Silver Trowel Reviews 

I have just finished my 4 day introduction to brick laying course with Bob. The completion of this course has allowed me to get an understanding on how to set out and lay bricks/blocks to a basic level with no prior experience. Bob is great at helping you understand a variety of aspects of building as he has so much experience. Overall, this course was really informative, productive and enjoyable thanks to Bob

I have just attended a 2 weekend bricklaying course and it was excellent. My original contact was with Colin who was very helpful and because of that I booked a course for my son and myself. Bob our instructor was very good and has given me confidence and the skills to finally get on with some garden projects I have been planning to do. Thank you.

I enrolled in the bricklaying course to tackle a few jobs at home, some of which are small like repointing to major - like rebuilding piers and a garden wall. The course was over 4 days (2 consecutive weekends) and was tutored by Bob who has over 40 years experience as a bricklayer and teacher. The facilities were brilliant - all indoors with all of the tools and in a small group (there was one other student). The course went from the absolute basics right through to building a wall in the first 2 days, then the last 2 concentrated on my project. As a result I had the confidence to go ahead with my projects knowing that they have a great chance of succeeding.
Thanks to Colin for running such a great training centre and especially to Bob for his patience and tips.
This is highly recommended and worth the time and money investment - you won’t regret it.

I recently attended the bricklaying course offered by Silver Trowel in Port Solent, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The facilities were clean, well-equipped and made learning genuinely enjoyable. Every detail, from the layout of the workspaces to the quality of the tools available, was clearly designed to support both practical, hands-on training and theoretical learning.

The highlight of the course was undoubtedly the instruction, Bob, who brought an impressive depth of expertise to every session. With 20 years of hands-on bricklaying experience under his belt, followed by another 20 years dedicated to teaching the craft, Bob’s knowledge is as vast as it is practical. His lessons were connected to individual D.I.Y projects and real-world scenarios, blending decades of personal experience with current best practices and up-to-date regulatory standards. Bob’s ability to reference and explain modern practices and regulations ensured that every technique taught was relevant and safe for today’s building standards.

Overall, the Silver Trowel bricklaying course exceeded my expectations. It provided an invaluable blend of practical experience and technical know how in a professionally setting. Whether you’re a novice eager to learn or a seasoned builder looking to brush up on the latest techniques, this course offers a learning experience backed by decades of expertise. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to perfecting their craft and build their own projects.

I did the 5 week level 1 plastering course. Colin is really flexible with the days you can do due to many people working while training. He is willing to push each individual to their own abilities.
I really enjoyed it and coming from that I landed a job straight away which pays really well meaning the money I paid for the course can be justified. I hope anyone wanting to learn a trade can take something from this and go get it!

Did a ten day domestic retrofit course here. Learning bricklaying, screed flooring, rendering, as well as health and safety on construction sites. Colin & Paul are excellent trainers, skilled and patient. I enjoyed the course and will be back for more.

I have spent the past two weekends attending the brick laying course. Having never picked up a trowel before I was a little apprehensive about booking the course but a conversation with Colin confirmed that no prior knowledge was assumed.

We started with the basics and moved forward quickly from there. Bob, our trainer, was extremely knowledgeable and provided excellent teaching, guidance and support over the 4 days.

There were 3 of us on the course and the first weekend was spent working independently but on the same type of project. Weekend 2 we worked on projects linked to jobs we wanted to do at home, so that we were all able to practice something relevant to something we were planning to complete.

The course has certainly given me the skills and confidence to attempt a few projects at home.

A huge thank you to Colin, Bob and the team at Silver Trowel.

Many thanks to Bob the brickie.

Knowledgeable, patient and helpful. He has increased by brick laying confidence immensely. Bob tailors the course for each individual, and what they want to get out of their time there.

The facilities at Silver Trowel are great, I do plan to join them again for their plastering course.

Many thanks to Bob for the 4 days of intensive brick laying tuition. His skills as a tutor and brick layer were obvious and he has a real knack of getting those across. The facilities were spot on too. I shall be booking onto the plastering course early next year.

I attended the Tiling & Plastering course and found it highly enjoyable. Colin the trainer was knowledgeable and experienced. I have now got a new set of skills that I will be using in my painting and decorating business. I would highly recommend Silver Trowel to all. A+.

Hi, I did the level two plastering course here, it took me a little longer to complete as I moved areas, but Colin and his team were very open and let me come back on visits to complete the course.
They teach you the basics and even though you will delevop your own way with more experience I always find my self falling back to what Colin taught me, what he said still stays with me. It's amazing the knowledge you can get just by listening to him, he could just be walking past whilst your working, spot something, a quick one liner that if you listen will stay with you and improve you forever. In my early days I made a few mistakes and I still felt and did call Colin to help get me out of a hole.
A few years on and I've been working for my local council taking home decent money for the last few years and it all started here. Thanks Silver Trowell!

I have just completed the 6-week 'British Gypsum Site Ready Skimming Course' after having completed the initial '10-day Professional Plastering Training Course'. The staff were professional throughout and knowledgeable about all aspects of Plastering and beyond. The training was comprehensive but not prescribed. This allowed each student to learn at their own pace and the freedom to experiment through the duration of the course. Staff were always on hand to answer questions whilst giving us the independence to find our own path. However, they also kept a watching eye to ensure we made sustained progress. Skimming techniques used are up to date. Staff explain the reason for these techniques to give us comprehensive knowledge of the industry. We also learned about dry-lining, rendering, using different plastering products and bonding. Having started as a novice, I feel confident going into the industry that I can perform to a consistently high standard. British Gypsum supported us through the course and showed a commitment to our development. Entering this profession requires dedication, but offers a long-term, rewarding career.

Have just finished the 3 week plastering course and all I can say it was outstanding!! Have learned so much more than I could of imagined in the time. The teacher Neil is different class so helpful and gives u lots of tips and answer any questions you have. Had no experience in any type of plastering before doing the course and would highly recommend to anyone interested in plastering. Thanks a lot Neil 👍🏻

Between Monday 27th Sept and Friday 1st Oct 2021, I had a weeks Tilling course at Silver Trowel to find out more about wall and floor tilling, and a very big thank you to the tutor Neil who tort me a lot about tilling a wall and a floor by the end of the week, this tilling course was very interesting the way Neil was teaching us how to mix up the tile adhesive and grout , and to dry cut the tiles as well as I've never dry cut before and the type of tool to us when your tilling.
also learnt how to cut a 110mm circle for a soil stack pipe for a toilet waste using a grinder with a diamond circular blade and cutting the tiles around electric sockets using a wet/dry cutter
This weeks tilling course was really interesting, the way I was tort how to fix the tiles to the wall after cutting them to shape, and to grout the tiles properly to make them all water tite , if you are a Plumber like I am installing a shower enclosure.
I travelled 43 miles to stay with friends so I could enroll in the weeks tilling course at Silver trowel.
The staff like Neil are also easy going and very friendly, and I feel more confidant tilling a wall and floor now than I was before the course.
Thank you very much for taking the time to learn me so much about Tilling.

Just this week completed the 5 day Tiling course, absolutely great tuition from Neil. Always setting new challenges throughout the week to develop and enhance skillset. Content of the course covered a good variety of scenarios.

Completed the 5 day plastering course - learnt to mix plaster, trowel skills, how to plaster walls, plasterboard, ceilings, window openings and to repair holes by patching. As a woman in her mid-fifties I wondered how I'd be welcomed or even if I'd finish the course. I needn't have worried. The tuition was excellent and at my level, ie appropriate to any student's level. Everyone was friendly and I felt totally included. Now I need to put what I've learnt into practice and plaster my house! Great job Silver Trowel - definitely recommended. Although I ache from head to foot!

I’ve just finished the five day tiling course, and it was great! Neil is a fantastic teacher, he really encourages people and sets challenges when you’re ready to take them on. It’s a huge sense of achievement and I would highly recommend the course to anyone! My main reason for attending the course was for my own house renovations, but I’m now really interested in taking it further. They were very open to questions and guidance on everything you’re not sure on, and I’ll definitely be checking back on the website to find other skills I can build with Silver Trowel!

i did the five day course i am in the armed forces so managed to use my enhanced learning credits towards it i would recommend it to anyone. was a fantastic course i learnt a lot about skimming. how to get a good spread how to control the trowel to stop rippling. skimmed walls and ceilings and learnt about the different products and how to use them for a five day course it was packed full of tips and knowledge

I'm so glad I decided to take the 4 day weekend plastering course and finished last Sunday.

It's hard work, but we all could not believe that we could plaster a wall on the first day and the finish was not far off a professional standard.

Colin is extremely talented, friendly and informative. He takes you step by step through the motions with a nice steady pace.

They supply all of the equipment you need for the course and sell the same tools to buy. The cost of the tools are very reasonable with some slightly cheaper and some slightly more expensive than on-line. I decided to buy everything there as it evened itself out. There is also no hard sells, which was nice.

I've worked out that with the cost of the equipment and the course I'll save myself about £3000 with the plastering I need to do in my home. I'm now confident that I can do the work.

Thank you Colin.

Just to let you know, they have moved from he address on here to Winchfield, Hants just off of the M3 near Fleet. It's all on their website.

I would highly recommend Silver Trowel to anyone.

Mike

This is an excellent course - my partner took the 10 day plastering course and has learnt such a great skill. The course is well organised, great value for money with wonderful teaching. I would recommend Silver Trowel 110% and we will be booking in for more courses. Thank you very much Colin.