If you are looking for something a bit different for your next vacation and you'd like to come away from it with a sense of accomplishment, then consider heading for Wales. In the heart of Wales, beneath the Cmabrian Mountains, near the upper reaches of the river Wye you will find Tim Wade and his forest where he has established The Woodland Skills Centre. It's here that Tim offers his Woodland Workshops. The teaching of woodland skills comes naturally to Tim since he has been working with wood most of his life and he earns his living from making furniture, carving wood, milling timber and making wooden bygones. He has traveled worldwide because of his work, researching forestry and folk craft, most of the time traveling on a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowhip. His commissions are numerous and amazing in scope. For more information on Tim personally and his projects visit his Woodworker of the Month pages.

On one of Tim's Holiday's you would find yourself working outdoors in a sheltered woodland clearing. Each of his guests has their own set of tools and work area. Classes are kept small enough to allow individual attention from Tim and his staff. In the picture above you see a representative class on Holiday. The students that form these classes come from all backgrounds, as you can see, with an equal number of men and women and young and old. It's a great place to make lifelong friends.

Tim began these workshops in 1987 and runs them both as a business and a way to promote a return to a simpler country lifestyle. Hundreds of people have enjoyed the tranquil setting and the satisfaction of learning to do it themselves. Many of Tim's students return year after year.

You don't necessarily have to be a woodworker to enjoy this Holiday. In addition to woodturning, chair making, charcoal making, coracle building, spoon & bowl making, and timber management, you can engage in the art of willow basketmaking or some needlework. The two pictures below illustrate the diversity of the skills you can learn at these workshops.

Believing that timber is a renewable resource and that traditional woodworking and crafts skills enhance your life, is what motivates Tim Wade and the attitude of his Woodland Skills Centre. These classes are meant to be recreational and aren't promoted as a way to learn the skills to set up a business, however, some of Tim's students have done just that.

The accomodations are as unique and varied as the classes. You can stay at any number of Bed & Breakfasts in Welsh farmhouses, get a cottage at the Red Lion Inn, camp at local farms or campsites or sleep in a tent at the Woodland Skills Centre. You can't bring your dog though, because they chase the sheep. Tim does have his own dog, Ben, but then Ben is a Border Collie and everyone knows they love sheep.

You won't be bored when you aren't in class because the activities provided are too numerous for you to have much spare time. In the evening, slide shows are presented, or attend a camp fire barbecue, just sit and talk or visit the Red Lion Inn. Walking is encouraged and there are hill walks or woodland walks. You can coracle on the river, visit historic buildings and castles or museums, or see the famous Cambrian wood factory.

No one goes hungry here. There is a barbecue on the first evening of every workshop and lunch is provided during the day along with tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes for your breaks. In the evening, Tim likes to recommend The Red Lion Inn (a 1,000 year old pub) for dinner or you can dine at any of the other inns and restaurants in the area.

As Tim would say "After a workshop in the woods, one cannot return home without a sense of achievement, an increased knowledge of woodland and a greater appreciation of a genuine craft." So, if you are looking for a unique getaway, visit Tim's website http://www.greenwoodworking.co.uk or contact him directly by email at tim@greenwoodworking.co.uk