February news...

We started 2018 with a bang thanks to Bill Bailey from Adventures in Science . As the days are getting longer, it is time to get a bit creative.

Sue Duggan from Teach Me Sugar Craft will be returning to inspire us with her craft cake creations. The theme will be spring and Sue will demonstrate how to decorate our cupcakes before letting us loose on four of our very own to take home…or eat in the break.  Sue has over 30 years’ experience of cake decorating and 20 years’ of teaching, so there should be some real masterpieces!

All cakes, icing and tools will be provided.  You may want to bring an apron, or you can purchase one of our fabulous Malago WI apron at a reduced price of £8.00.  If you are planning to take your cakes homes, it might be worth bringing some tupperware along.

If you have any unwanted Christmas presents, please bring them along and we will raffle these off to raise money for future meetings and outings.

We are still collecting membership fee of £41, so it you haven’t paid, you can do so by cheque or cash.
We are looking for new committee members.  If you are interested or would like a bit more information about what being on the Committee involves, please have a chat to one of us and we would be happy to tell you more.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 28^th February.

January news...

Hello Malagoers

We hope that everyone had an enjoyable and restful Christmas break.  It seems a long time ago that we met at the hall when we had great evening of Christmas decoration making with Xanthe from Ivory Flowers.  As we head towards Spring, it’s time to chase away those winter blues and start our first meeting with a bang!

This month we'll be entertained by Bill Bailey from Adventures in Science for a fascinating and fun journey into science. Bill brings education and fun to live hand-on experiments such as flaming hands and whizzing rocket!

Bill will use air, fire, water and more to create fascinating and spectacular experiments and effects which will entertain and amaze, and you may learn something about the world.

As it is the start of the year, it is time for membership renewals.  The membership fee for 2018 is £41.  As part of this membership you get 11 meetings per year including 1 summer outing, a monthly copy of WI Life, WI member benefits and a book of handy vouchers when you join.  It’s helpful if members can arrive a bit earlier so we can get through renewals.  Payments can be made in cash and cheques payable to Malago WI.

We look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday 31^st for the start of another year of exciting meetings.

November news...

 

Thanks to everyone that helped us celebrate our 9^th birthday by getting on their dancing shoes and channelling your inner Strictly star.  We also had a fabulous evening at House of Fraser, courtesy of their Personal Shopping team, learning about autumn/winter trends and some fantastic make-up tips.

So, it is our last meeting of 2017 and we have a very festive theme.  Xanthe Ivory, from Ivory Flowers, will be showing us how to make a fully adorned Christmas wreath.  The finished product will be raffled at the end of the meeting. We will also get the chance to make some simple Christmas decorations of our own.  If you have any little trinkets you would like to add to a wreath or Christmas decoration, please bring them along and Xanthe will show us some ideas of how they can be used.

Don’t forget we have a stall at East Street Christmas Market on Saturday 25^th November from 10am to 4pm, so please visit us and bring your friends and family.  Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help out on the stall and bake cakes.  If you would like to help out, please e-mail us to find out more.

We hope to see many of you on 29^th November, but for those who can’t make it, we wish you happiness and good health for the festive season.



October news....

Thanks to Ruth McAllister Kemp for sharing her experiences of travelling around the world with her family and inspiring us to think about saying good-bye to the everyday to experience something different.

As autumn nights are drawing in, and Strictly is back on the weekend watch list, we will be warming ourselves with a Latin themed evening to celebrate Malago WI’s 9^th Birthday! Sonia Repetto, who has been dancing on-and-off for 20 years, will be giving us a taste of Latin dancing.  She is currently British, UK and European Champion, with dance partner Patrick Moreno, competing in the Amateur Seniors.  Sonia will be teaching us steps from two different dance routines – so get your dancing shoes ready!

A small heel is ideal, but any comfy shoes that you can spin in will be fine.  Rubber soled shoes, like trainers, are not ideal as they can be a bit too gripping.  It is best to wear comfy clothing that you can move freely in.

To help us get ready for the party season, we have arranged a personal shopper evening at House of Fraser on Thursday 9^th November.  For £6 per person, we will have canapés and a glass of fizz on arrival, and a jammed packed evening, including evening makeup demos, ideas hair up do and outfit ideas.  You will be able to sign up at October’s meeting and a further communication will be sent out shortly with further details.

We look forward to seeing you for our birthday celebration on 25^th!

September news....

After a lovely summer of outings exploring the city, we are now returning to the hall for first meeting of the autumn.

The nights may be drawing and the weather less warm and sunny, but we hope that a talk from Ruth McAllister Kemp will brighten up your evening. 

Ruth is just an ordinary mum who went YOLO (You Only Live Once) and travelled the world for a year with her husband and two young sons.  Ruth has written a fascinating blog detailing travelling with her family and will give us an insight into How to travel the world with kids (without killing each other) and share her exciting experiences, wonderful places she has visited and what it is like to take a leap of faith.

We will also have a bra bank available in aid of breast cancer.  Please bring along any unwanted bras.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 27^th.

August news....

Following our lovely summer outing to the Clifton Observatory last month, we are out and about again this month to make the most of the summer evenings, so please don’t go to the hall!!

Back by popular demand after a highly entertaining romp around the city centre and St Michael’s Hill last summer; Tim Mowl will take us on another of his entertaining and informative guided urban walks.  Our route this time will start at Harbourside, then on to Redcliffe, Castle Park and the new developments and bridges around Temple Quay, ending at Wapping Wharf.

Please meet at Severn Shed, (near Queen Square) by 7.15 for departure at 7.30 prompt. We will be finishing at Wapping Wharf around 9.30pm – with an optional post walk drink in Wild Beer or one of the other bars/cafes there.

It would be really helpful if you could let us know if you are coming, particularly if you are bringing any guests (£5 as usual)  - that will help give an idea of numbers, otherwise just turn up on the day. Any late arrivals or queries on the day call Avril on 0780 395 4120.

Fingers crossed for good weather.  See you on Wednesday 30^th August.

July news...

Last month’s meeting provided us a real insight in Chirology or Hand Reading and the fascinating science behind it.  Thanks to Lawrence Rook for teaching us about the ancient art.

July sees us venture out on our summer outing so there will be no meeting at the hall.  We have organised an evening focused around the Clifton Observatory including tours of the cave and the Camera Obscura plus fabulous views of the Suspension Bridge.

We are not able to take any further bookings, so unfortunately if you have not yet booked, we will not be able to accommodate you on the evening.  Further details will be sent shortly to those who have booked a place.

We are also out and about for our August meeting, exploring the Harbourside.  Further details will be available in next month’s newsletter.

Fingers crossed the sun continues to shine.

June news....

Last months meeting proved to be a really though provoking meeting and definitely gave us the feel good factor. Cat from Nudge Fit gave us some fab ideas on how to nudge our way to happiness and somehow managed to get us all to put a pencil in our mouths!  Helen from Jessie May gave us a personal insight into the charity’s work and how the hospice at home nurses really make a difference.  It was heart-warming to see how the lives of both the children and their parents are transformed by the amazing work the nurses do.

 June sees us learning about Chirology (Hand Reading to you and me!) Have you ever wanted to what career suits you best? What sort of partner you should look for? How you can improve your health? Lawrence Rook will reveal all! Lawrence is a qualified Chorologist with over 10 years expertise in the field.  He will be introducing us to the history & science behind Chirology as well as covering hand examination & showing how modern palm reading is a remarkable tool for insight and analysis.

As you know we like to get out and about for July’s meeting & this year is no different! Our “Tour & Tacos” outing to the Clifton Observatory camera obscura and caves, plus a stroll across the Suspension Bridge, will be on Wednesday 26th July. Please sign up at the meeting to confirm your place and let us know whether you prefer meat or veggie tacos (all are GF). If you want to bring a friend please do, at the bargain price of just £10 (including tour/tacos and bubby of course!!) We will confirm final details closer to the time but we are suggesting rendezvous at the Observatory at 7.30pm.  You will need to make your own way to and from Clifton.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 28^th.

May news....

Last month’s meeting saw us learning the art of needle felting with Juliet Fleming and from the results, we are a pretty talented bunch.

This month, we are lucky to have two speakers, both of which will give us the feel good factor.  Cat Taylor from Nudge Fit will be talking to us about Psychological Self Defence - Evidence based tips, techniques and challenges on how to increase your happiness.  Cat is an Occupational Therapist and Personal Trainer specialising in mental health, positive psychology and wellbeing. Having worked for a number of years in adult and young people’s mental health organisations, Cat is now embarking on a freelance career developing her own unique brand of personal training and life coaching, enabling people to nudge their way to happiness.

Our second speaker is Helen Mackie, Community Event Fundraiser for Jessie May, a Children's Hospice at Home service caring for local terminally ill children.  Jessie May supports families and children with life limiting conditions by providing vital respite care, emotional support, end of life care, and bereavement.  Helen will talk to us about the work of Jessie May and share some their families’ stories.

As summer is here, we are in the process of finalising our summer outing in July.  It promises to be a meeting with a view!

Come along on Wednesday 31^st and find out more!

April News....

Last meeting saw us learn about designing our own edible garden with Neils Corfield. Hopefully the lovely weather over Easter has inspired us to get out into the garden.

If you are feeling inspired and crafty after the Easter break our April session will certainly get you in the mood.  Local potter and needle felting enthusiast, Juliet Fleming, will give us an introduction to the wonderful world of needle felting... an accessible and addictive craft which allows even a complete beginner to achieve lovely results in both two and three-dimensional projects.

Juliet will take us through the basics and help us create our own 3D piece by felting onto polystyrene balls as well as talking about techniques that are more advanced, materials and suppliers.

Juliet says: “Once you've got the bug (and you will!), the only limit is your imagination.” So for those who are interested in doing more, we can look at setting up a some smaller group sessions.

In order to help ensure our members get the most out of their membership, the WI will be launching  My WI, allowing members to access the WI much more easily.  The WI will be sending out passwords shortly so please much sure we have your correct email address.

At this month’s meeting, we will be asking members to vote on whether they support the resolutions, which will go to the WI AGM in June. More information on the resolutions - Alleviating loneliness and Plastic Soup: keep mircoplastic fibres out of our ocean, can be found on the WI website.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 26^th.

March news....

With Spring in the air now is the time shake off those winter blues and start thinking about making the most of our gardens.

March’s meeting will be led by Niels Corfield, specialist edible garden and urban agriculture designer and consultant, director of Edible Cities as well as a nursery man and teacher of all things growing.

Niels will take us through the process of transforming our gardens into productive, low maintenance, edible spaces that are also both ecological and aesthetic. He will lead a short participatory garden ‘design for real’ activity as well as talking about Edible Cities, the urban design consultancy, education and nursery project that has been creating edible landscapes since 2008.

If you’re feeling inspired there will also be a range of supporting information booklets to buy on the evening, whilst his next evening class called Designing Edible Spaces at Feed Bristol, begins on 26^th April.

NFWI are holding elections for its Boards of Trustees. Members will be able to place their vote at the meeting and full details of the candidates is available on the NFWI website.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 29^th.

MWI x

February news....

Hello Malagoers

It was great to see friends and new at our first meeting of 2017.  A big thank you to Penny for a fantastic workshop and for finishing off our creations!

We are all a bit fed up of the cold and dark, with many of us counting down the days until Spring.  So what better way to welcome in the first days of Spring than learning about colour analysis with Karen Lowe.  Karen is a long-time friend of Malago WI and we delighted that she will be joining us again.  She studied textile design at Nottingham Trent University.  Following a career in marketing and the birth of her daughter, Karen decided to retrain as an image consultant and has been helping clients ever since.

During the evening Karen will discuss how colours can instantly change the way you look, giving you a younger, fresher and vibrant appearance.  We hope that we will have some willing volunteers to help Karen with a colour analysis demonstration.  She has also asked that everyone bring a brightly coloured item which you love or think you can’t wear and she will take a look.

If you fancy celebrating all that is WI, why not visit the WI Fair taking place on 29^th March – 1^st April 2017 at Alexandra Place London. There will be hundreds of stalls and exhibitors offering craft, cooking and creativity. Tickets are currently on sale.

The WI is currently looking for feedback on its future and is asking members to complete a questionnaire.  Members can fill in the survey via hard copy, on pages 49-51 of the November/December issue of WI Life and return it using ‘Freepost NFWI’; or online using this link www.thewi.org.uk/our-wi-our-future-survey.  Deadline for responses is 28^th February.

If you didn’t renew your membership in January, you are still able to do so.  Membership for 2017 is £39 and payment can be made by cash or cheque.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 23^rd February!
MWI x

January news....

Hello Malagoers

It has been a while since we last met for lino cutting in November and we hope that everyone has had an enjoyable Christmas break.

So for our first meeting of 2017, we are getting crafty.  If you are looking for an original piece of jewellery, perhaps to match a particular outfit, then Penny Smith will be showing us how to upcycle buttons and ribbon to make a necklace.

Each necklace is made from 7 different buttons.  Penny will bring along some supplies but has asked if you have some favourite buttons at home (with two or four holes and no bigger than a fifty pence piece) please bring them along.  Alternatively, you can pop into Paper Village on North Street who have a great selection in a range of colours. All other materials will be provided.

Penny has been a WI member for approximately 5 years and is an avid fan of Denman College where she has learnt many crafts and spent two years studying to become an AFWI Judge of Preserves with many tales of Judging!  Having now semi-retired, she has time to develop her love of crafts which range from beads, buttons, bags, quilting to silk painting!

The WI is currently looking for feedback on its future and is asking members to complete a questionnaire.  Members can fill in the survey via hard copy, on pages 49-51 of the November/December issue of WI Life and return it using ‘Freepost NFWI’; or online using this link www.thewi.org.uk/our-wi-our-future-survey.  Deadline for responses is 28^th February.

It is also time for membership renewal.  Membership for 2017 is £39 and it would be really helpful if you could arrive a bit early so we can sort our membership payment which can be made by cash or cheque.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 25^th January!

MWI x

November News....

October’s meeting was on a cold dark, night which was perfect for Kim Thomson to show us how to produce our own light graffiti.  For a lot of first timers, we did pretty well.

November is our last meeting of the year and what better than getting the creative juices following with a lino printing workshop hosted by Lucy Dabner.  Lucy started learning printmaking techniques in the late 1990s whilst attending Chelsea College of Art and Design (The London Institute) and Falmouth College of Art.  Although her career then took her into another direction, she has recently taken up lino printing again focusing mainly on Arabic/Islamic patterns. 

Lucy will be showing us the lino printing process from choosing and transferring an image onto the lino, through to a final finished print in a single colour.  As it will be the run-up to Christmas, we will be producing lino cut Christmas cards and festive tags to take-away. All the tools and ink will be provided, but please bring any card or tags you would like to print on.  As we will be using ink, you may want to bring something to cover your clothes as the ink can stain.

All members now have the opportunity to vote for the WI resolutions which will go to the WI AGM in June 2017.  The 2017 resolutions are:

1. Alleviating loneliness.
2. FGM. More awareness for more action.
3. Equal access for all who need specialised maternal mental health services.
4. Provision of appropriate welfare and safe spaces for women & children in refugee camps.
5. Supporting women's refuges.
6. Plastic Soup. Keep microplastic fibres out of our oceans.

Voting slips and further details of the resolutions are in this month’s WI Life.  Please bring your voting slip along to the meeting.

We hope to see you on Wednesday 30^th for our last meeting of 2016.  If you are not able to make it, we wish you best for the festive period and see you in January 2017.

October news...

September’s meeting saw us upcycling courtesy of Sarah from My English Home.  We got to learn about different upcycling techniques using Annie Sloan paints.  If you have caught the upcycling bug, Sarah would love you to visit her at My English Home.  Don’t forget your voucher for a 10% discount.

October means it’s time to celebrate as it will be Malago WI’s 8^th birthday.  This year we will have a Diwali theme, so we will be enjoying a feast of savoury and sweet snacks.  For those bringing refreshments, you might like to try creating some Diwali inspired treats.  Here are some delicious recipes to inspire you!

Autumn is well and truly here and although we might not like the nights during in, it is perfect for our October meeting hosted by Kim Thomson.  Kim is a multi-disciplinary artist specialising in silversmithing and alternative photography.  She has been delivering creative art workshops to a range of groups in Bristol for over 12 years.  Kim will be teaching us to create light graffiti where we will be designing and producing our own light graffiti light pictures using a range of light sources and digital SLR cameras.  Kim will be providing all the equipment required and we will have the opportunity to get prints of the finished articles.

We look forward to seeing you all for our birthday celebration on Wednesday 26^th.

MWIx

September News....

After a summer of outings and with the night’s drawing in, we are returning to the hall to be treated to a feast of upcycling!!

We will be joined by Sarah from My English Home  exclusive Bristol stockists of Annie Sloan paint and products in the beautiful Clifton Arcade. Sarah was trained by Annie herself and now holds courses using these paints for furniture renovations. Annie first developed the paint some 25 years ago wanting something that allowed her to be creative and spontaneous with no need for prep!  Once you’ve tried it – you won’t go back to sanding!

Sarah will be showing us all how to upcycle and revive that old piece of furniture you keep thinking you should throw out! She will be giving us demonstrations of painting, upholstering, and various effects and finishes.  You be will inspired to go home and breathe new life into your own chairs and tables!

You will then get a chance to create your own Annie Sloan piece – please bring a small photo frame (or mirror) to try your hand at the 2 colour paint effect! Please do wear something you don’t mind getting paint on!

You will have the opportunity to buy a number of products including books, brushes and mini project packs consisting of two 100ml tester pots of Annie Sloan chalk paint, Annie Sloan clear and dark and an Annie Sloan natural bristle brush. The pack retails for £29.95.

You will also be able to order 1 litre tins of paint and anything else that takes your fancy!   Sarah will accept cash or cheque.  All attendees will be given 10% off their purchase on their 1st visit to Sarah’s shop.

We look forward to seeing you back at Bedminster Methodist Church on 28^th September.

MWIx

August News.....

Hello Malagoers

July saw us leave the Bedminster Methodist Hall and venture to Windmill Hill City Farm for an evening full of food.  Thank you to our members and guests who were able to attend and take part in an extremely enjoyable evening.  We were able to taste a number of local cheeses provided Rosie Morgan aka The Bristol Cheesemonger and everyone had a go at making their own pizzas which were delicious.

Summer is still with us, so we are out and about once more in August.  Many of you attended our June meeting where Tim Mowl gave us an alternative view of the architecture in Bristol. We are delighted that Tim will be leading a walk to bring this to life.  From a pugilistic pub to a hospital of alternative medicine, our route will start at The Hatchet Inn and take us via the Red Lodge to various medieval buildings and alms-houses, then on to Lodge Street, round Christmas Steps and by Hotel du Vin.  We will then tackle St Michael's Hill to the Homeopathic Hospital where we will be rewarded with its lovely gardens, finishing at the Highbury Vaults for a well-deserved drink.

If you are thinking of attending, drop us an email so we can gage numbers or just come along on the night.

For any of you who are inspired by our walk around Bristol, The Architecture Centre are asking local bakers, designers and architects to recreate their favourite Bristol building in a cake to help celebrate their 20^th anniversary.  Visit The Architecture Centre - Architectural Cake Competition for more information.

We will be starting the meeting a bit earlier than normal, meeting at the Hatchet at 7:15 for a 7:30 start. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 31^st.

MWI x