Reports and Photos

2020

For our February meeting, Earl Shilton Evening WI welcomed Sue Drage and her husband Richard with their presentation of Recycling with a Difference.

Armed with many boxes, Sue displayed bags made from carrier bags, coke tins and crisp packets, to name but a few.

Jewellery was made from ring pulls, colourful plastic cutlery, paper clips, safety pins  and hairgrips.

Apparently ring pulls are available from craft shops and the internet, so they weren't all from Sue and Richard's consumption.

Some lovely cards  and gift boxes, made from plastic trays and rolled junk mail were also shown, also an empty coke bottle filled with tightly packed paper to make eco bricks for building.

February also saw 30 ladies enjoying a Birthday Lunch at a local restaurant and visiting the Concordia Theatre for their latest production

2019

Earl Shilton Evening WI

2017

December

The Queen of the Christmas Tree Festival.

The meeting was entertained by “Timeless Entertainment” Two singers and a musician, who sang a selection of old songs, some we had never heard of, also Christmas classics which we all joined in with. Ian the lead singer was a bit of a comedian and in between songs had every one laughing hilariously. This was followed by the usual tea and coffee, plus mince pies and savoury nibbles a very good night to end the year on.

On the 1^st of the month a large number of ladies including some from the Afternoon W.I. and Stoney Stanton boarded a bus for a visit to Melton Mowbray Christmas Tree Festival which was held in St. Mary’s Church. It is said to be the largest Festival of its kind in the country. It was “Awesome”. Everybody had a really lovely day.

There were hundreds of Christmas Trees.

November

This was the A.G.M. Several committee members retired and a new committee was elected.

After the business was concluded the rest of the evening was spent drinking tea, coffee and eating biscuits and generally having a really good get together which was really  lovely as we don’t always seem to have time to chat.

October

The speaker tonight was Linda Colburne from Elmsthorpe who demonstrated flower arrangements that she entitled “Seasons of Mists and Mellow fruitfulness”.  The flowers were absolutely beautiful and she made the decorations look really easy. Being a local lady Linda knew quite a few of our ladies so there was quite a bit of ‘catch up ‘ on who had married who and who was now related it made for an interesting evening.

These were just a few flowers that were prizes in the raffle. Needless to say I am no flower arranger.

On a lovely day in September  we met the ladies from Thringstone W.I. for an afternoon of Cream Tea and Cakes.  Everyone agreed that it was a good idea and probably should be continued next Summer as we all had a lovely time.

September

The speaker this evening was Robert Elverstone.

He was previously a teacher at Holliers Walk Primary School in Hinckley, which was originally Hinckley Board School. With photos and writings taken from  old records, one of the reasons for being absent from school was the title of his talk 'Absent through Lack of Boots'.

In the 19th century, many children were absent from school during the winter because when it snowed they didn’t have any boots as mostly they went about barefoot. They then worked at home in the local industries.

This was a time when sand, chalk and slates were used for learning to write and do sums.

Some intriguing objects were shown, including a type of yoke for making the children sit up straight. Also a small milk bottle from when school milk was introduced.

The competition of a 'Shoe related object' was won by Rosemary Coe, with a tool for tapping down the leather uppers.

Ladies were thanked for helping with the refreshments at the Town Show and some remaining cakes were later enjoyed with a cup of tea.

August

Eight ladies from Thringstone WI were welcomed to our meeting.

Arrangements were made for the Town Show and a trip to Cattow's Farm for Afternoon Tea with the Thringstone ladies.

The speaker Julie Ede, talked about 'The Enigmatic Life of Coco Chanel'. Her career began by decorating hats, but with more aristocratic clients vying for her services, she opened a shop in Paris.  Her sleek style of black, with white collar and cuffs and a string of pearls was legendary. Also her tailored suits, which even Jackie Kennedy wore on that fateful day in Dallas.  Her name was linked with many famous escorts from Winston Churchill to the Dukes of Windsor and Westminster. Her Chanel No 5 perfume is still a top seller, and she worked until she was eighty years old - surviving mainly on a diet of Champagne and fine wines!

The necklace competition was won by Tricia with a string of pearls.

Coffee and cakes were enjoyed after a very friendly meeting.

• Still Waiting for the train

Bridgette was thanked for the amazing trip to Blist's Hill Victorian Town with the ride on the Severn Valley Railway from Bridgenorth to Kidderminster, passing West Midlands Safari Park and wonderful countryside.

July

Tonight the ladies were entertained by retired Warwickshire Police Investigator Paul Taberner.  He has worked as an advisor on many TV crime programmes e.g. Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders and New Tricks, even though they still do it their way.

He dispelled many myths including drawing a white line around a body on the ground, tyre marks, no national dental records or picture boards, and absolutely no-one walks on a crime scene. They do wear white suits and overshoes however, but place tiles to step on.

The use of DNA is the main method of detection and the Birmingham database has freezer storage at minus 80C.

One touch of humour was that a petty burglar, who was always being caught, decided to place his fingertips on the electric hotplate, but not his thumbs!

• Waiting for a train

June

• On the Train

The speaker was  Scott Gallacher, who is a chartered financial planner.  He explained how to plan care in later life and what happens to your assets if you or a family member has to go into care.

While the subject affects us all in the long term, the talk was informative and lots of questions followed.  He also talked about 'Power of Attorney' and 'Medical Power of Attorney', which few ladies knew about.

In short, we should all put our affairs in order as soon as possible, as no one knows what will happen in the future.

• Blists Hill

Details for a trip to the Severn Valley Railway and Blists Hill were discussed.

May

Advisor Joy Hoult led the discussion on the Wi Resolutions at the May meeting.

The 24 ladies were all against the Loneliness Campaign, as it was felt that Age UK and the relatively new Silver-line service were working well without our help and that everyone would need safeguarding policies in place for the protection of vulnerable adults.

We were informed that most of our fleeces (jumpers, jackets and blankets) are made from plastic bottles, and when washed their fibres enter the water system.

This then enters the food chain via the land and sea.

22 ladies felt that we should support efforts to control this, but failed to see how. Apparently only Plymouth University are investigating this problem.

Afterwards several ladies shared a Memory using photographs or small items that meant something special to them.

Thanks were given to Bridgette and Vivian for organising the Burton-on-Trent Brewery trip. Our enthusiastic guide showed us the old brewing processes, and said that most of the beers and lagers we buy are brewed at Burton. We saw three Shire horses and a wonderful display of restored vehicles and items in the museum. Lunch was served and we were given tokens to sample different beers. All in all a very enjoyable day.

Brewery Horses

• Thanks for a lovely day out.

April

The speaker was Bif Ravon-Hill, who gave an enthralling talk on Ladybird Books.

She brought many different series with her, from very early titles to the historic, nature and science ones.

They were printed in Loughborough and illustrated by celebrated artists.

As they only cost 2/6p they were available for most people to buy. Stories of Bunnykins Picnic Party, The Wise Robin and the Learn to Write stories were fondly remembered.

Bif loved The Party, and always wanted a yellow satin party frock with matching shoes.

Marguerite read a report of the Annual Council Meeting at which Kate Naish from Vista, Nick Hamilton of Barnsdale Gardens, and Lucy Worsley, Custodian of the uninhabited Royal Palaces, were the speakers.

The Highcross Group Meeting was held at the Mary Forryan Centre in Hinckley the Hosts were Sapcote W.I. and the speaker was Anne Davis from BBC East Midlands News.  Anne was slightly late arriving as she was on the TV news until 7.00pm but she gave us a very insightful and humorous talk about her life in Television and a little bit about her passion for fashion.

Some members had brought craft items to be displayed at the meeting.

There were so many lovely cakes we enjoyed them enormously.

March

The speaker John Budulis talked about Personal Safety on the Road, especially for women drivers.

John is the Road Safety advisor for Leicestershire Police, who told of the many situations that could occur when driving, and how best to prepare and deal with them.

Keeping valuables, especially handbags out of sight, or fastened into a seatbelt makes good sense.

Letting someone know your whereabouts is essential if you are going on a long journey and travelling alone. Relying on your instincts, remembering to keep your mobiles charged before any journey

He also told of the many people who didn't plan their routes, making us laugh with his stories of (which way island) the M1 and M69 Island and ending up miles from their destination.

In 2015, according to statistics, one woman driver was 105 years old, and another aged 100 years was still on a provisional licence!

He also said how much he enjoyed singing Jerusalem, as some WI's do not do this.

February

Our 21st Birthday was celebrated by 34 ladies at a local restaurant.

Kevin Barfield  spoke about the Ukulele man George Formby and started with “It’s turned out nice again hasn’t it”

George’s last show was in December 1960 two months before he died, he took his stage name from his father who also performed under the name George Formby.

George never learnt to read or write and went to be a jockey until 1919 when he was then  too old to ride. He first performed on stage in 1921 singing the songs his father sang. He toured all over the country and made 20 films.

In 1939 he was turned down for the army because he had flat feet. He joined  ENSA where he entertained the troops in 16 different countries. He was offered a tour of America  but turned it down. He was asked to leave South Africa because he played to the townships.

He appeared 12 times on the BBC but was not allowed to sing ‘When I’m cleaning windows’ as the BBC considered it was not clean enough.

Kevin gave a very interesting talk and entertained us with some of George’s  most famous songs a very enjoyable evening.

January

Street Pastors came to talk to us about the work they do out on the street at nights and also in the parks after school.

They liaise with the Police in the cities and help young adults who need someone to talk to, or don’t know where they are or what they are doing due too much alcohol, or are just getting into trouble.

Street Pastors  work in twos and fours and leave two people back at base. They each carry a Radio and a pack containing Flip Flops (for Girls who can’t walk in their high heels), Emergency blankets, First Aid Kits and Lollipops. Apparently lollipops are very comforting.

Each Pastor wears a uniform that distinguishes them from the Police, they are not out to preach the word of God but just to help those in need.

December  2016

.The speaker for the evening was Brenda Featherstone giving us Simple Christmas Cookery.

They really were simple and easy too. When time is short for us all at Christmas time, these recipes are a godsend.

Brenda herself is a farmer. Not a farmer’s wife! She was born on the farm as was her father and grandfather, so definitely a family business. In the 60's their farm was cut in half by the construction of the M1 and this meant walking the cattle morning and evening across a footpath to their meadows.  As well as the cows they keep pigs, hens, sheep and alpaca's. Interestingly, the alpacas are kept with the sheep because they protect them from intruders, two legged as well as four legged.

Brenda came with her daughter bringing all the ingredients and cooking pots to make 7 very simple Christmas recipes passed on by farmer’s wives from all over England. Tomato and Squash Soup, Fig and Port Chutney to Grapefruit plum pudding, just some of the 7 recipes which were made during the evening, although due to the cooking times some had to be “this is one I cooked earlier”. Brenda talked all the time telling us about the farm and all the animals she keeps, while at the same time explaining to us how she was doing the cooking and of course at the end of the evening we all sampled the food some of us going back for seconds.

This was a really lovely time putting us all in the mood for Christmas.  Thank you Brenda.

November

Colleen Powell gave a talk titled Helping Hedgehogs.

Colleen founded Leicester Rescue Hedgehogs 26 years ago and along with other volunteers they do all the caring from their homes. She stressed that they work closely with vets and all the Hedgehogs are eventually released into the wild.
Hedgehogs have been on the planet for 20 million years. They are mammals, so warm blooded animals. They can't see well at all but as they are nocturnal that is not important.

She had bought along a baby hedgehog of 6 weeks which she was carrying in a safe box with a heated pad to keep her warm. Her tips to us were to keep a 'scruffy' corner in our gardens with a few old logs, leaves and vegetation for them to burrow into. To feed them only on water and cat or dog biscuits. Always have a small hole at the bottom of fences so that they can move freely from garden to garden and most importantly, do not use slug pellets. Hedgehogs will eat the slugs and then the hedgehog will die from the poison which the slug has eaten. Also, if we are lighting a bonfire always start at one side so that if the little animal has burrowed in, it then has time to run out before being burnt. Apparently they can move at great speeds!

October

The A.G.M. This went quite smoothly considering we were a bit short of Committee Members on the night. Linda Bent was elected to hold the title of President  for a further twelve months.

After the serious business we held a Pudding sampling. 10 members brought home made puddings which we were encouraged to taste. Needless to say this really lightened up the evening and all the puddings were soon all finished off. Everyone agreed they were all very tasty.

September

Judy Marshall spoke about Corn Dollies

Judy a farmer’s  wife learnt the art of making corn dollies after a talk many years ago at her own WI in Peatling Magna. She had brought a vast array of dollies to show and also to sell. 
The art of making them goes back to pagan times and the corn that she uses is purchased from another farmer not from her own farm. The corn needs really long stems so only a certain type is used. There are a so many different shapes, from simple horse shoes to a large pig! Some of them get their shapes and names from the region in which they are made and she had one for Leicestershire, a hunting horn. Whilst she was talking to us she cleverly made a corn mouse.
At the end of her talk we were all given 4 straws and shown how to make a simple shape. I wonder if anyone will become interested in making more after such an inspirational talk.

August

The speaker was Alan Gray, with a talk entitled 'You cannot be serious', which rather gave the game away.

He had been a linesman and umpire at Wimbledon for 25 years, and had a great many interesting details and anecdotes.

With a lifelong interest in the game, he'd queued outside the courts every year from a young boy for tickets.  A question was asked about the Ball Boys and Girls.  They don't have to play tennis themselves, just need to have excellent hand to eye co-ordination and be well disciplined.  Even if something funny happens on court, they are not allowed to laugh or even smile.

Mr Gray had officiated in the Final when Andre Agassi won, and so had the honour of being presented to the Duke of Kent.  A very informative and interesting speaker, much enjoyed by all, whether tennis enthusiasts or not.

July

The speaker was Julie Ede, whose subject was Wicked Wallis Simpson.

We had a full house, with nearly all members attending and also three visitors.  Obviously all expecting some interesting facts and we weren't disappointed. She had an excellent speaking voice, very concise, and everybody was enthralled right from the start.

Julie had certainly researched her subject thoroughly and gave a great many details, not only of Wallis’s relationship with David, but of his previous friendships with many other married ladies.

Especially interesting were the photos of the many diamond, sapphire and emerald items of jewellery that the Duke of Windsor had bought for her.

An excellent evening.

June

The speaker was Bif-Ravon-Hill who spoke of the life of a War time housewife. She described in great detail what it was like to manage to feed and clothe a household during the second world war.

Bif had brought with her some very old kitchen utensils and at the end of the evening ran a quiz and passed these around and we had to write down what we thought they were used for needless to say no one got them all right although we weren't far off. It was a very entertaining and lively evening.

May

This was the Resolution evening. The discussions taking up most of the evening.  Some of it was enlightening and some a bit heated.  After voting we ended the evening on a lighter note.

The competition was ‘Memories are made of this’ each member who entered was asked to give a brief account of what made the memory special to them which rounded the evening off on a happier note.

April

The speaker for the meeting was Dougie Wright. 
Not a name which immediately springs to your lips when talking about music, but he has had a successful career in the music business since 1960 as a drummer.  He started his career playing with the John Barry Seven, a top band from that era. He actually played on 15 no 1 hit records. Naturally, he had a lot of information about famous groups of the early sixties and kept us entertained for the evening with pieces of music from hits which he'd played in. 
After leaving John Barry, he became a session drummer appearing at the Jack of Clubs in Soho where he met many famous people.
Dougie now teaches drumming to young aspiring musicians. He had everyone singing along merrily and it was good fun remembering all the stars of the hit records. A very jolly man who sent us all on our way humming to tunes from our youth.
A competition for a musical item was won by Bridget Bell of a bird whistle.

March

Mary Matts talked about Barge Families. She started by explaining when the canals took over from the horse and cart. A real start to the industrial revolution as the boats could carry more materials than the horse could pull on a cart. Starting around 1790 there were 4000 miles of canals in England. She went into great detail on the living conditions on the boats which were 70 feet long and approximately 7 feet wide.  This was to enable them to get through the locks.
The whole family were involved in working on the boats. The wives did the steering and the children led the horses. She showed us some lovely examples of the items used for decorating the boats which were also utensils for cooking etc. Every bit of space was precious so that explained why the pans were so beautifully decorated. After cooking with them they were hung on the wall for ornamentation. While she was talking she very cleverly painted a black bucket. It was so beautiful with roses and daisies. We were all very impressed.
There are some canal museums around where it's possible to see the utensils and clothes worn by the families.

Some images from the High Cross Group meeting hosted by Barwell W.I. held at the Green King Stadium the speaker was the winner of the 'Great British  Sewing Bee'.

A group photo was taken to be added to the ACM pictures.

February 2016

A few images of our 20th Birthday Lunch held at Ashfields.

February

It's better than working for a living. The talk tonight was by the Rev. Canon Alan Haydock who gave us an unusual insight into some of the workings of his ministry. The talk was highly amusing and very entertaining and not quite what one might expect of a Reverend.  A very enjoyable evening.

January 2016

The speaker for the evening was Roxanne Dinsdale giving a really entertainingtalk about Belly Dancing. She was so enthusiastic about the art and incredibly knowledgeable.She started by doing a short demonstration of moves. Roxanne comes fromLeicester and has been practicing the art of Belly Dancing for 31 years. Thedance form originated in India and not in Turkey as most people thought. As thedance troupes moved around the different communities in India each villageadded their own moves and then as the dances became International more and moremoves were added. Roxanne bought a large selection of costumes to show andthese were passed around during the talk. The colours were amazing. She alsodemonstrated some veil dances and had a lovely selection of veils to show. Sheexplained all the myths of the art and everyone was totally absorbed in the talk. A lovely evening

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December  2015

Herbal Medicine was the talk which was very interesting and we were allgiven the chance to taste or smell the herbs that Dr. Serene Foster had boughtwith her such as Liquorice and Camomile.

This was followed by a social evening with tea coffee and mincepies.  

A fortnight before Christmas a group of us visited Newstead Abbey thehome of Lord Byron where we had a guided tour of the house followed by a verylarge tea with lots of cakes, which was lovely.

November

The meeting started with the introduction of the new President,Linda Bent.  She welcomed everyone to the meeting and then introduced thecommittee.  She also introduced the Mayor of Hinckley, Janice Richards,who was a guest for the evening and well known to many of the members.

A financial statement was given by the treasurer. An auditor wasproposed by Cath Houchen and seconded by Mary Townsend.
It was decided to have a suggestion box for members and also we were asked ifwe would like to start a luncheon club.
The speaker for the evening was Tim Thornton a Jeweller from Market Harboroughwho gave a very interesting talk on antique jewellery with an excellent slideshow.  He had bought along some pieces of jewellery for us to admire. He also looked at the Mayors chain of office and described the differentmetals in it.  We were all very appreciative of the fact that Tim Thorntonhad travelled to talk to us on such a foggy night and he was thanked for hisvisit by Sandra Gomm.

October

The Centenary Autumn lunch was held at Barnsdale Hall Hotel the guest speaker was Julie Summers author of 'Jambusters' who was very entertaining. The meal was good although the service was very slow. Rita had put a lot of effort into organising the event and we had a lovely afternoon.

Alison Briggs from Mercy Ships UK waswelcomed as the speaker. She told of the work that they had undertaken in2014, in providing medical care to the Congo and Madagascar with thehospital ship ' Africa Mercy'. The ship carries out vital operations fortumours, eye care, orthopaedic, burns and  gynaecologicalproblems. Tents are erected on the quayside for dental check ups.  On theopening day in Madagascar over 2000 patients were waiting on the quayside.  Thecrew and volunteers do not take any salaries for their work and even have topay for their food and rooms on board ship. Many have worked for years treatingthe sick, and their reward is seeing the joy on the children's faces as theycan now have a normal life. The crew also join in community games andgive the blood needed for operations.
During 2014, the team performed a total of 1778 surgeries, 12,597 dentalprocedures, 6259 eye evaluations and 2555 medical consultations. A dedicatedteam indeed.

The AGM followed with a financialreport from Sue Palmer, a year's review from Pat Colson and a report fromretiring President Rita Caves, thanking the committee for all their work duringthe year.
After a ballot, Linda Bent was declared the new President.

September

On a lovely sunny afternoon,twelve ladies  visited Hill Top Nursery at Shilton (by Coventry)
Seated in the plant tunnel, they watched several demonstrations by Rob,featuring hanging baskets and tubs planted with heathers, pansies, grasses,evergreens and an unusual silver plant called Calocephalus, which no one hadever heard of.
After the demonstrations, everyone headed to the café for a welcome cup of teaand cake, before being let loose on the wonderful plant sales andChristmas decorations.
A great nursery and a lovely afternoon ride out, organised by Sue Palmer.

As part of the WI Centenary,Earl Shilton Evening WI celebrated with guest speaker Rosemary Hughes.  Leicestershire born and bred, Rosemary hasthe honour of  being the only person inthe country to hold a Royal Warrant for HM Queen Elizabeth to create the Maundyposies.  She also created all the flowerarrangements and the wreath for the reburial of King Richard III.

Rosemary began herdemonstration by explaining the origins of the posies.  Rosemary told members that she makes fourteenposies, including one each for The Queen and Prince Phillip.

Rosemary delighted members with her skill andanecdotes, and kindly donated the posy she had created to the raffle – acoveted prize!

Members and guests ended theevening by singing 'Happy Birthday' to the WI, toasting with Bucks Fizz andeating a superbly decorated, and delicious cake, made and donated by HannahThompson.

On 3^rd September 79ladies went to the Centennial Craft Fair at Harrogate. A good time was had by all.

In August we visited Stratford and took a boat trip down the River Avon on the Rita Ellen included in the trip was a fish and chip lunch which was enjoyed by all. In the afternoon  some time was  spent browsing the shops a very enjoyable day.






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August meeting

Member   Mary Hill wasthe guest speaker  Akeen family history enthusiast, she told the story of her husband's uncles,George and Tom Hill.  From a midlands farming family, they decided toemigrate to Australia, and worked as miners in Broken Hill, 300 miles north ofAdelaide.When WW1 began, they enlisted in the 10thBattalion of the ANZAC Regiment.  Their journey took themto Alexandria, Gallipoli and eventually the battlefields of theSomme. George was wounded and sent to military hospitalsin Valletta and London, before being sent back to France, where hewas killed in 1916.
Tom was wounded several times and admitted to hospitals in London,before being sent back as a lieutenant to Ypres. He was awarded the MilitaryCross for bravery, but eventually died at the 3rd Battle of Ypres in 1918.                                            Amoving talk with a fantastic amount of research.

• A photo was taken on thenewly grassed area by the URC Car park, where the six fruit trees donated bythe WI were planted.
  This was a contribution to the Church's eventual community orchard and peacefularea as part of Earl Shilton in Bloom.
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July meeting

Linda Rudkin gave a fascinating talk on how she creates the beautiful colours from natural things such as leaves, bark and berries to dye the materials that she uses to make her hand made cushions and quilts along with other craft items.

It was quite an eye opener to see how many shades of browns could  be made just from the outer leaves of onions.  A very entertaining evening.

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  Joys day out at Buckingham Palace garden party
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June meeting

Earl Shilton Evening WI welcomed John and Annette Christophersfrom Albrighton Pottery, for their 'Talk With a Difference' to the Junemeeting. They have both been making pots for over 50 years and trained to throwon the potters' wheel. Even today this would take between five to seven yearsapprenticeship in a company.

In the 19th century the area near Stoke on Trent hadaround 4,000 bottle kilns. A central chimney let out the smoke over two daysfrom the firing. It was said that you couldn't see a hand in front of youfrom all the smoke. The men banking up the fire with wood and coal toimmense temperatures, would be allowed a pint of ale when they came out.
Gas and electricity were later used to heat up the clay.
John showed photos of a cross section of a kiln, with its brick outer casingand all the 'saggers' stacked up inside, holding the pots.
The crucial element was to allow sufficient cooling before dismantlingthe contents.
Not many bottle kilns survive today, only in living museums. Yetanother industry where the craft is dying out.

Our trip to the Pen Museum at Birmingham in May

May meeting

President Rita Caves welcomed Dave and Dee from the Earl Shiltonin Bloom team to the May meeting of Earl Shilton Evening WI. They invitedeveryone to help plant up hanging baskets and join inother  activities.   The town looked great last yearand gained a Silver Award.
The WI have donated six fruit trees, which have been planted in anew grassed area at the United Reformed Church, and also help in theplanting of some of the containers around the Church.

The Resolution to be taken to the Annual Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall is'Failing to Care - the Assessment of Need in Long Term Care'.
Advisor Joy Hoult gave an account of the need to removethe distinction between nursing care and personal care in order to enhancehealth and well being. This was a very difficult subject and the meeting voted15 for the resolution and 15 against, giving the delegate Sandra Gomm discretion when it comes to the final vote.
After tea and biscuits and a short quiz, members were moved around the room todifferent tables, like Speed Dating , in order to introduce themselves toladies who they don't usually sit against.
Everyone agreed it was a very pleasant and friendly evening

Our visit to the Leather Museum  at Walsall May2015

April meeting

Speaker Wendy Coley from the charity Medical DetectionDogs. The charity was started by Dr Claire Guest who realised that dogsused in sniffing out drugs and explosives, also acted strange when their ownershad a medical problem.
They can identify minute odour changes that are emitted prior to an emergencyand alert the person to take appropriate action or to get help and fetchmedical supplies if needed.
This early warning system has proved to reduce the number of paramediccall-outs and hospital admissions. 
There are also cancer detection dogs who can detect breast and prostate cancerfrom urine samples and work is continuing in this research.
A breakthrough in funding came when the Duchess of Cornwall became thecharity's patron, and invited the team to do a demonstration at St. James'Palace with their invited prestigious guests. This had a significant impact ontheir recognition and acceptance among the scientific world.

A report on the Annual Council Meeting at Leicester Grammar School was givenby Linda Bent, detailing the three main speakers of Angela Ripon OBE, ValerieStevens of the Associated Country Women of the World and ElainePantling of the Laurie Lorry Theatre Company. All were really inspiringwomen.
A competition of A Home Remedy made for some interesting reading

19th Birthday Lunch at Ashfields

Outings

Rhubarb Farm

Twenty seven members and friends enjoyed a visit to the  Rhubarb farm inYorkshire, where Janet Oldroyd (the High Priestess of Rhubarb) gave a mostinteresting talk about its health benefits. 
They went into the candlelit sheds where the forced rhubarb was growing. Thiswas followed by a rhubarb themed lunch at a local pub, then a talk onliquorice by Tom Dixon, a liquorice boiler for 40 years, who is still givinghis talks at the age of 81.

Short reports of 2015 meetings

March

Dr Jonathon Castleman, the Chairman of Leicesterplumbing, roofing and glazing firm Norman and Underwood, which began in 1825.
He is  a member of the Underwood branch,and started as an apprentice plumber in the 1980's.  The company isthe largest in the UK to make and recycle sand lead roofing and each roof sheet is inscribed with their stamp.

Jonathon has travelled all over the world and his mostprestigious job was making and building the golden dome at theDome of the Rock Church in Jerusalem. He will be one of the last people to seethe remains of King Richard 111 as he will seal the lead coffin.

February

IanRisely, who paints animal and landscape pictures in pastel.  This is amixture of chalk, paint and pigment in the form of a crayon. His subject was a terrier called Meg, which he drew from a photo. Even after afew minutes, the eyes, nose and ears took shape, and the depth of the imageseemed to leap off the paper.
Blending in tan, white and black pastels, a lovely picture was finished withinforty minutes. And even better, the finished picture was given to the WI as afuture raffle prize

January

Fifty eight ladies attended, when guest speakers werehusband and wife team Tony Wadsworth and Julie Meyer from Radio Leicester.  They are well-known for their Sunday morning programme 'Clueless', whichis a travel hunt through Leicestershire.

Annual Council Meeting

Walk and Lunch at Caulke Abbey

19th Birthday Lunch at Ashfields

RECYCLING AND FASHION SHOW

In September 2014 we held a recycling and fashion show evening.  We all donated good quality unwanted items of clothing. It was then sorted into sizes and put on display. Six ladies volunteered to Model some of the items and then after tea and biscuits we were free to buy as we wished.  All the surplus clothes were distributed between various Charity shops.

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