October news...

It seems such a long time ago since we last.  We had hoped that the easing in restrictions early this year would mean we would be able to meet again in the hall.  However, we continue to be advised that we are not able to meet in our normal way.

This being said, the Committee have been working hard to come up with ways to offer an opportunity to get together in these challenging times.
 
Within COVID guidelines, we are able to arrange a Theatre Walk with Show Of Strength Theatre Company.
 
Join us on Monday 9th November at 6.30pm (not our normal Wednesday slot) for an historical tour with a difference. We may not have been able to meet properly since lockdown, but we have organised a special private Theatre Walk with Sheila from Show Of Strength Theatre Company. Show of Strength have re-booted their amazingly successful and highly acclaimed theatre walks for the autumn/winter season, and we are delighted to invite our Malago WI members to join us for "Blood and Butchery in Bedminster".
 
"Bedminster — where graves were robbed by body snatchers, and corpses buried in concrete coffins. Where the old Chinese laundry vanished years ago, and where ‘laundering’ now means money, big money, 13 million, ‘laundered’ through a Bedminster bank. Where criminals were sentenced to hang in public, their cadavers flayed, their skin tanned and made into……the answer is in BLOOD AND BUTCHERY IN BEDMINSTER".  
 
We'll begin at The Ropewalk, on Bedminster Parade and end at The Hen and Chicken, where those of us who are thirsty can stop for a socially distanced drink and some pizza. Those of us who wish to take their leave can do so. The tour will last approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
 
This event is free for members and spaces for guests may also be available.  If you would like to join us please email wearemalagowi@gmail.com by 2nd November to reserve a space.
 
If you are looking to step back in time and remember a time pre-COVID, the Bristol Civic Society have gone through the archives when Bristol was a different place!  Enjoy Bristol’s Big Bang, Wills at One and those early days of working in an office, with face to face meetings?!?

June news....

 
It’s hard to believe that here we are in early June still in lockdown though things are easing slowly…
 
We hope that you are all finding ways to cope with all the uncertainties and restrictions for yourself as well as family and friends. Many people and communities have come together in amazing ways and let’s hope some of the positives continue.
 
Some of us are still going to work, learning to work from home or volunteering as well as maybe battling with home schooling. Others may have found themselves suddenly at home with time to fill and looking for ways to keep busy.
 
Until we can all meet up in the hall we would be interested to know if you would like to take part in some smaller group Zoom meetings, though we appreciate it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If so let us have an idea of topics or activities that would be of interest e.g. a book club or a craft session?  Or we might be able to hold some smaller social bubble activities like some guided walks or a picnic in a park? Please email wearemalagowi@gmail.com if you would be interested to take part or have any suggestions.
 
There are lots of online opportunities and zoom classes which might be of interest to our members. For example, The Bristol Arts Channel has just launched with free to view performances from some of the city’s amazing arts venues.
 
Sewing for the NHS and front line staff
Some of you joined in making wash bags, scrub hats and knitted hearts.  Do let us know what you made and whether you made us the Brislington WI drop-offs or made your own arrangements. 
 
What have you been doing in Lockdown
We thought it might be fun to collectively document what we have all been doing over the past few months.
 
We are hoping to create a short film that chronicles the activities of our members during lockdown. We’ve been inspired by Grayson Perry’s Art Club, and so it would be lovely to compile some photos and film of the things you’ve been up to! Think Tony Hart’s Gallery!
 
Have you been creative during lockdown? Perhaps you have completed a piece of sewing, or created a work of art? Maybe you’ve been trying out some new recipes or perhaps you’ve had success growing something amazing in the garden or allotment? Whatever it is, we’d love to share it with our members.
 
If you have photos, or better still, a few seconds of film, showing your art/project, lease do send it to Geri, our treasurer, at Geri@debutots.co.uk with a little bit about what you’ve been doing and why you are particularly proud of it.
 
If you are not camera shy then by all means film yourself explaining - that’s even better! Ensure your film is in landscape if at all possible (turn your phone sideways) and no longer than a couple of minutes. Otherwise it gets difficult to send!  The Committee has put aside being camera shy and have put together a video to explain what to do, what we are looking for and to inspire you!
 
Geri will put all the contributions together and edit a short film, which we will all be able to enjoy.  It will be a sort of chronicle of what we’ve been doing during these strange times.
 
Contributions need to be received by Wednesday 29^th July, so whip out your smartphone and get filming!
 
Future meetings
We have been advised by WI Federation that face to face meetings are not possible for the time being so we have been thinking about what activities and projects we might be able to arrange in the meantime as well as planning for when more normal life returns.
 
The NFWI has been very concerned about the disruption this lockdown period has had on WI meetings and activities and the membership experience this year. Consultations with all federations have taken place to discuss ways in which this can be acknowledged in the membership subscription this year.
 
Therefore, they will be offering a three-month extension to this year’s membership subscription. The next renewal date for membership subscriptions will, therefore, be 1^st April 2021.
 
As soon as we can meet again we hope to reschedule some of the speakers/session we had to cancel over the last few months as well as some new topics. We also want to plan for a really fab social event towards the end of the year which we can fund from events that have had to be cancelled.
 
We look forward to hearing from you, finding out more about what you have been doing during lockdown and planning  ways we can continue to stay in touch and meet again when circumstances allow.
 
Stay safe and well.

March meeting cancellation

 
It seems a very long time ago since we were making window stars with Laura from Colourful Minds.  As always, it was lovely to be able to sit, chat and get creative with friends old and new.
 
The landscape in the UK has changed significantly since then and it with great sadness that we have to cancel the next Malago WI meeting on Wednesday 25^th March and future monthly meetings until further notice. This is based on Government Advice to delay the impact of Covid-19.
 
We want to help to mitigate the impact that the lack of social engagement will have on our community, especially those who are more vulnerable or in self-isolation. So we want to ask you to send us recipes, ideas for projects, ideas for future meetings or share stories to give us all a lift during very uncertain times.  We can share these in our newsletter and via social media.  Please send these to wearemalagowi@gmail.com
 
Self-isolation can very challenging and lonely, so if any of you would like a chat with one of our friendly committee members, then please let us know.  If members would like to support others in this way, let us know and we can help to make a connection.
 
It is not clear when we will be able to resume our normal activity, but we will keep in touch and support each other in uncertain times.
 
Take care and stay safe.

February news....

 
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the first meeting of 2020.  It was lovely to see new and familiar faces who joined us to hear about the amazing work undertaken by Dogs for Good.
 
During the dark and cold nights, it always helps to bring some colour into the house.  We are delighted to be joined once again by Laura Humpage from Colourful Minds who will be showing us how to make window stars. Laura will be providing all materials for a bit of creative therapy.
 
Colourful Minds run art and craft workshops for kids and adults in Bristol. Set up by mum of two, Laura, to teach and explore creative skills in relaxed and informal settings. Laura has a degree in Textile Design, worked as a freelance designer maker then worked at Watershed Media Centre for 8 years before setting up Colourful Minds in 2015. She now works in schools and venues all over Bristol providing affordable and accessible art and craft workshops for all ages.
 
We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 26th.

January news...

We hope that you have all had a lovely Christmas and New Year break.  It seems a long time ago since we last met in the hall, being inspired by Rachel Heaton to create our own ‘Bristol Rocks’.
 
It is not always easy to persuade yourself to get out during dark and cold winter nights, but we hope that will be able to join us to learn about a great cause.  Dogs for Good is a charity that trains assistance dogs to support adults and children with a wide variety of disabilities and conditions to live full and active lives in the community. Their dogs bring independence to people by taking on many practical tasks, such as retrieving items, helping them get dressed and opening doors. As well as the practical help our dogs provide, the emotional support they give is unparalleled.
 
Rosie Blanning will talk to us about Dogs for Good and the amazing things their dogs do to help adults and children with disabilities live more independently. She will also talk about the various volunteering opportunities within the organisation and how Bristol residents can get involved with the charity and even look after our puppies!  We also will have a chance to meet one of their dogs, Norton, so will be able to see first-hand how amazing these dogs are.
 
As it is the start of the year, it is time for membership renewals.  The membership fee for 2020 is £43.  As part of this membership you get 11 meetings per year including 1 summer outing (sometimes 2), a monthly copy of WI Life, WI member benefits and a book of handy vouchers when you join.  It’s helpful for existing and new members to arrive a bit earlier so we can start the meeting on time.  Payments can be made in cash and cheques payable to Malago WI.
 
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 look forward to seeing friends old and new on Wednesday 29^th to celebrate the start of another year of exciting events.

November news....

Thank you to everyone who came to our October meeting and AGM.  It was great to hear your ideas about future meetings.  We all loved creating an origami Christmas tree forest and trying on some gorgeous kimonos thanks to Yukiko.
 
Our last meeting of 2019 will have a distinctly festive feeling with a range of Christmas treats and music to help get us in the mood for the festivities throughout December.  We will be joined by Rachel Heaton, a local artist who has been dabbling in art for a lifetime. Art is total escapism for her, it is an excuse to hide away and ignore her family
 
A member of Redcatch Art Club, she loves to shock with her outrageous approach of slapping the paint on super quick and watching what emerges. At the moment she loves painting dogs and cats but also creating images of people on stones.  She will be exhibiting her work at this weekend’s Totterdown Front Room Art Trail.
 
Rachel will bring along examples of her amazing artwork and painted stones to inspire us to paint our own which we can either keep or choose to hide to be found by others.  The idea behind Bristol Rocks is to decorate rocks and hide them in various places to randomly brighten someone's day. You can use whatever you like, paint, sharpies etc., they just need to be sealed with some clear varnish to make sure the rain doesn't wash away your designs.  If you add a message on the back saying 'Bristol Rocks Facebook Page' or something along those lines, you can even add your name, then maybe some will be reposted to the group when they are found.
 
All materials will be provided but if you have a favourite stone or two that you would like to decorate do bring these along as well.
 
We hope to see many of you on 27th November, but for those who can’t make it, we wish you happiness and good health for the festive season.

October news....

 

Although we had a last minute change of venue due to water damage in the hall, our alternative venue of the Hen and Chicken was a great place to practice some chair yoga with Ashley Russell. It was lovely to see so many of you there and to hear how much you enjoyed it.  Thank you for being so understanding with the last minute changes.
 
October’s meeting will have a distinctly Japanese theme.  Yukiko Hosomi will be teaching us how to make origami Christmas trees and Christmas decorations.  Yukiko will introduce us to origami and kimono as well her early life in Japan. There will be opportunity to try on some kimonos and taste a bit of vegetarian sushi.  All materials will be provided, but if you have any paper you would like to use to make decorations, please bring it along
 
Yukiko has lived in Bristol for the last 15 years – coming to the UK in 1996 as an international student at Lancaster University. Originally from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan, 1 hour by bullet train from Tokyo, she grew up seeing Mt Fuji every day. Her love of hand crafts were developed at a young age, watching her mother knit and sew, and making things by hand has been a shared love. Since 2018, Yukiko has been sharing her love of Japan, kimono and fabric with others thorough her creative outlet Unsui.
 
Yukiko sells accessories created from kimono material and you will have an opportunity to purchase these (cash or card) at the meeting, especially for those looking to start their Christmas shopping early!
 
This month’s meeting also marks our 11^th birthday and will be holding our AGM where we can share many of the great activities we have done this year.
 
Have you got any books you have read, loved but no sure what to do with them?  We are looking for book donations which we can sell, at a very small charge, at our meetings as part of our fundraising for Malago WI.  Please bring along any books you would like to donate.
 
We look forward to seeing you on the 30th!  

SEPTEMBER MEETING CHANGE OF VENUE.....

Unfortunately, at very short notice, we have had to move our September meeting.  Over the weekend the lead from the roof of the Methodist Church Hall was stolen and the building has flooded after the recent heavy rainstorms. The lovely guys at the nearby Hen and Chicken Pub have come to our rescue and will host our September meeting this coming Wednesday 25 September.  We look forward to seeing you in the upstairs room of the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, Bristol BS3 1JF at the usual time of 7.45 for 8pm for our armchair yoga session. Do help to pass on the information to anyone else you know who is planning to come along.

September news...

In August we thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Colston Hall to find out about their major transformation project.  After an overview of the project we took a virtual tour of the main construction areas using Willmott Dixon’s  state of the art computer modelling of the interiors and then donned VR headsets to ‘see’ what the new main hall and the Lantern will look like when finished. Thanks to the Colston Hall team and Willmott Dixon for their hospitality and accommodating us in the midst of this exciting but challenging building programme.
 
As the nights start to draw in we are back to the hall for our September meeting, taking some time to improve our sense of wellbeing with some Chair Yoga from Ashley Russell
 
Ashley has been a student and teacher of yoga for over 20 years working in Europe, the USA and now back in the UK. He now teaches Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative and Yin styles of Yoga throughout Bristol as well as being a Senior Yoga Teacher registered with the Yoga Alliance Professionals and a registered mental health nurse with the Nursing and midwifery Council.
 
During the evenings meeting Ashley will give us some background & history of the origins & history of Yoga and how it has become the discipline we know today.  He will then guide us through an hour long chair yoga class which will take in elements of Gyrokenesis. Chair yoga will help to increase strength & flexibility as well as reduce stress. Focusing on the breath the class will bring us a sense of calm well-being & mental clarity.
 
Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in & suitable footwear/socks
 
Have you got any books you have read, loved but no sure what to do with them?  We are looking for book donations which we can sell, at a very small charge, at our meetings as part of our fundraising for Malago WI.  Please bring along any books you would like to donate.
 
We look forward to seeing you on the 25th!  
 

August news....

In July, we were very lucky to visit the delightful Somerset Flower Farm where the sun shone and we were treated to an amazing cream team.  Thanks to Mandy, Ken and Ella for hosting us and to Mandy for putting together and giving away a beautiful hand held bouquet.

We continue our summer outings in August and have a fantastic opportunity to visit Colston Hall.
This is an opportunity to see behind the scenes and see the work in progress on this major, £48.8 million transformation project.  The evening will start with guided tours of the building courtesy of Willmott Dixon Contractor. Access to some areas will be restricted as this is a working site - so please wear sensible shoes.  Afterwards we will reconvene in the first floor terrace bar for a glass of wine and a talk from about the overall project and progress to date. This will include trying out some VR headsets for a glimpse of what the finished areas will look like.

We will be meeting in ground floor foyer area.  Due to the limit of 15 people per tour, we have arranged for two, the first at 7pm and second at 7:30pm.  Tours will start promptly, so please ensure you arrive in time to go on the first or second tour.  Those who are not on the tour will have the opportunity to have a glass of wine or soft drink.  We will finish at Colson Hall about 9pm and we will are planning to Bambalan for a drink afterwards for anyone who would like to join us.

If you need to contact us on the evening, you can call Avril on 0780 395 4120 or Lucy on 07717 375749.

We look forward to seeing you at the Colston Hall on Wednesday 28^th August.

July news.....

In June, we were delighted to hear from Jayne Goulding who shared her design journey and learning and seeing her beautiful work as part of the Jayne Goulding Design practice, embroidery design studio.

As summer is finally here, we will be leaving the hall for our July meeting and visiting the Somerset Flower Farm in Wrington, so please do not go to the hall.  The visit will be hosted by Mandy Parker, owner of the Flower Farm and who will be giving a talk on how she got started and what running a British flower farm entails.  We will also be able to get some hands on experience as Mandy will be showing us how to put together an informal bouquet from flowers she has grown. We will have a tour of the flower beds and poly tunnels and will be able to see an array of beautiful flowers grown there. Tea, coffee and cake will be served during the evening and there will be items to buy in the gift and flower shop.

We can offer lifts to those that can’t make their own way there so please let us know if you require transport but there is plenty of parking on site. There’s lots of room to sit inside and out and let’s hope we have good weather! We will be starting at 7:30pm at the Flower Farm and expect to finish by 9/9:30pm.

If you are a member the event is included in your membership but non-members and guests will be £7 each. There’s a maximum of 30 places so if you’d like to come and haven’t already signed up then please can you do so by emailing wearemalagowi@gmail.com by 24^th July.

This year Malago WI will be supporting Pride on its 10^th anniversary and running the children’s area at the Pride festival on Saturday 13^th July from 12pm to 5pm at Durdham Downs.  This will include children’s stories and activities with our very own Geri, cakes, kite making and glitter tattoos.  This a great way for us to raise awareness of Malago WI, support our local community and raise much needed funds to enable us to offer a wide range of meetings and summer outings.  There is still time if you would like to volunteer to help on the stall or make cakes, so please email us if you would like to do so or just come and visit us and buy one of our delicious cakes!!

We hope to see you at Pride or the Flower Farm.

June news....

In May, we had an inspiring and fascinating talk by Trish Johnson, about Clifton Suspension from the prospective of its Bridge Master and being a female chartered Civil Engineer.

In June, we will be hearing from Jayne Goulding Design on embroidery design practice for fashion and interiors. Jayne will be talking about her creative role as a designer and running her own business.  We will be able to see examples of her work and Jayne will share her creative processes and exploration, inspiration and influences.

The Jayne Goulding Design practice is an embroidery design studio, driven by creative and technical research and the discovery and creation of alluring designs, for fashion and interior designers and retailers.   Jayne Goulding is a designer and founder of Jayne Goulding Design, she works from her loft Studio in Bristol. She designs, produces and sells embroidery swatches to clients globally, from high street to high-end designer for fashion and interiors. Jayne Goulding Design studio employs a breadth of research, techniques and innovation using digital embroidery, hand guided Irish machine embroidery and bead work.

This year Malago WI will be supporting Pride on its 10th anniversary and running the children’s area at the Pride festival on Saturday 13^th July from 12pm to 5pm at Durdham Downs.  This will include children’s stories and activities with our very own Geri, cakes and kite making.  This a great way for us to raise awareness of Malago WI, support our local community and raise much needed funds to enable us to offer a wide range of meetings and summer outings.  We need volunteers to make cakes and help out on the day.  If you would to be involved, please email us at wearemalagowi@gmail.com or you can sign up at the June meeting. Anyone helping to staff our stall during the day will also get an event wristband, allowing to access the rest of the event.

We will be starting at 8pm so see you then on Wednesday 29^th May.

May news...

In April, not only did we learn some fantastic tips from Sarah Alder of  Kitchen Titbits on how to reduce our food waste, but also some great ideas for making some truly delicious meals.

This month we have the opportunity to learn more about one Bristol most famous icons, Clifton Suspension Bridge.  Trish Johnson, Bridge Master and chartered Civil Engineer, will talk about the management and maintenance of this feat of engineering, whilst giving an insight into her extensive career. 

Trish has been involved in various aspects of engineering.  She has worked in a consultancy practice managing a number of Highways and Transportation offices, promoted civil engineering as Regional Director for the ICE, and maintained bridges as Head of Maintenance at the Severn River Crossing.

In 2016, she took up the enviable role of Bridge Master on the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This high profile role covers the major projects and maintenance of the bridge, the managing of the business including the visitor centre and the engagement with the public and Trustees.

She is a keen advocate of engineering and sits on the University of the West of England Advisory Board for Civil Engineering, is an ICE mentor and is one of the judges for the ICE Civil Engineering Awards in the South West.

We will be starting at 8pm so see you then on Wednesday 29^th May.

April news....

In March we learnt about the benefits, amazing flavour and multiple uses of rapeseed oil from the highly entertaining Debbie Keeling from Bath Harvest.

This month we are looking at some great ways to help reduce food waste and make the most of our weekly shop.  Sarah Alder, from Kitchen Titbits will be talking to us about reducing food waste including food waste audits, tips for storing food to reduce waste and meal planning as a way to reduce waste.  We also get the chance to try some tasty morsels to help inspire us at home.

Kitchen Titbits is all about helping people to cut their food waste, slim line their food bills, improve family mealtimes, get food on the table quickly and learn new skills in the kitchen.

Malago WI will be sending a delegate to this year’s WI AGM in June. At this month’s meeting, members will be able to decide on how they want our delegate to vote on this year’s resolutions which are; A call against the decline in local bus services and Don’t fear the smear.  Notes on these resolutions will be available at this month’s meets as well as the WI website.

We will be starting at 8pm so see you then on Wednesday 24^th April.

March news....

Our February meeting saw us trying on beautiful creations by Ani Stafford Townsend which would have rivalled Ladies Day at Ascot.  

This month, we will be joined by Debbie Keeling from Bath Harvest who will be talking to us about rapeseed oil, from harvest to production, it health benefits and most importantly how and what you can cook with it.

Debbie started her business 7 years ago after leaving behind an office job.  Living on a farm had a major influence in choosing which business to set-up.  Since the beginning Debbie has won numerous awards for her rapeseed oil and been success in developing a number of new products such as infused oils, soaps and mayonnaise.

Debbie will be providing a number of product for us to try and you will have the opportunity to buy some of her amazing products so please bring some cash if you are interested in making a purchase.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 27^th at 8pm.

February news.....

Our first meeting of 2019 was a great way to ease us back into the New Year learning about the benefits of Reflexology and Reiki from Shelley Jones.

This month, we will be looking at the art of millinery with Ani Stafford Townsend.  Ani is a British couture & theatre milliner, striving for ethics in fashion and pushing artistic boundaries. Starting out as a theatrical milliner working for national companies, the West End, and film productions, Ani has developed her own millinery label, known for bold and adventurous use of colour and unique, stylish designs.

Ani trained at Wimbledon School of Art under theatre milliner Sean Barrett, and continues to create both theatre millinery and work under her own label as well as running the Milliners’ Guild in Bristol which she launched 2013. Ani will be talking about her extensive experience and we will have the opportunity to try on some of her amazing work.

We also be holding a raffle of all the unwanted gifts that have been donated to raise money for future meetings and outings. If you have anything else you would like to donate, please bring it along.

If you have not already done so you can still pay for your annual membership.  The membership fee for 2019 is £42.  Payments can be made in cash and cheques payable to Malago WI.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 27^th at 8pm.