AS an office worker who spends much of my time shackled to my desk, I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to concentrate on something rather more practical for a couple of hours.

There are few people who spend much of their working day in front of a computer who wouldn't relish the chance to do something a little bit more hands-on every now and again. Not being a great one for digging, building, and other alpha male pursuits, the invitation to take part in one of the upholstery workshops at Peterborough College of Adult Education seemed ideal.

It was clear from the off that the class was a friendly bunch, and it was interesting to have a nose around at the projects they had at various stages of completion.

Rosemary Bell was refurbishing a Victorian chair, a typical example of a good piece to upholster in that the beautifully-made wooden frame was in great condition, but the more superficial coverings needed some care to be taken over them.

"Modern furniture is so expensive, and it's just not built to last," Rosemary said when I asked her why she has settled on this pastime.

"It's very satisfying when you finish something for your home that you can make exactly how you want it."

The college runs more formal classes as well as the workshop I was attending, and as the session started, tutor Linda Cree chatted to each of us in turn about the different refurbishment projects.

She gave me a foot stool to get started on, a Parker Knoll beech-framed object that was missing a cushion and was covered in some rather old-looking springs.

The first thing she said I needed to do was to take the springs out, which was simple enough, and after that, I would have to add some webbing to the frame to allow it to take the weight of a cushion, and indeed, a pair of feet.

This was the fun part. As someone who very rarely goes near the tool kit my dad gave me, it was strangely thrilling to be hammering in tacks and nails. Getting all the webbing in place took a fair bit of concentration, and the time just disappeared.

I made a couple of mistakes in "weaving" the webbing together for extra strength, but Linda soon reversed the calamity.

"It's only by making mistakes that you learn not to do it next time," she said.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the workshop was watching the progress of the people around me. Each member of the group was quick to point out how friendly the group is, and there was a natural curiosity about what their classmates were getting up to.

In front of me, a huge armchair was slowly taking shape, while to my left, the wonderfully-aged frame of a chez longue was getting a new lease of life as each spring was being sewn in.

Linda explained that if I were to stay on in the class, I would tie new springs into my footstool, before covering it once with hessian and another time with some stuffing before adding the material of my choice to finish it up.

Jackie Hall at the college explained the appeal of the workshops.

"It's a great way to bring an old piece of furniture back to life and to create something to your own style and design," she said.