Leigh and District WI - October 2008
The October meeting of the Leigh and District WI on Tuesday, 14th October proved to be a very lively affair with an attendance of, as per usual, over 30.
The business part of the evening was attended to first and there were many items to be discussed as a very busy time of year in the social calendar approaches.
Wendy Kirk, president, was delighted to announce that the Macmillan Coffee Morning at the Green Man, Milwich, had raised £941 for the charity.
The afternoon spent filling shoe-boxes for the Romanian charity was well attended by 8 WI members and 4 others and more than 70 boxes were filled. These are now ready for a service at Baddeley Edge Chapel on 26th October.
The Denman Delight evening was also pronounced to have been a resounding success and to have been enjoyed by all who attended. (I have a photo ready and waiting to add to this post and will add it as soon as I can persuade the photo to load itself up to this website !).
Next event, an outing to Chatsworth for a floral arrangement demonstration on the next day after the meeting, 15th October, was eagerly anticipated by 13 members.
Major item for discussion on the agenda were the arrangements for the Murder by Candlelight evening at Checkley Village Hall on 23rd October which promises to be a most enjoyable evening and which is being catered by Leigh and District WI with a three course hot supper.
On the following evening, 24th October, the Fiveway Group meeting will be at Bramshall Village Hall.
The annual Coins for Friendship collection was taken with everyone’s spare coins being collected into an envelope for the ACWW (Association of Country Women of the World).
The WI Group Carol Service this year will be held at Dodsleigh Chapel on Thursday, December 4th at 7.30. Please come along. Everyone is most welcome.
A national memorial to WI members is to be built at the National Arboretum in the form of a bench built into stonewalling. Fund raising for this is in progress.
Mr Peter Glew, a basket weaver from Norfolk provided the entertainment part of the evening.
The baskets he makes are generally from willow which is grown extensively in Somerset and the Norfolk fens. Pieces of this very flexible wood were passed round the room so everyone could comprehend how they can be woven into such intricate and varied shapes. This is a traditional craft and is the basis for the dance, Strip the Willow as in times gone by stripping the willow branches was carried an activity carried out by everyone in the community. Mr Glew has been doing fulltime basketry for two years and had a wide selection of baskets on display and for sale. He said that hey should last a lifetime. If a basket squeaks then it is talking and saying it is thirsty so should be given a good soak. The talk was completed with a practical demonstration of weaving the willow which carried on through the serving of refreshments.
The meeting was brought to a close with thanks to Mr Glew for a most enjoyable talk.
Next Meeting – November 11th. Mr Phil Greenwood will speak on the topic “Family History” and the competition will be, appropriately, a small family heirloom. Everyone welcome. Contact tel : 01538 722573
The meeting for December will be replaced with a Christmas social event of dinner out at the New Broom.
