JANUARY 2018
HOLMER
At our first meeting of 2018, Maureen Williams gave a most interesting talk about the work of the Hollycroft Hedgehog Rescue centre. Based in Tillington, Maureen has been diligently caring for wounded, sick or ill hedgehogs at her own home for thirteen years, feeding them dry kitten food sometimes with worms on top ,giving them water to drink and a dry, warm place to sleep. Currently, in this self-funding enterprise ,there are approximately forty prickly individuals of various sizes being nursed back to health by her. Frequently, the animals come to the rescue centre with disorders such as lungworm or ticks and may have injuries sustained by getting their heads stuck in tin cans or netting . Maureen estimates that she is able to save 1 in 5 hedgehogs. She works tirelessly for the benefit of these animals . Their welfare is clearly of great importance to her. Margaret Powell gave a vote of thanks and members showed their appreciation with a round of applause.
Holmer WI next meet on Wednesday February 7th at 7.30pm in St Marys Church , Grandstand Road. Collette Gray will be expanding upon Antique and Collectable Jewellery. We always enjoy her visits, she brings her subject to life! If you would like to join us , ladies , make a note of the date in your new diaries and just come along. We would love to see you!
In the picture, from the left, Maureen Williams, Gwyneth James, Joyce Crosier and Sandra Mifflin.
KINGSWOOD & DISTRICT
Sadly Kingswood & District WI was suspended on 8 January 2018. Pictured are the members with their President Teresa Misselbrook.
BROMYARD
Although our Christmas Party meeting fell victim to the weather, December was a busy month for BROMYARD WI. Its entry was voted as runner–up in the Best Dressed 2ft Tree category in the town’s Christmas Tree Festival that raises money for local charities. Members enjoyed a delicious Christmas meal at The Inn at Bromyard and to conclude 2017 the WI joined forces with ladies from St. Peter’s Church to sing carols at a local care home. At our January meeting Karen Jones, proprietor of Bromyard business “The French Nest” gave a painted furniture demonstration using chalk paint to revitalise an old table and some picture frames. She also used decoupage to rejuvenate some well used table mats. Our ladies went home inspired with plans to “Show the Love” and revive their pre-loved household items.
STOKE PRIOR & DISTRICT
Members of Stoke Prior & District WI welcomed Sharon Davies from Cross Roads to their first meeting of the year. This organisation supports carers, paid or unpaid with lunches, trips etc., including transport. It was an excellent powerpoint presentation and very informative.
PETERSTOW
This month of January gave us guest speaker Mary Johns, who entertained us with a talk titled “5 Dogs, 2 Cats and a couple of Mugs”. Mary, a travel journalist, told lively anecdotes from her life in Greece. She had hosted several television programmes which explained how her love of the country originated, finally purchasing a property there and spending part of each year in residence.
Mary told the tale of 5 puppies left at her gate one Summer whilst in Greece. Although falling in love with them and their individual foibles, she realised it was impossible to keep them. Our speaker related lively stories behind each adoptive procedure. The cats also appeared in the same manner, however they were eventually brought back to England.
Having decided the talk was so interesting, several members purchased the book Mary had written on these tales, which she had brought along for sale.
SPARKLING WYE
Amanda Cornes, from Milking Parlour Crafts in Ross, proved to be a very entertaining speaker. A northern lass, hailing from Lancashire, she had married and lived in Switzerland for a while then, five years ago, with her husband, returned to the UK and chose to live in Ross. They bought a farm requiring renovation. Their own house and a couple of holiday cottages were completed and the milking parlour was converted into a craft workshop. Amanda has a degree in horticulture and a background in flower arranging and teaching. She and visiting craft workers run workshops in the milking parlour.
She went on to talk about a unique way of capturing memories of family, holidays etc, by mounting them creatively and artistically on a canvas board as an alternative to scrap books or just boxes! She had used precious keepsakes, e.g. photos, pressed flowers, spoons, keys, buttons, jewellery, postcards, flags, fabrics or anything that invoked individual memories.
LEDBURY
The first meeting of the year saw an almost ‘full house’ of members and several visitors, with everyone very glad to meet up for the first time in two months – the December meeting having been cancelled because of the snow.
Our President Margaret Coulson welcomed everyone and then introduced the evening’s presenters who were David and Sue Bayley giving a Magic Lantern Show.
The presentation was informative and entertaining. David took us back 150 years using hand-painted slides from the early days of Queen Victoria and onwards through the years. Many of the slides illustrated stories which David narrated as they were shown – The Pied Piper of Hamlyn, Jack the Giant Killer and a traditional melodrama. A fascinating talk, taking us back to the simpler days before the advent of moving pictures, television and social media!
The monthly competition for a candle or candlestick was well supported with as usual many imaginative entries. During the evening it was announced that Jo Butcher was the overall 2017 competition winner.
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 14 February at 7.30 pm at the Parish Room of the Catholic Church New Street Ledbury HR8 2EE.
As it is Valentine’s Day, some of our members will be speaking on the theme of ‘Thanks for the Memory’ - recalling their special memories of people, places, music etc. In line with the evening’s theme, the competition is for ‘A Heart’,
We welcome visitors to any meeting.
UPTON BISHOP
At the first meeting of 2018 on Tuesday 9th January, Upton Bishop WI members were entertained by Chris O’Grady. He told of his journey walking a 1200 mile pilgrimage from his home in Pershore to Rome, to celebrate a mile stone birthday and a journey that would last 4 months.
Firstly walking to Portsmouth carrying minimal equipment but including a tent which he never had to use.
After crossing the channel he then walked through France over the alps and down through Italy along the Via Francigena route (the original pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome) On his way he was received with great trust and hospitality and friendship from all the people he encountered on the way.
BOSBURY
At the January meeting we welcomed back Penny Platts, by popular request, to tell us about her recent visit to Japan to catch the cherry blossom in springtime.
Her visit started in Toyko and continued around Honshu Island travelling to gardens, shrines, and a folk museum with cherry blossom everywhere. She was thanked by Sue Sharples.
Isabel thanked everyone who helped at the Xmas Fair. Our stall made £85 for WI funds. We will be entering the County Quiz and the the first round is on 16th March at Ledbury Community Centre. Cradley WI have invited us to their pancake lunch.
Jane Howe read a thank you letter she had received from the hospital in Uganda thanking us for the knitted blankets and hats we made for premature babies.
The next meeting will be an open meeting on Thursday, 8th February in the Parish Hall with a demonstration of Indian Cookery by Rayeesa. The craft evenings continue on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month in the Parish Hall. New members and visitors are always welcome and for further information phone 01531 640337
WYE WOMEN
It was back to school for Wye Women at their first meeting of 2018.
Wiktor Daron gave us an insight into his teaching career in several counties including Herefordshire especially working in schools under special measures. We were asked to recall the best and worst times of our own school life. The meeting ended with us celebrating our 5th Anniversary with delicious home made cup cakes kindly made by one of our committee members.
BRAMPTON BRYAN
Robert Wilsey 'Napoleon on St. Helena'.
Most people are aware of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s military campaigns throughout Europe and of his statesmanship in France from 1804 to 1814. What is less well known are the events leading up to the six strange years he spent imprisoned on St Helena prior to his death in 1821. Robert and his wife Jane (a member of our WI) travelled to St Helena in 2005, a rugged and remote island; a British protectorate in the South Atlantic.
A brief overview of the talk…Following the visit, Robert has researched the story of ‘his’ last six years in depth. His talk was accompanied by numerous photographs from their trip, alongside historical representation and vivid description.
Robert started the presentation by describing where this second most remote inhabited island is, truly in the middle of nowhere. Giving us an overview of their visit, how they got there and how the islanders receive their supplies. A lot of interesting anecdotes, one being that there is prison on the island comprising of 2 cells only, which were empty as the only prisoner had gone fishing for the day; but was to return for the evening to sleep!
We followed Robert’s history lesson as we learned that Napoleon was a master of propaganda, when he moved to la Rochelle, which was a chaotic time. How he wanted to go to America and then fancied himself as an English gent and gave himself up, being taken to Plymouth; where the public found out and tourists hired boats in the hope of gaining a glimpse.
We were taken on a journey of his arrival on St Helena, how the population of around 2000 gathered in silence to meet him and stared, where he stayed and how he settled in Longwood House. How he spent his days and evenings and his relationship and meetings with the British, along with the restrictions imposed on him.
We were told of how the garrison was put together, along with gunning placements; there were lots of guns around the island for fear of a rescue attempt. Of Napoleon’s family history and descendants, that Queen Victoria subsequently gifted Longwood House to Napoleon III and that the French Console currently lives there.
There were seven British doctors that witnessed his autopsy, how he was buried and then the body exhumed and eventually returned to France. There was so much more detail and Robert has certainly done his research. Pat thanked Robert for a wonderful history lesson.
LEOMINSTER LASSES
For our first meeting in 2018, we were joined by local Pilates instructor, Dawn Arkell. After giving us a brief history on the origins of Pilates, Dawn took us through a number of sitting and standing movements. By the end of the evening, we were all sitting straighter and walking taller! Our thanks go to Dawn for getting us off to a good start to the New Year.
We were pleased to give a warm welcome to a number of ladies, including members from our partner WI at Eardisley, who joined us as guests for the evening.