Burleydam WI report

Burleydam and District WI report on their November meeting:

The best laid plans ... and the best planned programmes ... can all too often go astray. So it proved for our November meeting when a rescheduled tour of a Welsh choir and a mixed up diary date prevented Burleydam and District WI from enjoying the anticipated cookery demonstration.

However, member Liz Gentil came to the rescue. Thinking of the 2009 national resolution "SOS for honey bees" Liz reminded us of another reason for saving bees – the beeswax candle.

Great houses were lit by burning beeswax from mediaeval times. The bee hives tended by monks before the Dissolution were kept for their beeswax rather than their honey.

Members watched Liz making different candles from sheets of beeswax before having a go themselves. The sheets of beeswax left over will be made into candles for sale at our WI Coffee Morning at Whitchurch Civic Centre on Friday 22nd January.

AGMNovember is AGM month and members elected Sarah Lunt for another year as President. Two new members joined the committee, June Orend and Elaine Walton, and two long serving members stepped down, Sheila Beeston and Mary Stevenson. Mary had been on the committee since 1975 and Sarah Lunt paid tribute to her tireless work over the years on behalf of the WI. Members discussed the implications of the Government's Green paper Shaping the future of care together and Carolyn Wilde reported on the letter she had sent on behalf of members to the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Andy Burnham M.P., expressing concern at the inappropriate treatment of people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system.

The competition, a homemade chocolate log, was won by Elaine Walton, second was Gladys Burrough and third was Liz Gentil.

Our baking skills will be tested again next month when the competition will be two home made mince pies.

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