Category: Walking Group

Invite: Christmas Crafts

Wow, what a beautiful autumn we’ve been having. But it’s October already and that means that it’s time for our annual Christmas Crafts meeting.

Come along on Monday 19th October and you’ll be able to have a go at four different Christmas crafts. You’ll also get a break from me because our lovely Vice President, Ruth Gosden will be chairing the meeting (it’s one of those wacky WI rules – they make the Vice President run one meeting a year.)

As usual, guests are welcome to attend for £3, so feel free to bring a friend along. The meeting is in the Waterfront Hall in Hebden Bridge Town Hall and doors open at 7pm-ish for a 7.30pm start.

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Invite: September’s Centenary Party

Hi everyone,

As you may know, it’s the WI centenary this month. It started in a small hut in Wales on the 16th September 1915 and from those humble beginnings has grown into the largest women’s voluntary organisation in England and Wales.

So to celebrate a hundred years of amazing WI women, our September meeting is a fancy dress centenary party. Since it’s fancy dress, we’d like you to come dressed in any fashion from the last hundred years (if dressing up is not your thing, it’s fine to dress as a woman from now.) The meeting is on Monday 21st September in Hebden Bridge Town Hall from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Guests are welcome for £3.

As this is a Jacob’s Join, please bring food to share – either sweet or savoury – and we will provide the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink. There will also be silly games and a prize for the best costume.

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Back on the trail

It’s great to see the walking group back together

The Hebden Bridge WI walking group had a break over the winter.  Well, let’s face it, it snowed a lot and so many hikes had to be abandoned that it was worth waiting for some decent weather.  The group hit the trails a few weeks ago – just before the weather got super hot.  We’re glad to see they’re back together and wait to hear their next destination.

Local scenery
Yorkshire moorland

 

Low water levels at Gorple Reservoir

 

Written and posted by Amy

2013’s Annual General Meeting

Our new President, Caroline Burton, can be seen here on the far right.

We’re very pleased to announce that Caroline Burton is Hebden Bridge WI’s new President.  You can see Caroline in the photo above, proudly sporting her Hebden Bridge WI Rag Hag apron and, erm, the delightful handmade head garment… cough.

The outgoing President, Amy Leader, gave her final annual report which is below so you can see what fun we’ve got up to in the last 12 months…

The Hebden Bridge WI has just celebrated its second birthday and we’ve learnt plenty and achieved a lot in the last 12 months when we have:
  •  Eaten vast amounts of cheese and got an insight into the cheese making process thanks to Pextenement Cheese
  • Drank beer and learnt about micro breweries with Andy from Haworth Steam Brewery, followed by stuffing our faces with pie, peas and trifle
  • Tasted chocolate and chocolate cupcakes with Shabby Chocolat
  • Drank copious volumes of gin, but only to ensure we knew which was best, with Joe at Pennine Cheese and Wine
Shabby Chocolat made us our very own Hebden Bridge WI chocolates.  They were delicious.

So, it’s obvious we like to eat and drink, but we do do other interesting things too.  We have also…

  • Welcomed Claudette from Fleur de Lys who showed us how to create fantastic flower displays
  • With cameras at the ready, Sarah Mason gave us top tips on how to take great photos
  •  The team from Zeitgeist taught us which hairstyles suit different face shapes
  • Under the steady eye of Rebecca Land Cave we all got knitting and delivered the winter scarves for the Hebden Bridge Junior Band’s new uniform, for which they were very grateful
  • Rachel Connor and Linda Green delivered brilliant writing workshops
  • And we had a private screening at the Hebden Bridge Picture House for our second birthday last month
  • As an aside there was collection for bras to raise money for West Yorkshire Air Ambulance
Linda Green (stood in this photo) and Rachel Connor gave us inspirational writing workshops
Thank you to all of you that have led and participated in these meetings and create the atmosphere that means we keep turning up each month to learn new skills and meet new friends.  You’ll be pleased to hear we raised £494.30 for Overgate Hospice in 2012.  We hope to do something similar for Living Well, our charity in 2013 by raising money and collaborating with them.
Thanks to everyone who has brought a fabulous selection of edible treats over the past 12 months.  And thanks to all of you that came to meetings to eat them.
The textile committee have organised 2 very successful rag markets under the guidance (and hard work of) Vanessa Kay.  Last summer we saw our first 2 day Rag Market and despite its timing the weekend after the first flood it was yet another success.  We’ll be having another 2 day rag market this summer and a one day event in autumn.  The rag markets are our main fundraising stream and this income has given us the opportunity to offer members of the group a £500 bursary to undertake study.  We’ll be offering another bursary this year for members, so here’s your chance for studying something that interests you with the help from this group.
A rag hag points the way to the Rag Market
We have sub committees, other than the textile group, that meet regularly and irregularly.  These are the book swap, the walking group, the film lovers, and the art lovers.  In the last 12 months we have added the badminton group and there’s the brand new ukulele band.  All members of Hebden Bridge WI are invited to join in with any of these groups at any time.  We let you know about dates and times on our Facebook page and on our blog.
A book swap meeting (with booze)

 

Written and posted by Amy

Stormy Weather

The brave souls of the walking group.

The walking group set out on Sunday 28th October for their second attempt to reach Cliviger Gorge, but were scuppered by the weather.  An hour and half in to the walk the conditions became so back they had to call off the walk.  Here are some photos from the intrepid ramblers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written and posted by Amy

Wuthering Heights

The walking group trekked from Widdop Gate, passing Wuthering Heights to reach cake on the other side of the hill in Haworth.  The lengths we’ll go to for a cream tea!

Written and posted by Amy

Bride Stones

Lost?

With a stroke of luck Hebden Bridge WI walking group planned to hike to Bride Stones on what turned out to be the most glorious day of the year so far.  Just look at the amazing views…

Written and posted by Amy

Destination Lad Law

And they’re off…

The stalwarts of the Hebden Bridge WI walking group completed their latest walk on Sunday 25th March.  The weather was on their side as they left Widdop reservoir and walked to Lad Law.

If you’d like to join the walking group, check the meeting and notices page for their next hike.

Road to nowhere?
Rest and pose stop.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s a camera.
Smiles all round.
Stunning Yorkshire views.
Capture Calderdale.

 

Written and posted by Amy