Womens Institute

june 2008

Our speaker for May was Mrs. Amanda Streatfeild of Denhay Farms. We were taken through the process of making their award-winning West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.
Cheese making started in 1959 with milk from Denhay and neighbouring farms being brought together to make 400 gallons a day, seven days a week. Now all the milk comes from Denhay’s own cows. It is collected every day to ensure the freshest milk is made into Denhay Cheddar. The milk is pasteurised and microbial rennet is used, making the cheese suitable for vegetarians.

When pigs were kept on the farm to feed on the whey, a by-product of the cheese making, a range of pork products was developed including the Dry Cured Bacon. Unfortunately due to legislation, such as Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Regulations, it is no longer possible to keep their own pigs but the pork is now sourced from British outdoor reared pigs.
In 1989 Denhay produced Air Dried Ham which is eaten like a prosciutto, but has a unique character of its own. Due to the expansion of the business the bacon and ham are produced in Honiton.

A vote of thanks was given and refreshments were served which included samples of the cheeses made.

Apologies were given and the minutes signed as a correct record.

Among the matters discussed was the venue for the Spring Council Meeting which members attending felt was not as good as Weymouth. Calendars and diaries were ordered for 2009 and the Yorkshire Tea competition entered.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, 12th June at 7.30pm in Sydling Village Hall when the speaker will be Mrs. Stone on Wax Painting.

may 2008

The President welcomed everyone to the Annual General Meeting and apologies were then taken.

The procedures to elect the officers for the coming year were dealt with and reports from the President and Secretary read out. The accounts were adopted and thanks were expressed to the auditor.

The Amy Barter Cup was won by Mrs. Jill Phillips.

Following the AGM a normal business meeting was held. The President red a letter from Headway Dorset thanking our W.I. for the donation of £300.00.

Thanks were given to Mrs. Eileen Churchill who had given three new Yorkshire tea cloths to the W.I.

Refreshments were served and everyone had time to look at the photos taken at the St. Nicholas Fayre.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, 8th May when the speaker will be Mrs. Amanda Streatfield from Denhay Farms. New members and visitors always welcome

april 2008

Before the meeting commenced, Mrs. Philippa Foice was introduced by our President to explain the work of Headway Dorset. Headway Dorset was formed in 1993 by two mothers of young lads who had head injuries. Headway is now run from the shop premises in High West Street, Dorchester and it has proved to be unsatisfactory. The shop is going to be sold and more suitable premises will be purchased. There are 40% injuries from car accidents and Dorset is third or fourth highest county due to our country lanes and males aged 16-25 are most at risk. There are 2000 minor, 125 mild and 60 severe cases each year. She also pointed out that drug abuse can cause brain damage.

The county befriending scheme helps people with head injuries. The brain injured family is given support and this is ongoing as the personality of the injured person can change. This support is given through the whole of Dorset and covers any problems with housing, claiming benefits or if the family needs to talk.
Philippa emphasized the need for everyone to wear helmets and bike hats to prevent brain damage and Headway go into schools to promote safety headwear. She pointed out that the brain injury awareness week is from 31st March and the theme for this year is long term disability.

Following the talk, a cheque was presented to Philippa for Headway Dorset being a donation from the St Nicholas Fayre and the proceeds of the Carol Singing.

The President then introduced the speaker for the evening, Mr. Colin Dean, whose talk was ‘Bobby on the Beat in the 60s'. Everyone reminisced about what the 60’s meant to them and then Mr. Dean explained how different policing was compared to nowadays. A vote of thanks was given and refreshments served.

The business meeting then took place and apologies were given and minutes read and signed as a correct record.

A date for the Rummage Sale was given as Saturday 9th August in the Village Hall. As previously mentioned, please keep items for this sale which this year will make a donation to RNIB in memory of Mrs. Enid Davies. If you wish items to be stored please contact 01300 341389 or 01300 341570.

Correspondence was dealt with including a letter inviting members to the Wessex Group W.I. meeting in Leigh when the speaker will be Mrs. Pauline Giles on “Love in Later Life”.

The next meeting will be our Annual General Meeting and this will be held on Thursday 10th April in the Village Hall.

february 2008

At our February meeting we were transported to Iceland by way of slides and a commentary from Mr. J. R. Lowings. The slides were magnificent and showed the buildings, scenery around the island and of course the splendid waterfalls. A vote of thanks was given and refreshments served before the main meeting took place.

Mrs Audrey Wellspring took the meeting as our President is still recovering.

The Minutes were read and signed and matters arising dealt with, including the tickets for the Spring Council Meeting at Poole on Thursday, 24th April.

Various items of correspondence were discussed including a letter from DFWI about inserts in the January mail, and the Festival of Food and Drink.

As a result of the Carol Singing in the village, £195.15 is being donated to Headway Dorset and this will be made up to £300 with the remainder coming from the St Nicholas Fayre held each year by the W.I.

The Rummage Sale to be held in August will give a donation to the RNIB. May I remind everyone that items can be donated to the Sale and if wished stored. Please contact 01300 341389 or 01300 341570.

The next meeting will be Thursday, 13th March when the speaker will be Mr. Dean on “Bobby on the Beat in the 60’s.”

January 2008

By the time you read these notes some of the items will seem a long time ago. The St. Nicholas Fayre raised a good sum and a donation will be made to Headway Dorset. The Christmas meal was a great success but tinged with sadness at the loss of Mrs. Enid Davies. Carol Singing took place in the village and over two nights we raised the amazing amount of £195.15 which will be donated to Headway Dorset. Thanks were expressed to all the singers.

Mrs. Audrey Wellspring welcomed two new members and five visitors to the January meeting in the absence of our President who was in hospital. Warm wishes were sent to Mrs. Betty Symes and a card signed by all members present.

The speaker for the evening was Mrs. Mrs. Jenny Hopkin on a Safari in Kenya which took place in February 2006. Africa is enormous and she was encouraged not to take any photographs in Nairobi and in particular of the police, or military. We were informed that 43 tribes live in Nairobi and it is a railway town. The talk was supported by slides of the beautiful scenery and of the various animals seen in the Game Reserve often as a result of an early morning tour, followed again at 4.00pm when the animals had recovered from the midday heat. A vote of thanks was given and refreshments served.

The Minutes were agreed and signed and various items of correspondence dealt with including a Healthy Lifestyle Challenge and a One Step Further competition.

It was noted that the Spring Council Meeting has moved from Weymouth, due to the development of the Pavilion site, to the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole. Speakers for this meeting will be a representative from the House of Lords and Julian Fellowes.

Members were reminded of the Rummage Sale that will be held in August and to retain any suitable items that will be stored by the W.I.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, 14th February and the speaker will be Mrs. Lowings on Iceland. Visitors are welcome.

december 2007

The speaker for the November meeting was Mr. Ching on "A Thatcher's Tale". Mr. Ching explained he had left school at sixteen and started as an apprentice in one of the oldest building construction methods. In the past most of the farm labourers could thatch as they had to thatch the ricks and do patching to their own properties. Thatch is expensive as most of the water reed comes from abroad, Turkey and the Ukraine being the main importers. He explained that the ridge may have to be renewed every ten years but this will make the roof last longer. We were also shown the various tools of his trade and their uses. A vote of thanks was given and refreshments served.

Members were informed of a mobile phone scam. If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person saying that he or she is a company engineer, or informing you that they are checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number, end this call immediately without pressing any numbers. There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your SIM card and make calls at your expense.

Details were finalised of the St. Nicholas Fayre on Sunday, 2nd December at Sydling at 2.30pm.

Carol Singing will take place in Sydling on Tuesday, 18th and Wednesday 19th December. All singers to meet at the Bus Shelter at 6.00pm. The collection this year will be for Headway Dorset.

A brief report was given of the Autumn Council Meeting at Weymouth.

We take this opportunity to wish everyone best wishes for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

november 2007

Our speaker for the evening, Mrs. Jane Moir, was welcomed by the President, and introduced her talk on "Footsteps of the Maasai". Jane had spent a week trekking in Tanzania raising money for the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust. The trek was about 140km crossing the floor of the Great Rift Valley to the Crater Highlands in temperatures up to 38 degrees. The guides and guards were mainly Maasai people and an old lorry transported their very basic camping equipment. The enthusiasm of Jane's talk and wonderful photography made it all come to life, the sheer vastness of the country and the conditions in which they live was amazing.

Following a vote of thanks and refreshments, the main business part of the meeting took place.

Apologies were given and Minutes read and signed. A report was given of the successful 58th birthday party when everyone enjoyed the evening and particularly the entertainment by Bonny Sartin.

Members were reminded of the Autumn Council Meeting on 24th October at Weymouth when Lesley Walters would be giving a talk and demonstration. Also our Christmas Fair will be held on Sunday, 2nd December at 2.30pm in the Village Hall.

Mrs. Jenny Hopkin put the record right following a report in a newspaper that the defribulators recently installed in ambulances were taken out. They had been removed but were being reinstalled following an update.

Details were given of invitations to Toller and Hooke on 6th November and the Carol Service in Cattistock on 10th December.

Mrs. Gill Phillip and Mrs. Mary Wellspring jointly won the competition: "A favourite ornament".

Please note the next meeting will be held on Thursday, 8th November when the speaker will be Mr. Ching on "A Thatcher's Tale".

October 2007

Due to the uncertainty of the weather the proposed picnic for July was in fact held in the Village Hall. Members and guests were served a delicious variety of foods and it was a pleasant evening, particularly as the weather outside could be forgotten.

Normally August is a holiday for the W.I. but as usual the Rummage Sale was held on 18th August. Business was brisk and by the end of the afternoon a gross amount of £226.14 had been raised. Many thanks to everyone who either helped on the day or kindly donated items for sale. Please remember that this is an annual event and if you are turning out, items are always welcome and can be stored. Contact our President on 01300 341389.

In September we celebrated our 58th anniversary with a party attended by visiting W.I.s from Toller and Hooke, Halstock, Melbury Osmond, Cattistock and Glanvilles Wootton. On arrival everyone was given a quiz sheet to complete during the evening. Our entertainer for the evening was Bonny Sartin of the Yetties who sang some songs and recited poems, one of which included a lot of the villages in Dorset and mentioned Sydling St. Nicholas. A wine and cheese supper was served followed by sweets and a birthday cake made by our President, Mrs. Bet Symes.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, 11th October and the speaker will be Jane Moir on "The Footsteps of the Maasai".

July 2007

Sydling St. Nicholas W.I. met on 14th June for our Members' Night which was arranged by Mrs. Jenny Hopkin at The New Inn, Cerne Abbas.

Members and husbands met at cross tree and off we went. On arrival we ordered our meals and then had a very welcome drink in the garden. An excellent meal was served and everyone agreed it was a most enjoyable evening. Mrs. Judy Gregory thanked Jenny for arranging the evening.

Members were reminded of the Rummage Sale to be held on Saturday, 18th August and that the July meeting would be a picnic, arrangements would be announced at a later date.

The Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting was held during which the previous Minutes were read and signed. The reports were given from the President, Secretary and Treasurer, and election of officers took place. For the coming year, Mrs. Bet Symes was elected President, Mrs. Audrey Wellspring Secretary, and Mrs. Sue Symes Treasurer.

After the AGM the usual business meeting took place with apologies being given, Minutes read and signed.

The business dealt with included Packaging of Produce, and Resolutions; also the DFWI 90th Birthday which will take place at either Bryanston or Milton Abbey Schools.

One item of particular interest was the Widow's Pension. A letter had been received from Somerset stating that the reform of the Bereavement Benefit system in 2001 had led to the abolition of the Widow's Pension and the introduction of the Bereavement Allowance. It was unanimously agreed to support their motion to ask the Government to review the restriction placed upon the payment of Bereavement Allowance; the current limit of 12 months is both derisory and inadequate.

Sydling WI had entered the Yorkshire Tea Competition and had been successful in winning the cake in January.

In the Dorset Newsletter an appeal has been made for net bags that are included free with some washing powder tablets. Mrs. Joan Knott informed members that she had taken a large quantity to Kimmeridge who were delighted as they expected to have a lot of children over Easter wishing to use crab lines. The net bags are tied onto crab lines in place of standard hooks. This means that fish, usually the first to take the bait, are not hooked by accident.

A Rummage Sale will be held on Saturday, 12th August and the proceeds will be donated to the British Heart Foundation.

The next meeting will be an outdoor meeting on Thursday, 11th May.