Book Share

 Book Share was a lot of fun today, we especially enjoyed celebrating Lynn’s birthday! Thank you Lynn Asher! 

Next month we will meet at the Café behind Churston Farm Shop.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was enjoyed and generally agreed to have been ahead of its time with the independent woman making her way amongst a pack of (shall I say) unworthy? men! It was a most interesting discussion about how and whether things have changed. 

Other books we have read this month: 

Out of the Woods and Over the Hill by Gervaise Finn.

The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone. (Already enjoyed by four of us!)

At Risk by Stella Rimington

Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan

more Shardlake by CJ Sansom.

The Glass Maker Tracy Chevalier.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

Dick Francis.

A message from Tina:

 My friend in Brixham Soroptomists has asked me to publicise their coffee morning at the Methodist Centre in Fore Street on 8th March 10.00 to 12.00, in aid of International Womens Day.

Maybe form a posse of Brixham WI to support them and celebrate the day?

Resolution progress…

 This is the table of the results collated from all of the Devon WI votes: 

resolutions		Selections received to date	Percentages*
1	Bystanders Can Be Lifesavers	32,667	36.2%
2	Eliminate landfill of medication packaging	20,844	23.1%
3	Join the repair revolution	10,633	11.8%
4	Let’s talk about incontinence	26,168	29%
	Total selections received	90312

 

So! We fit in with the crowd! Bystanders can be lifesavers is the resolution chosen by DFWI members. These results will be sent to NFWI to be counted amongst the other federations. 

From Tina:

 Yet another interesting afternoon organised by Sparks Beattie . Lots of information to take on board, things to think about doing, and a heart basket to bring home. Thanks to Life on the Edge for stretching our minds.

Life on the Edge

 Thank you very much to the 25 members who came along today to the launch of the Life on the Edge project! Stuart, the Community Officer and Sam (I forget his title - he is the expert on the invertebrates) spoke to us about what they have already achieved and what they plan to do. We created lists of all the things we would like to do - and they have gone away to make some plans for our very own project! It sounds amazing! Most appealing I think, to everyone, was to plant a pocket wildflower meadow in our own garden (or plant pot or window box) and observe what happens!

The raffle organised by Jackie Bufton, our local DFWI trustee, was to raise funds for a similar project in North Devon, which doesn’t have a Life on the Edge project.

I took photos, but they were blurry! This one is vaguely appropriate!

Tina Hemmings has posted a completed, intricate heart for you to see what some of us managed to achieve! It was tricky!

A Kick Up the Arts

 Painting with Mark Bell this evening was great! We all produced amazing results! Did you miss out because you couldn't make it this evening? Are you free Sunday afternoon, March 9th? They can do it again for us! Let me know! A Kick Up the Arts, email Sarah for more information: akickupthearts.brixham@gmail.com

Yes Brixham Food Bank

 Did you wish you had brought a donation for the Yes Brixham food bank to our meeting last week?

I took the bag full of our tins and packets to their venue in Bolton Street on Friday, thank you.

You can take items there, or leave them in the Yes Brixham charity shop in the middle of Fore Street.

YES Brixham Food Bank

1h  · 

We are in need of UHT/long-life milk and plastic food bags please!

Sew Mondays…

  met today at Jill Haslam’s house for a most enjoyable, relaxing afternoon. We began researching ideas for our Sew Mondays Autumn sweat shop, aka making the WI Christmas gift (😂

). There were a couple of excellent plans put forward.

Today we had lace work, embroidery and quilting going on - not to mention the chat and tea drinking! Thank you Jill for your hospitality and everyone else for your excellent company.

It seems there is another WI sweatshop going on, too, under the guise of a fun afternoon activity!

Calendar

In response to our discussion at the meeting on Wednesday last week, here is a month ahead view of our activities. Three months is a rather more demanding task, so I hope this goes a little way towards meeting the request!

 

Coffee chat today

 Friday morning usually sees a number of our members drinking coffee at the Berry Head Hotel. Come along around 10.30 if you feel like joining in for a lovely social time.

Today a few of us chatted about all of the fabulous opportunities for our planned Ladies Lunch Club! (Shame I had only a bowl of soup for my lunch after all that talk about food!)

Then we moved on to ghost stories and our experiences! Very interesting!

Photo taken outside the Berry Head Hotel: stinking hellebore.

 Story lovers: do you listen to BBC Radio 4 or BBC Sounds? Search for The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier! It is a beautiful story

Constitution

 Here are the first objects of the WI, as stated in the Constitution, very interesting when you look at what we want from our WI:

The main purposes of the Women’s Institute organisation are:

(a) to advance the education of women and girls for the public benefit in all areas including (without limitation):

(i) local, national and international issues of political and social importance;

(ii) music, drama and other cultural subjects; and

(iii) all branches of agriculture, crafts, home economics, science, health and social welfare;

February Dog Walk

 A small, select and intrepid group of us enjoyed a walk at Broadsands this afternoon. The café stop was especially welcome! Thank you for your lovely company!

Remember those courses at Denman College?

 Long term WI members may recall the former Denman College which belonged to the WI and ran a wide range of courses. Derbyshire Federation has organised a weekend which may be of interest: 

We still have a few places available for our weekend with Derbyshire Federation Of Women's Institutes at Eastwood Hall, Nottinghamshire, on April 5/6th. The cost of £270 covers two days tuition on your course of choice plus en suite single bedrooms and all meals and refreshments. You can enjoy the company and friendship of like minded WI members, particularly in the evening at our renowned Derbyshire welcome and you will have full use of the gym and swimming pool (if you can find the time!). If you need more info contact Barbara.bailey@dfwi.co.uk or to book telephone Derbyshire House on 01332342596 and our lovely Aly will take all the required details. Hope to see you there!

For your enjoyment….

 What is happening for us this week?

Monday - 2pm meet at Broadsands for a walk with your dog. You are all still very welcome to come if you don’t have a dog! Walk ends with a cup of something warming at the café!

Wednesday - 2pm Institute meeting at the Cricket Club. All members + invited guests to hear Robert Hesketh’s talk about ghosts! Remember to bring all the things! (Check your email!)

Painting session!

 Tuesday 25th February 6.30 until 9.15 pm. £20, it will be a painting on canvas, which will be varnished for us afterwards! Please let me know asap whether you are in or can’t make it! Mark will give a demonstration and then guidance throughout. 

It’s WI Time!

 Emails have been sent to each one of our members today…..I hope! I must admit to have been in a kind of tangle with it, so it may be that some may receive more than one, and others nothing at all. Apologies! Please let me know if you haven’t received an email from Brixham WI today! (I know, how are you going to realise if you didn’t get the email? Fingers crossed your good friends might tell you!) 

Here it is, anyway! 

Hello Brixham WI!

At January’s meeting we voted to continue supporting the Yes!Brixham food bank. Please bring your donation if you wish.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 19th February at the Cricket Club, 2pmstart.

We are looking forward to hearing Robert Hesketh talk about Myths and Ghosts! We originally booked him to speak one October - but for whatever reason it didn’t happen!

We will be asking for your ideas and thoughts about our plans and programme for next year, so please come prepared to share what it is you would like from our WI.

Diary dates to note: Monday 17th 2pm Broadsands car park - dog walk (You can join in even if you don’t have a dog! - all welcome!)

Wednesday 26th February craft afternoon: an introduction to the Life on the Edge project and making a scandi woven heart. (Please bring scissors for paper cutting!)

Also! Please bring your name badge, mug, 50p for tea & biscuit, 50p for a raffle ticket and a flower for the competition. 

Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday,

Brixham WI Committee