Sunday, 29 June 2025

June 2025 meeting

Sheena Crossley gave a presentation on The Gardens of Wales. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Sheena’s humorous talk, with slides of beautifully colourful gardens, from Cardiff to Anglesey. Each slide was accompanied by an anecdote describing her visits over a long period of time.

(Unfortunately we do not have any photographs from this presentation.)

The presentation was followed by a talk from Emma, the fundraising co-ordinator from Velindre, our charity for 2025. She explained how support through donations, events, fundraising and overseas challenges allows them to fund projects over and above those provided by the NHS, which improves the experience and outcomes of patients receiving treatment and care at the hospital. She explained that donations help to fund an entire team of clinical psychologists and counsellors, including a dedicated staff psychologist, providing essential one-to-one care for patients and staff; plus resources for children and families, such as specialist education books, lion teddies, toiletries, new pyjamas and digital devices to keep in touch with loved ones.

Members were reminded about Whitchurch Fete on 5th July, with a call for helpers and donations. 

The meeting closed with a poem to commemorate VE Day read by Jenny Andrews.

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

Chris and Glenys

The May meeting of Whitchurch WI is the AGM when the new committee is created. Two committee members, Chris Soughton and Glenys Care, decided to stand down from the committee at this time. They were both founder members of Whitchurch WI. Chris had been a committee member for 20 years and Glenys had been president for 9 years.

Unfortunately both Chris and Glenys were not well enough to attend the May meeting. The membership wished to express their gratitude and appreciation of Chris and Glenys's years of dedication to Whitchurch WI. As they could not be at the meeting, a bouquet was taken to their home and presented to them there.

 
💐Happy retirement Chris and Glenys! 💐

 

Newsletter – June 2025

 

 June meeting:

    Main Speaker: Sheena Crossley – Gardens of Wales.
    Members will be wearing red, white and blue in memory of VE Day.

Outings and events:

    A trip is proposed to Oakham Treasures, Bristol in early October. There will        be a request for a show of hand of those who are interested in order to judge     whether plans for the trip should go ahead.

Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.
    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Choir: Wednesdays at 11.30 am
    Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina


    Book Group: Wednesday 11th June / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch


    Craft Group: Monday 16th June / 10.30 am
    41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane


    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 19th June / 2.00 pm
    5 Court Close, Whitchurch


    Family History: 16th June / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: date and venue to be confirmed
 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 30th June / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: weather

    
    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 10th June / anytime between 10 am & 1 pm, for     any length of time
 
Following meeting:

    14th July in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
    Speaker/singer: Christine Purkiss – The Story of Rogers & Hammerstein
    Plus a short talk on Glaucoma.



Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Newsletter – May 2025

May meeting:

    Annual General Meeting with Amanda Powell, the Glamorganshire Federation Adviser.
    Bring and Buy sale.


Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.
    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Choir: Wednesdays at 11.30 am
    Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina


    Book Group: Wednesday 14th May / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch


    Craft Group: Monday 19th May / 10.30 am
    41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane


    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 21st May / 2.00 pm
    5 Court Close, Whitchurch


    Family History: 19th May / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: Sunday 25th May / 1.00 pm / Radyr Golf club
 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 2nd June / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: spring

    
    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 17th June / 10 – 12
 
Following meeting:

    9th June in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
    Subject: Gardens of Wales
    Speaker: Sheena Crossley
    In celebration of VE Day, members are invited to dress in red, white and blue.
   

 

Monday, 21 April 2025

Meeting – April 2025

 The main speaker at the April meeting was Nor'dzin Pamo, talking about pilgrimages to Nepal and Bhutan – please separate post.

Lynette Chappin talked to the group about making small blankets from the squares knitted by WI members. These were originally being sent to help African babies, then to a residential home, but now they are going to Ukraine. She said that she did not receive as many squares as she had in previous years. So this is a call to our members to get knitting! Lynette asks for 6" squares of any colour and design. She then crochets them together to form the blankets. Thank you Lynette for your long-standing commitment to this project and skilled crochet work

The photograph is of a representative receiving a number of the finished blankets to transport to Ukraine.

Also at the April meeting we had an Easter bonnet competition. The entries were judged by Nor'dzin and the winner received an Easter egg. Angela was the winner, third from the left.



Pilgrimages to Nepal and Bhutan – April 2025

One of our members was the speaker at the April meeting. Nor'dzin Pamo showed slides about her trips to Nepal and Bhutan. As a practising Buddhist these trips were pilgrimages rather than just tourist holidays.


Nor'dzin explained that there were three main reasons why she, her husband, and other members of her Buddhist lineage made these pilgrimages. The first reason was to visit Tibetan and Bhutanese teachers with whom they had connections, and to make new contacts with other teachers. 

The second reason for embarking on pilgrimage was to experience 'Buddhism as ordinary'. Nor'dzin said that this was important for people brought up in a country where Buddhism was not the religion of the culture. It was important to establish that one's interest in Buddhism and Buddhist practice was real and not just a fantasy because it felt unusual and exotic. One way in which pilgrims experience everyday practice in Kathmandu, Nepal, is to join the local people and other practitioners for kora. Kora is the circumambulation of a sacred place. Boudanath is a small town which used to be surrounded by fields up until the late 1970s, but has now been subsumed by the city of Kathmandu. The Great Chörten (Stupa), built in the 6th century is the focus for kora in Boudanath.




Nor'dzin then described a long hike to a nunnery called Nagi Gompa, in the Himalayan foothills (3,200m), and visits to monasteries. 

She explained a particular personal interest in an image that is usually painted on the outside wall of a place of practice. This image is called 'The Wheel of Life' and pictorially exemplifies the fundamental teachings of Buddhism. Eventually she commissioned her own thangka (painting on cloth) of this image and used it to illustrate her book 'Travelling at the Speed of Mind' about this teaching. 


 The third reason for her pilgrimages was to 'address an historical prejudice'.  Nor'dzin talked a little about the history of Buddhism in Tibet to introduce this topic. The 'first spread' of Buddhism occurred in the 8th century instigated by King Trisong Détsen. Two streams of Buddhism were established: Padmasambhava's Red Sangha (monastic community) and Shantarakshita's White Sangha (non-monastic, yogic community) and they were considered equal at that time. The Red Sangha are monks and nuns, wear red skirts and shave their heads as a symbol of renunciation. The White Sangha are non-monastic yogis and yoginis, wear white skirts and never cut their scalp hair as a symbol of embracing everyday life as practice.


 Then about 100 years later a king suppressed Buddhist practices, destroying monasteries and persecuting practitioners. This led to practitioners retreating to the outer regions of the Tibetan Empire, which at that time included areas of Nepal, Bhutan and northern India. Buddhism returned to royal favour in the 11th century and two new schools were established, but with an emphasis on monasticism as the preferred style. This was the 'second spread' of Buddhism in Tibet. The original form of Buddhism became known as the 'Nyingma', meaning 'Ancient Ones'. The trend toward favouring monasticism was compounded in the 14th century with the creation of a new, entirely monastic school of Buddhism, and with both spiritual and political power and wealth becoming invested in this school. The White Sangha came to be regarded as disreputable and undesirable by those favouring the dominant monastic school, but nevertheless continued to the present day. 

In Bhutan, Buddhism was never suppressed, and the wholly-monastic school never arose, so the religion practised in Bhutan is still from the 'first spread' where the Red and White Sanghas are regarded of equal value. Nor'dzin explained that her lineage is Nyingma, and White Sangha, so it is most valuable to go to a country and experience Buddhism without the historical prejudice against the White Sangha that developed in Tibet.


Nor'dzin talked about her two trips to Bhutan. On the first trip they flew to central Bhutan and then drove back to Paro in the west, visiting many places on the way. On the second pilgrimage they flew to eastern Bhutan and stayed there for a few days at Chador Lhakang before returning to Paro. A lhakang is a place of practice for Red and White sanghas.




She highlighted two other places of particular interest near Paro: a 15th century suspension bridge created by 'the Da Vinci of the East', Thantong Gyalpo; and a steep climb to Taksang (Tiger's Nest).





She finished with a few whimsical photographs of interesting hats available to purchase in Kathmandu!



Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Newsletter – April 2025

 April meeting:

    Main Speaker: Nor'dzin Pamo – Pilgrimages to Nepal and Bhutan.
    A demonstration of Tai Chi Shibashi by Corina Walker.
    Remember to wear your Easter Bonnet! A prize for the best one.

Outings and events:

    20th Anniversary meal, April 10th
    1 pm at the Clayton Hotel, Cardiff (which is near the bus station in central Cardiff)
    Please arrive at 12:45.

Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.
    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Choir: Wednesdays at 11.30 am
    Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina


    Book Group: Wednesday 16th April / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch


    Craft Group: Monday 21st April / 10.30 am
    41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane


    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 16th April / 2.00 pm
    5 Court Close, Whitchurch


    Family History: 21st April / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 27th April / 1.00 pm / venue to be confirmed
 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 28th April / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: spring

    
    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 15th April / bulb planting / anytime between 10 am & 1 pm, for any length of time
 
Following meeting:

    12th May in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
    Annual meeting
    There will be a Bring and Buy sale during the meeting, so please bring good quality items for sale.



Wednesday, 2 April 2025

A trip to the Royal Mint

 On March 20th, 25 members enjoyed an afternoon trip to the Royal Mint in Llantrisant.

The Mint's website states:  

"With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is a British maker of thoughtfully designed products and services. We make original coin collections and gifts to celebrate special moments, and offer eye-opening experiences, investment opportunities and produce currency for the UK."

Tom, the young man who guided us on the tour, was extremely knowledgeable and a most pleasant and friendly host. Understandably, photography was not permitted inside the Mint, but we were shown the various machines used in the minting process and given fascinating details about the history of the Mint.

In the foyer was a mini and a model of Grommet embossed with coins.


The tour ended with a small museum area, and a shop.

A purser's bag, rescued from a sunken ship and renovated. 

Everyone agreed that it was an enjoyable and interesting visit.


Friday, 21 March 2025

Meeting – March 2025

The March meeting had the theme of 'Celebrating Wales'. There were winners for craft, limericks, photography and bakery, and a demonstration of choral speaking. All entries had been submitted under a pseudonym and were judged externally.

The meeting began with everyone singing 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'.

Cake & photography judges, Chris & Bryn

Gill won the limerick competition, judged by Janet who wasn't able to attend the meeting. 

    "A lady in a Welsh WI
    Met James Bond – that incredible spy.
    But in place of sin
    They drank loads of gin
    And so, tipsy, she went home to Dai."

Jenny came 2nd and Gay 3rd. Sheila A. and Carole received commendations for their entries.

There were only two craft entries for 'an item of clothing for a Welsh costume doll'. Nor'dzin was awarded first for her skirt. The judge was Muriel Hewitt.

The photography category attracted quite a few entries. Sheila E. won the 'daffodils' section, and Glenys the 'two of a kind' section.

Two of a kind – peppers


Winner top centre

There were also a good number of entries for baking Welsh cakes and chocolate cakes. Gay's Welsh cakes came first, and Glenys won with her chocolate cake.


Six members of the Book Group gave a choral speaking performance: Glenys, Diana, Linda, Jenny, Gay and Nor'dzin. 

It was a most enjoyable meeting with a joyful atmosphere.

Friday, 7 March 2025

Newsletter – March 2025

 March meeting:

    10th March in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
     
'Celebrating Wales' – competitions for members:
        – cooking: Welsh cakes and chocolate cake
        – craft: clothing for a Welsh costume doll
        – photography: 'daffodils' / 'two of a kind' 
        – poetry: a limerick
        – choral speaking

Outings and events:
    Royal Mint, Thursday 20th March – departure from Whitchurch Common at 1:30 pm

    20th Anniversary meal, April 10th
    1 pm at the Clayton Hotel, Cardiff (which is near the bus station in central Cardiff)

 
    IT TRAINING with AbilityNet – Thursday 6th February
    Room 1 at Ararat, 2pm. £5 charge to cover the cost of room hire.


Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.
    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Choir: Wednesdays at 11.30 am
    Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina


    Book Group: Wednesday 12th March / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch


    Craft Group: Monday 17th March / 10.30 am
    41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane


    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 19th March / 2.00 pm
    5 Court Close, Whitchurch


    Family History: Monday 31st March / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 23rd March / 1.00 pm / Llanishen Golf Club
 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 31st March / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: Wales

    
    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 18th March / bulb planting / anytime between 9 am & 1 pm
 
Following meeting:

    14th April in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
    Speaker: Nor'dzin Pamo Pilgrimages to Nepal and Bhutan
    Plus:
a Tai Chi demonstration
    Plus: Easter bonnet competition

Advance notice:

    Bring and Buy sale at the May meeting, so please gather together your saleable items.

Thursday, 13 February 2025

Volunteering in Rwanda – Mary Watkins

Mary Watkins began as a primary school teacher, and then worked for Welsh Water as an education officer visiting schools. Water Aid was founded by water companies in the 1980s, and Mary was selected in 2008 to go to Rwanda as their representative. This led to her and her husband volunteering for VSO in Rwanda – for one year initially, 2013 – 2014, and later for another year in 2018.

Mary described Rwanda as a beautiful, green and lush country; very hilly and with a lot of rain. Most of it is above the height of Ben Nevis and this contributes to maintaining a general temperature of 20° – 25
° all year round. It is a similar size to Wales but has a much denser population at around 13.5 million. The land is terraced for farming and one main crop is tea. She informed us that 'Yorkshire' tea comes from Rwanda. The capital city is Kigali, which is modern and clean.







Mary went to Rwanda to train teachers. At the time she arrived in 2013, nursery schools were just being introduced. She knew nothing about teaching nursery age children, let alone training nursery teachers and had to learn on the job. 






A big initial obstacle that she met in all the schools she worked in was a lack of age-appropriate furniture in the schoolrooms  and sometimes a lack of any furniture at all. The second major hurdle was to move teachers away from simply 'repeating words after the teacher' as the primary method of education.





Mary is clearly a creative and natural teacher as she found ways of using whatever was available to create teaching resources, such as bottle tops for learning numbers and counting; making a dice from a toilet roll tube; cutting open milk bags, toothpaste tubes and juice cartons for all sorts of purposes. Eventually she produced a book which showed what could be used as a teaching resource, how to make it, and how to use it. She continues this work from home in Wales to this day.



Over the time that Mary was volunteering in Rwanda she worked in more than 100 schools. To travel to the different schools she was transported on the back of a motorbike through muddy dirt roads, across rickety bridges, and even occasionally by boat to reach schools on islands. 






Her husband was asked to teach tag rugby. Having expected about 18 students to turn up, over 200 arrived! This eventually led to Mary and her husband being part of the charity 'Friends of Rwanda Rugby' which has been most successful. 









As well as training teachers, Mary has also helped trained tailors through the Isooko project, by raising funds to provide sewing and knitting machines. She had brought along a selection of the colourful and beautiful products made by the women of the Isooka project, which included fabric elephant toys and giraffes, dolls, aprons, bags of various sizes, hats and other items  all very reasonably priced. She explained that 50% of sales went directly to the workers and the remainder was used to fund further projects and to provide necessary equipment. The members enjoyed browsing the items and there were quite a few happy sales.



Gwirfoddoli yn Rwanda – Mary Watkins

Dechreuodd Mary Watkins fel athrawes ysgol gynradd, ac yna gweithiodd i Dŵr Cymru fel swyddog addysg yn ymweld ag ysgolion. Sefydlwyd Water Aid gan gwmnïau dŵr yn y 1980, a dewiswyd Mary yn 2008 i fynd i Rwanda fel eu cynrychiolydd. Arweiniodd hyn at hi a’i gŵr yn gwirfoddoli i VSO yn Rwanda  am flwyddyn i ddechrau 2013-2014, ac yn ddiweddarach am flwyddyn arall yn 2018.

Disgrifiodd Mary Rwanda fel gwlad hardd, gwyrdd a gwyrddlas; bryniog iawn a gyda llawer o law. Mae'r rhan fwyaf ohono uwchlaw uchder Ben Nevis ac mae hyn yn cyfrannu at gynnal tymheredd cyffredinol o 20° – 25° trwy gydol y flwyddyn. Mae o faint tebyg i Gymru ond mae ganddi boblogaeth llawer dwysach, sef tua 13.5 miliwn. Mae'r tir yn deras ar gyfer ffermio ac un prif gnwd yw te. Dywedodd wrthym fod te 'Swydd Efrog' yn dod o Rwanda. Y brifddinas yw Kigali, sy'n fodern ac yn lân.



Aeth Mary i Rwanda i hyfforddi athrawon. Pan gyrhaeddodd hi yn 2013, roedd ysgolion meithrin newydd gael eu cyflwyno. Doedd hi’n gwybod dim am addysgu plant oed meithrin, heb sôn am hyfforddi athrawon meithrin a bu’n rhaid iddi ddysgu yn y swydd.






Rhwystr cychwynnol mawr y cyfarfu ag ef yn yr holl ysgolion y bu’n gweithio ynddynt oedd diffyg celfi a oedd yn addas i’w hoedran yn yr ysgoldai – ac weithiau diffyg unrhyw ddodrefn o gwbl. Yr ail rwystr mawr oedd symud athrawon i ffwrdd oddi wrth ailadrodd geiriau ar ôl yr athro fel y prif ddull addysgu.





Mae Mary yn amlwg yn athrawes greadigol a naturiol wrth iddi ddod o hyd i ffyrdd o ddefnyddio beth bynnag oedd ar gael i greu adnoddau addysgu, megis topiau poteli ar gyfer dysgu rhifau a chyfrif; gwneud dis o diwb papur toiled; torri bagiau llaeth agored, tiwbiau past dannedd a chartonau sudd ar gyfer pob math o ddibenion. Yn y diwedd, cynhyrchodd lyfr a oedd yn dangos yr hyn y gellid ei ddefnyddio fel adnodd addysgu, sut i'w wneud a sut i'w ddefnyddio. Mae hi'n parhau â'r gwaith hwn o gartref yng Nghymru hyd heddiw.

Dros yr amser yr oedd Mary yn gwirfoddoli yn Rwanda bu'n gweithio mewn mwy na 100 o ysgolion. Er mwyn teithio i'r gwahanol ysgolion fe'i cludwyd ar gefn beic modur trwy ffyrdd baw mwdlyd, ar draws pontydd simsan, a hyd yn oed yn achlysurol ar gwch i gyrraedd ysgolion ar ynysoedd. 






Gofynnwyd i'w gŵr ddysgu rygbi tag. Wedi disgwyl tua 18 o fyfyrwyr i ddod, cyrhaeddodd dros 200! Arweiniodd hyn yn y pen draw at Mary a'i gŵr yn rhan o'r elusen 'Friends of Rwanda Rugby sydd wedi bod yn fwyaf llwyddiannus.









Yn ogystal â hyfforddi athrawon, mae Mary hefyd wedi helpu i hyfforddi teilwriaid trwy brosiect Isooko, trwy godi arian i ddarparu peiriannau gwnïo a gwau. Roedd hi wedi dod â detholiad o’r nwyddau lliwgar a hardd a wnaed gan ferched prosiect Isooka, a oedd yn cynnwys teganau eliffant ffabrig a jiráff, doliau, ffedogau, bagiau o wahanol feintiau, hetiau ac eitemau eraill, i gyd am bris rhesymol iawn. Eglurodd fod 50% o'r gwerthiant yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i'r gweithwyr a bod y gweddill yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ariannu prosiectau pellach ac i ddarparu offer angenrheidiol. Mwynhaodd yr aelodau bori'r eitemau a chafwyd cryn dipyn o werthiant hapus.



Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Newsletter – February 2025

February meeting:
    10th February in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
    Main speaker
– Mary Watkins: 'Volunteering in Rwanda'

Outings and events:
    Royal Mint, 20th March

    Plantasia, Swansea and a boat trip, cost around £40,
    date to be confirmed (possibly June 12th) 
 
    20th Anniversary meal , date to be confirmed (possibly April 10th)
    Clayton Hotel, Cardiff

 
    IT TRAINING with AbilityNet – Thursday 6th February
    Room 1 at Ararat, 2pm. £5 charge to cover the cost of room hire.


Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.


    MyWI
site (registration and log in required)


Groups:

    Choir: Wednesdays (excluding 19th February) / 11.30 am
    Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina


    Book Group: Wednesday 12th February / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch


    Craft Group: Monday 17th February / 10.30 am
    41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane


    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 14th February / 2.00 pm
    5 Court Close, Whitchurch


    Family History: Monday 24 February / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 16th February / 1.00 pm / Llanishen Golf Club
 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 24th February 2025 / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: Wales

 
Following meeting:

10th March in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.
'Celebrating Wales' – competitions for members:
    – cooking: Welsh cakes and chocolate cake
    – craft: clothing for a Welsh costume doll
    – photography: 'daffodils' / 'two of a kind' 
    – poetry: a limerick
    – choral speaking



 

Saturday, 18 January 2025

Celebrating Wales at the March Meeting – entry details

Welsh costume doll D32 | Welsh Costume / Gwisg Gymreig

 

Here are the options for entering the competitions at the March meeting:

1. To be handed in at the MARCH Meeting:

Cakes

  • 12 Welsh cakes (to be eaten later) 
  • Chocolate cake – not less than 6 ins diameter

2. To be handed in at the FEBRUARY Meeting:

Photographs – 5x7 ins

  • daffodils 
  • two of a kind

Craft – an item of clothing for a Welsh doll’s costume

Poem – a limerick beginning “A Lady In a Welsh WI..."
(Only one per member) 

(All entries in the above categories to be submitted under a 'nom de plume'.)

3. To be performed at the MARCH meeting: 

Choral speaking (not less than six voices) – an extract from "Under Milk Wood":

“Hush, the babies are sleeping, the farmers, the fishers, the tradesmen and pensioners, cobbler, schoolteacher, postman and publican, the undertaker and the fancy woman, drunkard, dressmaker, preacher, policeman, the webfoot cocklewomen and the tidy wives. Young girls lie bedded soft or glide in their dreams, with rings and trousseaux, bridesmaided by glowworms down the aisles of the organplaying wood. The boys are dreaming wicked or of the bucking ranches of the night and the jollyrodgered sea. And the anthracite statues of the horses sleep in the fields, and the cows in the byres, and the dogs in the wetnosed yards; and the cats nap in the slant corners or lope sly, streaking and needling, on the one cloud of the roofs.

You can hear the dew falling ......... ”

June 2025 meeting

Sheena Crossley gave a presentation on The Gardens of Wales . Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Sheena’s humorous talk, with slides of beautifully...