Evening Classes in Basic DIY?

mumoftwins

Hi,

I am really keen to learn the basic skills for DIY, but cannot find an evening class at any of my local colleges (even on their new courses starting in September).

I know B&Q do courses but only at 15 of their stores and none near me!

Does anyone know of anywhere in the Hertfordshire area that runs a Basic DIY Skills course or give me any suggestions on how I may learn these skills - not YouTube as would like someone with me when I first fire up a drill!!

skylight

Have you tried your local council? Sounds odd, but ours run lots of minor educational courses and other stuff.

[Deleted User]

Or have you any handy friends or relatives or friend's husbands that are competent enough to teach you. If they have some DIY jobs to do they might let you be their assistant and you get to watch and learn?

I can appreciate the need for a course though, my suggestion may not be practical either.

meritaten

I've learned a lot on youtube. and drills are not that scary! no more than the average sewing machine anyway! come to think of it, I once got my finger caught in the needle of a sewing machine and it was excrutiating! haven't hurt myself with a drill though! Pick up a drill and practice on some oddments of lumber and you will soon get the hang of it!

OH and I did the decking for my sons new home - he measured and cut the lumber and I screwed it in place - using a machine screwdriver - and I thoroughly enjoyed it! DIL was a bit taken aback to find me on hands and knees and employing a power tool though!

floss2

Why not ask at a local independent DIY shop? Or maybe Homebase?

dancingfairy

Hi. Do you have any community trading associations near you? What I mean is something like Lets or time bank or similar. You could see if there are any odd job men/women who would be willing to help you out for a bit and you could then help someone else out with a skill you have or could volunteer on a local community project (I'm sure they would help make sure you could use a drill etc).
df

alleycat`

meritaten wrote: »

DIL was a bit taken aback to find me on hands and knees and employing a power tool though!

You owe me a new keyboard for this "carry on matron" type statement.
I've got a desk covered in tea...

mumoftwins

Thanks for all your messages!

Yes, have tried local council but unless I want to actually to be a plumber or an electrician or even a bricklayer, there is no 'general' DIY skills course.

Will try Homebase and see if they so anything like B&Q.

I suppose I wanted to join an actual class so that I could not only learn the skills but meet other people too.

Can't wait to learn and get 'down and dirty' with a the drill!!

pawsies

You could always set up your own, advertising for professionals to come in once a week to show you a different aspect of diy. All who attend pay a small fee to encourage professionals to help?

mumoftwins

Pawsies, you're a genius!!! What a brilliant idea!

I have a handyman friend who knows some of the tradespeople, so will contact him and maybe we could do this together. Get advice from the trades, ask them to come along and maybe even run it as a regular thing if there is enough interest>

Got me thinking now, thank you:j

[Deleted User]

I'd be quite interested... where about in hertfordshire are you? I'm in Bricketwood. We've got loads of tradespeople round here

The trickiness will be designing a course and aiming it at the right 'level' (ie. I know how to drill a hole in a wall, but I wouldn't feel confident putting up a big mirror on a wall)