Ron Fox’s routing courses are now in their seventeenth year, the first one having been held on 24th January 1994. The very first student was a retired solicitor with a little Bosch router, since when an amazing cross-section of professions and occupations, including professional woodworkers, have come through the workshop doors.

The standard offering is a one- or two-day course aimed at beginners, including those who have not yet bought a router. Topics covered include choice of router and cutters, maintenance, safety, basic router handling, simple jigs and work aids, guide bushes, curves and circles, and router table work. For those who have progressed beyond the beginner stage, tuition is offered on specific topics such as dovetailing, finger jointing, panelled-door making, box making, and miniature work. Most of the commercial jigs are available, including the Leigh dovetail and FMT jigs, the WoodRat and Little Rat, and the Trend mortise and tenon jig. Wealden specialities include the linen-fold and raise-a-panel systems. The latest addition to my workshop is the US-made Router Boss, with all its accessories. I am also awaiting the arrival of the WoodRat 'Pathfinder' templates designed to increase speed and productivity.

Right from the start, the courses have been based on one-to-one tuition. The only exception to this is if two people wish to come together. What each might miss in terms of individual attention and hands-on practice can be made up for by comparing notes afterwards. Pairs have included friends, business partners, married couples, father and son, and brothers. The courses are totally independent; not tied to any particular manufacturer of routing equipment.

We are situated in a very pleasant part of the country, four miles south of Horsham and eighteen miles north of Worthing on the A24. The South Downs National Park is a few miles away and other attractions include Arundel, with its castle and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, The Bluebell Railway, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve, Wakehurst Place ‘Kew’s garden in the country’, The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, The Amberley Chalkpits Industrial Museum, The Art and Craft Community at Ditchling and others too numerous to mention.

If this is too formal there are hundreds of country walks, including the South Downs Way, and dozens of charming country pubs. Students often bring their other halves and combine a one- or two- day routing course with a few days enjoyable break. Just Google ‘Sussex tourism’ for details of all that’s on offer.