Our final outing of the summer was a great success, with a sneak peek at Clifton Vaults hidden under the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge.  Stepping back in time to get a glimpse of engineering excellence.  We were a distinctive sight in hard hats and high vis jackets!

As the night starts to draw in, this month we are back in the hall. Marian Green is a published author and will be joining us to tell us all about folklore and country magic, a longstanding passion of hers.   The subjects of her books range from the Holy Grail to meditation.  As a follow-up meeting, we hope to join Marian on a guided walk in a local green space next Spring where she will show us the plants that have inspired the country magic, she'll tell us about.

We hope you can join us for a chat, cuppa, and cake.

See you on Wednesday 27^th September at 8pm.

 

 

Despite the weather, we enjoyed a great walk and talk from the ever-entertaining Ed Hall, learning more about Bristol’s hidden past.
 
We are out an about again this month and are very excited about our hard hat tour of the Vaults at the Clifton Suspension Bridge on Wednesday 30 August. This is a chance to explore two of the twelve impressive stone vaults that support the Bridge. Discovered just 20 years ago, the largest chamber is 11 meters high and covered in incredible stalactites and was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

There is a maximum limit of 15 for this tour – so if you still want to come and haven’t let us know please email wearemalagowi@gmail.com by Thursday 24^th August to book a place as we only have a couple of spaces left.
 
You need to arrive at the Visitor Centre, on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge, by 6.50pm latest to give you time to get kitted out as the tour will start promptly at 7pm and finish around 8pm. 
 
Please note the following: 
• Wear sturdy shoes with good grip such as hiking boots or trainers. You will not be allowed to join the tour in heels or open-toed shoes
• The tour includes climbing a vertical ladder and passing through a low corridor
• Ensure that any camera or phone will fit in your pocket or bag so that you have two hands free to climb the ladder
• Only small rucksack type bags worn over both shoulders or bags with cross-body straps are permitted inside the vaults. (Large handbags etc. can be left securely at the Visitor Centre during the tour.)
• Be aware that the vaults can be wet and/or muddy inside, particularly after heavy rain. So wear suitable clothing and ensure that cameras or mobile phones are protected from any calcite saturated water which may fall from the ceiling.
 
For more information about the tour and route go to  https://cliftonbridge.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Access-Guide.pdf
 
Anyone else not booked on the tour who would like to come along for the evening, you are very welcome to enjoy looking round the Visitor Centre exhibition whilst the tour is going on. Afterwards we will then be heading over the bridge for a drink in the White Lion Bar in the Avon Gorge Hotel.
 
For contact info on the day you can call Avril on 07803 954120.
 
We are very much looking forward to seeing those who can join us on Wednesday 30^th at 6:50 pm.

June saw us learning all about swimming Three Channels with Steve Price.  Not an activity for the faint hearted, but Steve was thoroughly entertaining and reminded us of anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Fingers crossed that the British Summer improves for our July meeting as we will be out and about.
In his own lively style, Ed Hall (Mary Hall’s partner) is once again leading a walk for us. This time he will take us around the streets of Bristol’s historic old town area. The walk starts at Bristol Bridge and follows the course of the old Norman walls and Saxon stockade where the line of ancient defences is still evident. There are lots of points of interest along the way, including the last remaining combined church tower/city gate, a remarkable Art Nouveau facade, the oldest city graveyard and an amazing Venetian-inspired bank frontage.

We will meet at 7.15pm at the Merchant Seamen’s memorial at the Welsh Back end of King Street (BS1 4SS). The walk ends at the Corn Exchange, Corn Street, and lasts around 1 ½ hours, after which we can go for a drink nearby.  If you have any problems on the night finding us, please contact Avril on 07803 954120.

We will out and about again in August and want to give you advance information about the planned tour of the Vaults at the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

This is a chance to explore two of the twelve impressive stone vaults that support the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Discovered just 20 years ago, the largest chamber is 11 meters high and covered in incredible stalactites and was built by famous Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

To help you decide if the Vaults Tour is something for you, there is detailed guide. It covers advice including wearing appropriate footwear and taking only a small bag. It describes the route which includes a section where you need to go up a metal ladder with 15 steps, but this is fixed with a handrail within a safety cage. There are also some points you need to crouch down a bit as the headroom is lower. There will be copies of this at the July walk but if anyone wants this in advance contact Avril by email avril@abc-pr.co.uk or on 07803 954120

If you are interested in the tour, please email wearemalagowi@gmail.com to book a place as numbers are limited.  The tour will be from 7-8pm. Anyone else who wants to join us after the tour, we will be in the White Lion bar in the Avon Gorge Hotel. 

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 26^th

June news....

Everyone who attended our pasta making meeting in May had a great time.  We tried our hand at making different types of pasta and pesto to suit all diets.  The results were pretty tasty!

Open water swimming is becoming more and more popular in the UK, from swimming in rivers, marine lakes and even the sea.  If you have thought about it, but not yet took the plunge, our June speaker will hopefully inspire you.

Steve, Three Channels, Price is an honorary life member of Clevedon Amateur Swimming Club. He has swum the English Channel, the Bristol Channel (one way, and there and back!), and the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland.  This is considered the most difficult swim in the world. It has been attempted 73 times since 1924 but only eight successful solo swims have been achieved to date, and Steve was number seven.

Steve has shared his adventurous tales with many WI groups, so we are in for an entertaining and eye-opening evening.

We are still accepting membership payment which are £46.  Membership fees can be paid by bank transfer, cash, or cheque. Any new members will need to complete a membership registration form.

As we enjoy the long, summer evenings, we will be heading out and about in July to learn more on Bristol’s old city.  More details, including times will be in next month’s newsletter.

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

May newsletter

 

We had a great time in April learning about Egyptology and the grizzly world of Egyptian Gods thanks to the highly entertaining Ali Ball.

For our May meeting, we are going to get a bit foody, with an Italian vide and try our hand at making pasta and pesto.

We will be providing the ingredients for the pasta. You don’t need a pasta machine, but it would be helpful if you could bring your own rolling pin and (wooden) board, although we will have a few spares.   Please bring some tupperware or bag to take it home in.  We will also provide ingredients you can experiment with to make pesto, but please bring any ingredients you would like to try out.

We are still accepting membership payment which are £46.  Membership fees can be paid by bank transfer, cash, or cheque. Any new members will need to complete a membership registration form.

As many of you will have seen, the Underfall Yard was severely damaged by an arson attack this month. Having visited the Underfall Yard a few years ago, we are keen supporters of the work and their special place in the community. If you would like to and are able to provide some support, please visit their Just Giving page.
We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 31^st.