pamphlet & Multi-section binding. For complete beginners, this is the first unit in the Level 1 C&G certificate in Bookbinding, where you will gain a core knowledge of the basic skills and make single and multi-section bindings in quarter, half and full cloth. Held in the barn Workshop. | The Barn Woodborough |
| May 2025 | ||
| 14-15 May (Wed-Thu) | C&G Level 3 Module – Paper Repairs. When rebinding old books, it will often be necessary to repair sections or tears – during this two-day course you will learn how to make simple paper repairs in various ways. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 19-20 May (Mon-Tue) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118). This course is for Veterans’ Tribe Scotland students only. For complete beginners, this is the first unit in the Level 1 C&G certificate in Bookbinding, where you will gain a core knowledge of the basic skills and make multi-section bindings. For further details contact Gerry McGregor | The Barn Woodborough |
| 27 May (Tue) (1030-1230) | BBV Introduction to Bookbinding Session at Tedworth House. This short session is for RRP Students at Tedworth House only. Students will have the opportunity to learn some basic bookbinding techniques and make a small notebook. | Tidworth |
| June 2025 | ||
| 5-6 Jun (Thu-Fri) | C&G Level 3 Module – Gold Finishing. Two days in which you will learn the traditional way to letter a book in gold leaf with both hand-tools and typeholder, and decorate a leather label. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 10 Jun (Tue) (1030-1230) | BBV Introduction to Bookbinding Session at Tedworth House. This short session is for RRP Students at Tedworth House only. Students will have the opportunity to learn some basic bookbinding techniques and make a small notebook. | Tidworth |
| 13-15 Jun (Fri-Sun) | C&G Level 3 Module – 17th C-Style Vellum Binding. An optional assignment in the C&G curriculum which offers an alternative style binding where you will make a limp vellum binding cover attached to a text block with leather thongs. | The Barn Woodborough |
| July 2025 | ||
| 21-22 Jul (Mon-Tue) | Paper Marbling. Cost £10 for materials. (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) | The Barn Woodborough |
| 24-25 Jul (Thu-Fri) | Paper Marbling. Cost £10 for materials. (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) | The Barn Woodborough |