All year round, Tom Fleming of DIY Demons runs one day workshops to teach people how to get to grips with numerous maintenance tasks in the home. Knowing how many Belsizers care about their homes or like to learn new skills, it could be worth getting to one of the workshops which take place in Ladbroke Grove. The workshops are so popular that people arrive from all over the UK to participate!
Tom has been designing and making furniture, especially cabinets, for over 30 years. Brought up on a farm on the Isle of Wight, he has always loved working with his hands and after attending West Dean College to learn cottage furniture, he has never wanted to do anything else.
Almost twenty years ago, Tom organised a first DIY Demons workshop for family and friends. “Still today what encourages me is seeing the pleasure on people’s faces as they master home maintenance tasks,” says Tom.
The aim of the DIY Demons workshops is to give people confidence with jobs that you might think are for tradespeople only, and perhaps save money too.
There are 30-40 day workshops a year. Each one is open to a group of maximum 8 people, who will learn such jobs as putting up shelves and cabinets, hanging blinds or curtains, electrical issues and basic plumbing such as changing a tap or cleaning a sink u-bend.
The day-long workshops also cover lighting types, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and burglary prevention.
The course teachers, Tom and his right-hand colleague Jason, show how to drill into different types of walls, and what fittings to use. They’ll advise on tools, how to use them and where to buy them. There’s also give advice about different types of woods, paints and glues.
“Mostly we have women enrolling,” says Tom. “Sometimes they find themselves no longer with a husband or partner, but with a garage of tools which they want to learn how to use.” So you can bring your own tools too, especially if you already have a drill.
Although the workshops take a certain direction, on the online booking form, you can add comments regarding what skills you want to learn. This is useful if you’re looking to bring your own group – nail that hen, bachelor, anniversary or birthday party!
DIY Demons is at Acorn Hall, 1E Row, London W10 5AW
For more information: www.diydemons.co.uk or 0787 981 7661
