Previous Meetings

2009

Our first meeting December 2008 was a brilliant start with some blind chocolate tasting. January’s meeting about vintage and retro clothes was a hard act to follow but February’s demonstration of flower table decoration was good fun and my room was littered in daffodils and roses.

March’s demonstration was on decoupage, using napkins and hairdryers. Craft really is the new black! April’s meeting had a visit from ladies from our North East Cheshire Group and also a talk and presentation on the Cheshire Show. I found it quite illuminating as to how far and wide our membership to the WI spreads.

May saw a great hats trying on session. Sheila & Miriam from Kinderton Hat Studios, brought a beautiful number of hats, scarves & accessories for us to try on. Thanks to everyone who speaks for us.

The June meeting with John Charlton from MDBKA (Manchester Beekeepers) was fascinating and very well received. We all left with oodles of local honey, hand cream, Propolis, and an urge to become bee keepers. We’re so inspired, Judy’s arranging us a trip to the MBKA hives in Heaton Park in August (See the ‘Outings‘ ).

July was a busy meeting with Sue McDonald aka ‘The Bra-Doctor‘ talking to us passionately (and amusingly) on the stupidity of the current bra measuring techniques and how it can even affect our health. She then showed us her technique. I think we all went home and stared at our boobs. We’re now arranging a special Sunday for her to come and fit us all.

July also had a quick talk from Abundance Manchester about their innovative project and asked for volanteer fruit & veg owners; pickers; picklers and jammers. We may be organising a mass chutney and pie making day this Autumn harvest.

In our August Meeting, Laura Gaither, the owner of Planet Vintage Girl (UK) and Vintage Girl Antiques (US) came to talk to us about her business, and design styles since the 1940s. As her website says, ‘Laura has been collecting 20th Century objects for over sixteen years. She loves how different era’s priorities and beliefs were translated into design aesthetics. “I’ve always been a 20th Century girl. Earlier stuff has just never held my interest. Plus I felt it was possible to speak with people who fondly remembered these pieces.” For Laura, collecting is really a part of an environmental philosophy -it is a beneficial act of landfill re-direction. Collecting these objects saves them from being thrown away and creates an opportunity for another generation to appreciate them.’  My sentiments exactly – Retro Teapots rule!

September saw Lee Griffiths talk us ladies through basic car maintenance and how a regular look under our bonnets can save a fortune in garage bills and a fun quiz in ‘Know your dashboard warning lights’. Didsbury Civic Society and DidsburyArts festival also popped by. I was tackling Swine Flu but reports are that bonnets are being lifted all over Didsbury.

October 09 was a talk by our own Claire Duffy on genealogy and family history. Claire had some good tip and ideas for using modern methods for tracing your family tree.

November 2009 saw our AGM with Sally stepping down and Sue stepping up as our President. Good luck to both!

December 2009 had the Jamie Oliver At Home team come and show us their Jme wares and have a bit of Xmas fun.

2010
Our first birthday party in January 2010 went out with a fizzle – or should that be a flurry, as we were snowed in and had to cancel it.

February 2010 had an inspirational talk from the Blue Badge tour guide, Barbara Frost on the twists and turns of her life as a tour guide.

March saw an early appearance from The Vine Project by Sonia McCann who spoke emotively about the project and how it helps the lives of vulnerable children left orphaned or affected by AIDS in South Africa.  It was fascinating, and certainly puts ours lives into perspective. This replaced Peter White who was unable to make it at short-notice.  We hope to see Peter soon.

April 2010 was the turn of Roy Williams, or local Community First Responder.  He told us about the service that supported the over worked ambulances and taught us some basic life-saving techniques. Quite an eye opener.

May is the WI’s Resolution month whilst June and July unfortunately had the  planned speakers cancelled but Sue  stepped in brilliantly.