A new opportunity? Just say 'yes'!

Eight of us attended the County Annual Meeting in Yeovil today - feeling part of the great WI family and realising just what it is we belong to! A great day!

The morning saw the business section: our outgoing County Chair, Carole, introduced the Board of Trustees and we began the day with a rousing 'Jerusalem'.
The chairman of South Somerset District Council welcomed us all with a very optimistic look at Yeovil and district's future, thanks largely to the spirit of optimism and success engendered by  the Queen's visit to the town for the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics - and a huge investment by Augusta Westlands.

The standing orders were adopted. A delegate from each WI has a vote.
One point for us all to consider: next summer we can make nominations to the County Federation for new Trustees. A rewarding opportunity.

The  County Chair and Treasurer attended  the National Council meeting; NFWI finances are healthy, membership is rising. There is, however, a problem with the financial situation at Denman. We are the only Women's Organisation with our own college - we must keep it! 'Use it or lose it' is the slogan!  Wy not ask for Denman gift vouchers for your Christmas or birthday gifts? Look at the next edition of County News, on the front page you will find two Denman bursaries on offer! Apply! Several people mentioned the need to support Denman throughout the day, a recurring theme.

Plans are afoot for our NFWI centenary celebrations in 2015, to pass a baton throughout the country - it will travel through Somerset in March 2015! Let's be sure we can join in the fun!

You will remember voting on the venue for the 2015 National AGM? The results were inconclusive! A decision will be made soon. Opting for a huge venue so that every WI can be represented is risky - high cost and will everyone attend?

We have a copy of the new WI Guide - we'll bring it to Monday's meeting

The County Treasurer's report demonstrates that SCFWI is financially viable and healthy for the forseeable future. The report was adopted.

The Annual Report of Activities was presented in a very interesting and entertaining way:
                           "Who has been inspiring women in Somerset?"
The 6 Somerset women who took part in the upcycled little black dress competition paraded across the stage, I gave a description of our Let's Cook Local course, we heard about a music bursary taken up at Denman, a very clever poem which won the poetry competition was read to us.... and there was a long list of the crafts, sports and other courses and activities which have taken place this year.
Our membership has increased by 120 this year!

 Next, Margaret Bigg gave us ideas to encourage more people to join us: mainly asking friends,
encouraging neighbours to come along. She also described next year's holiday: a 13 day leisurely, 4* trip to Tuscany, with the majority of meals and many organised visits and trips included. Look out for details in a future County News. It promises to be lots of fun and very good value for money.

Vivien Lloyd spoke to us about her exciting new project: she is an acclaimed preserves and jam maker, having written a book and won several prestigious prizes for her produce. She is a National WI judge and next March will run a training course at Denman for people who would like to become NFWI preserves judges.

Then we heard a brief talk from Steve Greenhalgh about safe driving; telling us about an initiative to improve driving safety and offering a free talk for Somerset groups.

Some WIs are involved with charities: one told us about the Osteoporosis Society and Marie Masters, one of the Trustees, who has had lymphatic and breast cancer this year, set us all a challenge. Can we make heart shaped cushions and/or little shoulder bags? These are for cancer patients to use and will be donated to cancer units at hospitals in Somerset (+ the RUH in Bath) we will bring copies of the pattern on Monday.

We heard how successful the Trading Post has been this year, bringing in over £1,000 to the WI coffers.

Anniversary Certificates were presented to a number of WIs, ranging from 95 - 60 years.

Finally came the turn of our speaker,  Paul Atterbury, whom Antiques Roadshow devotees will recognise. He's the chap with the stripey jackets, all purchased in charity shops, the very first one in Sherborne! What a fascinating life, based on the principle of saying yes to whatever opportunity came along. His Mother was the puppeteer who worked Andy Pandy, and she told him that she based Andy Pandy on him! Perhaps this is why he likes the stripes! He was an excellent and very entertaining speaker.

Carol then gave her closing remarks, thanked everyone and was presented with some Denman vouchers from the Board of Trustees as a farewell gift!

We all agreed it had been a fabuous day! Can't wait for the next one!

Operation Christmas Child

This evening, Mary and I called in to Caroline's house to sort out all of the shoe boxes and gifts kindly supplied by our WI members. We had some beautifully covered boxes, plenty of soaps, toothbrushes, combs, gloves, hats, stationery, soft toys, games ...... Enough to fill 9.5 boxes! One completely filled box was supplied, and a couple of people have offered to buy the items we need.

We also have to include £2.50 for each box; members have donated £9.50 - thank you! If anyone who hasn't already been generous and would like to contribute, please bring a donation along to our meeting on Monday.

Remember that we have our Do it for Denman bring and buy sale at the meeting on Monday! A chance to find a quirky Christmas gift? Please bring something if you can, as well as some cash to buy!

Big Walk Little Splash

A letter arrived today from Liz Murdoch, our County Co-ordinator for Sport and Leisure, to say thank you for our entry.
In our category, Rodney Stoke and Draycott had a higher percentage of members taking part, so our entry has not qualified for submission to National.

It was good fun making the attempt, 'though! Liz encouraged us to keep up the activity, even without the incentive of a competition! I guess we'll all be walking to the pub on 2 November! Unless anyone would care to organise a walk for us? I'm sure there will be people interested to join in!

Wyke Farms Visit - you missed a real treat!

Click on the photo above and enlarge it! You will see that it says:

"Prize Winning Cheddar Starts here"

and my goodness me, it does! We were given a very warm welcome by Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms Cheese. His grandparents began farming here at Wyke Champflower in 1902, and his Grandmother started makng cheese. The family has continued to farm in the area, and the cheese making has developed into an international business, selling family made, locally produced Cheddar cheese to 153 countries. (China being the fastest growing market). One of their unique approches is to take the cheese to shows across the country so that people can talk to them and taste the product. This way, many more customers buy Wyke Farms cheese when they see it in the supermarket.
The tour around  the factory was fascinating, from seeing a tanker delivering milk to the tanks in the photo above, we watched the journey taken by the milk into cheese or butter, by products: whey and lactose is dried and sent for use in the food industry, cream is made here and skimmed milk is condensed to send to Yeo Valley for their yoghurt, and anything remaining is either purified and used for machinery cleansing or to feed the pigs on the farm below the factory.

Couldn't resist getting a photo of this sign! Wallace and Grommit where are you?

The complete dedication and passion about the whole process was evident from everyone who spoke to us, it was very interesting, especially when we began discussing fair prices for milk producers and the profit margins made by the supermarkets.
As we drove home, Sue, Val and I decided that we can easily make a difference to our supermarkets and what goes on. each time we can't find something we want on the shelves, or if we want to know whether they are paying a fair price to their producers -  we need to ask! Go to the customer services desk and ask a question! They really do take notice, so let's start doing it! Individually and collectively, we can make a difference!

We were also awarded a very generous discount in the shop on our way out! We were first there, and when we realised the extent of the discount, we each bought more! I bet once every member of the WI group had gone through, the shelves would have been empty! My 'Crunchy Extra Mature Cheddar' has already been well and truly sampled!
I'm thinking we should have a cheese tasting session at one of our meetings.......

Group Meeting in Kilmersdon

Last evening 5 of us from Leigh went along to hear the talk on the history of the Kennet and Avon Canal, which included a little detour around the Somerset Coal Canal! It was very interesting! The speaker had a fascinating technique of showing us an old photograph or painting, describing the features which have now disappeared (I was a bit horrified to learn just how many canal side buildings have burnt down!) and then juxtaposing on screen the same view taken recently. This way we could really see the developments (or destructions!) which have taken place. It was interesting, too, to learn how many times  bureaucracy has thwarted the authentic restoration of the canal. (What patience and determination has been shown by the stalwarts of  the restoration).

The competition painted flowerpots in the canal art style were quite spectacular, it must have been a hard job making a judgment on them all.

Next Group meeting will be in Leigh on Mendip in January for the business meeting and the actual meeting is in March. We shall have to plan some good refreshments (the bar has been set high!) and an entertainment to follow the speaker. (There is an idea or two floating around, for a spot of fun....! ) the competition is to produce an A4 sheet depicting 'What I love about Frome' -  any ideas?

When is the next trip to Montacute House?

What an excellent evening! Our speaker, Sonia Powell, the Collections Manager from Montacute House gave us a very entertaining and interesting picture of what happens behind the scenes. She was very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about her work, which always makes the evening enthralling. Between April and October a massive 72,000 people visit Montacute House! We saw a picture of the huge pile of dust which was swept from the coir door mat! We learned of the painstaking methods used to clean, care for and document every item contained in the house - and picked up a tip for anyone looking for a new career: in restoring old fabrics! Apparently there are few  people able to do this, and it is very expensive! Sonia also told us about how she had been able to reclaim a portrait of the owner, Phelips, which had been presented to him by James I. The family had sold it several years ago for £34,000, a price which put it out of reach of the National Trust. However, it was put up for sale again recently at Sotheby's and thanks to a bequest from one of the volunteers at Montacute they were able to bid successfully - £195,000! - to return to to its original home.

Ater a brief break for refreshments, we watched the film of our Frome Group Olympic Warm Up! It was great fun, and really good to see just how many people had taken part (& a very active part, too!)

We are looking forward very much to next month's meeting, our AGM; a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to 2013. It will also be an opportunity for any member to join the committee; I can highly recommend it! Later, we will welcome Westfield Ladies Choir. They are going to sing to us and then allow us to join in! Someone asked if Gareth Malone will be there...... You'll just have to come along and find out!

October lunch at The Bell

A small group of 4 members met at The Bell yesterday for lunch. We enjoyed our meals and the lively conversation including catching up with summer holiday excitements.

Next time will be Friday 2 November, we look forward to seeing you there!