The Village Hall was full for our March meeting which was due in part to the attendance of more new members and visitors and we look forward to even more in the future. We have a team for the forthcoming GFWI Quiz so they must get their brains into gear for that, our monthly Coffee Morning at The Roastery is coming up soon and we are still collecting books and jigsaw puzzles for the Centenary Village Show at Cirencester Park in July. Planning our exhibit for the Centenary Exhibition at the Cathedral in October has started and as the Group Party, also in October, has a 1960s theme hopefully some of us may still have something from that era hiding in our wardrobes! We welcomed Tracey from Dixie Dot Crafts in Kingsway with her craft demonstration but that was only a small part of her talk. After always being told at school that she was no good at sewing and hating it, some time later she began to really enjoy it, as well as other crafts she tried. Tracey told us about the many ups and downs in her life, which finally led to running her own successful craft shop. She likes to get involved with the local community and wants to nurture the creative side of children and adults and holds craft workshops at her premises in Kingsway. Some of her classes include pottery painting, decopatch (that’s sticking little pieces of decorative paper onto anything from boxes to giraffes), box frames, wood art, sewing and crochet. She demonstrated some block printing onto a tea towel which is yet another of the crafts she teaches. This was a very entertaining talk which is sure to encourage some people to take up one of her crafts. Our speaker for April will be Reverend Nicholas Henderson with his second talk entitled Fulfilment & Farce about Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleeves, two of Henry VIII’s forgotten wives. We had already heard his first talk about another two wives when we learned many fascinating facts so this is sure to be just as amusing and entertaining. Other talks coming up include Internet dating and writing a book, Llanthony Secunda Reformation and something called Tax, Care and Toyboys! If any of these sound interesting then why not come along? We meet at Quedgeley Village Hall on the second Wednesday of every month

February is always a month for us to look forward to because it is when we celebrate our WI’s birthday and this year it was our 94 th. We had our usual Birthday Supper that always consists of some lovely food and several scrumptious puddings but we had to wait a little while as we had the usual business to go through first. We welcomed one visitor and one new member and heard that skittle players are wanted to form a team, hopefully some expert ones! We hold several competitions throughout the year and the winners were announced with Iris Bates, Brenda Drinkwater and Pat Spiller runners up to me, Christine Bentley. We all received cash prizes and I had the honour of taking home the silver trophy for another year. At our March meeting we will have a talk by Tracey from Dixie Dot crafts shop in Kingsway and there will be a competition to reflect this – make a greeting card. Throughout the year we will be charity collecting for Marie Curie, having monthly Coffee Mornings, attending the WI Centenary Village Show in Cirencester, exhibiting at a Centenary Exhibition at Gloucester Cathedral as well as hosting a Group Party with a 60’s theme so we will be kept very busy but are sure to enjoy it all. If anyone would like to come along to a meeting on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall they will be made very welcome. Further details can be found on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or on facebook.com/quedgeleywi.

A new year with lots to look forward to. Our January meeting always means paying our subscriptions and knowing that we are sure to have some interesting speakers over the next few months. The suggestion in December to donate money to a charity instead of exchanging Christmas cards raised over £25 and is sure to be something we will want to do next time. We entered two teams in the Quedgeley Community Trust Quiz and those competing agreed that this year’s was hard! We have plenty of things going on this year, with a book and jigsaw stall at the Gloucestershire Federation of Womens’ Institutes Centenary Village Fair at Cirencester Park in July and a Centenary Exhibition in Gloucester Cathedral in October and any members who are artists or photographers have been invited to submit entries. With skittles and another quiz and the Robinswood Group Party to host we will certainly be kept very busy. Our January meeting didn’t so much have speakers but singers when we heard Jeff and Elaine Gillet with their Introduction to William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience. Accompanying themselves on various instruments with music that Jeff had written himself and slides showing pictures from Blake’s books we heard quite a variety of songs covering the lighter and darker aspects from Songs of Innocence and Experience. A very musical start to the year. Next month will be our 94th Birthday Supper when we will enjoy food, drinks and presentations to our 2018 competition winners. In March it’s a crafty meeting as we will have Tracey from Dixie Dot Arts and Crafts shop in Kingsway with perhaps some new crafts for us to try. If anyone would like to come along to a meeting they will be made very welcome. You can find all our details, including a full list of all our speakers for this year, on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or facebook.com/quedgeleywi

The end of the year was just as busy as the previous months with our Christmas meal at Owlpen Manor, the WI Carol Concert and the December meeting, an evening of mulled wine, American Supper and entertainment from the choir Christmas Ensemble with their excellent singing of carols and Christmas songs. Members had the opportunity to enter one of our occasional competitions which was to write in no more than ten words about “My Ideal Man” and there were several entries. In 2019 we have some more interesting talks lined up that include the half-forgotten wives of Henry VIII, the historic Llanthony Secunda and an introduction to the butterfly loom, perhaps a new handicraft that some of our members may be interested in trying. At our January meeting we will be hearing “ An Introduction to William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience”. He, of course, wrote the poem Jerusalem which was set to music by Hubert Parry and is what we sing at every meeting. If anyone would like to join Quedgeley WI or just come along as a visitor they will always be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall.

November for our WI means it’s time for the AGM followed by wine, nibbles and a quiz. After the usual singing of Jerusalem we heard the financial report then the Secretary reminded us of the interesting speakers as well as the walks and visits we had done throughout the year. We made bonding squares for premature babies and have the on-going collection of handbags to give to vulnerable women. Our monthly coffee mornings and the Christmas meal and December meeting are still to come and there is plenty to look forward to next year. Some of the talks include the half forgotten wives of Henry VIII, Llanthony Secunda and an introduction to the butterfly loom to name just three. With a stall at a WI Centenary Vintage Fair, a display at a Centenary Exhibition in the cathedral and our hosting of the Group Meeting we will certainly be kept very busy next year. We have had several visitors and new members join this year and if anyone is interested in coming to any of our meetings they will be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall. Further details can be found on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or on www.facebook.com/quedgeleyw

 We are still collecting Happy Bags, a scheme where our unwanted handbags are given to vulnerable women and more are needed please, along with toiletries if possible. We have a monthly coffee morning at 10.30am at The Roastery in Quedgeley and our next one is coming up soon and all are welcome to come for a drink and a chat. It is our AGM in November followed by wine and nibbles and our Christmas meal at Owlpen Manor at the end of November and soon it will be our Christmas meeting when we will be having a Christmas Evening Social and American Supper, with carols by Christmas Ensemble. At this meeting we will have one of our occasional competitions which may prove rather challenging as we have to describe “My Ideal Man” in a maximum of ten words – start thinking ladies! Our speaker for the evening was someone we had heard from before, Peter Preece with the second part of his Wildlife Photography talk when he showed us many of his beautiful slides. An artist and nature lover Peter, along with his wife Margaret, travel around the UK and abroad photographing animals, birds and insects and anything they find of interest. Peter has won many prizes for his photographs and some have been made into calendars and cards. This was another enjoyable and relaxing evening. Quedgeley WI meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month and always welcome visitors and new members.

Our September meeting began on a sad note when we heard from Caroline Meek about another of our longest serving members, Myrtle Nash, who had recently passed away.  It was lovely to hear a short life history of Myrtle who had joined Quedgeley WI in the 1950s and had lived in the area all her life.  After one minute’s silence to remember Myrtle we continued with the usual business.  We had enjoyed the Group Meeting and the August outing to Westonbirt and our recent manning of the Rikenel car park had raised over £300 for our funds.

One of our members has proposed a resolution for all WIs to vote on,  “Women under 40 to be offered breast screening”and hopefully it will go through to the final vote next year.  We still have our monthly coffee morning, the Christmas meal and Christmas concert as well as the second part of Peter Preece’s talk on Wildlife Photography in October to look forward to.  We didn’t have a speaker for our September meeting, we had singers!  Carole and Malcolm Brown entertained us with their Singing for Pleasure and we heard a range from Phantom, Cats, West Side Story and other well-known songs.  Malcolm performed an entertaining comedy song called The Spreader and we all joined in with ballet arm movements!  Carole and Malcolm sing with expression and real feeling which made the concert even more enjoyable.   If anyone would like to come along to a meeting either as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome. We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall and further information can be found on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi .

August to our WI members means the annual outing when we have a pleasant time going to various places around the area.  Previous outings have included a meal at Fromebridge Mill and a visit to the Elgar Museum in Worcester.  This year we will be visiting Westonbirt House and Garden with a tour of the house and afternoon tea.  It’s back to normal in September when we will hear Carole and Malcolm Brown talk on Singing for Pleasure.  There will be a competition at this meeting when members can enter a programme from a show or musical.  In October we will be having a return visit from Peter and Margaret Preece with the second part of their talk and slideshow on Wildlife Photography.  They have been to many places around the world photographing animals, birds and insects and Peter has won prizes for his photographs so we are sure of another enjoyable evening.  In November we have our Annual General Meeting and December will be a Christmas Social Evening and American Supper, with carols by Christmas Ensemble.  There will be another competition at this meeting which may prove a challenge when we have a maximum of ten words to describe “My Ideal Man”.   Hopefully there will be many interesting entries!

If any of these meetings have been of interest please come along, either as a visitor or new member when you will be made very welcome.  We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall and always look forward to seeing new faces.  For further details please visit our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi.

The evening was hot and the roads were empty, (something to do with football perhaps) when our July meeting began with the singing of Jerusalem followed by the usual business. The recent walk on Cleeve Hill and outing to Trioscope had been enjoyed by those who went and hopefully our August outing to Westonbirt will be just as good. It wasn’t long before we were introduced to our speaker Jill Ruiz and her friends Cynthia and Pat, all supporters of Gloucester’s Waterways Museum and all dressed in period costumes and elaborate bonnets for the talk about canal boat women, their children and crafts. All three played their part in telling the history of canals, the boats and the people who lived on them. It was hard for the wives of the boatmen as they only had a small room to live in and we were shown decorated plates, horse brasses, crochet and rag rugs that were used to brighten the tiny space that they all shared. It was very hard work for the women and sometimes the children as they were expected to steer the boat, help to load and unload and deal with the canal locks. This is a very informative and entertaining talk and is highly recommended. As it is our outing in August there will be no meeting but it’s back to normal in September when we will have a musical evening with Carole and Malcolm Brown telling us about Singing for Pleasure. The competition is a programme for a show or musical. Anyone who would like to come along as a visitor or new member will be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall. For more information please visit our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or find us on facebook.com/quedgeleywi.

It was a lovely warm evening for our June meeting. After the usual singing of Jerusalem we were reminded that the Happy Handbags collection was still on-going and more large bags and contents were requested to distribute to vulnerable women. Although most of our monthly talks have been interesting a few members had questioned the length of some of them so in future speakers will be given a limit of around 45-50 minutes. This will give more time for refreshments, general conversation and time to browse and hopefully buy at the fundraising barter stall. We have a mid-week walk and lunch at Cleeve Hill, our usual monthly coffee morning at The Roastery as well as a Trioscape Lunch all planned for June so plenty of things to look forward to. In July we will be attending the Group Meeting and at our meeting we will be hearing from Jill Ruiz who will tell us about the lives of the narrow boat women, children and crafts. Anyone who is interested can come along as a visitor or new member and they will be made very welcome. Further details can be found on facebook.com/quedgeleywi.