Newsletter 186 – October 2024

 WELCOME!

Our speaker for the October meeting is Lucy Walsh from AbilityNet, a charity providing specialist services and impartial support to allow digital access to all.  She will give us an outline of free IT support for older people and disabled people.  

This will be followed by some group activities. There are also tables of items for sale left over from the fete: craft equipment, jigsaw puzzles, craft and gardening books and good quality second hand toys. Money raised will be towards our charity, Wales Air Ambulance. Cards are also on sale raising money for Marie Curie and people living with Alzheimer’s. Bargains to be had!

ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA (RWCMD)

‘SWING INTO CHRISTMAS’ with DOWN FOR THE COUNT ORCHESTRA at the RWCMD.

DATE: Saturday 23rd November 2024 at 2.30 p.m.   Tickets £30.40 – 25 places available.

Payment is due immediately please. Elizabeth Woods will distribute the tickets at the November meeting.

SIGN UP if you want to:

… go to HOTTER shoes to take advantage of their offer of a 30% reduction on full price and 10% on sale items.  (Minimum of 10 people required for this offer.) There will be a free raffle, a glass of wine or soft drink, and ‘nibbles’. Make your own way there.

DATE: Tuesday November 12th at 4.30pm.  

… join a TOUR OF THE RWCMD 

Please note, 30 people have already indicated they are interested in this visit. Now is the time to confirm that you want to go and pay  Please indicate on the sheet at the front.

DATE: Tuesday 19th November 10am.  £4.50 per person.      

FOREST FARM WALK   

DATE: Tuesday 15th October 2pm.  

Meet in the Car park, Forest Farm Road, CF14 7JJ

See Sheila if you want any more information

CHRISTMAS CAKES 

Yes, Christmas cakes!  Chris Soughton is again making Christmas cakes to raise money for our charity. The cakes will be made in loaf-tins, (approx 8" x 4"), will be a rich fruit-cake mixture and have marzipan and icing (decorated) on top. 

Price £12 – please tell Chris if you wish to order.  Finished cakes delivered at the December meeting.

GROUPS:  

Choir: The choir meets every Wednesday morning, 11.30-12.30 except for the Wednesday of the Rhiwbina WI meeting. Meetings will be in the Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina 

Book Group: Wednesday 16th October 11.00 am at La Cucina da Mara

Tangling: Wednesday 16th October  at 2.00pm 5 Court Close                                                   

St Mary's Gardens: Working parties 10.00 – 12.00  Thursday  24th October AND Tuesday 5th November which will be followed by the AGM and lunch in The Fox and Hounds

Craft Group: Monday 21st October 10.30 am 24 Lakelands Court, Rhydypenau Road

Family History: Monday 21st October  2.00pm 113 Pantbach Road

Sunday Lunch Group: Sunday 27th October  1.00pm Llanishen Golf Club.

NEXT MEETING

DATE:  Monday  11th November at 2pm.  

Speaker: Rosemary Chaloner.   Subject:  ‘Angels in the Line of Fire.’

Becoming and Artist in Retirement - Sue Trusler

(Cymraeg)

Sue began by reading from her book Time to Start your Art: 'If I can paint so can you!'

After 37 years working in finance, she retired and bought a narrow boat. On the outside it was covered with pictures of dolphins and she knew that they had to go. She and her husband had expected rest and relaxation but it turned out that they had to restore the boat . Not being able to find a canal artist to paint traditional roses, Sue decided to have a go at painting them herself. Using acrylics, she copied roses from books, and came to realise that a soft and flowing touch was needed. She also realised that she only needed to learn to paint one rose really well because then she could repeat it in different sizes, orientations, and colours. Using the same approach with painting leaves she developed some satisfactory results.

Having enjoyed painting the roses, their conservatory became a makeshift studio and Sue painted roses on watering cans, jugs, plant pots and everything! Later she moved on to watercolours and inks, making greetings cards, bookmarks and also printing her designs on fabric for cushion covers. She also creates photo books of her paintings and of inspiring photographs of things she wants to paint. She sent some of her canal boat roses to the Paint and Draw magazine, and they featured them. She joined the Orchid Society and entered their competitions three times, achieving two second places and at last first place. She then wrote an article for the Orchid Society Journal encouraging others to paint. This was her message throughout her talk: you can do this too.

Sue stressed that she painted for enjoyment and had no wish to turn it into a business despite a string of successes: giving a talk to thirty members of a women's art society; writing a book about her experience of beginning to paint; being part of a group of artists whose work was displayed in Times Square, New York; and being part of an 'Artists Talk' exhibition in tubes stations in London.

One venture that she was clearly delighted about was being asked to run a children's art class in Penarth during the half term holiday. She devised her 'art family' of introducing painting to children: characters who use a spiky, dotty, wobbly, smooth or curly method to make art. The class went really well and Sue told us that she found it moving to see just how much work the children had produced and how much they had enjoyed themselves. She eventually brought this method together in her 'Art Family' book. Sue contributes profits from sales to charity, makes calendars for charity, and donates painting to City Hospice. She is most prolific and inspired us all with her seemingly boundless energy and enterprise in producing artwork.
 

 

 

Dod yn Artist ar Ymddeoliad - Sue Trusler

(English)

Dechreuodd Sue drwy ddarllen o'i llyfr Time to Start your Art: 'Os caf beintio, gallwch chi!'

Ar ôl 37 mlynedd yn gweithio ym maes cyllid, ymddeolodd a phrynu cwch cul. Ar y tu allan roedd wedi'i orchuddio â lluniau o ddolffiniaid ac roedd hi'n gwybod bod yn rhaid iddynt fynd. Roedd hi a'i gŵr wedi disgwyl gorffwys ac ymlacio ond daeth yn amlwg bod yn rhaid iddynt adfer y cwch. Gan nad oedd yn gallu dod o hyd i artist camlesi i beintio rhosod traddodiadol, penderfynodd Sue roi cynnig ar eu paentio ei hun. Gan ddefnyddio acryligau, copïodd rosod o lyfrau, a daeth i sylweddoli bod angen cyffyrddiad meddal a llifeiriol. Sylweddolodd hefyd mai dim ond un rhosyn yr oedd angen iddi ddysgu paentio un rhosyn yn dda iawn oherwydd wedyn gallai ei ailadrodd mewn gwahanol feintiau, cyfeiriadedd a lliwiau. Gan ddefnyddio'r un dull gyda phaentio dail, datblygodd rai canlyniadau boddhaol.

Ar ôl mwynhau paentio'r rhosod, daeth eu heulfan yn stiwdio dros dro a pheintiodd Sue rosod ar ganiau dyfrio, jygiau, potiau planhigion a phopeth! Yn ddiweddarach symudodd ymlaen i ddyfrlliwiau ac inciau, gan wneud cardiau cyfarch, llyfrnodau a hefyd argraffu ei dyluniadau ar ffabrig ar gyfer gorchuddion clustogau. Mae hi hefyd yn creu llyfrau lluniau o’i phaentiadau ac o ffotograffau ysbrydoledig o bethau mae hi eisiau eu paentio. Anfonodd rai o'i rhosod cwch camlas i'r cylchgrawn Paint and Draw, a gwnaethant eu cynnwys. Ymunodd â'r Gymdeithas Tegeirianau a chymerodd ran yn eu cystadlaethau deirgwaith, gan ennill dau ail safle ac yn olaf y safle cyntaf. Yna ysgrifennodd erthygl ar gyfer y Orchid Society Journal yn annog eraill i beintio. Dyma oedd ei neges trwy gydol ei sgwrs: gallwch chi wneud hyn hefyd.

Pwysleisiodd Sue ei bod yn peintio er mwynhad ac nad oedd ganddi unrhyw ddymuniad i'w droi'n fusnes er gwaethaf cyfres o lwyddiannau: rhoi sgwrs i ddeg ar hugain o aelodau cymdeithas gelfyddydol i ferched; ysgrifennu llyfr am ei phrofiad o ddechrau paentio; bod yn rhan o grŵp o artistiaid yr arddangoswyd eu gwaith yn Times Square, Efrog Newydd; a bod yn rhan o arddangosfa 'Artists Talk' mewn gorsafoedd tiwbiau yn Llundain.

Un fenter yr oedd yn amlwg wrth ei bodd yn ei chylch oedd cael cais i gynnal dosbarth celf i blant ym Mhenarth yn ystod gwyliau hanner tymor. Dyfeisiodd ei ‘theulu celf’ er mwyn cyflwyno paentio i blant: cymeriadau sy’n defnyddio dull pigog, dotiog, sigledig, llyfn neu gyrliog i wneud celf. Aeth y dosbarth yn dda iawn a dywedodd Sue wrthym ei bod yn teimlo ei bod yn brofiad teimladwy i weld faint o waith yr oedd y plant wedi'i gynhyrchu a faint yr oeddent wedi mwynhau eu hunain. Yn y diwedd daeth â'r dull hwn ynghyd yn ei llyfr 'Art Family'. Mae Sue yn cyfrannu elw o werthiannau i elusen, yn gwneud calendrau ar gyfer elusen, ac yn rhoi paentiadau i City Hospice. Mae hi'n doreithiog iawn ac wedi ein hysbrydoli ni i gyd gyda'i hegni a'i menter ddi-ben-draw i gynhyrchu gwaith celf.

 

 

 

Newsletter 185 – September 2024

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

We hope you have enjoyed the ‘summer’ break.

Have you remembered to return your Smarties tubes filled with 20p and £1 coins? (Our charity this year is Wales Air Ambulance.) When you hand them in, collect a raffle ticket: there is a prize far the lucky winner!

Today, we welcome our speaker, Sue Trusler who is going to tell us about ‘Becoming an Artist in Retirement’. 

KELMSCOTT MANOR  

If vou have signed up to go on this trip on Wednesday 2nd October, and haven't yet paid the balance or paid at all yet, you need to pay today please. See Gill Irwin.

Coach departs at 9.15am from outside Ararat. Lunch is NOT included but food is available at a Garden Centre near Kelmscott. The visit to the Manor is in the afternoon and we will not depart from there before 4.30pm. 

ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA (RWCMD)

Apologies, but we cannot give you a date yet for this ‘behind the scenes’ tour. Hopefully details will be available ready for the next meeting. 

‘SWING INTO CHRISTMAS’ with DOWN FOR THE COUNT ORCHESTRA at the RWCMD.

Saturday 23rd November 2024 at 2.30p.m — Tickets £30.40 – 25 places available. Please see Elizabeth Woods today to sign up. Tickets distributed in November. Payment by 14th October – either at the monthly meeting or via Internet Banking, reference RWCMD.  

GLAMORGAN CORRESPONDENCE – please see the notice board especially if you are interested in the Autumn Circular Federation Walk, Rhossili, Singing Yoga or the Craft Spectacular at Margam.

HOTTER shoes.

For the W.I. Hotter offer a 30% reduction on full price, and 10% on sale items for an organised party of 10 PEOPLE MINIMUM and ON A SPECIFIC DATE. It would be at 4.30pm and you would make your own way there.

Dates are now limited, but Sheila is willing to organise this for Tuesday November 12™. There will be a sheet to sign up at the next meeting.

GROUPS: 

Book Group: Wednesday 11th September, 11.00 am at La Cucina da Mara
Choir: Wednesday 11th September, 11.30-12.30 in the Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina
Craft Group: Monday 16th September, 10.30 am at 24 Lakelands Court, Rhydypenau Road
St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 17th September, 10-12 noon... Working Party – all welcome.
Tangling group: Wednesday 18th September and Tuesday 1st October, 2pm at 5 Court Close
Sunday Lunch: Sunday 21st September, l pm at Llanishen Golf Club
Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 30" September, 11 am at Ararat Centre for the Community

NEXT MEETING

Date: Monday 14” October at 2pm.
The scheduled speaker is unable to attend due to illness. There will be a short presentation before a social (and sociable!) session with a variety of group activities. Also, bring some cash with you because we will have a table sale of craft equipment, jigsaw puzzles, craft and gardening books and good quality second hand toys. PLEASE – DO NOT BRING ANY ITEMS TO SELL

See whitchurch-wi-cardiff.blogspot.com. for our activities, photos and reports from previous meetings.

Whitchurch Fete - June 2024

Whitcurch WI had a stall at Whitchurch festival on June w9th 2024. The weather was kind, there were a generous number of donations, and plenty of volunteer helpers. This year the stall was offering jigsaws, children's games, and craft items.

This is one of our major fundraising events of the year, and we raised £350 for Wales Air Ambulance. 

Thank you to everyone who helped on the day, and for your generous donations.

Wales Air Ambulance

Wales Air Ambulance is our chosen charity this year. Ann Hughes came to tell us a little about their work.

Our co-president, Linda, with Ann.

They began in 2001 with one helicopter operating from 8 till 5, five days a week. They now have four helicopter that operate 24/7, and also five rapid-response vehicles. 

Since 2017 the helicopters have had consultants, doctors and paramedics on board, which are funded by the NHS. The charity has to provide the funds for the helicopters, which are leased with a pilot. This means that WAA has to raise £11.2 million a year to keep the helicopters providing their service. They have completed 50,000 missions since they began.

Ann Hughes expressed WAA's appreciation and gratitude for supporting them with our fundraising efforts this year.

Morris Dancing – July 2024 meeting

(Cymraeg)

Speaker – Lynda Edwards

Lynda explained that she had been a dancer for over 50 years. She described it as being like ‘joining a family’. She informed us that there are various Morris dancing traditions that date back to fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The musicians were Ian and Phil playing piano accordion and an English button melodian.

Lynda then described the costumes of the various traditions as shown in the group dancing today. Cotswold traditions use hankies and sticks, wear bells on their shins, and also crossed tapestry baldrics. Northwestern traditions dance in clogs and wear garlands. Traditions from the borders of Wales and England wear ‘tatty jackets’. They used to blacken their faces, but this tradition ceased in 2020. The reason for blackening was to disguise the dancer. Nowadays faces may be painted in any colour or a mask may be worn.

Cardiff Morris ladies took their style of costume from the traditional Welsh lady outfit (as displayed on the mannequin). Lynda also mentioned the USA style of Morris dance costume which included a bowler hat and baldrics.

Cecil Sharp was a key figure in the folk-song revival in England during the Edwardian period. He travelled around the country and collected and encouraged the dance traditions, enabling them to survive and flourish.

The dancers then entertained us with the Lichfield dance.

After this, members had a go at learning this dance.

This lively and most enjoyable session ended with the performance of a jig.