For some reason we’ve had a huge surge in interest this month and have had to introduce a visitor list for the meeting. Unfortunately it is now full. If you’re not a member and were thinking of coming to Tuesday’s meeting, please don’t. You may be turned away. This includes previous visitors.

We are going to introduce a ticket system for visitors from June. Watch this space for how to get a visitor ticket next time.

We are sorry to disappoint but we have to guarantee that members have a space first. We’re becoming a bit of a victim of our own success as word spreads about all the excellent things we have planned and are regularly at capacity in our venue.

If you’d like more information, please email gloucesterrdwi@yahoo.com

Thanks
India, president

Do you have some great ideas about what we can do? Should we being doing something differently? Do you want to set up a subgroup yourself? Or can you just spare some time helping us set up at meetings or helping organise events?

We are looking for helpers to lend a hand running our WI.

There’s a wide range of jobs and things to do, whether on the committee or as a helper. We have so much going on and it would be great to have more people involved backstage as we’ve grown so much this year.

From June we will be setting up a rota for helpers at meetings so please step forward. We’ll go into more detail at next week’s meeting. If you would like to get more involved with the committee, please let us know at the meeting or email gloucesterrdwi@yahoo.com for more info.

We will be choosing the winners of the next Denman Bursaries at May’s meeting. Two lucky members will be drawn to receive £100 towards a Denman course of their choice*. These will be the final bursaries available this year.

Denman College is the WI’s very own school dedicated to teaching cookery, craft and lifestyle skills on residential and day courses in their exclusively owned manor house in Oxfordshire (you can get the train for less than £20 return from Bristol!).

You can view their course directory on their website as there’s bound to be something for everyone. From astronomy to knife skills and sewing for beginners. Prices include accommodation, all food and classes and both members and non-members are welcome, female and male!


*The winning recipients will be given £100 cheque on presentation of a booking receipt for any Denman course, even if you’ve already booked it. GRWI Members only.

Gorgeous headwear,
crafty hairpieces and
a lot more going on!

This month, it’s all about accessorising.

We have theatrical milliner, Ani Townsend coming in to give a fascinating talk on her work and demonstrate some basic hatmaking.

Following this, we thought we’d squeeze in a quick have-a-go at hairpiece/brooch making. If you’d like to get involved with the craft part, please bring a pair of scissors with you, we have a few but not enough to go around. All other materials will be provided for a basic felt piece.

We’ve also got updates on all our clubs, including the brand new Knit & Stitch group starting in June, and the cookbook. The deadline for recipes is this month’s meeting so get writing if you want your recipe to be included!

We meet in St Michael’s Hall on Gloucester Rd. Please use the side door through the gate. There is a pilates class on until 8pm so doors open at 8.15pm with the aim of starting at 8.30pm. Any help setting up and tidying away will be much appreciated.
 

Glos Rd WI Cookbook

Our cookbook has really started taking off in the past few weeks. We’ve got all our traders on board and are working on recipes, testing and the such. We’re nearing our fundraising target to pay for the printing as well which is fantastic. Ultimately, profits from the book will go to the charity Survive and WI projects.

Our next major fundraiser is the Glos Rd WI Spring Fayre. At St Michael’s, where we usually meet on Saturday 8 June, 10am-5pm. There will be lots of stalls selling all kinds of things including craft, vintage and art, a kids corner, raffle and of course tea and cakes! If you can help out in any way, whether holding a stall, serving customers or face painting, please let us know, otherwise come along and bring all the family.

If you want to know more please join the Facebook group, follow us on @GlosRdCookbook or email glosrdwicookbook@yahoo.co.uk

Anonymous asked: Hello Gloucester Road WI. Would you be interested in a talk and demonstration of the changing face of first aid? The British Red Cross are changing the way people learn first aid, so that more people will feel both confident and willing to help others. 58% of newly qualified first aiders will not help someone in a crisis, daft beyond belief. It is changing - let me inform your members. Brad Stein Call on 01173012614 (day) or 07791502940 (eve)

Hi Brad,

Could you email us the details on Gloucesterrdwi@yahoo.com please? We look at our programme for next year around October time and would like to keep you in mind. Thanks.

Last week’s meeting saw an overwhelming amount of cake brought in and consumed for charity under the guise of our first Bake Off!

First off we had the Food Quiz with Emily from Bristol Bites which was very challenging, fun and got everyone talking to each other. With rounds on “Guess the spice”, “Cocktails” and a picture round, there was something for everyone to excel at. The lucky winning team got drinks vouchers for next meeting.

The Bake Off raised £65 for Bake for Bumps, Sparks Charity, and everyone tucked into as much cake as they liked following the quiz.

The winner of Runner Up Best In Show and the jam thermometer was Mel Taylor with a gorgeously gooey chocolate rollover and Best In Show and £20 Kitchens voucher went to Ruth Procter for her astonishing courgette cake which everyone raved about! Rosettes were handed out for each category so there were lots of winners. A great first Bake Off and a fantastic effort from everyone who brought in cake or ate it,  thanks girls!

We also announced a private members’ wine tasting evening run by Grape & Grind happening in May as well as the formation of our new Knit & Stitch Club and our next cookbook fundraiser on 8 June (members: if you’d like a stall get in touch).

So long for now!

India

Anonymous asked: Hi Can I just turn up to the next meeting please?

Hi there,

If you would like to try us out and visit then please email us on  gloucesterrdwi@yahoo.com to get on the guest list as we’re nearing capacity and limiting places now.

You can find out more by joining our mailing list here http://eepurl.com/tyY_for our monthly updates.

Thanks and hope to see you at a meeting soon!

India

clarityclaribelle asked: Hi there, as I've never been to a WI before I'd like to come to your next meeting as a visitor which I understand you can do and pay on the door. If I decide I'd like to join after the May meeting will I pay the annual fee and then pay the annual fee again in October? Thanks and see you then, Claire :)

Hi there,

Normal membership is renewed every January. However, if you’re a new member you can join from October and effectively get October and November free.

If you were to join in May, you would have to renew in January anyway but you can visit up to three times before committing to membership (£4 per meeting) which may suit you better.

Up to you really, if you’re a member you can join in all the extra activities we do but if there’s a meeting you can’t make between now and October then you might want to just visit.

If you would like to try us out and visit then could you please email us gloucesterrdwi@yahoo.com to get on the guest list as we’re nearing capacity and limiting places now.

You can find out more by joining our mailing list here http://eepurl.com/tyY_for our monthly updates.

Thanks and hope to see you at a meeting soon!

India

hanlouboo asked: Hello, I'd love to come along tonight. Is it ok to turn up and pay on the door? Thanks Hannah B

Hi Hannah,
Yes that’s fine. It’s £4 for visitors. All the details are below. See you tonight. :-) India

Anonymous asked: I would like to come along to a meeting but can't make 16 April. I see the next meeting is 21/5, can I come/take part? Long time away but your WI sounds good. Best wishes Kate Canner

Hi Kate,

You’re welcome to come along to May’s meeting. I’ll pop you on the visitor list. :o)

Food quiz and lots of cake!

Bristol Bites, the definitive guide to food and drink in Bristol and Bath, is run by the lovely Emily, food blogger extraordinaire. She’ll be hosting her famous food quiz (from The Star & Dove pub on Monday nights) at April’s meeting on the 16th.

We’re also holding our first ever Bake Off! Everyone is welcome to bring something in, categories above, and in true WI style there will be rosettes for winners in each category and a prize for Best In Show, judged by our speaker on the evening, Emily. However, this is the interesting bit, you all get to be judges too! Each category will be judged by us, just swap £1 for voting tokens and taste away! The cakes with the most votes will receive rosettes and be entered for Best In Show, the winner of which will receive a voucher for Kitchens on Whiteladies Road (where members also get a 10% discount on showing your card)!

We’re also hoping to raise a bit of money through the Bake Off for Baking for Bumps, organised by children’s health charity, Sparks. They fund medical research which advances clinical understanding and treatment of conditions affecting babies, children and mums-to-be.

We meet in St Michael’s Hall on Gloucester Rd on the third Tuesday of the month. There is a pilates class on until 8pm so doors open at quarter past and the meeting starts at 8.30pm.

Bring your cookbook recipes in!

The cookbook is our big project for this year. The idea is to

Recipes have started coming in from local traders but we still need recipes from members! To enter it, you can either scribble it down to bring in on Tuesday or email it to GlosRdWICookbook@yahoo.co.uk

Everything will be considered and if you have any questions, just email that address or Twitter @GlosRdCookbook.

We’ll be testing out all the recipes, photographing them and perhaps rewording some to make sure they’re clear and easy to follow so don’t worry about it not sounding right. You’ll get your recipe in the book with a photo and a bit about you, just like the celeb chefs.

It’s going to be a beautiful, full colour, hardback cookbook created by us to raise money for charity and celebrate Gloucester Road, so we want all our members to get involved!

Easter Sunday 2013 marked a day of prep for many GRWI members. In between family dinners and Easter egg hunts, we were mixing cake batter and kneading cookie dough like our lives depended on it and all for one cause….our tea party.