Crowlas & Ludgvan WI

Royal Cornwall competition – “A very attractive entry”

June 7, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

For those of you who didn’t know, a small team of Crowlas & Ludgvan WI members has been hard at work for the past month or so working on our entry for the Royal Cornwall competition.

The theme this year was ‘A Parish Walk’, and Wendy Allen, Shirley Battle, Di Curnow, Helen Kestle, Val Puddiphatt and Jane Twose made up our team.

The four elements of the exhibit were cookery (an item of Cornish fayre to sustain you on your walk), a craft item for your walk, a photograph of a gate along your walk and a floral arrangement to depict a cottage garden.

Shirley looks a bit concerned as she stages our entry on the Wednesday before the Show opens.

Jane made us a fabulous Cornish seafood pasty, with a delicious filling of crab, monkfish, prawns and saffron. Wendy took a beautiful photo of a gate. Shirley came through as always with a lovely floral display. And, finally, our craft item was a little ‘Field Notes’ notebook for a walker to jot down details about plants he or she found on the walk – Helen and Jane made handmade paper (with instruction from Gail Allen), Di embroidered a stunning flowery cover for the notebook and Val filled it with spectacular watercolours of flowers and plants.

The best part of our exhibit (we thought) was our staging. At the centre of the exhibit was a mini stile on which we placed the pasty and the notebook. The base of the display was covered with broken bits of slate with scattered moss, bark and pinecones. It all looked so beautiful!

In the end, we came fifth out of 29 entries which we were very pleased with. It’s only our second time entering and we’re still learning the ropes! Our highest scores came for Interpretation, for which we were given 19/20 (“A lovely interesting idea well displayed”); Staging, for which we received 18/20 (“A very attractive entry. The stile is the right proportion.”); and Shirley’s flower arrangement which also received 18/20 (“Creative and imaginative. Delicate colour harmony. Really charming.”)

There were some really wonderful entries this year so we were all delighted to have done as well as we did.

A ginormous thank you goes out to the entire team, as well as Gail Allen, Ted Battle and the incredible John Curnow who built our stile and without whom we’d have been sunk!

And finally, a photo of some of our tireless members after finishing their stint serving tea in the WI marquee at the Show on Friday:

Julie Blewett, Val Puddiphatt and Wendy Allen

Gill Gowland and Colleen Lewis also volunteered and served teas on Saturday.

Thank you to everyone who helped both with the competition entry and with the teas!

Spotted on the Prom!

May 31, 2014May 30, 2014 crowlasludgvanwi

Who spotted this lovely photo of a family of pirates in this week’s Cornishman?

A splendid morning at Tremenheere

May 30, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

The weather was definitely in our favour this morning as a group of us were treated to a wonderful tour of Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, led by Dr Neil Armstrong, creator of the gardens. What we’d thought was going to be a rainy day turned into an absolutely perfect one.

Most of you will probably remember Neil’s talk to our group last October. We were so inspired by what he had to say and were delighted when he offered to give us a tour.

Sue Knights, Ruby, Jane Twose and Pam Smith listen to Neil Armstrong talking about the Skyspace.

Neil led us along tranquil paths around ponds overhung with ferns, through an exotic woodland of palms and bamboos that felt almost like a jungle and emerging onto arid slopes with breathtaking views over to St Michael’s Mount.

Dappled sun on Seymour Tremenheere's bridge (which bears his intitials and the date 1849). — Dappled sun on Seymour Tremenheere’s bridge (which bears his intitials and the date 1849).

All the while he pointed out unusual plants, running through their names faster than my brain could keep up with!

Nestled at various spots throughout the garden are spectacular sculptures and works of art, spaced as Neil explained to us, “randomly, but evenly”. We saw James Turrell’s wonderful Skyspace, the beautiful ‘Black Mound’ charred oak piece by David Nash and two pieces by the very talented Kishio Suga.

Tim Shaw's 'Minotaur' - new this year. — Tim Shaw’s ‘Minotaur’ – new this year.

We were told about a new sculpture which will be arriving tomorrow – a highly-polished silver skip! It will be placed near the entrance to the gardens. “People can make up their own minds about it,” said Neil. You read it here first!

After our tour, we sat outside in the glorious sunshine and had lunch at The Lime Tree Cafe. Over delicious plates of food, we talked about morning and how much we’d appreciated Neil sharing with us his incredible passion for the gardens. If you haven’t yet been, you’re missing out on something very special!

Jane Twose, Tracy (Pam Smith's sister) and Pam Smith enjoy the sunshine. — Jane Twose, Tracy (Pam Smith’s sister) and Pam Smith enjoy the sunshine.

See more photos of our day here.

Seeing Pink!

May 28, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

There was a sea of pink this evening on the Penzance harbourfront as Julie Blewett, Helen Kestle, Pippa Lilley and Beth Marshall (along with Beth’s daughter Sam who’s visiting for the week) volunteered at Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

We arrived early and were briefed on our role working in the Admin Marquee. Our job involved signing in any racers who didn’t have numbers, answering all sorts of questions from the public and guarding our box of safety pins very carefully!

Sam and Beth got into the spirit of things and were even on stage getting the crowds going.

Helen particularly enjoyed her Madonna-moment, wearing a very important radio headset.

We worked hard, but had a great time, and it was all for a wonderful cause. The atmosphere and camaraderie among the racers was really special with everyone coming together for a common goal.

Over 900 women and girls raced, most dressed in amazing pink get-ups.

It was a completely rewarding experience and we hope to join in again next year … though next time, instead of volunteering, we may try to put together a team and join in the 5K walk!

Chairman’s Coffee Morning

May 26, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Some of our hard-working Crowlas & Ludgvan members staffed the kitchen at Friday’s CFWI Chairman’s Coffee Morning.

Diana Kelynack and Gill Gowland wait for the hordes to descend. — Diana Kelynack and Gill Gowland
wait for the hordes to descend.

Serving well over 200 WI ladies from all over Cornwall was a tough job, but we rose to the occasion and made it through!

Val Thomas was up to her elbows in soapy water all morning!

The day was a great success and CFWI Chairman Kathy Reed was extremely grateful to us for our help.

Julie Blewett wielded the teapots like a pro.

Informative and Inspirational: Our Resolutions Meeting

May 20, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Last night’s Resolutions Meeting provided members with a lot to think about as we cast our vote for or against this year’s NFWI resolution.

Our speakers were Dr Gillian Saville, a consultant from the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro who deals with transplants; and Joanna Nankervis, a 12-year-old girl from Penzance who received a kidney transplant nearly two years ago.

Joanna Nankervis shows off her Transplant Games medal as she talks to us about her experience as a kidney transplant recipient. — Joanna Nankervis shows off her Transplant Games medal
as she talks to us about her experience
as a kidney transplant recipient.

Little Joanna stole the show. She gave her own Power Point presentation, describing her experiences with dialysis through to her transplant and recovery, and on to her great successes at the Transplant Games. Joanna, who’d like to be an underwater photographer, when she grows up, brought along her proud mum Helen and grandmother Lyn to our meeting. Her story was truly inspiring and the applause we gave her was testament to that.

Gill then gave us the professional’s perspective with facts and figures that were at times staggering. Although 90% of people say they would accept a donated organ if they needed it, the percentage of those who say they are willing to donate is much lower. We discussed the new system in Wales, whereby people who have neither opted in nor out of organ donation will be assumed to have opted in. Gill talked about the fact that not only does organ donation save lives, it also enhances lives. There is no greater example of an enhanced life than Joanna Nankervis.

Following both speakers’ presentations, we had a lively and engaged discussion and question-and-answer session after which we cast our votes on the NFWI resolution which reads as follows:

The NFWI notes that three people die every day whilst waiting for an organ transplant. We call on every member of the WI to make their wishes regarding organ donation known, and to encourage their families and friends, and members of their local communities to do likewise.

I’m pleased to report that Crowlas and Ludgvan WI voted unanimously to support the resolution. Our vote will be taken by our link delegate to the AGM in Leeds next month.

There’s a great little article about organ donation and the WI on the Western Morning News website which mentions the talk some of us heard at Spring Countdown earlier this year and which quotes CFWI Chairman Kathy Reed. You can read the article here.

If any of you is interested in joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, you can find the link to the website Gill mentioned last night here. As she explained, it allows people to be very specific about which organs they would be willing to donate.

Buttons! Buttons! Buttons!

May 2, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Today a group of us met to learn the art of making Dorset buttons – with varying degrees of success, I should add!

If you’ve not heard of Dorset buttons, they’re hand-made buttons which were popular from the early 17th century until they were rendered obsolete by machine-made buttons in the mid-19th century.

To make a button, you begin with a metal ring and some embroidery silk.

From there, it gets a bit complicated as you cover the ring and then create spokes of silk to make a button in the cartwheel pattern.

After a great deal of intense concentration …

Our end results weren’t too bad!

After a lunch break and a lot of laughing, we turned our attention to traditional fabric buttons in the afternoon. Embellished with embroidery and beads, they were really lovely.

A big thank you to Lis who organised today’s workshop, to Gail who hosted and acted as tutor and to Charlotte and Sue Martin who were invaluable in helping us untangle our threads!

See more photos of the button workshop here.

Read ‘The WI Guide’ and win money for Crowlas & Ludgvan WI!

April 30, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

The WI Guide is now available. This is a new WI publication designed to recruit new members and give existing members more information about the WI brand.

If you’d like a copy, please see Alison. Copies of the Guide are available for £5 each.

Otherwise, you’re welcome to print your own copy here, or view a screen version here.

Once you’ve read through it, why not enter the CFWI WI Guide quiz? All the answers you need for a perfect score on the quiz are within The WI Guide. You could be a star and win £75 for Crowlas & Ludgvan WI! You’ll have received a copy of the quiz by email but in case you’ve misplaced it, you can find it here.

Our April monthly meeting

April 29, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

Our first meeting of the 2014-15 season got us all off to a great start. We had a nearly full house and also welcomed five lovely guests whom we all hope to see again soon.

We’ve now created a one-stop table for you to sign up for all of our events, outings and craft days, as well as for all CFWI events. This was a really busy spot last night! In addition, on the table were samples on display of the lovely buttons we’ll be making at this Friday’s button workshop, and some samples of our Rag Dolls’ fabulous rag rugging work.

We’ve also given a boost to our Sales Table and hope it’ll continue to thrive. Rona brought some delicious-looking homemade jam last night which went very quickly! If you’d like to sell anything from garden produce to baked goods to craft items to things you just no longer need, please bring them along. You’ll keep 90% of the money you make, with 10% going to Crowlas & Ludgvan WI funds. Please remember that you are responsible for pricing your items. If you have any questions about the Sales Table, please see Sue Badcock.

Val with guest speaker John Richards at the competitions table

Our speaker last night, John Richards, regaled us with tales of his childhood and youth in old Penzance. Who would have thought Penzance was once home to 14 butcher shops, countless sweet shops and four cinemas?! John had us all giggling with his wonderful sense of humour – in particular a joke about a zebra who escaped from the zoo.

It was wonderful to see such a full Competition Table this month! Flower of the Month was won by Helen Kestle. Our other competition was to bring a photograph of Penzance, and some of the entries were fascinating. The winner was Margaret Walton, with Wendy Larkin second and Kathy Merrett third.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

April 29, 2014November 28, 2015 crowlasludgvanwi

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the WI’s 2009 resolution about honey bees.

During the last year, the NFWI has worked hard to help persuade the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that a joined-up, comprehensive Bee Action Plan is needed if we are to tackle bee decline effectively. The Plan is currently out for public consultation, providing a key opportunity to tell government what should be improved, as well as remind them that the WI and wider public are behind an ambitious pollinator strategy that will make a real difference to bees in the long term.

Here’s what you can do to help:

Sow seeds for bees. Plant a range of flowers so that bees can have access to pollen from spring to late summer.
Support local honey. There’s a lot of beautiful local Cornish out there! Not only does it taste delicious, it’s also reputed to help prevent hayfever
Send a postcard to the Minister for Bees. If you didn’t get one at last night’s meeting, we can get more! Email us on crowlasludgvanwi@gmail.com.

Egypt-bees — A picture of a beekeeper taken from an Egyptian temple from 4,500 years ago.

Have you read Martha Kearney’s Bee Blog? It’s really great! And what about tuning in to see her on BBC 4’s The Wonder of Bees? If you’ve missed it, you can always catch it again on iPlayer.

If you prefer your bees in real life, why not go on the CFWI ‘A Day at an Aviary’ event at Lanhearne Aviary near St Eval in June? You’ll have a chance to don a bee suit and visit some working hives! The cost is £17 per person. See Alison or email us on crowlasludgvanwi@gmail.com if you’d like to put your name down. The deadline is 7 May.

Finally, why not try a recipe using honey?

Honey Granola
Granola is like a slightly sweetened roasted muesli, which gives it a lot more crunch and chew, as well as some baked nuttiness. It’s the honey that really brings this together: as well as being a preferable form of sweetener, it binds the ingredients to make fun clusters. Try blossom or heather honey for a proper taste of the British countryside in your breakfast bowl. Once you’ve made your own granola there’s no going back to shop-bought.
(Makes around 1kg)

150g honey
60ml sunflower or groundnut oil
250g rolled oats
100g bran
150g sunflower seeds
100g hazelnuts
150g dates
100g dried apricots
100g wheat germ
100g sultanas

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

2 Pour the honey and oil into a pan and heat gently until the honey has melted.

3 In a bowl, mix the oats, bran and sunflower seeds, then pour on the liquid from the pan and mix well. Spread out on a big baking tray.

4 Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning everything three or four times, then leave to cool.

5 Meanwhile, roast the hazelnuts until they turn a golden brown (which takes about 10 minutes), then roughly chop, along with the dates and apricots.

6 When cool, mix everything together with the wheatgerm and sultanas. Store in an air‑tight container; lasts for about a month.

Recipe from The Guardian, 9 February 2013.

Keep the honeybee buzz going!