Minutes of December's meeting

Leigh on Mendip WI meeting:   Monday 10 December 2012      7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall

Welcome & apologies:  Barbara and Sylvia.

Best Attenders’ prize: presented to Liz and Gill.

Minutes & matters arising: The minutes were read and signed as a true record.  The Denman Jam Festival and Christmas Fair had been enjoyed on a sunny Sunday.  The Christmas meal had been enjoyed by all - Mary and Sparks were thanked for organising it.  The Group carol service at Kilmersdon was made special by the beautiful singing of the school children and the meal at the Bell afterwards was very good.

County News: Members were encouraged to read their copy.

Forthcoming Events:  

§  County Carol Service Wednesday 12 December at Wells Cathedral

§  Film club at Wells cinema Wednesday 12 December leaving Leigh at 2pm

§  Lunch at the Bell Friday 4 January

§  Birthday Party – Burns Night at Barbara’s, 25^th January 7.30pm please bring a plate of food and a poem to share.

§  Making hearts and bags for Marie Masters’ challenge – donations of material or help gratefully received.

Correspondence: Further copies of the advertising leaflet which has been inserted with the village magazine.  Thanks from the Westfield Ladies’ Choir for the welcoming atmosphere and donation.  Thanks from Victoria Andrews for the £81.50 donation to Do it for Denman.  SCFWI coach tour to Tuscany for £1300.  NFWI AGM 1 June 2013 in Cardiff, Nunney as link WI, observers tickets to be ordered by 31 January.

Treasurer’s Report:  Bank £1060.86, petty cash £19.09 with £30 held back for the Community coffee morning/£71 bursary.  It was agreed to add a further £79 to the bursary bringing it to £150.  Members were asked if anyone would like the bursary.  2013 subscription is £33.

Birthdays:  Jeni 30 December

Next meeting Richard Blunden will talk on his experience of being a Games Maker followed by a look at the blog on the big screen and then a games evening – members were asked to bring a good (but short) game.  Refreshments: Barbara and Ann. VOT: Sue R.  Reminder to bring the resolutions voting slip and raffle prizes to the meeting.

AOB: Only 3 tea towels left, agreed to keep 1 for the archive and 1 for the team planning the new banner.

Food bank, agreed to ask members to donate one item per month of non-perishable food.

Margaret thanked all who had helped or attended the Church Christmas fair which had made £400 and reminded members about the carol service on 16 December.

Sparks then introduced Coral Gardiner who provided a delightful demonstration of Christmas flower decorations with a witty commentary of her life and activities, which was very much appreciated by all.

Wednesday's carol service in Wells

Val and Jeni went along to the county carol service in Wells cathedral:
The cathedral as usual was packed, the service wonderful especially the first carol, Jerusalem sung by all those ladies. The singing was amazing ('though a little high!) Readings good and the choir sounded brilliant.

Thank you, Val and Jeni for your reports - it sounds as if more of us should go next year! It must be very special to hear all of those voices singing together.

Christmas flower decorations

Well, our last meeting of 2012 was inspiring! We had a final reading aloud of the minutes, as next year they will be on the blog. Plenty of Christmas cards and good wishes were exchanged along with some interesting feedback from all the various events we had attended.
Some members had kindly brought contributions for the Frome Food Bank, and we all agreed to make this a monthly collection. June B is our local volunteer, and she will receive non-perishable items at her house if anyone else wishes to donate.
Coral Gardiner gave us a very entertaining and skilled demonstration: she created two beautiful Christmas garlands and two amazing table displays - all of which were "lovely"! One of the wreaths is now on my front door, and Coral was quite correct when she said the blackbirds would be interested in the dried apple slices! Mary was the lucky raffle prize winner, and took home a stunning table display, with gorgeous deep red roses and carnations.

The Christmas tree biscuits and mini mince pies were delightful! Thank you Sue R & June B!

The icing on the Christmas cake, as it were, was a visit from Santa! He drove past on his float, music quite loud enough to entice us all to the windows to see him drive by!

We're all looking forward to our January meeting: Richard Blunden, who volunteered at the Paralympics, is coming to tell us about how it was for the Games Makers. In a dull, dark month, it will be wonderful to have a bit of the magic and optimism we all felt during the Olympic Games this year. Please be sure to tell your neighbours and friends! This will be something special!
Merry Christmas and 
a Happy and Healthy New Year!

WI Winners again at the bingo!

What a great evening! The hall was glittering and shiny in it's Christmas regalia, and full of people raising money for the skate park. The Recreation Field committee had certainly pulled out all the stops to put on a very successful event.

We seem to be following our lucky tradition, with WI members coming away with lots of prizes!  5 of the 8 players on our table came away laden down! Your good luck charm is working well, June!

Film club....

On Wednesday 12th December, Marguerite and I will be leaving here at 2pm; we're going to see the new film, 'Great Expectations' at Wells Film Centre.

Anyone else like to come along? Let me know!

Such a busy time!

A good contingent from Leigh on Mendip attended the Group carol service at Kilmersdon Church yesterday morning. Luckily it was a beautiful, sunny morning, so it was a special treat to walk through the lovely village of Kilmersdon. Children from the school joined us and sang two lively carols. Their singing was excellent, and I thought it was quite an inspired touch by Kilmersdon WI ladies to invite them.

Our December lunch at The Bell was, as usual, very good! Tasty food and marvellous company! Next date: Friday 4th January - hope to see you there!  June B told us more about the Frome food bank. She has placed a collection box in the church and in the pub. The idea is for us to add an item to our weekly shopping, which we put in one of the boxes (or she says we can drop it in to her house) on a regular basis. We'll see if it's something we want to do at WI each month; they also need carrier bags, so I'm hoping everyone will bring a carrier with food to donate on Monday, our next meeting. This is so often a time of year when we buy and eat too much! Let's buy too much, but give the surplus away to the folk who are struggling to make ends meet. Any non-perishable food, and some treats too!

Tonight there will be a strong WI team at the bingo! With our lucky mascot in attendance, working her magic! Go June! It promises to be a fun evening!

Denman Visit and our Christmas meal

Denman College was looking simply splendid in the cold sun when a few of us went to the Christmas Fair and Jam Festival. It was a real treat, there were plenty of wonderful things to see (including a demonstration by the chef from The Great British Bake Off!) and buy. The college really did look wonderful, inside and out - we can't let it fall out of our hands!

Monday evening saw 20 of us eating, drinking and making merry at the Poacher's Pocket to celebrate Christmas. Our Secret Santa was, as usual, a great success, with such a variety of gifts! Photos were taken, so I hope to add some as soon as I can get hold of them!

The Frome WI Christmas Craft Fair was a great success, such a friendly atmosphere, greatly enhanced by the fantastic Frome Community Choir! Wow! Did they raise the roof with their singing!

Today we're just off to the carol service at Kilmersdon, which promises to be special; followed by our usual monthly lunch at The Bell. We certainly know how to enjoy ourselves!