woodlore courses less popular?

[robin wood]

As a specialist course provider I like to check occasionally what else is on offer, and to learn where I can from what others are doing to give the best possible experience. Woodlore always seem to get great reviews and are clearly doing stuff well, I know folk say it is all the RM TV effect but you rarely hear anything other than praise for the actual courses.

When I last looked which to be honest could have been a couple of years ago they were all booked up a year in advance but I just checked and they have spaces on nearly all their 2 day introduction to bushcraft courses in April, May and June. Same for week long courses.

Is this a sign of folk being hard up and not spending? or shopping around and doing cheaper courses with other providers or maybe a sign of lots of other providers around the country spreading the bookings out a bit more?

It made me realise I am maybe lucky to still be running on all full courses and some booked up into October.

 

[sapper1]

Probably down to cost.Times are hard and people will probably look for cheaper courses providing the same level of instruction.

 

[havocsdad]

I think its probably down to cost, not only for the course itself but the travelling as well and not to mention the bits and pieces students buy before they go. I think perhaps that Bushcraft exposure in TV is a lot less than for example 4 years ago.

 

[robin wood]

I didn't think they were enormously overpriced. £600 for the week course doesn't seem extortionate.

 

[sapper1]

It is a very high price for a week of anything.There are less expensive courses providing the same things.Given the choice I'd go for something a bit cheaper.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Robin
I think what is happening is there is more choice now for people who want to do bushcraft related courses, and it could well be that people are going on courses with providers local to them. I also agree that £600 is not expensive for a weeks course, especially for some of the courses that have more specialist content.
But I would expect a high Instructor to Student ratio enabling the clients to take on board the instruction being given and be able to practise with expert support.

 

[Mesquite]

I think it's a sign of the times and Woodlore is feeling the pinch like everyone else.

They aren't running half as many Fundamental courses as they did when I took mine almost 3 years ago. If I remember rightly when I took it there were Fundamental courses running weekly all the way from April right through to Mid September. Though their more advanced courses are fully booked I still get notifications of drop outs.

As for value for money I can't comment really as the only courses I've taken have been with Woodlore so I can't compare. I would say I don't have any complaint and felt I got very good value for the money I spent out.

 

[rik_uk3]

Talking to a provider on another forum his bookings are down this year and last. Sign of the times? bushcraft bubble burst? I think its a combination of both. Glamping (glamorous camping) is on the increase, luxury yurts/Tipi's for rent all over the place and a general increase in family camping all take away from the limited bushcraft pot.

 

[MartiniDave]

There's a lot more decent instructional stuff on you-tube and various other websites now as well, these didn't exist a few years back.

Dave

 

[Manacles]

I must I echo Mesquite comments, times are tough for all of us and I'm sure many people are using the wealth of other learning material available (BCUK for instance) rather than committing to spending.....

 

[Paul_B]

Manacles right. I fancy doing a course (woodsmoke in Cumbria is my local provided and also hihgly regarded I think) but can not afford the cash. BCUK does not fully makeup for lack of proper training unfortunately (sorry guys). £600 for me would mean about 6 holidays away in the hills of Britain some of them week long. Choice between getting out in the hills and getting proper instruction at the moment its Knoydart bound for me. There is always another year for a Woodsmoke course.

 

[Shewie]

I've heard a few folk who have grumbled about recent courses with Woodlore, some of the instructors attitudes are up their own 4rse and there's a general we are mightier than thou vibe about the courses.

It's over ten years since I attended so can't really comment how things are now, could the current financial climate have something to do with numbers being down ?

 

[Greg]

I looked at the Arctic Exped Course they supply and at £2500 plus the cost of flights its well out of my price range. Although it is fully booked up so Woodlore can't be doing so bad for itself.
But even though it is rather expensive, if someone can comfortably afford it then good luck to them.

 

[sasquatch]

Might be down to people not needing to spend money on courses with all the meets going on thesedays. You can go for next to nothing and learn from others if you're willing to roll your sleeves up and have a go. Just my thoughts, but I've never been on a course due to the money but don't feel like I'm missing out. If there's something I've never tried I look it up and have a go. If I fail miserably I just keep trying until I can nail it and there's a wealth of info on here and from people at meets.

 

[coln18]

I've heard a few folk who have grumbled about recent courses with Woodlore, some of the instructors attitudes are up their own 4rse and there's a general we are mightier than thou vibe about the courses.

It's over ten years since I attended so can't really comment how things are now, could the current financial climate have something to do with numbers being down ?

Rich, i did my 2 woodlore courses about 2 and half years ago, i did them back to back at the end of the season finishing with the journeyman course end of sep 2008, Found all the instructors really helpful and not snobby at all.

Now i know for a fact that since my journeyman course finished, their so called top course for students of BC, most of their instructors that taught me on the fundemental/journeyman courses have left, so in my eye they have no experience for the journeyman course now...

I also have always known that there shop prices are on the high side, but hey ho its a free market, but this combined with the fact they brought the shop down and set up near the end of the course and didn't even offer a slight discount to students who had just forked out over £600 stuck in the back of my throat, i am Scottish after all and never forget a bargain lost.

So this June having been booked on for another week long course, i have decided to cancel as well, as i know its not a case of your getting value for money with time served instructors. They definitely have a high turn over of instructors at woodlore.

I also know that when i first booked my course i didnt know BCUK and therefor didnt have any references to compare so saved up for the best i could afford.

What i would say to anyone thinking of booking one is, yes they are very professional and good at their courses, but they ram a lot into one week, so really like anything in life, you will remember some lessons well and not others. The only way to learn is with practice and you could do that at any amount of providers, take the basics of what they show you and then go off and practice.

Im on their mailing list and it seems like every week or so i get a cancellation notice emailed to me, so they must be struggling.

 

[sapper1]

I think it's definitely the financial climate rather than the quality of the courses.Even the sales threads on here are taking a long time for things to sell.

 

[Paul_B]

OR go to a another company that might have stolen the former woodlore instructors from back in the day when Woodlore was still the bees knees of BC course providers. Afterall, where are these instructors going once they have the experience? Setting up on their own? GOing to a different BC company? Or just leaving the field? Just an idea if you are not happy with the current instructors / courses try elewhere. Talking of which really must try a meet.

 

[sapper1]

It's quite possible the bushcraft bubble HAS burst,lets face it you have to be pretty determined to do this hobby in the U.K. We have everything against us.The weather,lack of land to use ,laws regarding knives,the list is endless.Some people will feel it's not worth the hassle.

 

[coln18]

It's quite possible the bushcraft bubble HAS burst,lets face it you have to be pretty determined to do this hobby in the U.K. We have everything against us.The weather,lack of land to use ,laws regarding knives,the list is endless.Some people will feel it's not worth the hassle.

Och big man you must be in the wrong country, come up to Scotland, You'll be met at the border and given a knife, a princess buttercup umbrella and a 4 week old kipper marinated in an arabs left flip flop to combat the midgies, then the bushcraft can start.

Up here with our freedoms to roam, we dont really understand the fact that you can be moved on and that the land cant be used by the people, i mean do you really own land, air or water or is it just a bit of paper, i didnt know it was the same in Wales as England...

 

[sapper1]

Yes exactly the same,where I am we have a lot of common land but it is still owned by someone and you can be moved on if they find you.There is quite a bit of open access land but there are signs that say no camping.Our version of open access is a bit different to yours.