Help
for the Homeless - Nov/Dec 2014 by Jill Edwards, President.
At
Christmas we always collect for a chosen charity and this year (2014) decided
to gather tins and packet foods for the Padley Centre. At our November and December meetings
contributions flooded in and we were able to make up 9 boxes of food for which
the centre was very grateful. Obviously
Christmas is one of their busiest times and any help they can get is always
very much appreciated. The generosity of
our members never ceases to amaze and the satisfaction of knowing that we have
helped, even in some small way, makes our efforts worthwhile. By Jill Edwards, President
Conkers - November 2014
Mickleover Walking Group. On a very sunny November morning, six members of the walking
group and three husbands embarked on a walk around Conkers, (Moira, Nr
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Derbyshire). It was
just the right conditions for an autumn walk and the fact that paths provided
mud-free boots was a bonus. We noticed
an absence of birds and wildlife but the sound of the gentle breeze whispering
through the grasses was very relaxing.
Lunch in the cafe left a lot to be desired but we had enjoyed the open
air and each other's company.
Great Northern - October 2014
Mickleover WI Garden Group. After a relatively successful gardening year, largely due to
the excellent weather conditions, Mickleover Garden group rounded off the year
with a meal at the Great Northern, Station Road, Mickleover. It was a pleasant evening, good food and company. Thanks to our leader, Linda Walker, for not
just organising this evening, but all the meetings, visits and outings throughout
the year.
Ivy Wood - September 2014
The Mickleover garden group was fortunate to be invited to
Ivy Wood, a private wood just outside Ashbourne. The group met at Fairways Garden Centre,
perused the merchandise, and managed to leave without anyone making a purchase,
that is, except for lunch.
Making our way to the wood entailed driving around narrow windy lanes, which we managed admirably only holding up one local motorist. We were given a tour of the wood, which only a year and a half ago had been a bracken jungle, the owners had worked wonders, their own little bit of paradise. In true WI spirit, tea, coffee, scones and cake were on offer, and absolute delight, sitting in the middle of nowhere taking high tea. Although the heart of a wood does mean there are no conveniences, there were plenty of bushes. A short archery tournament and wander through a meadow brought the afternoon to a close. A lovely day, different in everyway.
Making our way to the wood entailed driving around narrow windy lanes, which we managed admirably only holding up one local motorist. We were given a tour of the wood, which only a year and a half ago had been a bracken jungle, the owners had worked wonders, their own little bit of paradise. In true WI spirit, tea, coffee, scones and cake were on offer, and absolute delight, sitting in the middle of nowhere taking high tea. Although the heart of a wood does mean there are no conveniences, there were plenty of bushes. A short archery tournament and wander through a meadow brought the afternoon to a close. A lovely day, different in everyway.
Glittering Riches,
Derby Cathedral - September 2014
The event Glittering Riches had been oversubscribed,
however, several members of the Mickleover WI attended the occasion on an
alternative date, and very glad we did.
We were greeted by Celia and John the Cathedral organiser and split into
two groups. Our group was lead by Mary,
one of the seamstress' who along with other volunteers, create beautiful
garments, seat covers, alter cloths, a multitude of items required by a busy
Cathedral, as well as undertaking restoration of old works. The needlework was immaculate; indeed it was
difficult to tell if an item has been restored as it looked perfect. The groups swapped, and we popped across the
road to the Cathedral shop and Coffee House.
In the basement were the "Riches", the silverware from old to
new, all housed securely under lock and key.
Beautiful items, some difficult to value, many priceless, and some on
loan from other churches as the insurance premiums is phenomenal. This very interesting afternoon was rounded
off with the most delightful cream tea; the cathedral tea rooms are to be
highly recommended.
Littleover Allotments
- August 2014
The garden group embarked on an evening outing to Littleover
Allotments on Littleover Lane. It is
quite surprising how many allotment areas there are around this district. There are the council allotments next to the
ring road, the Littleover Allotments which are privately owned, and further
down towards Stenson is another council allotment area. We were greeted by John & Karen, who
showed us round several plots, while grazing on the produce; peas, figs,
tomatoes, carrots, and Kohi Rabi (a sputnik looking vegetable) all tasted
really good. Among the fruit and
vegetables was a plot dedicated to dahlias, the owner grows them for
exhibitions. There are no photographs of
this event as we were all too busy undertaking tastings and by the time it came
to leave it was dark. However, if anyone
is thinking of taking on an allotment, it all looks like a lot of hard work, so
be prepared.
Llandudno - July 2014
Monday 14th July; four members of Mickleover Garden
group took a 3 day, 2 night mini break to visit a few gardens in North
Wales. The weather was glorious and our
first stop was Bodnant gardens, what a delight.
Rhododendron and Azalea
must have been in abundance during the spring; however we were treated to
fantastic displays of Hydrangeas, both
in the formal gardens and the woods.
Bodnant is close to Llandudno and we checked into the Dunnoon Hotel late
afternoon, fabulous food, courteous staff and good rooms. The tariff included a
5 course meal which was delicious, and a walk to the north beach to help digest
the gorgeous food was not altogether successful.
Day two: Plas-Newydd, beautiful house and gardens, went on the 11.00am mini tour of the house. The lady who escorted us, was so passionate, and obviously missed the old Marquess of Anglesey, who had died the previous year, definitely worth a visit.
Day three: Bangor and Penrhyn Castle, unfortunately the weather had deteriorated and we just went round the castle, left the gardens for another day. By 3 o'clock all worn out we headed for home, our trusty driver, Lin Walker, a heroin.
All the gardens/houses we visited were National Trust properties, as seniors, a discount rate is applied and well worth the annual fee.
Day two: Plas-Newydd, beautiful house and gardens, went on the 11.00am mini tour of the house. The lady who escorted us, was so passionate, and obviously missed the old Marquess of Anglesey, who had died the previous year, definitely worth a visit.
Day three: Bangor and Penrhyn Castle, unfortunately the weather had deteriorated and we just went round the castle, left the gardens for another day. By 3 o'clock all worn out we headed for home, our trusty driver, Lin Walker, a heroin.
All the gardens/houses we visited were National Trust properties, as seniors, a discount rate is applied and well worth the annual fee.
Renishaw Hall - July 2014
Mickleover Garden Group had planned several visits to
Renishaw Hall, but they had been thwarted by terrible weather, however our
visit on Friday 11th July was a resounding success, not a drop of rain in sight. The gardens were a sight to behold delphiniums, camellias, roses in glorious technicolor, beautifully manicured hedges, topiary
bushes, and glorious lawns, indeed round every corner there was something
different. Venturing a little way from
the formal gardens are the woods, also with a huge variety of shrubs, trees,
plants with sculptures popping up here and there. It was slightly muggy in the woodlands which
encouraged midges and flies that beleaguered a couple of people within the
group who were sporting a few red blotches by the end of the visit. The cafe provided hot and cold meals at a
reasonable cost, but it was necessary to get there reasonably early as food was
selling out at a rate of knots. We
enjoyed a lovely day, but there was so much to see, another visit must be
organised.
WI Meeting - 12th June
On a lovely warm June evening, many members of the
Mickleover WI chose to be entertained and educated by Susie Litton-Wood in the
art of painting. The talk and activity
entitled Castles and Roses (canal art), commenced with a brief talk from Susie
on how canal barges came to be so beautifully decorated and how she started
painting. While she was talking, her
lady helper was quietly distributing paper, brushes, kitchen towel, water pots and
a mixture of paints, so when Susie had finished her talk we were all ready to
get started. Many of us had no skill with
paints, but with instruction, practice and a few brush strokes, everyone
managed to produce something that likened to a group of roses, even if the
finished article looked better from a distance.
Of course there were members whose talents shone through and their paintings
were delightful. Participating made it an
especially enjoyable evening that could be recommended to other WI's.
JCB Visit - Thursday 14th June
Members of Mickleover WI joined other WI's of the Derbyshire
federation for a visit to the JCB World Headquarters, Rocester, Staffordshire. We
were greeted by Celia Richardson and the JCB tour guides in the very impressive
Visitor Centre were we took light refreshments before the tour. There were approximately 40 visitors and we
split into 4 groups, Mickleover was in Group 4, with our tour guide, Mike
Smith. Firstly we went into the very
plush movie theatre and watched a short film from the Chairman, Sir Anthony Bamford. Next stop was the exhibition, the Story of
JCB, and were told how Mr JCB, himself (Joseph Cyril Bamford) started the
company from humble beginnings to what it has grown to today; producing heavy
plant for industry, agriculture, the military, boys toys for the Sultan of Brunei,
and not forgetting the JCB Dieselmax breaking the land speed record. After a brief visit to the JCB shop, it was
down to business, seeing how a
Backhoe Loader was manufactured, including hosing down the finish
machine ready for delivery (we did enjoy a slight shower as we passed this
section of the works). After an
extremely interesting tour, in true WI spirit, we enjoyed a delicious cream tea
before we said our farewells.
Lea Gardens - June 2014
1st June, a glorious sunny warm day, handpicked by the Mickleover Garden Group to visit Lea Gardens, Lea, Matlock. The gardens are notable for their fantastic display of Rhododendron and Azaleas, and although some plants were past their best, many still displayed their wares proving a beautiful showing. The warm winter had encouraged an early flowering, so getting the timing right is always dependent on Mother Nature, but it certainly didn't disappoint. We continued on to Matlock Garden Centre, Tansley, where we indulged in a spot of lunch, followed by the obligatory purchase of plants. We drove back through Matlock and Matlock Bath, which was very busy, but a nice drive and the end to another extremely pleasant day out.
1st June, a glorious sunny warm day, handpicked by the Mickleover Garden Group to visit Lea Gardens, Lea, Matlock. The gardens are notable for their fantastic display of Rhododendron and Azaleas, and although some plants were past their best, many still displayed their wares proving a beautiful showing. The warm winter had encouraged an early flowering, so getting the timing right is always dependent on Mother Nature, but it certainly didn't disappoint. We continued on to Matlock Garden Centre, Tansley, where we indulged in a spot of lunch, followed by the obligatory purchase of plants. We drove back through Matlock and Matlock Bath, which was very busy, but a nice drive and the end to another extremely pleasant day out.
Stonehill Quarry Gardens by Jenny Smith - April 2014
Mickleover
WI garden club set off to Stonehill Quarry gardens on Easter Sunday after a
very indecisive start due to the wet morning. Oh my, weren't we glad we decided
to risk it. The
afternoon started with an excellent Sunday roast for £7:50 at The Raddle Inn
Hollington, Nr Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4HQ. After lunch, we set off
to Stonehill Quarry NGS open day. The sun came out after a short shower and we
were able to stroll around the glorious gardens. We marvelled at
hellebores, erythroniums, hostas, ferns and wonderful paper bark hazels. What
was once a disused quarry had been beautifully landscaped, there was a Japanese
corner with a water feature, a wonderful rockery and displays with
strategically placed pots and planters.
After exploring the area, we finished off with tea and cake in the converted garage tea room. What a wonderful afternoon for just £3 per head, all of which went to charity.
After exploring the area, we finished off with tea and cake in the converted garage tea room. What a wonderful afternoon for just £3 per head, all of which went to charity.
Group Social Meeting - March 2014
Mickleover WI hosted the Morleston Group Meeting on Friday
28th March, which was well attended by members.
The hall was laid out and by the time the meeting started, St John's
Hall was full to capacity. Jill Edwards,
Mickleover President invited the other presidents to join her on the stage, and
welcomed everyone with a special mention to the president and secretary of the
newly established Blagreaves WI; the minutes of the previous meeting were read,
signed and agreed.
The speaker, Paul Newsham, gave a talk entitled "Catch me if you can", an insight into the uniqueness of finger prints, how they enable the authorities to identify individuals and catch criminals, or in our case a shop lifter (the identify of this person will remain anonymous for legal reasons!). After the break, several members of Mickleover WI entertained. It was a delightful and funny sketch, involving a policeman narrating the story of a stolen cake and who had had their finger in the pie! The actors had worked extremely hard over several months and deserve recognition, they were: Jill Edwards, Lucille Pope, Margaret Gibbons, Diane Embleton-Smith, Chris Thomas, Celia Cullen, Catherine Dicken and the culprit Ann Salt. Thank you ladies it was a wonderful night.
The speaker, Paul Newsham, gave a talk entitled "Catch me if you can", an insight into the uniqueness of finger prints, how they enable the authorities to identify individuals and catch criminals, or in our case a shop lifter (the identify of this person will remain anonymous for legal reasons!). After the break, several members of Mickleover WI entertained. It was a delightful and funny sketch, involving a policeman narrating the story of a stolen cake and who had had their finger in the pie! The actors had worked extremely hard over several months and deserve recognition, they were: Jill Edwards, Lucille Pope, Margaret Gibbons, Diane Embleton-Smith, Chris Thomas, Celia Cullen, Catherine Dicken and the culprit Ann Salt. Thank you ladies it was a wonderful night.
A- bunting we will go, by Jill Edwards, President - March 2014
Forty years ago Derbyshire Federation purchased Derbyshire
House in Sherwin Street, Derby to use as the County Headquarters. A plea was put out last year for every WI in
the County to make some button-up bunting to a specific pattern. So, members of our Craft Group gathered
together all their colourful materials and decided to decorate the penants with
initials spelling out our WI name. After
lots of chat, cups of tea, cakes and biscuits the result was this delightful
banner which we all had great fun assembling at two of our Craft meetings. Our contribution will be displayed at our
96th Birthday meeting in April and then passed on to decorate Derbyshire House
during celebrations.
Shipley Park - February 2014
Mickleover garden group ventured forth on the first outing
of the season to Shipley Country Park Slack Lane Heanor, Derbyshire to view
those iconic symbols of spring, snowdrops, which did not disappoint. The weather was uncanny for garden group,
with the deluge of precipitation that has plagued the country over the last few
month, and the norm for our visits, we were blessed with a cold but beautiful
sunny day, and togged in suitable warm clothing and footwear we enjoyed a very
pleasant meander around the park. The
snowdrops were glorious, daffodils were poking their heads out, and bluebells
where making tentative attempts at pushing through the ground. After such dreadful weather, the day
brightened our spirits and a few cobwebs were dusted off. To round of the trip we made our way to a
local hostelry, Newdigate Arms, and enjoyed an excellent Sunday roast for
£6.95, excellent value, and a good end to a lovely day.
Christmas Meal - January 2014
Although the festive season had come and gone, twenty nine members
of the Mickleover WI enjoyed a Christmas Meal at the Seven Wells, Etwall,
Derbyshire on Monday 13th January.
There was turkey and all the trimming, Christmas pudding and custard, as
well as a variety of other dished for those who had had their fill of Christmas
fare. A glass or two was raised, and a
very enjoyable evening was had by all.