Author: crowlasludgvanwi

Happy Chinese New Year

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year_of_the_goat_silhouette_with_flower_pattern_2015_312413Today 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!

BBC Food Website - Chinese New Year (9th January 2012)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?

 

Centenary Baton Day!

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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.

CFWI Federation Chairman Barbara Corbett arrives at Land's End with the Centenary Baton (005) Photo by Peter Puddiphatt
CFWI Federation Chairman Barbara Corbett arrives at Land’s End with the Centenary Baton (005)
Photo by Peter Puddiphatt

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.

Crowlas & Ludgvan WI members at Land's End Photo by Pam Smith
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI members at Land’s End
Photo by Pam Smith

And some of us even donned wetsuits and posed with the baton on the beach!

WI members Niamh Noone, Jane Twose and Pat Gloyn pose with surfboards in Marazion (057) Photo by Peter Puddiphatt
WI members Niamh Noone, Jane Twose and Pat Gloyn pose with surfboards in Marazion (057)
Photo by Peter Puddiphatt

What a day it was!

You can see more photos here.

Our walking group hits the St Ives coast path

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The weather though cloudy was surprisingly mild for our walk from Lelant to St Ives. Our route took us along the coastal path with all the wonderful views of St Ives Bay up to Godrevy.

We had two pitstops – sitting outside for coffee with our doggy friends Ruby and Norman at Carbis Bay Hotel, and then lunch in St Ives. After a hearty bowl of soup we walked back to Lelant for a second helping of the views.

Julie, Mary, Jane, Shirley, Val, Pat, Liz and Hazel, along with doggie guests Ruby and Norman
Julie, Mary, Jane, Shirley, Val, Pat, Liz and Hazel,
along with doggie guests Ruby and Norman

Thanks to Pat Gloyn for the photo!

(submitted by Shirley)

Winter bird feeding tips from the RSPB

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fieldfare_sr_tcm9-238713To get you all geared up for Monday’s speaker, Roger Hooper of the RSPB, here are some tips for you to help our feathered friends get through the winter:

Know your birds
Different species eat different things. Sparrows and finches like seeds; tits like fat; and thrushes and robins like fruit and worms. And starlings will eat just about anything. Make sure you’re providing the right menu for your diners – find out what to feed birds. (Not sure which birds are visiting you? Try the RSPB bird identifier)

Look out for leftovers…
Some of our own food can be good for birds – for example, fruit cake or mince pies, dried fruit, unsalted nuts, or apples and pears past their best. Try sprinkling grated mild cheese under trees and bushes for more timid birds like wrens and dunnocks. Here’s a fun family recipe for making special cake for birds.

Choose the right stuff…
Birds probably won’t eat your unwanted Christmas Day sprouts. And putting out turkey fat is a big no-no – it’s so soft it’ll stick to birds’ feathers and stop them from keeping waterproof and warm. Avoid anything mouldy or salty (too much salt is poisonous to small birds).

Don’t poison your pets!
Birds love dried fruit. But if you have a dog, don’t put grapes, currants, raisins or sultanas within their reach. Vine fruits can be toxic to dogs (check the RSPCA’s advice).

1040799_tcm9-282110Keep water in bird baths and ponds unfrozen
Birds need to drink and bathe every day – even when it’s really cold outside. A pond or bird bath is great, but even an upturned bin lid or plant saucer can give birds the water they need. We’ve got lots of useful tips on how to keep water from freezing.

Put out the right amount of food
Only put out what will get eaten during the day. This is important if you want to avoid unwanted visitors like rats. It’ll also mean that there aren’t big piles of mouldy food on your bird table.

Keep it clean!
Dirty bird feeders and bird tables can help spread diseases. Make sure you clean them regularly to keep your visitors healthy and happy. And always wash your hands after feeding the birds!

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/387868-top-10-bird-feeding-tips-this-winter

Craftiness on the Moodle

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Heart-4I wonder if you all know how many wonderful crafty resources are available on the WI Moodle!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Moodle, let me explain. It stands for Modular Object Orientated Dynamic Learning Environment. That’s quite a mouthful and doesn’t really do the Moodle justice. Really it’s an area of the NFWI website which is restricted to WI members and which enables you to view information, download documents, communicate with other members and learn new skills.

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As well as committee training information, the Moodle contains a wealth of information about everything to do with the WI. But I want to talk about crafts here.

There’s a blog written by NFWI’s Craft Adviser and which is full of crafty news. There’s a calendar of craft shows and exhibitions around the country. There’s also a forum where you can chat with other WI members and exchange projects, patterns, etc. Some people are even offering items for sale!

The best bit, however, is the list of projects available. Some are simple, some intermediate and some require more skill – so there’s something for everyone! The projects range from knitted items, like these lovely bunnies:

Cuddle-Bunnies

… to beautiful fabric-covered lampshades like these:

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There are instructions for creating birthday cards, making a crochet hat, upcycling old clothing, making a cake topper for Valentine’s Day and beading a necklace.

To access the Moodle, you will need a password. This ensures that it’s a ‘safe’ area and is only for us, the WI members. To get a password, drop Helen a line on crowlasludgvanwi@gmail.com and she’ll request one for you. You’ll have it in 24 hours and will be on your way to crafty fun in no time!

Our First Walk of the New Year

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Despite the rain, six members completed the five-mile circular walk from Falmouth on Wednesday.  The first half took us through quiet streets and lanes to Swanpool. Shortly before Swanpool the rain stopped and we were able to enjoy the wonderful views of  the beaches, Pendennis Castle and St Mawes.

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Our reward was a big bowl of soup in the cafe at Gyllyngvase Beach!  Highly recommended. The rest of the walk followed the coastal path back to our cars.

Our next walk is from St Ives and is on 11th February. If you’d like to join the group, send us an email on crowlasludgvanwi@gmail.com.

Centenary Baton Watch! … Hampshire

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By vintage bus and fire engine, on horseback and by boat – the Centenary Baton continued its journey with a visit to Hampshire last week.

The baton was welcomed to Hampshire with a hand-off from the West Sussex Federation. Click here to listen to a BBC clip of the Mayor of Havant welcoming the baton to Hampshire, and then to Hampshire Federation baton coordinator Ros Cooper who describes the baton as “terribly unexciting, really”!

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Staunton WI members dressed as suffragettes for the occasion.

 

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Hampshire WI member Zoe Stanley brings the baton to West Tytherley Primary School on horseback.The baton made its way from Twyford into Winchester city centre on Friday, with a torch-lit procession taking place down to the High Street to the Guildhall.

 

The baton made its way from Twyford into Winchester city centre on Friday, with a torch-lit procession taking place down to the High Street to the Guildhall.

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The Winchester leg started on Thursday with a celebration in Alresford. Branch chairman Gill Graham Maw carried the baton from Basingstoke in a 1979 AA van and was greeted with cheers and clapping.

Alresford WI chairman Gill Graham holds the baton
Alresford WI chairman Gill Graham holds the baton

Copythorne WI held a party at the village hall, with all members suitably costumed.

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