2025

January 8th: Bring & Buy

Competition: Christmas card collage won by June Surrage

Members held a fund raising “bring and Buy”
 

 

 

 February 7th: 86th Birthday lunch

Competition:  Paper snowflake won by Veronica Aspland
To mark our eighty sixth birthday, committee members got together and produced a splendid lunch: roast beef with all the trimmings. Choices of puddings, cheese board, tea or coffee and a birthday cake so we all took a piece of cake home. A very jolly time had by us all.

March AGM & Sue showing us stenciling

Competition: stencilled card, points to all
Our March meeting was our annual meeting. Well attended and a resume of our activities for the last year. The treasurer gave us a financial report, and Sheila Bailey, as president, rounded off the cheerful meeting with her report, ending with a plea to try and encourage some new members to join us. The competition was changed to how to make a stenciled card, and everyone who entered got a point, so well done, everyone!​

May Debbie Bull, flower aranging

Competition: Flowers in a mug won by June Surrage
For our May meeting, Debbie Bull, a professional flower arranger, came with a large array of different flowers and foliage to demonstrate different ways of arranging them, using anything from small vases to pedestals. Interspersed  with tips on how to do this using no “oasis” or other plastic and artificial materials. She was an engaging speaker, and we much enjoyed our evening with her. She judged our competition for an arrangement of flowers in a mug.

April Janet McDowell, knitting

Competition: A knitted hat  won by Terry Webb
At our April meeting we were very entertained as Janet McDowell told us the history of knitting. More complex than we had expected, from ancient times when socks were found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian up to today with our knitting patterns. Janet was very happy to answer our questions. She judged the competition for a knitted hat: First Terry Webb, second Brenda Marks and third Ann Flewitt.

June Alison Moore, Dolls houses

Competition: Something miniature won by Terry Webb

At our June Meeting Alison Moore gave us an enthralling talk about dolls houses, how she restores them,  and the global history of dolls houses.  She cannot pass by a sad dolls house that would otherwise go to the tip.  Haunting car boot sales she reimagines all sorts of things to recycle in the dolls houses. She now has eight dolls houses and routinely decorates them during the year with different themes to cheer people up.  She kindly judged our competition for something miniature, Terry Webb was first with her tiny vegetable patch,
Christine Scotchmere second and Sue Anderson third.  A fun evening.

July ​Laura Sigsworth, green globetrotting

Competition: Fridge magnet won by June Surrage
For our July meeting Laura Sigsworth came and broadened our horizons with her talk entitled Green Globetrotting
and tried to encourage us to take more holidays.   

August garden party

Competition: Holiday object won by Terry Webb
In August our garden party was held by one of our members in her garden.  The committee provided an excellent  array of nibbles, fruit punch and rounding off with teas and coffee.  The party began at 3.00 p.m. and the afternoon was spent enjoying the sun in her garden.  

September ​Roy Swaine, EAAA

Competition: Holiday shortbread won by Ann Flewitt

The EAAA was formed 25 years ago; supported by the AA all vehicles are painted in the group's yellow.  Each launch costs £42,000 and covers Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.  Recieving no government finances, fund raising is essential. The EAAA is always upgrading and can now fly at night and take blood en route to save time and check for brain damage.
​Very interesting, if a bit harrowing evening.
Sheila and Terry went to Stetchworth WI's cream tea at the Ellesmere center; very enjoyable.

October Kevin Pigney, photographer

Competition: Holiday photo won by Lilian MaidmN
Kevin Pinkney, who lives locally came to display his portfolio of animals and birds photographs , together with photographs of Cambridge and The Northern Lights.   He has many qualifications and is an Associate of the Society of Nature and Wildlife Photographers.   He judged our own photographs: first Lilian Maidman, second Sue Carty and third Sandie Harris.  We thoroughly enjoyed his talk and discovered he is now photographing horses and dogs, as well as wild creatures. A very patient photographer waiting for the  perfect shot.
 

November Kevin Boardman, witches

Competition: Something witchy won by Terry Webb
​We were pleased Kevin Boardman came on a return visit.  This time he told us in great detail about the persecution of witches from the 1580’s to the 1700s. The action against witches was more severe in Europe but here they were still put to death with no one to defend them against The Witchfinder General.  It was during a very unsettled time with Roman Catholics and Protestants holding very different views.
The competition was for a homemade witchy something.  First, Terry Webb, Second June Surrage and third Sheila Bailey.

December Christmas lunch at The Cherry Tree in Soham

Competition: wrapped present