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.

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, getting a bit messy with Laura Humpage from Colourful Minds.  We hope that the cards and gift tags we made were put to good use.

It is normal for a new year to inspire us all to be a bit healthier and focus on our wellbeing during the dark and cold winter months.  So for our first meeting of 2019, we are delighted to be welcoming back Shelley Jones of Shelley Jones Reflexology and Reiki. Shelley is a professional reflexologist and Reiki practitioner with almost 20 years’ experience in Complementary Medicine. She has a home practice in Knowle as well as providing treatments in several workplace settings.

Shelley will be talking about the origins of Reiki, its practice and providing a brief demonstration.  She will also be introducing us to ear Reflexology and the chance to pair up and try it on a friend. If you would like to have a go, you may want to bring along some hand cream/moisturiser and a hand towel.

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.

As it is the start of the year, it is time for membership renewals.  The membership fee for 2019 is £42.  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 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.

We look forward to seeing friends old and new on Wednesday 30^th to celebrate the start of another year of exciting events.

November news...

Thanks to John and Annie from Glastonbury Ferments for sharing their passion and knowledge on fermentation at our October meeting and 10^th birthday celebration. 

Our November meeting will be the last of 2018.  To help get us in the festive sprit, Laura Humpage from Colourful Minds will showing us how to decorate Christmas paper, cards and gift tags by using a shaving foam marbling technique.

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.

All materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring along ink pads, Christmas stamps, shaped paper punches or any tags you would like to decorate.  It might get a bit messy so please wear old clothes and you may want to bring an apron.

In celebration of our 10^th birthday, all guests can attend the meeting free of charge, so we will are looking forward to seeing lots of new faces!  We have an exciting programme of meetings taking shape for 2019 and hope you are able to join us.

We hope to see many of you on 28th November, but for those who can’t make it, we wish you happiness and good health for the festive season.

October news....

Thanks to Delia, Erika and Sabina from Flo-Jo Fabrics for showing us how to make some very glamorous eye-masks at last months meeting.

We are very excited that our October meeting will be a celebration of Malago WI’s 10^th birthday and would love it if you could join us in the festivities! To avoid Halloween and half term we have moved the meeting to Wednesday 24^th October and we will not be in the hall.

We will be holding our party and meeting in the Benjamin Perry Boathouse which is on the harbourside near the Ostrich Pub (see directions below). We will be sprucing up the boathouse and there will be prosecco on arrival to help the party atmosphere.

For our meeting John and Annie from Glastonbury Ferments will share their passion and knowledge of one of the hottest trends in food – fermentation. This is a natural way to preserve food which happily also creates complex flavours and also provides health benefits such as aiding digestion, promoting a healthy gut and cleansing the blood.

They will give an insight into the background and science of fermentation, talk about haw you can have a go at fermenting at home and give a quick demo of how to make sauerkraut.  Last but not least they will be bringing along some samples of their various products to taste and there will be the chance to buy some of their lovely range.  You may have spotted them at the Tobacco factory Sunday market and other food events in the area.

Venue: Benjamin Perry Boathouse is on Phoenix Wharf, off Guinea Street, BS1 6LT. There is on street parking nearby but you can also park on the wharf alongside the Benjamin Perry Scout hut by driving from Redcliff Hill, down Guinea Street (behind the Old General Hospital) and then turning right at the bottom by the green/blue pedestrian footbridge, drive along the cobbles in front of the Ostrich Pub to the waterfront. You will see the black timber Boathouse ahead of you.

Please join us to celebrate this special occasion on 24^th October.

September news...

It was great to end the summer with a fascinating walking tour of some Bristol’s better kept secrets and curiosities courtesy of Charlie Revelle-Smith of Weird Bristol  fame.

So as the nights draw in, we are back in the hall to get creative. Delia Adey and Sabina Vestlin from Flo-Jo Fabrics will be showing us how to make some hand sown eye masks. Flo-Jo Fabrics is an independent sewing shop, set up in 2012 on the busy Gloucester Road. As well as having their own range of sewing patterns and kits, there is a dedicated workshop space where Delia, Erika and Sabina teach sewing and take in repairs and alterations.  They are delighted to be able to share their passion for dressmaking and sewing creations at this month’s meeting.

All equipment and fabric will be provided, but if you would like to bring your own fabric you will need a 25cm square of non-stretch fabric; cotton is best.  Don’t forget to bring some cash as Flo-Jo will be bringing along goodies for you to buy.

We look forward to seeing you on 26^th September!

P.S. As we will be celebrating our 10^th birthday next month, we will be holding our meeting a week early on 24^th October in the Scott Hut.  Hope you can join us!

August news....

What a lovely way to spend a summer’s evening by visiting The Spicery and getting to sample some delicious delights.  We were all inspired (and bought the appropriate spice packs) to create flavoursome meals of you own!

It may have turned a bit cooler, but we are still out and about for another outing before the evenings draw in.

Charlie Revelle-Smith, is a novelist more commonly known for his series of mystery books, Bristol Murders.  He has been documenting strange stories from our city’s history on Twitter which are very popular with Bristol residents. Coming this November is his official Weird Bristol book. Written (and fully illustrated) by Charlie, it promises to be a cornucopia of curiosities.

We will be meeting at 7:15 for a 7:30 start by the William III statue in Queen Square.  From there, Charlie will take us on a 90 minute tour incorporating lesser known and mysterious stories from Bristol history. Learn more about the history that lies beneath our feet including an extensive 40 miles of underground waterways throughout the city.  Why not check out Charlie’s Twitter feed @WeirdBristol’s to find out more!

We plan to finish near a pub if anyone would like to stay around afterwards for a drink.

We look forward to seeing you on 29^th August!

July news...

We hope you all enjoyed last month’s talk by Clare Osborne from Incredible Oceans. We certainly had our eyes opened to the damaging over-use of plastic and have been thinking of ways we can do our bit – remember, as Clare says, one starfish at a time!

And, if the weather isn’t hot enough already this month, things are certainly heating up as we leave the Hall for our July outing to The Spicery on Feeder Road. The Spicery team are purveyors of wonderful spices from around the world. Not only are they experts but they also have a test kitchen and event space on site where they develop all their delicious recipes and deliver special tasting evenings and workshops.

Matt, the development chef, will be taking us on an exploration of some of the many types of chilli with a special workshop where we can taste some samples – if you’re brave enough! We’ll take a tour around the fragrant Spicery itself to see how all the spices and blends are produced, stored and shipped out. To finish we’ll learn which spices are best used in summer cocktails, and the foodies among us can have a nosey round the Spicery Shop where you will be able to purchase spices, recipe kits, subscription boxes and books.

This special outing will take place on July 25^th at the earlier time of 7.30pm, finishing around 9.30pm. We’ll make our own way there: 77 Feeder Road, St Phillips, BS2 0TQ. There is parking directly outside the building and also in the surrounding streets.

If you haven’t already put your name down, why not spice up your life and contact us by 20^th July to secure a place?  Guests are very welcome to come along at £10 per person.

Mary Magro from Westleaze Long Ashton WI was our link delegate at the recent NFWI annual meeting held in June.  The meeting was attend by 1000’s of WI members and celebrated the centenary of the Suffragettes movement.  This year’s resolution ‘mental health matters’ was passed with 98% of delegates in favour.  A full report is available to read when we meet again in the Hall.

Don’t forget, we have a stall at Pride on 14^th July to help raise funds for future meetings and outings.  If you can help out or bake some cakes, please let us know or visit us to show you support and even make a kite!

We look forward to seeing you at our summer outing on 25^th July!

June news....

We hope you've all been doing your stretches and perfecting your posture after last month’s body boosting meeting with Clare Callaghan.

This month we have another Clare joining us ....Osborn that is, from Incredible Oceans. Clare spent over 10 years in a successful legal career although has always had a passion for travel, adventure and the ocean.  As a volunteer, she has been on the organising committee of Incredible Oceans / WhaleFest since 2015. She also paddled the width of Britain last year to raise awareness for plastic pollution and is this year kayaking the length of Wales (probably as this is sent!)

Her mission, and hopefully ours after June's meeting is to make us all more aware of the serious issues around ocean plastics, and inspire us make a difference to the ocean!

As you know, we are taking part in Pride this year with a stall in Millennium Square on Saturday 14^th July.  We need volunteers to staff the stall from 12pm to 5pm and make cakes to sell.  We will also be helping kids to make kites from a very simple pack.  It is essential that we undertake fundraising activity to ensure we can fund our summer outings and arrange fantastic speakers and activities for our monthly meetings.  If you are able to help out, please sign up at our next meeting.

We look forward to see you all on the 27^th!

May news....

Hello Malagoers,

Last month’s meeting was a delight for the taste buds with the rebranded Blend and Bird Tea Co. and their astounding array of teas for every mood and occasion.

This month we are focusing on the body courtesy of Claire Callaghan B.Pty MSc. Claire has been a Chartered Physiotherapist for over 20 years working in both the NHS and private sector. She is now working in the private sector, having worked in Sport, Exercise and Health at University of Bristol in a clinical and managerial capacity for many years.  

She specialises in sport and physical activity, injury and Women’s Health and Wellbeing. She runs workshops for various groups both in the private and corporate sector. She is particularly interested in how the female body changes over the life cycle and how we can best take care of ourselves through the various stages of life, from the childhood and teen years, childbirth, menopause and the changes which come with natural aging. The workshop will focus on unique aspects of women’s posture and movement and how to keep the bones, joints, muscles and nerves healthy throughout life. There will be some discussion about how to fit activity into your day, how to gain strength and fitness and avoid and manage injuries.

Don’t forget if you are interesting in attending the House of Fraser June Social and Pampering Treat on 5^th June, please email wearemalagowi@uwe.ac.uk or sign up at May’s meeting.

We are planning our fundraising activities for the year and will be taking a stall at Pride on Saturday 14^th July.  Based in Millennium Square, we will be making kites, selling cakes and wearing far too much glitter! If you are interesting helping out by baking some cakes or helping on the stall, you will be able to sign up at May’s meeting.

We look forward to seeing you on 30^th May.

MWI x

April news...

March’s meeting was full of intrigue thanks to Paul Barham’s fascinated talk on the sex, life and death of the humble honey bee.

This month we will be talking about one of Britain’s favourite topic – tea.  Bluebird tea is an independent, tea mixology company on a mission to make people happy with tea. Started three years ago by Krisi and Mike who began by packing tea in their bedroom and attending markets, the company now has multiple retail outlets, including Park Street in Bristol, and a thriving international online store.

Keight and Emma from the Bristol shop will talk about Bluebird’s amazing blends of teas including some of their 70 or more exciting flavours created by mixing with ingredients including herbs, flowers, fruit, caramel and chocolate.

They will bring their top 10 teas to taste and also talk about the health benefits of teas and new trends. Teas are not just made into a hot drink they can be mixed into tea cocktails, fresh iced teas, chai brews, cold brews, lattes and smoothies.

Bring along some cash as there will be different teas and other products available to buy.  Everyone will also receive a complimentary voucher to spend in the shop.

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) will be holding its AGM on 6^th June.  As part of the AGM, WI members are asked to vote on this year’s resolution - Mental health matters.  Further details of the resolution are available on the NFWI website. We will be asking members to vote for or against this resolution at April’s meeting and our votes will be taken to the AGM by Malago WI’s link delegate.

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

March news....

It was lovely to see everyone who braved the cold weather at last month’s meeting.  Sue Duggan  Teach Me Sugar Craft showed us how to decorate cup cakes with an Easter theme.  They looked amazing and tasted pretty good as well!

So spring has finally sprung and we are delighted to have two speakers at this month’s meeting to talk about the beloved Bumblebee.  Our first speaker is Janice Walsh, a volunteer with Bumble Bee Conservation Trust.  The Bumblebee Conservation Trust was established because of serious concerns about the ‘plight of the bumblebee’. It now boasts over 10,000 members and is growing fast.

Janice’s illustrated talk 'The Buzz about Bumblebees' will give an insight into the challenges our UK bumblebees are facing and what simple steps we can all take to help their plight, including making our gardens and open spaces more bee friendly.

Our second speaker is Paul Barham who is a general surgeon specialising in upper gastro intestinal surgery. He is a leading figure in the development of minimally invasive techniques. In his spare time he is passionate about bee keeping, and will be telling us about how he keeps his bees happy and productive.

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

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