Tresithick Offers New Upholstery Course in Stunning Cornish Location

With the ever-increasing popularity of skills holidays, Tresithick Upholstery & Restoration has launched a new accredited traditional upholstery course - the first in the South West of England. In the relaxed and tranquil setting of the Barn Workshop on the beautiful Trewithen Estate, people can learn how to restore a much loved item of furniture or, with the latest course, develop the skills to set up in business. Weekend courses start from �140 including homemade lunch and refreshments.

Richard Hooper, a Master Upholsterer, who runs Tresithick with his wife Sonja, is the fourth generation to be involved with the craft of upholstery. He teaches all the Tresithick courses and with just four students per course, guarantees everyone plenty of time and attention. The workshop has been specifically designed for upholstery work, making it light and airy with all the necessary equipment such as benches, cutting tables and a traditional Singer sewing machine. It is also home to shelves of material including stuffings such as animal hair and coconut fibre, rolls of calico and hessian and piles of sumptuous textile books.

But it�s not all hard work, Sonja is renowned for her delicious homemade lunches fresh from the Aga. Served in the Grade 2 listed farmhouse opposite the workshop, students sit together around the table in the traditional slate floored kitchen. The small groups are friendly and informal providing plenty of opportunity to share stories and compare notes. Many of the students come on holiday from the UK and abroad and there are plenty of fantastic accommodation options nearby - from fabulous hotels to farmhouse B&Bs and campsites.

Richard�s enthusiasm is infectious and is shared by his students who come from a variety of backgrounds and age groups. They include a lady who bought a pair of dilapidated dining chairs for �5 at a house clearance and sold them for a healthy profit on e-bay having restored them under Richard�s tuition; a man who is lovingly restoring an armchair he found abandoned in a chicken shed; and an ex-serviceman who is starting out on a new career.

Tresithick offers a range of upholstery courses to suit all budgets, timescales and levels of ability. The weekend and five day courses run throughout the year and cost �140 and �350 respectively, including lunch and refreshments. These provide a perfect opportunity to learn a new skill while holidaying in one of the most beautiful parts of Cornwall � Tresithick is located on the outskirts of Truro and adjacent to the spectacular Roseland Peninsula.

The new accredited Craft Certificate in Upholstery course follows a syllabus set by the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers and comprises a minimum of 210 hours in 12 months and costs �2,150. The first set of students for the accredited course started earlier this year and are set to qualify in the coming months. Many of the students are people who initially went on a weekend or five day course and became inspired to go further.

For more information call Richard or Sonja on 01726 884500 or visit www.tresithickrestorations.co.uk.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: For press information, photography or to arrange interviews/visits please contact Lisa Sutherland at Fresh PR on 07801 979987 or email lisarushsutherland@yahoo.co.uk.

Additional information: � Richard Hooper started in upholstery 40 years ago when he covered a footstool under his father�s watchful eye. His father used to make furniture and weave baskets while both his grandfather and great-grandfather were drapers with their own haberdashery shops dating back to the early 1900�s. � In addition to teaching, Richard also restores and makes high quality furniture, both classic and contemporary. Recent projects include: o A National Trust commission to restore furniture at Agatha Christie's holiday home, Greenway, in Devon. o Collaborating with textile designers from CUC Falmouth in making contemporary designer furniture which has been exhibited in London and North America.