Meeting on Monday 8 January 2018

This will be an Open Meeting - please ask friends, partners, neighbours if they would like to join us for the evening.

The speaker will be Rev Clive Fairclough, the new Vicar of Mells, talking on
His Life & Adventures before he became a Vicar.

Meeting 11 December

LEIGH ON MENDIP WI

We were already getting ready for the coming year at the December meeting with the tea rota to check to make sure we were free on our allotted day and volunteers needed to sign up for thanking the speakers.  Names and money were being taken for the visit to Shepton prison on January 13^th, we had a reminder about the WI birthday lunch at Barbara Turner’s house on Sat February 3^rd and were given advance warning of the annual village clean up which would be on Sat 3^rd March.

Two WI issues to address in January. The suggestions for the Resolutions were in the current WI Life and we were asked to fill in our choice on the slip there to bring to the January meeting. Also at that meeting we should bring our subs for the coming year which have gone up slightly to £41.

The talk called “Girl Cop” was given by Sandy Osborne, the author of a fiction book of the same name and its follow up. Sandy was still a serving police officer in Bath and had based her stories on the area including her own real life experiences. She told us how her writing career started and how difficult it had been to get published and read us extracts from both the book and some of her writing for magazines.

The next meeting will be on Monday January 8^th at 7.30pm

Christmas is Coming!!

At our November meeting we had fun making some simple Christmas 
decorations!

Meeting 13 November

At the last but one meeting of the year in November we were told the 2018 programme is almost complete and would include a good variety of speakers for us to enjoy. Two of the group meetings would be in Leigh next year, the business one on 25^th July and the ordinary meeting on 26^th September, two dates for your new diary! Before these another diary date planned was a lunch to celebrate our 69^th birthday which would be held at Barbara Turner’s house on Saturday 3^rd February. In addition final arrangements for several forthcoming events were made. These included making choices and payments for the Christmas meal on Tuesday 5^th December and a suggestion to consider two first Friday lunches in December on the 1st, one in Buckland Dinham after the carol service and for those not attending this one in Leigh as usual. Sue Rodford would check numbers for the concert and book a table in the Bell at Buckland if relevant. Tickets were given out for the theatre outing to the Merlin and the carol concert in Wells.

Following the business matters we had a simple craft session led by the owners of the Hive business in Shepton. They started as a shoe repairers but these days hold a variety of stock such as fabrics, wool and other craft items, have a catering side and also run courses such as flower arranging and cake decorating. For our WI they had cut out felt shapes of angels and Christmas stockings for us to put together and decorate and add to the cracker supplied if we wished. The winner of the best effort received a voucher for a free afternoon tea.

At the meeting on Monday 11^th December at 7.30pm we will have a talk entitled “Girl Cop”

October Monthly Meeting

In October recent events included an enjoyable group meeting which had included an ukulele band, the usual coffee morning in the Hall and first Friday lunch in the Bell and just a few days earlier the jumble sale, which was to raise funds for Denman. This was very successful, making a total of £291 which meant we had reached our target for them plus had a little left over for ourselves. 

Some of the forthcoming events were Christmas related such as the carol service in Wells on Wed 13^th December, the group carols on Friday 1^st December at 11am, meaning a late lunch in the Bell and the Christmas meal on Tuesday 5^th December. The latter would be at Peppers in Shepton and there were lists to sign up to with our choice of food. Cost of this would be £16.50 for 2 courses and £21 for 3 which Mary Mears explained was a lot less than many others.

Donations are still being accepted for the shoe box appeal, mainly for small items suitable for a young man. It had also been decided to again forgo our Secret Santa at the Christmas meal and instead make donations to the food bank. Sue Rodford said this should be in the form of Christmas treats and June Brewster is also to check if specific items are needed.

Then Head of Shows, Alan Lyons gave us a detailed and interesting talk about the Bath and West. This show has a history of over 150 years and since 1965 has been held in its current location in Shepton Mallet. It is a massive undertaking with 27 different committees covering the various sections. Alan tries to involve the surrounding community where possible from insisting on West Country food being served to employing local organisations in both paid and volunteer positions.

At the meeting on Monday 13^th November at 7.30pm we will have a craft session to make a Christmas decoration.

Frome Group Meeting

Five members from Leigh on Mendip attended the Frome Group Meeting.

It was a great evening with entertainment provided by Frukes - a local ukulele band.

Members were asked if they were interested in forming a skittles team for local matches.

Jumble Sale

On Saturday 7 October we held a Jumble Sale as a Fund Raiser for Denman College.  Lots of items were donated and members were busy sorting and arranging during the morning.

Doors opened at 1.30pm.  Thank you to everyone who came to buy and those who worked hard before and on the day.  Refreshments were available during the afternoon - cups of tea much needed!



In total we raised £291.  We achieved our target of £200 for Denman (this is in addition to the funds raised earlier in the year with a Breakfast morning) and the rest will be used for our WI.

September Monthly Meeting

A slightly different format to our September meeting as we were given a printed out agenda to refer to, although all the sections were covered out loud as usual. One of the many items addressed was to make arrangements for our jumble sale which will be on Saturday October 7^th. Names were taken for helpers in various slots and we were asked to bring our jumble along by 12 noon on the day and not to include any electrical items or large pieces of furniture.

Two other appeals for donations were for toothbrushes and small tubes of toothpaste which the Mendip Country Practice aim to take to Africa and for items for the usual shoe box scheme. These should be suitable for a teenage boy and could include things such as toiletries, sweets etc. smaller sizes meaning a bigger variety.

Tricia Rawlingson-Plant was an erudite and interesting speaker who told us a lot about the children’s outdoor activity centre she runs at Bruton, The Mill on the Brue. This was started in 1982, initially in conjunction with Gants Mill and has grown enormously over the years, now employing many staff and providing opportunities for children and teenagers to both enjoy themselves and develop as people, often giving them a lasting new confidence.

The meeting on Monday 9^th October at 7.30pm will include a talk about the Bath and West Show.

Denman College

Caroline went to Denman College at the weekend to do a course on Flower Arranging.  She had a really wonderful time and I'm sure you will all agree that she made some stunning arrangements.

She had fun trying out different and new styles of displays.





And also a lovely corsage.

If any WI Ladies would like to attend a course please look at the Denman College e-mails that come through from time to time.  There are lots of people to chat to and work with so don't be put off going on your own.  We have a Bursary for our members so please apply if there is something you would like to do.  Or go with a friend - you can do different courses and perhaps share the Bursary.

http://denmancollege.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Denman-Brochure-June-2017.pdf

President's Evening

A change of date from our normal Monday evening but it was lovely to see so many of our members at the President's Evening on Thursday 10 August.  Many thanks to Shelagh for opening her house for this event.  Sue Rodford, our new President, welcomed everyone.  There was a wonderful array of food & drinks and soon everyone was eating and chatting, catching up on all the latest news.  The evening came to an end all too soon.

Sorry there are no photos!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting in the Memorial Hall on Monday 11 September for a talk on the 'History of the Mill on the Brue'.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm and if anyone in the Village (or surrounding area) would like to come along and find out more about us please phone one of the committee or just turn up.  You will be very welcome.

Visit to Waitrose

On Monday 24 July a group of ladies went for a very interesting visit to Waitrose in Wells.  We arrived at 6.30pm and were made to feel very welcome.  We were given a drink and some nibbles whilst we listened to a short talk on the history of John Lewis and Waitrose.  We then divided into two groups.  One stayed to have tasters of different foods & drinks and were asked various questions as to what we thought about each one. Whilst enjoying this the other group had a tour of the 'behind scenes' and learnt about re-stocking, etc.  The two groups then swapped over and we finished the evening at Waitrose with a general chat.  Many thanks to the 2 members of Staff and also to Barbara for organising the event.  Then several of us went on for a Greek meal at a local Taverna.  A great end to a lovely evening.

Looking forward to the next outing!

July Monthly Meeting

At our July meeting we were all captivated by an inspirational talk by Desi Fradgeley about the charity Horseshoes and Handprints. It is based at her home, a former farm, at Stocklinch, near Ilminster. The centre provides horse-centred therapy for children with special needs. This includes a wide range of disorders and health problems. The therapy offers each child sensory activities and close interaction with the ponies and horses. The staff attend accredited courses to work with the horses and families. They see the children become relaxed, calmer and happier around the animals. This has far-reaching benefits for the child’s whole family.

www.horseshoesandhandprints.org

Business items included a thank you to all members who helped at the Village Fair in June; a report from Barbara about the County Open Gardens she had visited, one in Wells and another in Binegar; and two lists were compiled: of those who were going on a visit ‘behind the shelves’ at Waitrose in Wells on 24^th July, and those who were able to attend President’s Evening on 10^th August at Mary’s home. Events in the Autumn included a Jumble Sale on 7^th October in the Memorial Hall.

Leigh on Mendip Summer Fair 2017

What Fantastic Weather!

Ice-creams sold out.  And the cakes that didn't sell in the afternoon went quite quickly with the youngsters at the Evening Entertainment.

Thank You to Everyone who baked cakes, made jams, etc and helped set up and sell on the Day.

Enjoy the Sunshine whilst it lasts!

12 June - Monthly Meeting

In June our meeting was chaired for the first time by Sue Rodford in her role as our new President. Many of the business matters, such as the outing to Waitrose on the 24^th July, the President’s evening at Mary’s house on 10^th August and the jumble sale on 7^th October had already been touched on at previous meetings but it gave us a chance to firm up on these dates in our diaries.

Caroline gave us a report on the AGM in Liverpool which had included some inspirational speakers. The resolution about loneliness had received mixed responses partly due to the wording with some delegates feeling it was not a matter for the Government to act on. However it was still passed. A more resounding approval was given to the resolution about plastic soup. It was encouraging to hear that there are currently two products being developed which could be put in washing machines to combat the problem of micro plastic fibres getting into our waterways.

Sue made an appeal for more members to join the committee and also told us that the programme planning meeting for next year would take place at Caroline’s house on Tuesday 17^th October. Do see what ideas you can come up with and give a committee member the details if you are unable to go along yourself.

Our talk on the Great Barrier Reef included pictures of many of the myriad of organisms which form the coral and live in it. We were encouraged to go and see for ourselves if we ever get the chance.

The talk at our meeting on the 10^th of July will be on Horseshoes and Handprints, come along and find out what it’s all about!

May Meeting & AGM - Monday 8 May 2017

Our May meeting was mainly concerned with two topics. Firstly there were the Resolutions to consider. Barbara talked us through the presentation on action for “Alleviating Loneliness” which we came to realise had a variety of sources, not just being elderly.  It could be caused by lack of employment, being at home with young children or lack of transport just to give a few examples. The members were mainly in favour but decided to leave the decision on which way to vote to Caroline who is attending the AGM in Liverpool.

Jan Pattison then took us through a lot of information on the second Resolution which was about tackling the problem of micro fibres getting in to our waterways and the sea. This is increasingly affecting fish which we of course eat. Many of us had no idea that the problem came from washing items made from synthetic fibres and agreed the issue needed highlighting with the hope that manufacturers and government could come up with solutions to the problem. Members again were mainly in favour of this resolution.

We then turned to our AGM with reports from the officers of the committee. Barbara appealed for more members to join the committee but none at the meeting volunteered. Barbara was standing down as President and so we needed to vote for a replacement. We were very pleased that Sue Rodford agreed to stand as our  new President.

Refreshments were in the form of tasters of recipes various members had brought along with some surprises including - Who would have thought of putting kidney beans in a chocolate cake instead of flour? Delicious!

Our meeting on the 12^th of June will include a talk on the Great Barrier Reef.

ACWW Walk Sunday 30 April 2017

Despite the poor weather forecast the Walk went ahead!

Caroline, Barbara and Jan met at the Village Hall car park.

We drove to the Cranmore Tower car park and started our walk uphill.

It was so lovely to see the trees coming into leaf.

We made it up to the Tower and then back down again.  

No rain!  A very pleasant walk.

Then back to Barbara's for tea and cake.  We were spoilt.  A choice of 4 cakes - shared with other WI members and husbands who came to join us there.

Just over £30 raised for ACWW.
Thank you to everyone who supported us.

April Monthly Meeting

There were reminders in April about the AGM and recipe swap for our May meeting and notice from Barbara that she will be standing down as president and that we need both more general committee members and someone to replace her. After the AGM, when we will also discuss the Resolutions, there will be a social activity and as usual the committee will provide the refreshments.

Various recent social occasions had been enjoyed including a theatre trip to the Merlin, the monthly coffee morning in the Hall and the first Friday lunch in the Bell. For the latter we were pleased to be joined by Sparks, our ex-president, who was in Leigh visiting. We were reminded to return the bulb orders by the May meeting and given notice of the Women Walk the World event which would take place on 30^th April.

For our entertainment Daniel Mears told us a little about the names, ingredients and origins of various Cocktails and then mixed some for us with a few of the members making their own with his help. He also made some Mocktails with various fruit juices and we were able to sample these at the end of his talk. It made for a very interesting and enjoyable evening, something maybe a little different from many people’s perception of the WI!

Our May meeting will be the AGM at 7.30 on the 8^th. 

Happy Easter

Wishing all our members a Very Happy Easter.

April Monthly Meeting - Cocktails and Mocktails

Thank you to Daniel Mears for entertaining us at our April Monthly meeting.

It was fun learning about the history behind cocktails and then for Sue, Jane and Jan Pattison to take turns in making cocktails. Measuring the drinks, adding ice and using the cocktail shaker. All beautifully decorated with stirrers, straws and umbrellas!!

Enjoy!!

April Monthly Lunch

Our usual Monthly Lunch at The Bell in Leigh on Mendip.  So lovely that Sparks was able to join us.  We heard all about her new life and her seafaring adventures with John.  5 ladies from Leigh WI were there.
Please join us next month if you are free - Friday 5 May at 12.15pm

Monthly Meeting March 2017

We had been busy in the weeks before the March meeting, joining in the village clean up, enjoying a lunch in the Bell and a coffee morning in the Hall as well as taking part in the Tarmac Trophy quiz. Earlier in the day some members had attended the Road Show at Beckington where there had been a very good speaker talking about her diplomatic life in Pakistan and Bangladesh and plenty of information available about all sorts of issues.

Barbara again mentioned the Denman fundraising and suggested a jumble sale in the autumn which several members agreed to help with. We may also hold a 'Soup & Pud' lunch.  On a different topic, we are also going to look again at the idea of knitting Twiddle Muffs, maybe as an extension of the Craft and Cuppa group. Looking ahead to April some members are going to the Merlin Theatre on the 6^th and Sunday 30^th is the Women Walk the World day which we usually support but no plans in place yet.  We will probably start from the village about 2.30pm and end up having tea and cake!

The Resolutions for the National AGM in June had been chosen and would be about “Plastic Soup” and “Loneliness”. We would discuss these at our May meeting and needed 2 people to speak on each, one for and one against.

We then had a talk on UK Calendar Customs from Daphne Atkinson. She showed us pictures and gave us details of many strange and amusing activities which take place in various towns and villages all over the UK on specific dates in the year, some familiar, most not.

At our meeting at 7.30 on April 10^th we will hear about (and taste!) Cocktails and Mocktails from Daniel Mears

What a Load of Rubbish!!!

Many thanks to all the residents of Leigh on Mendip who turned up on Saturday 4 March to help with the Litter Pick.  And 'Thank You' to the ladies who were serving tea and cake to everyone who returned to the Hall after their hard work.

Our roads and lanes are now much cleaner and hopefully will stay that way.  Thank you to those walkers who regularly clear the rubbish they see - it has certainly made a difference to the amount collected on this annual event.

Monthly Meeting February 2017

Names were being taken in February for the coming Roadshow at Beckington and the Hall quiz both in March and for the theatre outing to the Merlin in Frome on April 6th. Recent social events included the fundraising breakfast for Denman organised by Barbara and the Leigh WI birthday party, both hosted by Shelagh. In March we would as usual have the first Friday lunch in the Bell, the coffee morning on the 6^th and on Saturday the 4^th the village litter pick. Looking ahead to June we are once again running the produce and cake stall at the fete with the addition of ice creams, in small tubs for convenience. Mary has stepped into the breach and will be representing us at the February fete meeting.

The breakfast raised over £50 for Denman but Barbara explained we have been asked to raise even more to help them to continue to exist and provide such a valuable and enjoyable educational and social resource. She asked us to think of any ideas we could use.

Our talk was about Frome FM radio which you may be able to pick up on 96.6fm. The range is officially 5 miles from Frome but Helen Ottaway, their chair, assured us she was still able to tune in when she arrived in Leigh. They are on air 24 hours a day with a mix of music and talk shows. In April they will be moving to the new town hall in Frome on Christchurch St and Helen encouraged us to drop in and see how things work, there will be other organisations on site including the Tourist Information and a café, so well worth making the trip.

Our meeting at 7.30 on March 13^th will include a talk called UK Calendar Customs

68 Years Young!!

Scrummy Tea and Cakes for Leigh on Mendip's 68th Birthday Party.

A lovely way to spend a wet Sunday afternoon in
January.  A chance to catch up on everyone's news.


Special thanks to our Cake makers:-
Ann Orpwood, Christine, Marguerite and Shelagh.

And to Caroline & Mary for making cups of tea!

And some of the husband's came too!

A special "Thank you" to Shelagh for hosting our Birthday party in her house.

Barbara presented Shelagh with a bouquet
of flowers.

January Breakfast

Looking scrummy - croissants, toast and coffee & tea still to come!

11 members (and one husband!) came out on a very cold morning and we were made to feel so welcome sitting in Shelagh's sunny kitchen.

£55.50 was raised for us to send to Denman for their Fundraising.  

 People were asking:

"When's the next breakfast"??!!

Thank you to Barbara for doing all the hardwork providing us with such a lovely breakfast.

If anyone has another good idea for a Denman Fundraiser please let the Committee know and we will see if members can make it happen!

Monthly Meeting January 2017

Since the magazine last came out Christmas has been and gone of course. Before that at our December meeting we made some of our own cards from the wide variety of materials that had been assembled for us with varying but overall very good results.

In January subs of £39 were due and Mary had once again produced some attractive programmes with our plans for the meetings in the year ahead. In addition to these we had several events to look forward to. There was the Denman fundraiser breakfast arranged by Barbara on Friday 13^th January and later in the month the Birthday Party tea on the 29^th.  Looking ahead to March there was the Roadshow on the 13^th at Beckington, final numbers for this to be taken at the February meeting and Barbara encouraged us to attend this if possible as it was in our area for once. We were also thinking about the fete in June as we no longer have a representative for that committee. Barbara emphasized how much we rely on the fete for fundraising and urged members to consider volunteering to take this job on. We also need someone to take charge of the raffle prizes.

Our speaker, Jane Norris, had worked as a nurse/midwife for many years. She had come from a family of midwives and always knew it was the career she wanted. However she preferred not to stay in one job or place for too long and had spent time in various areas of the UK, the Navy and, definitely the most interesting location for us, in the Labrador region of Canada. This was extremely remote with thick snow in winter, generally difficult and unpleasant living conditions and populated by very poor underprivileged people in small villages, so Jane and her colleagues were performing a vital service.

Our February meeting at 7.30 on Monday 13^th will include a talk on Frome FM radio.