What a lot has happened since the start of our centenary celebrations in February! As a special birthday treat all our members were invited to share an afternoon tea and a trip on the steam train between Loughborough and Leicester. It was a gloriously sunny day with everyone decked out in their colourful summer dresses and ready to enjoy themselves. We were even visited by a bride who wanted some wedding photographs taken on the train. What a memorable occasion!
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The other major celebration of our centenary year has been our gift of a planter to the village. It was designed and made by Kate and Tony Cox of Great British Outdoor Fires and installed by them outside the library on another beautiful morning in August. Members had been able to follow the manufacturing process and enjoyed seeing the plates of steel welded together and then powder coated. The finished product was unveiled by Sally Bryer (former President of Ruddington WI and whose idea it was in the first place!) and Helen Rose (Nottinghamshire Federation Chair) and then planted up by Mike Davey, Tony Cox and Annie Beadle whilst the rest of us enjoyed celebratory glasses of prosecco and tucked into cupcakes. The WI was very grateful to the staff of Inspire who were so helpful in allowing us to position the planter outside the library and use their facilities on the morning. Another memorable occasion and a magnificent planter that we hope will grace the village for many years.
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NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
RUDDINGTON WI IS CELEBRATING ITS CENTENARY
Wednesday 14 February 2024
7.15pm at St Peter's Rooms, Ruddington
Ruddington WI Celebrates its Centenary!
Well, we made it! Ruddington WI's 100th birthday! What an achievemen! For 100 years women in the village of Ruddington have been meeting each month to listen to interesting speakers, participate in a variety of craft and musical activities and enjoy the company of friends. February 14th this year was no exception. It was a very, very enjoyable evening with visitors from neighbouring WIs, former Presidents and Helen Rose, the Chair of the Nottinghamshire Federation of WIs. We were treated to an interesting and delicious demonstration of chocolate making by Cathy and Matthew Wright from Cathy's Chocolates and Cakes accompanied by lots of delicious 'tasters'! This was followed by a glass of something bubbly and bespoke celebration cupcakes made by Ferda of La Shay. During the evening a raffle was held to raise funds for the Juno Project in Nottingham. These will be on-going throughout our centenary year with a different theme each month together with donations of suitable items to support vulnerable women in the area. The WI wanted to give something back to the women of the community during this special year.
The evening concluded with the usual announcements of the winners of Flower of the Month, where the small coins used to vote for the 'best' flower are collected during the year and sent to ACWW (Associated Countrywomen of the World) to fund projects for women overseas. As it was Valentine's Day and the WI's Show the Love month, members had also brought along 'Something Heart-Shaped'. It was fascinating to hear the many and varied stories associated with each heart.
It was a very happy and relaxed evening, full of fun and laughter and much optimism for the future of Ruddington WI and we all went home with a heart-shaped champagne chocolate truffle, made by Cathy, of course!
The evening concluded with the usual announcements of the winners of Flower of the Month, where the small coins used to vote for the 'best' flower are collected during the year and sent to ACWW (Associated Countrywomen of the World) to fund projects for women overseas. As it was Valentine's Day and the WI's Show the Love month, members had also brought along 'Something Heart-Shaped'. It was fascinating to hear the many and varied stories associated with each heart.
It was a very happy and relaxed evening, full of fun and laughter and much optimism for the future of Ruddington WI and we all went home with a heart-shaped champagne chocolate truffle, made by Cathy, of course!
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Ruddington WI was formed in February 1924 by a small group of women from the village and was developed under the guidance of Mrs Blanche Ashworth, our first President. Apart from a couple of years during the second World War, the WI has met regularly each month for almost 100 years, providing entertainment, education and friendship for many women from Ruddington and nearby villages. What an amazing achievement! In order to celebrate this we will be enjoying a glass of something bubbly and the inevitable slice of cake at our monthly meeting in February. We are also looking forward to an exciting chocolate demonstration by Cathy Wright with lots of tempting 'tasters'!
Our November meeting, "Let's Talk About Toilets" with Bob Reed, proved to be as entertaining as it was informative. It was interesting to learn that whereas we regard the possession of a toilet as beneficial for our health, many in underdeveloped countries regard the ownership of a toilet more as a status symbol. There was much talk at the end of the meeting of members setting up twinning associations between their toilet and one overseas.
As part of the evening members were asked to bring along photographs of interesting toilets they had encountered during their travels. This resulted in many hilarious tales.
Our December meeting was a reading of 'A Christmas Carol' by Anita Fernandez (See photo LEFT), who came dressed in Dickensian costume and kept us enthralled with Scrooge's interactions with the various ghosts of Christmas and his gradual change of character. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a cup of mulled wine and a home-made mince pie whilst sharing stories about our favourite Dickens novel.
As part of the evening members were asked to bring along photographs of interesting toilets they had encountered during their travels. This resulted in many hilarious tales.
Our December meeting was a reading of 'A Christmas Carol' by Anita Fernandez (See photo LEFT), who came dressed in Dickensian costume and kept us enthralled with Scrooge's interactions with the various ghosts of Christmas and his gradual change of character. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a cup of mulled wine and a home-made mince pie whilst sharing stories about our favourite Dickens novel.
Before our December meeting Ruddington WI had rented a stall at the Village Christmas Market, We could be found hard at work all day in St Peter's Rooms selling many of the beautiful crafts members had been busy making during the year. It proved to be a very happy and successful day for us. (See photo below)
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The New Year of 2024 was welcomed in with a relaxing and calming introduction to QiGong led by Caroline Challender. Everyone participated (even the member with a recently replaced hip joint!) and nearly all of us felt the immediate benefits of the gentle arm movements synchronised with our breathing.
An excellent way to start the new year with all the bad Qi (pronounced Chi) banished, feeling refreshed and revitalised, ready to begin celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Ruddington WI on Wednesday 14 February 2024. .
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It has been a very busy summer for members of Ruddington WI which is why this website has not been updated since the spring! However, the WI has been very active in the local community, starting with a presence at the Village Market in June when we recruited some new members! This was followed with a leaflet drop around all the new housing estates in the village and resulted in some more new members! These additional members have made a big difference to the vibrancy of our meetings and we have learned much of interest and had a lot of fun. In particular, we enjoyed gin tasting with Wayne Asher from the Redsmith Distillery, which incidentally began life in Ruddington until the fire officers condemned the building! We watched fascinated as Rachel Morley transformed a flat disc of woollen fibres into a beautiful 3-dimensional shape using a traditional wet felting technique (See photograph below) and , most recently, we had a very noisy but really fun evening with Richard Arter and his Indian Music Workshop.
In between our monthly meetings we have spent some Friday afternoons happily crafting in order to make items for sale on our fund-raising stalls The first of these was held at Rushcliffe Country Park in May as part of the Save the Children Fun Dog Show. (See photograph below) This was followed by another fund-raising activity in June when we 'muscled in' on the very poplar Wednesday morning coffee sessions in St Peter's Rooms and in September we provided refreshments throughout the day for visitors to the Village Horticultural Show. We are now working very hard to produce hand crafted items to sell at the forthcoming Village Christmas Market and, amidst great excitement, we are firming up our plans for celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Ruddington WI. What an amazing achievement and what a wonderful year of celebration to enjoy!
Meanwhile, we look forward to welcoming Bob Reed to our WI meeting next week to talk about the more mundane topic of toilets! Or will it really be mundane? Why not come along and find out? You never know when you might learn something new and interesting, even about toilets!!
Our next Monthly Meeting is on Wednesday 12 April, 7.15pm. St Peter's Rooms
April is a very busy month. It is the start of the new subscription year, so don't forget to bring along your subs (£46) to ensure your access to another year of interesting meetings and activities! We will tell you all about the exciting things we have planned for our very special centenary year. It is an incredible achievement that women in Ruddington have been enjoying monthly WI meetings in the village for almost a century. We are all looking forward to celebrating this milestone.
April is also the month of our Annual Meeting. The time when we have a little wallow in nostalgia, looking back at our meetings and events over the last 12 months and remembering the fun we had. It is also the time when the existing committee stands down and a new one is elected and you get to choose the member you would like to see as your President for the forthcoming year. Helen Rose, our Federation Chair will be present to oversee the business and then afterwards we hope to enjoy a quiz, a selection of cheeses and a glass (or maybe two!!) of wine.
Since last month we have also enjoyed another craft session at Barbara's home when Jean (Walker) demonstrated her Sissix machine and we all had great fun cutting out various shapes to sew into brooches and hangings.. Keep you ears open for the announcement of the date of the next craft session and details of what we plan to make.
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We are hoping we will be able to sell some of these home-crafted items on our stall at the event Jane (Piggott) is planning at Rushcliffe Country Park on Saturday 20 May, in aid of Save the Children.
Meanwhile keep saving your books and DVDs for our sales table at the coffee morning in St Peter's Rooms on Wednesday 31 May. This will be a small fund raiser in conjunction with RGA (Ruddington Gardeners' Association).
Meanwhile keep saving your books and DVDs for our sales table at the coffee morning in St Peter's Rooms on Wednesday 31 May. This will be a small fund raiser in conjunction with RGA (Ruddington Gardeners' Association).
We had a wonderful evening of entertainment and very tasty snacks from Webb Freckingham in March, ably assisted by Heather. Now we are all equipped with several new ideas for salads and cheese dishes for our friends and families. If you would like to try some of theses snacks again, then visit the Cheese Shop in the Flying Horse Arcade in Nottingham. I am sure Webb will be delighted to see you!
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.It was an extra special evening this month as we also had a visit from Clare Wainwright of the Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People. She came to receive the cheque of the monies raised at our WI Garden party last summer and to show us a very enlightening video of the wonderful care and support that is provided by Rainbows for children with cancer and their families
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Our next Monthly Meeting is on Wednesday 8 March 2023, 7.15pm, St Peter's Rooms
This month we have invited Webb Freckingham from The Cheese Shop in the Flying Horse Walk Arcade in Nottingham who has kindly offered a cookery demonstration for the evening. It is several years since Webb last came to our WI and those of us who were there recall a memorable (and delicious!) occasion!
Also, we are very pleased to say that Claire Wainwright from the Rainbows Hospice in Loughborough will also be at the meeting to give a short presentation about the work of the hospice and to receive a cheque from us towards the valuable work of this organisation. The monies were raised at the WI's Garden Party last summer but Covid interfered with our ability to hand over the cheque earlier!
Do come and join us if you can!
Also, we are very pleased to say that Claire Wainwright from the Rainbows Hospice in Loughborough will also be at the meeting to give a short presentation about the work of the hospice and to receive a cheque from us towards the valuable work of this organisation. The monies were raised at the WI's Garden Party last summer but Covid interfered with our ability to hand over the cheque earlier!
Do come and join us if you can!
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We enjoyed a fascinating evening in February with Kathy Powis (Right) hearing all about Henry VIII's flag ship The Mary Rose. It was a highly entertaining talk full of interesting facts (and some fiction!!) surrounding this unlucky ship. It was an excellent presentation and by the end we all wanted to visit (or, in many cases, revisit) The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. Whilst we were enjoying tea/coffee and birthday cake (it was Ruddington WI's 99th birthday!) we were able to examine the interesting display of artefacts relating to the Mary Rose that Kathy had prepared.
In the days following our regular monthly meeting, some members visited the local museum in Mansfield and the renowned craft store 'Sally Twinkles' for a happy hour browsing the shelves. Hopefully, they were inspired by what they found and will bring lots of new ideas to our craft meetings in future! This month our craft group were busy making Kusudama flowers (see below) from pretty coloured paper. What a happy sticky time we had! Elizabeth has promised to bring me a bouquet of her hand made flowers next month. 
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Our next Monthly Meeting is on
Wednesday 8 February 2023
Same Time: 7.15pm
Same Place: St Peter's Rooms, Ruddington
Come along and hear all about King Henry VIII's
ill-fated flag ship, the 'Mary Rose'.
Now the days are lengthening and life is beginning to stir in the garden, there should be an interesting display of flowers for 'flower of the month'. The coins that are placed on the preferred blooms is collected during the year and goes towards the work of ACWW. (The Associated Countrywomen of the World) It helps to fund projects which enable women overseas to develop personal skills and businesses that provide income for their homes and families.
Wednesday 8 February 2023
Same Time: 7.15pm
Same Place: St Peter's Rooms, Ruddington
Come along and hear all about King Henry VIII's
ill-fated flag ship, the 'Mary Rose'.
Now the days are lengthening and life is beginning to stir in the garden, there should be an interesting display of flowers for 'flower of the month'. The coins that are placed on the preferred blooms is collected during the year and goes towards the work of ACWW. (The Associated Countrywomen of the World) It helps to fund projects which enable women overseas to develop personal skills and businesses that provide income for their homes and families.
Monthly Meeting: Wednesday 11 January 2023
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What a fascinating and exciting evening Ruddington WI members had last night! Debbie Bryan entertained us with an account of how she started her textile craft business in the Lace Market in Nottingham and then, during Covid, expanded her enterprise on to the High Street in Ruddington. We are so fortunate to have such an interesting shop right in the heart of our village and with the bonus of home-cooked food! Hearing about Debbie's career was only a small part of the evening because we also had the privilege of participating in a special craft activity ~ cyanotype printing. It reminded me of the many happy hours I spent as a child 'helping' my father to print his own black & white photographs and the magical moment the image slowly appeared on the previously blank photographic paper.
On Wednesday evening, we chose a piece of lace, placed it on the 'special' paper, left it to 'cook' under the UV lights for a while and then, as we washed it in water, the beautiful pattern of the lace appeared on the paper. It is a modern approach to a very old technique that the textile industry used as a means of selling its different lace patterns to the lace manufacturers. Thank you so much Debbie for an amazing evening of fascinating information about our local lace heritage AND an excitingly different craft activity! 
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Christmas meeting:
Wednesday 14 December 2022
What a lovely start to the festive season with the Bling Singers from West Bridgford. They entertained us with a selection of seasonal songs before supper and concluded the evening with some well-known carols. They even provided us with the words so that we could all join in! It was a joyous occasion and our thanks go to the Bling Singers for making it such a special evening.
Just as special were all the lovely goodies members provided for the supper table. It was a real feast. Thank you all so much! 
Well! If we didn't have aches and pains after last month's meeting, we will certainly have them this morning, after our energetic Kurling activities last night! Judging from the level of noise and the loud cheers when someone finally managed to land their stone on the score mat, everyone had a good time. The noise levels rose even higher later in the evening when some of us became skilled enough to barge through their opponents stones and displace them with our own! Such excitement as the scores changed within each game!! We were very pleased to welcome three guests from the Nottingham & Keyworth Inner Wheel to share in our evening and to learn the basics of Kurling in peparation for one of their future meetings. We wish you a successful fund-raising evening in May and hope you are able to impress your members with your newly developed expertise! Thank you for joining us. We enjoyed your company. Well done everyone for participating so enthusiastically. You can now look forward to a well-earned rest next month at our Christmas party with 'The Bling Singers'. |
November and December were busy months for the WI. We had a very successful stall at the Ruddington Village Christmas Market and we were even able to finally empty our Pompom Palace! This had been a pre-Covid enterprise that had never seen the light of day. Much to the delight of many local children, we were able to use it at this Christmas event.
The week before the Christmas fayre, several of our members joined the Soroptomists International at the Playhouse Theatre in Nottingham for a vigil to raise awareness about domestic abuse. Many of our members had been busy knitting orange flowers in the weeks before the vigil so that they could be added to the 'meadow' created outside the Playhouse. 
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Next Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 9 November 2022,
7.15pm at St Peter's Rooms, Ruddington
I'm not quite sure how many 'Silver Swans' we formed at our last meeting but we all tried very hard and had a lot of fun! Thank you to Kara and her daughter for making it such an interesting and enjoyable evening.
I hope you have all now recovered from the resultant aches and pains and are ready for another dose of activity at our next meeting when we hope to welcome Debbie Clarke from the Sports & Leisure Sub-committee at Newark for an evening of Kurling!
I hope you have all now recovered from the resultant aches and pains and are ready for another dose of activity at our next meeting when we hope to welcome Debbie Clarke from the Sports & Leisure Sub-committee at Newark for an evening of Kurling!
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'Silver Swans'We are looking forward to welcoming Kara Shelley from the K2 Dance Academy next Wednesday. She will introduce us to the concept of the Silver Swans and outline the value of ballet generally in improving our posture, balance and mental well-being.
This is an evening for everyone as all movements can be executed even when seated. So, no excuses for not participating!! PS Don't forget your photographs of swan(s) for the monthly exhibition and any flower you can still find in your garden for 'Flower of the Month'. The coins we use to vote for the latter contribute towards the valuable work of ACWW (Associated Country Women of the World). |
At the September monthly meeting of Ruddington WI we were treated to a fascinating insight into the work of the Woodland Trust. Gerald Price kept us entertained with the story of how he became involved with the Trust and the valuable contribution that the organisation makes towards maintaining ancient woodlands, restoring old ones and planting new areas of woodland. Interestingly, he also outlined the valuable contribution trees make towards biodiversity and their role in supporting our mental health.
It was a very interesting and informative evening, Gerald. Thank you!
Also, many thanks to all our members for the interesting artefacts that were brought along for the exhibition of items made from parts of a tree. What a variety of fascinating items made from trees that we harbour in our homes!
It was a very interesting and informative evening, Gerald. Thank you!
Also, many thanks to all our members for the interesting artefacts that were brought along for the exhibition of items made from parts of a tree. What a variety of fascinating items made from trees that we harbour in our homes!
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Many thanks to Jean, Mel (our guide) and the Kinch bus for a fascinating visit to the Carillon in Loughborough. Wonderful to play the keyboard and the views from the top of the tower were amazing.
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Garden Party
Saturday 23
July 2022
Scones, strawberries and cream and lots of chatter!
Saturday 23
July 2022
Scones, strawberries and cream and lots of chatter!
The next monthly Meeting of Ruddington WI
is on
Wednesday 11 May 2022 at 7.15pm at St Peter's Rooms, Ruddington
May is Resolution month! This is when we discuss issues that concern WI members and may be able to use our influence, as the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK, to influence change in our society for the benefit of women and their families.
This year the issue of concern to many WI members is the problem regarding slow process of diagnosis of girls and women who are autistic (ASD) or suffer with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We are being asked to consider raising awareness about this problem and to lobby appropriate bodies to release funding for more support for girls and women with ASD and ADHD. If this is of interest or concern to you, then come along to our meeting as a visitor and share your experiences with us and enhance the debate. We would love to see you!
We are also hoping that Yasmin Rehman from Juno (the refuge for women in Nottingham) will be speaking to us about their work.
This year the issue of concern to many WI members is the problem regarding slow process of diagnosis of girls and women who are autistic (ASD) or suffer with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We are being asked to consider raising awareness about this problem and to lobby appropriate bodies to release funding for more support for girls and women with ASD and ADHD. If this is of interest or concern to you, then come along to our meeting as a visitor and share your experiences with us and enhance the debate. We would love to see you!
We are also hoping that Yasmin Rehman from Juno (the refuge for women in Nottingham) will be speaking to us about their work.
The next meeting of Ruddington WI is on Wednesday 13 April 2022 and it is our Annual Meeting.
This is a chance to have a little wallow in nostalgia when we review the activities of the last year and then elect the 'team' to continue leading the WI into its 99th year. In order to lubricate the wheels of the Annual Meeting we will also be enjoying a glass of wine and nibbling on some cheese and biscuits. And just to keep the old grey cells busy, Annie is devising a quiz!
We look forward to seeing you there for a prompt start at 7.15pm in St Peter's Rooms. The exhibition this month is an old postcard. So, have a rummage in the back of your drawers and cupboards to find an interesting one to share with other members.
PS Don't forget that April is now the start of the new Subscription Year, so our Treasurer will be expecting to receive payment from you!
This is a chance to have a little wallow in nostalgia when we review the activities of the last year and then elect the 'team' to continue leading the WI into its 99th year. In order to lubricate the wheels of the Annual Meeting we will also be enjoying a glass of wine and nibbling on some cheese and biscuits. And just to keep the old grey cells busy, Annie is devising a quiz!
We look forward to seeing you there for a prompt start at 7.15pm in St Peter's Rooms. The exhibition this month is an old postcard. So, have a rummage in the back of your drawers and cupboards to find an interesting one to share with other members.
PS Don't forget that April is now the start of the new Subscription Year, so our Treasurer will be expecting to receive payment from you!
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The Linus Project
Members and visitors had a fascinating evening learning about the many volunteers who make beautiful quilts for traumatised babies, children and teenagers. In the recent past, almost 2000 quilts and blankets have been made by dedicated sewers and knitters in Nottinghamshire to provide warmth and comfort to young people who suffer abuse or illness. Caroline Spalding related some very moving stories and explained how the quilts and blankets often provide the hugs that are missing from the lives of those experiencing traumatic episodes. After thanking Caroline for her interesting talk, June Walters presented her with two more quilts for her project. Earlier in the evening we heard from Emma and Katie about the yarn bombing being planned for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the village. It is hoped that WI members will start knitting and crocheting in order to contribute to the red, white and blue decorations which will brighten up the village during the first week in June. The evening concluded with birthday cake (a Victoria sponge filled with jam and cream) to celebrate Ruddington WI's 98th anniversary. What an achievement! |
Latest News:
The next Meeting of Ruddington WI will be on Wednesday 9 February 2022
when we look forward to welcoming
Caroline Spalding
to tell us all about
The Linus Project
It will also be our 98th anniversary!
Members and guests of Ruddington WI had a fantastic evening with Richard Arter at our last monthly meeting in January and thoroughly enjoyed making music with steel pans, and other tympanic instruments. We were all able to 'have a go' and when we weren't, we were able to join in with rhythmic accompaniment. A brilliant evening concluded by a spirited performance of 'When the Saints Go marching In'. A great start to 2022! Thank you, Richard.
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Members and friends of Ruddington WI are looking forward to welcoming Richard Arter to their meeting in St Peter's Rooms on Wednesday 12 January 2022 and participating in his Steel Band Workshop. We are anticipating a fun evening with which to begin the New Year.
The meeting will commence at 7.15pm with a short business meeting followed by the workshop and then refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.
NB: As we are still in the midst of the of the Covid19 pandemic, for everyone's safety we are advising that face masks are worn during the evening and, if possible, you do a lateral flow test beforehand. Hand sanitiser will also be available. Obviously, if you have any Covid-like symptoms, we would advise you to remain at home.
The meeting will commence at 7.15pm with a short business meeting followed by the workshop and then refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.
NB: As we are still in the midst of the of the Covid19 pandemic, for everyone's safety we are advising that face masks are worn during the evening and, if possible, you do a lateral flow test beforehand. Hand sanitiser will also be available. Obviously, if you have any Covid-like symptoms, we would advise you to remain at home.
During December members were busy providing for and serving on the WI stall at Ruddington Village Christmas Market. It was a highly successful day for us and great fun.
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Several of us also enjoyed a cold but sunny day in Melton Mowbray visiting the Christmas Tree Festival in the local church. There was a stunning display of over one hundred trees decorated by various businesses and organisations from the town. Many thanks to Jean for organising this trip for us all to enjoy and really get us in the festive mood.
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We hope you all enjoyed our Christmas Meeting in December with the 'picnic in a box' and home grown entertainment about the traditions of Christmas and the quiz. Happy Christmas to you all!
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RUDDINGTON WI HAS RESUMED ITS MONTHLY MEETINGS!!!
Members of the WI met informally during the summer months when Covid restrictions were eased. We enjoyed two meetings in members' gardens; once to eat strawberries and cream with a glass of Pimms (Yes, you guessed! It was around Wimbledon fortnight!) and then to perfect the art of Stone Painting.
Look in the Gallery of photos 2021 for our latest activities.
Hill and Highway Carol Service: Saturday 10th December
Posted 10 December 2016
June Walters, President of Ruddington WI performs her reading
On Saturday 10th December, the Hill and Highway Group, which includes WIs in: Bunny and Bradmore, West Bridgford, Ruddington, Keyworth, Plumtree and Edwalton, came together to celebrate Christmas with a Carol Service at St. Paul's Church, Boundary Road, West Bridgford. The Rev'd Chris Hodder welcomed everyone to this beautiful modern church, explaining that he'd never before sung 'Jerusalem' with ladies from the WI. He's now ticked this off his bucket list! Representatives from each of the six WI groups performed short Christmas readings, which were entertaining and humorous. Linda Davey, WI adviser thanked all those who'd helped make the event a success, orchestrated by our Secretary, Ivy Wilshire. Following the service members of West Bridgford WI served tea and coffee accompanied by home made mince pies.
Gift Wrapping Workshop
Posted 16 October 2016
Members watch Caroline Greene as she demonstrates.
At our monthly meeting on 12th October, we had a gift wrapping workshop. Caroline Greene, of Phoenix Trading, demonstrated how to create a neatly wrapped box. This could be easily converted into a gift bag and we were shown a few clever tricks to achieve this. We were also taught how to make a gift card envelope and most of us produced an attractive end result with a pretty bow, crafted from matching ribbon. Some of us even managed to wrap the gift which we will donate to patients at Lings Bar Hospital, Gamston, at our Christmas party on December 14th. There are more photographs in our gallery.
Harvest Supper
Posted 16 Sept 2016
Committe member, Sally Bryer, serves members a superb fish supper.
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On Wednesday 14th September, members enjoyed a delicious Harvest (of the sea) Supper. Fish, chips and mushy peas were served by the committee. These were delivered by a local fish and chip shop and were delicious. Ivy, our Secretary, had kindly provided a basket of fruit on each table, so that we had a healthy dessert! Following our supper, we played a number of team games, which were fun and caused much hilarity. This entertainment was organised by Penny Todd.
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Ruddington Horticultural Show
Posted September 4
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On Saturday 17th September the first horticultural show to be held in the village in a quarter of a century will take place from 11am until 4pm, in St. Peter's Rooms. The event is organised by the Ruddington Gardeners' Association; and members of the public are invited to submit entries to a varieties of classes. These include competitions for children and also baking and jam classes. Show schedules can be downloaded from Ruddington Gardeners' Association Website. Applications must be received before Wednesday 14th September. All entries must be staged by 9.30am and must be collected by 3.45pm. Judging will take place from 9.30am. There are classes for everyone, so why not have a go and make this event a success for our village? Ruddington WI will be providing refreshments for the event. Come along and enjoy some delicious tea and cake after browsing a variety of interesting stalls..
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Visit to Melbourne Hall
Posted 1 Sept 2016
Members enjoying the view of the 20 acre mill pool.
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On Wednesday 17th August we visited Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire. This beautiful stately home was originally built in the 12th century as a Bishop's Palace. It is now the home of Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr. The weather behaved itself and it was a perfect sunny summer's day with temperatures in the high 70s. We spent time in the 18th century garden where one of the highlights is the Iron Arbour, Bird Cage, created by local craftsmen, Robert Bakewell. Of course, no WI visit would be complete without delicious tea and cake in the tea room, and this day was no exception.
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'Talking Stock' : August Meeting
Posted 18 July 2016
Lesley Bensley and her display of Oxo artefacts
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On Wednesday 10th August, we had a fascinating talk from Lesley Bensley about the history of the Oxo cube. Lesley gave us an interesting insight into the progress of the humble stock cube throughout the 106 years since it first came into being. She then explained that she'd first become interested in collecting Oxo memorobilia when visiting an antique fair with her partner. Some of the artefacts that are displayed in the photograph were bought for in excess of sixty pounds. The items which she displayed range from playing cards to kits sent out to soldiers in the trenches during the First World War. Consumers who purchased Oxo cubes were able to save tokens which they then exchanged for free gifts, such as the rag doll which Lesley is holding in the photograph. Lesley asked her audience a few quiz questions along the way: and you've guessed it - the prizes were Oxo cubes!
More photographs can be viewed in the gallery. |
Annual Garden Party
Posted 28 July 2016
Enjoying the garden
We held our annual garden party at committee member Linda Davey's home on Saturday 23 July. The garden was a picture with an amazing array of wonderful perennials and seasonal bedding. The weather was glorious and we spent a happy afternoon sipping tea and nibbling delicious cakes and strawberry scones, prepared by our members. There was a range of stalls selling items sewn by us at our fortnightly craft and social afternoons. We raised an amazing £848 for our chosen charity, the Ruddington Community Bus. There are more photos in our gallery.
Visit to the Richard 3rd Exhibition in Leicester - 15th June
Posted 18 July 2015
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Members at the Richard 3rd exhibition in Leicester
On Wednesday 15th June, a group of members visited the Richard 3rd exhibition in Leicester, fifteen months after the reinterrment of the King in Leicester Cathedral. Not only did the museum chronicle the events which led up to the death of Richard 3rd at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, but it also gave us a fascinating insight into the painstaking work undertaken by archaeologists who discovered the King's remains in a car park belonging to the Social Services Department in the city. We learned that Richard 3rd was rather a controversial figure as some historians believe that he was responsible for the death of the Princes in the Tower. We also visited the Cathedral and saw the ornate new resting place of the King. More photographs can be seen in the gallery.
Nottinghamshire Federation Annual Quiz - Monday 6th June
Posted 15 June 2016
Write it down Elaine!
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Every year the Nottinghamshire Federation sets a general knowledge quiz which is tackled by around 100 teams in several venues around the county. We put forward four teams this year, at our local event, held at Cotgrave Miners' Welfare, on Monday 6th June. We struggled through questions on subjects as wide-ranging as food and football, film and fables. Nevertheless, we had great fun and lots of laughs! The results will be announced at the Autumn Meeting to be held at 7.30pm at the Everyday Champions Centre, Newark on 29 September - we found it pretty tough, so don't hold your breath! There are more photos in our gallery.
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Centenary Flower Festival - 26 to 28 June 2015
Posted 30 June 2015
Madge would be proud
46 of the WIs in Nottinghamshire have been showing off their flower-arranging talents at Newstead Abbey. The Centenary Flower Festival celebrates inspiring women in floral displays throughout the historic rooms of Newstead Abbey - ancestral home of poet Lord Byron. I'm sure he would have been impressed with the amazing colourful representations of such characters as Billy Jean King, Marie Curie and Ellen McCarthur. Ruddington WI chose to celebrate Madge Watt the Canadian woman who brought the WI to the UK.
The photo here shows the display being lovingly created by 2 of our talented members. The event ran for 3 days giving the crowds attending plenty of opportunities to catch the exhibition and spend a little at the craft stalls in the Cloisters too.
Photos of the flowers and craft displays are in our gallery.
The photo here shows the display being lovingly created by 2 of our talented members. The event ran for 3 days giving the crowds attending plenty of opportunities to catch the exhibition and spend a little at the craft stalls in the Cloisters too.
Photos of the flowers and craft displays are in our gallery.
Annual Meeting Notts Fed - 25 March 2015
Posted 25 March 2015
Today the Annual Meeting of the Nottinghamshire Federation of WIs took place at the Royal Centre in Nottingham. Almost 700 ladies representing the majority of the 115 WIs in Nottinghamshire gathered to hear news, listen to speeches, discover what events are being planned and generally have fun.
The speakers this year were a treat - the incorrigible humour of Peter Lein, head chef at Denman College in the morning and the eloquent & informative Julie Summers in the afternoon. In between there was much chatter and lots of spending at the many stalls on offer on the second floor and lots of hopeful buying of raffle tickets and Denman Dip envelopes. A display of the entries to the Sheila Norris Rose Bowl collage competition proved popular along with stands of information about Denman College, ACWW and the Centenary Baton route. The big news of the day was the Notts Fed sponsorship of a race on Ladies Day at Southwell Races on 17 August 2015 - so dust off your hat and get ready for a fantastic event.
There are lots of photos of the day in our gallery.
The speakers this year were a treat - the incorrigible humour of Peter Lein, head chef at Denman College in the morning and the eloquent & informative Julie Summers in the afternoon. In between there was much chatter and lots of spending at the many stalls on offer on the second floor and lots of hopeful buying of raffle tickets and Denman Dip envelopes. A display of the entries to the Sheila Norris Rose Bowl collage competition proved popular along with stands of information about Denman College, ACWW and the Centenary Baton route. The big news of the day was the Notts Fed sponsorship of a race on Ladies Day at Southwell Races on 17 August 2015 - so dust off your hat and get ready for a fantastic event.
There are lots of photos of the day in our gallery.
