The baton continues its journey around the country, with a stop in Somerset, where a big group of WI members welcomed it to Montacute House:
Later in the week, Lympsham WI held a celebration complete with a vintage tractor and songs from preschool and primary school children. A centenary cake was cut and a special centenary balloon was sent off with a tag asking the finder to let the WI know how far it travelled.
Dairy farmers saw the price of their milk fall dramatically throughout 2014, and the start of 2015 shows no upturn in their fortunes, with three of Britain’s four main dairy processors recently cutting the price they pay to farmers.
The price cuts have been blamed on a supermarket price war with several of the main supermarkets now charging just 89p for 4 pints of milk. On top of this price war, dairy farmers have been affected by growing farm costs, and a ban on imports to Russia which has led to a glut of dairy produce.
Continuous price cuts are making dairy farming an unsustainable business for many farmers and are likely to have an irreversible effect on the British dairy industry. Back in 2012, when milk prices were at crisis levels, the number of registered dairy farmers was 10,851. That number has in recent weeks dipped below 10,000 for the first time ever, and further price cuts are likely to see many more farmers go out of business.
Threats to the industry are not just a problem for the farming community but for every member of the public that uses dairy produce.
Get involved – How you can support British dairy farmers
Consumers have real power to bring about change, and buying British dairy is a great way to support dairy farmers. Consumer action in 2012 helped prompt many retailers to take action. Here are some tips to help you back British dairy:
96% of us consume fresh milk but few of us recognise its real value. By backing British farmers we can ensure that the British dairy industry remains strong and that we can access high quality, high welfare, locally produced dairy for years to come.
Our neighbours in Devon have just had the Centenary Baton for a week. Let’s see what they got up to!
Our own former Federation Chairman Kathy Reed handed over the baton at the Tamar Bridge in the presence of Councillor Jean Dent, Mayor of Saltash, and Councillor Michael Fox, Lord Mayor of Plymouth.
Here’s the baton in the grasp of Devon Federation Chairman Elma Blackmore, here flanked by her two vices Julie Ayre and Angie Williams.
At Exeter Cathedral, I’m told a spontaneous ‘Jerusalem’ came over the ladies, much to the delight of passersby!
Halwell WI hosted a party:
And made some fabulous costumes!
Well done, Devon!
Our exciting week of hosting the Centenary Baton seems ages ago now, doesn’t it?
We thought we’d share some more photos of the baton’s journey around Cornwall with you.
To start the week, the baton was carried into Truro by Federation Chairman, Barbara Corbett, accompanied by the mayor and mayoress of Truro, the Federation officers and representatives of Truro WI. They travelled in a Victorian horse-drawn coach.
Next up was a trip to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.
A coffee morning in Helston included a special centenary display.
As well as some very smartly dressed WI members and their partners!
At Trerice Manor, near Newquay, it was all about dressing up.
What better way to cycle than wearing Edwardian plus fours?
It was a truly wonderful week! Now we only have to wait for another 100 years before we can do it all over again.
Click here to see more photos from all over Cornwall.
A group of us (plus two friends from Hayle WI) spent today at the Murley Hall having a wonderfully messy time with lumps of clay!
Local ceramicist Samme Charlesworth instructed us, beginning with some fun exercises. One of those involved us forming 20 very quick little clay objects in 20 minutes – one minute per piece. We wound up with everything from peas to cats to flipflops!
Before taking our lunch break, we rolled out slabs of lovely soft clay and let it dry a little. Then after lunch, we decorated it using paint and all sorts of bits and pieces to add texture and interest. And then came the fun part! Making our pieces!
Some of us wrapped our clay around bottles, using the bottles as forms to shape a vase. And some of us made small dishes and even coasters.
Of course, all this was done with the usual scrummy cake, thanks to Lis Davies and Val Puddiphatt.
The hard part now is waiting a couple of weeks for our pieces to dry and to be fired twice. Stay tuned for more photos once we get our work back! In the meantime, have a look at the rest of today’s photos here.
If you didn’t have a chance to leaf through the shiny new Denman College course brochure at our last meeting, it’s now available online.
Click here to have a look.
This brochure covers the period from March 2015 through December 2015 and offers all sorts of exciting courses from millinery to cooking Indian street food to life drawing to public speaking. There are also history and heritage courses which get you out and about touring such sites as Blenheim Palace, Bath and Hampton Court.
If you’ve never been to Denman, do give it a go! You’ll have a fantastic time! And don’t forget – non WI-members are welcome to book as well, so you can bring a friend (non-member rates are slightly higher).
If you’d like a paper copy of the current brochure sent to you, ring Denman on (01865) 391991.
By now you’ll all have seen the fantastic photos Peter Puddiphatt (Val’s husband) took at our Centenary Baton events at Land’s End and Marazion last Wednesday.
If you haven’t seen them, take a look!
Peter has agreed to produce prints at a cost of £1 each for anyone who would like them. If you’re interested, please contact me with the number of the print(s) you’d like (they’re all numbered in the above linked album). You’ll also need to get your money to me. Once I’ve heard from everyone, I’ll deliver the order to Peter.
How about a deadline of Monday 16 March (our March meeting)?
Thanks, everyone!
Today marks the start of the Chinese Year of the Goat!
Those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 are goats, who can count their lucky colours as brown, red and purple. Their characters are supposedly kind and peaceable, while their best months are August and November and their lucky flowers are primroses and carnations. Are you a goat?
As well as being celebrated in China itself, celebrations occur in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and all countries where there are significant Chinese populations. Roughly one-sixth of the world will be celebrating!
If you’d like to do something to mark the occasion, how about cooking a lovely Chinese dish tonight?
How about stir fried chicken with black bean sauce? Or what about some Sichuan pepper beef? Or if you’re feeling fishy, perhaps Sichuan-style sea bass with vegetables?
Nearly 20 members of Crowlas & Ludgvan WI joined in the Centenary celebrations today, either at Land’s End or Marazion … or both … along with WI members from all over West Cornwall!
Helping to mark 100 years of the W.I. was a special opportunity for all of us, and not one we’ll forget! We all watched CFWI Chairman Barbara Corbett arrive in style, first in a shiny red Jaguar at Land’s End and then in a lovely old Astin Martin in Marazion.
We heard the Marazion Apollo Male Choir and the Heyl St Piran Singers. We enjoyed cake and more cake. We all had a chance to hold the baton. We heard talks by the Lord Lieutenant Edward Bolitho, by Mary St Levan of St Michael’s Mount and by our own current and former Federation Chairman.
And some of us even donned wetsuits and posed with the baton on the beach!
What a day it was!
You can see more photos here.
The Centenary Baton made its final stop before reaching Cornwall last week, visiting Jersey and Guernsey.
This photo was taken with Lee Durrell and the bronze statue of Gerald Durrell in the grounds of Durrell Wildlife Park in Jersey.
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI 