Archive
This is the section of the website where you can find reports of past activities, sets of photos and other items which may still be of interest, although they are no longer current.

Reports
Fantastic Plastic
A Day For Federation Science Representatives At Denman College 16/05/07

Speaker: Dr Averil MacDonald, Head Of Physics At Reading University

Sue Moulds of Tibberton and Taynton WI wrtes: At last I know why disposable nappies work so well.  The very first demonstration showed a plastic that absorbs water whilst staying dry, (although there is a limit as anyone with small children in the family will know!)

The day was planned to explore the nature of plastics, recent advances, problems caused and ‘how plastics will save the world’.  We were also given names and sources of speakers and some spectacular methods of demonstrating air pressure – all you need to really wow your guests at a barbeque are some hot coals, water, beer cans, tongs and a pond. 
 
The day began with a brief introduction as to what plastics actually are and some demonstrations of their properties. 

Plastics tend to get a ‘bad press’ making us all think about landfill and bags that will never decay, yet they are also amazingly useful.  Did you know that bullet- proof vests are made of plastic?  We mop up oil slicks with a gel as well as set our hairstyles. There are even plastics that conduct electricity. Many replacement joints use plastic and we passed round a most realistic looking and feeling false leg! 

We were soon open mouthed at dissolving plastic laundry bags, the idea of a sheet of plastic illuminating our homes, making light bulbs redundant and our minds struggled with the thought of a ‘roll it up and take it with you’ television that could be attached to any wall anywhere when we want to watch it. Yet all of these are being developed already.  We can buy the laundry bags on line now. 

Many of the problems caused are being addressed.  When plastics were  first commercially produced scientists had to work out how to stop them degrading!  Now they are working in reverse.  Even degradable chewing gum is under production.
One issue is that very little plastic is recycled because it is not possible to separate the different types. Most of what we put in the recycling bins is shipped to China to be burnt.   Dr MacDonald demonstrated a device that can distinguish the different types.  Scientists at Southampton University are now working on how this can be applied on an industrial level

The afternoon session found us making rubber balls from latex, well perhaps mine was rather square shaped, but it still bounced.  Have you seen that revolting ‘slime‘ that children love to play with and leave gathering dust in various nooks and crevices?  Well my ‘street cred’ with my grandsons will be going up by leaps and bounds because I can make it.

We were told that plastics are going to save the world, carbon emissions will be drastically cut and fossil fuel power stations will become redundant all because of a plastic ion exchanger in the hydrogen fuel cell.  Our energy can be produced and cars will run on hydrogen produced from water.  When that burns the sole waste product is .. water  Petrol companies are developing hydrogen powered cars now.

Dr Averil Macdonald is a charismatic and fascinating speaker, full of energy and great fun.  If ever you get the chance to hear her jump at it.  All of us, whatever our background in science, were motivated and thinking hard all day.  I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to be there.

Walking Weekend in Wiltshire
Diana Colbeck writes: Umbrellas up, down, up, the weather forecasters got it right, showers followed by heavy rain. The Ten Tors Challenge may have been abandoned but stalwart WI members, husbands and friends were undeterred as they enjoyed their May weekend walking holiday in Wiltshire.

First stop on the journey down was Bath for sightseeing, strolling along the river, sampling a Sally Lunn bun or shopping, dodging the showers. It’s amazing how many M&S bags found their way back on to the coach. Next stop, the Centurion Hotel at Midsomer Norton with its excellent facilities and delicious food.

Saturday, showers. Walking started from the picturesque town of Bradford upon Avon and members had the choice of a shorter walk along the canal towpath to Avoncliffe aqueduct, across fields to the river Frome returning via a variety of stiles and pastures; or the longer walk past the ruined Farleigh Hungerford Castle by the river Frome, the attractive Iford Manor and the aqueduct. Then decision time, the easy canal towpath back or for those wanting a challenge a short stiff climb through attractive Warleigh village followed by an interesting descent through the steep terraces and alleys of Bradford upon Avon stopping to visit a tiny restored chapel, the Saxon church and the Parish church with its millennium collection of beautifully embroidered panels depicting the history of the town.

Sunday, rain turning heavy. This sorted them out! Fortunately walking started from Stourhead so the choice included visiting the House, shop and restaurant; short walk with time to visit the House and Garden or the long walk for the intrepid few. The panoramic view from the chalk downs needed a strong imagination but was more impressive than the misty one from the top of King Alfred’s Tower. However, the highlight of the day was Stourhead Lake, gardens and beautiful rhododendrons with their heavenly perfume at the end of the walk.

All too soon the farewells were being made to our excellent walk leaders Graham and Sue and the coach slowly steamed up with wet bodies drying out on the journey home.

Meet the Archers
Diana Colbeck reports: On no account forget these most important instructions. Don't shoot the instructor". Words of wisdom given to 40 eager first time archers during the safety briefing at the Archery Afternoon. Members, husbands, one brave young son and visitors from Gwent Federation enjoyed a sunny session at Dene Magna School, Mitcheldean on July 28th under the expert tuition of Andy and Graham. After being equipped with a recurve bow and 3 arrows everyone was shown the correct way to shoot at the target. Amazing how easy it is to miss altogether, too high, too low, to the right, to the left, but as the afternoon progressed the target was found and some people became quite expert and even hit the bulls eye. Perhaps more luck than judgement but it all counts! Next we were given balloons to blow up, someone's birthday? No they were pinned on the targets and all we had to do was aim, shoot and burst them. Sounds easy, but just like skittles it is amazing how many small gaps there are. Finally we were introduced to flu-flus - similar to an arrow but with a rubber tip instead of a point and a spiral of "feathers" instead of the usual flight feathers. The aim was to shoot these high into the air and let them spiral down into a bucket some distance away. Great fun but somehow the bucket remaind empty! A superb afternoon ended all too soon with everyone shooting a volley of flu-flus - just as the archers did at Agincourt, except they used proper arrows. Well maybe with a little practice........

Mendip walking weekend
Carpets of bluebells and a sea of foaming white garlic were just two of the delights on offer on the May walking weekend recently enjoyed by members, husbands and friends in the Mendips.

A visit to Wells on the journey down gave everyone a leisurely opportunity to explore the Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace or the interesting shops before arriving at the Webbington Hotel. Saturday was decision time - to join the longer walk with a steady climb from Cheddar to the rim of the Gorge before heading through lovely nature reserves to Beacon Point, the highest on the Mendips; or to opt for the less strenuous walk starting at the top of the Gorge. A pity the promised far reaching views were lost in haze but Graham and Sue, our excellent leaders, described them beautifully and if you used a good imagination they could be seen! "Mind the bike", "Another one coming" were chorused on one stretch of path as small groups of 24hour sponsored mountain bikers had chosen the same weekend and path as us! However, everyone returned to Cheddar safely either to visit the caves or enjoy a well earned cup of tea and some intrepid people even ventured into the hotel swimming pool before dinner.

Sunday, the walks from the hotel led to high moorland and more extensive views with slightly better visibility. Today it was the turn of the Cubs! Packs of Cubs and adults were all heading for the same viewpoint as us so we decided it must be worth the climb. Lunch was enjoyed in the sun while watching the trail heading our way and then disappearing off in another direction before our descent back to the hotel, a refreshing shower, tea and cake.

The weekend ended all too soon with everyone asking "Where to next year?"

The Hanten & Kimono Workshop
The two day Hanten & Kimono workshop at WI House finished in May and was greatly enjoyed by everyone who attended. Some stylish and practical garments quickly emerged from beginners and expert sewers alike. Betty Hebditch's excellent tuition made everything clear and enjoyable.

Inspired or sorry you missed it?. We are planning a repeat of this workshop in the Autumn/Winter. Look out for it.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire Interviews
GFWI Chairman Gill Thomas writes: One Friday morning in June, Pete Wilson of BBC Radio Gloucestershire came to France Lynch to do an interview with me about Gloucestershire Federation for his Saturday morning programme. Fortunately, our good friend and WI member from California, Mary Valentine, was staying with us at the time and so Pete was able to get "two for the price of one"!

You can listen to this radio feature here: 15:50

Being interviewed by Pete wasn't anything like as nerve wracking as I feared! He knew so much about the WI already (being a WI husband himself, of course) he put us immediately at ease and the resulting interview turned out to be a good promotion opportunity for Gloucestershire Federation and the WI in general.

In the following weeks Gill was interviewed again, this time by BBC Radio Gloucestershire's John Rockley, and talked about "Life, Jam and Jerusalem". John followed this up with interviews with Barbara Lucas and Maureen Bannatyne who discussed about GFWI's forthcoming Medical Ethics conference, and with Sarah Brasher and Rachel Davis who talked about Tutshill WI.

You can listen to these interviews here:

Gill Thomas talks to John Rockley about "Life, Jam and Jerusalem"

Barbara Lucas and Maureen Bannatyne interviewed by John Rockley about the Medical Ethics Conference.

Sarah Brasher and Rachel Davis talk to John Rockley about Tutshill WI..

Does your WI have something to talk about on the radio? Would you like to participate in a future feature about what you are doing and what's going on in your community? If so, get in touch with WI Press Officer Sue Wilson, who would be delighted to hear from you!

Mrs. Doris Cunningham's 100th birthday
Claire Ford, of Minchinhampton WI writes: At our May meeting we were delighted to be able to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of our founder members, Mrs. Doris Cunningham. We started singing "Happy Birthday" as soon as she arrived and presenting her with a bouquet of flowers and a card signed by all our members. Doris then cut her cake and a resume of her long and interesting life, from her birth in Plymouth to her retirement in the Cotswolds was read. A photographer arrived for the Stroud News and Journal and this delghtful young man then sat and chatted to Doris for the rest of the afternoon while we all enjoyed a wonderful selection of sandwiches prepared by our members. The afternoon came to an appropriate conclusion withan enthusiastic rendering of Jerusalem.

Denman Weekend
71 members enjoyed the Denman “experience” at our Federation’s Denman Weekend in April, hosted by outgoing Denman rep Rosemary Bishton and GFWI chairman Gill Thomas. Twelve of them were first timers. Many said that they would return and two others booked for a course in July there and then!

The tutors were all excellent including the Watercolours tutor, Sue Klemencic, who kindly filled a gap at the last minute. Both Peter Lawrence (Discovering London) and Anne Batchelor (Family History is Fun) have been noted as future speakers at County events.

Those on the Discovering London course had a good trip out to the capital in beautiful weather, everyone was fit and healthy, the bar was well supported, the food was good and the atmosphere buzzed with chatter.

It was Rosemary’s final duty as Denman representative and she said “Thank you everyone for allowing me the privilege of being Denman Rep. for Gloucestershire for the past three years and for the lovely rose you have given me. This will always be a reminder of a very happy time in my WI life.

GFWI Annual Reports 2005
Pat Davies' summary of reports from Federation WIs is available for viewing or download.

Barbara Gill Memorial Service
On Sunday 26 March, Pam Sparrow and Sue Wilson went with Gill Thomas to Leicester Cathedral, for a Choral Evensong and Memorial for Barbara Gill. In the congregation were members of Leicestershire and Rutland, representatives from most of the other Federations around the country and current and past members of the Board of Trustees including our own Poppy Moss. Unsurprisingly, the service began with Jerusalem and went on to include favourite hymns and prayers. Fay Mansell, current NFWI Chair spoke warmly of Barbara and the difference she had made during her life as a WI member, and a Leicestershire Executive member spoke of her delightfully relaxed and caring nature from a Federation point of view. Federation Chairman Jane Harris brought the eulogies to a close by reading a poem written by a WI member in Barbara’s honour. One personal touch was the inclusion of “Love Changes Everything”, Barbara’s favourite song, beautifully signed by Paul Whittaker, who many of you will recall from our Annual Meeting a couple of years ago. It was a fitting tribute to a remarkable woman.

Annual Council Meeting
New member LInda Cook writes: Having just joined Twyver WI, I had no idea what to expect when I offered to be a delegate at the GFWI AGM held at Cheltenham Town Hall. As soon as I walked into the foyer, I saw a lady I used to live near in Brockworth and we had a chat for a few minutes and arranged to meet at lunch time.

I found a seat fairly near the front and after singing Jerusalem Gill Thomas opened the meeting, I had never seen Gill before but found her interesting to listen to and admired her confident, easy, manner. After the welcome by the Mayor ot Cheltenham and and a few other items, I settled down to listen to Gill giving the Chairman's address. As a new girl I found this very interesting especially concerning the continuation of the Home and Country magazine. The adoption of the Annual Financial Statement and the ' Teapot' chat from Taylors of Harrogate. Working within the health service, I thoroughly agreed with the Strike before Stroke topic by Liz Daykin, regarding reducing our salt intake. Denman College sounds a great place to visit, maybe before too long, but the speaker Rev Celia Carter was the highlight of the day for me. She captured my attention with her talk on her Varied Life, which seemed so exciting, although with ill health and problems, she seemed to have found her niche in life in the Cotswolds.

Listening to Dr Frank Ryding's work in Cambodia and Afghanistan, I again found the topic interesting and absorbing. I did wonder why all the TV cameras and sound systems were floating around the Town Hall and it was rumoured someone special was present. However, it transpired that Camilla is to become a member of Tetbury W.I. I am sure she will never regret it. Thanks to everyone from the County Chairman and the day was over. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Knit & Natter
Linda Matthews writes: Prestbury WI were pleased to welcome Gill and host a "Knit & Natter" afternoon on 31st January. On the day, six local institutes were represented and most of the forty plus people were busy with craft work when Gill arrived. A very informal afternoon was enjoyed by all with a request from visitors to repeat the exercise as we have little opportunity to "natter" at more formal Group Meetings.

Rodborough Knitters
The Rodborough knitting group sent a large number of different items to the Bristol based charity Feed the Children and received an invitation from the charity to an open day to see exactly what the charity does. Three members of the group accepted the invitation and this is an account of their day. Recently three of our group, Jennifer Sagar, Anita Walker and me, Olive Millard, took advantage of an open day at the Bristol depot of the “Feed the Children” charity which we support. With many thanks to Geoff, Anita’s husband who drove the three of us to Bristol and following the instructions given us we found the depot without a hitch. We were made very welcome with offers of tea and coffee as soon as we arrived and then we were shown around and were greatly surprised at how well organised it all was, then umber of staff and the amount and variety of items there were ranging from jumpers, saris, children’s second hand clothes, shoes, wellington boots, games, toys and blankets. The charity also distributes food such as tinned foods, (not meat), tea, coffee, rice and pasta. No goods are sent to any country where the charity does not have an agent who supervises the distribution. We took packed lunches and were plied with more tea and coffee and also home made cakes. As well as distributing food and clothing the charity also runs a Breakfast Club for under privileged children in Bristol. We sat with other knitters and sewed together some of the squares from the mountain produced by the sponsored knit in which we took part last November and all in all we spent a most enjoyable and interesting day

An Evening with Eve Pollard
Frances Paterson writes: Eve Pollard, former editor of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror, TV personality and Visiting Reader in Media Studies at Bournemouth University, entertained us at Cheltenham Town Hall on January 30th with anecdotes and witty commentary on the world of politics and the media.   She had some telling tales of the difficulties faced by a woman in the very masculine world of journalism in the pre-computer era of Fleet Street - all of which she overcame with aplomb.  She was clearly at ease with many famous and powerful people, including Rupert Murdoch of whom she spoke with great respect.   'Always tell the truth' was her advice - you never know when an untruth might catch up with you.  She was also able to explain how she balanced work and home life so successfully, her most significant tips being to live near the office and delegate household chores!

Resolutions Conference
A Resolutions’ Conference was held at Norton Village Hall on Monday 3 April. The Resolutions to be debated at the WI May meetings are:

Renewable Energy: “This meeting urges all levels of Government to put in place legislation and policy requiring the use of renewable energy technologies in all new buildings, re-building and renovation”. This Resolution was presented by Kierson Wise of Severn and Wye Energy Agency.

Sport for a Healthy Population: “This meeting urges HM Government to • Recognise that participation in sport is an essential factor in the creation of a healthy population • Ensure the re-establishment of competitive (mainstream) sport in the curricula of all schools • Take such steps as are necessary to reverse the decline in the availability of sporting facilities for all citizens, particularly in light of the 2012 Olympics being awarded to the city of London”. This Resolution was presented by Angela Jones, Physical Activity Consultant at Gloucestershire County Council (tel. 01452 426676 for further information) and John Stevens, Chief Executive Officer, Gloucestershire Sport and Physical Activity Trust.

Notes on these resolutions can be obtained from the NFWI website.

Denman Christmas Feast
Janet Melhuish writes: The idea of a Christmas Feast at Denman appealed to the members of Coleford WI and we quickly selected a day. The weather was good ,and inspite of usual holdups on the A417 , we arrived in 1 hour 45 mins. On arrival we enjoyed a welcome drink of sherry or mulled wine and got to know members from other areas. We then enjoyed a tour of the college, decked for Christmas, which was most interesting. It was good to see the Gloucestershire bedroom, which is maintained by our Federation. Then to the feast! A three course meal served with wine and followed by coffee and mints. The food was excellent, as was the service. Our day was rounded off by a visit to the college shop where we bought souvenirs. It was an informative day which we thoroughly recommend. If you get the opportunity , take the plunge and go! Well worth the visit, a super day out.

Focus, Fitness & Health course at Denman College
Yvonne Cole writes: The first evening was a get together getting to know one another, of course we were lucky being 8 B/Cleeve members and 2 from Box. We had a general discussion about our needs from the course. Thursday morning after breakfast we had a brilliant 1½ hour keep fit, after coffee a talk on good posture, nutrition and what to take for the menopause. After lunch as the weather was so nice we did a walk around the grounds before going on the official walk of the lanes and village back just in time for tea, then on to Line Dancing. In the evening it was message time, we were in pairs and with the oils took it in turn to message our necks and shoulders, this was a wonderful experience and good fun we were all ready by then to collapse and have an early night. Friday morning was another session of keep fit and after coffee more discussion on Health and what we thought of the course. Our tutor Gillian Avery was excellent, full of fun, a good discussion tutor on all the subject covered.

Birdwatching
If wigeon,pintail and gadwall can brave the snow and ice then so too can intrepid WI members keen on birdwatching.Flocks of widgeon wheeling over flooded meadows in glorious winter sunshine were a wonderful introduction for the members as David and Dennis expertly identified the various species seen from the hide at Ashleworth Ham. Sparrowhawks were spotted as the cause for flocks taking to the air and several buzzards conveniently posed on trees long enough for the telescope to be focused providing wonderful close up views. The detail of the feather markings was quite remarkable. The four telescopes set up by Dennis brought a new dimension to birdwatching while David took groups to look for fieldfares, lapwings and other small birds in the adjoining hedgerows and fields. The late afternoon sun highlighted the sheen on the on the iridescent green and orange of the teals, wigeon and shovelers providing a memorable ending to two most enjoyable and informative birdwatching sessions. Many thanks to our two RSPB experts.

County Skittles Final
Twyver WI came out on top by a margin of just one skittle in the County Skittles Final, a tightly fought contest which was held on Friday 25 November. The final score was 356 to 357. Leading individual scorers were Twyver's Janine Black and Sheila Brown of Bishops Cleeve, both of whom achieved scores of 44. During the course of the final itself, Jean Burge scored 13 with three skittles.

Visit to the Houses of Parliament
Pam Sparrow writes: Forty eight members from around the county gathered at different boarding points for the coach to London on a rather cold and foggy morning. However, as we neared London so the clouds started to break and become higher for what later became a very pleasant and slightly watery sunny day.

Traffic was very patchy as we neared Heathrow and it was touch and go as to whether we would get to Westminster in time because if we missed our slot we missed the tour. However, the driver performed a sterling job and in the event we arrived with just over ½ an hour to spare before our tour times. The party was split into three and we were allocated our leaders and given our times at 5 minute intervals. Other parties were also gathering at the Sovereign’s entrance and it was difficult to decide who belonged to which party and it sounded like the Tower of Babel which made listening to instructions very difficult. The wait was caused by the fact that everyone had to go through airport styled security. This was definitely not sovereign treatment. However, once inside we walked up the steps to the Norman porch for the first stop to listen to our guide who turned out to be not only very knowledgeable but very amusing. We passed through the robing room where the sovereign is dressed in the robes for the state opening of parliament, on through the most beautifully decorated rooms and corridors where the daily events of parliament happen. Unfortunately there was not the opportunity to stand and stare and take in all the beautiful paintings and richly decorated and ornate carvings in the rooms particularly in the House of Lords where all the furnishings are red. The area around the throne is quite exquisite and covered in gold leaf and we were told it would cost about £1.3 million to redecorate it. From there we proceeded on the long walk to the House of Commons through the Central Lobby which we all recognised from the news broadcasts and into the House of Commons which is furnished green. Security bristled everywhere like a porcupine with armed police with guns at the ready to guards standing watching. We had been warned to turn off all mobile phones and not to sit down otherwise guards would appear from nowhere and the person would be arrested. We were all counted in and were counted out. The tour ended in Westminster Hall, a truly awe-inspiring building of 600 years and apparently during the war the instruction was not to worry about the House of Commons but to save Westminster Hall at all costs.

We were then free to do as we wished until the coach left promptly at 4 pm with its full complement of members. Some members visited Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s and whilst in both places it was announced that prayers were being said for Gloucestershire W.I.

So, we all settled down for the return journey and think about all that we had seen and heard during the day, one that was most interesting and very enjoyable. Thank you Poppy for organising the visit.

European Day
Maisemore Village Hall 28th October 2005. Our thanks and congratulations to the GFWI Executive Committee on the success of the European Day. What a full, informative and enjoyable day we had. In the morning speakers included Dr Caroline Jackson the MEP for the southwest who spoke on the European Parliament and Ruth Bond Chairman of NFWI Public Affairs, of Cambridgeshire Federation, urging members to reduce the use of harmful chemicals. At midday we were treated by the Executive to a superb buffet lunch offering delicacies from 21 of the EU member states. After lunch Penny Krucker of the Gloucestershire LEA and a member of Eastcombe WI, spoke together with visual aids of work to encourage global interest in schools. The day closed with wine tasting, complete with spittoons and a goody bag all courtesy of Mr Stuart Brown of Waitrose Cheltenham, not forgetting the three European quiz prizes also donated by Waitrose. All this for £12.50! Thank You, Members of Birdlip and Brimpsfield W.I

Rodborough WI Knitting Group
Olive Millard writes: We have had a very productive 3 months since our summer break. There are 5 of us who meet regularly once a fortnight and with the help of a few friends we have produced 21 jumpers, 5 completed blankets and 12 hat and scarf sets. Also, we took part in a sponsored knit in November to make blanket squares producing 150 between us and from our sponsors raised £40.00 All these items and money were sent to the Stroud & Swindon Building Society for forwarding to “Feed the Children” in Bristol, who in turn distribute them to countries where they are most needed. In addition to this we have made 12 matinee coats and 2 cot blankets for Stroud Maternity hospital, added to which we have also made knee blankets for various homes and day centres.

This is just one of the many interesting and social activities that we do in the W.I., so why not join us when for our meetings which are every 3rd Monday of the month in the Endowed School starting at 7.30?

Make A Difference Day
Pam Sparrow writes: October 22nd was the national Make a Difference Day when local communities scrubbed, cleaned, cleared community areas and village halls and Rodborough was no exception. The Parish Council Clerk knew whom to ask to provide the light lunch that was being offered to the hard working volunteers, the W.I.

So three Rodborough W.I. members, Pam Sparrow, Brenda Hand and Nesta Childs appeared at the Rodborough community hall laden with rolls, fillings and cakes and then worked to fill said rolls with a variety of fillings and set them out attractively together with the cakes. During this time we also poured numerous cups of tea, coffee and squash for the children who came and did their bit for cleaning and clearing under the guidance of their parents.

David Drew the MP also came and got down to real hard work cleaning all the chairs, tops, bottoms and legs. At the end of 3 hours of polishing windows, clearing out the attic in the hall, clearing overgrown areas etc in various locations in the parish workers appeared from out of the woodwork and devoured all but a couple of rolls and most of the cakes. It was hard work but worth it for helping the community and flying the W.I. flag. Childs.

Echo Quiz Final 2005
Eighteen teams from all over the county, including one from Executive, arrived at the Kings School Hall Gloucester on a blustery October evening to do battle to see which W.I. was the county’s mastermind. Gill Thomas, the County Chairman, was unable to attend so Shirley Baddeley welcomed everyone including the supporters, who also had a fun time, and the five WIAs who beavered away marking and scoring. The ten questions of ten rounds on a variety of subjects ranging from “What slogan sold this product?” to one on cathedrals and of course the W.I. were ably delivered by Rosemary Bishton and Rosemary Davis. After round six there was a welcomed break for refreshments provided by Sandhurst W.I. and then it was back for the last 4 rounds at the end of which it was then time to “talk amongst yourselves” whilst the final scores were added up and checked before the winners were announced. Leonard Stanley proved to be the county’s mastermind, followed by Severn Vale with a tie for third place between Bibury with Barnsley and Chedworth. Even after asking several spare questions there was still no winner between the two teams so it was decided to split the cheque between them. Shirley Baddeley presented the trophy to Leonard Stanley’s team captain and the cheques to the other teams followed by the draw for the raffle which raised £132.00.

Autumn Group meetings:
Bishops Cleeve
Janet Waters of Bishops Cleeve WI writes: The meeting began with a rousing rendition of the traditional 'Jerusalem' in the very modern surroundings of the community centre. Shirley Baddeley, County Vice-Chairman, chaired the meeting and read out an e-mail from Gill sending her apologies. The Executive members present were introduced to the packed room with descriptions of their roles and their news. They answered questions ranging from how ballots of tickets are conducted to how the skittles competition might be re-organised! We heard, reassuringly, too, that membership was increasing slightly within the county. A swift show of hands indicated how appreciated the new informal style of Autumn County meeting was and the general attendance would seem to support that view.

Ample tea and cakes were served before we were entertained by Susan Marshfield and her tales of Holidays Afloat, including the kind of details that would never be found in any brochure for boating holidays! The audience were crying with laughter! The evening ended with the raffle and everyone departed after a very enjoyable evening.

Tetbury
Almost 150 members from around the county and representing 27 different WIs gathered in the Dolphins Hall Tetbury for a relaxed and friendly Autumn meeting. They were tempted by the promise of a talk on Honeymoon Nighties by Val Threlfall of nearby Ashton Keynes, and the opportunity to air and share views and opinions in typical WI style with Gill and Liz on hand to answer questions from several WIs. A group of Tetbury members provided a delicious assortment of cakes to accompany the very welcome cup of tea, serving the packed hall with impressive efficiency and there was a chance to buy gifts, books and stationery from Barbara and Enid, who'd set up shop for the evening.

Val's talk had everyone smiling as she produced more recent garments, many of which were typical of those worn by those in the audience at some point in their lives, though the final, honeymoon garment of today produced the biggest laugh of the evening.

All were in agreement that it had been a superb evening and the overall opinion was "Yes, let's do it again".

Minsterworth
90 but not out! It's not only England cricket supporters who are proud to sing Jerusalem, WI members have been singing it for 90 years and they don't want to stop! That was the message from members of WIs from across Gloucestershire as they gathered for their Autumn county meeting at Minsterworth Village Hall, just a few miles from the birthplace of Hubert Parry, who wrote the music for the well known hymn.

The new-style, relaxed format of the meeting was popular with members as members from more than thirty WIs gathered together to share news and views and to enjoy the wonderful flower arranging demonstration by Katharine Kear who gave an insight into life in Victorian times as she created five outstanding arrangements, each with a different theme. A team of local WI members provided delicious home made refreshments and the evening was voted a great success by all.

Oddington
Jill Malin, President of Blockley WI writes: Four members of Blockley WI set out on a wet and windy night to go to the Autumn County Meeting at Oddington Village Hall. What a truly wonderful evening it turned out to be. Gill Thomas greeted over 100 ladies from other WIs with enthusiasm and warmth. She explained the order of the evening, kept us up to date with GFWI news invited questions and then introduced the guest speaker Katherine Kear, Designer and arranger extraordinaire.
Katherine demonstrated her art of flower arranging spectacularly and also took us back to the Victorian age with her anecdotes and stories of those times, which was great fun with some audience participation! We all agreed her arrangements were some of the best we had ever seen. After this we were served with home made cake and tea or coffee. The evening finished with the raffle draw and four lucky ladies went home with the wonderful flower arrangements. We didn't notice the wind and rain on the way home, we were all reliving the enjoyment of the evening.

Thank you GFWI and Oddington WI - here's to the next one.

The Sherry Institute Cascade Day at Denman College
Rosemary Davis writes: Four members from Nailsworth WI were able to take advantage at very short notice of the offer of places on the above day at Denman. For two of the members it was an opportunity to visit Denman for the first time and although the day was busy there was an opportunity to have a quick look round and to appreciate all Denman has to offer.

The day was sponsored by the Sherry Institute and began with a presentation on the history of sherry as a drink and the methods used to produce the various kinds. I think few of us had ever given much thought as to just how long it takes to produce a bottle of sherry and the many different processes involved.

We were then encouraged to sample four sherries starting with the driest – a Manzanilla Alegria working through to a Domecq Rio Viejo Oloroso. In each case we tasted the sherry on its own and then with a food of some kind and I think we were all amazed at how different foods complemented the wine. For instance Tio Pepe was lovely with asparagus and sushi rolls whilst my favourite was the Domecq served with Parmesan cheese.

Then there was a break for a buffet lunch which we all tucked into despite being quite full from the various tastings of the morning.

In the afternoon we sampled five sweeter sherries beginning with the Croft Original which was delicious served chilled with fruit salad. Harvey’s Bristol Cream went down very well served in a large glass over ice and with a slice or orange – a good alternative to Pimms! The most expensive sherry we tasted was a Matusalem Sweet Oloroso (a very old sherry VOS 20 year minimum) and this was poured over vanilla ice-cream. Try it! Finally we tried a Sticky Pudding Wine with Roquefort cheese – very rich but very acceptable.

Want to know more about Sherry and get recipe ideas then got to www.tenstartapas.com.

Federations' Bowls Battle
Glorious sunshine welcomed members to Frampton on Severn Bowls Club for the Inter County Bowls Tournament against Avon Federation as this year it was Gloucestershire's turn to host the event. In true English fashion the sun soon disappeared but it did not detract from the warm friendly atmosphere of the tournament. The scores fluctuated all afternoon but eventually Gloucestershire proved victorious once again and retained the shield. Congratulations to all our players and special thanks to Carolyn Wathen, our very able organiser. Everyone looks forward to next year's return match and the annual meeting of old friends.

Glorious Gloucestershire Flower Festival
GFWI Chairman Gill Thomas, who made two visits, said "The Glorious Gloucestershire Flower Festival has taken place in the cathedral this weekend involving a remarkable number of WI members who put their considerable flower arranging skills to excellent use and played their part in a truly spectacular event. Many congratulations to you all; your work was greatly appreciated by those of us who can only stand back and admire your talents". Just click on the small photo on the left to open a new window showing the full size picture.

Tutshill Celebrate!
Tutshill WI have recently celebrated their membership reaching 50 by taking a walk and champagne picnic along the River Wye on Midsummer's Night.

Established just over a year ago with 12 members initially, membership is still growing. Around 100 people came along to their March monthly meeting, when Maggie Symons came to speak about the Chemicals and Health campaign, which attracted much interest from the local press as well as our NFWI Public Affairs office. Fresh from their WI Community Challenge project, they are now looking towards becoming involved in the scheme mentioned by Rob Rees at our County Meeting last March, and we look forward to hearing more from this lively and inspiring group of women.

Community Challenge Cascade Conference
The conference took place at the beginning of March and celebrated the successes of all of the WIs in working with their communities. But the event was much more than a celebration – it looked forward to continuing a programme of sustainable community development. Read the full report.

Canoeing on the Wye
A group of swans lazily watched as a flotilla of WI members plus one intrepid husband paddled past in their kayaks and canoes during their "Dip into Canoeing" afternoon on the River Wye. Initial apprehension about rocking kayaks, capsizing and fear of the water were quickly dispelled as everyone gradually discovered how to paddle and set off down river. A few minor collisions soon taught us the best way to manoeuvre and get out of trouble. Everyone enjoyed the exhilaration of negotiating slightly rougher water under the careful directions of our instructor shouting "paddle harder, right paddle only, keep going"! The instructors were cajoled into demonstrating jumping on the canoes and kayak rolls but surprisingly no WI member volunteered to copy though we did form the kayaks into a raft and surprised ourselves by standing up one at a time as we drifted downstream. All too soon we arrived at our destination and were back on dry land. Just click on the small photo on the left to open a new window showing the full size picture

Severn Vale Knit & Natter
Members of Severn Vale WI kindly invited County Chairman Gill to Mary's house for their Knit and Natter this month. Not only was there plenty of great knitting and nattering going on, but next year's WI programme was sorted out, ideas for competitions were shared and the beginnings of a play took shape as Mary handed round the tea and scones. Could be that an unwanted tumble drier was sold too! What a fine example of the fun and friendship that goes on in our Federation, and isn't it great to be part of it all?

Gloucestershire service of WWII Thanksgiving
Liz , Shirley and Gill were delighted to accept the invitation on behalf of GFWI to attend the Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the ending of the war in Europe and the Far East in Gloucester Cathedral on Tuesday evening. They enjoyed meeting Sheila Evans, Blaisdon WI member and wife of the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and Carolyn Elwes, GFWI Trustee and wife of the Lord Lieutenant, both there in their official capacity. All looked splendid on a warm summer evening, and the hats were magnificent as you can see from the photograph.

Three Counties Show: 16-19 June
Gill Thomas writes: It was our turn to host the Three Counties Show again and we've just spent a few busy days at the showground on the hottest weekend of the year. Our restaurant was as popular a spot as ever and from the minute the bacon began to cook at 7.30am until the last cup of tea was drunk around 5.30pm each afternoon, the kitchen and servery teams were hard at work.

Many thanks to everyone involved; to those who joined in the fun of being part of a team in the kitchen, sales or servery. Praise too and great appreciation to everyone who baked cakes and donated them this year - there were many compliments and we were proud to have such delicious offerings on the menu. We couldn't have managed without you all!

Many more photographs of the WI Marquee (and of the fun that goes on behind scenes!) here.

Craft Day - Tuesday 24 May
Jo Brooks of Moreton in Marsh writes: Congratulations to all those members who submitted entries to the Weddings of the World Craft 2005 Competition. The standard was high and made an excellent display. Well done in particular to Marle Hill who won the Co-operative class

Linda Olijnyk,wearing national dress, gave an enthusiastic talk on all things Ukrainian but particularly their Weddings – which last several days! She brought examples of beautiful traditional embroidery and painted eggs . She danced, she sang and she provided us with a truly entertaining morning. At lunch time we were able to read the very moving testimonies from several Ukrainians of their lives before and after they settled in Gloucester.

After lunch Christine Lucas, the Managing Director of Viyella who happens to live in Chipping Campden, introduced the Fashion Show. This was fast-moving with several familiar faces amongst the models! They had brought along an amazing range from their new Collection and showed clothing to suit all occasions .

Hatherley Manor Hotel was a perfect location for a very enjoyable day.

Exmoor Walking Holiday
Diana Colbeck writes: 43 members and husbands enjoyed two days walking on beautiful Exmoor in early May. The sun shone, the cold wind blew, deer and Exmoor ponies were seen and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Just click on the small photo on the left to open a new window showing the full size picture

Introduction to Digital Camera course
This course was held by the BBC Learning Centre for WI members, reports Anne McAndrew.

An informative day course for those interested in finding out which type of camera to buy or to gain help if they had just bought one. The tutor gave a detailed explanation of digital photography, sent the group out with digital cameras to take several photographs so that on return they learnt how to transfer photos to a PC, emailing photos and finally photo manipulation.

An excellent tutor, course, surroundings and encouragement to further our knowledge with offers of a follow up course. So do put your name down on the next WI course to be held at the BBC Learning Centre, Eastgate Street, Gloucester.

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