I am a complete novice to woodwork and wondered if there were any books,
videos, dvds or websites you could recommend.

I am interested in furniture making and toys.

Good it helps to know where you're focus will be.

I have a week long carpentry course starting soon and would like a head
start.

An excellent place to start. Here across the pond carpentry refers more to
on-site construction of things like houses. I'll assume that that is a
cultural language subtlty.

Any recommendations most welcome.


Periodicals. I'm not sure what's available over there. I used to get Better
Homes and Gardens: Wood. Like several other magazines it has a mix of
projects, product reviews, and articles on techniques. The ads can be fun to
look at too.

I think a mix like this is appropriate for someone who is in the "I don't
know what I don't know" stage.

For a book, I would suggest "Understanding Wood Finishes" by Bob Flexnor.
(Not specifially "woodworking" but necessary)

-Steve