Ynysangharad Women's Institute

November 2010 Newsletter

2011-01-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to our November newsletter.

Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

Welcome to our new members this month:
Heather Fortune. We also had…. Members attending.

Apologies from Emma and Jeanette Jones.

November meeting
Emma was not able to attend the meeting this evening because of personal commitments. Lynne welcomed the members for the evening and thanked them for their work in making our October event the success that it was. Since October we have had feedback from visiting WI’s - which is all positive. Many were impressed because it was different from the usual WI events and look forward to our next one.

Lynne informed members that she had attended the very interesting Forensic Science evening that had been arranged by Federation. She was impressed with the information presented and the easy to understand format.

Erica gave details of the forthcoming events, all of which are listed on the next page. Please remember to look at our “What’s on” file at meetings – all details, including closing dates and dates for payments will be included there, together with space for you to add your name if you want to join in any of the events.

Erica then went on to give a brief account of her visit to the Autumn Conference in Barry. It appears that our resolution for food labelling to include country of origin has been taken to the EU, but had a disappointing response at Brussels; it is considered there that the task would prove too difficult. The main focus of the meeting was on promoting a more modern WI – our logo has been changed recently to a more modern version and we are being encouraged to get technical with electronic communications, moodle etc. The guest speaker was Frank Vickery who did a question and answer session requesting questions from the audience, with some amusing answers.

Pat gave details of the financial outcome of our October event with an overall profit of £179.00.

She then went on to give details of the proposed programme for 201 1, including our AGM in January.

This evening we were to be entertained by Thelma Taylor who was to talk to us about her handbag. However, despite finding her way to Gellliwastad Road in Pontpridd, we had a phone call from Mr Taylor during the meeting to tell us that Thelma had failed to find Temple Church and was on her way home. But every cloud has a silver lining and Binkie Thomas came to the rescue and gave us a really interesting and amusing account of how her family were affected by the Czechoslovakia uprising and how it influenced her life.

Recipe for the Month
More comfort food for this wintery weather

Lamb & Potato Hotpot
o 8 Lamb chops
o Oil
o 1 Onion, finely sliced
o 450g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
o 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
o 1 pack parsley, chopped
o 650 ml lamb or chicken stock
o Butter

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim any excess fat off the chops then brown them really well in a little oil. Set aside and fry the onions until tender. Layer the lamb, onions, potatoes and carrots in a large casserole, sprinkling parsley and seasoning as you go, saving enough potato to finish with a thin layer on top. Pour in the stock and dot the top with butter. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
2. Take off the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes until the top is crisp and golden.

(From BBC Good Food website)

Ring Erica on 01443 409959 or email hillse@sky.com if you want further information before the next meeting.

October 2010 Newsletter

2011-01-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to our October newsletter.

Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

Welcome to our new members this month:
Jayne James, Denize McIntyre,
Susan Morgan and Binkie Thomas.

Visitors:
Marguerite Powell, Annette Wujewski and
Heather Fortune.

We also had … members attending.

And a great big thank you!
to all our members who were so generous and worked so hard to make our October Pamper Evening the success that it was.
Members from neighbouring WI’s at Pontypridd (day time), Creigiau, Pentyrch, Gwaelod y Garth and Ton Pentre joined us for an evening of looking after ourselves. We had plenty of interaction between
our visitors, with demonstrators from the Body Shop, Blooms Florist and our own Emma who demonstrated hand massage. There were also displays of jewellery and hand crafted cards from Jayne James and Alicia Pritchard, and we had health eating advice from two Slimming World consultants, who made it sound so easy. Whilst on the subject of eating - our Welsh themed homemade refreshments for the evening included cawl, bread and cheese, Welsh cakes and bara brith. All of our raffle prizes were either contributions from our members or gifts from our demonstrators of a Body Shop product, books, bath products, and costume jewellery.

Recipe for the Month

Lamb & Potato Hotpot
o 8 Lamb chops
o Oil
o 1 Onion, finely sliced
o 450g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
o 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
o 1 pack parsley, chopped
o 650 ml lamb or chicken stock
o Butter

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim any excess fat off the chops then brown them really well in a little oil. Set aside and fry the onions until tender. Layer the lamb, onions, potatoes and carrots in a large casserole, sprinkling parsley and seasoning as you go, saving enough potato to finish with a thin layer on top. Pour in the stock and dot the top with butter. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
2. Take off the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes until the top is crisp and golden.

(From BBC Good Food website)

THINGS TO COME
Thursday, 4th November - Supper Club
La Trattoria, High Street, Pontypridd – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 10th November 2010 –
November meeting – Thelma Taylor
Speaking to us about her handbags.

Reminders on the next page, but please make sure to look at the information table at the meeting for details of everything that is going on.

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.

Don’t forget
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 get to the phone when you call.
It’s your WI – don’t be shy in having your say.
Ring Erica on 01443 409959 or email hillse@sky.com if you want further information

September 2010 Newsletter

2011-01-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to our September newsletter.

Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

Welcome to our visitors this month: Kay Richards, Marguerite Powell and Annette Wujewski. We also had attendees.

September Meeting
Emma welcomed members and visitors and gave location of facilities and fire exits. She also reminded members of the collection of used or new brassieres to be sent for women in third world areas and the appeal for cot blankets and small beanie hats (either made or bought) for Third World Counties. Apparently, women are less likely to be raped if they wear bras. Erica is waiting for further details and has asked if simple knitting patterns are available for the items required.

Emma then introduced Rhodri Powell our speaker for the evening. He is now retired after spending many years employed by the local health authority and continues to be an enthusiastic local historian. Rhodri gave a full and interesting presentation on hospitals in the Rhondda Taff area over the last century or so, explaining how many had started as work houses for the needy and how they developed into general hospitals. He also explained the progression of modernisation and how the original 15 hospitals which used to service the community have now been replaced by five modern ones.

Proposed October event – Pamper Evening
Following Rhodri’s presentation, members and visitors discussed the events planned for October, all agreeing to contribute items for the refreshments which had been suggested (Cawl, bread, cheese and baked items). Arrangements have been made for presentations by Body Shop and Slimming World representatives, and there will be a jewellery stand, and florist. Emma, a trained therapist, will give demonstrations in hand massage.

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.

Raffle Prize – Gladioli bouquet, won by Kay Richard.

Recipe for the Month

This one sounds nice and comforting for the chilly autumn days ahead.

Honey and apple tart
About 12oz (350g) Cooking Apples (2 medium fruit)
¼ pint (150ml) Honey
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
6oz (175g) Fresh Wholemeal Breadcrumbs
9oz shortcrust pastry of your choice (Cranks recommend wholemeal)

Grate the apples and mix together with the honey, lemon rind and juice, and breadcrumbs. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line an 8” (20cm) flan tin. Spoon the filling in the centre, level the surface and bake in the over at 200oC (400oF/Mark 6) for 30-35 minutes, until firm to the touch. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 4-6

(From the Cranks Recipe Book)

Things to come
Thursday, 7th October 2010
Supper Club at La Trattoria, High Street, Pontypridd – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 13th October 2010
October monthly meeting – pamper evening

Please make sure to look at the information table at the meeting for details of everything that is going on.

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 get to
the phone when you call.

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

Ring Erica on 01443 409959 or email hillse@sky.com if you want further information before the next meeting.

August 2010 Newsletter

2011-01-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

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

Welcome to our visitors this month: Jayne James and Gwyneth Cummings.

August Meeting
Traditionally WI’s do not meet in August, but we decided to go ahead with our August meeting to make plans for our special evening planned for October. Unfortunately, Emma our President, was not able to attend because of work commitment. We had an informal meeting and gathered around
a table to chat about our October event and plans for the future. We had 8 attendees and 2 visitors.

Forthcoming Events
After welcoming in members, Lynne invited Erica to give details of forthcoming events arranged both by Ynysangharad and GFWI. All details are given on the last page of this newsletter. Please be aware of closing dates for anything you are interested in.

Public Affairs Network Meeting - 28th July 2010
Lynne and Emma attended this meeting. Lynne gave an account of the meeting and had prepared a written account, which was available at our meeting and will be available at the September meeting. She was impressed by the impact the WI have in influencing government policy, particularly in the area of women’s rights. Lynne is also arranging collection of used or new brassieres to be sent for women in third world areas. (Apparently, women are less likely to be raped if they wear bras.)
There is also an appeal for cot blankets and small beanie hats (either made or bought) for Third World countries.

Visit to the Cotswolds
On 7th August a small group joined a Diamond Coach trip to the Cotswolds. Pat gave an account of our trip – visiting Bourton-on-the-Water,
Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway. Apart from some slight showers to begin with, the weather was good and we enjoyed a few coffee and cake stops, plus browsing the quaint shops. The driver was quiet but very friendly and kept us informed as the day went along. We were lucky not to encounter any traffic problems and the trip went smoothly with everyone returning to the bus on time. Our last stop of the day before returning home was at Ross-on-Wye where we enjoyed a pre-arranged meal at the Red Lion Hotel. A very enjoyable day.

Proposed October event – Pamper Evening
Lynne explained to members that Emma was unable to attend this evening’s meeting, and as Emma is the one with the details of what had been arranged so far, Lynne asked members if they wanted to discuss the event or wait until September. It was agreed that some discussion should go ahead and an enthusiastic exchange of ideas followed. Précis of the ideas put forward is given at the end of this newsletter.

Important Fundraising
In addition to the October event there was a discussion about other fund raising possibilities. Lynne mentioned the previously suggested table
top sale or car boot sale. Angela said that there
are regular boot sales held at the Rhondda Heritage Park Hotel, and suggested that as we are such a small group, perhaps we should consider taking
part in something already arranged, rather than
trying to arrange a whole event ourselves. The idea
is that we would collect unwanted items from members and that volunteers would then take a table or car to sell the items at a pre-arranged
event – all proceeds going to our funds. Members thought this was a good idea and offered their services to help out.

Advertising
We have prepared some posters and leaflets. Members are asked to take any they think they can distribute or display in their area to attract new members. Perhaps at a local hairdressers or GP surgery. Erica told members that she had picked up an idea from WI Life which suggested that instead of putting WI Life in the recycling bin, they too could be left in various waiting rooms for people to browse while they a waiting for appointments. She also suggested adding labels with our details. Lynne suggested that one of our leaflets could be attached to the magazines. Any other ideas for advertising and attracting new members would be much appreciated.

Supporting a charity
Angela asked if we had consider the box scheme – filling boxes with small items to sent to third world countries, the idea being that members would be asked to bring a specified small item to each meeting. Some discussion followed about the logistics and whether or not we should apply a similar arrangement to a charity nearer home. It was agreed that arrangements should be made to make up “boxes” for the charity we had already discussed – Women’s Aid, with the possibility of choosing different local charities in the future. Angela said she has room in her house and volunteered to store the collections until they were ready for distribution.

Reading Circle
Because of the low attendance to the Reading Circle it has been put on hold for the time being.

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.

Raffle Prize – won by Gwyneth Cummings

Recipe for the Month

This month’s recipe was given to us by our visitor Jayne James. Thanks Jayne.

Marmalade Cake
Ingredients
4 oz Butter
4 oz Soft Brown Sugar
4 oz Marmalade
8 oz Self-raising Flour
2 Large Eggs
4 oz Sultanas
(Jayne’s note – I find it better without the sultanas)
Preheat the oven to 1500C/3000F
Cream the butter and sugar together until light
and fluffy and then add the remaining ingredients, stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Spoon the ingredients into a 900gm/2lb
loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for
about one and a half hours or until well risen and golden brown. To make sure the cake is properly cooked check that a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold the cake is excellent sliced and buttered.

Hope you enjoy!

Things to come
Thursday, 2nd September 2010
Supper Club at La Trattoria, High Street, Pontypridd – 6:30pm

Wednesday, 8th September 2010
September monthly meeting
Please see following sheet for further information about other events.

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.

Ring Erica on 01443 409959 or email Hillse@sky.com if you want further information before the next meeting.

June 2010 Newsletter

2010-07-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

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.

May 2010 Newsletter

2010-07-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome to our May newsletter.

Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

May Meeting
Welcome to our new member, Carole, who joined us this month.

AGM Resolution - This month we discussed and voted on the AGM resolution: The mandatory clear labelling on food with true country of origin. This meeting urges HM Government to introduce clear and mandatory country of origin labelling on all meat, poultry and fish products sold in this country. Janet gave us a basic explanation of the idea behind this and following discussion we had a unanimous vote for the resolution to be taken forward.

Our speaker, Marga Quince makes regular visits to Africa in connection with her involvement with Pont – a project linking Rhondda Cynon Taff with a region of Uganda (Mbala). Marga is involved with the road project there, but gave an overall and very interesting talk about a variety of aspects of the venture. The main purpose is not to provide funding, but to help the local people build on the skills they already have.

Membership Our thanks to Amanda for pointing out that the membership cards which can be found in the membership handbooks can be used to get discounts in various places. With this in mind this month’s printed Newsletters will be personalised to give you your Membership number which will be shown at the end of the newsletter. If you have not received a membership handbook, please speak to Erica who will be able to let you have one.

Supper Club
Again a very enthusiastic response from members who enjoyed their visit to Trattoria this month. If you haven’t tried it yet, please come and join us. The food really is very good and we take advantage of the “Early Bird Special”, so the cost isn’t too prohibitive either.

Reading Circle
No book chosen for this month – please read something of your own choice to share with other members

June Meeting
Jan Lewis will give us a talk on “Hats through the ages”.

YAWI Committee
We still need members to join our committee – if you don’t want to take on a specific role, we do still need Committee Members. We also need people to take charge of groups – so if you have any particular interests that you would like us to take on, you may be the best person to take charge of forming a group.
Your committee needs you !!! AND WE WILL SUPPORT YOU IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE

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.

Recipe of the Month

Looking ahead to what will hopefully be a good summer where we can think about sharing open air meals with friends and family – BBQ, etc, perhaps an easy pudding recipe would be appropriate.

Eton Mess

Ingredients
285 ml whipping cream
3 tbsp orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
350 g punnet strawberries, washed hulled and chopped
75 g meringues or meringue nests, crumbled.

Preparation
1. Lightly whip the cream then fold in the orange liqueur. Stir in the strawberries and the crumbled meringue and fold in lightly.
2. Transfer the mixture to individual sundae glasses and serve at once.

Source - http://www.ivillage.co.uk

Things to come.
It is difficult to realise how far into the year we are already. It will soon be necessary for us to think about making a booking for any Christmas festivities – yes it really will. If you have any suggestions that you might like us to consider please speak up and share them with us.
We are also hoping to arrange a day out during the summer. As a small group we are not enough in number to arrange a trip of our own, so the plan is to look at organised trips on offer from local bus companies so that we can join them. Again – if you have any ideas, please share them with us.

May – Reading Group 26th

June – Supper Club 3rd
Meeting 9TH
Reading Group 23rd

July - Supper Club 1st
Meeting 14th
Reading Group 28th

Please feel free to pass these dates on to anyone you think would be interested in joining us

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.

March/April 2010 Newsletter

2010-04-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome to our March/April Newsletter.

Hopefully we will be able to update you on anything you have missed over the last month or so.

Supper Club
At the beginning of March we had our first Supper Club meeting when we met at La Trattoria in Pontypridd High Street. Good food, good service and good company were enjoyed and anyone who thought that because we started at 6:30 we would be home in time for an early night would be wrong. We were enjoying ourselves so much they nearly had to eject us from the place at 10:00 pm. The April supper club didn’t have such good attendance as the first but was still very enjoyable. Although we are staying with La Trattoria for the next supper club, the venue is open to suggestions should anyone have any alternative ideas, but so that you will know the dates for your diaries – Supper Club will be on the first Thursday of each month.

Reading Circle
The first book chosen for the Reading circle was The Island by Victoria Hislop Unfortunately Lynne and Erica were not able to join in the discussion because they had started reading Small Island by Andrea Levy an entirely different story! There was no book chosen for the April book club, but members were invited to read a book of their own choosing and share their thoughts with others members of the reading circle. For those who have not yet been to the reading circle, the title of the book for May will be available at the next meeting. The reading circle meets on the last Wednesday of each month at Gelliwastad Road Club.

Calendar Girls Theatre Trip
Emma still has tickets available should anyone want to go on Friday 30th July at 7.30pm. Seats are in the upper circle and tickets are £15.00. Speak to Emma if you would like a ticket, but please note payment must be made at the May meeting.

March Meeting
We had a very interested and entertaining talk from two lady magistrates.They gave us an insight into their experiences on the bench over the last 20 years. Although some of the tales were quite humorous, on a more solemn note their experiences illustrated desperate conditions that lead some unfortunate people into crime and that although there are strict guidelines, the inidividual circumstances of each case must be considered.

April Meeting
Marie Williams and her friend Angela joined us in April to tell us about the benefits of holistic therapies. Marie is a Reiki master and offers a range of treatments, including reflexology and Indian head massage. Angela talked about crystal therapies and explained the essence of the different minerals she brought along with her. Again a very interesting presentation and lots of food for thought if you haven’t considered these treatments previously, or if you just want help in relaxing.

Monthly meetings
From January (although the snow prevented us from meeting in January) we thought we would try an earlier start to our monthly meetings – with the darker winter nights it might have been better for people to get home a little earlier. However the 7:00 pm start had not worked out well after discussion with members at out last meeting the majority felt the later start was easier. So meeting times – second Wednesday of each month with a 7:30 start.

May meeting – 12th May
June meeting - 9th June
July meeting – 14th July
August – no meeting

Please feel free to pass these dates on to anyone you think would be interested in joining us.

Marga Quince will be joining us for our May meeting to tell us about volunteering and in particular about the work with Pont – a charitable organisation based in Pontypridd that does valuable work overseas in Africa.

YAWI Secretary
Regrettably, Robin our YAWI Secretary has had to step down for personal reasons. If you have an organised brain and feel you would like to volunteer for this post please let us know as soon as possible.

Your committee needs you!

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 (not sure is “fellow members” is appropriate for a female group).

Our YAWI website – www.yawi.co.uk - is still rather “under construction” but you will find some information on there and all past newletters if there is something you think you have missed. And if you have anything to share you with your fellow members (there’s that fellow again) you can add your comments to the website. You can also email us at yawi@hotmail.co.uk.

Recipe for this issue is a very versatile Thai Green Curry. Takes about 30 minutes in total to make and tastes as if you’ve spent hours preparing it. This is a recipe that was available some years ago when Tesco used to have recipe leaflets around the store. There is also something very similar in a Weight Watchers cook book (so healthy to boot) and once you have the basic ingredients for the curry it can be adapted as a meat, fish or vegetarian dish.

1 can of coconut milk
¼ pint stock*
1 clove of garlic
4 lime leaves or a few drops of lime juice
2-4 teaspoons of Thai green curry paste – adjust to your own taste#
4 shallots halves
4 oz fine green beans
4 oz cherry tomatoes halved
12 – 14 oz white fish
chopped fresh coriander.

Place the coconut milk, stock, garlic and lime leaves and curry paste in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the shallots. Allow the mixture to bubble for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and fish and cook for a further 5 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and coriander and simmer for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Serve with boiled rice.

*This can be made just as easily with cooked chicken (great way to use any left over from roast), seafood cocktail fish mixture, quorn or other additional vegetables. Vary the stock you use according the ingredients.
# One recipe suggests 2-4 teaspoons of Thai green curry paste. 2 teaspoons gives a nice little bite, so it might be a good idea if you want to try this recipe you start here and increase the amount of curry paste next time you make it – and it’s so good you’re bound to want to make it again.

Bon Appetite!

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. Please note that Emma will be out of the country between 3-12th May and so it may cost you extra to call her at that time!

And here’s a thought seen at a local hairdressers which might be appropriate

If you like what we offer tell your friends
If you don’t like what we offer tell us – we’ll endeavour to improve.

Jan/Feb 2010 Newsletter

2010-04-13T03:02:00.001-07:00

If you missed the last meeting the newsletter will keep you up to date with what is happening with our Ynysangharad WI.

This is our newsletter and your views and contributions are important. If you have any news items, comments, recipes, gardening tips or anything that would be of interest to our group. Please contact us at yawi@hotmail.co.uk or speak to Emma at the meeting

February Meeting
It seemed like an age since we last met as the January meeting had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather. However, it was great to see some old (in membership and not age terms!!) faces and also to welcome some newer members.

Important decisions needed to be made as the group decided on the Committee for the coming year. Thanks were offered to those who had worked so hard over the last year to establish the Ynysangharad WI and provide a firm foundation for the new Committee to build upon.

Information on the new Committee listing can be found later in this Newsletter. Glamorgan Federation Vice Chairman Carolyn Davies (Pontyclun WI) was kind enough to come along and guide us through our first AGM and the group is indebted to her for her patience and guidance. We also welcomed, and gratefully accepted, an apology from the Federation for the late provision of record keeping books and other literature which will help the Committee with the organisation and running of our WI group. These were not received by YAWI for some months after the groups’ inception but are now fully available to aid us in going forward.

Carolyn also delivered our yearly financial report which had been audited for us. We end the year with a not unhealthy balance of £638.80. However, we need to be mindful of the fact that we received a greater proportion of member’s subs last year and must include some fundraising in our programme this year to enable us to remain afloat.

Talking of subs…. These are still due for those of you who have not yet paid. Please bring £29.50 in either cash or a cheque with you to the March 10th meeting so that we can tick you off the list.

As well as all the important administrative business, we also had a very interesting speaker at the February meeting. This was Siobhan Scullion, Acting Director of Pontypridd Woman’s Aid. Siobhan delivered an interesting and engaging talk packed with facts and figures outlining the situation regarding domestic abuse in the UK. The umbrella of domestic abuse is now seen to cover not just violence but also psychological, verbal and financial abuse. We were intrigued to find out that the Pontypridd Women’s Aid remit covers not just women but also children and that they undertake several different forms of support: outreach and children’s services as well as the more recognised refuge provision.

Siobhan explained how our sister Pontypridd WI provide ‘Welcome Packs’ containing toiletries and other bits and pieces that are given to women on first arrival at a Pontypridd Woman’s Aid refuge (as often the women arrive with nothing). The group discussed the possibility of providing ‘Leaving Packs’ containing useful items when setting up home which could be given to women/families when leaving the refuge and it was decided to investigate this as an ongoing support to Pontypridd Women’s Aid.

New President and Commitee
The group were sad to see the stepping down of Lyn Daunton who has led the group so steadfastly during our inaugural year and who gave a lovely summing up of the achievements of YAWI over the last year. However, we were also glad to welcome our new President Emma Gwynnett who promises to lead us through with much enthusiasm during the coming year. We also welcome Lynne Harries as Vice President, Robin Seaton as Secretary and Pat Porch taking on the unenviable role as Treasurer. Special mention should be made of Jan Davies and Margaret Hill who made such a sterling effort to establish these roles under the last committee and who did their utmost best, at times with little information. Margaret Perry also sits on the new Committee and has been working hard with Pat to provide a new and exciting programme for 2010.

We are still a very small Committee, so if anyone would like to offer any assistance they would be gratefully received. The more members on the Committee we have, the less work for individuals so please help support your group!

YAWI 2010 Programme/Dates for the Diary
The draft programme is taking shape nicely and is expected to be ready for distribution by the March meeting. Please see the new ‘Dates for the Diary’ sheet which we will be providing each month. This has a rolling timetable of all the events coming up over the next few months (YAWI on one side and Federation on the other) and also deadlines for getting your name down/money in. See Emma if there is anything you fancy doing 

March events
For those of you who like their food, the new ‘Supper Club’ has it’s inaugural meeting on Wednesday 3rd March. We will be meeting at The Trattoria on Taff St. Pontypridd at 6.30pm. There is a special 2 course option available for just £7.95. No need to book your place, just turn up! After this first outing, the ‘Supper Club’ will be changing nights to a Thursday (at the request of members) and will be meeting the first Thursday of the month thereafter. If the reputation of The Trattoria is correct there should be no reason to change the venue but like all groups, members will be free to discuss and make changes.

Also, in March- this time Wednesday 24th March at 6.30pm, there will also be a meeting of the ‘Reading Circle’. The first book to be discussed will be The Island by Victoria Hislop and the meeting will take place at The Gelliwastad Club & Institute, which is right next door to our usual meeting place on Gelliwastad Rd, Pontypridd. Again there is no need to book a place, you just need to turn up and enjoy! Drinks and crisps will be available to purchase at the bar. Members will have the opportunity to choose future books for reading/discussion and also to influence the meeting day if inconvenient for a large number.

Calendar Girls Theatre Trip
We are trying to organise a trip to see Calendar Girls which is showing in the summer at the Wales Millenium Centre at Cardiff Bay. This outing will take place on either Friday 30th or Saturday 31st July 2010, with the first choice being the Saturday matinee. The date is dependent on numbers and availability of seats when booking (the final date will be checked with deposit paying members prior to booking). Bring £20 to the March meeting to secure your place.

Start Time of Meetings
It has been decided that the start time of meetings will be brought forward to 7pm. The reason for this is so that there is an increased amount of time for members to chat and socialise after business and the speaker. Please don’t forget!

Recipe of the Month
Due to the volume of information in this months’ Newsletter, Recipe of the Month will be back in March! Please submit your favourite dishes for inclusion.

And finally…Please remember that our next meeting is on Wednesday, March 10th 2010 at 7.00 pm. We hope that even if you have missed a few meetings you know that we would be delighted to have you back and we look forward to welcoming you at Temple Baptist Hall.

Our speaker will be Binkie Thomas who will be entertaining us with tales of life as a local magistrate.

Please don’t forget to bring your £29.50 subs and to have a good think about whether you’d like to join our Committee.

If you can’t wait that long, you can always pop along to ‘Supper Club’ on March 3rd and join us for a tasty gathering 

Website and Email Contact
The YAWI website address is www.yawi.co.uk and you can email us at yawi@hotmail.co.uk

You can also leave a message for Emma on 01443 662138 and she will endeavour to get back to you.

December 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-24T01:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Ynysangharad member,

If you missed the last meeting the newsletter will keep you up to date with what is happening with our Ynysangharad WI.

This is our newsletter and your views and contributions are important. If you have any news items, comments, recipes, gardening tips or anything that would be of interest to our group. Please contact us at yawi@hotmail.co.uk or speak to Emma at the meeting

December Meeting

December saw the Christmas Extravaganza with an earlier 7pm start and people braving the cold to join in the fun. Sparkly headpieces and earrings abounded and we had a few fancy dresses- Emma as a Christmas Fairy and Marie as an imaginative Christmas present!
Several people had brought bottles and all settled down to the quiz with a glass of something warming or a cup of tea. After what seemed an interminable wait the hot food arrived. The portions were absolutely huge and the food hot , tasty and great value for less than £5 for a choice of 2 chicken breasts, large cod or a pizza with your chips. Thanks to the Mighty Cod for the full tummies!
Thanks also to Gwenda for the Xmas quiz as well- who knew that we all knew so much about Christmas.

January meeting- Subs and Commitee

Members should bear in mind that this years subs of £29.50 are due at the next meeting. Please bring yours in a sealed envelope marked with your name. This will also be our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and so there will be no speaker. We will be choosing our committee for the coming year, so please make sure that you put yourself forward if you’d like to be involved. There will be a short quiz if there is time.

Glamorgan Federation Events

The Diary Dates 2010 are available on the Glamorgan Federation newsletter which can be seen at the meetings. If you see any trips or events that you think would be of interest to our WI please make sure that you bring it to the attention of the Committee- or you might like to arrange a trip yourself….

Ynysangharad WI 2010 Programme

The 2010 programme has still to be finalised. If you have any preferences of who YOU would like to see come and talk to us during the coming year please let the Committee know. Although we do our best to provide you with a fun and varied programme, we would love to have more input from you the members- come on, get involved to shape the WI that you would like.

Photographic record

You might not know that we are now able to upload our photos onto the YYAWI website. If you have taken any photos of YAWI events or you fancy yourself as a bit of a David (Davina!) Bailey, then please can you email or give a disc of the photos to Emma so that she can start putting them up as nice record of what the group has been up to?

Recipe of the Month

Waistbands will be groaning after all the Christmas excesses, so this month we have a delicious and hearty but healthy vegetarian soup to kickstart those January fitness plans..

Potato and Roast Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients
4 red peppers
55g/2oz butter
425g/15oz potatoes, peeled and diced to 5mm/1/3in
110g/4oz onions, diced to 1/3in dice
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
900ml/1½pt home-made chicken stock or vegetable stock
120ml/4fl oz creamy milk
sprigs of flatleaf parsley
roasted chillies (optional)
Method
1. Roast or chargrill the peppers for 10-15 minutes in the oven and then leave to cool in a plastic bag.
2. Peel and deseed, save the sweet juices and carefully purée the flesh with the juices. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them in the butter until well coated.
4. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with a butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat on a gentle heat for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured add the boiling stock and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
6. Add the milk. purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Just before serving, swirl the red pepper purée through the soup or simply drizzle on top of each bowl. Top with some snipped flat parsley. You might try adding one or two roast chillies to the pepper for a little extra buzz - serrano or jalapeno are good.

Please remember that our next meeting is on Wednesday January 13th 2010 at 7.30pm. We hope to see you then

November 2009 newsletter

2009-11-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Even though the weather was appalling –the usual rain - we had a reasonable attendance of members for the evening.

Another new member joined us, Angela Lewis, and congratulations were given as she recently achieved her MBA !

November Speaker

Our speaker this month was:

Karen Phillips – Absolute Perfection

Karen runs her own business at:

17 Park Street, Treforest, Pontypridd and

can be contacted on: 01443 405500

Email: absoluteperfeti@aol.com

Absolute Perfection provides a comprehensive approach to health and wellness, by incorporating western therapies based in science and technology, as well as eastern therapies steeped
in centuries of tradition. They pride ourselves in being innovative, constantly evolving, and balanced in their approach. The facility is warm, comfortable and the staff rivals the industry's best. They don't take themselves too seriously, only the services and products they offer, and satisfying their customer’s expectations.

(Facials, Luxury Facials, Body Treatments, Hands and Feet. Special Offers on a monthly basis.)

Karen did a makeover demonstration on Angela Lewis, showing what cosmetics she was using and the technique. Karen answered questions during the demonstration.

Thank you Karen for an interesting evening, and I am sure you will be seeing our W.I. members at Absolute Perfection.

November Raffle Prize

Absolute Perfection Makeover on W.I. evening

Won by: Angela Lewis

Committee Members

We are still looking for members to run extra clubs re lunches/theatre and cinema visits/reading – whatever.

Refreshments Rota

We also need volunteers to help out for 9 December and put their names down for next year. Please see Gwenda Matthews with your names.

Forthcoming W.I. Events

23 Nov – Deck the Halls, St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Starts at 10am

25 Nov – Light A Candle Service, Llandaff Cathedral

12noon-1pm

1 Dec – Lunch at The Angel, Abergavenny

12.15pm

Colour Competition

No competition next month.

NEXT Month’s Meeting – 9 December

The 9th December will be our Christmas spectacular with quizzes, hot supper (delivered), optional Crimbo fancy dress and the opportunity to win a lovely silver bracelet. Starting at the earlier time of 7pm. JOin us for fun and frolics!!

Annual Meeting!

Wednesday January 14th will be our annual meeting. This means our subscriptions of £29.50 are due, so please bring them in an envelope with your name on to make our Treasurers job easier. We will also have the opportunity to vote in the President for the next year and make any changes to the Commitee that are requested.

Recipe of the Month - Seasonal

Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

This recipe will stuff a 10-pound turkey (which serves six) plus extra. The usual pork sausage has been replaced with much healthier turkey sausage. Other dried fruits may also be used in place of cranberries.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time : 25 mins
Ready In: 1 Hr 40 mins
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
*

3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
*

1 pound ground turkey sausage
*

1 cup chopped onion
*

3/4 cup chopped celery
*

2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
*

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
*

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*

1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
*

3/4 cup dried cranberries
*

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
*

1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
*

3/4 cup turkey stock
*

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.

2.

In a large pan, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavours.
3.

Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

Recipe taken from: Allrecipes.com - Thanksgiving
Next month perhaps some of our members can provide us with some information on Deck The Halls, for those of us unable to attend ?

Contact Details: yawi@hotmail.co.uk

October 2009 Newsletter

2009-10-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Ynysangharad member,

Well, we’ve started our ‘new term’ so to speak, and we are slowly getting our systems sorted out. Don’t forget to notify us if you have formally joined this W.I. Group and are not receiving your newsletters etc, and we can look into it for you.

We should appreciate any items you would like placed in the newsletter or something you might have of interest ? Perhaps a recipe ? Would you like company to do something ? Try us, and we will do our best to help you.

October Speaker

Our speaker this month was our own:

Margaret Hill – EFT
Emotional Freedom Technique

Margaret gave a humorous yet thought provoking presentation on EFT. It must have been quite a sight with a room full of ladies tapping their heads. Unfortunately, one lady still will not give up her chocolate !! I am sure Margaret will provide further information if you ask her.

She is a trained Holistic Therapist and her details are: margaret@health-at-hand.co.uk or 01443 412021.

Federation Dinner at the Hi-Tide, Porthcawl

After a number of our members were unable to attend the above Dinner, twelve members eventually went. Approximately 200 women were there from surrounding areas within Glamorgan, so the Porthcawl venue was an ideal place for travelling purposes. A hot beef dinner was served, followed by apple pie and custard, then coffee. Although some of our vegetarian friends did not have such good fare. Owen

Money proved to be on top form, and I believe everyone enjoyed themselves. Fortunately, the Ynysangharad group were able to sit together, and yet again two of our members won the raffle.

Daffodils to Leeches – 7 Oct 09

Two talks with a difference. The first speaker was a trained herbalist (dressed as a Welsh lady), Jayne Milner - who practices in North Wales. She outlined part of the history of the use of herbs and oils, and spoke at length on how sage, cinnamon etc assists numerous ailments from hot flushes to diabetes. If you want to access further information try:

www.jaynemilner.com OR http://www/herbalremediesinfo.com/

Jayne did stress that people on medication should check that taking herbal remedies might impact upon prescribed medicine.
The second speaker was Kevin Stephens, the Chief Executive of a Company called Alzheim Ltd, based in Talgarth. This Company has grown a valley of a certain species of daffodils, and extract galanthamine (a part of the daffodil bulb) which has proven successful in stemming the progression of Alzheimer’s. They are now seeking a business partner to take this one step further from the research stage to produce an acceptable ‘pill’. Unfortunately, with all new drugs this is extremely expensive and has yet to be passed by NICE.

The attendance at the talks was extremely good, with another planned for the next day for more W.I. members.
Erica Hills gave a brief talk on the event to members at the October meeting, and if you want more information this can be obtained from the web, or ask us as we have copies.

October Raffle Prize

Set of 2 cocktail glasses

Committee Members

We have two new committee members – Pat Porch and Margaret Perry. If you would like
to volunteer and join them, be sure to let us know at the next meeting or via the contact details over the page. Your views and support is needed so much to mould our W.I.

Refreshments Rota

We also need volunteers to help out here as well for 11 Nov and 9 Dec.

Recipe of the Month

Melon and Feta Salad

To make this recipe work, choose a ripe, sweet melon with a nice aromatic smell. If you cannot find a ripe melon, it’s better to use a different fruit, such as a ripe mango or even strawberries. The feta can be left out, and fried bacon bits may be added.

Ingredients 2–3 small portions

1 spring onion
Sprig of fresh parsley
About 25g feta cheese cubes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons flaxseed or olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 very small cantaloupe melon

Method

Wash and chop the spring onion finely. Chop the parsley finely. Crumble the feta cheese.

Mix the spring onion with the parsley, lemon juice, oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Cut the melon into three wedges and scoop out the seeds. Remove the skin from the melon, cut the flesh into pieces and put them in a bowl.

Mix the feta and spring onion dressing thoroughly with the melon. Place each melon skin wedge on a small plate and spoon over 2–3 good tablespoons of melon salad.

Tip: This melon salad can be kept in the fridge for at least a day (so there is no need to eat it all in one go).

For a family of four: Double the ingredients and serve as a starter.

(Recipe taken from an article on Good Health, which appeared on the Saga website).

Colour Competition

For our next meeting the fun competition is centred around the colour PINK. Just light entertainment as part of the evening, and is not compulsory.

NEXT MONTH

11 November 2009 at 7.30pm

Our speaker is:

Karen Phillips - Absolute Perfection
Beauty and Skincare for the Festive Season
Christmas Lunch – 1 Dec 09 - Abergavenny

Only 7 members so far. Deposits needed at next meeting (£11.50).

Contact Details

yawi@hotmail.co.uk
Lyn Daunton 01443 664768
Lynne Harris 01443 482274

You can still access the Ynysangharad W.I. website on: www.yawi.co.uk if you want to
pick up your newsletter and additional W.I. information. You will receive a copy by mail
if you do not have access to a computer.

September 2009 Newsletter

2009-09-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hello Ynysangharad member,

Welcome back following the summer break. We hope everyone has re-charged their batteries and are now raring to go for the autumn. For those who missed our September meeting here is an update of our news, and a memory check for those who were there!

This is the members’ newsletter and your views are important. Contact details can be found over the page if you would like to include something.

You should now be in receipt of your programme for the year, but at every meeting there will be additional events put forward from the main W.I. Federation, and possible amendments.

September Speaker

The speaker for this month was:
Sheenagh Pugh – Welsh Poet and Novelist.
Sheenagh gave a fascinating insight into how she structured her poems and novels, and gave readings from a selection of her publications. In fact, two of her fans came from another W.I. to listen to her talk.

Thank you Sheenagh.

Raffle Winner

The raffle winner – of the lovely Rennie McKintosh china set was Janet Davies.

Well deserved!

Visit

We had a visit at the September meeting from our Glamorgan Federation Chair - Pam Dinham accompanied by Claire Atherton - Federation Treasurer. We hope you enjoyed the evening ladies, and we look forward to seeing you again.

Next Month

Our speaker next month is:

Margaret Hill
EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique
October 2009 at 7.30pm

Following a brief trial of the speaker starting the meeting, the feedback from our advisor was that we should revert back to having our speaker after the refreshments.

Group News

We are still looking for someone to take on board starting some of our subgroups. These groups are: Reading, Walking, Theatre and a Lunch Club or any other subject. This will not be a major task, as you will be given help, and the members’ enthusiasm usually helps. Please come forward and try to see if it will work, after all it is your W.I.

Walk in August

The weather could not have been better when our W.I. Secretary - Jan Davies organised the first walk on Saturday, 25 July from The Navigation, Abercynon. Eight people went on the 5 mile walk, when they called in to the Charity Garden at Pontygwaith Farm for refreshments and a tour around the garden.

The people who open this garden to the public give the donations to the McMillan Fund.
Following the visit to the gardens the group had a meal in The Navigation Pub. Everyone who went on the walk said they enjoyed the day. So successful in fact, they are waiting for the next walk to be arranged !

Thank you Janice, (and for Erica giving a brief talk on it at the meeting).

Committee Members

We are still looking for committee members to help out. If you would like to volunteer be sure to let us know at the next meeting or via the contact details over the page. Your views and support is needed so much to mould our W.I.

Our Website

The Ynysangharad W.I. website is: www.yawi.co.uk if you want to pick up your newsletter and additional W.I. information.

Refreshment Rota

Gwenda Matthews is currently organising the rota. If you can, and if you haven’t put your name down on the refreshment rota yet, we have a few meetings left to take us through the rest of the year, and start us off for next year. Your help would be appreciated as everyone enjoys a ‘cuppa’ during the meeting. Please see Gwenda at the next meeting to offer her help. I am sure she will be delighted to speak to you.

Dates: 14 Oct, 11 Nov, 9 Dec.

Reminders

Hi Tide Dinner – 30 Sept 09
Daffodils to Leeches – 7 Oct 09
Possible Christmas Lunch – 1 Dec 09

Recipe of the Month - Something different ?

Sausage and Carrot Casserole & Apple Gravy

Serves 4 Ready in 50 mins

Heat 1tsp of oil in casserole dish, and brown 12 Lincolnshire sausages. Remove. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 peeled and diced carrots, 4 diced rashers of streaky bacon and 1 sliced leek to dish. Cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in 1tsp plain flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly blend in 200mil apple juice and 100ml chicken stock. Bring to boil, add sausages and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add 2 peeled, cored and diced apples, and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1tsp wholegrain mustard and 1tbsp finely chopped sage.

Serve with mash.

Do you have a favourite recipe we can use?

Please let us know!

Colour Competition

For our next meeting the fun competition is centred around the colour BLACK. This is just light entertainment as part of the evening, and is not compulsory.

Contact Details

yawi@hotmail.co.uk
Lyn Daunton 01443 664768
Lynne Harris 01443 482274

Christmas Meal – please note

Details of our Christmas Lunch at the Angel Hotel in Abergvenny will be given at the 14 October meeting, but a deposit of £11.50 will be required on the night. Total cost of meal £23.00. Menu will be available to see.

July 2009 Newsletter

2009-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Ynysangharad member,

If you missed the July meeting the newsletter will keep you up to date with what is happening with our Ynysangharad WI.

This is our newsletter and your views and contributions are important. If you have any news items, comments, recipes, gardening tips or anything that would be of interest to our group. Please contact Lyn on 01443 664768

July Speaker

Our speaker this month was Colin Hill who gave a very interesting but a somewhat disturbing talk about the toxicity of the products we use on a daily basis. He made us think about the chemicals in our shampoo, toothpaste, kitchen cleaner and even in washed salad and the effect they may have on us. He also said that it is sometimes very challenging to find out what is in the product and he demonstrated this by using a magnifying glass to find out the ingredients in a child’s bubble bath. We were shocked that all sorts of chemicals were added to make it smell good, to give it a good colour and to prolong its shelf life. It's unlikely that you'd feel safe with your grandchildren using it! He pointed out that we are surrounded by toxins, some we can’t avoid like breathing in polluted air but we can avoid others and we should become more aware of hidden toxins for the sake of our health. Many thanks to Colin for a very thought provoking discussion.

Events and Clubs

Walking Club

25 July - 4 mile (approx) walk from The Navigation Pub in Abercynon starting at 11.00 am and stopping for refreshments at the Open Charity Garden at Pontygwaith Farm. The walk is now fully booked but we will put on another one soon. For those of you who are going on the walk please remember to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking. Please contact Jan if you have any queries 01443 203606.

Glamorgan Federation Events

30 September - Dinner with Owen Money at the Hi Tide Inn, Porthcawl. The evening starts at 7.00 pm. Please contact Jan if you would like to join us of if you have any queries. 01443 203606

7 October - "From Leeches to Daffodils" Ystradowen Village Hal l- a talk by Jayne Milner, historical re-enactor, clinical herbalist and roving apothecary.
2.00-5.00 pm. No further bookings can be taken.

Ynysangharad WI Summer Trip

22nd August – 'Alice through the Looking Glass' at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales nr Carmarthen.
The trip will cost £20 per person and includes transport and admittance but not lunch so please bring either a packed lunch or refreshments are available in one of the cafes at the Gardens.

We intend to leave Pontypridd at 9:30am which will hopefully give everyone enough time to look around the garden and enjoy the tour before the theatre event starts at 2:30pm. We will leave the Gardens at approx. 4:00pm.

There is no additional charge for the performances in addition to the normal admission prices, so the £20 is a flat rate for all.

The Gardens have said that we need to be aware that these are outdoor theatre events and will take place outside (that is not undercover and definitely not indoors) in all but the most extreme weather conditions. So it is advisable to bring blankets/shawls, warm clothes and low-backed seating if you'd prefer not to spread out on a picnic rug.

If you have not yet signed up to the trip but would like to go, please contact Lyn Daunton on 01443 664768 by the 25th July 2009- as we need to arrange transport and inform the Botanical Gardens of numbers for the theatre and tour.

Colour Competition

Eight people brought ‘orange’ things all of which displayed very imaginative thinking. The competition was judged by Colin, our speaker who chose the very well constructed clockwork orange . Next months competition colour is Violet.

Please remember that there is no August meeting due to our trip to the Botanical Gardens. Our next meeting is on September 9th.

Our September speaker will be:
Sheenagh Pugh - Welsh Woman Poet and Novelist

June 2009 Newsletter

2009-06-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all, and here already is the second Ynysangharad WI Newsletter!

If you missed the last meeting, hopefully the newsletter will keep you up to date with what is happening on what we have to offer and how we are progressing.

We are still waiting for all your exciting articles and if you missed the 10th June meeting, you will find details below.

This is the members newsletter and your views are important. Contact details can be found over the page.

You should now be in receipt of your programme for the year, but at every meeting there will be additional events put forward from the main W.I. Federation.

June Speaker

The speaker for this month was Aisling Judge who demonstrated to the group how to plant two different hanging baskets to attract bees.

The first basket was a semi weave one containing plants for a sunny aspect, with dahlias. The second basket was for the shade, constructed of moss and compost with lobelia, apple mint, chives, ivy and a fuchsia in the centre.

Aisling’s advice was when planting hanging baskets to keep the compost dry, but to wet the plants. Hanging baskets can dry out, and sometimes watering from the top is ineffective and just runs through, so take the basket down and soak from the bottom by placing it in a wheelbarrow (if available) or a large pot/bowl to absorb the water. You can tell if watering is required by placing your hand under the basket and if it feels light, it needs water.

The raffle winner chose the basket for a sunny aspect, and the shady basket was offered for sale for £10. Both members were equally pleased !

Many thanks for Aisling for an interesting demonstration.

Happy basket filling........

Next Month
Our speaker next month is: Colin Hill

Toxic Shop! Health Challenges We Face
8th July 2009 at 7.30pm

Members decided at the last meeting that they would prefer the speaker to start the meeting, and then we have refreshments and finish with the business. It was agreed to try this.

Groups News!

We are still developing as a new W.I. group and more members started to sign up for the 4 new subgroups. These groups were: Reading, Walking, Theatre and a Lunch Club. Jan Davies is proposing to organise a walk sometime in August. The date - to be confirmed.

Committee Members

Two new members offered to join the committee and we now have an archivist
as well. Please don’t be shy... we are still looking for committee members to help out and so if you like to volunteer be sure to let us know at the next meeting or via the contact details over the page. Your views and support is needed.

August Trip

Ynysangharad WI Summer Trip 22nd August – Alice through the Looking Glass. If anyone would like to go on this trip please contact Lyn Daunton on 01443 664768 by the 25th July as we need to arrange transport and inform the Botanical gardens. The trip will now cost £20 per person which will include transport and admittance but not lunch so please bring a packed lunch although refreshments are available.

We intend to leave Pontypridd at 9:30, which will hopefully give everyone enough time to look around the garden and or join a tour before the theatre event starts. We will leave at around 4:00 (ish).

Alice starts at 2.30pm on the Millennium Lawn

For Alice, there is no additional charge for the performances in addition to the normal admission prices.

Visitors are also encouraged to bring picnics, rugs and low-backed seating.

Please be aware, these are outdoor theatre events and will take place outside (that is not undercover and definitely not indoors) in all but the most extreme weather conditions.

Website and Email Contact

The Ynysangharad W.I. website is up and running that you can visit at www.yawi.co.uk The website has a chat facility so that you can leave messages for other members on the site. You can also use the email address yawi@hotmail.co.uk as a contact email address and please feel free to share this with any potential members.

Refreshment Rota

If you can, and you haven’t got your name down on the refreshment rota yet, we have a few gaps left to take us through the rest of the year, so your help would be appreciated.

Recipe of the Month

Sensational Summer Pudding

225g blueberries 225g strawberries
340g raspberries 150g caster sugar
Knob of butter
7-8 slices of good quality white bread

Method

Rinse all the fruit. Put fruit and sugar in a large saucepan – medium heat for approx 4 minutes until sugar dissolved and juices begin to run. Don’t overcook. Lightly butter an 850ml pudding basin, line with bread slices, cutting a round from one slice to fit the bottom of the basin, pressing edges together so there are no gaps. Pour fruit in, keeping back 2tsp of juice. Cover pudding with another slice of bread. Place a small saucer/plate on top, with a 1.5kg weight on top. Leave in fridge overnight. Turn out onto a large dish and spoon juice over. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Do you have any recipes we can use?
Please let us know

Orange Competition

For our next meeting, it was voted that members would have a fun competition and bring along something orange with a slogan of some sort as a description.

Other W.I’s have done this and it has proved to provide some light entertainment as part of the evening.

Contact Details

Email: yawi@hotmail.co.uk

Emma Gwynnett 01443 483777 (daytime)
Lyn Daunton 01443 664768
Lynne Harris 01443 482274

May 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all and welcome to the first Ynysangharad WI Newsletter!

It is hoped that this newsletter will be produced every month and will allow members to keep up to date with what is happening in the group. As it is your newsletter please make sure that you are as involved as possible in bringing news or items of interest forward so that they can be shared. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.

An initial programme has also been produced and can download one on the left or can get one at the next meeting.

Happy reading :)

May Speaker

This month’s speaker was Sheena Sarjeant who gave the group an interesting and informative guide to cooking with exotic fruits. Everyone had the opportunity to taste a wide range of fruits, including sharon, papaya and dragon fruits and also sampled Sheena’s delicious ‘Chicken Kiwi’ and ‘Passion Fruit Pavlova’. You can find Sheena’s recipe for Lemon or Lime Curd further down the page…..

June Speaker

‘Baskets and Bees’ is the title of our June talk with a demonstration by Aisling Judge on how to produce a perfect hanging basket. She will also be offering advice on what plants to use to entice bees into your garden- this is in line with this year’s WI ‘SOS Honey Bees’ resolution. N.B: You can also win Aisling’s basket in the raffle!

Groups News!

We are still finding our feet as a new W.I. group but the last meeting saw members starting to sign up for 4 new subgroups. These were: Reading Group; Walking Group; Theatre Group and a Lunch Club. If you would like to join one of these groups please let a commitee member know (contact details further down the page). It is hoped that members will come forward to take over these groups, so please also let us know if you’d be happy to lead one of these (or a new!) group. They need your help and input to flourish!

Committee Members

We are still looking for committee members to help out and so if you like to volunteer be sure to let us know at the next meeting or via the contact details at the bottom of the page.

Lunch Club

It is proposed that the first Lunch Club meeting takes place on Tuesday 23rd June from 12-2pm at Alfred’s in Pontypridd. Alfred’s have very kindly agreed to let us use them as a base and they have a special (delicious looking) two
course lunch menu available for £8.95. If you would like to join the Lunch Club can you please bring a £5 deposit to the next meeting so that we can secure a table.

August Trip- Getting Voting!

The planning for the first August trip is well under way and group members need to cast their vote for the date they’d like. The trip will be to the National Botanic Gardens nr Carmarthen and will include transport to and from Pontypridd, a guided tour of the gardens, a light lunch and an open air theatre performance.

The choice of dates are: Saturday 8th August – A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Saturday 22nd August- Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Members can vote up until the end of the June 10th meeting for their choice of date and the majority vote will carry. You can submit your vote by ‘phone, email or in person at the June 10th meeting. Tickets will be £25 all inclusive and a £10 deposit needs to be submitted at the 8th July meeting at the latest. All lady friends of members welcome (subject to availability).

Website and Email Contact

As you can see! TWe have the new Ynysangharad W.I. website up and running that you are visiting here at www.yawi.co.uk Members present at the May meeting decided that ‘yawi’ (standing for Ynys Anghard WI) was snappier than ynysangharadwi.co.uk and so yawi it was! The website has a chat facility on the home page so that you can leave messages for other members on the site. You can also use the email address yawi@hotmail.co.uk as a contact email address and please feel free to share this with any potential members.

Free Email and Internet Training

For those of you not comfortable with Information Technology, you will be able to access news and information via the newsletter. However, if you would like to learn how to get onto the ‘information super highway’ , Pontypridd Library has kindly offered to run a FREE 4 week course for our W.I. members. This will run at the library on a Thursday morning 11-12. If you are interested please contact Emma as soon as possible.

Refreshment Rota

If you haven’t got your name down on the refreshment rota yet, make sure you sign up next meeting as there are still some gaps left. The June 10th refreshments are being organised by Pat Porch and Margaret Perry- thanks ladies!

Recipe of the month!

Sheena’s lemon or lime curd kicks off our new ‘Recipe of the Month’ section. You could use this is a lemon tart, lemon meringue pie or spread it on your toast in the morning!

Lemon (or Lime) Curd

½ pt fresh juice from approx 6 lemon or limes
½ pt eggs, beaten and strained
200g butter
725g granulated sugar

Method

After removing the zest of the lemons with a potato peeler, squeeze well to make up ½ pt juice.

Mix the juice, zest, butter and sugar together in a bowl and either set over a pan of water on the stove or heat in the microwave until all the sugar is dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool.

Add the beaten eggs and either set over a pan of water on the stove or microwave until the mixture has thickened to the desired consistency.

If you have a favourite meal or tasty treat that you’d like to share, make sure you bring the recipe to the next meeting!

Contact Details

Email: yawi@hotmail.co.uk

Lyn Daunton 01443 664768
Lynne Harris 01443 482274