PAST EVENTS 2017
NECG CAROL SERVICE - DECEMBER 2017
NECG Members, family and friends filled All Saints Church, Cheadle Hulme on Tuesday 12th December 2017 for the annual Carol Service. Woodford WI Choir, led by June Spencer, sang some wonderful carols, Reps read out stories about Christmas as well as helping out with the service of hot drinks and homemade mince pies after the service. A lovely start to the festive season.
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CHRISTMAS STREET PARTY - DECEMBER 2017
Everyone really made a wonderful effort for our 1940's street party.
Thank you to Gail, Lorna, Cathy, Dee and Rosemary for organising the evening and the rest of the committee for their support on the night. Ken was fantastic with his music helping with a very traditional pass the parcel. Twelve Days of Christmas was a triumph, especially Dots cherry buns!________________________________________________________________________________________
BOOK CLUB - DECEMBER 2017
Nine ladies met at the Boddington Arms to discuss this month's book, 'The Girl Before' by J P Delaney, a psychological thriller which had also featured on the Radio 2 Book Club. Everyone had enjoyed the book although it was agreed that there were some very weird characters and plot lines in it. After the discussions, which were led by Sheila Parker, we all tucked into a lovely meal to celebrate Christmas. A big thanks to Anne Kerr for sharing her 'money-off the bill' token with us all!!
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CHESTER FEDERATION CAROL SERVICE - DECEMBER 2017
Thank you to Gail, Lorna, Cathy, Dee and Rosemary for organising the evening and the rest of the committee for their support on the night. Ken was fantastic with his music helping with a very traditional pass the parcel. Twelve Days of Christmas was a triumph, especially Dots cherry buns!________________________________________________________________________________________
BOOK CLUB - DECEMBER 2017
Nine ladies met at the Boddington Arms to discuss this month's book, 'The Girl Before' by J P Delaney, a psychological thriller which had also featured on the Radio 2 Book Club. Everyone had enjoyed the book although it was agreed that there were some very weird characters and plot lines in it. After the discussions, which were led by Sheila Parker, we all tucked into a lovely meal to celebrate Christmas. A big thanks to Anne Kerr for sharing her 'money-off the bill' token with us all!!
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CHESTER FEDERATION CAROL SERVICE - DECEMBER 2017
Four Fulshaw ladies attended the Chester Federation Carol Service which was held in Chester Cathedral on Wednesday 6th December 2017. Around 1,200 members and a 100 strong WI Choir took part in this service which was a celebration of readings and carols rounded off by a wonderful rendition of Jerusalem A visit to WI House for coffee and mince pies after the service was an unexpected treat.
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ANNUAL MEETING - NOVEMBER 2017
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ANNUAL MEETING - NOVEMBER 2017
What a fabulous evening with a bumper number of attendees for our Annual Meeting. Lovely tellers from our NECG friends with Jean Harding, our Cheshire Chair, overseeing the evening.
Congratulations to our canape winners and thank you to Lorna for ensuring the evening ran smoothly.
Our makers market was a massive success and it was a great opportunity to give thanks for the last year and look forward to the new year.
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COFFEE AND KINDNESS EVENT - NOVEMBER 2017
Congratulations to our canape winners and thank you to Lorna for ensuring the evening ran smoothly.
Our makers market was a massive success and it was a great opportunity to give thanks for the last year and look forward to the new year.
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COFFEE AND KINDNESS EVENT - NOVEMBER 2017
On Monday 13th November 2017, World Kindness Day, we held our first Coffee and Kindness event at Unico in Wilmslow. The event was planned to raise awareness of loneliness and our attempts as a WI and as individuals to extend our friendship to all in the community. Several of our members, ladies on our waiting list and friends met over coffee and cake to chat, knit, as well as passing on ideas about where other events and classes are being held and where new friends can be met. We hope that this will be a regular event on our calendar and so our special thanks go to Amanda Stevens who organised the morning and also provided all the delicious cakes.
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CHILDREN IN ART STUDY DAY - NOVEMBER 2017
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CHILDREN IN ART STUDY DAY - NOVEMBER 2017
A fantastic turn out of 14 ladies travelled down to London on Thursday 9th November to experience the NFWI Children in Art Study Day at the National Gallery. A great day with excellent speakers who gave a fascinating insight into the different centuries of childhood in art, followed by the opportunity to see the amazing paintings discussed. Many thanks to Jennie Banfield for all her hard work organising the day.
_________________________________________________________________________________________ CABARET - NOVEMBER 2017
_________________________________________________________________________________________ CABARET - NOVEMBER 2017
Twelve ladies enjoyed a brilliant performance of Cabaret at the Lowry Theatre on Wednesday 8th November 2017. The show, which starred Will Young and Louise Redknapp, featured show-stopping choreography, dazzling costumes with some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre. including Money Makes The World Go Round, Maybe This Time and of course, Cabaret.
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PAPERFOLDING WORKSHOP - NOVEMBER 2017
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PAPERFOLDING WORKSHOP - NOVEMBER 2017
A lovely morning on Saturday 4th November 2017, being guided through the art of bookfolding with Sarah Wild. A very good way to quieten a group of WI ladies by getting them to measure, count and of course, eat cake! Thank you to Cathy for organising the event.
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BOOK CLUB - NOVEMBER 2017
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BOOK CLUB - NOVEMBER 2017
A great turn out of ladies to discuss this month's book, 'I See You' by Clare Mackintosh, chosen by Rosie Reid. A follow up to her first novel,' I Let You Go', this book was again enjoyed by everyone, although some felt the second half was much more exciting than the first half. Rosie led the questions and debate about the book which included delving into family stalking, secrecy and family dynamics and we learnt what a colourful group of friends Wendy has!! The evening also included some multi-tasking, as knitting for the Christmas Tree Festival took place during the discussions.
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MACCLESFIELD DAY OUT - NOVEMBER 2017
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MACCLESFIELD DAY OUT - NOVEMBER 2017
Many of our ladies enjoyed a great day out in Macclesfield on Wednesday 1st November 2017, organised by Jane. They started the day at the Silk Museum with tea and biscuits and a look round the exhibits. Next onto Paradise Mill with Malcolm the Tour Guide to learn about the history of Macclesfield and then onto Arighi Bianci for a tour of the building and a wonderful afternoon tea. Mr Paul and Mr Nick rounded the day off with their double act explaining about the background and history of this long-established firm. Thanks to Jane for such a great day out and also to all the ladies who, during the day, took part in the knitting challenge for the Christmas tree festival.
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MORNING WALK - OCTOBER 2017
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MORNING WALK - OCTOBER 2017
A group of eight members, one friend and one son enjoyed a morning walk of around 4.5 miles on Wednesday 25th October 2017. The walk went around Abney Hall park and along parts of the Micker Brook, places most of the group had never been to before or even knew existed! The weather was glorious and there was only one seriously soggy section which resulted in a few wet feet. Bacon and egg barm cakes were enjoyed in the sunshine at the end of the walk. Thanks to Jane for organising the walk.
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YARA RESTAURANT - OCTOBER 2017
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YARA RESTAURANT - OCTOBER 2017
A large group of ladies enjoyed a wonderful evening at Yara in Alderley Edge on Monday 23rd October 2017. There was an amazing array of superb Lebanese and Syrian food including hummus, babaghanouj, tabouleh and fattoush followed by assorted kebabs, sea bass, chicken basha, lamb chops, fried halloumi, rice and Greek salad to name but a few of the dishes served! Conversations flowed, as did the wine, and the staff were lovely. As always, Wendy exercised our brains with a great quiz about London underground stations. Congratulations to Angela and Sarah for finishing 1st and Jane M and Linda coming 2nd.
Huge thanks to Jane for organising a great evening and to Wendy for the quiz and the prizes.
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - OCTOBER 2017
Huge thanks to Jane for organising a great evening and to Wendy for the quiz and the prizes.
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - OCTOBER 2017
Another wonderful day of painting, led by Allie Pottinger, was enjoyed by 13 of our ladies on Saturday 21st October 2017. The chosen theme was 'Shells and Feathers' and the photos show what fantastic results were produced by such talented ladies. An abundance of home made cakes were also enjoyed by all!
Thanks to everyone who made the day possible.
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A BODY IN THE RIVER - OCTOBER 2017
A fascinating talk entitled "A Body in the River" was given by Professor Carolyn Roberts at the PAL meeting on Wednesday 18th October 2017. Carolyn explained how she is able to help the police with their murder enquiries where bodies, or parts of bodies, have been dumped in rivers. She explained some of the science behind her deductions, giving examples of cases she has worked on in the past. She has also advised on "Silent Witness" and other TV programmes.
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TRANSITION WILMSLOW - OCTOBER 2017
Thanks to everyone who made the day possible.
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A BODY IN THE RIVER - OCTOBER 2017
A fascinating talk entitled "A Body in the River" was given by Professor Carolyn Roberts at the PAL meeting on Wednesday 18th October 2017. Carolyn explained how she is able to help the police with their murder enquiries where bodies, or parts of bodies, have been dumped in rivers. She explained some of the science behind her deductions, giving examples of cases she has worked on in the past. She has also advised on "Silent Witness" and other TV programmes.
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TRANSITION WILMSLOW - OCTOBER 2017
Our members, guests and visitors braved the storms to attend the October monthly meeting and excelled themselves by supporting so many great causes (from buttons to toys), committing to sew chest drains for the local hospital, as well as having a great time .
A wonderful talk was given by the inspirational Pippa Tyrell from Transition Wilmslow which gave a lot to think about and how Fulshaw and its individual members can help in the community.
Delightful result that the bursary was won by Rosemary B who was overcome with excitement.
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SEX AND THE TUDORS - OCTOBER 2017
A wonderful talk was given by the inspirational Pippa Tyrell from Transition Wilmslow which gave a lot to think about and how Fulshaw and its individual members can help in the community.
Delightful result that the bursary was won by Rosemary B who was overcome with excitement.
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SEX AND THE TUDORS - OCTOBER 2017
The NECG Autumn meeting took place on Wednesday 11th October 2017 and Lesley Smith, Tutbury Castle Curator gave an hilarious, as well as educational talk entitled 'Sex and the Tudors'. We learnt about pizzle pockets (condoms) and mirkins (pubic wigs) as well as some fascinating facts about what you can do with a lemon!! Oh yes life is never dull in the WI! Thanks to all the ladies that helped with the teas and coffees on the night and to Amanda and Cherry who made the brilliant necklace for the competition.
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WHITWORTH GALLERY VISIT - OCTOBER 2017
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WHITWORTH GALLERY VISIT - OCTOBER 2017
An exhibition of South Asian art and culture, including textiles, fibres and embroidery was enjoyed by several ladies of the Art Appreciation group on Tuesday 10th October 2017 at the Whitworth Art Gallery. They were dazzled by rhinestone and glitter paintings as well as admiring the fantastic fabrics on display. Tea and cakes in the Café in the Trees rounded off a great afternoon. Special thanks to Uthra and Tricia from the Whitworth and Jennie Banfield for organising the afternoon.
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JODRELL BANK PULSAR PARTY - SEPTEMBER 2017
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JODRELL BANK PULSAR PARTY - SEPTEMBER 2017
A fascinating evening at Jodrell Bank at the Pulsar Party - Girls Night. Lots to learn about from inspiring female astronomers plus a mixture of hands on experiments and lectures, not to mention the fantastic chocolate brownies!!
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ECOLOGY WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
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ECOLOGY WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
On Wednesday 20th September 2017, a group of twelve ladies were guided on an absorbing, ecology walk around Lindow Common and Lindow Moss in Wilmslow. John Handley of Transition Wilmslow gave a very comprehensive sequence of 'mini-talks' during the walk about moss rooms, old peat cuttings recolonised by alder, damage caused by on going peat extraction and plans for the restoration of this beautiful ancient lowland bog. He pointed out the very important burial site of Lindow man who was sacrificed over 2,000 years ago and members were astonished to learn that the thousands of old pine tree stumps littered over the cut peat were at least 4,500 years old.
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BOOK CLUB - SEPTEMBER 2017
This month's book, 'Small, Great Things' by Jodi Picoult, was chosen by Anne Kerr who also led the discussion at the Coach and Four on Thursday 21st September 2017. Everyone had enjoyed reading this book, all about prejudice and power, and many were surprised that Jodi Picoult was not the 'chick lit' author they had expected. Some interesting discussions about the book made for a thought-provoking evening. Thanks to Anne for a great choice of book.
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WAITROSE & WINE TASTING - SEPTEMBER 2017
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BOOK CLUB - SEPTEMBER 2017
This month's book, 'Small, Great Things' by Jodi Picoult, was chosen by Anne Kerr who also led the discussion at the Coach and Four on Thursday 21st September 2017. Everyone had enjoyed reading this book, all about prejudice and power, and many were surprised that Jodi Picoult was not the 'chick lit' author they had expected. Some interesting discussions about the book made for a thought-provoking evening. Thanks to Anne for a great choice of book.
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WAITROSE & WINE TASTING - SEPTEMBER 2017
WHAT a fabulous meeting. A surprise visit from our favourite contemporary embroiderer Lou Gardiner showing and telling us about a very special project. Top Secret for the time being!
A wonderful wine and food tasting and Q & A session followed from Rob and Andy from Waitrose. Questions ranged from air miles that goods travel, employment of people with disabilities to excess packaging. A wonderful way to connect with each other.
Donations ranged from green milk tops, hotel sized toiletries, pennies for friendship and toys for the Toy Appeal.
Fourteen visitors were welcomed. Thank you so much for everyone who made the evening so special.
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ALDERLEY EDGE GUIDED WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
A wonderful wine and food tasting and Q & A session followed from Rob and Andy from Waitrose. Questions ranged from air miles that goods travel, employment of people with disabilities to excess packaging. A wonderful way to connect with each other.
Donations ranged from green milk tops, hotel sized toiletries, pennies for friendship and toys for the Toy Appeal.
Fourteen visitors were welcomed. Thank you so much for everyone who made the evening so special.
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ALDERLEY EDGE GUIDED WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
A small group, including Wendy's two boys, joined the National Trust guided walk on Sunday 17th September. The walk started with a visit to the Museum where we learnt about the history of metal mining around Alderley Edge which is believed to date as far back as 1700BC. We then walked along the route as written by Alan Garner and his fantasy novel The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, taking in the ancient copper mines, Devil's Grave, Goldenstone and Druid's Circle whilst admiring the superb views over the Cheshire plains with Lyme cage in the distance.
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RAUCOUS WOMEN AND AFTERNOON TEA - SEPTEMBER 2017
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RAUCOUS WOMEN AND AFTERNOON TEA - SEPTEMBER 2017
Eleven ladies enjoyed a very entertaining two hours of high tea and tales at Brown's restaurant, Manchester on Wednesday 13th September 2017 with tales of many very enterprising women from Manchester. Suzanne Hindle a Manchester tour guide gave an inspiring account of the lives of 13 women of the 19 & 20th centuries:- suffragettes, political activists, social reformers, the first birth control promoter, the first cookery book writer and lastly but not least a brothel owner (a business women of course!).
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EVENING WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
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EVENING WALK - SEPTEMBER 2017
Wendy, her son Callum and Sheila ignored the weather forecasts and joined Jane for an evening walk on Monday 11th September. They were rewarded with mainly dry weather with the main downpour taking place whilst they were walking through a cornfield, so managed to keep dry. They headed out from Wilmslow towards Morley Green and then onto Styal to look at the restoration and modernisation work in progress. They continued through the park through to T_innies Bridge car park and then back to the cars at Lindow Common. Thanks Jane!
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AFTERNOON BIKE RIDE - SEPTEMBER 2017
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AFTERNOON BIKE RIDE - SEPTEMBER 2017
A well earned rest at Peover Hall.
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A group of just five cyclists set off for an afternoon bike ride on Thursday 7th September 2017. They met at The Riflemans and then headed off to Peover Hall via lanes and tracks led, as usual, by Jane. Although expecting the tea rooms to be open as part of The Heritage Open Days, they had to content themselves with looking round the gardens and stables as the tea rooms were closed due to lack of volunteers. Everyone, except Jane, made it home before the rain came!!
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ALDERLEY EDGE CAVING - SEPTEMBER 2017
ALDERLEY EDGE CAVING - SEPTEMBER 2017
The second of our 2 caving events took place on Sunday 3rd September 2017. Another fascinating tour of the the Engine Vein around Alderley Edge and thanks again go to Anton of Derbyshire Caving Club who was the leader on the day and Julie Petho who organised the event.
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BOOK CLUB - JULY 2017
Nine ladies met at The Carters Arms on Thursday 27th November 2017 to discuss this months book choice, 'Not So Innocent' by Lynette Heywood and were also hoping to meet Lynette, the girlfriend of the Carters Arms Landlord's father. Unfortunately she did not arrive and so they had to lead their own discussions. The book had mixed reviews but most of the ladies felt that there were many missing parts to the story and that in general, they would not recommend it to other as a 'must read'. It was however, interesting to be able to recognise many of the places referred to in the novel which was set in Wythenshawe.
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LONGLEY LANE RECYCLING CENTRE VISIT - JULY 2017
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BOOK CLUB - JULY 2017
Nine ladies met at The Carters Arms on Thursday 27th November 2017 to discuss this months book choice, 'Not So Innocent' by Lynette Heywood and were also hoping to meet Lynette, the girlfriend of the Carters Arms Landlord's father. Unfortunately she did not arrive and so they had to lead their own discussions. The book had mixed reviews but most of the ladies felt that there were many missing parts to the story and that in general, they would not recommend it to other as a 'must read'. It was however, interesting to be able to recognise many of the places referred to in the novel which was set in Wythenshawe.
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LONGLEY LANE RECYCLING CENTRE VISIT - JULY 2017
Hard hats and earphones were the order of the day when a group of our ladies visited Longley Lane Recycling Centre, Northenden to learn about recycling in Greater Manchester on Tuesday 25th July 2017. They watched cans and different sorts of plastic being separated, glass being crushed and then had to decide how to recycle a variety of different objects. Thanks to Jane for organising this fascinating yet educational tour and to Pauline for her write up and photos.
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EVENING WALK - JULY 2017
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EVENING WALK - JULY 2017
Ten ladies, two husbands and a dog named Florence all enjoyed a very pleasant evening stroll on Monday 24th July 2017. Setting out from Twinnies Bridge car park, we walked through the countryside and golf courses around Styal, stopping for a short refreshment stop at The Ship Inn. The weather was kind, the company convivial and despite Pauline being accosted by a horse, a great time was had by all. Thanks to Jane for leading us and clearing some of the overgrown pathways on Saturday evening, ready for us to walk through!
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AFTERNOON TEA AT WILMSLOW HIGH SCHOOL - JULY 2017
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AFTERNOON TEA AT WILMSLOW HIGH SCHOOL - JULY 2017
Six ladies enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea at Wilmslow High School on Thursday 20th July 2017. The tea was prepared and served by Year 9 and 10 students and terrific entertainment was provided by the music Xtra groups who sang, danced and played a range of musical instruments. A raffle was held, with all proceeds going towards a new meeting place for the Wilmslow Youth Group.
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NATURAL BEAUTY - JULY 2017
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NATURAL BEAUTY - JULY 2017
Wendy Teall gave us an absorbing talk about using natural products for skin care. She runs workshops to teach the practicalities of making your own skin care treatments. Wendy leads a holistic life style with a planned diet to eliminate toxins. She has a diploma in skin care and a certificate in aromatherapy. Using a PPT presentation Wendy explained why we should make our own products, what basic equipment we would need, and what the natural ingredients are. While we passed around many different oils to smell and identify, Wendy used a hot plate to make a Rose/Geranium lip balm by melting the ingredients together and then pouring a small tub of gorgeous lip balm at the end of her talk.
The essential oils circulated on strips of paper were Geranium (antidepressant, releasing stress and balancing sebum production), Frankincense (to help asthma, bronchitis and regenerating new skin cells) and grapefruit (good for skin care). We then were able to sample a range of very aromatic oils that we could rub on our skin should we wish to: - Rice bran oil, Castor Oil and Avocado oil. We felt a bit ‘slippery’ and aromatic on a hot summer evening and the school room smelt lovely! Wendy handed out free samples of two mini lotion bars to everyone to rub on our arms to produce a beautiful scent. Wendy was thanked by Amanda for her talk making us think more about the cosmetics we use in a very enjoyable way. We all gave Wendy a good round of applause.
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WILLOW WEAVING - JULY 2017
The essential oils circulated on strips of paper were Geranium (antidepressant, releasing stress and balancing sebum production), Frankincense (to help asthma, bronchitis and regenerating new skin cells) and grapefruit (good for skin care). We then were able to sample a range of very aromatic oils that we could rub on our skin should we wish to: - Rice bran oil, Castor Oil and Avocado oil. We felt a bit ‘slippery’ and aromatic on a hot summer evening and the school room smelt lovely! Wendy handed out free samples of two mini lotion bars to everyone to rub on our arms to produce a beautiful scent. Wendy was thanked by Amanda for her talk making us think more about the cosmetics we use in a very enjoyable way. We all gave Wendy a good round of applause.
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WILLOW WEAVING - JULY 2017
The draw had taken place at the April meeting and nine lucky ladies were chosen to join Amanda on a Willow Weaving course which she was generously funding with the bursary money she had won. The chosen day was Saturday 15th July 2017 and Juliette Hamilton was the tutor for the day. The photos above show what great fun everyone had and what an amazing obelisk each lady created. A very special thanks goes to Amanda for organising the day and especially for her generosity in sharing her bursary with the other ladies.
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BINGO NIGHT - JULY 2017
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BINGO NIGHT - JULY 2017
As can be seen from the photos above, a fun-packed 'educational' evening was enjoyed by some of our members at Wythenshawe Gala Bingo on Tuesday 4th July 2017. Although no one came away as a millionaire, they all had a great evening, enjoying the bingo and the food. Many thanks go to Donna for organising the evening.
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NECG TRIP TO SHREWSBURY - JUNE 2017
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NECG TRIP TO SHREWSBURY - JUNE 2017
lovely day out in Shrewsbury on a day trip organised by the NECG was enjoyed by several of our ladies on Friday 30th June 2017. A great vegan restaurant for lunch, some retail therapy and some interesting walks around the pretty town of Shrewsbury were just some of the delights on offer. Thanks to everyone who made the day possible and such fun.
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BOOK CLUB - JUNE 2017
This month's Book Club, held at our new venue, The Carters Arms on Thursday 29th June 2017, was 'I Saw a Man' by Owen Sheers. The book was chosen by Linda Sower who also led the discussions. Although it was felt that some of the story lines in the plot could have been improved in parts and that the ending was a bit weak, generally everyone enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Thanks to Linda for choosing the book.
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TOUR OF MANCHESTER SCULPTURES - JUNE 2017
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BOOK CLUB - JUNE 2017
This month's Book Club, held at our new venue, The Carters Arms on Thursday 29th June 2017, was 'I Saw a Man' by Owen Sheers. The book was chosen by Linda Sower who also led the discussions. Although it was felt that some of the story lines in the plot could have been improved in parts and that the ending was a bit weak, generally everyone enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Thanks to Linda for choosing the book.
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TOUR OF MANCHESTER SCULPTURES - JUNE 2017
Sheila Anderson led us on a fascinating tour around some of the sculptures and statues of Manchester on Tuesday 27th June 2017. Although the weather was not kind, Sheila kept our spirits up with all the information and history she imparted, as well as making us notice statues we have all walked past many times without even noticing them.
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SHIRLEY VALENTINE - JUNE 2017
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SHIRLEY VALENTINE - JUNE 2017
A group of ladies had a very entertaining evening on Thursday 22nd June 2017 went they went to see Shirley Valentine at the Lowry Theatre. The one woman show, starring Jodie Prenger, tells the story of Shirley Valentine who makes chips and egg for her husband while talking to the wall. Unexpectedly she is offered a trip to Greece for 2 weeks so she heads for the sun and starts to see the world and herself very differently.
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IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY - IT'S THE WAY THAT YOU SAY IT - JUNE 2017
Derek Poulson gave us an attention grabbing, fast paced and fast talking verbal tour around the British Isles using dialects and accents to describe where people were born and raised. Derek called his talk ‘It’s not what you say – it’s the waythat you say it’. Derek was originally a Yorkshire Methodist from a family of singers and he sang at church ‘dos’. Then, through being an actor at an early age, Derek developed a great interest in the variations of spoken accents in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland itself. He is now a very successful and entertaining public ‘speaker’ and he kept us all highly entertained by his ‘jokey’ approach to accents. The UK has a huge variety of distinct regional accents e.g. Brummie, Glaswegian, Scouse, Cockney and Geordie – to name but a few. Derek explained (in amongst his very clever switching of accents) how various invasions e.g. from France & Germany, had irreversibly changed various accents over the millennia. Interestingly he explained that the sounds we make depend where our voices resonate – in the hard palette of our mouth, throat, nose or a combination of the throat and nose. Derek emphasised that we should be proud of our regional accents! However he did not think an airline pilot talking in a thick Geordie accent from the cockpit would instill confidence in the passengers! He ended his talk by saying that the public schools (from 1896) and the BBC have been successful vehicles for a ‘social engineering’ of spoken English so that our now ‘received pronunciation’ means that strong accents have disappeared in many spheres of life. We were all totally amazed by Derek’s mastery of so many complex accents in very swift succession and his ability to keep us so amused and engaged throughout his ‘performance’.
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ALDERLEY EDGE CAVING - JUNE 2017
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ALDERLEY EDGE CAVING - JUNE 2017
The first of our 2 caving events, guided by Derbyshire Caving Club, took place on Saturday 17th June 2017. A large group of our ladies together with family and friends, were introduced to the delights of caving and the Engine Vein around Alderley Edge. Thanks go to Anton who was the leader on the day and Julie Petho who organised the event. We look forward to the next session which will take place in September.
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ORIENTEERING EVENING - JUNE 2017
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ORIENTEERING EVENING - JUNE 2017
Another chance for our ladies, friends from neighbouring WIs plus a few husbands and children, to try out their orienteering skills again took place on the Monday 12th June 2017. A big thanks go to Kate and Dave Bryant who painstakingly devised the course and managed the evening and congratulations go to Donna, Andrew and Christine who were the worthy winners. The clues were all around Alderley Edge and welcome refreshments were enjoyed at the Drum and Monkey afterwards.
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - JUNE 2017
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - JUNE 2017
Another lovely painting day tutored by Allie Pottinger took place on Saturday 10th June 2017. The theme for the day was fruit and vegetables and, as can be seen in the pictures above, some wonderful pieces of artwork were produced.
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AGM LIVERPOOL - JUNE 2017
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AGM LIVERPOOL - JUNE 2017
Three of our ladies attended the AGM at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Wednesday 7th June 2017. They described the meeting as uplifting with both resolutions being passed, brilliant speakers on the day and a standing ovation for the NFWI Chair, Janice Langley as she finishes her time in office and hands over to the new Chair, Lynne Stubbings. Dancing to a Liverpool group, playing mainly Beatle's songs, rounded off a great day.
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TEN PIN BOWLING - JUNE 2017
Another enjoyable session of ten pin bowling which was organised by Dee took place on Tuesday 6th June 2017. As usual, there was a mix of regulars and new ladies with, as always, the breakfast rolls adding to the entertainment!!
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COACH AND FOUR - MAY 2017
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TEN PIN BOWLING - JUNE 2017
Another enjoyable session of ten pin bowling which was organised by Dee took place on Tuesday 6th June 2017. As usual, there was a mix of regulars and new ladies with, as always, the breakfast rolls adding to the entertainment!!
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COACH AND FOUR - MAY 2017
An evening of good food, great company and plenty of alcohol was enjoyed at the Coach and Four, Wilmslow on Tuesday 23rd May 2017. Sharing platters, desserts and coffee were the order of the day plus Wendy had organised the usual quiz to test our grey matter. Happy Birthday to Cathy who celebrated that evening and thanks to Jane for organising such a great night out.
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WOODLAND ACTIVITIES - MAY 2017
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WOODLAND ACTIVITIES - MAY 2017
Tuesday 23rd May 2017 provided a beautiful summer's day for a group of ladies to enjoy a variety of woodland activities at Bolshaw School, Heald Green, led by Helen, their Forest School Tutor. A delicious lunch was cooked on a camp fire for them to enjoy plus wood crafts, games and a variety of other activities were all undertaken.
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EVENING WALK - MAY 2017
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EVENING WALK - MAY 2017
A wonderful evening around Wilmslow, Lindow Common and surrounding area led by Jane with assistance from Maurice who shared lots of information about Lindow and the beautiful flowers and birds it plays host to. The weather was wonderful and liquid refreshments were enjoyed in the local hostelry at the end of the walk.
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BOOK CLUB - MAY 2017
This month's Book Club was held at our new venue, The Carters Arms on Chapel Lane. The book chosen by Dot Bracegirdle was 'Paths of Glory' by Jeffrey Archer and it proved to be a popular choice with some new converts to Jeffrey Archer as an author. Did you know that George Mallory, the climber, came from Mobberley where his father was the vicar?_______________________________________________________________________________________
HAUGHTON HALL - MAY 2017
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BOOK CLUB - MAY 2017
This month's Book Club was held at our new venue, The Carters Arms on Chapel Lane. The book chosen by Dot Bracegirdle was 'Paths of Glory' by Jeffrey Archer and it proved to be a popular choice with some new converts to Jeffrey Archer as an author. Did you know that George Mallory, the climber, came from Mobberley where his father was the vicar?_______________________________________________________________________________________
HAUGHTON HALL - MAY 2017
A gorgeous day at Haughton Hall organised by Cheshire Federation with a mixed bag of weather from brilliant sunshine to torrential rain - but it was worth it. Lots of time and effort given to provide us with this fantastic opportunity.
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THE CRYING GAME - MAY 2017
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THE CRYING GAME - MAY 2017
Alison Gosling gave us an excellent talk entitled ‘The Crying Game’ about why and when women cry. Alison did a Masters Course in Counselling at Manchester University and as part of it she researched crying and wrote a dissertation on the subject. Alison is now a counsellor at the Beacon Centre. Alison’s talk was very absorbing and thought provoking in a very good way as we ALL cry! Alison pointed out that crying is very rarely discussed. However the fact that we cry is embedded in so many aspects of our culture e.g. in every day expressions, song titles, books and films. For example we say ‘have a good cry’ or ‘cry it all out’ or ‘I’ll give you something to cry about’ (less good!) or we talk about ‘dissolving in tears' and even ‘crocodile tears’. Alison took us through how we deal with emotion that can lead to crying. Sometimes people suppress tears and crying completely so that maybe years later the emotion has to be released for people to be able to process that emotion and recover their emotional health e.g. after a bereavement. We might think it ‘weak’ to cry in front of others and our parents’ generation might have had ‘a stiff upper lip’ and not reveal feelings in the form of tears. However Victorians did cry far more freely, so attitudes to crying can vary depending on the era and culture of the time. Alison asked us to talk to our neighbour sitting next to us about when we cry. She listed the times when women are likely to cry – after bereavement (usually but not always), ‘pain’ of a broken heart, listening to music, tears of joy – although the depth of emotion will clearly vary greatly. There are many reasons for crying e.g. – a child’s tears of anger or protest, ‘a cry for help’, tears of despair, grief, disappointment, frustration or even of happiness etc. Sometimes we cry and we have no idea why we are crying. However as we all realize – crying is a universal language used worldwide to communicate deeply felt emotion. Everyone had their own personal thoughts and in many ways it was cathartic to just sit and think of our own relationship with our own tears over the years.
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TEN PIN BOWLING - MAY 2017
Thirteen ladies, some 'old pros' and some first timers, enjoyed 2 games of ten pin bowling on Tuesday 2nd May 2017. It was, as always, an experience with the elusive bacon barm cakes but Jane was amazing with lots of strikes, thus helping her to achieve a magnificent score of 149.
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GUYS AND DOLLS - APRIL 2017
A great performance of Guys and Dolls was enjoyed by 18 Fulshaw ladies and friends at the Brookdale Theatre on Tuesday 25th April 2017. Our very own Rosemary appeared with amazing dexterity and poise, as several characters throughout the performance. The musical tells the tale of a New York gambler who is challenged, for a bet of $1,000 to finance a crap game, to take the pious Sergeant Sarah Brown to Havana, for dinner, but they fall for each other..............
We never cease to be amazed by Rosemary's talent on stage. Well done Rosemary!!
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LOUISE GARDINER, TEXTILE ARTIST - APRIL 2017
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TEN PIN BOWLING - MAY 2017
Thirteen ladies, some 'old pros' and some first timers, enjoyed 2 games of ten pin bowling on Tuesday 2nd May 2017. It was, as always, an experience with the elusive bacon barm cakes but Jane was amazing with lots of strikes, thus helping her to achieve a magnificent score of 149.
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GUYS AND DOLLS - APRIL 2017
A great performance of Guys and Dolls was enjoyed by 18 Fulshaw ladies and friends at the Brookdale Theatre on Tuesday 25th April 2017. Our very own Rosemary appeared with amazing dexterity and poise, as several characters throughout the performance. The musical tells the tale of a New York gambler who is challenged, for a bet of $1,000 to finance a crap game, to take the pious Sergeant Sarah Brown to Havana, for dinner, but they fall for each other..............
We never cease to be amazed by Rosemary's talent on stage. Well done Rosemary!!
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LOUISE GARDINER, TEXTILE ARTIST - APRIL 2017
The very exciting, contemporary machine embroidery artist, Louise Gardiner, was the speaker and she had brought along a huge range of pieces of her original art to show us. Lou exhibited wall hangings, prints of machine embroidery, printed silk scarves, pouffes, cushions, cards and more. We were amazed by the sheer vibrancy of the subtle, yet bright colours and fascinating combinations of shapes and patterns displayed in front of us. We absolutely loved it all! Lou enthusiastically dedicated her talk to Kay. Lou embraced the fact that we are a women’s group interested in promoting our own arts and crafts and she encouraged us to support British Artists whenever and wherever we can.
Lou had begun to develop her unique embroidery technique 23 years ago at Art College in London and she started by explaining her methods to us. Lou now works with a very fast industrial sewing machine to produce ‘explosive’ embroidered pieces. She also uses digital printing, often with iridescent paint worked into black stitching patterns using a huge array of layers of complex stitches and it can take her 300 hours to complete a work. It is a tough, challenging career to follow and Lou has to do her own publicity and promotion to get her work known around the world as well as in the UK. Managing the marketing, finance and Social media are also vitally important to running a successful business.
Lou has just come back from Australia where she gave seminars and workshops in four cities and she has recently entered the 2017 Womens Hour craft awards to be considered as one of the top 12 craft artists in the UK. We wish Lou lots of luck as we all thought she should win as her work is so inspirational! Lou has had works exhibited at the Saatchi art gallery and at Liberty’s in London and not forgetting Hoopers of Wilmslow on our annual art trail. Lou has also been invited to New York to display her work in 2018 which is a very exciting opportunity.
All through her talk Lou was searingly honest about the tremendous emotional commitment needed to achieve success in her chosen career path. Lou has a very extrovert, ‘sparky’ informal style of talking to a group that drew us into her creative world of magical beauty and colour - in fact we were mesmerized!
After the talk we could look more closely at her work and some members bought some of her wonderful silk scarves, cards and prints. Lou has a website so please do have a look at her work at http://www.lougardiner.co.uk
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NECG SPRING MEETING - APRIL 2017
Lillian King, Chief Superintendent with Greater Manchester Police before she retired six years ago, gave an hilarious account of her life as a police officer, amongst other topics. As she worked around the Manchester area, she told tales centred around Bootle and Wythenshawe, all with a humorous twist. Row of Trees, Cheadle & Gatley and Great Moor & District WIs gave some entertaining renditions based on the theme of the competition, 'A WI Take on Law and Order' and Fulshaw's entry into the competition was proud runner up to Middlewood & Poynton's entry. Delicious cakes provided by all the WIs of the NECG were enjoyed by all.
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BOOK CLUB - APRIL 2017
This month's chosen book was 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr, chosen by Pat Langan who led the question session at the meeing on Thursday 6th April 2017. The book was quite long and intense, but the ladies that had managed to finish it all enjoyed it and those that hadn't, went away promising that they would. The group felt that although there were some unexplained threads in the book, it gave a great insight into life during the war, especially from the prospective of Hitler Youth. Not a happy book but thought-provoking and well recommended. Thanks Pat.
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AFTERNOON WALK - APRIL 2017
Lou had begun to develop her unique embroidery technique 23 years ago at Art College in London and she started by explaining her methods to us. Lou now works with a very fast industrial sewing machine to produce ‘explosive’ embroidered pieces. She also uses digital printing, often with iridescent paint worked into black stitching patterns using a huge array of layers of complex stitches and it can take her 300 hours to complete a work. It is a tough, challenging career to follow and Lou has to do her own publicity and promotion to get her work known around the world as well as in the UK. Managing the marketing, finance and Social media are also vitally important to running a successful business.
Lou has just come back from Australia where she gave seminars and workshops in four cities and she has recently entered the 2017 Womens Hour craft awards to be considered as one of the top 12 craft artists in the UK. We wish Lou lots of luck as we all thought she should win as her work is so inspirational! Lou has had works exhibited at the Saatchi art gallery and at Liberty’s in London and not forgetting Hoopers of Wilmslow on our annual art trail. Lou has also been invited to New York to display her work in 2018 which is a very exciting opportunity.
All through her talk Lou was searingly honest about the tremendous emotional commitment needed to achieve success in her chosen career path. Lou has a very extrovert, ‘sparky’ informal style of talking to a group that drew us into her creative world of magical beauty and colour - in fact we were mesmerized!
After the talk we could look more closely at her work and some members bought some of her wonderful silk scarves, cards and prints. Lou has a website so please do have a look at her work at http://www.lougardiner.co.uk
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NECG SPRING MEETING - APRIL 2017
Lillian King, Chief Superintendent with Greater Manchester Police before she retired six years ago, gave an hilarious account of her life as a police officer, amongst other topics. As she worked around the Manchester area, she told tales centred around Bootle and Wythenshawe, all with a humorous twist. Row of Trees, Cheadle & Gatley and Great Moor & District WIs gave some entertaining renditions based on the theme of the competition, 'A WI Take on Law and Order' and Fulshaw's entry into the competition was proud runner up to Middlewood & Poynton's entry. Delicious cakes provided by all the WIs of the NECG were enjoyed by all.
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BOOK CLUB - APRIL 2017
This month's chosen book was 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr, chosen by Pat Langan who led the question session at the meeing on Thursday 6th April 2017. The book was quite long and intense, but the ladies that had managed to finish it all enjoyed it and those that hadn't, went away promising that they would. The group felt that although there were some unexplained threads in the book, it gave a great insight into life during the war, especially from the prospective of Hitler Youth. Not a happy book but thought-provoking and well recommended. Thanks Pat.
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AFTERNOON WALK - APRIL 2017
Jane led a cold but dry walk on Wednesday 5th April which left from the layby near Norbury Farm Café. Having traversed through a nearby housing estate, the group of 11 ladies, Wendy's two boys and Cheryl's two dogs, came out into the Happy Valley Nature Reserve, very close to Bramhall Park. A set of large stepping stones to cross the river provided the excitement for the afternoon! Once crossed, the walked continued up the valley, conveniently coming out at Norbury Farm Café where delicious tea and cake had to be sampled!!
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NEW MEMBERS EVENING - APRIL 2017
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NEW MEMBERS EVENING - APRIL 2017
A group of 24 ladies including members old and new plus committee members enjoyed the New Members evening held at The Old Dancer on Monday 3rd April 2017. In its third year now, the evening featured a variety of games, challenges and quizzes designed for everyone to enjoy whilst getting to know one another better and forging new friendships. The evening was rounded off by a delicious light supper of platters of assorted cold meats and cheeses. Thanks go to Wendy for masterminding and organising the event in her own inimitable style!! _________________________________________________________________
THE COUPON KID - MARCH 2017
An entertaining and slightly educational talk (!) was given by Jordon Cox, The Coupon Kid at the Poynton WI meeting which took place on Thursday 30th March 2017. Jordon, who made his name in the Press when he travelled from Sheffield to Essex via a flight to Berlin to save £7.72, passed on many tips about using coupons, money-off vouchers, cash back sites and many other 'tricks of his trade' to save money on shopping. Thanks to Poynton WI who invited all the NECG WIs to attend this event.
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THE COUPON KID - MARCH 2017
An entertaining and slightly educational talk (!) was given by Jordon Cox, The Coupon Kid at the Poynton WI meeting which took place on Thursday 30th March 2017. Jordon, who made his name in the Press when he travelled from Sheffield to Essex via a flight to Berlin to save £7.72, passed on many tips about using coupons, money-off vouchers, cash back sites and many other 'tricks of his trade' to save money on shopping. Thanks to Poynton WI who invited all the NECG WIs to attend this event.
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MORNING BIKE RIDE - MARCH 2017
A disappointing turn out for Jane's bike ride on Thursday 30th March but the three ladies that did make it had a great time enjoying some reasonable, if not windy weather.
Cycling from the Riflemans Arms, they left Wilmslow and headed out towards the Airport and then across to Styal. The next stop was Nixons Farm Shop, Heald Green where they had a very pleasant morning coffee stop at the Moody Cow café before heading back to Wilmslow. The photo shows Jane and Kate in front of one of the bird cages at the Farm.
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BRAMALL HALL VISIT - MARCH 2017
A disappointing turn out for Jane's bike ride on Thursday 30th March but the three ladies that did make it had a great time enjoying some reasonable, if not windy weather.
Cycling from the Riflemans Arms, they left Wilmslow and headed out towards the Airport and then across to Styal. The next stop was Nixons Farm Shop, Heald Green where they had a very pleasant morning coffee stop at the Moody Cow café before heading back to Wilmslow. The photo shows Jane and Kate in front of one of the bird cages at the Farm.
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BRAMALL HALL VISIT - MARCH 2017
27 ladies enjoyed a tour of Bramall Hall on Tuesday 21st March 2017. The visit began with a lovely lunch served in the new Stables Restaurant and afterwards, they went onto to tour the recently refurbished Hall, which has been completed thanks to a £1.6million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The tour of the hall, much of which dates back to Tudor times, was lead by Tiff and Val. Thanks to Jane for organising the event.
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WOMEN'S WORK IN WORLD WAR 2 - MARCH 2017
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WOMEN'S WORK IN WORLD WAR 2 - MARCH 2017
Ruth Thomson who has worked at the Stockport Air Raid Shelters for 17 years gave us an interesting talk entitled 'Women's Work in World War Two'.
She began by telling us about the scale of the female workforce, by 1943, 90% of single women and 80% of married women were in someway involved in war work. She then went onto to explain the different women's groups and illustrated them with tales of named individuals.
ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) was the women's branch of the British Army and Princess Elizabeth served in this group who amongst other roles, worked on anti-aircraft artillery and the role of women increased as the war progressed.
There were ~ 182,000 WAFS during the war, of which Sarah, Winston Churchill's daughter was one, and they were responsible for a range of jobs including catering, meteorology and aircraft maintenance.
WRNS (or Wrens as they were known) was the women's branch of the Royal Navy and they worked on a variety of jobs including cooks, radar plotters and air mechanics.
The ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) was a British civilian operation, which ferried planes between factories and front-line operations, eventually taking over from some RAF pilots. Disabilities were often ignored although women had to have 500 hours flying experience to join, far more than men so prejudice against women was still rife.
The WVS, later WRVS, which had the unfortunate motto of 'Never Say No', played a key role in the evacuation process, distributed clothing, assisted with food rationing and helped in mobile canteens. It is estimated they helped 10,000 people per night for 57 consecutive nights of the London Blitz.
The Women's Land Army and the associated Women's Timber Corp, were set up to help with agriculture and carried out jobs such as driving tractors, growing crops, animal welfare and anti-vermin squads. Unlike their country colleagues, this type of work came as a great shock to many city girls who had never been involved with working with the land before.
Another area that women were heavily involved with was working in the munitions factories. This often involved long hours and dangerous work. Working with cordite led to yellowing of the skin and hair, hence the nickname 'canary girls'.
After the war, many women went back to their old jobs and way of life but had experienced things they would never would have without the war.
In 2005, the Queen unveiled the first national memorial, the 'Monument to Women of World War Two', which is situated in Whitehall.
Ruth rounded off her talk by helping ladies achieve the working women's 'look' by wearing scarves on their heads and bright red lipstick.
Lorna gave the vote of thanks to Ruth for her fascinating talk.
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MORNING WALK - MARCH 2017
She began by telling us about the scale of the female workforce, by 1943, 90% of single women and 80% of married women were in someway involved in war work. She then went onto to explain the different women's groups and illustrated them with tales of named individuals.
ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) was the women's branch of the British Army and Princess Elizabeth served in this group who amongst other roles, worked on anti-aircraft artillery and the role of women increased as the war progressed.
There were ~ 182,000 WAFS during the war, of which Sarah, Winston Churchill's daughter was one, and they were responsible for a range of jobs including catering, meteorology and aircraft maintenance.
WRNS (or Wrens as they were known) was the women's branch of the Royal Navy and they worked on a variety of jobs including cooks, radar plotters and air mechanics.
The ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) was a British civilian operation, which ferried planes between factories and front-line operations, eventually taking over from some RAF pilots. Disabilities were often ignored although women had to have 500 hours flying experience to join, far more than men so prejudice against women was still rife.
The WVS, later WRVS, which had the unfortunate motto of 'Never Say No', played a key role in the evacuation process, distributed clothing, assisted with food rationing and helped in mobile canteens. It is estimated they helped 10,000 people per night for 57 consecutive nights of the London Blitz.
The Women's Land Army and the associated Women's Timber Corp, were set up to help with agriculture and carried out jobs such as driving tractors, growing crops, animal welfare and anti-vermin squads. Unlike their country colleagues, this type of work came as a great shock to many city girls who had never been involved with working with the land before.
Another area that women were heavily involved with was working in the munitions factories. This often involved long hours and dangerous work. Working with cordite led to yellowing of the skin and hair, hence the nickname 'canary girls'.
After the war, many women went back to their old jobs and way of life but had experienced things they would never would have without the war.
In 2005, the Queen unveiled the first national memorial, the 'Monument to Women of World War Two', which is situated in Whitehall.
Ruth rounded off her talk by helping ladies achieve the working women's 'look' by wearing scarves on their heads and bright red lipstick.
Lorna gave the vote of thanks to Ruth for her fascinating talk.
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MORNING WALK - MARCH 2017
A group of 8 Fulshaw ladies plus one husband left Handforth Dean car park on Wednesday 15th March 2017, picking up Cathy en route who had mistakenly arrived at Handforth and then managed to hitch a lift to meet us once her error was realised! They then soon found themselves in open fields with only the background noise of cars to remind them they were so close to such a buy area. A circular walk around the back of Total Fitness brought the group back out near Handforth Dean, from where it was a fairly short walk, past Handforth Hall, and then onto the Aroma Café at St. Chads in Handforth where some delicious refreshments were enjoyed before heading back to Handforth Dean. Thanks to Jane for organising the day.
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BOOK CLUB - MARCH 2017
All nine ladies present at the Book Club on Thursday 9th March 2017 gave their thumbs up to enjoying this month's book, Sweet Caress by William Boyd. Sarah Kennon led the questions with a bit of assistance required from Jane Rawlings because of lack of IT connection! Some ladies preferred certain parts of the book to others, but this varied from person to person. We all found it difficult to believe that it was not a true story and it was easy to forget it had been written by a man but told as a woman with a life fully lived.
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FAME THE MUSICAL - MARCH 2017
A brilliant production of Fame The Musical by Tempo the Youth Performance Group, had us all rocking in our seats on Tuesday evening. Despite the fact that the show was an amateur performance and the oldest members of the cast were only17 years old, it was a truly magical show with some very strong performances, especially in the second half. Thanks to Amanda and Pat for arranging the evening.
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COLOUR WORKSHOPS - MARCH 2017
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BOOK CLUB - MARCH 2017
All nine ladies present at the Book Club on Thursday 9th March 2017 gave their thumbs up to enjoying this month's book, Sweet Caress by William Boyd. Sarah Kennon led the questions with a bit of assistance required from Jane Rawlings because of lack of IT connection! Some ladies preferred certain parts of the book to others, but this varied from person to person. We all found it difficult to believe that it was not a true story and it was easy to forget it had been written by a man but told as a woman with a life fully lived.
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FAME THE MUSICAL - MARCH 2017
A brilliant production of Fame The Musical by Tempo the Youth Performance Group, had us all rocking in our seats on Tuesday evening. Despite the fact that the show was an amateur performance and the oldest members of the cast were only17 years old, it was a truly magical show with some very strong performances, especially in the second half. Thanks to Amanda and Pat for arranging the evening.
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COLOUR WORKSHOPS - MARCH 2017
On Saturday 4th March, two colour workshops were held and we were delighted to be tutored by one of our own members, Catherine Jones. Demand for the workshops was high, hence a morning an afternoon session were organised. Colour swatches of fabric help show how different colours can enhance or detract how people look, depending on their skin tone and hair colour. Catherine also gave us lots of other helpful tips to make ourselves look more beautiful. Watch out for all the new look ladies at the next meeting!
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HERBARIUM VISIT - MARCH 2017
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HERBARIUM VISIT - MARCH 2017
A fascinating day organised by Jane which included a guided tour of the Herbarium and the botanical collections at Manchester Museum, as well as amazing lunch at Christie's Bistro. The tour was lead by Lindsey Loughtman, who is also a member of The Heatons and Busy Bees WIs, and we felt privileged to gain a greater insight into Lindsey's working life as well as enjoying a peak at just a selection of the 750,000 archives in the museum.
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MORNING WALK - FEBRUARY 2017
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MORNING WALK - FEBRUARY 2017
A group of just 5 ladies set out from the Quirkee Café in Mobberley on Thursday 16th February 2017. Heading out alongside the old Kodak factory, they walked across fields and tracks to come out initially at the Church Inn. Just a few yards down from here they took the opportunity for a photo shoot behind The Parish Stocks and Whipping Posts, fortunately managing to escape any bad eggs being thrown at them! Onward along more fields and tracks, along Mobberley Brook to come out eventually back at the Quirkee café where they enjoyed some delicious low fat, sugar free fruit loaf and some (calorie free!) Bakewell Cake. A very enjoyable morning with lots of chatter and lively conversation. Thanks to Jane for another great walk.
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SWEET TEMPTATION - FEBRUARY 2017
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SWEET TEMPTATION - FEBRUARY 2017
Our very own Dee Waugh of ‘Sweet Temptation’ gave us a lovely evening of crafting edible rice paper flowers (an open rose for us) that can be used to decorate cakes. Dee provided us with a sheet of paper with various sized circles of petals outlined and a piece of pink rice paper (potato paper in our case). Dee showed us very expertly how to cut out the 6 rounds of petals using the patterns provided. The rounds of petals were then pressed into gently undulating petal shapes by us pressing wet fingers into the centre and into each petal. We then had to overlay 6 rounds of petals and stick them together with a dab of water. This is where the fun started as over-wet rice paper sticks to everything – itself, us, the table, other petals and we were dexterously challenged to actually assemble a credible flower with stamens in the middle! Where were the bees we wondered as some of the flowers made were brilliant!! Never as good as Dee's of course, but we loved trying!
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SONG AND LIGHTS CLASSICS - FEBRUARY 2017
A fantastic evening took place on Friday 10th February which had been organised by Cale Green WI , was attended by over 500 people including ladies from Fulshaw WI and NECG. The event which was held at St George's Church, Stockport, was a musical charity evening in aid of one of their members who is also a daughter-in-law of one of our members. Well done to Helen Eadie who masterminded the event.
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - FEBRUARY 2017
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SONG AND LIGHTS CLASSICS - FEBRUARY 2017
A fantastic evening took place on Friday 10th February which had been organised by Cale Green WI , was attended by over 500 people including ladies from Fulshaw WI and NECG. The event which was held at St George's Church, Stockport, was a musical charity evening in aid of one of their members who is also a daughter-in-law of one of our members. Well done to Helen Eadie who masterminded the event.
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PAINTING WORKSHOP - FEBRUARY 2017
Another painting workshop day led by Allie Pottinger took place on Saturday 4th February 2017 and it was attended by a mix of first-timers as well as 'the regulars'. The theme of the day was Spring Flowers, and as you can see from the photos above, some brilliant pieces of artwork were produced. A selection of beautiful home made cakes and fruit kebabs helped keep the artistic juices flowing!
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BOOK CLUB - JANUARY 2017
A group of 9 nine ladies met at the Riflemans Arms on Thursday 26th January to discuss this month's chosen book, The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane. There was a mixed reaction as to whether people enjoyed the book but as usual, it sparked plenty of interesting discussions and gave an excellent insight into some of the problems and frustrations of dementia. Thanks to Linda for suggesting the book and leading the discussions with the assistance of her mind map!
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MORNING BIKE RIDE - JANUARY 2017
A mixed group from both Fulshaw WI and Wilmslow U3A set out from the Riflemans Arms on Wednesday morning with Jennie and Maurice Palin as their trusty leaders. They cycled from Wilmslow, through Hale Barns, Hale, Ashley and onto Mobberley where they stopped at Barnshaw Smithy for a morning coffee break before heading back to Wilmslow. The16 mile trip on a cold but sunny day was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Jennie and Maurice for organising and leading the ride.
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TEN PIN BOWLING - JANUARY 2017
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BOOK CLUB - JANUARY 2017
A group of 9 nine ladies met at the Riflemans Arms on Thursday 26th January to discuss this month's chosen book, The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane. There was a mixed reaction as to whether people enjoyed the book but as usual, it sparked plenty of interesting discussions and gave an excellent insight into some of the problems and frustrations of dementia. Thanks to Linda for suggesting the book and leading the discussions with the assistance of her mind map!
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MORNING BIKE RIDE - JANUARY 2017
A mixed group from both Fulshaw WI and Wilmslow U3A set out from the Riflemans Arms on Wednesday morning with Jennie and Maurice Palin as their trusty leaders. They cycled from Wilmslow, through Hale Barns, Hale, Ashley and onto Mobberley where they stopped at Barnshaw Smithy for a morning coffee break before heading back to Wilmslow. The16 mile trip on a cold but sunny day was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Jennie and Maurice for organising and leading the ride.
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TEN PIN BOWLING - JANUARY 2017
Another ten pin bowling session took place on Tuesday 24th January and many of the 'regulars' attended. Not only do they experience the fun of the ten pin bowling, there is always the added excitement of the breakfast barm cake and what will be on offer! A great way to spend a Tuesday morning and thanks to Dee for organising it once again.
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LA LA LAND AND MEAL - JANUARY 2017
A group of ladies met for a bite to eat on Thursday 19th January at the The Society Rooms in Macclesfield and then went onto watch the multi-award winning film La La Land at Cinemac. The film is an American romantic musical comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, designed to bring a tear to the eye and a song to the heart!
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KWIK FIT - JANUARY 2017
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LA LA LAND AND MEAL - JANUARY 2017
A group of ladies met for a bite to eat on Thursday 19th January at the The Society Rooms in Macclesfield and then went onto watch the multi-award winning film La La Land at Cinemac. The film is an American romantic musical comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, designed to bring a tear to the eye and a song to the heart!
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KWIK FIT - JANUARY 2017
Several of our ladies took up the offer from Kwik Fit for a free car maintenance class on Wednesday 18th January 2017. They learnt how to change a tyre, legal requirements as well as keeping up general maintenance. As the photos show, the class was very 'hands on' and after this brilliant class provided by the lads at Wilmslow Kwik Fit, the ladies were treated to tea and cakes! What else could they provide for ladies of the WI? Thanks to them, Liz from Kwik Fit Regional Office also to Wendy for arranging the evening.
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SINGING FOR FUN - JANUARY 2017
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SINGING FOR FUN - JANUARY 2017
'Singing for Fun’ was led by a very inspiring music teacher and singer, Denise Vaughan. She led the packed room of WI members in a most enjoyable evening of rhythm, harmony and pitch, with singing of course! We started by clapping in rounds of four rhythms, making us concentrate hard. We sang ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ also in a round with hand expressions for every word whilst concentrating on our posture. Denise has an electric personality and boundless energy and humour so that 45 minutes on a dreary January evening sped by and everyone enjoyed themselves hugely!
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AFTERNOON WALK - JANUARY 2017
A group of eleven hardy ladies met at Nether Alderley Car Park on Wednesday 11th January for the first Fulshaw WI walk of 2017. The walk took them across muddy fields and small wooded areas and although very cold, the weather was bright and mercifully dry. The walk lasted around 2 hours with much chattering as everyone caught upon their Christmas and New Year news. A disappointing end to the walk was the discovery that the Wizard Tea Room had closed for the day to catch upon some deep cleaning after their busy festive season. Undeterred, everyone headed off home, saving on the £s and not adding on the lbs!
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AFTERNOON WALK - JANUARY 2017
A group of eleven hardy ladies met at Nether Alderley Car Park on Wednesday 11th January for the first Fulshaw WI walk of 2017. The walk took them across muddy fields and small wooded areas and although very cold, the weather was bright and mercifully dry. The walk lasted around 2 hours with much chattering as everyone caught upon their Christmas and New Year news. A disappointing end to the walk was the discovery that the Wizard Tea Room had closed for the day to catch upon some deep cleaning after their busy festive season. Undeterred, everyone headed off home, saving on the £s and not adding on the lbs!
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