In the summer of 2012 I had looked into booking the 4 training course modules that Schlüter Systems offer at their UK headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire. I was keen on furthering my knowledge of their vast product range & very interested in getting hands on training with their BECKOTEC-THERM underfloor heating system. I was also keen to take part in the training course modules to take advantage of becoming one Schlüter's registered installers. With a booked up diary & no free time looming I put the idea on hold. Sometime in december there was rumblings on Twitter via a few of my now Twitter tiling amigos that there was a possible road trip to Schlüter to undertake the training modules. So I sent a tweet to @Stewart_ & @mitchelltiling to see if I could tag along depending on dates & schedules! Within a week of liaising via twitter with Stewart at SPM Design & Kevin at Mitchell tiling, the dates were booked in the diary, Schlüter had kindly organised the 4 course modules to be put back to back over 2 days rather than the usual 4 days to accommodate the northern contingent! To top it off I received an email from Stewart who had orchestrated the trip that Schlüter had paid for our hotel costs & transfer to & from the course along with all required travel information & training agenda. I thought that it was a wind up for sure but to my surprise it was not & it was only the start of Schlüter's generosity & hospitality.
Throughout the various Twitter conversations & banter whilst organising the trip I coined the hash tag #tilersontour which I am taking credit for as well as copyright & the rest is history!!!
A month later myself & Bill aka 'Dad' or 'Mad Bill' or 'Crackerjack' had finished a days graft & the time was upon us to break out the new Snickers work trousers & Nyc Ceramics t-shirts, throw the holdalls in the back of the van & hit the motorway Leicestershire bound to finally put the faces to the names & meet the lads. After a blustery journey down to Leicestershire we arrived to find Stewart from SPM Design (Dunfermline), Kevin from Mitchell Tiling (Orkney), Joe from Hillhead Tiling Services (Armagh) & Jamie from JC Tiling (Fife) tucked up in the hotel bar nursing pints of stella & predictably geeking out regarding anything & everything tile related! A couple of cheeky ones were put away before last orders & the arrangements for the morning were confirmed before hitting the hay.
Builders brews & breakfasts devoured, the transport that Schlüter had kindly
organised was waiting for us at reception, ready for the short trip to the headquarters in Coalville. We were welcomed by Andrew Curry & his team upon arriving with the following introductions & a brew. The staff were very friendly & accommodating from the minute we arrived.
The theory based sessions were presented in a relaxed environment but very
informative at the same time. There was great interaction between us all & the staff throughout allowing us to ask questions along the way regarding the product, installation & theory. Throughout the 2 days we had the opportunity to handle numerous samples from Schlüters vast product range with familiar products such as Ditra membrane & numerous tile trims. To go hand in hand with the theory sessions there was the practical sessions where we all could get hands on with the product & install a range of products in a working environment. This was excellent as I was most looking forward to this as its the best way to learn the process & gives you the confidence to install the products in a working environment on site. Credit to Andrew & his team as they had to squeeze 4 courses into 2 days & they did a great job keeping it interesting & informative at all times.
Builders brews & breakfasts devoured, the transport that Schlüter had kindly
organised was waiting for us at reception, ready for the short trip to the headquarters in Coalville. We were welcomed by Andrew Curry & his team upon arriving with the following introductions & a brew. The staff were very friendly & accommodating from the minute we arrived.
The theory based sessions were presented in a relaxed environment but very
informative at the same time. There was great interaction between us all & the staff throughout allowing us to ask questions along the way regarding the product, installation & theory. Throughout the 2 days we had the opportunity to handle numerous samples from Schlüters vast product range with familiar products such as Ditra membrane & numerous tile trims. To go hand in hand with the theory sessions there was the practical sessions where we all could get hands on with the product & install a range of products in a working environment. This was excellent as I was most looking forward to this as its the best way to learn the process & gives you the confidence to install the products in a working environment on site. Credit to Andrew & his team as they had to squeeze 4 courses into 2 days & they did a great job keeping it interesting & informative at all times.
I was glad I finally attended the Schlüter Systems training modules in these circumstances as it meant I got to finally meet some of the most highly skilled & knowledgeable tilers in the British Isles. It was a bit odd travelling down thinking how the 2 days would pan out having not met any of the lads before other than Bill but #tilersontour was an instant success & some quality banter was had all round. I will leave the "unions'' debate between Bill & Stewart for another blog post! It was also great to meet up with Dave Carr from the Tiling Forum on the first night & Lee Simpkin of Tile Town who took the time to show us all around the Alvaston showroom & thank you for the hospitality.
If anyone is debating going on any the courses Schlüter offer do not leave it as long as I did, get them booked! Again, a big thank you to Schlüter & all the staff at Bardon 22 for their time & hospitality.
As #tilersontour was a resounding success keep your eye out for our our latest trip #tilersontour2 & trade magazine publications of our trip to Schlüter over the coming months!
Photo courtesy of Schlüter-Systems. Left to right: Bill (MadBill), Andrew Curry, Karl, Jamie, Kevin, Stewart (Moby) & Joe.
