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PAST EVENTS 2013

Wednesday 11th December

Christmas Wreath Making
 
 

    

Our christmas meeting this year had a very festive feel.  We were shown by Phil Sealey how to make lovely wreaths for the front door using natural materials such as twigs, holly, evergreens and berries mainly sourced from our own gardens.  When you know how, they are quite easy to make and we all went home with something beautiful to hang on the door to welcome  family and friends..

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Wednesday 13th November

AGM & Chilli Supper
 
 

 
 

We kept the business of our AGM as short as possible and followed it with a bistro style supper of delicious Chilli or Cassoulet provided by Ann Lacy.

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Wednesday 9th October

Mosaic Workshop

Members discovered their creative side again this month at a Mosaic Workshop held by TomatoJack Studio in Berkeley. Lynda and Angela showed us how to create beautiful mosaic designs using materials such as ceramic tiles, glass, buttons and pieces of old crockery.  We all went home with a lovely handmade place mat, trivet or heart.

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Wednesday 11th September

Traditional Cider Making and Tasting

This month we held an open evening for Husbands, Partners and Friends.  John Barnes and Matt Adams brought along some of their cider for us to try.  It is all made from local apples and pears following traditional recipes, and it is delicious. After explaining to us how the cider is made we enjoyed several samples and a ploughmans supper.

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Wednesday 14th August

Learn to Henna

 

Once again Annet Richard-Binns from World Jungle gave us a very entertaining evening.  This month she showed us how to create intricate and delicate tattoos using henna dyes and in some cases glitter.

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Wednesday 10th July

Rosie's wood

 

 

On a warm summer evening members were guided through Rosie's Wood by Ellen and Del from Gloucestershire Wild Life Trust, they pointed out trees and plants of interest and told us about the creatures that lurk in the undergrowth.  The evening was rounded of by cooking sausages and biscuits over an open fire, and drinking Ann's wonderful elderflower cordial.

Elderflower Cordial

3 or 4 lemons
12 to 20 Elderflower heads (no green)
2lbs Sugar
2 pints boiling water
2ozs Citric acid (from Chemist)

Peel lemons thinly (zest) and squeeze juice.  Add elderflowers, sugar, citric acid and cover with boiling water.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Cover and leave overnight before straining into bottles.  Keep in fridge. (can also be frozen).  Dilute to taste.

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PAST EVENTS 2013

Sunday 7th July

Westonbirt house and Gardens

 
 

Library

                                     Camellia House

We were given a private, guided tour of Westonbirt House which is now a private school for girls. This magnificent building has some lovely original features including a beautifully resorted library, plaster ceiling work and a glass roof over the main hall.  The tour ended in the servants quarters where we were served a delicious cream tea. We then had the run of the extensive grounds, including the Italianate gardens, ornate iron Camellia House and Saxon church.

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Wednesday 12th June

The Secret Disease - Osteoporosis

Jo Turner from the Courtyard Clinic in Dursley came to talk to us about osteoporosis. One aspect she covered is how it can affect us in our 'later' years but first becomes important in our teens, when diet etc. can make a huge difference to our chances of keeping our bones strong.  Jo then led us through some low impact exercises to help strengthen our bones and improve our flexibility.  Thank you Jo for a very interesting evening.

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Wednesday 8th May

'Spirit of the Caribbean'

We experienced a taste of the  Caribbean with Annet Richard-Binns from World Jungle. She got us all up dancing and singing and introduced us to the food and culture of Jamaica.  A very pleasant way to spend an evening.

 

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Wednesday 10th April

Guide Dogs for the Blind

Hero the guide dog enthralled us with his intelligence and gentle nature, while Howard Powell his owner gave a very interesting talk on the history of guide dogs and the vital role they play in their owners lives.
Thank you Howard for a lovely evening.

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Wednesday 13th March

Stained Glass Workshop

Sarah gave us a talk about Stained Glass & Glass Art, how it's made and the techniques available to glass artists today.
Everyone had a chance to design & prepare a piece of glass for sandblasting.  Sarah took our efforts away to have them sandblasted and we look forward to seeing the results at our April meeting.  Thanks Sarah for a really enjoyable evening.
 

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Wednesday 13th February

Bread Making

Master Baker Richard Apperley with his wife Ruth demonstrated how to make a lovely soft dough.  He made two loaves in the shape of hearts, which we then decorated with dough wheat ears.  While the bread was cooking he led a very informative question and answer session, and provided us with a delicious Italian Torte Gianduia to accompany our refreshments. Thank you Richard for a delicious evening.

Here is the bread recipe if you want to have a go.
 

530g       (1lb 2.5oz)  Strong Flour 8g           (0.28 oz)    Salt 8g           (0.28 oz)    Sugar  (do not use if fast action yeast sachet used) 30g        (1oz)          Egg 45g        (1.6 oz)      Butter 30g        (1 oz)         Yeast (fresh) or 1 sachet Fast Action 300 mls  (10.5 oz)    Milk  (approx)

1.  Mix dough to a soft consistency and knead for approx. 10 mins. 2.  A dough temperature of 27°C (80°F) is best 3.  Allow dough to rest 4.  Knock back at 20mins 5.  Scale at 30mins 6.  You will have approx. 20 rolls at 45g (1.5 oz) each 7.  Mould round and then to the shape required 8.  Bake at 200°C for 10 to 15 mins.

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Wednesday 9th January

Zumba

We  had a very good start to 2013 with our January meeting.  After a demonstration of the Charleston to "In The Mood", Jane Manning from World Jungle led us for a Zumba session.  Our thanks to Jane for a great evening of dance exercise to some memorable music.