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WI Meetings 2008

DECEMBER 2008

We had our Christmas party on 11th December and a fun evening was had by all. A lovely meal was prepared by the Committee members and sweets prepared by members.
A brilliant comedy sketch was enacted by our clever committee all along the lines of how we ladies suffer in public toilets ---- say no more!!!!!

Santa Clause competition

1st Kay Dearling
2nd Louise
3rd Elsa

Presentation was made to Brenda for all her hard work in arranging trips throughout the year.

Messent Cup presented to Sue for winning overall in the
Competitions and a present for bloom of the month.

We finished the evening with a hilarious pass the parcel game
including forfeits.

Tonight was our A.G.M. so no speaker, but some news first –
Some of our members took part in the WI advisors quiz and came 10th out of 23 teams taking part – apparently the quiz was very difficult so they felt quite pleased to have reached this position.
The ‘B’ team had lost their last bowling match but had a good night nevertheless.

The Cator Cup competition in April required participants and volunteers were asked for and were forthcoming. This years theme is anything beginning with a ‘W’.

Reminders for forthcoming events including visit to Caithness on 20th November. National AGM on 3rd June 2009 to London. Edinburgh Woollen Mill on 26th November. Christmas party on 11th December.
Group Carol Concert on Monday 8th December. Hardingham Christmas Fayre on 22nd November and Caston’s on the same day .

Also a reminder that the Carols round the village would be on foot this year and will take place on Monday and Tuesday 15th and 16th December starting at 5.30pm.

Cyclamen plant presented to Wendy Edwards for her birthday – from Wendy Chapman.

A.G.M. then convened with financial report read by Gill, Secretary’s report read out by Lynn and President’s report read out by Helga. Thanks were given to the committee and members and the President. Nominations of committee members then took place. The new committee was then announced and other positions filled. It also seems that it is important for some more fundraising to take place next year to make our financial situation more secure.

We then had tea and a taste of all the lovely food prepared for the ‘taste in’ competition by members. Purchases were also made of home made pickled onions and greeting cards.

Competition – A taste in

1st - Louise with mini ham puffs
2nd - Gill with chocolate crunch
3rd - Wendy E with parsnip cake

Bloom of the Month

1st - Sue with a pink thistle
2nd - Kay with a rose
3rd - Wendy E with a rudbeckia

Next Meeting is our Christmas Party on Thursday 11th December at 7pm – competition is a home made santa!!!
 

Caston WI – October Meeting

We were very disappointed to learn that Dianne Meggy was not coming to the meeting tonight – unfortunately an oversight on her part – we were so looking forward to see her making all the goods for Christmas.

So – straight into the meeting. Members were reminded of the big village tidy up on Saturday 11th October and a number of volunteers stepped forward. Bulbs are due to be planted in the village by volunteers on Monday 20th October – so the village will look beautiful in the Spring. The bench from the church is to undergo renovation and volunteers were asked for their help.

The Bowling team is through to the next round.

Next month is the A.G.M. and nominations are required for the committee. The competition next month is “taste in” where you can bring your favourite recipe and a taster of course!!!

Birthdays this month were Denise, Brenda and Daphne and beautiful posies were made by Elsa for them.

Competition this month - a hand made Christmas card

1st Denise
2nd Elsa
3rd Sue

Bloom of the month

1st Pam Corne - a Chinese lantern
Joint 2nd – Elsa and Kay with a Nerine

After official business – we had a great evening with a very entertaining quiz. Who needs speakers to have fun!!!

This month we welcomed Charlotte Philcox whose talk was entitled “hedgerow harvest”. Charlotte is a lecturer at Easton College and has appeared on Radio Norfolk regularly with Roy Waller.

Charlotte talked about the common weeds around us and what we could use them for e.g. Horsetail weed – used as a herbal treatment for acne and nose bleeds it also makes a liquid feed and used for polishing pewter.

Nettles have many uses, one of which is for curing urinary infections and as a tonic.

She gave us recipes for blackberries and recommended many different books on the subject of wild food – one being Wild Food by Roger Phillips.

A very interesting talk which opens your eyes to what weeds could be used for instead of being discarded.

Meeting this month – reminders were made for the murder mystery/treasure hunt in the village on Saturday 20th September – all welcome. Thanks were given to Denise for the summer social at her house which was lovely.

Birthday posies presented to Val, Jenny and Stephanie made by Lynn

Competitions this month

Floral plate - 1st Kay Dearling
2nd Val
3rd Wendy Chapman

Bloom of the month 1st Stephanie with a hydrangea
Joint 2nd Sue with a calla lily and June with a begonia

Raffle won by Wendy Chapman

October meeting talk and demonstration by Dianne Meggy – Festive Garlands, Hand Made Crackers and Painted Eggs.
 

Summer Party

Just a couple of photos to remind us of our Summer Party

July Meeting

We welcomed Elaine Parker from Scoulton WI who talked to us about the AGM in Liverpool which she had attended along with over ten thousand members of the WI.

We then had our speaker who was Anita Carpenter. Anita showed us slides of various different churches in East Anglia and talked all about the architecture and specifically the different towers that the churches had. A very interesting and enlightening talk.

Onto the general meeting. Of interest this month were the summer events. Trip on 9th August to Norfolk Lavender and Hunstanton (all welcome – see the Caston website for details). Summer Social to be held on Thursday 14th August and the Treasure Hunt and murder mystery day to be held on Saturday 20th September in the village.

Troughs have now been replaced outside the village hall and thanks were given to Sue Ash for replanting. Church Bench is to be repaired now by willing volunteers and not replaced.

Competition – A religious Cross

1st - Val Shingfield
2nd - Jenny
3rd - Gill

Flower of the Month

1st - Sue with a clematis
2nd - June with a phlox
Joint 3rd - Elsa with a lily
- Stephanie with a rose

No meeting next month as it is the Summer Social.

June Meeting

This month we welcomed our speaker Denise James whose talk was entitled – Service with a smile. Denise had worked in St. Albans Tourist Office for 29 years and she told us of the many different situations she had dealt with and the quirky incidents she had dealt with. A very interesting insight into the tourist industry.

Our meeting commenced after the talk and events were discussed.
One that might interest everyone is a treasure hunt in the village on Saturday 20th September from 11am –3pm with ploughman lunches in the village hall – all welcome.

Birthday posies presented – made by Pam Corne – to Sue, Marie, June and Gill and a special presentation made to Cecily who is 90 this month.

Competition – A hideous holiday souvenir

1st - June with a drunken pixie
2nd - Gill with a flashing Eiffel tower
3rd - Pam Corne with a grotesque mask

(Photo by Wendy Edwards)

 

Bloom of the Month

1st – Pam Corne with a peony
2nd – Elsa – with a sweet William
3rd – Stephanie with a yellow rose

 

(Photo by Wendy Edwards)

New Darts and Bowls teams were appointed for the coming year.

Next Months meeting July 10th – Speaker Anita Carpenter “Round towers, square towers and no towers at all. Competition a religious cross.

May Meeting

There was no speaker at this month’s meeting as it was a resolution day.
This means that the WI resolutions are put to the meeting and we had to vote whether we agreed with them. Our decisions are then forwarded to the Federation Offices.

The two resolutions were a ban on bottom trawling and on mental persons that are imprisoned to provide treatment and therapy in a more appropriate and secure residential environment.

Votes were cast and the results will be forwarded.

Two teams were being put forward to the Group Quiz at Hingham on 16th May and the Henderson Quiz at the village hall on 16th May

Competition this month was a piece of needlework

1st Wendy Edwards with a beautiful picture that she had embroidered	2nd Elsa Bellingham with some handmade boxes	3rd Denise Bearne – with a handmade foot stool

March meeting

This month we had a very interesting talk by Terry Rands on organic gardening. Terry has a property in Ovington where he has a 5 acre plot.
Terry and his wife moved to the house 26 years ago and they have transformed what was a field into a beautiful garden all organically.
They have a kitchen garden, orchard, nursery garden, composting area and wildlife garden and they grow all their own produce. Nature has been given the opportunity to thrive without the use of any chemicals.

They open their garden certain weekends of the year – so I for one can’t wait to go and visit. After his talk Terry answered questions and gave us some good tips – a good one was for getting rid of blackspot on roses – without the use of chemicals. Hint – something to do with milk.

The competition this month was making characters out of vegetables and there were some good entries. Terry was the judge and said that he was very impressed with our standard!!!

1st Pam Corne with a penguin made out of an aubergine
2nd Sue Ash with a sheep made out of a cauliflower
3rd Jenny Gardener with an assorted vegetable man

Bloom of the Month competition

1st Wendy Edwards
2nd Elsa Bellingham
3rd Sue Ash

Birthdays this month Elsa and Nina – posies presented.

Proft from the Bingo night was £161.50 – a very enjoyable evening.

Next month it is our birthday dinner being held this year at Hill House Hotel in Dereham.

Members were asked to think about the Healthy Lifestyle challenge and ideas are welcomed.

Cator Cup entry is on schedule – this taking place at Norfolk & Norwich Showground weekend of 5th and 6th April.

February Meeting

Tonight the theme was “Life and Fashion in Edwardian and Victorian times. We had a very interesting talk by Gloria Daines which encompassed fashion and very interesting objects that she had collected over the years. One of her prized pieces was a chatelaine that she had purchased in France – this is an appendage to a woman’s belt for carrying various objects such as a watch, notebook, keys etc – a very fine piece and unusual.  

 
Gloria also had some fine pinchbeck jewellery – looks like gold but is actually made out of zinc and copper – apparently very collectible.

Gloria and her partner attend many Victorian re-enactments around the world dressed in period dress.

There were some very surprising clothes – such as crutchless cami knickers (not something you would expect in Victorian times) and some beautiful dresses. The corsets she had looked very uncomfortable and not something we would want to wear today although they looked very similar to the corset style tops that are the fashion today.


The star of the show had to be a dress that was worn by Susan Hampshire as Fleur in the Forsythe Saga – cream lace with tiny pink flowers and so tiny – the size was enviable!!!!!

Altogether a very interesting talk.

Onto the meeting - report from Brenda about the darts competition – Caston lost the game against Thompson but she is still awaiting to see if we are through to the next round.

Denise reported that the Cator Cup entry has been made and regular meetings are being held to finalise details.

Members were reminded of the Bingo fundraising event on 11th March in the village hall and that donation of prizes are required by 1st March. Other future events were discussed and it is proposed that a strawberry tea take place at Wendy Edwards on Sunday 29th June and a cheese and wine party is held later on in the year.

Whilst on the subject of fundraising the president informed the members that the bench in the churchyard which was purchased 15 years ago has go to be replaced and that we have to purchase another one – so some fundraising is required for this.

Members were reminded of the Spring meeting at Garvestone on Monday 7th April on Search and Rescue.

Wendy Chapman read out a letter from the Dogs Trust at Snetterton – thanking us for making Barbara welcome and for showing an interest in supporting them in donating goods for their fete on Sunday 8th June. It was proposed that we have a visit to the Dogs Trust on a Monday if members were interested – there was a good response.

The committee handed round future proposed trips to gauge the response From members to see which trips were favoured most.

This month’s birthday was Pam Frogbook – a special one!!!!! Age not being disclosed and a lovely posy was presented to her – made by Wendy Edwards.

Bloom of the Month competition

1st - Denise
2nd - Stephanie
3rd- Sue

Competition – Victorian Memorabilia

1st - Denise with a family photo
2nd - Gill with a watch
3rd - Stephanie with a kettle

Raffle was drawn – first prize a lovely box of Belgian chocolates won by Sue.

Meeting finished after a lovely cup of tea and biscuits.

Next meeting March 13th – Talk by Terry Rands on Introduction to Organic Gardening.

Caston WI – Christmas Party and January Report

On Thursday 13th December we enjoyed our Christmas party. A wonderful meal was prepared by the Committee and scrumptious sweets made by members all washed down with a sparkling punch.

After the meal we had several different quizzes – one very entertaining one was guess the different noises – who would have thought that a noise could have so many different answers !!!!

Our Christmas competition was a hand made stocking which were all hung up – a splendid array which obviously took members a lot of time to make. The winner was Sue Ash 2nd was Kay Darling and 3rd Val Shingfield.

Presentation gifts were made for the overall winners for the year in competitions. 1st going to Denise 2nd to Elsa and 3rd to Sue. Bloom of the month overall for the year was won by Denise.

A presentation gift was given to Pam Frogbrook for her long service and devotion to the post of President.

Everybody had a very enjoyable evening.

At the January meeting we were entertained by Barbara Emons from the Dogs Trust at Snetterton who gave us an insight into the world of the unwanted dog. It was a very interesting subject and some of the stories were very sad to hear how the dogs had ended up being abandoned but it also had a positive side to hear how some of them had been rehomed.
If anyone is interested in learning more there is a website you can visit
www.dogstrust.org.uk. A thoroughly interesting subject.

Onto the meeting – unfortunately Caston has been knocked out of the ten pin bowling league for this year but the Darts are still ongoing – the next match being against Thompson.

Future outings were discussed and fundraising ideas are needed.

The resolution for Norfolk WI this year is ‘A gift for life’ – the recommendation being that everyone is entered onto the NHS organ donor register unless they opt out. Members voted and this will be communicated to the Federation annual meeting in March.


Competition - animal ornament.
1st with a Labrador was Wendy Edwards.
2nd with a Bear was Louise
3rd with a spaniel was Sue.
Bloom of the Month
1st Sue
2nd Denise
3rd Val.

Next month we are tasked to bring any broken or unwanted jewellery for a treasure chest appeal.

Next meeting Thursday 14th February – subject Life and Fashion in Edwardian and Victorian Times.

Caston WI – September Meeting