ANNUAL REPORT 10TH NOVEMBER 2016
Well it's that time of year again and anyone who thinks that we haven't done much during the last 12 months wait until you hear this report.
We have, as ever, had a variety of entertainment and speakers at our monthly meetings starting last December with a fabulous party sing-a-long created by the Ukuladies. Following this we heard about the 'Downstairs' side of the 'Upstairs Downstairs' lifestyle, our very own Diana's lifetime interest in craft, how life was in Gloucester prison and how Cheltenham came to have a Town Crier. We learnt about the Hesters Way Community and Ifakar Bakery Projects; showed our ages by recognising some 'curiosities' from the past in a quiz; donned pinnies pretending we were canal boat painters and picked up some yummy quick and easy recipes.
Our monthly walking group has strolled along the Coombe Hill canal, around Prestbury Racecourse, Winchcombe, Pittville Park and the alleys of Tewkesbury and a couple of times we have made it up Cleeve Hill..................of course the carrot is always the promise of something to eat and drink at the end! In October we joined up with other Gloucestershire WIs and walked around an unknown area (to us anyway) of Bourton-on-the-Water which we really enjoyed.
We still Natter (and sometimes Knit) once a month and this year we have been working on 'lap blankets' again but have been interrupted a couple of times - once by GFWI to 'yarn bomb' the village hall in celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday and secondly by the RBL to knit poppies for 'yarn bombing' the trees around the war memorial in Cheltenham's Promenade, which some of you may have seen.
We met up at the Cross Hands for a Christmas lunch last December and have managed to meet for lunch a few times since - the plan now is to make this a monthly event.
In December, as well as all the festivities of Christmas, we remembered those less fortunate than ourselves and held our annual collection of clothes, toiletries and food for the Cheltenham Open Door - as always you were very generous and they were very grateful.
In July some of us got out our sewing machines and made ourselves medieval outfits which we then wore in the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival parade - this was great fun and we have already put our names down to take part again next year.
In August members and friends enjoyed a trip, organised by Peggy, down to Bishops Lydeard where they climbed aboard the West Somerset Railway steam train to Minehead then stopped at Kilve on the way home for a superb tea prepared by the Kilve WI.
Of course we have had a go at some fundraising. Our first event after the Annual Meeting last year was the Village Craft Fair where, as well as our usual tombola stall, we had a craft stall with items made by our members - not a huge amount of money raised from the craft but then "every little helps" as the old woman said! In March Kim organized a Table Top sale at the village hall which helped to swell the coffers and in May we hosted another successful Fashion Show, its success obviously due to the high quality models we used!!
Our involvement with the Cotswold Vale Group continues and this year has seen us meeting up with them for several events. Members from Sandhurst and Tredington joined us for our December meeting, we joined Sandhurst for their meeting in January and then Norton for theirs in February. April saw the Group's annual Rally, this year hosted by Sandhurst, and in September the Group held a coffee morning with raffle and 'bring and buy' stall, all in aid of the Save Denman appeal.
With regard to the Save Denman appeal , in June GFWI organized a picnic in a very wet Pittville Park which some us attended - thank goodness for the Pump Rooms!
So you see, we've done plenty. Thank you.
We have, as ever, had a variety of entertainment and speakers at our monthly meetings starting last December with a fabulous party sing-a-long created by the Ukuladies. Following this we heard about the 'Downstairs' side of the 'Upstairs Downstairs' lifestyle, our very own Diana's lifetime interest in craft, how life was in Gloucester prison and how Cheltenham came to have a Town Crier. We learnt about the Hesters Way Community and Ifakar Bakery Projects; showed our ages by recognising some 'curiosities' from the past in a quiz; donned pinnies pretending we were canal boat painters and picked up some yummy quick and easy recipes.
Our monthly walking group has strolled along the Coombe Hill canal, around Prestbury Racecourse, Winchcombe, Pittville Park and the alleys of Tewkesbury and a couple of times we have made it up Cleeve Hill..................of course the carrot is always the promise of something to eat and drink at the end! In October we joined up with other Gloucestershire WIs and walked around an unknown area (to us anyway) of Bourton-on-the-Water which we really enjoyed.
We still Natter (and sometimes Knit) once a month and this year we have been working on 'lap blankets' again but have been interrupted a couple of times - once by GFWI to 'yarn bomb' the village hall in celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday and secondly by the RBL to knit poppies for 'yarn bombing' the trees around the war memorial in Cheltenham's Promenade, which some of you may have seen.
We met up at the Cross Hands for a Christmas lunch last December and have managed to meet for lunch a few times since - the plan now is to make this a monthly event.
In December, as well as all the festivities of Christmas, we remembered those less fortunate than ourselves and held our annual collection of clothes, toiletries and food for the Cheltenham Open Door - as always you were very generous and they were very grateful.
In July some of us got out our sewing machines and made ourselves medieval outfits which we then wore in the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival parade - this was great fun and we have already put our names down to take part again next year.
In August members and friends enjoyed a trip, organised by Peggy, down to Bishops Lydeard where they climbed aboard the West Somerset Railway steam train to Minehead then stopped at Kilve on the way home for a superb tea prepared by the Kilve WI.
Of course we have had a go at some fundraising. Our first event after the Annual Meeting last year was the Village Craft Fair where, as well as our usual tombola stall, we had a craft stall with items made by our members - not a huge amount of money raised from the craft but then "every little helps" as the old woman said! In March Kim organized a Table Top sale at the village hall which helped to swell the coffers and in May we hosted another successful Fashion Show, its success obviously due to the high quality models we used!!
Our involvement with the Cotswold Vale Group continues and this year has seen us meeting up with them for several events. Members from Sandhurst and Tredington joined us for our December meeting, we joined Sandhurst for their meeting in January and then Norton for theirs in February. April saw the Group's annual Rally, this year hosted by Sandhurst, and in September the Group held a coffee morning with raffle and 'bring and buy' stall, all in aid of the Save Denman appeal.
With regard to the Save Denman appeal , in June GFWI organized a picnic in a very wet Pittville Park which some us attended - thank goodness for the Pump Rooms!
So you see, we've done plenty. Thank you.