St Breward WI February 2022
We have just held our Annual Meeting and listening to the reports of our activities since restarting our meetings last year made cheering listening! Since returning to “normal” not only have we enjoyed an interesting range of speakers, a visit to Bodmin Jail and also participated in various village events and fundraisers but we also enjoyed a sociable meeting in December (thankyou to the committee for the delicious lunch!) to enable us to get to know our new members – we have been very pleased to welcome back three former members and also five compete newcomers – we have members from Helland and Blisland also, and thus can offer a lift to ladies from those villages who may need one. We will continue to meet in the Village Hall, which has lots of parking and is large enough to offer reassuring social distancing, but the committee will now hold their meetings in the Memorial Hall which offers excellent facilities for this and we also wish to support the committee who have worked so hard to make it such an excellent venue. Our regular Nosh and Natter lunches have restarted at the Old Inn, although Nosh and Natter is not a WI event many WI members attend together with non WI villagers including their men folk. A large group attended the Federation Christmas Lunch at the Lanhydrock Hotel, so lots of fun and activity, just like it was before! We really are getting back to normal, restarting the competitions with Flower of the Month and a topical to the speaker competition also – in March we welcome Brian Farmer from the Moorland Distillery (it is not compulsory to join in the tasting!) and the competition will be for a “shot” glass. We have our monthly raffle and still start at 1215, to enjoy lunch together (for the meanwhile we ask you to bring your own, but tea / coffee is provided) On Saturday 2 April from 10am – 12noon in the Village Hall we are holding a Coffee Morning and and Sale, in aid of WI funds and the stalls will include home baking and preserves (of course!) accessories and bric a brac. We have re-elected Pt Lismore as our President for the coming year and she would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in coming along – newcomers wanting to meet new neighbours, or former members looking for a bit of good company after these rather austere months / years. If you prefer not to walk into a room full of strangers and also possibly needing transport, just give her a ring on 07587701436, or Secretary Bonny Bryan on 01208 851661, you will be made most welcome
It was a great pleasure to be able to meet again, and inside, at the Village Hall (our thanks to the Hall Committee for permitting this) and we have our fingers firmly crossed that, whilst not for our July meeting on Tuesday 13th, it won’t be long until we can revert to our “normal” format. Currently we are limited to just 20 members and we must bring all our own food and drink and sit well spaced apart – but we still managed to have a very enjoyable afternoon! We have had to put our teaparty for Front Line Workers Day on hold until we have more information, but at least the Garage Sale, where we will have two stalls, has been rescheduled for Saturday 4 September. The vote in favour of the Resolution of Being Aware of Ovarian Cancer was unanimous and it was agreed for it to be forwarded to our NFWI delegate. We have also planned our outing, in September, to Bodmin Gaol to include a guided tour and fish and chips lunch in The Jolly Hangman. We have lined up some very interesting speakers and demonsrators, including Richard Ham and his Antiques Road Show, “Back to our Roots” about plant based medicine and a cookery session with James Lismore. We reminisced on the past performances of The Penny Puppets, under the leadership of Christine Woolf (such as The Smalls at Christmas and the Circus as well as the Russian folk tale about a fish that granted wishes) who wanted to know if we wanted to revive the puppet show and we all said a resounding “Yes”! On 13 July we look forward to welcoming Martin Taylor, a retired policeman who has worked on a Norwegian cruise line as a security guard and he will talk on “Working Life on the Ocean Wave”. Come along to the Village Hall at 1215, bring something to eat and drink for your own lunch and if you need a lift (we have members also in Blisland and Helland) or further details please ring our President Pat Lismore on 07587701436.
St Breward WI May 2021
Our first meeting since the start of the first lockdown was a real occasion for celebration! on three counts really as not only was it our first meeting in a VERY long time, but it was also the first time that our new President, Pat Lismore, has had a chance to officiate and thirdly, and really most importantly we were celebrating the 100th birthday of our long standing member Hilary Cragg! She joined us in 1972 and has been an active member ever since – renowned not only for her delicious raspberry jam but also wonderful Floral Art arrangements contributing each time the Institute entered the RCS competition – winning at least three times! We were able to admire the card sent by Her Majesty and enjoy the delicious cake baked, and beautifully decorated, by Emma, daughter of previous President Fran Calver. It was a real party! and a fitting start to what we are sure will be another busy and happy year for us all.
We are running several stalls at the Garage Sale at the Village Hall on Saturday 17 July and prior to that, on Monday 5, we will be inviting residents to Tea and Cakes as a celebration of thanks to all the NHS and keyworkers during this dreadful pandemic.
We are meeting at the Village Hall for the moment, until the various restrictions are lifted as there is lots of space both indoors and out, and plenty of parking and our thanks to the Village Hall committee for inviting us. We still need to bring our own lunch, and drink but we hope it won’t be long before we return to our previous arrangements. Next meeting is on Tuesday 22 June, at 1215 at the Hall and if you would like a lift, or more details please contact our Secretary Bonny Bryan on 851661 – all ladies of the parishes of St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple all warmly invited.
St Breward WI May 2021
Members are really looking forward to getting together again after such a long break – Tuesday 25 May at 1215, in the grounds of the Village Hall. We normally meet in the Memorial Hall but at time of planning no decision about re-opening this had been made, and there is no outside space, in case those regulations are still in place. The Village Hall has plenty of outside space, and we can also access their toilets if necessary – but many of us will prefer to try and stay independent! Please bring your own chair, and lunch – we hope for the last time! but in any case we look forward to having a good catch up and planning our future activities and especially making plans for welcoming all the new residents to the village – there have been a remarkable number of house sales over the past year and we look forward to meeting our new neighbours. For any further details please contact our Secretary, Bonny Bryan on 01208- 851661
St Breward WI September 2019
We were all pleased to learn that our visitor last month has decided to join us and we hope she will enjoy her membership! Our speaker, Rebecca Severn from AgeUK Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly, joined us for lunch and then led the discussion on the issues and problems often faced by the elderly especially those living in rural areas. She told us about the many support services offered, from the very practical such as help with gardening, home admin and home support, to activities for health such as Nordic Walking, Move More and advice on issues such as diabetes prevention. There are also more sociable activities such as trips and entertainment and above all the all important transport services to assist with getting to appointments both medical and social – their community helpline really does provide an effective way to signpost and help select and connect to all the services offered. Our members all have elderly neighbours and family members and it proved a most interesting and informative session. During our business slot we finalised plans for the Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, attendance at our Federation Annual Council Meeting where members look forward to hearing from guest speaker Kate Humble, and our ongoing support in the drive to recruit more First Responders. Next month we meet on Tuesday 8 October, in the Memorial Hall at 1215pm for our usual light lunch and then followed by hearing from Jacqui White from the Wadebridge Food Bank. Please bring a tin or packet of food suitable to donate to the Food Bank. A warm welcome is offered to all ladies of the three villages of St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple (we have members living in all of them so a lift can be offered) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then give our President, Fran Calver, a ring on 01028 – 851235
Press Report August 2019
For our August meeting we were back to our usual venue, the Memorial Hall in St Breward where we started with our usual delicious light lunch at 1215 before welcoming local ornithologist Tony Bertenshaw to talk to us about British Garden Birds. We were delighted to welcome a visitor and hope she enjoyed it enough to come again! During our business discussions it was agreed to host a Coffee Morning in September to benefit Macmillan Cancer and we also discussed how we could help the First Responders in their membership drive. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 10 September when we will welcome Rebecca Severn from AgeUK who will tell us about the services offered and how they work with other organisations. A warm welcome is offered to all ladies of the three villages of St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple (we have members living in all of them so a lift can be offered) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then give our President, Fran Calver, a ring on 01028 – 851235
Press Report July 2019
We celebrated our eighty first birthday in July in fine style down at Lower Hamatethy where Tom and Wendy Scott made us very welcome. – long standing members will remember it as the home of our much loved former Vice President Yo Hall and it was a pleasure to enjoy the beautiful garden sitting outside in the sunshine sipping Pimms and other beverages! Great fun to meet the Alpacas, including some born very recently and then tucking in to the BBQ – thanks to Sue for the super organising – and delicious salads and puddings brought along by members. In August we were back to our usual venue, the Memorial Hall in St Breward where we started with our usual delicious light lunch at 1215 before welcoming local; ornithologist Tony Bertenshaw to talk to us about British Garden Birds. We were delighted to welcome a visitor and hope she enjoyed it enough to come again! During our business discussions it was agreed to host a Coffee Morning in September to benefit Macmillan Cancer and we also discussed how we could help the First Responders in their membership drive. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 10 September when we will welcome Rebecca Severn from AgeUK who will tell us about the services offered and how they work with other organisations. A warm welcome is offered to all ladies of the three villages of St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple (we have members living in all of them so a lift can be offered) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then give our President, Fran Calver, a ring on 01028 – 851235
Press Report March, April and May 2019
Our last two meetings have been colourful; and fragrant! In March there was a busy hum in the room – as well as the delightful perfume of lavender as we all tried our hand at willow weaving – the lavender was to enhance their use as a moth repellent in the wardrobe – great fun and the results were remarkable! Then in April we stayed creative – and perfumed! – when under the expert tuition of Inspector Phyllis Rooney (formerly of the Met but now a qualified florist) we made posies. Gloriously coloured flowers were supplied and members with larger gardens brought along plenty of foliage and the results were truly delightful. The new committee is now in place and the programme for the year decided – lots of the usual variety with something for everyone.. We made plans for our entry in this years Royal Cornwall competition – the centenary of the Cornwall Federation, very exciting! At our next meeting, on Tuesday 15 May (in the Memorial Hall as usual starting with a light lunch at 1215pm) we will be welcoming a speaker from the Air Ambulance and hearing about the exciting plans for a new helicopter – this service is so vital in these isolated rural areas. A warm welcome is offered to all ladies of the three villages of St Breward, Helland and Blisland with Temple (we have members living in all of them so a lift can be offered) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with then give our President, Fran Calver, a ring on 01028 – 851235
St Breward WI February 2019
The Annual Meeting is always an interesting one as we receive the reports on our finances (healthy, phew!) and our activities during the past year when we enjoyed an amazingly varied programme, and we must be doing something right as we signed up two new members, one from Helland and one from Blisland, a very warm welcome to both ladies. There had been a proposal that we move our meetings up to the Village Hall in future and there had been much debate so this was put to the vote at the Annual Meeting, where a resounding majority voted to continue in the Memorial Hall, our meeting place for over ninety years! Congratulations to President Fran Calver for organising a proper secret ballot so that those unable to attend could also have a vote, and for inviting two members from Jacobstow WI to act as tellers, to ensure proper confidential democracy! They thanked us for our hospitality – and the lunch provided by the outgoing committee was truly scrumptious! – and seemed to have enjoyed their jaunt to us. We were all delighted that nine members have been elected to the Committee and Fran was re-elected as President for a further year. Our next task as a WI is to decide on our entry at this years Royal Cornwall Show and see if we can “win back” the Cup which we have won twice in the last ten years. Our March meeting is on Tuesday 12 March, starting with a light lunch at 1215 and then at 1pm we welcome Lynn Kentish who will demonstrate Willowmaking. There will be an opportunity for those wishing to “have a go” and are promised a work of art to take home! but it will be kept simple even for those with less flexible fingers and a £1 contribution to the materials is all that is asked. Sounds fun, do come along and join in.
If you would like a lift or, as a newcomer, would just like someone to walk in with, give Fran Calver a call on 851235, you will be very welcome
St Breward WI January 2019
The New Year got off to a very crafty start! with Susan Swanepoel demonstrating, and then leading the rest of us, making a Tote Bag, using unusual materials and a totally different method and we all came away with something very useful too! We had all brought a packed lunch so we could crack on with the job, and there was a delightful sociable atmosphere with plenty of friendly chat too! We were very pleased to welcome a visitor, and potential new member, from Blisland (St Breward WI
has members from Helland and Blisland as well as our own widely spread village) Next month is much more business-like as it is our Annual Meeting, when we review activities of the past year, make decisions for the one to come and elect our new committee and office bearers. It is always most interesting, and of course starts with our more usual buffet lunch, at 1215, with the business starting at 1pm. It will be held, as usual in the Memorial Hall, on Tuesday 12 February. There are some important decisions, such as our meeting venue, in the pipeline so a full turnout of members is encouraged! If you would like a lift or, as a newcomer, would just like someone to walk in with, give Fran Calver a call on 851235
St Breward WI December 2018
Our December meeting always gets the month off to a very jolly start and the array of presents for the Secret Santa was amazing this year! The competition was for the “best wrapped present” and the skills and talents of members were well to the fore – seems a real shame to unwrap them! We were delighted to welcome a visitor, and potential member, from Blisland but hastened to explain that not all the meetings were like this! The Bring and Share lunch table was positively groaning with goodies, also all very colourful and the Memorial Hall was most beautifully decorated – thanks to Fran our immensely talented President. Thanks are due to Edith Carey for stepping in at the last moment when we had to change our entertainment plans and she produced some really excellent quizzes which made for a lot of laughter! The planned Mummers Play – St George and the Dragon, will be a treat in store next year. At our January meeting, on Tuesday 8th, starting as usual at 1215 in the Memorial Hall we will be doing something completely different, and very creative, when Susan Swanepoel will be demonstrating, and leading, the hands-on session on Making a Tote Bag, and providing the kit at a cost of £2 each, and to enable us to crack on, please bring your own packed lunch – beverages available as usual. We will have a Bring and Buy stall, an opportunity to recycle those duplicated presents perhaps? and the competition is for your favourite bag, and also for Flower of the Month. St Breward WI
has members from Helland and Blisland and ladies from these villages, and Temple, are most welcome to come along and meet us, give Fran Calver a call on 851235 if you need a lift or just someone to walk in with!
St Breward WI April 2018
At our April meeting Trevor Ternouth talked to us – with some wonderful old photos to illustrate – about his Life in Show business, starting at the age of 5 at De Lank Chapel! for long term residents it was a trip down memory lane and for those new to the village it was equally fascinating as a sort of potted history of not just the village but life as it used to be! We were pleased to welcome a new resident, as a guest, and a previous visitor has now joined so we must be doing something right! It surely can’t be justs the delicious lunches which are always much enjoyed and our speakers are always delighted to be entertained to lunch! We have agreed to enter this years Royal Cornwall Show, but with regret that there are to be no marks for Interpretation, and thanks to the members who have volunteered to make the various components of A Picnic on the Beach. The programme for the forthcoming year was distributed and thanks to the hard work of the committee members who put it together, competition cups for last year were presented and the magazine swap did a roaring trade! We next meet on Tuesday 8 May, in the Memorial Hall at 1215 for lunch and at 1pm our speaker will be Phil Ternouth (keep it in the family!) about Yachting Round the World.
St Breward WI March 2018
It was great to welcome local resident and best selling novelist Victoria Cornwall –otherwise known in the village as Brenda Hawkey – as our speaker for our March meeting. Her debut novel The Thief’s Daughter was shortlisted for the New Writers’ Award and she gave a most entertaining talk on the vicissitudes of being published as well as on “Writing Romantic Novels” and how they are not the same as Love Stories! – all fascinating stuff. She thanked us for her lunch, as always really delicious but a plea was made for perhaps not so much food in future though it is difficult to cater when one never knows quite how amny of our 30+ will turn up! At our April meeting, on Tuesday 10th, we look forward to welcoming Trevor Ternouth – aka The Boy from St Breward – who will talk to us about Show Business, and he should know! There will also be the ever popular Magazine Swap table so look out those you have read and are willing to pass on – and take home a couple of other ones? We welcome ladies from the nearby Parishes of Blisland, Helland and also Tenmple, not just St Breward so if you are new to the area please and would like to come along and meet us and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then please contact our President Fran Calver on 01208- 851235, you will be made most welcome.
St Breward WI February 2018
Our Annual Meeting, when we review the year past and look ahead to the one to come, is always well attended and usually great fun and this year was no different! Marilyn Leggatt, our local WI Adviser and also good neighbour from St Neot, came to oversee the election of the new committee members – this was her last effort before retiring as a County Adviser and she said it was a memorable one! The account of our activities reminded us of what great fun we always have – and food does figure quite prominently! The retiring committee always provides the lunch on this occasion, and what a spread! Now our membership has increased so much we need three hostesses at each meeting but there is no shortage of volunteers and the Trips Book circulated, with many members signing up for the various county activities on offer. Our participation in the Revel Service in St Breward had received favourable reviews! and we also discussed our entry in this years Royal Cornwall Show competition. At our March meting, on Tuesday 13th, we look forward to welcoming Victoria Cornwall, the best selling novelist whose debut novel The Thief’s Daughter was shortlisted for the New Writers’ Award and she will talk to us on “Writing Romantic Novels” – should be good, maybe a new career for some of our members?! Fran Calver was re-elected as President and has an excellent committee to support her so we look forward to another great year. Give her a ring if you are new to the area please and would like to come along and meet us and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then please contact her on 01208- 851235
St Breward WI January 2018
Our members come from the three parishes of St Breward, Blisland and Helland and we all got the new year got off to a flying start with our January meeting in the very cosy Memorial Hall where as usual we started with lunch, and what a spread! Our planned speaker was not, unfortunately, able to be with us – though we hope to see her later in the year – so we were able to make plans for events and competitions in the forthcoming months and there was much to discuss. We are looking forward to participating in the Revel Service in St Breward on 11 February and entering this years Royal Cornwall Show competition which is rather different from previous years. The magazine swap proved as popular as ever and once we had finished and cleared away our lunch settled down to some fun board games, with Scrabble a particular favourite! February sees our Annual Meeting when we review the year past and look ahead to the one to come and we look forward to welcoming Marilyn Leggatt, our local WI Adviser and also good neighbour from St Neot to oversee the election of the new committee members. This is always an interesting meeting giving a good view of what we do and are about, so If you are new to the area please feel free to come along and meet us and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with, then please contact President Fran Calver on 01208- 851235
St Breward WI December 2017
Our December meeting is always a very jolly occasion and this year was no exception. We all bring a plate of Festive Food to share, and as usual it was all wonderful! but our demonstrator, James Lismore, head chef of The Deck produced so many delicious tapas (for which The Deck is renowned) for us to enjoy that we all started the main meal rather full! Our new residents came along and have joined us properly – delighted to have them on board! Warmest thanks to the committee members who set up the proceedings in the Village Hall, where we had had to move as the kitchen is bigger than our usual venue in the Memorial Hall as it was all beautifully decorated and prepared.We aim to finish by 3pm to enable the schoolmums to slip away on time for picking up from school but this afternoon we all managed to linger on and enjoy a thoroughly sociable time! We next meet, back in the Memorial Hall on Tuesday 9 January and we will have a Games Afternoon (our booked speaker now can’t be with us) which is always a great deal of fun! Bring along your favourite board or card game and start the year with a good laugh! If you are new to the area please feel free to come along and meet us and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with then please contact President Fran Calver on 01208- 851235
St Breward WI November 2017
We were very pleased to welcome a new resident of Helland, as a visitor and, we hope a future new member, to our November meeting. This proved a great introduction to the Institute (our members come also from Blisland, Temple and Helland) as there was an excellent turnout to welcome Rob Tremain, the Launceston Town Crier. He came with his full regalia and lots of souvenirs from his 40 years of service (having volunteered to cover “just for the day”!) and amusing tales and anecdotes including meeting Her Majesty at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party. Like all our guest speakers he was most appreciative of the delicious lunch – warm thanks to our hostesses of the day. Next month, on Tuesday 12 December we will be up in the Village Hall – please note the change of venue but this is to accommodate our speaker / demonstrator, chef James Lismore who will need the larger kitchen there but the timing is the same 12.15 for a light lunch before the speaker. This month we all bring a plate of Festive Food to share and also a gift-wrapped little present. We aim to finish by 3pm to enable the schoolmums to slip away on time for picking up from school. For further details, or for a lift please contact President Fran Calver on 01208- 851235
St Breward WI October 2017
There was almost a full turnout to welcome Neil the Baker from Baker Tom! despite the change of date and we all enjoyed learning the intricacies of making artisan bread, and particularly how to get sourdough started. On our otherwise usual meeting day the following week a large group of members attended the Annual Council Meeting at the Hall for Cornwall, another super day and we all particularly enjoyed the guest speaker, Victoria Hislop, the author (and also wife of the editor of Private Eye!) as well as keeping up to date on Federation news. Back at our own meeting, Neil brought samples of the full delicious range with him, and we all enjoyed tasting these, though after a really delicious lunch (thank you ladies!) we hadn’t much room! We were pleased to welcome two new residents to the village and hope they enjoyed it and will come again – though it isn’t always about food! In fact next month, on Tuesday 14 November we will welcome Rob Tremain, a Town Crier, now there’s something a bit different! but it is the same format as usual, meet at the Memorial Hall for a light lunch at 1215 before the speaker and aim to finish before 3pm to enable the schoolmums to slip away on time for picking up from school.
St Breward WI August and September 2017
Good food has proved something of a feature of our last two meetings, and the trend continues in October! We have had to move our meeting date, from 10th, to 3rd so that Baker Tom can still come to St Breward! The date needed to be changed so as to permit members to attend the Annual Council Meeting in Truro which is being held on 10th, our normal meeting date. In August we visited Pencarrow, by popular request as even though it is virtually on our doorstep many members (newer residents of the village) had not got round to visiting it. The guides round the house are a mine of fascinating information and the interior really is lovely, and the lunch in the tearooms was delicious! Then in September we went to Bude – but this was absolutely with the aim of eating at The Deck where James Lismore (son of our Vice President Pat) is the chef – and two days after our visit they were awarded the “The Cornwall Life Food & Drink Awards 2017” presented at the Eden Project. Very well done to them all and if our meal was anything to go by, very well deserved. We look forward to welcoming James back as demonstrator / speaker at a future meeting. In October it is the same format as usual, meet at the Memorial Hall for a light lunch at 1215 before the baking talk / demonstration and aim to finish before 3pm to enable the schoolmums to slip away on time for picking up from school
St Breward WI won 1st prize cups in two categories in the St Breward Carnival held on Saturday 1st July 2017. The theme was based on the BBC’s “Call the Midwife”, and fun was had among bicycles; nuns and midwives as well as expectant mums and children.
St Breward WI July2017
Our 89th Birthday went with a swing! The lunch table was positively groaning with the delicious offerings as each member had brought a plate of food to share and President Fran had brought along bottles of bubbly – including some non-alcoholic offerings! – with which we celebrated not only our birthday, and successes in the competitions at this years Royal Cornwall Show but also winning the cups at the Carnival for Best Adult Float, and Best Float overall – Call the Midwife was clearly a big hit! After lunch we welcomed our speaker, Lynn Goold who is an expert on Kenneth Grahame and especially aspects of his life which helped him write The Wind in the Willows. It came as a surprise to most of us that he had lived in Fowey, stayed at the Fowey Hotel and was even married in the church! We normally meet in the Memorial Hall in St Breward, starting with a light lunch at 1215, but in August, on Tuesday 15th, we are enjoying our annual outing – this year to Pencarrow where we will have lunch in their Peacock Restaurant. Names of those wishing to go have been written in our Trips Book but should you like to join us and want to be counted in then please contact Pat Lismore on 01208-369135. We have members from Blisland, Helland and Temple so there is always someone to have a lift with.
Our April meeting saw two of our own members, Sue Scrivener and Pat Fletcher give an account of the recent training course they attended, on behalf of the Institute, all about Food Hygiene – the dreaded Elf and Safety! They were a great double act, very knowledgeable and very droll as they shared the details of the difference between “best before” “use by” display by” and “sell by” and then lots to do with food preparation and storage – you could be forgiven for thinking that common sense would prevail (not to mention how our mothers taught us our Kitchen Lore) but rules and regulations have caught up with us. It is important that we have members with this certificate (and they both have!) especially when we invite the Village to our events, such as the panto, just in case…!We were delighted to welcome several visitors also and they seemed to enjoy themselves – as well as the usual delicious lunch! Preparations are well in hand for our entry into the Royal Cornwall Cup competition with fingers crossed for another success …and our thanks to our talented members for their enthusiastic support and creative endeavours. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 9 May, in the Memorial Hall starting at 1215 and we will be discussing the Resolutions and hearing the background to all of them. The WI has a great track record – on Honeybees, Midwives, food labelling, women JPs – on tackling women’s and family issues and punching above our weight, so the choice of which Resolution to go for could influence future government policy, come along and Hear All About It! A warm welcome is extended to ladies of the four Parishes (we have members from Blisland, Helland and Temple so there is always someone to have a lift with) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with please give Fran a ring (851235), a warm welcome awaits you
We were all delighted to welcome two new members so far this year – it is said that the Panto shed new light on our activities! and they too found Alan Endacott, of Angel Satined Glass, a maker of stained glass, an enthralling and excellent speaker / demonstrator. He used pictures of windows in very nearby churches to give us an illustrated history of the process, how the styles as well as the manufacturing changed over the centuries! and then he demonstrated his own technique and illustrated with pictures of recent commissions – all quite fascinating! He thanked US for the delicious lunch – not what he is used to! so a good introduction for our visitors and new members. Plans were made for the forthcoming Coffee Morning in the village as well as the County Meeting at the Hall for Cornwall in April and final details decided on our entry for the Royal Cornwall Show competition – a busy and enjoyable time ahead! Our next meeting, in the Memorial Hall, with lunch ready at 1215, is on Tuesday 11 April when two of our own members, Sur Scrivener and Pat Fletcher will share their experiences of a recent WI training course – should be very entertaining! A warm welcome is extended to ladies of the four Parishes (we have members from Blisland, Helland and Temple so there is always someone to have a lift with) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with please give Fran a ring (851235), a warm welcome awaits you
Annual Meetings are not usually a Must Go To as there is always the fear of walking in with a light heart and exiting with a heavy burden! but not so in our WI where we had sufficient nominations to form a committee but not require an election and Yvonne Nobbs from St Tudy WI very kindly attended to oversee the election of our new President. Fran Calver was re-elected and we are all delighted and thank her for her enthusiasm and hard work in this role. The outgoing committee provided a stupendous lunch (but then again our lunches are always super!) and a very enjoyable social time preceded the business of Secretary Bonny Bryan presenting the report of our years activities, and it made for amazing listening to our visitors as the varied activities and events attended by our members is remarkable for a small moorland village! The panto, written by Christine Woolf and performed by our talented members not only gained lots of publicity but was presented again, in a shorter form, in Church for Revel Sunday and everyone was thanked for making this such a lovely occasion. Treasurer Fenella Barry then presented her report and we were all pleased to know that the Institute had been able to subsidise so many members to attend the Annual Council Meeting in Truro which helps give an insight into the wider world of the WI in general to those newer members – and it is always a great day out! Not wanting to rest on our laurels however it was agreed to run a fundraising Coffee Morning on 1 April and keep our funds topped up. We were then pleased to hear from Ted Raynham about the plans from the Community Bus Committee to offer a free shuttle service round the village every Tuesday, once the Post Office and Stores have moved up to Churchtown, which many residents will find less convenient than it’s current location in Row. Years ago of course Churchtown was the hub of the village with the Church, Pub, School and several shops – so the wheel will have turned full circle.
We next meet on Tuesday 14 March when we look forward to hearing from Alan Endacott, a maker of stained glass and he will be talking about and demonstrating his craft – should be fascinating. The competition is for something made of glass, and there is also Flower of the Month – should be fun and a warm welcome is extended to ladies of the four Parishes (we have members from Blisland, Helland and Temple so there is always someone to have a lift with) and if you would like a lift, or just someone to walk in with please give Fran a ring (851235), a warm welcome awaits you
St Breward WI January 2017
PANTO COMES TO ST BREWARD
St Breward WI presented on Tuesday 13th December at the Village Hall a Pantomime called The Tale of No Tail loosely based on a stray tortoiseshell cat who happened to turn up in De Lank without her tail. It was written and produced by Christine Woolf and acted by other members of the WI. Many villagers were in the audience and having lunch served sat back and watched the performance, which was reported as professional standard, very funny and enjoyed by all.
St Breward WI October 201
We were very pleased to welcome three new faces to our October meeting – keen gardeners all! as the draw was our guest speaker, and neighbour in the village, Lorely Stanton giving an illustrated talk on garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and especially her collaboration with architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. An example of this is not far away, at Castle Drogo, but Lorely had lots of pictures of the many other gardens created by Gertrude Jekyll and most inspiring it was too! The members who had attended the recent Autumn Hanging Basket Day at Bodmin Nursery were keen to book for the Christmas Wreaths Day in late November, we are lucky to have such an excellent nursery so near. Pat Lismore gave an account of the recent Annual Council Meeting at the Hall for Truro where the guest speaker was the highly entertaining Toby Buckland – a rather gardens-focussed couple of weeks! Nest month however we will have something completely different when James Lismore, son of Pat and Head Chef at a large hotel in Bude will come and talk about, and cook (and then we will eat!) Paella. There is always lunch as our meetings which start at 1215m and the speaker is always invited to join us (and none have ever refused) but as James will be actually cooking the paella for us to eat we will start with the demonstration at 1230, and the hostesses will provide the “pudding” element of sweet items to have with our tea and coffee afterwards. Do come along to the Memorial Hall from 1215, on Tuesday 8 November – we have always finished the business of the meeting in time for the schoolmums to slip away on time. If you are a newcomer and would like someone to walk in with, or need a lift then please contact our President Fran Calver on 851325.
St Breward WI September 2016
Most of our experienced-drivers-of- many- years- standing members were somewhat horrified by their marks in some of the fun quizzes from Pat Fletcher, one of our own members and a driving instructor, who talked to us on “Updating your driving skills” – something of an eye opener! She made it such fun however, and most of us were in the same boat, so we just quietly learned and resolved to Take More Care in future! It was, of course, particularly timely with all the extra traffic on our local lanes, due to the many diversions caused by the works on the A30 when all sorts of surprises seem to lurk round many of the sharp bends! Vice President Pat Lismore also gave us an account of her recent visit to Denman College – sounded more like a five star hotel! where she enjoyed an excellent course on The Tudors, including a guided tour of Hampton Court Palace and she found learning really was fun. There was the usual delicious lunch and we were very pleased to welcome our new member, a newcomer to the village and also make plans for going to the Annual Council Meeting in Truro. We really need to encourage someone to become our driver for the minibus for these Institute outings – our village is so blessed to own a Community Bus which makes it possible for the non-drivers, or no-longer-driving members to attend these events so here’s hoping that we will encourage someone to step forward! Next month, on Tuesday 11 October, we look forward to welcoming village resident Lorely Stanton as our speaker on the subject of the work of Gardener Gertrude Jekyll – do come along to the Memorial Hall from 1215, for a light lunch and to hear her speak. We have always finished the business of the meeting in time for the schoolmums to slip away on time. If you are a newcomer and would like someone to walk in with, or need a lift then please contact our President Fran Calver on 851325.
St Breward WI June 2016
We were very pleased to welcome Mrs Anne Bray from Egloshayle and Trevanson WI who gave us her report on the annual meeting held in Brighton this year and complimented us on the delicious lunch – as always! Members who had been unable to attend the Royal Cornwall Show were delighted to see our winning entry in the Royal Cornwall Cup, the cup itself and the china plate which is ours to keep – and join the other two we have won in recent years! It was a great effort and all the component items won much praise – the chutney will be available for tasting as part of the lunch next month at our Birthday Meeting, to be held in Blisland at the home of Edith Carey. Our main speaker was Michelle talking about the correct fitting of lingerie and swimwear – and she brought with her some gorgeous samples from the stock in her Wadebridge shop – just opposite Wadebridge Wines – where members are assured of a warm welcome. There are some great events in the next few months and members also had the opportunity to sign up for our August outing to Duchy Nurseries and Lostwithiel – there really is a lot going on and a warm welcome if offered to ladies of the four parishes – St Breward, Blisland, Temple and Helland. We always start at 1215 with a tasty, light lunch, and out usual meeting place is the Memorial Hall in St Breward. If you haven’t been before and would like either a lift, or just someone to walk in with, please give our President, Fran Calver a call on 851235
St Breward WI
St Breward WI have been actively enjoying the Festive Season.
Happy New Year to you all.
Bonny, Pat and Sue enjoying WI Christmas lunch at Bowood Golf Course
Ivor Chivors shows the WI how to use pastels
WI Annual Meeting Truro
All the St Breward Village Groups and children were invited to celebrate the Centenary of the WI at the Village Hall last Wednesday the 9th September. The Cake was made by Emma, the daughter of Fran Calver and was cut by Margaret Willets who is our longest current member. Afterwards we enjoyed a performance of the Golden Fish by the Penny Puppets.
Our 87th birthday party was a really great occasion and our warmest thanks to member Felicity Swindell and husband Barrie for hosting it at their beautiful home, the Old Rectory in Helland. The weather was a bit disappointing and members contented themselves with admiring the stunning gardens through the windows, comforting ourselves that gardens really do need rain! The tea was, as usual, stupendous! and the alpacas from Carpella Alpacas were great entertainment and we enjoyed hearing from Nigel and Margaret Retallack all about these fascinating animals; and several of us indulged in buying some of the cosy and luxurious items which Margaret crochets using their super soft and extra warm wool. We are out and about again next month, with our annual outing, this year to Boscastle Farm Shop and surrounding area and as the Community bus is full already there will be several cars going too, so give Fran, our President, a call on 851235 if you would like to join us. Many photos were taken of the float which swept the board at the Carnival, where we paraded The WI Centenary Book of Nursery Rhymes – huge fun all round! We will be back in our usual venue, the Memorial Hall, for the September meeting on Tuesday 8th at our usual time of 1215 to meet Annie Sieber from The Fish Kitchen. Ladies from St Breward, Blisland, Helland and Temple are members and we offer a warm welcome to all.
St Breward WI June 2015
Warmest congratulations to our President on winning the Pat Ward (Novice) Cup at the Royal Cornwall Show and also that her stunning arrangement “100 Year Party” won the Best in Show award too! Also thanks from the County Federation to Fran and her team for the amazing Scarecrow – Winnie Breward from Home Fires! complete with ration book and bike – which attracted a lot of admiration from all the visitors to the WI marquee at the Show. Such a shame that the theme for the Scarecrow competition this year in the village won’t quite fit her!
The June meeting was held “off site”, up at Cedar Croft and was most enjoyable. Members started, as is their wont, with a delicious lunch in the conservatory (Sue is the cook) and then Penny gave a talk on Vita Sackville West and her fabulous garden at Sissinghurst, well illustrated with super photos and then we toured the small scale White Garden which has been created at Cedar Croft. The glasshouses were well stocked with tempting plants to buy – and members indulged in some retail therapy which will benefit their own gardens. Next month we are Off Site again, but then we always are for our Institute Birthday Party and this year we will be over in Helland, at the Old Rectory, home of member Felcitiy Swindell. We will start at the later time of 5pm, for tea and to meet the special guests – the alpacas! Guests and visitors are also most welcome to this meeting. Our members live across St Breward, Helland, Blisland and Temple and a very warm welcome is offered to ladies of these four Parishes If you’ve never been before and fancy giving it a try, and maybe need a lift or someone to travel with, then give our President, Fran Calver a call on 851235a
We were delighted to welcome our neighbour from Helland, Rosie Jackson to talk to us about the work of the Red Cross, right from its early days through to the current crisis in Nepal. Rosie is a qualified nurse and drew on her experiences working in Beirut to illustrate the role played by members of the ICRC. She also reminded members that her beautiful gardens at Helland Bridge are open, in aid of the Red Cross on June 14 It made a fitting introduction of the Institute to our visitor and we were also pleased to learn that a recent visitor has now joined! There have been several little meetings to discuss our entry to the Carnival -you’ll have to come along to see what we decided! and also for the scarecrow which we are entering at the Royal Cornwall Show as part of the Scarecrow Trail – come along to the WI marquee and meet her! Our thanks also to the hostesses who produced such a super lunch. Next month we are visiting Cedar Croft Nursery, meet there at 1230 and enjoy a light lunch or bring your own packed one if you prefer.Guests and visitors are also most welcome to this meeting. Our members live across St Breward, Helland, Blisland and Temple and a very warm welcome is offered to ladies of these four Parishes If you’ve never been before and fancy giving it a try, and maybe need a lift or someone to travel with, then give our President, Fran Calver a call on 851235
A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AND INVITED TO HAVE A GO AT PUPPETEERING
Many of our keen gardener members, revelling in the glorious weather, had downed tools to come out to lunch and they weren’t disappointed! So many members have joined in the five years since the Penny Puppets were formed – and they had grown out of one of our meetings activities – that it seemed appropriate to present them to the membership. Christine Woolf narrated their history, with many interjections from the puppets! evoking happy memories of popular vice-president Yo Hall, whose untimely death last year shocked us all. Yo was an enthusiastic member of the puppeteers and her artistic talent lives on in several of them. The lunch was, as usual, delicious though with warmer weather now seemingly set we are being encouraged to offer Lighter Lunches! One recent visitor signed up as a member and we had the pleasure of welcoming another newcomer to the village – we hope to see her again. We meet next month, on 12 May (the second Tuesday) in the Memorial Hall at 1215 for lunch and look forward to welcoming Rosie Jackson, our neighbour from Hellandbridge, and also the President of the Red Cross in Cornwall, to tell us about their recent activities. Our members live across St Breward, Helland, Blisland and Temple and a very warm welcome is offered to ladies of these four Parishes If you’ve never been before and fancy giving it a try, and maybe would like someone to show you the ropes, then give our President, Fran Calver a call on 851235 And don’t forget the Magazine Swap – the table was cleared this month! St Breward WI March 2014 Our planned speaker wasn’t able to come, due to illness and we were all set to play some silly, fun board games when one of our own members, Pam Otley Hemming from Blisland gallantly stepped into the breach and proved a most entertaining replacement – we can play games at home anytime but to hear Pam’s fascinating account of her childhood, and young womanhood in India, and her subsequent travels round the world was a unique treat! We are all grateful to her, and to the hostesses who provided another superb lunch, and it all proved a super introduction to yet another visitor who is considering joining us for the longer term. Our numbers are growing steadily and next month, when the Penny Puppets will be making an appearance, we will probably have to use both rooms in the Memorial Hall – but this is a challenge to which we will enjoy rising! There may be a couple of seats available for the show and on the community bus when we go to see Sister Act on April 18th– give Fran a ring if you would be interested. By the time this appears we will have held our Craft Taster Day and had a display at the Village Market but there are lots of other fun activities planned. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 14 April, at 1215pm for a “light lunch” and then on with the activities, finishing in good time for the school mums to slip away. St Breward WI February 2015 We were delighted to welcome two possible new members, as well as two visiting relatives to what proved a most entertaining Annual Meeting – these are not usually the highlight of our calendar, essential though they are! The success this year could be attributed to the recruiting of a committee BEFORE the meeting! so, whilst it was great to welcome Yvonne Nobbs from St Tudy to help with the telling – we didn’t actually need her. The outgoing committee excelled themselves with a superb buffet lunch and our thanks to them all for this and also for their hard work during the year to make our Institute the thriving and fun place to be every second Tuesday of the month! The account of our activities through the year showed what an interesting variety of speakers and other events we all enjoyed and gave our newer members a good taste of what goes on. We were all thrilled to be only one mark behind the winner at the Royal Cornwall Show – better luck this year perhaps? and delighted and proud of Christine’s success in winning the Blaikeley Salver (for poetry) yet again! We will be holding a Four Corner Day on March 20th when members and friends can have a go at several interesting crafts and we’re looking forward to going to Sister Act in April – as well as our next meeting, on Tuesday 10 March when Alan Endacott from Angel Stained Glass will be our speaker – after we have enjoyed the usual delicious lunch! There will be a Flower of the month competition and members are asked to bring a glass ornament. And don’t forget the Magazine Swap – the table was cleared last month! If you’ve never been before and fancy giving it a try, and maybe would like someone to show you the ropes, then give our President, Fran Calver a call on 851235 St Breward WI January 2015 The New Year started very auspiciously with not only a delightful meeting but also the enrolling of three new members – a very warm welcome to Marilyn Pluess, Lesley Page and Tanya Knight and we were also pleased to welcome a new resident as a visitor. It was a very lively meeting as the Quiz devised by Edith Carey generated a good deal of hilarity and she kindly produced boxes of Smarties for the Smarties in the winning team! Lunch was, as ever, delicious and it was all very jolly. The magazines on the Swap table disappeared quickly and there was good discussion on attendance at future County events, and also our own outing to Sister Act on 18 April, and our possible entry for the Royal Cornwall Cup, in this the centenary year of the WI. February is our Annual Meeting, when reports are presented on our activities during the past Year and a new committee is elected – that’s quite enough without a speaker! but of course there is the lunch to start it all off, at 12.15pm. Visitors, whilst they can’t vote, are nevertheless warmly welcomed as this is a good opportunity to learn about our activities and there is also the usual lovely lunch! We aim to be coming to an end in time for the School Mums to slip away just before 3pm. We’d be very pleased to see you, and if you are new to the village or haven’t yet been to a meeting and would like a lift, or someone to go into a room full of strangers with! please give a call to our President, Fran Calver on 851235 –you’ll be made very welcome.
St Breward WI December meeting
The Memorial Hall and lower Reading Room all smelt delicious for our December meeting! this was partly form the tantalising aroma from the several soups which members had brought and also from the delightful fragrance of all the conifer and other greenery which Val Bluett had brought with her for us all to rise to the challenge of a Flower Arrangement using just Five Blooms. Most of us had no idea we are so talented in this area – it is amazing what a difference a good teacher can make! We were all able to go home with a really delightful floral arrangement and it was a pleasure to have something to show for our efforts! The upper room also looked delightful as we had all brought a seasonal table centrepiece (not a competition!) and a Secret Santa present and this WAS the competition, for the best wrapping etc. We have now adopted a different method of choosing the winners and no longer ask the guest speaker to do this but instead members put a coin, of any denomination, next to their choice and these are then, after counting to find the one awarded the most, put into the Pennies For Friendship box and everyone thinks this an excellent scheme. Now that we have so many members the logical conclusion is that a Bring and Share Lunch produces a veritable cornucopia of goodies and this lunch was One to Remember! We were delighted to welcome several visitors, who all seem very likely to turn into new members so we may have to use the larger, lower Hall before too long – but having so many ladies interested in our activities is a source of great pleasure to us all and finding somewhere larger to meet is a challenge we shall enjoy meeting!. Thanks must go to our President, Fran, who brought along so many extras to make the place look so super, and who also assisted Val with the working session, she’s a treasure! We meet again on the second Tuesday of January 2015, 13th, at 1215 in the Memorial Hall and it’s usually quite a fun meeting and this time Edith will produce a quiz as our Activity, so it’s a good meeting to come along and meet us all if you’ve been thinking about it for a while. Bring along your favourite Christmas Card, for our competition, Flower of the Month (there are quite a few even in January) and any contributions to the Bring and Buy Table, not forgetting our Magazine Swap. We aim to be coming to an end in time for the School Mums to slip away just before 3pm. We’d be very pleased to see you, and if you are new to the village or haven’t yet been to a meeting and would like a lift, or someone to go into a room full of strangers with! please give a call to our President, Fran Calver on 851235 –you’ll be made very welcome
St Breward WI November 2014
Prior to our monthly meeting we braved the wind and rain and attended the Remembrance Day Service at Mine Hill where Fran Calver laid a poppy wreath on behalf of the St Breward WI. 
We soon warmed up after coffee in the Church and lunch at the Memorial Hall. Our speaker was Mr David Barlett from the National Coastwatch Institution based at Stepper Point near Padstow. We enjoyed seeing various slides from that Point. As well as being a look-out for people in distress, all passing vessels have to be noted from the Jubilee Queen to a rowing boat. St Breward WI October 2014
Reverend Canon Sherry Bryan speaking to the St Breward WI We were delighted to welcome three newcomers to the village at our October meeting – and three further visitors too including a historic first male visitor – Edward aged 7 months accompanying his mother! Everyone enjoyed the delicious lunch and warmest thanks to the hostesses who must have guessed that we would be so numerous as there was plenty! Everyone who attended the Annual Council Meeting the previous week in Truro agreed that it had been a super day and helped us all feel part of a much larger membership and a very jolly day was had by all! We were all particularly proud to be present when Christine Woolf was presented with the Blaikely Salver for poetry by National President Janice Langley who was overheard asking her “does it live at your house?” We then much enjoyed hearing our very own vicar, the Reverend Canon Sherry Bryan on how she became a vicar and what all this entails. The competition (for those who like that sort of thing!) was The Menu for the Vicar’s Supper and some excellent suggestions they were! The magazine swap table proved very popular – recycling at its best. Next months meeting will include a talk on Coastwatch – a vital service in this coastal area and we look forward to welcoming any ladies in the parish who would like to come and meet us – Tuesday 11 November at 1215 for as light lunch, so plenty of time for those who wish to attend the short service of Remembrance – conducted by Canon Sherry – at the War Memorial at 11am. We aim to be coming to an end in time for the School Mums to slip away just before 3pm. We’d be very pleased to see you, and if you are new to the village or haven’t yet been to a meeting and would like a lift, or someone to go into a room full of strangers with! please give a call to our President, Fran Calver on 851235 –you’ll be made very welcome St Breward WI September 2014 We changed out planned monthly meeting format to enable our members to attend the funeral of our popular and well respected Events Coordinator, Kathy Hoskin. Her untimely death came as a great shock and 16 WI members joined her many other friends from the village and wider community at her very well attended funeral, conducted by the Reverend Sherry Bryan, which was a joyous celebration of a good life well lived. We are most grateful to Ivor and Jan Chivers for agreeing to postpone the Working in Pastels workshop until the New Year so we simply met up at the Memorial Hall, as usual, for tea and cake and chat and to plan our future activities, The death of two stalwart committee members in a comparatively short time has posed it own problems but the programme is well advanced and we are grateful to former committee members Muriel Wilton and Bev Allison for stepping back into the team to take us to the end of the year. There is great excitement at the prospect of welcoming to Cornwall the national President for our forthcoming Annual Council Meeting on October 8 at the Hall for Cornwall where she will present the Blaikley Salver for poetry to our very own Christine Woolf, , who has won it for the fifth time! We will be filling the Community Bus to enable as many members as wish to attend this historic occasion! Institute member Abigail Kirby-Harris was in charge of organising the recent very successful celebratory lunch at the Carlyon Bay Hotel- 95 years of the WI in Cornwall and plans are well under way for how we will all celebrate the 100 anniversary of the National Federation when the Baton tours Cornwall in February 2015. On a much more local level our next meeting will be on Tuesday 14 October when we will look forward to hearing from our very own vicar, the Reverend Canon Sherry Bryan on how she became a vicar and what all this entails. The competition (for those who like that sort of thing!) is The Menu for the Vicar’s Supper, and a flower arrangement in a teacup and saucer. There will be the usual popular magazine swap table – we haven’t had that for a while so do dig out those glossies and let someone else enjoy them before the final recycling! We will, as usual start with a light lunch, from 1215 and aim to be coming to an end in time for the School Mums to slip away. We’d be very pleased to see you, and if you are new to the village or haven’t yet been to a meeting and would like a lift, or someone to go into a room full of strangers with! please give a call to our President, Fran Calver on 851235 –you’ll be made very welcome St Breward WI August 2014
Our August meeting took the form of an “outing” though this year we didn’t go too far afield and all met for tea (and totally scrumptious cakes!) at the Snail’s Pace Cafe at the Wenford end of the Camel Trail. This brand new venture, by one of our very own residents is proving a great success and we were all delighted to meet up for a sociable chat – some grandchildren were also able to join us! There are many events planned for the autumn, by the County Committees and there promises to be a good turnout of our members to attend the Annual Council Meeting in October. This is a good place to correct a previous mistake as Christine Woolf has won the Blaikeley Salver for Poetry an incredible FIVE times and so it seems fitting that this year Janice Langley, the National President, one of our speakers, will present the trophy to her. In September there is also the super celebration lunch for the 95th anniversary of the County Federation to be held at the Carlyon Bay Hotel – promises to be quite a Do! Back in St Breward we restart our Autumn programme in September with our monthly meeting back in the Memorial Hall on Tuesday 8th when we meet as usual for lunch first, at 1215pm and then look forward to another hands-on painting workshop with Ivor Chivers with whom we will learn how to work in pastels. Do come along and give it a go! If you would like a lift, or just someone with whom to walk into a room full of strangers (!) please give our President Fran Calver a ring on 851235 St Breward WI July 2014 Our eighty-sixth Birthday Lunch turned out to be a very poignant occasion. The planned venue was to have been Lower Hamatethy, the lovely home of our popular Vice President, Yo Hall but when she was taken into hospital we re-arranged the venue to be the Memorial Hall, where we hold our monthly meetings but in the full expectation that she would be joining us there once she had recovered. We were therefore all particularly shocked by her sudden and untimely death and so our meeting commenced with a minute’s silence in her memory. She will be sorely missed in so many ways as in the eight years she had been a member she had served on the committee first as Hon Sec and then later as Vice President and was a member of the team working our popular Penny Puppets – as well as being a charming and delightful person. We all feel her loss. A happier note was struck with the announcement that Christine Woolf had won the prestigious Blaiklely Salver, for poetry, for the second year running and an astonishing third time in total. Members were delighted to congratulate her and it is hoped to fill the Community bus when we attend the Annual Council Meeting in the Hall for Cornwall on October 8th. Janice Langley, the National President will be one of the speakers and we are all very proud that Christine will read her winning entry, and be be presented with the salver in front of her. Our Bring and Share Lunch was, as ever, delicious and members enjoyed each other’s company and the planning for the various events and outings in the next couple of months. Our August meeting, on Tuesday 12th, will, as usual, take the form of an outing and this year we are visiting Saltram House, the wonderful National Trust property near Plymouth and as we would like to fill the Community Bus a warm invitation is extended to members’ friends and relatives! Please contact Abigail Kirby-Harris on 850651 if you would like to add your name. We will be back in the Memorial Hall for our September meeting, on Tuesday 9th when Ivor Chivers will hold one of his ever popular art workshops, this time on Working with Pastels. St Breward WI June 2014
Let them eat chocolate! was the theme of our June meeting as we all went to St Kitts Herbery at Camelford for a super evening of a chocolate-making demonstration, then a hands-on have-a-go – and quite a lot of sampling in betweenwhiles! Despite it being so near our own village many members had not previously been here and thus enjoyed some delightfully fragrant retail therapy as well! of plants and perfumery with many wishing to return during the day when the coffee shop is open. It was lovely to have such a festive meeting as we needed also to congratulate all those members who worked on our entry for the Royal Cornwall Cup at this year’s Royal Cornwall Show where we came second – just one mark behind the winners, Crantock WI, well done everyone! More eating and fun next month too, as it is our 86th birthday and we always celebrate this with a Bring and Share Lunch and we will also look forward to welcoming back Margaret Ward from St Neot to tell us about the Annual Meeting in Leeds where she went as our Link delegate. We will meet at 1215 in the Memorial Hall, our usual venue, and hope to be able to have the opportunity of having our own Private View of the WW1 Exhibition – our member Val Hill, a member of the History Group, has been one of the workers putting this super exhibition together., and if you would like to come along (guests are welcome) please contact Fran, our President. 
ST BREWARD WI MEETING on Tuesday 8th April 2014ANYMORE FARES, PLEASE!
Nigel Mitchel took the St Breward WI down memory lane on Tuesday 8th April 2014. Apart from the display of model buses; a ticket machine and other memorabilia, we enjoyed 4 short films and were reminded how buses eased congestion problems in the 50’s. Regular; Frequent and Reliable. Just what we need today. 
ST BREWARD WI MEETING on Tuesday 11th March 2014 Our speaker was Sarah Snell from the Merlin MS Centre in St Austell who spoke to us about the work done in the Centre to support those who suffer with MS and also support for their carers 
We all had a session in making the blocks and Bev Alison has sewn them altogether, padding and backing to be presented to a Hospice. St Breward WI March 2014 The March meeting was a most enjoyable one in many ways. Firstly members were truly thrilled when Bev Allison displayed the completed patchwork quilt, started at the October meeting last year when Jan Dodd inspired us all (including the less nimble fingered!) to the extent that we agreed to put all our efforts together and make a Knee Quilt for use at the Mount Edgecumbe Hospice and our warmest thanks to Jan who worked with Bev to complete it. Not only is it delightful to look at but is a true demonstration of the value of working together, and some of us also learned a new skill – just what the WI is all about! We agreed to enter the Royal Cornwall Cup at this years Show and formed a working group to put this together and there were also volunteers to assist at the forthcoming World of Bees Day, organised by the Floral Art and Gardening sub-committee of which our member Abigail Kirby-Harris is Vice Chairman, to be held on St George’s Day with Henry Kendall as our lecturer. We then has a most inspiring presentation from Sarah Snell from the Merlin Centre and we were all most impressed to learn of their work. It was also a revelation to learn that Cornwall has the highest incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in mainland Britain, though why that is so remains a mystery. The Magazine Swap remains a very popular feature of our meetings, so do keep sorting out those you’ve read and bring them along on 8 April when we look forward to hearing from Nigel Mitchell who will show films and speak about London Transport. A warm welcome to all ladies of the Village at the Memorial Hall from 1215 for a tasty lunch first and give Fran a ring on 851235 St Breward WI February 2014 It was a great pleasure to welcome back Marilyn Leggett (our demonstrator for Christmas goodies) but this time as the WI Adviser at our Annual Meeting. We were thrilled to be complimented on all the aspects of our activities – but then, why not? The annual report showed that we have enjoyed a wide range of really interesting and enjoyable activities and speakers and trips and our membership has also grown steadily. We were all pleased to re-elect Fran Calver as President, Bonny Bryan as Secretary and Fenella Barry as Treasurer as well as other committee members. We are grateful to those who take on the committee responsibilities and the wider membership also plays their part in assisting with the activities and also taking turns in providing the delicious lunches with which we start each meeting. The competitions offer an opportunity for members to try out new crafts, and show off what grows in their gardens! This year the winner of the Competition Cup was Irene Alexander and Rosemary Lowe won the Flower of the Month cup – congratulations to these two ladies. The magazine swap is a popular monthly feature with members discovering just how many different magazines are out there – without having to buy them all! Next month we will welcome a speaker form the Merlin Centre and hear about the vital work going on there. We meet on Tuesday 11 March at 1215, for lunch first, in the Memorial Hall and a very warm welcome to lady residents of the Parish, if you are new to the village, or have been meaning to come along for a while do give Fran, our President, a call of you would like more details, or a lift, or just someone to walk in n with – you’ll be very welcome.
JANUARY 2014 WI MEETING
- Jewellery making
- Searching for Ancestors
- Greeting card making
Our first meeting of 2014 was of great interest to everyone. Lee Brattle was invited to join us for our afternoon of Members Interest where she explained how she got into making jewellery and demonstrated her skills. At the same time we had fellow member Edith Carey from Blisland doing a hands on demonstration of making greeting cards; and in another corner we had Val Hill with her laptop seeking requests to find ancestors for anyone interested. The History
1928 The first official meeting of the St Breward WI was on 13 July 1928. An attempt had been made to start some months earlier, but owing to lack of support it was decided to postpone the opening. Mrs Dawe, the school master’s wife, had suggested this new branch and we believe the following members were the first committee : Mrs Nankivell (President), wife of Mr William Nankivell, owner of Tor Down Quarry Mrs Andrews, (Secretary), schoolmistress Mrs Dunn Mrs Hall, wife of Captain Hall, Lord of the Manor Mrs S Hawken, undertaker’s wife Mrs A Hawken Mrs A Teague, wife of local mason In later years, Mrs Hall recalled that, although she was a founder member and on the first committee, the work of the WI was “not really my cup of tea. Dressmaking and cookery are definitely not for me” she said. The members of the new WI hastily put together a tableau for the St Breward Carnival in August 1928. From the photograph their subject appears to be “Women of Many Nations”. The first annual subscription was 1/6d (7.5p) per annum, and a cup of tea and a biscuit during the meeting was 1d. They met in the Reading Room (the upper room of the Memorial Hall). Those privileged to be President, Secretary and Treasurer had the honour of sitting with their backs to the open fire, whilst ordinary members froze at the other end of the room! 2011 That was 1928. Now in 2011, we can look back on the many changes and developments in the WI’s National Federation, our Cornwall Federation and in St Breward WI itself. The National Federation has the task of overseeing the WI movement in England and Wales. They : 1. Lobby Parliament and others on resolutions which concern members of the WI. These resolutions are debated at the National Annual Meeting by delegates representing every WI, on a wide range of national and local problems and topics 2. Produce the national magazine “WI Life” 3. Run Denman College where members can take part in short courses on a multitude of different subjects. Denman is a delightful country house near Oxford 4. Run national competitions – e.g. the Lady Denman Cup for writing, others for craft, ecology, cookery, flower arranging, and so on 5. Invite WIs to take part in events on a national level 6. Oversee the financial viability of the movement. The County Federation, i.e, for us the Cornwall Federation, is concerned with the smooth running of the movement at a more local level. They : 1 Consist of an Executive Committee. 2. Have sub-committees which organise events and courses. These are advertised in the County Newsletter and are, without exception, very enjoyable. They are held at our new eco-friendly County House (Chy Noweth an Conteth) near Truro and elsewhere in Cornwall. But it is the home WI, our St Breward WI that we concentrate on in particular. Each month brings a speaker, expert in his or her subject, outings to plan, events to arrange in the village. Our meetings are informal, lively and enjoyable – and we start with a delicious light lunch and friendly chatter. St Breward members are scattered widely in the parish and we would be very happy to hear from any newcomer who may like company to attend her first meeting. Just ring President Fran Calver on 01208 851235, and she will put you in touch with a member who lives nearby.