· Web viewNorth Yorkshire West Federation November /December 2016 Federation Office: Alma House, Low St Agnesgate, Ripon HG4 1NG Federation Chairman: Pauline Bowman Federation Treasurer:Lesley

CHATSWORTH FLOWER

SHOWTHURSDAY 8TH JUNE 2017

Federation Office: Alma House, Low St Agnesgate, Ripon HG4 1NGFederation Chairman: Pauline BowmanFederation Treasurer: Lesley Manser Federation Secretary: Michelle GraceyFederation Editor: Vicky Carr Editor Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01765 606339 Office Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.thewi.org.uk/northyorkshirewest Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 9.30am –12 noon and 1.00pm – 3pmOffice Closed All Day Wednesday and Friday: No phone calls or visitors please NYWFWI Charity Reg. No. 513934

November/December 2016

North Yorkshire West Federation

Join us for a day trip to this brand new RHS Flower Show at the spectacular stately home. Members £50 including entry to the show and luxury coach travel.

Booking closes on 13th December 2016 to enable us to take advantage of special group entry rates.

Chairman’s ReportMy visits out and about continue and I am loving them. On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon I  input the postcode for Ingleton to my satnav and set off to present the prizes at the Ingleborough group show. The scenery was quite breathtaking and the exhibits at the show were of the highest standard. The welcome I received was as warm as the weather and again I was made to feel like royalty as a very pretty little girl in a very pretty dress came forward and presented me with a beautiful pot plant. I really enjoyed the afternoon and hope to meet up with the ladies from Ingleborough group again

soon. Having made the journey I do empathise with the difficulties they encounter to attend events and workshops in the Ripon/Harrogate area. I promised them I would look to bring the show to them more often and I can assure them I am working on doing just that.

The following Saturday saw me and my satnav on the road again when I was invited to present prizes at Bedale Group show. Again the sun shone and the exhibits left me in awe of all you talented ladies out there. Again it was so nice to chat to so many members of our Federation and the lunch and afternoon tea were delicious. 

Only one week later I found myself back in Bedale at our Autumn Extravaganza where I had the opportunity to meet so many more of you. It was an excellent day, the speakers performed to their best and for myself, as this was my first event as your Chair, I ended the day already enthusiastically planning the next event. Watch this space! Of course this was not the end of our programme as so many of you also enjoyed the History Wardrobe and Food and Flowers. 

I am also delighted to report that I have been working with the Communications and PR committee and they have now resolved the issue with non delivery of email copies of the newsletter. Well done ladies! In addition they have been working on a new design for the newsletter. This will now be produced in full colour, and as A5 size rather than A4 – just right for your handbag. We will trial this for the first three months of next year and welcome your

feedback and depending on what you tell us, we will make the decision to continue with this format or revert to the A4 size we have now.

All of your Committees are working hard to provide you with the best ever programme, something for everyone. If you feel that we have not provided something for you, let me know, I need to know to make it better.

I am pleased to say I have now received invitations to visit Institutes next year and they are already diarised.

Now I cannot believe that this is the last newsletter of the year. The last six months have flown by and there is still so much to do to make you proud of your Federation, but my fellow Board of Trustees are all ready to hit the ground running next year.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year and if we have not already met, I hope to meet with you in 2017.

Chatsworth Flower ShowThursday 8th June 2017

Join us for the ultimate gardener's day out! This is the first new RHS flower show in more than a decade and it is coming to the stunning surroundings of Chatsworth House. The landscaping of Capability Brown is a perfect setting for a celebration of all things horticultural and our trip to the event is likely to be hugely popular with members, so book quickly to avoid disappointment!

Members £50 including entry to the show and luxury coach travel.

Coach pick-up points: Ingleton, Long Preston, Settle, Skipton, Bainbridge, Bedale, Leyburn, Ripon, Ripley, Harrogate.

Booking closes on 13th December 2016 to enable us to take advantage of special group

Dates for your Diary

Date Event/Competition Time Venue Booking fromNov

10th Dabble Day 10am – 4pm Alma House Now24th Food & Flowers 10.30am Skipton Town Hall SOLD

OUT30th Resolution Selection Meeting 7pm Alma House NowDec16th Christmas Floral workshop 10am – 4pm Alma House NowJan 201725th Knitting: Moving On 10am – 3.30pm Alma House NowFeb 201715th Help Yourself to a Healthier

Lifestyle10am – 3.30pm Littlethorpe Now

21st Jewellery Making 10am – 4pm Alma House Now23rd Emergency First Aid at Work TBC Alma House Now28th Patchwork UFO 10am – 4pm Alma House NowMar 20172nd History of Saltaire 2pm Alma House Now4th Beginners' and Improvers'

Crochet10am – 4pm Alma House Now

8th Baking Techniques 6.30 – 9pm Alma House Now15th International Day 10am for

10.30amLittlethorpe

18th Decorated Terracotta Plant Pots 10am – 4pm Alma House Now21st Stained Glass Workshop 10am – 4pm Alma House Now27th Speakers Snippets 7pm – 9pm Littlethorpe NowJun 20178th Chatsworth Flower Show Full day Chatsworth,

DerbyshireNow

Chairman's invitationAre you interested in joining a Sub-committee? Could you be the fresh blood we are looking for?Do you feel you would like to be more involved at Federation level? If the answer is 'yes', I would love to hear from you! Any member can join a Sub-committee as an observer for three consecutive meetings before expressing a wish to be co-opted. All committees are accountable to the Board of Trustees.

Each committee has their own specific area of responsibility where events are concerned as noted below.

Arts & Leisure (Chairman Heather Stoney). Organise events covering The Arts, Drama, Music, Literature and Sport & Leisure.Public Affairs (Chairman Carol Ambler) Arrange events covering Environment and Health issues. They also deal with matters of public concern including National and International Affairs as well as advising on Constitutional Resolutions for NFWI.Craft and HE (Chairman Gloria Cooke) Arrange events, workshops, outings and demonstrations covering Home Economics, Handicrafts, Horticulture and Agriculture.Membership (Chairman Margaret Merrall) Are responsible for the organisation and development of the WIs and arrange events which relate to WI Officers training, Programme Planning, encouragement of well run and interesting monthly Institute meetings. The recruitment of new members and new WIs are high priority for this committee. This Committee is also served by WI advisers.Communications & PR (Chairman Jackie Williams) A newly formed committee with responsibility for  ensuring that: proper channels of communications are in place for NYWFWI that are as suitable for all members as they can be, are relevant and as up to date as possible, and to promote a positive image for NYWFWI that is consistent with WI values. The BoT is committed to having the best Communications & PR that it's possible for a Federation to have.

Reports from CommitteesMembership by Margaret Merrall ([email protected])

Speaker Snippets: Come along to Littlethorpe Hall on 27th March 2017 to get ideas for your next programme. This is a chance to meet and hear some possible new speakers for you next Programme, at a new venue so we can accommodate more members. Places are £5 each, payable from your WI funds.

Kathleen Bird Trophy: This year’s competition is Promote Your WI. Create a poster to promote your WI – it can be in any medium and must be no bigger than A3 in size. If you want to do a computer generated poster in A3 size, Alma House can print the A3 for you. Just email it to Michelle or myself and we will print it off. All entries must be into Alma House by Tuesday 28th February 2017. They will then be judged in preparation for Spring Council.

Have a go and really promote your WI – put it on the Map with a wow factor.

Public Affairs by Carol Ambler ([email protected])

International Day – Scandinavia and Iceland: Wednesday 15th March 2017 At Littlethorpe Village Hall, Littlethorpe. Come and have a wonderful day looking at all things Scandinavian. Look Out For Full Details On The Booking Form enclosed with this mailing.

Resolutions 2017: Resolution 2017 selection shortlisting took place at the start of October with shortlisted resolutions soon to be made available to view online for further debate, followed by voting instructions in WI Life for members to decide which resolution they would like to go to the 2017 Annual Meeting in Liverpool in June next year where the most popular resolution/s will be put to a vote of delegates.

Carers Welcome: NFWI’s Carers Welcome campaign is calling on all acute and mental health hospitals to take steps to allow the family carers of those with dementia greater access to their loved one while they are on the ward. Whether that’s by extending visiting hours or allowing carers to stay the night on the ward, the objective is the same: carers welcome. Members can learn more about the campaign and how individuals and WIs can get involved by consulting the Carers Welcome campaign action-pack. You can download a copy at www.thewi.org.uk/carerswelcome or receive one in the post by contacting the NFWI Public Affairs department.

Communications and PR by Jackie Williams ([email protected])

Plans for improvements to both Federation News and our Website are progressing quickly now with refreshed versions scheduled for publication in January. For the newsletter, we are going to Full Colour to better display your news and photos; making some changes to the layout to look like your favourite magazine; and our new WI Focus feature, will showcase right across Federation membership, just what is happening at your WI.

A revamp of our Federation website is also progressing to make it more user friendly and up to date.

We continue to try and reflect the views of our members in both the revamps, so please email us with your thoughts on: [email protected] or [email protected] .uk . Many Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

Arts and Leisure by Heather Stoney ([email protected])

By the time you are reading this you will all be in the midst of Christmas planning, how fast 2016 seems to have gone. Our thoughts turn to 2017 and the committee have been hard at work planning events for next year.We have a lady coming from Saltaire with a talk on the history of the village in March followed by a trip to the World Heritage Village in June.

A trip has been arranged to Castle Howard in November to see the house “dressed" for Christmas.

There are more events planned and the committee has tried to get a good balance of events. Carrying on from Sports Week we are going to include some of the more popular events again such as Petanque and croquet – if you missed out they are well worth having a try at.

Please can I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Christmas and peaceful and healthy 2017.

Federation QuizAnother great evening saw teams compete in rounds across the Federation for the chance to reach the final of the Federation Quiz. The questions were as challenging as ever, calling for a wide breadth of knowledge and some very clever answers.

Following the receipt of all the results at Alma House, the teams going through to the final at Cracoe Village Hall on Friday 14th October were:

Askwith With Weston WI Burton In Lonsdale WI Burton Leonard WI Harrogate Library WI Kirby Hill WI

Long Preston WI Pannal WI (A) Richmond WI Roecliffe WI Stray Ladies WI Thoralby & District WI

Denman by Lesley Manser ([email protected])

Denman Taster: There are still a few places left for the Denman Taster. If you are interested please contact the Office as soon as possible as these are going fast. I will be contacting members who have applied with further details after Christmas.

Denman Appeal: Thank you Forest Moor and Knaresborough WIs for donating their September Raffle money to the Appeal. A total of £77.50 has been sent to Denman.

Burton in Lonsdale raised £60 with a murder mystery evening which from all accounts was great fun.A further cheque for £15 has been sent from the Sunday Beading Group lead by Pat Dunnill.

To date we have raised in excess of £1,500, and the national total at the end of June stood at £110,171.31 out of a target of £2 million. Thank you to everyone who has contributed. If you have any ideas for fund-raising events – big or small please let me know as we are always looking for ideas. Denman has also now set up a JustGiving site so you can donate online at https://www.justgiving.com/NFWI-denman.

Associated Countrywomen of the World (ACWW) by Rosie Szlumper ([email protected]) Our Federation is supporting a new ACWW Project: 2015 saw our Federation support a Project in India investigating the high rate of anaemia in tribal women aged 10 –30 yeas in a region of Tamilnadu. Part of the final report of the project no 0972 states: - ‘ Detailed records have been submitted to ACWW, showing a marked improvement in the haemoglobin level of these women at the end of the project compared to the start. The school children can explain what anaemia is, what the symptoms are, and how to prevent it. They have been motivated to grow their own nutritious food in home kitchen gardens. Four health workers received extra training and have improved their skills.’I’m sure, like me, you are pleased that our Federation has contributed to a successful project.Earlier this year I proposed that we support a new ACWW project and raise £1000 towards it. This project is No 1,010 ‘Disabled Women Skills and Empowerment Project, Uganda, Luwero District. The aim of the project is to organise and train 50 disabled women in vocational skills, so that they will be able to earn a living and meet the needs of their dependents. Many disabled women in the project area are dangerously isolated, shut up in their families’ houses and excluded from many areas of life. Many of them have children who are similarly isolated and lack education and social skills. These families tend to live by begging on the streets.I am sure you will, like me, think this is a very worthwhile project to support and hopefully by this time in 2017 we will have succeeded in raising £1000. How can we do this? You can

Denman Bursary WinnersElsie Charlton Bursary. Full Bursary of £185 Catherine Winter – Harrogate Library WIDenman Dip £79 Jan Bell – Ure with Leyburn WIFederation Bursary of £150 Swale WIFederation Bursary of £150 Bishop Monkton WI

Let's 'Dabble for Denman'We are planning to do two Dabble Days to raise funds for our Dear Denman at Alma House. You will be able to have a go at a range of crafts. Embroidery, beading, tapestry, cross stitch, knitting, crochet etc.The first one, in January, will be on the theme ‘Green Hearts for Climate Change’ and will include knitting, crochet, felt, felt embroidery and more, lots of good ideas that can be cascaded to your WI. All materials and equipment will be supplied and lunch will also be provided. For £25 inclusive, you can learn a new skill without having to buy all the materials and equipment

request from me an individual collecting box, your WI may like to fund raise for it in your own unique way or you may like me to speak to your WI and outline the project further, along with the wonderful work of the Associated Country Women of the World, of which the WI is an associate. If you, or your WI, does raise money please send a cheque made out to ACWW to Alma House with the Project no 1,010 or NYWFWI Project on the back of the cheque.Next year along with the Public Affairs committee, it is hoped to have a walk in Nidderdale in April to support ACWW Women Walk the World. Also further fundraising for this project will take place,In August this year I attended, on your behalf, my first ACWW Conference at the University of Warwick. This was the Triennial World Conference and lasted 6 days. I met ACWW ladies from all parts of the world: - Papua New Guinea, Italy, Australia, Romania, USA, Ireland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Russia, Belarus, just some of the 45 countries sending delegates. It was a wonderful experience for me and I returned with more resolve to support ACWW and hopefully share the information with all the Federation. I was a flag bearer at the opening and closing ceremony, managing my 8-foot pole without mishap!

Looking AheadWhat’s on offer in the next three months

Workshops are held at Alma House (HG4 1NG) unless stated otherwise. Please bring a packed lunch for full-day activities. Non-members will be able to sign up for workshops after members have had the

chance. Booking forms with your secretary unless stated otherwise. Doors open 30 mins before event.

Dabble Day; Countdown to Christmas – Thursday 10th November, 10.30am to 3.30pm Members £25 including lunch. Prepare for Christmas with this full day of activities – choose two of the four sessions on offer – one in the morning (10.30-12.30) and one afternoon (130-3.30).

Food and Flowers – Thursday 24th November, 10.30am, Skipton Town Hall. Members £28. Enjoy a cookery demonstration with Sue Fairhurst, followed by lunch and then a floral display by Nick Ground.

Resolution Selection Meeting - Wednesday 30th November, 7pm Tickets £2.50 including tea and biscuits. Calling on all members to come and discuss the 2017 Resolutions, which will be going to the AGM in Liverpool.

Christmas Floral Workshop – Friday 16th December, 10am to 4pm. Members £20 plus approx £10 for materials. Val Guest helps you to create one of three designs for Christmas.

Knitting: Moving on from the Basics – Wednesday 25th January, 10am to 3.30pm Members £20. Lesley Fidler teaches this workshop on ways to up-skill your knitting.

Help Yourself to a Healthier Lifestyle – Wednesday 15th February, 10am – 3.30pm, Littlethorpe Village Hall. Full Details On The Booking Form enclosed with this mailing.

Jewellery Making – Tuesday 21st February, 10am to 4pm, Members £30 plus cost of materials. Following her success at the Great Yorkshire Show, Kathryn Guy is coming to share the secrets of great jewellery making.

Emergency First Aid at Work – Thursday 23rd February, Full Day course, £40 Full Details On The Booking Form enclosed with this mailing.

Stained Glass Birds Workshop – Tuesday 21st March, 10am till 4pm . Members £35 plus £7 for materials. Maximum 10 places. Rachel Poole will lead this workshop teaching students to create striking stained glass.

Patchwork UFO – Tuesday 28th February, 10am to 4pm. Members £20. Anne Starkey returns for another in her series of very popular workshops. Further 2017 dates to be announced soon!

Sold out!

History of Saltaire – Thursday 2nd March, 2pm. Members £20 including afternoon tea. Maria Glot speaks about the history of this fascinating industrial village.

Beginners' and Improvers' Crochet – Saturday 4th March, 10am-4pm. Members £25. New tutor Julie Arme will teach beginners how to crochet, as well as helping those who have become a little rusty to improve their skills.

Baking Techniques – Wednesday 8th March, 6.30pm - 9pm. Members £10, or £15 including a light supper from 6pm. The first in a series of four evening cookery demonstrations coming to Alma House in 2017. See Anne Harrison and Julie Clarke showing various cake-making methods to help you create the perfect cake.

International Day - Scandinavia and Iceland - Wednesday 15th March, £25 Littlethorpe Village Hall, Littlethorpe. Full Details On The Booking Form enclosed with this mailing.

Decorated Terracotta Plant Pots – Saturday 18th March, 10am-4pm. Members £35 plus materials (£5-8). A new craft is being brought to us by Yvonne Pinder of Pinny's Pots – see www.pinnyspots.co.uk to get an idea of what she'll be helping us to create.

Autumn Extravaganza

Out and About

Autumn Extravaganza – by Knaresborough WI members

“We arrived with the early morning murky mist, and left with damp dreary drizzle but in-between our time at Bedale Hall was ‘blue skies all the way’. Knaresborough WI’s first attempt at a craft sales stall all went swimmingly from set-up to sales, and our craft group were delighted. A great day overall, and thanks go to Pauline and her Federation team for a brilliantly organised event.” – Jackie

“l thoroughly enjoyed the day, the lunch was delicious, Thanks to the ladies who work so hard in the kitchen, much better lunch than Spring Council at Harrogate, and Nicki was everything you'd have expected, so friendly, approachable and entertaining. Well done on another great event.” – Doris

“Well done to Pauline for organizing the event to be such a thoroughly enjoyable day, and the speakers were very interesting, lunch was delicious, with special thanks to the catering team. I know what hard work it is.” – Chris

“The autumn extravaganza was a superb day. The settings of both Bedale and Bedale Hall were beautiful. The catering team did an excellent job, the minty couscous salad was very unusual and tasty and the plum pudding was fab (recipes in the next Newsletter, please team). Teas and coffees worked like clockwork. Lunch delivered to our seats was a masterstroke. Well done all involved. The speakers were all excellent and Pauline was a great president. All the board of trustees were introduced and they gave a great insight into the workings of the committee and what they were responsible for- a nice touch. Nicki Chapman was delightful. Her talk on her life, both on and off our TVs, was interesting and informative: I will now watch Escape to the Country with renewed interest. The craft stalls were very professional and a delight to look around. A thoroughly good day.” – Christine

Leading the way in First Aid Training by Margaret Coleman, Giggleswick WI

Members of Giggleswick Women’s Institute organised an Essential First Aid training course with the help of St John Ambulance. The training, which took place at the Quaker Meeting Rooms, also included members of sister WIs from Settle, Malham, Horton, Clapham and Hellifield.

The women undertook practical training on how to save the lives of babies, children and adults through first aid. The St John Ambulance charity has as its central vision that everyone who needs it should receive first aid from those around them and that no-one should suffer for the lack of trained first aiders. Giggleswick WI is delighted that the North Yorkshire West Federation of WIs has endorsed its proposed resolution for national consideration that we call upon government to introduce annual age-appropriate basic first aid and life support training in school, colleges and universities so that in the future the whole population will be able to deliver life-saving care. In the meantime the WI is doing its bit by increasing the number of trained first aiders among our members.

A WI member practising CPR under the watchful eye of St John Ambulance trainer Dave Edmondson

Sports WeekThanks to a great deal of hard work and planning from the Arts and Leisure committee, the first ever Sports Week was a great success in North Yorkshire West.

There was a huge variety of activities on offer to suit everyone, from round of croquet with afternoon tea to an evening spent scaling the heights at the climbing wall.

Croquet at Ripon Spa Hotel by Shirley Wilson and Moira West, Bedale Cookies WI

Eighteen members from various WIs attended the croquet event with excitement and enthusiasm (and some trepidation!). Apparently the majority of us had never played before although once we'd started you would never have known!

Greeted by our host Lesley Manser who then introduced us to our very welcoming hosts (and tutors) for the afternoon, Maggie and her team from the Ripon Spa Hotel croquet team.We played in teams of four and one team of two. Led to the court by our team host – champion player Fergus – we then chose a mallet, which are various lengths and weights, and started by practising hitting a fe wballs through the hoops. After a shaky start we soon got into our stride and thoroughly enjoyed playing. The weather was a little cool and the grass quite wet after the previous night's storm and downpour which I feel sure hampered our playing a little!

Afterwards we all enjoyed a delicious afternoon cream tea in the hotel and chatted with the other WI members. Lesley thanked the croquet team who in turn thanked us all for attending and invited anyone who might be interested in playing to contact them. All in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable event and we look forward to the next one.

Massage by Jo Moseley, Embsay with Eastby WI

I was really delighted to hear about the first WI Sports Week to be held in September via the Federation newsletter in late spring. There were so many fabulous sports on offer  for us to try. From aquafit to Zumba, fencing to tai-chi, bowling to windsurfing.

Unfortunately, having injured my knee in February, I was waiting for an MRI & had been advised to stick to walking, gentle indoor cycling and yoga.

So instead I booked myself onto the massage class at Castle Clinic in Knaresborough. I was so glad I did!It was a wonderful evening of learning, laughter, relaxation and friendship. Seb Contreras from the clinic was both highly professional and very friendly. Very generously a bottle of Weleda Arnica & Lavender massage balm was included in the £15 fee.

I really feel I have gained some great new skills and insight into the benefits of massage. I look forward to putting them into practise.

It was a joy to meet Rebecca Hartley from SpaSweethearts in Harrogate who had kindly organised the programme. There were two other super ladies from Skelton & Goldsborough WI respectively. I think we all look very relaxed in the photo below, testimony to such a wonderful evening.

I'm really grateful for the opportunity to take part in SportsWeek and thank you to everyone who put so much hard work into organising it for our Federation. I'm determined to get strong and fit again, and look forward to signing up for golf at Rudding Park and fencing in Skipton next year!

The massage class was so good though - I might just book myself onto that one for a second time!

Sailing at Grimwith Reservoir and Golf at Catterick by Marina Briggs, Coverdale WI

We had lovely weather for sailing at Grimwith Reservoir which is the home of the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club. Nicola Dinsdale and I were introduced to Nick, our instructor for the afternoon, who kitted us out with life jackets before taking us out and quite literally showing us the ropes. The first hour was the basics of how to tack and gybe, although for a while we seemed to be stationary due to lack of wind! However in no time the wind had picked up and before we knew it we were doing a 360 turn (not in the least bit planned, but none the less

extremely exhilarating). A fantastic afternoon which gave both of us an insight into how much fun sailing can be – we can’t wait to go again! If it is on the programme for next year, I can’t recommend it enough. We didn’t even get wet... although that can’t be guaranteed!

Six of us arrived at Catterick Golf course for a taster session and the extent of our knowledge for most of us was a bit of pitch and putt or crazy golf at the seaside! However Alex, our instructor, soon had us putting, chipping and driving through the next two hours. We all had great fun and picked up lots of useful tips. Alex was very patient and clear with his coaching and I think was secretly surprised at how competitive WI ladies can be... He has clearly never been into the WI stand at the Great Yorkshire Show! A fantastic morning was had by all, which ended with some of us having a leisurely lunch in the club house comparing, notes of the finer point of putting.

Many thanks to the Arts and Leisure committee for putting such a great range of activities for sports week. Everyone who supported it had a brilliant time.

Golf at Rudding Park byVicky Carr, Spa Sweethearts WI

An introduction to the whole game was on offer when we visited the golf club at Rudding Park. Our instructor Rob Stansfield began with the basics: a summary of the different clubs and a guide to the best grip. We then took to the range, using the irons to send the balls as high and far as we could manage. For some, this was familiar from our experience on the pitch and putt course, while for others it was completely new. However, we all found it tricky to be consistent in our shots and were greatly helped by Rob's advice on adjusting our posture and swing to get a better connection between the club and the ball.

After improving our shots with the irons, we had a few minutes to try the driver – extremely light-weight yet incredibly powerful, enabling us to get an even more impressive shot (although still nowhere near the 300 yard boundary that the club regulars can hit). It was definitely a favourite for a few of us!

We then moved on to the greens, where we first practised what we had learnt on the range with some chipping. Finally, we learned about putting, improving our technique on the putting green with Rob's help. The session concluded with a competition to see who could get around all six putting holes in the lowest number of shots.The facilities at Rudding Park were fantastic and the staff were keen to invite any WIs to arrange a session there if the want. They will even send one of their pros out with small groups around the short course, helping the players improve their game as they go. Just remember to wear layers – there's a very fresh wind across the course at Rudding Park!

Harrogate Climbing Wall by Jill Beaumont, Hampsthwaite WI

As part of the Autumn Antics activities available 11 brave, and some not so brave, ladies got together to challenge themselves at Harrogate Climbing Wall. After being kitted up and attached to our ropes members from Colburn, Darley Debs, Forest Moor, Hampsthwaite and Spa Sweethearts showed great team spirit in encouraging each other on in typical WI style to master the holds and get as far as they could to the top of the wall.

We were lucky to have two great and very patient instructors form the Harrogate Climbing Centre, with Heather from Glasshouses WI being there to check us all in and make sure we all left safely afterwards.

There were occasional worries about the possibilities of broken nails but there were lots of smiles, making of new friends and everyone had a great time and achieved far more than they thought possible as well as having a great workout with muscles making themselves known that we didn’t know existed. Thank you WI for enabling us to face a new challenge in a great environment.

Noticeboard

Save the date...

200 CLUB DRAWDrawn at Autumn Extravaganza on

Nora Worth Award 2016

Just a gentle reminder that your entries are required at Alma House by Friday 24th

February 2o17 to enable judging ready for Spring Council on 1st April 2017. Use your creative skills and imagination to interpret “Yorkshire” as a hand crafted picture, no larger than A4 and presented in a frame. Any medium may be used eg embroidery, patchwork, watercolours, oils etc. but not photography or anything

Christmas Office Closing Times:Monday 5th December 2016

Closed from Tuesday 20th December (3pm)

SPORTS WEEK 2016Fun, fresh air, exercise, relaxation – what a

week!

200 CLUB DRAWDrawn at Autumn Extravaganza on

Christmas Office Closing Times:Monday 5th December 2016

Closed from Tuesday 20th December (3pm)