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!
News
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!
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!
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!
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!
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 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.
By the end of the day, we’d created enough masterpieces for all of our members’ birthdays. I wonder which one you’ll get!
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.
2015 Annual Meeting
After this week’s Annual Meeting, I’m pleased to announce that your Crowlas & Ludgvan WI committee for 2015/16 is as follows:
Helen Kestle – President
Alison Latham – Secretary
Di Curnow – Treasurer
Shirley Jones
Kathy Merrett
Niamh Noone
Val Puddiphatt
Jane Twose
Congratulations to Sue Knights who won this year’s Competition Cup. Well done, Sue!
Upcoming County Events
If you’d like to know what the Cornwall Federation of Women’s Institutes (CFWI) has planned for the coming year, click here.
This is only a guide and events and dates may change, but it gives you a good idea of the variety of what’s on offer – everything from Tudor banquets to Jack the Ripper to floral arts.
It looks like an exciting year ahead!
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:
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.
Back British Dairy!
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:
- Look out for the Red Tractor logo, a sign that the product is high quality, and meets strict environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards while being produced in the UK.
- Keep in mind that supermarkets are only one part of the retail sector. High street coffee shops and food outlets are all dairy customers; why not ask about their policies and how they ensure the produce they stock returns a fair price to farmers before you buy.
- Remember, milk is just part of the dairy market. Half of the milk produced by British farmers goes on sale as liquid milk, meaning that the other half goes into butter, cheese, yoghurts, desserts etc. So make sure all your dairy products are British.
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.
Centenary Baton Watch … Devon!
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!
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI 