Learning Days

Attending classes and learning is for kids, right? Wrong! As Sir Francis Bacon, the English philosopher, once said, “Knowledge is power”. We couldn’t agree more; what better way to keep the mind fresh and active by signing up to some entertaining learning days?

Which experience to go for?

There’s a varied selection of choices to choose from here. For those who have never really understood the concept of Texas Hold’em, or for those who want to perfect their poker faces, here’s your chance to shine at the table with the Learn to Play Poker Experience.

Explore your creative side with the Jewellery Making Workshops. These classes are ideal for beginners or for those who already have knowledge of jewellery making but wish to seek further guidance from experts to improve their skills.

It’s embarrassing when you’re renowned as that person who has a tendency to ‘cut off’ someone’s head in photos, isn’t it? It’s not like you do it on purpose but maybe it’s time to brush up on those photography techniques - sign up for Digital Photography courses to learn where you are going wrong!

A peek at the experiences

Still unsure which learning day to go for? We don’t blame you as they all sound as good as each other. Here’s an in-depth description to help you decide; if you’re still sitting on the fence after this, you can always opt to go for all three experiences…

Place your bets

We agree that Lady Gaga can be somewhat controversial in her ways, but if you were left confused with her lyrics in the song, ‘Poker Face’, bury your head in shame; or better still, enrol yourself in some poker therapy!

Experts of the card game will run through how to play and give you tips, discuss tactics and strategies to enable you to become a poker expert. However, this learning day isn’t just for beginners, those who want to up their game can sign up and learn more from the professionals – remember, there’s always room for improvement!

Before the end of the class, participants will put the skills they’ve learnt into action by taking part in a tournament with fellow classmates. This is when it turns competitive, but it’s wise to note that real money won’t be involved, so don’t get too excited!

Jewellery galore

It might sound a bit weird - or not - but jewellery making isn’t just for the ladies. Men who have been racking their brains for the perfect gift for a loved one have come to the right place – make a personalised piece of jewellery that will surely get the waterworks flowing.

These workshops are varied and you get to select which pieces to design. Some of the best jewellers are at hand to help your session flow pleasantly, so don’t worry about making a mess of the ‘Chandelier Earrings’ or ‘Cocktail Ring’.

This day-class isn’t just for beginners; those who are already experienced in jewellery making will learn new methods and ways to help them improve their skills and techniques. Taking into account how others do things differently to you can only improve your knowledge in the jewellery-making industry.

Snap! Perfect

If you’ve been left named and shamed with a red-face when people complain about your photo-taking skills, it’s time to work on your relationship with a wide-angled lens by taking this six-hour Digital Photography course.

The good news is that it doesn’t matter which camera you’ve got - professional photographers will help you get the best out of your equipment by advising and guiding you throughout the session. If you have a particular problem, for example cutting off people’s heads in photos, let your instructors know and they’ll be able to advise you further to eliminate the problem.

If you know a friend or family member who is in the same boat as you when it comes to taking ‘unflattering’ photos, why not bring them along to the experience? Make it a day of laughs and giggles while learning together.

Good to know

• There will be up to eight or more other participants during your experience who are all keen on improving their skills. This is a good opportunity to share tips and ideas with each other.
• All materials in the Jewellery Making Workshops are provided. You will be given a wide choice of beads, pearls, wire and crystals to choose from to design your masterpiece.
• Venue entry for the Digital Photography course is included.

Pricing

This will depend on the learning day you choose, but prices range from under £50 to no more than £200. Some of the options include the poker and photography packages for two, which are perfect if you want to bring along someone else, as prices work out slightly cheaper than when purchasing them individually for two people.

Duration

Again, depending on the experience, classes will last between two and six hours. Time flies when you’re having fun and you’ll see for yourself that these lessons are nothing like those boring science or history lessons you once dreaded at school.

Location

Each location has been chosen carefully to reflect the nature of the experience. If you sign up for the photography course, you’ll find yourself at stunning venues, castles and gardens around England including places like: Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Sheffield Park Gardens in East Sussex and Montacute House in Somerset to name but a few.

You won’t be based in a casino for your poker experience, but fret not, you’ll be situated in a 'casino school' at a bar in London, Birmingham or Manchester. This is as real as it’ll get!

If you’ve chosen the Jewellery Making Workshops, rest assured that you’ll be in safe hands as you’ll be looked after by experts in Holborn at the London Jewellery School. If you didn’t know already, this is the UK's largest jewellery school – impressive, eh?

Verdict

We believe that it’s never too late to learn new skills and improve existing ones. You might turn up at one of these learning days and love what you’ll learn so much that you’ll turn it into a regular hobby or even make it into a career change. Optimism sure is the way forward!