crowlasludgvanwi

2015 Spring Countdown … and TOILETS!

April 29, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Those of us who attended the Cornwall Federation’s Spring Countdown on Tuesday had a full day!

In the afternoon, we heard a great talk by author and former nun Eleanor Stewart who spoke candidly and often humorously about her life. Sent first to France and later to Liverpool, Eleanor completed her nursing and midwifery training while a nun. However, her strong desire for children of her own led her to leave after eight years. She dispelled some of the myths we held about nuns and entertained us with stories about giggling with the other novices, drinking babycham and revealing her secret to her flatmates.

Anyone wanting to find out more about Eleanor can pick up her books, Kicking the Habit: From Convent to Casualty in 1960s Liverpool and New Habits: From Sisterhood to Motherhood.

The highlight of the day for Crowlas & Ludgvan members, however, was hearing our own Sue Badcock stand up in front of the audience and speak passionately about saving our public toilets. This was presented as a possible WI resolution and was passed by an overwhelming majority of the members present.

Hooray for Sue who did such a stellar job of representing us!

After we returned from our lunch break, Cornwall Federation Chair Barbara Corbett revealed that she’d been on the phone with Radio Cornwall’s Laurence Reed and had told him about our resolution. You can listen to Barbara here. Her bit comes at about 01:42:00, so scroll forward until you find it.

It looks as though the fight is on! We’re looking for ideas of how we can ‘Save Our Loos’, so please put on your thinking caps!

Centenary Baton Watch … Oxfordshire!

April 26, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

The ladies of Oxfordshire have had great fun celebrating with the centenary baton, as it crossed the county by boat, horse and cart, vintage MG and fire engine.

Glorious sunshine welcomed about 200 members of the Women’s Institute to Oxford by steamer boat from Abingdon.

Linda Needle, Treasurer of Steeple-Aston WI, and her husband Roger, transported the WI baton to Bicester Garden Centre in a 1934 van with baker’s livery. Along the way, they stopped at five WIs to collect homemade cakes to deliver to the garden centre.

Lulu Belcher, he oldest member of the Fritillary group, took the baton in a 1926 Bullnose Morris from Denman to her group’s venue in Horspath, where it was met by a fanfare of buglers.

The baton was also taken by dray horses to a pub lunch before a picnic in Broughton Castle.

Shirley’s April walk

April 23, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

This month’s walk took us to Trelowarren Estate on the Lizard Peninsula. The weather, though breezy, was sunny and warm.

We walked through beautiful woodlands with a variety of wild flowers in bloom for us all to enjoy. Part of the walk on National Trust land led us to Tremayne Quay on the Helford River where we we nearly blown away! However a short distance away there was a very pretty warm grassy area with rough seats and a swing where we enjoyed a rest and our picnic.

We returned through Tremayne Woods to the Yard Restaurant on the Trelowarren Estate looking forward to tea and cake. Sadly it was closed!

Thanks to Joy for the photos, which you can see more of by clicking here.

Our April meeting

April 22, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

We had a very full house for our meeting this month, and for very good reasons!

Our speaker, Mrs Ute Brice, kept her audience rapt with a talk about being an evacuee during the Second World War. As a young child, Mrs Brice, along with her family, was evacuated in 1938 from Stuttgart to a village in the Black Forest. She shared with us all of her stories, some good and some bad – from collecting bilberries in the countryside with her twin sister to having her family home in Stuttgart destroyed by bombs. It was a fasincating talk and we were all completely caught up in it.

Crowlas and Ludgvan WI was founded on 27 April 2000 which makes this our 15th birthday! To honour the occasion, after the meeting this week, rather than our usual biscuits, we were treated to a very special birthday cake. A huge thank you goes to Val Puddiphatt for making the delicious cake which was enjoyed by all.

Our new 2015-16 programme

April 16, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

You’ll be getting your copy of our 2015-16 programme at our meeting on Monday, but if you can’t wait until then why not have a sneak preview now!?

Click here to see everything that’s on offer for the next 12 months. We have topics ranging from garden pests to Cornwall Blood Bikes to cheese-tasting to community cinema.

Big thanks go to Jane Twose for putting together such an exciting and varied programme.

Centenary Baton Watch … Berkshire!

April 15, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

The Centenary Baton is inching its way closer to the Royal Albert Hall every week! It has just left Berkshire where it was greeted in Cookham by members of the Cookham, Cookham Dean and Dean Rise WIs, as well as the Mayor and Mayoress of Windsor and Maidenhead, Richard and Mary-Lou Kellaway.

The three institutes gathered at Cookham Dean Cricket Club for a celebration tea, with members singing songs from the First World War.

Coffee Beans at Archie Browns!

April 11, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Thanks to Joy for sharing her photos of Friday’s Coffee Beans meet-up at Archie Browns in Penzance! It looks as though everyone had a great time!

Centenary Baton Watch … Wiltshire!

April 2, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

You don’t need three guesses to work out where our Wiltshire friends headed when looking for an iconic spot to pose the Centenary Baton!

We can’t think of a more perfect spot.

The baton also visited Salisbury Plain with Wiltshire Federation Chairman Isobel Acott and other WI members. There, they bravely sat atop a Challenger tank!

Isobel said: “It was absolutely fantastic, the army were marvellous, we could not have asked for anything more.”

March walk!

April 1, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Shirley reports that the March walk was a great success! The group had wonderful weather for their fabulous walk frrom St Loy woods. The walk led them down through the woods, beautifully bright with lots of daffodils at this time of the year.

At the bottom, they joined the coastal foot path in the cove. It was hard walking over the boulders on the beach but the two dogs had no difficulty. The walk was stenuous with lots of climbs up and down hills but the stunning views and diverse flora kept them going.

Just before Lamorna they headed inland and of course ended up in the local pub in Lamorna. This helped them to tackle the last long hill up to the Merry Maidens and along to St Loy, a bit weary but happy.

Thank you to Mary for her wonderful photos of the walk, more of which you can see by clicking here.

Centenary Baton Watch … Gloucestershire!

March 26, 2015November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Before handing the baton off to Wiltshire, the Gloucestershire Federation celebrated in style!

Former Blockley WI president Sheila Weir cuts a celebratory cake to mark the Centenary and Blockley’s part in carrying the baton via Royal Enfield motorcycle and Watsonian sidecar:

The baton crossed the Severn on a rescue boat:

Ebrington WI members dressed in period style and then set off through the village to Chipping Campden in a vintage tractor and trailer:

Well done, Gloucestershire!