Audlem WI Halloween

Audlem WI Halloween Meeting

Yes, it's that wonderful time of the year when the spiderwebs I've been too busy to remove have gathered sufficient sprinkles of dust to come into their own as my functional Halloween decorations.

What's happened to our country? Apart from Christmas and Easter the next celebration used to be Guy Fawkes Day celebrated on November 5th with things like bonfires and fireworks...... I think that made Halloween seem a mite more preferable. The idea of having pumpkins, costumes and parties seems much more appealing than burning down your own neighbourhood!

After all what could be scarier on Halloween than Donald Trump's attitude on how to make America great again? And as for that wig, it would terrify anybody!

We ladies are a cunning lot, encouraging children to go from door to door collecting sweets for us, although am I the only one who's noticed the size of fun size Snickers and Mars bars? Fun size? I take pills bigger than those – well I have to have some reason for swallowing my wine!

Halloween is the only time I can easily convince others that my grandchildren are monsters without incurring any legal issues but sadly reality always hits home when I discover I am now older than the recommended ages indicated on the Sexy Witch costume and the matching mask is no better than my own well earned wrinkles!

However I take some comfort from the fact that Zombies abound at Halloween as the idea of dying and coming back becomes that much more appealing as I get older.

Enough of this frivolity, let's get to the important stuff, namely the Audlem WI Pumpkin Carving competition – sorry, Meeting.

The sight of nearly forty ladies bounding into the Scout and Guide Hall brandishing knives, ( where's health and safety when you need it?) aprons and a variety of devilish carving implements that I didn't even know existed – 'Lakeland' came late to me – arriving early in order to claim the best shaped and unblemished pumpkins was a sight to behold!

Those unfortunate few who did discover blemishes on their pumpkins – quality control is not what it used to be – discovered a variety of unmentionable ways to disguise them, including one member who pasted the photo of a popular DJ over it!

Where Ann Pearce found this picture and why she had it I'll never know, but she is certainly a lady of many hidden talents!

The problem with having inner child enthusiasm is that if it keeps showing too often, people label you as childish, however my view is that connecting to your inner child helps bring out the hero that is inside us all and the sight of Anne Watson's delight as she began to design her carving, even before we had sung 'Jerusalem', was both bewitching and contagious. Who would have thought that our WI ladies would throw themselves into pumpkin carving with such gusto!

The following 45 minutes were a fervour of activity and mayhem, natural leaders took charge of each team as arms disappeared – we have some very short ladies – into the depths of the pumpkin ensuring all seeds were scooped out and displayed either elegantly across the chairs and floor or luckily, sometimes they even made it into the plastic carrier bags! We work on the principle that you can't always be the most talented person in the room but you can be the most competitive!

There was no time to be wasted, after all only the knife knows what goes on inside a pumpkin, except for Margaret Wells who has lost so much weight she can actually climb inside of hers – this was a competition and if any of our ladies were to be controlled they would have come with a remote!

After 45 minutes Daphne Mounteney, our President, called time, and just like in Masterchef, several ladies continued added finishing touches to their designs until the whistle was blown again – loudly!

Remember ladies, snuffing out someone else's candle doesn't make yours shine any brighter!

Finally the results of all this feverish activity were displayed on a central table, and to show fair play, a visitor, Janice Taylor, was selected to choose the winning pumpkin which is proudly displayed in one of the photos, alongside another showing the three delighted victors, Lyn, Val and Janice!

I think it was the touch of blackened eyes and teeth that finally swung it ladies.

October wasn't all about Halloween as our members had been asked to bring crafts and produce for our display table.

Now say what you will about women, but I think being able to turn one sentence into a five hour argument takes talent, however I never fail to be amazed at the number of talented but humble people we have in our WI as was shown by the staggering and varied display
on show.

Sheila Webster had brought her South Cheshire Embroiderers Guild 2017 winning design, 'Pathway to the Light' which she modestly hadn't mentioned, but I spotted the winning label on the back!

There was also a framed machine embroidered forest of trees which Sheila Webster had given to Sheila Jones for her birthday – I have a big one coming up soon Sheila W!!

Sheila Jones displayed her basketwork and a beautifully beaded shimmering green knitted purse which she had made on a Denman course, Jane Stevenson and Anne Hollins exhibited some of their needlework including a stunning, but unusual, sunflower and there were also apples, damsons and a pumpkin on display.

It seems to me that these people just get better as they get older. Talent is a gift, but attitude, work ethic and character are things we have to develop ourselves.

Finally our birthday ladies Anne Watson, Nola Fisher and Pat Jones received their birthday flowers.

As the meeting closed, several members struggled gamely home with their pumpkins which will be lighting up Audlem doorsteps in the next few weeks.

Top Tip;

Remember ladies, buy your sweets early for Halloween so that you have plenty of time to buy more when you have eaten the first bag.

We hope you all have as much fun as the spiders and bats living in your house.

Happy Halloween!

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