Activities

2024
January 2024

It was lovely to see so many of our members at our January meeting including one new member.  There was lots to catch up on after the Christmas period and we all enjoyed the social time.  Once the business had been completed we had discussion on the resolutions being offered for this year and votes were taken.  Linda and Veronica had prepared a series of table quizes which kept us all thinking  -  the answers were easy when you knew them!  Tea and biscuits were served and raffle was drawn.

February 2024

Our speaker for February was Hawk Honey with his talk entitled "Solitary Bees".  We had an excellent attendence for this meeting but the title did not justify the content of the talk.  Having joined Suffolk Wildlife Trust as a volunteer he was asked to join them in full time employment and his knowledge of all wildlife was immense.  His passion and hobby is bees and wasps.  Yes, we had all heard of and seen bumble bees and honey bees but were not aware that there were over 2500 species around the world.  Whllst the honey bees are being encouraged for their honey production this is in turn causing the demise of many others as the honey bees are very greedy and take all the pollen.  Also the change in environment ie loss of fields, hedgerows and ditches along with the use of chemicals is all having a detrimental effect.  Supporting his talk with a very good slide presentation gave us all a  lot to think about and we were encouraged to let a part of our garden/lawn grow wild to encourage the growth of good pollen producing flowers such as dandelions.  An excellent speaker enjoyed by us all.

Our competition for a crafted bee in any medium attracted a variety of entries.  There was a tie for the winner so the cup will be shared by Jan and Ann - well done ladies.  Winners were the lighted picture and the paper hat.

Hawk HoneyBee Competition
2023
January 2023

It was good to get back to our meeting after the Christmas holiday.  Ladies had lots of stories to share and it was good to have so many of our members in attendance.  After a short session for our business we had discussions on the resolutions that were being proposed for 2023.  Our President Shirley Rogers and Secretary Susan Boor led the discussion but it was good to get input from the members.  Our votes were taken on the night for onward transmission to our Federation office.  Following this we had some games and a quiz which resulted in a lot of chat and laughter.  After a much earned cup of tea and biscuit our raffle was drawn and it was time to head home.

February 2023

Our speaker this month was Jo Fairclough.  When she moved into the village as the wife of our new Rector we had no idea that we had an International sports person in our midst!

Jo is now part of the England team for Clay Shooting and is off to South Africa next month to compete.

Having been raised on a farm in Yorkshire, Jo was familiar with shooting from an early age but “being a girl” was not given the same chance as her brothers to use the guns.  She instead spent her time with horses and made this her early career working up to be a successful trainer for point to point horses.  She still has a great love of horses.

On a visit back home to Yorkshire around five years ago she was invited by her brother to join him in a local shooting competition, and she beat him!  She then decided to take this further and progressed rapidly to becoming a representative for England which takes her all over the country and abroad.  She had brought along her gun which weighs 8lbs and had been specially adjusted to suit her.  To get a good gun the prices run into several £1000’s and this is not a cheap sport/hobby.

She also told us about the fitness required to shoot at a professional level.  She runs 5K every morning, has regular gym sessions and most fascinating was the eye exercises that she has to do to ensure that her aim is not distracted.

A fascinating talk by a lovely lady and our ladies are keen to have a session to try out this sport.

Jo Fairclough

March 2023

Our speaker this month was Charmian Thompson with a talk entitled "The Story of Two Orphans".  This was a true story about two brothers who were placed in workhouse at a very young age having lost both their parents.  It followed them through their life at the Kedington workhouse and onto their adult life working at Chauntry Mills, which was a textiles factory in Haverhill.  A very interesting talk giving us an insight to the hardships of that time but also showing us that through hard work and dedication a good quality of life could be achieved.

We are all looking forward to the various activities that are planned for the year and these were discussed in detail at the meeting.

Saturday 25th March

Soup and Natter lunch in the village hall.  16 ladies attended our first soup and natter of 2023.  We had a choice of four different soups and an array of desserts to follow.  Lots of chat and discussion over a nice lunch was very popular with all our ladies.  After a cup of tea/coffee ladies made their way home.  This is always a popular event and we hope to repeat again later in the year.  Many thanks to all the ladies who made the soup and desserts.

Friday 31st March 2023

15 ladies from Chevington WI went to Ivy and Bond tearoom in Long Melford which had recently opened for afternoon tea.

We were given a very warm welcome by the owner and her staff and the tables were all set for us with dainty china, (all different) and linen napkins.  Once everyone was seated they brought out china teapots full of tea along with stands and trays of sandwiches which all looked very appetising.  Soon we were all tucking in taking breaks to chat with our fellow members.  Then came the scones with jam and cream – discussion followed on which way we liked ours with the majority going for jam first!  Whichever way we prepared them they were delicious.  Then there was a surprise in the form of a small glass of ice cream which was very good as a palette cleanser before we went on to the cakes.  All washed down with tea and coffee it was a delightful afternoon especially as we could see it was raining heavily outside.  Having started at 2pm we finally left at 4pm in torrential rain and a very wet journey home.

Afternoon tea 1 Afternoon tea 2

April 2023

Today was our 102nd Birthday.  Our speaker was Bethany Sellars, a local lady who runs her own business in sustainable floristry.  Having started up one year ago she has worked very hard to make her business work and regularly runs workshops in a local village as well as delivering bespoke flower arrangements.  She uses agrawool rather than oasis for her arrangements as this is fully compostable.  She does not use any plastic products in her arrangements.  Our arrangements were made using empty tin cans which her husband had very kindly sprayed before she came along.  Using the agrawool to support our flowers we were given spray roses and a single peony tulip along with a selection of greenery.  The ladies enjoyed making their arrangements and each one was different despite us using the same flowers etc.  Lovely to have something to take home in time for our Easter weekend.  We enjoyed our tea and coffee along with little fairy cakes topped with Easter eggs.  The raffle was drawn and ladies made their way home with their flowers.

Sustainable floristry 1 sustainable floristry 3

sustainable floristry 2

Tuesday 25th April 2023

15 ladies enjoyed a lovely morning at the Yum Yum Tree Fudge Factory in Woolpit.  We were made very welcome by owners Adrian & Lily along with their small team.  Starting with a cup of delicious hot fudge drink and a welcome talk.  We put on our hair coverings and were guided by Adrian through the factory.  Starting in the “engine room” where two huge battery packs are housed.  These provide all the power required to operate the factory and also recharge their electric van.  They hope to become carbon neutral by next year and it was apparent that they are very environmentally friendly with all their methods.  We then proceeded to the store room where ingredients were housed.  Sugar from British Sugar (home grown beet not imported cane), local milk and butter along with condensed milk from Germany as we do not produce the quality they require.  The next room was the mixing room where there was a very efficient yet relatively small mixer with a batch of fudge being prepared.  Many of the flavourings are chopped by hand ie ginger, mango.  Belgium chocolate is used as better quality and this is added to the fudge towards the end when it melts into the fudge.  We then went into the next room where we watched the fudge being poured into lined trays and smoothed down before putting into the next room for drying.  Depending on the type of fudge this can take from a few hours to several days.  Finally it is cut into small squares and packed ready for sales.

We then went into room where a table had been laid with samples of all the fudges for us to sample.  We were amazed by the variety of flavourings – salt & vinegar/rhubarb/lemon curd/chilli chocolate to name a few along with the familiar flavours we were used to.  We had the opportunity to purchase any fudge that we required and I think everyone made the most of the opportunity – making choices was not easy.

Yum Yum Fudge

Thursday 20th April 2023

A small group of our ladies attended the SWFWI Annual Meeting at Culford.  After a welcome cup of tea/coffee we made our way to the main hall where circular tables had been laid up beautifully.  The meeting commenced with Jerusalem and after usual housekeeping notices we listened to reports from various Committee's within the Federation.  It was made clear by the Treasurer that our finances were under pressure and that some adjustments would have to be made going forward.  She encouraged us to support Federation events in order to increase revenue which is essential to fund the office and staff which are essential for us to move forward.  The PR Team had made a lot of progress in its short existence and had secured loans to purchase a new gazebo (to assist with outside events) along with better technology (to assist with on line learning etc).  They have also been working with University of Suffolk and secured a new, purpose built website.  The Federation team is now working on populating this and WI secretaries will be advised when it goes live.

Our morning speaker was Ben Cross of Crosslands Nurseries.  They specialise in growing Alstroemerias and he took us through the cycle of growing which was fascinating.  He was very passionate about buying British grown flowers stating that at present around 90% of our flowers currently are imported.  His nursery is very eco friendly and they use no pesticides.  He was an excellent speaker and had brought with him 400 bunches of Alstroemerias which we had the opportunity to purchase and take home.

Ben Cross

After an excellent buffet lunch our afternoon speaker was Julian Norton from Channel 5's The Yorkshire Vet.  He gave us a very amusing presentation about how the TV programme started and examples of some of the many experiences he had had during his career.  He is now an accomplished author with his eighth book due out later this year.  He had a supply of his books which were available for purchase (with signature).

Julian Norton

Julie Higgins our President for the past six years was retiring this year and she was given a big thank you from us all before we ended the meeting with a rousing rendition of Good Save the King.

Plant and Cake Sale - Saturday 13th May

This was again a very well supported event.  Our tables were laden with plants of all descriptions and the cake table was groaning under the number of cakes that had been donated. As soon as the doors opened the tables started to clear and by 11am the cake table was sold out.  The plants continued for another 45 mins but by then there was a minimal amount left and we closed up just after 12 noon. We had a good number of people who stopped for coffee and biscuits before heading home.  Another very successful event which raised approximately £280.  Well done ladies!

Plant sale

June 2023

Our speaker tonight was Lindsey Barrell (aka Ms Cherry Bombe).  We anticipated that her talk entitled Burlesque, Me and the WI would be good, but it exceeded all our expectations.  Lindsey and her two troupe members entered the hall resplendent in their Burlesque costumes causing a bit of a gasp from a few ladies.  Lindsey then went on to give us a very entertaining talk on her journey leading to taking up Burlesque.  She moved down to Essex from County Durham after her first marriage.  Having two children who were both into all kinds of sport and activities she, like many young mums found herself living her life as a “taxi driver” with no real time to do anything for herself.   After trying several different activities, she found a link to Burlesque – and the rest is history.  In the meantime, she helped set up a new WI in Chelmsford (they meet in the Cathedral because they have such a large membership) and she is currently their President.  A very busy lady!

We had invited Wickhambrook WI to join us for this meeting and it was lovely to share the evening with them.

Burlesque

Bury Guided Tour - Friday 23rd June

14 ladies met on Angel Hill on a warm and sunny morning.  Our guide John gave us a brief introduction to the tour before we set off for what was to be a very interesting and informative tour.  We were amazed at the number of women from in or around the town who were so influental over the past centuries.  We had authors, artists, scientists to name but a few and it was amazing the work done by women in these periods when so much was dominated by the men.  John gave us lots of suggestions of places to look for work done by these famous ladies so that we could visit in our own time.  Starting in Northgate Street we circled round the town ending our tour in the Cathedral grounds.  John agreed to send us a list of the ladies he mentioned during the tour so that we could look them up at our leisure.  We then made our way to Pilgrims Kitchen where we had a lovely quiche and salad lunch which was much appreciated after nearly two hours on our feet.  Glasses of cold water were also very welcome.  After a relaxing lunch and rest we set off for home.  Another enjoyable event.

July 2023 - Garden Party

After a cloudy start to the day the sun came through just as we started our annual garden party.  On arrival our ladies were offered a glass of PIMS or fruit juice.  The PIMS was very popular!  After a quick run through of the business ladies were invited to help themselves to a buffet supper.  This had been provided by the Committee and consisted of a selection of quiches, cold meats, a variety of salads and bread rolls.  Perfect for a summer evening.  This was followed by desserts which were delightful.  With glasses being refilled on request and lots of chatter and laughter it was a fun evening.  Ladies were able to wonder around and admire Jackie's garden and the evening ended with our raffle.

Garden Party

Newmarket Ladies Day - 13th July 2023

A trip to Ladies Day at Newmarket was on our agenda for this year.  We headed off mid morning with the aim of arriving in the car park with plenty of time to have our shared picnic before heading into the Grandstand.  Dressed in our best we set up our picnic chairs and popped the corks to celebrate our special day out.  Good spot to start people watching and to assess all the various outfits being worn for the event this year.  Apart from a few spots of rain as we were heading for the grandstand entrance it was a dry, warm and mostly sunny afternoon.  Spending our time between the Grandstand lawns and the parade ring we chose our horses and placed out bets and viewed the fashion.  Lots of bright pink and orange this year.  Some of us were lucky with our bets but it was “the taking part – not the winning”.  At the end of the racing we headed back to the car, set up our picnic chairs and finished off our picnic rather than sitting in the traffic queues to get off the site.  A very pleasant day enjoyed by us all and finished off with driving back home into rain and very wet roads – no watering of the garden needed tonight!

At the races At the races

August 2023

Our speaker this month was Wendy Smith with her talk entitled “Wimbledon – Behind the Scenes.”

Wendy has been working as a line judge for 39 years and this has taken her all over the world.  Wimbledon is obviously the pinnacle for everyone and she has worked on many of the top matches at the club.  The process is demanding with all prospective judges having to apply annually to get acceptance. In order to qualify they have to complete one week linesman duty for a week on grass, followed by ten days at Wimbledon and a further week between Wimbledon and the end of the year.

Once accepted they are eligible for a made to measure uniform which is supplied by Ralph Lauren of Saville Row.  This consists of 1 pair of trainers, 2 skirts, 2 pairs of trousers, 3 blouses, 3 pairs of ankle socks, 3 pairs of trouser socks, 1 cashmere cardigan, I cap, I raincoat, 1 water bottle with carrier and a court bag.  These can all be replaced annually or as required and Wendy told us that she has a significant “Wimbledon Wardrobe”!  They do get paid for Wimbledon duty but have to pay for all their own accommodation, transport, food and drink etc.

She took us through the procedures of a day on court which can be very long.  She gave us lots of examples of things that happen and how it is dealt with from the work of the ball people, line judges and umpire.  It is very much team work.

She has met and encountered all of the top players over the years and had many stories to tell.  She called Roger Federer the gentleman of Wimbledon, was not a great fan of Andy Murray but appreciated what he has done for UK tennis, called Novak Djokovic arrogant both on and off court but enjoys Rafael Nadal although his pre serve habits were irritating.

Catering at Wimbledon is a big part of the tournament and she quoted the numbers produced by the various catering teams – ie 234,000 meals, 29,000 bottles of champagne, 135,000 portions of strawberries, 10,000 litres of cream to name just a few.  The players get through 5,000 kilograms of bananas during the tournament.

A very interesting talk and a this was enjoyed by our members and guests.

Wendy Smith

September 2023

Our speaker this month was Norma Howell.  She gave us a wonderful insight into the work of Medical Detection Dogs.  She told us that it takes between 18 months/2 years for a dog to be trained at their purpose built unit outside Milton Keynes.  Dogs are placed with local volunteers whilst undergoing their training before being matched to a suitable recipient.  It was fascinating to see how they undergo their training which has a fun element and dogs are obviously very happy doing this.  It was interesting to hear how many conditions can be helped by  the use of dogs and there is a lot more research going on with this now being recoconised by the Health Service.

A very interesting presentation.

CHEVINGTON WI DAY 2023

As part of the national celebrations Chevington held a coffee morning in the village hall on Saturday 16thSeptember.  Coffee and homemade biscuits were served.  We had a display of our activities over the past year along with a slideshow of photographs taken over the past few years.  The latter proved very popular with our members.

We had a tombola with prizes being donated by all our members.  Profits from the tombola along with donations for coffee etc totalled £60 and this was donated to our charity for this year St Nicholas Hospice.

Unfortunately we did not attract huge numbers of prospective members but it was good to see those ladies who did attend enjoying the opportunity to socialise in a relaxed atmosphere.

WI Day 1

Workshop - Saturday 7th October 2024

Ladies and their sewing machines met at the village hall for a session making syringe driver and personal effects bags for the My Wish charity (WSH).  With volunteers for ironing and tea making, the session was very productive and a substantial number of  bags were completed.  Several ladies have knitted cot blankets which are also required by the charity and all our efforts will be  taken to the hospital in the near future.

Sewing workshop

Soup and Natter Lunch - Saturday 11th November

22 of our Chevington ladies joined us for a soup lunch.  With the choice of four different soups we had decisions to make from the start but they were all delicious.  It was a very informal affair and gave us the opportunity to chat  in a very relaxed atmosphere.  After our soup came desserts and again more decisions to make as there were four delicious puds to tempt us.  This was all followed by tea/coffee.  The soups and puds were all made by our members and we are very lucky to have such talented cooks amongst our ladies.  We hope to repeat the event in February - such a good way to spend the grey winter days and catch up on all the gossip/news.

soup and natter

Christmas Lunch at Edmunds Restaurant (West Suffolk College) - Friday 8th December

21 Ladies enjoyed a fantastic lunch at the college.  The food was delicious and worthy of a high star rating.  The students worked very hard front of house dealing with multiple tables under the ever watchful eye of their tutor Claire.  A very enjoyable afternoon and finished off nicely with the opening of our Secret Santa gifts.

Christmas Lunch 2023

Christmas Wreath Workshop - Saturday 9th December

10 ladies attended our workshop in the village hall.  Using oasis rings we pooled all the greenery that we have brought in and started to construct our wreaths which could be hung on the door or used as a table decoration.  Susan Bruton and Margaret Rickard were on hand to give advice and help where necessary and by the end of the session we had all made a beautiful wreath (all different) to take home for the Christmas festivities.  Another very successful workshop and we have already been asked to repeat this next year!

Christmas Wreath workshop 2023Christmas wreaths