But just before I do

Let me tell you about Eastcombe WI's 75th birthday party last night!

Great fun, 30s dress "optional" - which means to say a couple of members and I did, and the vast majority arrived looking gorgeous and so smart in their party clothes (2008 style!)

Never mind, we had a great time and not only was the food yummy, we got to take home a piece of birthday cake and a potato. Yes, in true 1930's style and following the example of one of their early birthday parties, we each took home a potato and a bag to grow it in, complete with instructions which finished "bring the crop back in September to be weighed".

Brilliant idea!

Thank you so much for a lovely evening, Eastcombe WI. Here's to the next 75 years!

For Mums everywhere

I think we can all sympathise with this?

Small world

Last week, I was with the Textile Treasures in Harrogate and not only met someone who was at college with me but also another WI member who'd attended the same grammar school in Hull. Still bemused by these encounters, another "small world" moment arose last night at Avening WI's 77th birthday meeting.

We spent a super evening in the company of Mike and Pat Ledbury, from Inkberrow in Worcestershire, also known as "Morning Dew". After enjoying Mike's folk music and some interesting folk tales, accompanied by Pat on drum, we celebrated the 77th birthday of Avening WI with something a little stronger than tea this month. Chatting to Pat, I happened to mention I'd been at Castle Tump WI the previous night, and what a terrific bunch of women they were. Just as well I'd found them so - Pat's sister Gill ("Our Gillian") is their secretary!

Just illustrates that we need to be careful what we say - we never know who we are speaking to!

In a Gloucester Shoe Shop

Sue Wilson, GFWI Press Officer and soon-to-be WI Adviser just emailed me this photograph which made me smile. I think quite a few members could have made use of these, don't you?

Thank you, Sue!

Home from Denman

I'm back from Denman, where I've been helping with the Textile Treasures exhibition and acting as College Chairman for a week. It's been fun, but rather hard work! We staged the exhibition last weekend, ready for the arrival of students on Monday morning.

Sue Lewis, of Suffolk East Federation designed the exhibition and did a wonderful job of ensuring that all exhibits got space to breathe and look their best. Did you see the Lydbrook WI table runner in the first photograph?

On Wednesday it was the official launch of the exhibition, which will go on tour (together with another 200 pieces) around the ICHF shows next year, to Exeter, Cardiff, Brighton, Harrogate, Glasgow and Birmingham. I'm going with it, so hope to see you there!

All week, the college was busy with students coming and going, doing Taster Days which were a great success. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and quite a few Gloucestershire members too.
On Sunday, it was the College Open Day and we welcomed 900 members to look around. Fortunately the rain held off for most of the time and it only just began to rain steadily as everyone was heading home.

It was good to see how proud members are of their college and to be reminded of what a very special place this is.

It was even better to sleep in my own bed last night though!!

Gloucestershire's 1000

I'm sure everyone in Gloucestershire knows about the 1000th birthday celebrations of our county, but you may like to read more about what's happening here.

One item which I feel sure will interest a few of our members celebrates the writing tradition around Gloucestershire, and a competition is being held. I know we have some talented writers in our membership and it would be wonderful for your memories to be included in the publication which will result from this competition.

More details about Write Around Gloucestershire can be found at the website.

We're back!

We had a great time in London, where fifty or so delegates and a few guests were attending the NFWI AGM at the Royal Albert Hall. We went up on Tuesday, giving us an opportunity to have an afternoon sightseeing and shopping and for some, a night out at the theatre.


We arrived at the Albert Hall bright and early and had good seats in the stalls with an excellent view of the proceedings.

Lunchtime saw the usual migration across the road to the steps of the Albert Memorial and thankfully, the sun shone so that we could picnic in comfort around this magnificent monument.
Wouldn't you just let this determined group of pedestrians go across the road?! Several cars and buses did, though there were a few toots from impatient drivers.

In the afternoon, Gloucestershire members cheered as our Ros was presented with the Huxley Cup for her winning entry in the national Flower Arranging competition at last years Royal Show. Well done Ros!

And surprisingly, in spite of all the ticket checks, at least one stowaway found his way into the arena- but he was very well behaved and didn't heckle once.

Bishops Cleeve WI walk the Cotswold Way

I had a great evening with the members of Cleeve Group in Prestbury the other night and Yvonne Cole, President of Bishops Cleeve WI was telling me about their walking group. I asked her to send me some details.



Yvonne wrote:


"There are five of us doing the Cotswold Way Walk, all in our 60's. We started last October, by end Jan two of them were on 2 months holidays, started up again in May. You would think all of us being retired we could fit it in quite well, but we do have a problems meeting every week. The five of us doing it are: Joan Williams, Ann Buttler, Jacky Mason, Margaret Clapton and me. Margaret and Joan plan the route from the Cotswold Way Book and map, we generally do 8 miles at a time, and as a lot of the walks are very hilly we feel at our age that is enough. The longest walk was 10½ miles. We are not doing this for any other reason than we wanted to see the scenery and we obviously like walking. It is amazing the chatter we get through and discussions (when not going up hill), because Joan, Ann and Jacky are on W.I. committee we do not have chance to have long discussion at W.I. The five of us usually go on the monthly W.I. walk that Joan organises.



We started at Chipping Campden on 18th October doing a 10½ mile walk to Laverton, it was very misty for part of our walk, then it cleared up. Next was November Stanton through to Winchcombe, this was 7½ miles, a lovely sunny day. December was from Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill Golf Club 7 miles, once again fog, then brilliant sunshine at Belas Knap, then over the hill fog again. Jan 07 Golf Club to Severn Spring 8 miles, very windy, most beautiful scenery. If I remember going up the hills we took our coats off because we became so hot. The next walk in January Severn Spring to the Air Balloon Inn 6 miles, it just rained all the time, how wet we got and could not see anything. We decided we would never walk in that sort of rain and wind again. May Air Balloon to Painswick 9½ miles, what a wonderful day, so hot, tee shirts, the garlic bulbs were all out, the views marvellous. We stopped and had a cup of at The Haven Tea Garden, a wonderful lady who had been doing teas from her little place for at least 30 years or more. We walked up the side of Coopers Hill (cheese rolling hill), walked by side of Painswick Golf Club and the Beacon view excellent. The next May walk Painswick - Kings Stanley 8 miles, a cooler day and not much sunshine, passed the half way sign. Walking through the different woods on the last two walks were wonderful, the lush green leaves that had all come out on the trees and the view of the river Severn, miles away was a lovely sight. We passed Haresfield Beacon went through Standish Woods then down through Ryeford into Kings Stanley to pick up the one car."





Clearly Yvonne's group are enjoying this challenge. How about letting us know about your adventures?

Seeing ourselves as others see us

I've had a wonderful week travelling around with a group of American ladies and our good friend and WI member, Mary Valentine. The group, named "Friends and Philanthropists" are interested in women's community groups and focused on the WI for their tour to London, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire. Whilst in Gloucestershire, they met up with members of the Executive, toured the north Cotswolds and had tea with Ebrington WI. They spent a fine morning in Sheepscombe Village Hall, enjoying an excellent performance of History and Mystery and a speaker from the Stroudwater Textile Trust before sitting down to a delicious lunch prepared by members of Sheepscombe WI. After lunch, they were enchanted by their visit to Celia Hargrave's garden with glorious Gloucestershire sunshine thrown in for good measure. Of course, we felt they should experience some of our traditional WI events as well, so a game of skittles took place at the Cheese Rollers and Duntisbourne Abbott WI welcomed the group to their Gardeners Question time. It was interesting to see our Federation through different eyes and of course, you all did us proud! Thank you for making our visitors so very welcome.

I travelled north with them on Friday morning, towards Yorkshire and the village of Burnsall, our base for the weekend. Whilst there, we were welcomed into the home of Lynda and Terry Logan, Miss July and her husband, the photographer of the Calendar Girls, some of whom joined us that evening for dinner. We were delighted to spend Saturday evening in the company of former NFWI Chairman Helen Carey, looking good and as busy as ever - no surprise there! Greetings were passed on to Gloucestershire Federation and I returned good wishes on your behalf. Sadly, Charlotte Foster, organiser of the Community Challenge and known to many of you for her terrific work on that project, was ill and therefore unable to be there as planned.

Yesterday, Sunday, we spent a couple of hours in the company of Barnsley's best - Mel Dyke, author of "All for Barnsley" and the person who enabled me to bring Joanne Harris to Cheltenham for us last year. She introduced us to the Chief Executive of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, who was so inspired by The Shires WI, he wants to open one in their Town Hall! Finally, we received the warmest of welcomes by the owner of Pollyannas boutique, Rita Britton, where we had lunch and browsed her exciting store full of first class fashion.

People often ask me what the WI has done for me. Having the privilege to join this group and see their reaction to the wonderful network of WI members throughout the country is a fine example of the organisation at its best. "I'm Gill, a WI member from Gloucestershire" is enough to start the liveliest of conversations and opens all kinds of doors in surprising places. Next time you are in a new place, away from home, why not try it?

Christmas parties

My WI, Avening, chose the most challenging night of the year to hold our Christmas Dinner at The Bell. I had to take an unusual route since a tree had fallen across the road in the torrential rain we'd had during the afternoon and the stormy conditions resulted in most of the village losing power supplies for a few hours. Fortunately, the lights (and most importantly, the cooker!) came back on just before 7 o'clock, though as the picture shows, our great President, Maisie, came prepared with a hurricane lamp, just in case!

We had a terrific evening, the food was great and the conversation flowed - of course! 

The Red Shoes!

We held two magnificent Christmas Concerts yesterday to universal acclaim from the audience who claimed it was "the best ever"! All down to the skills of our choir, led by Jill and formed from members of more than a dozen WIs, who, together with the band from Newent School, organist James Brown and soprano Jane Gilchrist, our guest artistes, put together a super programme. Ian, conductor, was on form and used the skills of the audience (playing car keys!) to make Jingle Bells go with a very special swing!


I think it was Maureen, a member of Eastcombe WI, who told me that in China, red shoes are a sign of authority. I wore mine to the concerts yesterday, but found I had quite a bit of competition!!

 

Stitching and Bitching in Upleadon

Well, it was thought that Knitting and Nattering was a little too staid....and as you can see, there wasn't much knitting!

Last night, I joined members from several WIs in the Newent area (Dymock, Castle Tump, Hartpury, Newent) to stitch and bitch in Upleadon village hall. Barbara had given me excellent directions, so I found it really easily, and Diane was already there, with kettle and heaters all switched on ready.

No shortage of conversation! Newent WI had put together a great display of what they've been up to recently, and were challenged by a local quiz doing the rounds - can you see the steam coming from those hard working brains in the picture?! We chewed over all kinds of subjects - getting younger members, finding good speakers who don't cost the earth and the importance of the Great Milk Debate mentioned in the previous post. Maybe one of those events will be in Newent? Hope so! As usual, it was a really enjoyable evening and I'm looking forward to being back in that hall next October to do a workshop for Castle Tump WI!