This year’s Feast meeting was a great success. The Murley Hall was about as full as it’s ever been as members enjoyed a curry supper with the usual splendid array of desserts to follow.
After our meal, we were entertained by stories from Shanty Baba.
To top it all off, we collected boxes and bags full of items to take to the Penzance food bank. Well done, everyone!
Click here to see more photos of the night.
The baton has been in East Sussex and West Sussex over Christmas.
Kathryn Hutson, East Sussex County Chairman, accompanied by three members from the Board of Trustees, travelled on a bright but chilly day to New Romney. After a short trip on the steam driven Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway from New Romney to Dungeness and back, the Centenary Baton was handed over to Kathryn by Marion Rose, County Chairman of Kent, East Kent Federation.
On 6 January, the baton was passed to West Sussex at Balcombe Victory Hall.
Other West Sussex events included a craft-themed evening and a party held by Renaissance WI.
To top it off, a member of Worthing WI created this incredible Centenary Baton cake. The cake was raffled with the proceeds going to the establishment of a Denman bursary for local members.
The poor woman making and serving coffee at Johnny’s in Hayle didn’t know what hit her on Friday when about 20 of us descended on her!
We took over the place and spent a lovely couple of hours catching up on all the holiday news.
If you missed it, stay tuned for an update about February’s Coffee Beans and do try to come along and join in the fun.
On Monday we celebrated Christmas in style with a wonderful lunch at the St Ives Harbour Hotel.
We all arrived by bus or train …
and made ourselves comfortable in the bar before lunch.
At lunch, the usual hilarity ensued and a happy and noisy time was had by all!
We’re very sorry for those of you who weren’t able to be there because of work commitments. But next year our Christmas meal will be in the evening, so you won’t miss out!
Click here to see more photos of our lunch. Thank you to Helen, Joy, Polly, Sue and Wendy for all the photos.
Our Book Group closed out another successful year with a jolly gathering at Shirley’s house.
If you’re interested in joining the group or popping in to see what their monthly meetings are all about, contact Colleen Lewis on (01736) 363141 or by email on colleen@lewispz.co.uk.
Here’s wishing you all a happy 2015 full of wonderful reading!
Ten of us had a thoroughly enjoyable day making Christmas decorations led by Shirley Battle.
We each made a ring – some of which will hang outside as wreaths and some which will be table centres. We also made an arrangement incorporating a candle and a third arrangement made over the top of a glass container with decorations inside.
Shirley demonstrated each one and then we were let loose to do our own. At the end of the day we had three tables containing 30 different Christmas decorations!
It was a very relaxing day with the usual chatter and cups of coffee to help us on our way.
Thank you so much to Shirley for providing such good instruction and to Lis for organising the day.
Last week the baton was handed off from the East Suffolk Federation to the Essex Federation.
The baton stopped in Chelmsford, where Joanna Starr of New City Girls WI dressed as a town crier and posed with it. We hear there were lots of ladies, lots of cake and lots of Jerusalem.
In Southend, the baton was escorted down the pier by members of Southend Sisters WI and Westcliff-on-Sea WI.
Before leaving Essex, the baton stopped off for a special guest appearance at Brentwood Lighting Up where it was greeted by members of The Brentwood Belles WI.
Last Friday, Margaret Walton very patiently taught a group of us all about working with parchment.
We had never realised all the amazing things that can be created using just parchment, a few simple tools and some colouring pencils. Margaret showed us some of her spectacular work – including a spray of incredibly lifelike roses – and we were all very impressed. That was far too advanced for us, however, but we did manage to turn out some lovely pieces.
We first traced images onto the parchment using white pencils. Then we embossed our pattern, adding shading using special tools. Finally, we used coloured pencils, pastels or felt tip pens to add colour. Some of us made bookmarks, others mini Christmas crackers and others made cards, and we were all thrilled with our results!
Margaret was a fantastic teacher and got us all enthused about parchment! If there is sufficient demand, she’ll be happy to hold another workshop next year. So for those of you who missed out this time, you may get another chance! And I have a feeling some of us who were there on Thursday had so much fun that we wouldn’t mind a repeat session!
A big thank you goes out to Lis for organising and hosting the workshop (and for providing delicious cake), and a very special thank you to Margaret for her wonderful tutelage.
Twenty-eight Crowlas & Ludgvan WI members and friends travelled to Exeter last Thursday for some Christmas cheer and retail therapy.
The weather was mostly kind, despite some heavy rain in the early afternoon. Serendipity played a part; some members met old friends by chance and lunched with them; others of us had a clearly mapped-out plan which included (surprise, surprise) a visit to John Lewis. I think all of us strolled around the Christmas Market, held on the Cathedral Green. On offer were saucissons from France and bratwurst from Germany, pastries, mulled wine and crafts ranging from ironwork, woodwork and leatherwork to beads and candles.
Visits were paid to the library and the Cathedral itself, these provided a welcome physical respite as well as a bit of mental stimulation!
After a late afternoon departure from Exeter, we had a speedy journey home, thanks to Robin Tweed, our able driver.
It was a splendid day. “Didn’t we have a lovely time, the day we went to Ex’ter?” Although there was no cuddling with Jack on the way back and cider consumption just didn’t happen – we are the WI, after all!
The Centenary baton’s latest stop was with the Suffolk East Federation, where a tea party was held.
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI 