Photos and Reports
2020
COTTESMORE CLATTERPOTS WI
The New Year began with a session on Yoga and first its history: records have been found from 6000 years ago and yoga has been adopted into and adapted to suit every culture. It is gentle exercise not intended to cause any after effects such as joint stiffness. Then Marilyn Tomalin introduced many of the moves either seated or standing by a chair. The whole evening was very much enjoyed by everyone. After refreshments the President outlined plans for 2020 and a few changes to involve all members in taking responsibility for efficiently run and enjoyable meetings
2019
OTTESMORE CLATTERPOTS WI
There’s more to tea than a teabag said the programme and there certainly is as speaker, Anna Stasinska, shared her vast knowledge of teas (none of them in a bag and correctly called infusions) from all over the world. Her demonstration table was laden with teas, many of which were available for members to taste. Over the last few years Anna has travelled in India and Japan attending tea conferences and tea gardens; and at the UK Tea Academy she qualified as a Tea Champion. She now has a small eco-friendly tea hut and tea garden at Scalford near Melton Mowbray – the Old Brickyard Tea Garden adjacent to a garden centre, which is open at weekends at this time of year.
Cottesmore WI
Our speaker at the September meeting was Alison Briggs on Mercy Ships which was founded 40 years ago. There are 5 billion people in the world who cannot get free surgery so this Ship is fitted out as a modern operating theatre. (There is only one Ship but it had a predecessor which reached the end of its life). It works in the poorest countries in the world which are mainly in West Africa although, when Ebola broke out in West Africa, the work moved to Madagascar, another very poor country.
The Ship is staffed entirely by volunteers who not only receive no pay but have to pay for their board and yet there is never a shortage of workers of every category. Alison gave us an enthralling insight into this work with some pictures of before-and-after surgery.
Our President outlined all the plans we have for reaching out into the community over this coming winter and hopefully increasing our membership. Informal coffee mornings will be held at the Village Hall on the third Wednesdays of September, October and November from 10 am to 12 noon and thereafter if these prove popular. They are for everyone, not just WI members: bring your crossword or your knitting or come for a chat. There will also be Christmas craft workshops on Sunday afternoons in late November and early December at a cost of £10 per session: advance booking (01572 723723) will be essential as places are limited.
Cottesmore WI
CORN DOLLYING AT COTTESMORE...
As our speaker for February had been unable to attend due to last month's bad weather, we were extremely grateful to Judy Marshall who travelled all the way from Peatling Magna to give us a talk and demonstration on Corn Dollies.
She brought along a wonderfully eye-catching display and told us all about their history and meanings, the best types of corn, its preparation and methods used, and all the while making a delightful corn mouse as she spoke to us.
After Judy had made it look so easy we were encouraged to try it for ourselves, most of us for the first time.
Much concentration and hilarity followed but we all felt very proud of our achievements at the end of such an enjoyable evening.