Suzanne Montague and her husband Stuart have noticed an increase in people wanting to enrol in their term classes or weekend workshops since they reopened post-lockdown.

"A lot of the people, they've realised life's more than just going to work and looking at a computer screen," Mrs Montague said.

"Everyone is aware of their mental health and they're also looking at going back to hobbies ... and decided to make their lives a lot simpler."

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This October the Montagues could have expected up to 9000 people to attend their annual Festival of Wood at Bulli Showground, although they're happy they could still host a series of workshops in its place.

"We were very aware of people losing their livelihood so we wanted to try and keep some kind of momentum going," Mrs Montague said.

"The people we're using in the workshops would have been involved in the festival as well with stalls or workshops."

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During October, people can learn how to carve a whale, make a stool and carve their own kitchen utensils.

The Montagues expect the full festival to go ahead next October to give the public a chance to observe and appreciate the skills and craftsmanship of those who work with wood.

For more details on workshops visit: https://woodworkschool.com/workshops/

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