Wells cathedral tour

Our visit to Wells cathedral was most informative and interesting, each of us learning a lot about a place most of us visit on a fairly frequent basis. Of particular note were the small carvings high up on each of the massive pillars, telling their own story and giving a glimpse into the mind of the stone mason. We decided to organise an embroidery tour of the cathedral, which sounds fascinating!

The Bishop's Table - delightful setting for an après tour cup of tea!

We finished the morning at the Bishop's Table in the very beautiful grounds of the palace.
Thank you Caroline and photographer Brian for the photos.

A delicious egg sandwich! 

Nunney WI trip

Four of us joined The ladies of Nunney WI on Wednesday to enjoy the rich and varied delights of the water walk at the Bishop's Palace in Wells and the organic gardens at Lag Farm, the heart of Yeo Valley. It was a fabulous day! Excellent weather, very good company and a great choice of venues offering something for all interests.

What a fascinating talk!

These two current uniforms were used to demonstrate how the uniforms are made so that they can be readily adjusted to fit  well. The real bearskin busby was marvellous! 

We were expecting our speaker to tell us about the history of military uniforms: wrong! She works for the MOD in the supplies department, and told us all about her work in developing fabrics and clothing for our armed forces. It was quite amazing, everyone was enthralled and not in the least bit surprised to learn that recently she had been awarded the MBE for her services.
A special thank you to Sue V, who really entered into the spirit of the occasion:

This body armour is so heavy! When worn it would have lots of items of kit attached to it as well!

WI campaigns - we can take part!

The NFWI notes that three people die every day whilst waiting for an organ transplant. We call on every member of the WI to make their wishes regarding organ donation known, and to encourage their families and friends, and members of their local communities to do likewise- Standon and Coates Heath WI - Staffordshire Federation

The WI's campaign encourages members to have a think about donation, make a decision and then talk about it to someone close to them. Time to Talk About Organ Donation is about easing the burden on grieving families. When families have a clear idea about what their deceased loved-one wanted, it makes it so much easier for them to fulfill your wishes. 

- See more at: http://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns

SOS Bees
You can count bees when you are in your garden or out for a walk! Simply download a free app to your mobile or tablet, and it's easy! Go to

greatbritishbeecount.co.uk

This is organised by Friends of the Earth who will use the data gathered to formulate a policy to safeguard our bees.

ACWW event in Binegar

Wednesday 6 August 

Refreshments provided, bring your packed lunch (& maybe a cushion!)
Binegar village hall 10 am until 2 pm.  £5

Programme:
Reidun Sannes (Somerset WI) 'Growing up in Norway'
Anitra Lockwood (Devon WI) Resolution from the Chennai conference
Valerie Stevens (Devon WI) ACWW European Area President : 'My first year in office - news from European travels'

 Displays from the Chennai and Norway conferences,  fair trade stall, raffle and quiz.

It promises to be a very interesting day; those who have been before will recommend it!

Frome Group Summer Social: A Peace Tea

Saturday 21 June saw another lovely afternoon of 'Bygone Times' with a Peace Tea in our Village Hall.  This was our Summer Group Social with members from other local institutes invited.  A special thank you to Sue Rodford (looking every bit a WW1 nurse) for explaining a little about Peace Teas and for making our dainty sandwiches.

The format (and some of the costumes) were in WW1 style along with decorations and bunting to match.

After a brief introduction to the history of Peace Teas and informing us of how WW1 affected millions of British women in both the short and longer term by "Nurse" Sue,  we sang some wartime songs, ably accompanied by Ruth from Nunney Institute. We all tucked into dainty sandwiches, homemade scones, cakes and jam tarts and lashings of tea.

Everyone enjoyed a lovely afternoon, lots of chatter and were reluctant to leave.  Many thanks to all who contributed, by setting up the hall, making food, serving and clearing up, making this such a lovely occasion. It was much appreciated by our visitors who thanked us for our efforts and found "it very friendly and enjoyed the songs".