Audlem WI September Meeting

Autumn is the season of liberty. Instead of being green, leaves can choose between yellow, red, brown and orange and it's pretty much the same for we ladies.

The first meeting of autumn, and we all turn up in a variety of colourful winter woollies in the full knowledge that life is too short to worry about what others say or think about you, so we're going to have fun and give the rest of the village something to talk about!

Laughter is always a great tonic, after all the ability to laugh at ourselves, or at the occasional unfair hand of cards that life deals us, is one of our greatest strengths, and as our President Lin Nicholas rose to her feet, she battled gainfully with the new microphone as she addressed the enthralled throng, gazing in anticipation of yet another evening of fun and frolics!

Our treasurer, Kath Disley, informed the group that our last two meetings, the open July WI Centenary Meeting with The Flower Divas and our fantastically successful Garden Party (thank you once again Betty Minns,) had resulted in a tidy profit, which would be deposited in the coffers until that inevitable rainy day.

Christine Salisbury, our events organiser, has come up with two imaginative ideas. The first will be a trip and tour of the Moorcroft Factory, followed by lunch at Trentham Gardens. This tour will take place on Wednesday October 14th, and will cost £6.50.

For our Christmas outing, Christine has arranged a small coach to take us to Tatton Park. This year the mansion is themed 'Ding Dong Merrily with Tatton's Favourite Carols.' The cost for this outing will be £9.00. (The photo shows Tatton at Christmas)

It's amazing the ideas that your WI committee can come up with after a 'brainstorming session.' Thinking outside the box, if you can find one big enough to get into in the first place, requires tea, biscuits and possibly alcohol, however alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but neither does milk!

Audlem WI likes to think it's a bit of a trailblazer, and so we are. Not for us mere hang gliding or zip wiring as extra curricular activities, no, to err is human but to really foul things up you need a computer!

Our society will never go entirely paperless as we all need some in the bathroom and in a perfect world answering machines would have a 'Get to the point' button – however what we WI ladies really need is a man or woman who will dedicate themselves to enhancing our lives at the swipe of an iPad button.

Now my present husband has a lifetime's worth of technical expertise. He wasn't born – his mother simply chose 'eject child' from the special menu! He has gallantly offered to hold iPad information sessions to enhance our member's knowledge within that mysterious world of iPad software!

The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it, after all, buying the right computer or iPad and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a darkened room using only your teeth.

We were amazed at the response to our iPad training sessions – those members who are thinking about buying an iPad are also welcome, and we'll let you know when we are ready to take over the world!

Finally Margaret Boschi and Sandy Loughlin from Nantwich Players were allowed centre stage for their talk on Nantwich Players – Past, Present and Future.

Nantwich Players have been entertaining audiences since 1931 – having been founded as the Nantwich Play-Reading Circle in 1927.

Some members wanted to share that love of plays and started presenting plays to the public in various locations.

Before the Players' Theatre opened in 1983 – in a building that was originally constructed in 1724 – they used the Civic Hall for productions.

The old Quaker Meeting House off Pillory Street was in use as a council store and the Players rented space for storing scenery etc. When a play was scheduled, the scenery was transported across town to the Civic Hall on a Sunday morning. Technical and dress rehearsals were held, then three performances took place and scenery duly returned to the store the following Friday. (Saturday evenings at the Civic Hall were for dances run by the hall authorities). Rehearsals were held at a variety of venues over the years – in upper-floor rooms of local pubs, in church halls, etc.

None of this was very convenient and by the late 1970s some members were thinking about finding a "place of our own" where they could rehearse, construct the scenery and perform all in the same place. This would give the cast chance to become accustomed to the set they would act on (which way the doors opened – left or right, how much space there was around the scenery etc). This was much better than working to chalk marks on the floor of a hired room.

As they were looking for a suitable building which they could afford to buy and run, Nantwich Town Council decided to demolish this little gem of a building because it had become nearly derelict. Bravely the committee decided to spare them the cost of demolition and put in an offer to buy it. Their offer was accepted and the building transformed into the 82-seat theatre, which is their home today.

Our own thespian, Christine Salisbury, rose to give a vote of thanks to Margaret and Sandy for what had been an enlightening and entertaining talk.

Finally, excitement mounted as our competition for 'An Unusual Holiday Snap' was judged and the winner was.........Anne Poole! (see top photo)

I never fail to be surprised at the lengths our members go to in order to enter our monthly competitions. Anne travelled to South Africa, to find an ostrich, Pat Smith came second, posing with a wooden dummy (not her husband,) (see photo to the right) and Jessie Trudgill came third. I came nowhere again, but I know my place.

Once again Pat Smith produced beautiful bouquets for our birthday ladies – Irene Cunliffe, Ann Knapper, Janice Richards, Christine Salisbury, Pat Winfield and Lin Nicholas, and then it was time to say goodbye to our members as they wound their merry ways homewards.

See you all in October!

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