With our annual August outing to Fromebridge Mill where we had a delicious meal it was back to normal in September.   It was agreed that the Group Meeting with the cruise ship theme was impressive and had been thoroughly enjoyed,  Unfortunately in the second round of the GFWI Quiz our team hadn’t done too well and missed a place by just a few points. After the usual business we watched a film by the Gloucester Film Makers showing scenes of Gloucestershire life from the 1930s to the 1980s that included the 1947 floods when milk was delivered by boat rather than by horse, a visit by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and a film taken at the cattle market which is now where the bus station stands.   We were reminded of a time when the main streets were crowded with cars, lorries and buses, colourful entries in the Gloucester Carnival, the dangerous cheese rolling and Frampton sausage and elver eating contests!  It was a wonderful reminder of what life was like in Gloucester for a lot of our members.  The history theme carries on in October when our speaker will be telling us about High Street Histories which we hope will be just as interesting and enjoyable and the competition is “a Royal Souvenir”.

Visitors and new members will be made very welcome at our meetings that are held 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  on www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi  or by contacting our President

Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252.

There was a full Village Hall for our July meeting and after a rousing rendition of Jerusalem when even the speaker joined in, we got down to the business. The recent skittles evening to raise funds for a young local child who sadly passed away was a great success and raised £155 which will be donated to the hospice. The trip to Weston-Super-Mare was enjoyed in spite of some rain. The fashion show will be in October or November and arrangements with Sainsburys are ongoing and as models will be required some of our members will be perfecting their catwalk moves. With the Group Meeting and another round of the WI Quiz at the end of July it has certainly been a busy month.

Our speaker was Chris O’Grady with his talk A Walk to Rome. Yes, he really did walk from Pershore to Rome in four months, that’s 1200 miles and taking only four pairs of underpants and one pair of boots! Apart from in the UK he relied on the hospitality of the locals to give him a bed and a meal. It was surprising how complete strangers would open their homes to him and he showed slides of all the interesting people he’d met and places he had stayed. When he got to Rome he managed to have an audience with the Pope which he had arranged before he left the UK. This pilgrimage shows how kind and very trusting the local people are to strangers passing through European countries and we can only hope that people in the UK would be just as kind and trusting. There is no meeting in August as it is our outing when we will be having a meal at the Fromebridge Mill but it’s back to normal in September when the Gloucester Film Makers will be showing Gloucester in the 50s, 60s and 70s which is sure to bring back memories and in October we will be hearing a talk on High Street Histories. If anyone would like to come as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome. Further details can be found on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk on www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi or by contacting our President Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252.

It was a warm evening for our June meeting and after the usual singing of Jerusalem and the reading of the minutes we were reminded about a fund raising fashion show planned for October and the Carol Concert in December.  We have other things to look forward to before the weather starts to get colder as there is a coach trip to Weston Super Mare at the end of June as well as our August outing to Fromebridge Mill where we will enjoy a meal.  Of course there is July in between when the speaker Chris O’Grady will be telling us about A Walk to Rome which sounds intriguing. At this meeting there will be a competition when members submit a photograph and ask the question “Where do you think I am?

Our speaker for the June meeting was Sandra Ashford who had brought along what she called “Objects of Interest”.  Twenty various items were passed around and we had to try and identify them.  Some were very easy and brought back memories for some members but others were more tricky and finally hearing what they were and what they were used for was very informative.   Sandra had worked as a reporter, museum education officer and history teacher which all helped to give a very entertaining talk.

Quedgeley WI meets on the second Wednesday of every month (except August) and always welcomes visitors and new members.  Find us on www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi or contact our President Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252.

May meetings at a WI means Resolutions.  Every year WI members have the chance to put forward issues as resolutions that they want to see the WI’s National body campaign on.  This year the subjects where Alleviating Loneliness and the Plastic Soup that contaminates our oceans.  Before members voted on the Resolutions we heard about our WI coming 3rd in the first round of the GFWI Quiz which means that they will be going onto the next round at the end of July.  Let’s hope the questions are a little easier this time!   The proposed skittle match to raise funds for a local child is still going ahead in spite of the little girl sadly passing away but the proceeds will be given to the hospice who looked after her at the end of her very short life. On a happier note, some members are looking forward to a coach trip to Weston Super Mare at the end of June when we hope the weather will be kind as well as the Group Meeting at the end of July with a theme of cruising with entertainment from a cruise ship singer.

After voting on the Resolutions we had a break for a few snacks and drinks and then heard  from  Debbie Gills, one of our own members who works for the Alzheimer’s Society with a talk on the subject of Dementia Friends. She started by asking us the first thing that comes into our heads when we hear the word dementia and unfortunately, but typically, they were all negative words but she explained that dementia can be positive as well.  It is not a natural part of ageing and it is possible to live well with dementia.  There are over one hundred different types  which is caused by diseases of the brain.  It’s not just about losing your memory, it can affect your thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks and she explained  about how we can help someone with dementia such as keeping sentences simple and talking more slowly and above all being more understanding. Many of us who have experienced dementia in the family will now know that there is an organisation like Dementia Friends that aims to transform the way people see someone with dementia and tackles the stigma and lack of understanding on this common subject.  Several people signed up to be a Dementia Friend and hopefully will have gained a better insight into dementia in all its forms.

At the meeting in June we will be hearing from Sandra Ashford with her talk on “Objects of Interest” which should be “interesting”.  If anyone would like to come along, either as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome.  We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall so please either contact our President Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252, visit our website at www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or find us on www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi

After our usual singing of Jerusalem we heard about a walk shortly taking place at Dumbleton, a report on the Annual County Meeting, our need to read about the two Resolutions that we will be voting on in May and the possibility of another fund raising fashion show in the Autumn. Our speaker for the evening was Yvonne Cox who has many years experience in animal rescue. As well as gaining a Diploma in Animal Management she worked for some time at Secret World in Somerset where her work involved cleaning out pens, weighing and feeding various animals and other more unpleasant tasks like examining their droppings! Finally she set up Hedgehog Rescue which aims to relieve suffering and to treat and release hedgehogs back into the wild. The hedgehog population has been in decline for years and has gone from over 30 million to around 1 million today. We heard about the ways we can encourage and help hedgehogs in our garden that included providing ramps in garden ponds, quiet places to site a hedgehog house and what sort of food we can put out for them. Very importantly today’s advice doesn’t include bread and milk. We were shown many of the things that can cause harm to hedgehogs like football nets, garden netting, elastic bands, ring pulls, snack packets and garden tools and strimmers. As if that’s not bad enough the animals that can harm them are weasels, polecats, owls, foxes, badgers and dogs. Finally Yvonne showed us one of her rescued hedgehogs that had been sleeping in a pet carrier throughout the talk. We must all try our best to help and protect this rapidly declining animal. At our meeting in May we will be voting on two Resolutions, one on alleviating loneliness and the other on plastic soup, those tiny little plastic beads found in many things that end up in the oceans. The vote will then be followed by some refreshments. 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 at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall and further details can be found on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk, www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi or contact our President Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252.

It was back to normal for our March meeting but with memories of the delicious food at our February Birthday Supper still on our minds.   The meeting began with the singing of Jerusalem followed by the usual business that included details of a possible trip to Weston in June, walks, fashion shows and the GFWI Quiz.  We were introduced to our speaker John Dixon who is President of the Tewkesbury Historical Society and retired teacher from Oxstalls School, which obviously accounted for the clear and excellent way he kept us all interested in his talk entitled How did you obtain your first pair of nylons?   This wasn’t, as some may have thought, a talk on underwear but referred to how nylons were given to women by the American soldiers who were stationed at the very important base at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury during WW2.  Nylons were only a fraction of the subjects that were covered in John’s Powerpoint presentation.  He told stories of local Tewkesbury people in both the First and Second World Wars, where they worked, how they lived, the munitions factories in Quedgeley and the prisoners of war who were in the area.   Spam, dances, GI brides, all brought back memories for many of the members and some told their own stories, although they would have been very young at the time.  This was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening and one that comes highly recommended.

In April we will be hearing from Yvonne Cox from Hedgehog Rescue which will surely be as well received as our March meeting.  If anyone would like to come along to this or any other meeting, either as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall. For further information please visit www.quedgeleywi.co.uk www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi or contact our President Pat Watt on Gloucester 502252.

February at Quedgeley WI means it’s our Birthday Supper – our 92nd to be exact.  A suggestion had been made that perhaps for this meeting we could wear our smartest clothes that were originally worn for a wedding or special event and everyone who did so looked extremely smart.  We welcomed two new members and two birthday bouquets were given to two other members.   The winners of the competitions were presented with their prizes and and shortly afterwards we sat down to enjoy a selection of hot pots and crusty bread.  The highlight of our Suppers is always the delicious desserts and we weren’t disappointed with the variety on offer.  A request had been made for scarves, jewellery and handbags for the barter stall and like the desserts, there was a lot on offer.  Once again, February meant a very enjoyable and “fulfilling” meeting.

It’s back to normal in March when we will be hearing John Dixon ask, “How did you obtain your first pair of nylons?”   If anyone would like to come to this meeting, either as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome.  Please contact our President Pat Watts on Gloucester 502252, visit our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi.

We enjoyed another wonderful year that has included excellent speakers, visits to the theatre and museums as well as shopping trips and coffee mornings.   2016 ended with an American Supper and Quiz and the knowledge that in 2017 we will be enjoying many more interesting talks.  February will be our 92nd Birthday Supper when we know that we will enjoy lovely food, especially the puddings! March sees us being asked “How did you obtain your first pair of nylons?” and in April Yvonne Cox will talk about Hedgehog Rescue.  May is Resolution time when we will vote on subjects that will be put to the Government and then Debbie Gills will tell us about Dementia Friends.  In June we will hear Sandra Ashenford talking about Items of Interest and in July Chris O’Grady will be telling us about A Walk to Rome.  August is always our enjoyable Summer Outing then back to normal in September when the Gloucester Film Makers will be showing Films of Gloucester from the 1950s/60s and 70s.   The October speaker will be Philip Wilkinson on High Street Histories  and there will be another history theme for November when the speaker after the AGM will be Malcolm Sadler asking Family Trees, do we need them?  December will end the year the same as this year, with an American Supper and social evening.

If anyone would like to come to a meeting as a visitor or become a member, they can be assured of a very warm welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month at Quedgeley Village Hall. For further information please visit our website at www.quedgeleywi.co.uk  or  www.facebook.com/quedgeleywi or speak to our President Pat Watts on 01452 502252.

The nights are drawing in and October is when we see the last of the normal meetings before we look forward to a Christmas theme. Our speaker was Norah Kennedy and for a change we watched a demonstration of traditional willow basket making. After showing various examples of baskets from around the world Norah started to make a small basket that she later donated to the raffle. She explained how the willow is prepared prior to using it and can take many months from the cutting, drying and sorting before a basket is made. She told us the names of the different types of weaves and advised us that willow gets very dry in our modern centrally heated homes so needs to be dampened occasionally. Watching a demonstration like this is very relaxing and much easier than the basket making looked!

We will be meeting for a morning once a month so we can chat over a coffee. The November meeting is the AGM followed by a Christmas Auction with proceeds going towards the Denman Appeal. Our auctions are always fun affairs when we can be sure that members will donate many lovely items for sale. We are looking forward to the Group Meeting at the end of October as well as a Body Shop Evening in November and the Carol Concert in December. For our Christmas meal we’ll be eating at The Harvester and the final meeting of the year will be a Christmas Social Evening and American Supper, something that is always enjoyed and a great end to another busy year.

If anyone is interested in joining Quedgeley WI you will be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm at Quedgeley Village Hall on the second Wednesday of every month. You can find further information on our website www.quedgeleywi.co.uk onfacebook.com/quedgeleywi or from our President Pat Watts on 01452 502252.