Well, what a night we had in Coaley - Judy Goodman was on excellent form, entertaining us with her stories as she prepared a roast goose and ideas for accompaniments. Favourite of Delia Smith and one of Rick Stein's Food Heroes, she clearly knew what she was talking about and in spite of one or two hiccups along the way (we didn't mind seeds in the gooseberry sauce!) the end result was excellent.
185 members from 29 WIs packed into Coaley Village hall to hear Judy, which was a terrific response. Coaley WI ladies were in the kitchen, not only serving teas but also providing Judy's back up service.
Sadly, I forgot to take a photograph at Huntley, where 90 members heard Steve Brookes share some of his many gardening tips. We had a great evening, laughed at the method of collecting sheep droppings in a pair of tights and will all be grating soap before long. The friendly atmosphere and delicious tea and cakes served by Huntley WI ladies made the evening one to remember.
I went to Ebrington WI's open meeting last night as "me" (ie not as CC), where they had a speaker from the RSC Stratford. Fascinating! Who knew that actors worked to such a punishing schedule for months on end? They must be devoted to their art.
What made the evening particularly enjoyable was meeting so many friends - there were members from several WIs there, all chatting and catching up with news and sharing ideas over a cup of tea and a bite to eat. This really was WI at its best...
These sloes were from a secret (!) source near Bourton on the Water and are now steeping in the gin ready for next year's winter tipple. It seems that it's a bumper year for fruit in Gloucestershire and we're wondering if you've made your Sloe Gin yet?
Do you wait for the first frost to harvest your sloes, or do you gather them before that?
Another member has been busy making apple jelly with her windfalls. I spent all day yesterday slowly cooking a huge pan of apples - about 10lb. I left them in the jelly bag overnight and have about half an inch of juice dripped through. Is that all?! Should I expect more?
What are you making at the moment and what experience can you share?
A busy weekend, beginning with a night out in Blockley on Friday, when Exec members and friends got together at the Italian Gourmet for a sociable evening of tasting and chatter. On Sunday, however, WI House was open as part of the Gloucester Civic Trust Heritage Open Day programme and we welcomed a steady stream of visitors through our doors.
We offered tea and home-made cakes in a sunny corner of the car park and our shop was open too, but these weren't the main reason for people to visit. They were far more interested in the building itself and the stories behind the people who lived there - most importantly, Miss Ella Moreland daughter of the Englands Glory Match Factory founder, Samuel Moreland. Sue Wilson had spent many hours researching this, speaking to people connected with the family, such as Miss Moreland's nurse, Ethel, and thanks to her, we had a good few stories to tell.
It was hard work, both preparing the house for visitors, on the day itself and clearing up afterwards! At the Exec meeting next week, we'll get some feedback and discuss whether to do it all again next year or sometime in the future.
The resolution which sparked the Keep Britain Tidy campaign may have been passed in 1954 (before your County Chairman was born, I might add!!) but members of GFWI are still doing their bit to keep everything looking neat and tidy.
Sue and Pat, members of the GFWI Executive, have been doing more than their bit this week, preparing WI House for the Heritage weekend opening on Sunday. Rumour has it that they were not only spotted armed with Brasso and Duraglit, but that the stained glass windows had a birthday clean as well.
Thank you both for your hard work - it was much appreciated!
(The picture above was taken on a particularly dreary January morning last year, to accompany the planning application for our car park gates)
After a good lot of interest in a new WI in Stroud last Friday, last night saw a fine bunch of women turn up at Wheatpieces, to find out what it's all about.
I'm hopeful that we'll have a couple of baby WIs forming here!
On Friday afternoon, Jo Kay (Winchcombe WI) and I went along to the HQ of the NHS Trust Consultation Committee to hand over letters from members. In then end, we had letters on behalf of over 2000 members from all parts of the county - a pretty impressive showing.
We invited the Echo along, to record the occasion, so members could see their letters being placed in the right hands - Becky Parish was pleased to receive them and be photographed.
Emma, the reporter, made a very tentative request for Jo and I to sing Jerusalem. The answer was a firm "no"!
The weather was fine and sunny, but incredibly windy, and the nature of the occasion meant that we chose to look serious. In the end, the windswept hairdos and fierce expressions caused some funny photographs to appear in Saturday's Echo.
What a good job WI members have a sense of humour!!
