Our new 2015-16 programme

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!

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.

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

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Centenary Baton Watch … Wiltshire!

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!

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We can’t think of a more perfect spot.

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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.”

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March walk!

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.

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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.

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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.

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

Centenary Baton Watch … Gloucestershire!

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

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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:

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The baton crossed the Severn on a rescue boat:

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

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Well done, Gloucestershire!

 

Card-making fun!

Today a group of us met at Gail’s house for a day of card-making. With scissors, guillotines, glue, tape and beautifully coloured and patterned papers at hand, we set to work on some serious card-production.

Sally and Di snip away
Sally and Di snip away

Sally Cockram brought all sorts of amazing bits and pieces for us to use – from her die-cutting machine (which had us all very excited!) to sparkly bits to add to cards, she was a treasure trove of goodies.

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Alison and Kathy hard at work

By the end of the day, we’d created enough masterpieces for all of our members’ birthdays. I wonder which one you’ll get!

A sampling of the beautiful cards we made
A sampling of the beautiful cards we made

Thank you so much to Sally and Val for their materials and expertise, to Val for organising the day, to Gail for hosting and to Val and Charlotte for the delicious cake.

Centenary Baton Watch … Somerset!

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:

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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.

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