June 2010 Newsletter

Hello and Welcome to our June newsletter. Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

June Meeting
We had a really positive and productive meeting this month

NFWI AGM at the CIA.
After welcoming the members to the meeting, Emma gave a report on the NFWI AGM which she attended as representative for our link WI’s. She was able to give very positive feedback. Lots of very interesting speakers,

Fundraising
We discussed the need to raise our funds and after some discussion it was agreed that we should use our September meeting to hold a social evening, inviting other WI’s members for a reasonable admission fee. We intend to spend some time at our July meeting discussing possible themes for the evening, and will hold the August meeting (against tradition) so that all members can be involved in finalising arrangements. Most WI’s have the tradition of arranging a summer trip in place of the August meeting, but under the circumstances, we are planning both meeting and day trip, details of the trip given on the last page

Raffle. Continuing on the theme of funding and costs, Emma explained that while we are still a small group, raffle prizes are likely to be quite small. We discussed the necessity for a raffle and decided it should continue from the fun aspect. This month’s raffle winner was Lynne Harris.

Competitions. Emma asked if members wanted to reinstate the monthly competitions that we have had in the past, either on the same theme or something different. There was very little interest and it was decided not to re-establish the competition at this time.

Our speaker - Jan Lewis gave us some very interesting information about hats and other headwear over the last century or so, including the falling interest in plastic rain hats. As she talked us through different periods of time, those of us old enough to remember fashions from 50’s and 60’s joined in with tales of the things we wore during that era – giving the younger members of our group lots to laugh about. Jan then gave us a treat by inviting us to try on the numerous hats she had brought with her, many quite glamourous. The information and the collection of hats was very impressive.

Supper Club
Six members enjoyed the supper club this month. Despite there being confusion resulting in a table not being booked, staff at Trattoria managed to find us a table even though they were extremely busy. As usual, good food at reasonable cost.

Reading Circle
The book for July meeting is “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold. Reading circle starts at 6:30 and is likely to be restricted in time this month because of the Cheese and Wine evening at Morganstown being on the same evening.

And in General
Don’t forget this is your WI, so please feel free to let us know of any suggestions you might have for new groups, new activities you think we should try, and generally anything that you think might be of interest to your fellow members.

YAWI website.
All our newsletters are available on the website. Is there anything you want to catch up on, or was there are recipe that you fancied and forgot to save. It will be on the website. Any questions you have or any ideas you want to share, or any comments you want to make, try the web site. There is still work to be done on the website, but we are getting there slowly.


Report from the NFWI
Emma had a fantastic time at the NFWI which was held in the CIA in Cardiff. Thousands of ladies from across the UK were present and the atmosphere amazing. The NFWI had organised some great speakers including Lee Durrell (the wife of Gerald Durrell), Gwen Parry Jones (the first female director of a nuclear power station) and Tim Smit (founder of the Eden Project). There was a live link-up with John Bercow The Speaker of the House of Commons, who had crept out of Prime Minister’s Question Time to speak to the ladies and to top it all off they were serenaded by the dulcet tones of Welsh choir ‘Only Men Aloud’. Ruth Bond reported on the growth of the WI over the last 12 months (there are now approx. 207,000 members of the WI) with plans afoot to try and increase membership to 250,000 by 2015. Another interesting fact was that you will soon be able to buy WI cakes in your local supermarket! The WI have done a deal whereby they get royalities for each cake sold. Measures have been taken to ensure that all cakes are (nearly!) up to homemade WI standards. If you have any further questions about what went on at the NFWI please ask Emma and she wil be delighted to tell.
Next year’s NFWI will be in Liverpool and all members are welcome as observers for a small fee. Keep your eyes open for further information in the future.

Recipe for the Month

Quick and easy chicken receipe this months – sure no-ones wants to be spending time over a hot stove when they could be relaxing in the sunshine (hopefully)

Summer Traybake Chicken
Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoon pesto

Method
Put the chicken breasts in a large shallow roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 10 minutes then add cherry tomatoes and grill for another 5 minutes until chicken is cooked. Drizzle pesto over the top and serve.

Source: Good Food Magazine August 2006

Things to come.

Friday 18th June 2010 – Creigau WI Cheese and Wine Evening – Join our link WI’s for the evening.

Wedneday 23rd June 2010 – Reading Circle at 6:30 at Gelliwastad Road Club.
Morganstown Cheese and Wine evening 7:30

Thursday 4th July 2010 – Supper Club at La Trattoria, High Street, Pontypidd – 6:30.

Wednesday 14th July 2010 - July monthly meeting

Wendesday 28th July 2010 – Reading Group

Saturday 7th August 2010 – Cotswold Tour and Meal – see next sheet for full details.

Don’t forget
You can call Emma on 07762493928 or Erica on 01443 409959 if you want any information about any of the groups etc or if you have any ideas you want to run by them. Leave a message and they’ll get back to you if they can’t come to the phone when you call.

It’s your WI – don’t be shy in having your say.