Busy time for WI group
PRESIDENT Sue Wainwright, welcomed everyone to the November meeting of the Thorpe Acre WI that was held at the Thorpe Acre Church Hall on Tuesday November 9.
She extended a warm welcome to Dawn and Sylvia, from Nanpantan WI, who were to act as Tellers for our Annual Meeting.
At the end of September, 18 members arrived for coffee at either Sue Y’s or at the T and C’s café in town. November’s gathering will take place at Chez Sue’s and Esquires.
All those who went a-ghost hunting around Leicester in October had a very interesting evening. Although the guide couldn’t promise any actual apparitions, his tour would include places where, even though they have changed their use or have disappeared altogether, unearthly presences could still be felt. One such place was an old archway opposite the Magazine that was said to have been frequented by a particularly nasty old hag who would snatch and devour children as they went through. It is said that many people still feel a chill as they pass beneath. All came back to Loughborough safe and sound, not seeing anything unusual. But wait…was that sudden flurry of leaves really due to a gust of wind?
Several members went to the Men and Women in Sheds Open Day. All were amazed at the number of things on offer, including all types of working with wood, upholstery, ceramics and there was a smithy in the making. There were also some raised beds for would be gardeners. A very interesting experience.
Now to all things Christmassy. Carole distributed the menus for our Christmas lunch at Longcliffe Golf Club and as expected it looks delicious. Some tough decisions had to be made before the evening’s end. Not long now. Carole also brought in a beautifully decorated Christmas tree that will be our contribution to the Parish Church Christmas tree festival held throughout December.
Having concluded the first part of the meeting we moved onto the Annual Meeting. In summary, the Treasurer’s report and the Committee’s report were proposed and seconded. The President gave her Address and the Annual Report was adopted. An election of members to the Committee did not take place this year. There were, however, sad farewells for June, Dawn and Hazel who have decided to stand down. Sue W. thanked them for all their hard work over many years before welcoming Rachel and Francesca onto the Committee. Dawn and Sylvia oversaw the re-election of Sue W to the Presidency. Sue thanked them and Linda L. presented them with a small gift.
The final part of the meeting was a ‘show and tell’ session where members brought in the things they had made over lockdown. The diversity of objects displayed was truly amazing . With Linda L. acting as the ‘able assistant’, each item was held aloft while their maker said a few words about it. Jan, apparently, had achieved a long held desire to knit socks using the four pin method and had produced two pairs of rather fetching bed socks. Jane G. was in the process of making a series of cross stich flower embroideries. When finished they will be bound together as a book and given to her granddaughter. Carol N had some remnants of a lovely silk material and made several ‘Butterfly on a Stick’ decorations and Ruth created a reflective piece of wall art using a mirror and paint. These were just a smattering of items on show… I could go on and on and on.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 14, at 7.30pm in the Thorpe Acre Church Hall. A previous speaker, Sarah Purdie, will be bringing in a range of her bespoke, handmade beauty products so there will be a chance to buy some of those last minutes presents. As it will be our first Christmas gathering for a while the Committee will be providing a range of nibbles and beverages including Sue Y’s excellent punch. Sue W will also show us how to make a simple door decoration. If at a loose end and fancy joining us for a well-deserved celebration then all will be welcome. You could go home with a new decoration and a luxury bath bomb!