Category: Trips

June 16, 2023 Member Events, Member's News, NFWI, SFWI, Trips

And the new Skittles Champions for 2023 are ….

..Team 3! …aka  Gaye, John, Carrie-Anne, Ann, Robert, Jean, Jackie & Graham….

Now, what was the secret of Team 3’s success? Who was their secret weapon?

Was it John, the overall points winner?  OR was it Ann who just happened to be o the winning team last year?????  OR was it down to alcohol (or not), laughter & ‘having a go’???

Anyway, they all had fun, as did everyone else!

It was a lovely summer evening for our annual Skittles meet at The Shoulder of Mutton public house n Hamstall Ridware.  The good weather held – as did the light – & the atmosphere was friendly.  Knocked them all down?  Then you were greeted with a cheer & a clap, no matter which team you were playing for!

But competition was fierce, make no mistake, with only a few points in it all told!

Thanks to The Shoulder of Mutton team for a fabulous Buffet & for hosting us all in the Beer Garden.

Thanks also to Alan & Karen for organising the teams, prizes, medals & winners cup & especially to Alan for keeping score – although he did knock off a number of  points from Team 3 at one point … only to remedy his mistake by another announcement a few minutes later….  That’s what comes of being a retired maths teacher (to paraphrase Karen)!

Thanks also to Bob & Kent, ably assisted by Kath & Graham, for the putting up of all those skittles… & finding those that made their way into the hedge whilst also diving from the ‘bouncing bombs’….!  Thanks also to Chris Ewing, our ever-helpful ‘ball boy’!

And the proud winner of the wooden spoon?  Well that was Meryl!

A great evening – full of fun & friendship!

 

 

What’s next for us in this busy summer?

Learning about the history of Gin (‘Mothers Ruin’ ) with BYO Gin ..& tonic/mixer ( & special glass etc) for our June monthly meeting….

Supporting the Village Fete – stall & ‘Guess the Number of Balloons in a car’, with the chance to win a mega hamper! …

Tractor tour of Fisherwick Farm – a lovely evening out compete with buffet..

‘Tasting Summer’ at our July monthly meeting – doing the taste tests , so you don’t have to  ….

Supporting Menafest with our fabulous, & famous, Jarbola stall ….

Interested in joining us?  Then contact Karen Wakefield (01543 492136) for further information.  New members always welcome!

August 22, 2019 Member Events, Trips

Farming Life …..

 

 

What a fabulous evening we spent at Sheepwash Farm in Fisherwick!  Touring a modern farm on a tractor-driven trailer was an experience in itself – seat pads were on a BYO basis – & the weather kept fine for us.  The farmer was so informative, & a good story teller, explaining how the farm had changed over the years, how the crops grown depend on the soil type & how local farmers have a mutually beneficial system of crop rotation, each helping the other out – on a commercial basis mind you!

A wind turbine generates a good proportion of the electricity needed by the farm to carry out its operations. A major investment – & pretty quiet all told.

 

A variety of crops are grown – particularly potatoes, rapeseed & wheat.  It’s amazing the impact the changing weather has on the crops – yields are up this year on last because we’ve had more rain.  The weather is a vital factor in success/failure that the farmer, unfortunately, has no control over whatsoever.

What a joy as well to see a combine in action.  The precision & use of modern technology is incredible.

We also enjoyed – & duly screamed – a ‘fairground ride’ or two!  Precise details will not be revealed so as to not spoil the fun for others!

This was followed by a lovely buffet at the fishing lakes .  Thanks to everyone at Sheepwash Farm for an excellent evening, for Karen Parsons for the idea & to Kate Britt & Karen for organising the trip.  Perhaps we can revisit early on in the season next year???

August 20, 2019 Member Events, Trips

Well, I didn’t know that ….

    ….. was the response from everyone on the recent WI (& friends) walk-about through the village of Hill Ridware.  This year the focus from our resident local historians, Helen & Meryl, was Wade Lane & Rake End.

So, did you know that ….

  • Wade Lane Farm – there’s been a residence here from at least 1594, when it belonged to Humphrey Chadwick …
  • Rake End – the words themselves mean ‘the street end of Hill Ridware’ & was once a separate settlement …
  • Briar Cottage – was once the village post office & shop …
  • The Old Rectory – was the other half of a swap with the Rectory at Mavesyn Ridware around 1859 …
  • The White House – was once known as the Clubhouses & was 2 residences …
  • The Thatched Cottage – probably the oldest building in the village (14th century) …?

Thanks to Helen & Meryl for all their work in making the evening so interesting & such a success.

July 12, 2019 Member Events, Member's News, Trips

And the winning team is…..

….. ‘Team Helen’!

  The weather kept fine for us, yet again, and the matches were full of laughter, helpful hints & camaraderie.  2 rounds down & the scoreboard was already beginning to flux – some teams peaked too early but ‘Team Helen’ rode the tide over the next 2 rounds to emerge victorious.  Perhaps the superb food helped them on their way? – provided by Nicola & her wonderful team at The Shoulder of Mutton, Hamstall Ridware – whilst others over-indulged?

John proved to be the best ‘bowler’ of the evening … & Betty received the wooden spoon…. All winners were presented with medals (& chocolates) to commemorate their sporting prowess at the end of another wonderful  Skittles evening by Karen & Kate Beechey.  Thanks to Alan for keeping the scores & to Kate Britt for organising this event.

Return match in September?  Bring it on, we all say!!!!

July 11, 2019 Member Events, Trips

Bloomin’ Roses…..

   at Elford Walled Garden – what a wonderful sight!

We returned to Elford Walled Garden on a lovely summer July evening for a tour of this community garden – & to ‘smell the roses’.  For some of us, it was a return visit – for others, their ‘first time’ – but all of us had a lovely evening exploring the garden.

What a difference in the planting from last year – it really showed the impact of  all that recent rainfall!    A cream tea was enjoyed afterwards – with seemingly endless supplies of tea & cake.  And some of us made some new friends – as well as (re)discovering a hidden gem of a garden!

May 20, 2019 Community Events, Member Events, Member's News, Trips

That was the year that was….

And what a year it was as we celebrated ‘being 70’ in style!

At our May AGM we celebrated with cheese & wine, ate the last of our fabulous 70th birthday cake & unveiled our ‘yarn bombing’ with a rainbow of knitted squares…  A bright addition to our village landscape which quickly became a prominent visual marker! We were all issued with new name badges & this website was launched…..

Our Midsummer tea in June was another rousing success….  The cake flowed freely … there was cake, cake & yet more cake: no one could have wanted any more!  It really was a ‘great get together’!

 

 

 

 

 

 

…..as was our  July skittles evening in Hamstall Ridware … A fun filled evening was had by all!

Somehow, we also managed to fit in a garden walkabout in the village on a lovely summers’ evening.  Helen & Meryl talked us through the ‘old’ Hill Ridware – a fascinating evening topped off with wine en route (courtesy of Pat & Sel) & coffee, tea & cake at Jo & Bernard’s.

Menafest in July had us filling jars with an amazing assortment of things for our Jarbola stall – another successful endeavour for us.  But, why oh why, did the weather have to change that Saturday of all days?

September saw us visiting the walled garden in Elford … & presenting our planted ‘boxer shorts’ (well, perhaps not ‘ours’ exactly….) to an unsuspecting public ….   Followed by our ever popular ‘braskets’ in October, we helped to raise awareness of prostrate cancer & breast cancer, & created photo opportunities for residents, workmen & visitors alike!

And we played skittles at Hamstall yet again!…..

Oh what a night we had in late September, when we held our special 70th birthday event – a 40’s Evening.

The hall looked spectacular decked out in red, white & blue & we were entertained by the fabulous Jayne Darling who sang songs from the 40’s & 50’s.  Our very own ‘supermodels’, organised by Betty, then took us on a fashion memory lane journey through the 7 decades of our existence.

What a fabulous time we all had!

November saw us in a more sombre & reflective mood as we remembered the centenary of the Armistice with our own ‘veil of poppies’ and unveiled ‘Tommy’.  A lovely service of remembrance & dedication was led by the Rev Deborah Sheridan, with children from Henry Chadwick school reading some poems, together with Helen & Jeanette.  Joyce Hopkins laid a wreath at Tommy’s feet on behalf of us all.  It was lovely to see so many villagers sharing with us at this event & joining us for refreshments afterwards.

The ‘Tommy’ silhouette was our gift to the village to commemorate the coinciding of our 70th birthday & the centenary of the Armistice.  A fitting tribute to all who served.

November saw us also participate in ‘World Kindness Day – painted stones, flower posies & decoupage hearts  were left around the village in secret.  We all know that kindness is not just a one-day-a-year-thing, but individuals really did appreciate the thought.  Spirits were lifted as a result.

… & there was our members craft evening where we tried new things, or practised existing skills… & caught up with each other.  Sometimes you just can’t beat a good old natter!

December, of course, was another busy month with our Christmas meal out at Beaudesert & our ever-popular community event – Tinsel & Trimmings.  The Christmas tree lights were switched on by the Menafest crew, whose fundraising efforts we will be supporting again in 2019.  It marks the beginning of Christmas for many village residents.  We also visited Tatton Park, decorated for Christmas with ‘Food, Glorious Food’.  January 2019 saw us cheering & laughing at our annual visit to the pantomine in Birmingham… Oh no it didn’t!…. Oh yes it did!

Things quietened down for a month – although we did celebrate Chinese New Year with a wonderful meal at the Stables restaurant, The Chadwick Arms – … until the Welsh Tea in March.  Again, the hall was packed… it didn’t snow this year… & a fun afternoon was had by all.

The monthly community coffee mornings – aka ‘Take a Break Cafe’ – continued with our March coffee morning coinciding with Shrove Tuesday. So, pancake races were in order – accompanied by much hilarity with our ‘tossing’…!

We also celebrated our 71st birthday at ‘Mabel’s.  The conservatory was awash with ‘our’ fushia pink – the room, birthday cake, flower arrangements, hampers for the raffle, party favours… let alone all the ladies present … looked amazing!  It was lovely to welcome guests from throughout the Blythe Group, as well as Helen Newman (SFWI Chair) to celebrate with us.  Kate’s Party kept us entertained & a great night was had by all.  Perhaps being ’71’ won’t be that bad, after all…

April saw us celebrate St George’s Day in style with another of our ever popular afternoon teas.  Again the hall looked marvellous – as did the raffle & the food.  But, how is it that 4 minutes after our official opening time of 3pm, we had used up every single tea & coffee pot…????  Another afternoon full of fun & friendship was had by all.  We went back to The Chadwick Arms for another Chinese meal at The Stables restaurant – yummy as ever!

 

 

 

 

We do like to stretch our brain cells as well… so fielded teams for the SFWI centenary quiz.  The county showground was awash with suffragette purple, green & white – we racked our brains, tried to spell correctly & enjoyed our picnics.  We’ve also attended SFWI county meetings & Homes & Gardens days at the showground , listened to a variety of speakers & shopped…..

Wendy & Dot, however, also planted oak trees in The National Forest & helped ensure that a small part of the SFWI Centennial wood is ‘pure Ridwares’!

We also ‘learnt’ a lot through our speakers… the various enterprises at Buzzards Valley & how they came about as well as inheritance tax planning & how to protect our assets.  We travelled with ‘Shirley Valentine’ to the Greek Isles & learnt the importance of a correctly fitted bra, from someone who loved talking ‘boobs’!  Hidden gems of Staffordshire were uncovered & we discovered what being ‘maid to Lord Lichfield’ involved.  We learnt about mother & baby units in prison, educational adventures in Walsall & all about The Shadows.  There was even some hand-jiving to the live music!

So, what a year we’ve had.   Full of fun & friendship , tears & laughter.  Karen showed us The Huxley Cup… & we said ‘au revoir’ to Desley as she left us for a new adventure in Cornwall.  Sadly, we also lost 3 dear, wonderful ladies – Pauline Bradbury, Carmel Hemmings & Mollie Astbury.  3 roses have been planted in their memory in our memorial rose bed – the Rev Deborah Sheridan led a lovely blessing ceremony  during our last coffee morning.   RIP ladies.  You are sorely missed.

So what next for us?  Well, we’re in the midst of ‘BKV’ endeavours… & there is a new knitting/crocheting challenge for us all.  Get those needles out & ready ladies – we’re yarn bombing again!!!!!

Here’s to another year of fun & friendship – Ridwares style!

 

 

September 16, 2018 Member Events, Member's News, Trips

And our new Skittles Champion is….

      

Verona Ryan … with ‘The Ridware Raiders’, the winning team!

What a wonderful evening we all had!  Wrapped up warm against the cooling September night spirits were high & the competition was friendly – albeit serious.  No ‘bowl off’ this evening, as Verona beat Martin by 2 clear ‘points’ – with Dot picking up the ‘wooden spoon’ this time round.  Nicky & team at the Shoulder of Mutton did us proud with a lovely BBQ – the hot burgers & hot dogs were most welcome as the natural light dimmed.  Flood lights at the ready, we continued bowling ‘in the dark’ – some of us even improved our knock-down scores!  Shirley and Jean presented Verona & the winning team with their ‘championship’ medals – and chocolates – in due style.

A great time was had by all!

 

August 14, 2018 Member Events, Trips

What lies beyond the Wall?

What a fabulous evening we had at Elford Walled garden! … AND for once, it didn’t rain, or was cold, on our annual summer garden visit!  The sun shone and we had an excellent and informative tour round the walled garden itself ….

 and through the gate at the end, out onto the banks of the River Tame. Very picturesque.  There was even a boathouse, which is also used as a bird hide.

 Then through the sensory garden… the giants garden… the orchard and to the marquee where a scrumptious cream tea awaited us.  Lots of tea/coffee,scones & homemade cakes.  What an evening!

Thanks to all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to bring the walled garden back to life, this is a wonderful community space & endeavour.  And thanks also to Kate Britt for organising the evening – a good night was had by all.  Elford walled garden is well worth a visit if you haven’t already been.

May 13, 2018 Trips

How to ‘throw’ a pot… & other lessons at Emma Bridgewater

What a fabulous day we had at the Emma Bridgewater factory on 27th March – followed by some ‘retail therapy’ at Trentham Gardens!

The tour was very interesting, following the production of items from the clay moulds to the hand painting & sponging.  A fascinating & highly skilled process and work-force!  The hand-painting/sponging for each design is based on a template which is followed carefully, each painter working on a variety of designs each day.

Of course, if there is an opportunity to ‘have a go’, then we have to!   Karen successfully ‘threw’ a plate first time – Gaye needed 2 attempts as her initial throw missed the ‘mould’ & went into the bin …..    

Very hands-on – in many senses of the word!  Thanks to Kate for organising this day out.