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 |
| 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. | Tedworth House |
| 10-13 Jun (Tue-Thu) & 17-18 Jun (Tue-Wed) | Photograph Albums & Slip Case. (ONLINE ZOOM – ANY STUDENT) Cost £20 for materials. (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) For those with a little bookbinding experience, and/or have completed Unit 118, 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. | Online ZOOM Meeting |
| 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]) | |
| 24-25 Jul (Thu-Fri) Paper Marbling | Cost £10 for materials. (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) | |
| August 2025 | ||
| 18-22 Aug (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 2 Unit 220 Leather Case Binding (Includes Tool Sharpening) Cost £20 for materials (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) Using Vegetable leather from Harmatan or Hewits you will learn how to make casebound leather books in quarter and half leather, and how to pare leather and sharpen knives. Some bookbinding experience is necessary | The Barn Woodborough |
| 26 Aug (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. | Tedworth House |
| 25-29 Aug (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118) Cost £20 for materials (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) 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. | The Barn Woodborough |
| September 2025 | ||
| 3-5 Sep (Tue-Thu) | C&G Level 3 Module, Storage and Enclosures III. (Qtr Leather Bound drop back box) Final part of the Storage and Enclosures programme for C&G Level 3, you will learn to make a rounded spine, quarter leather drop back box Previous experience in leather work and box making is necessary. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 11 Sep (Thu) | C&G Level 3 Module – Edge Decoration. Edges are another surface for the binder’s creativity to shine but they are often overlooked. They act as an important protective barrier as well as being a key design element of a fine binding. In this workshop, Kate will show you how to achieve the perfect glass smooth finish to your edges and work through a variety of decorative finishes. From basic sprinkling and sponging through graphite, marbling, paste, gauffering and gold leaf. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 22-24 Sep (Mon-Thu) | C&G Level 2 – Online Passport Workshop. Veterans Tribe Scotland Students only. Decorative stitch, Coptic & Japanese stab binding. | Online ZOOM Meeting |
| 30 Sep (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. | Tedworth House |
| October 2025 | ||
| 6-10 Oct (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 2 – Unit 221 (Alternative snd Historic Binding) This course is the second unit in the Level 2 C&G certificate in Bookbinding. You will learn how to make a range of non-adhesive bindings, including a Coptic binding. For those with a little bookbinding experience. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 14-16 Oct (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 or no previous arts experience. You will put together a portfolio of samples relating to bookbinding, its materials and learn about colour and design, textures and tones. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 21 Oct (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. | Tedworth House |
| 27-31 (Mon-Fri) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118) Cost £20 for materials (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) 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. | The Barn Woodborough |
| November 2025 | ||
| 3-7 Nov (DATE TBC) (Mon-Fri) | Photograph Albums & Slip Case. Cost £20 for materials (for further details contact Wendy at [email protected]) For those with a little bookbinding experience and/or have completed Unit 118 , 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. | The Barn Woodborough |
| 13-14 Nov (Thu-Fri) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118 Pt 1) ONLINE COURSE for Tribe Students only. | Online ZOOM Meeting |
| 17-18 Nov (Mon-Tue) | C&G Level 1 – (Unit 118 Pt 2) ONLINE COURSE for Tribe Students only. | Online ZOOM Meeting |