New Term

September at the WI always feels a little like going back to school after the long summer holidays.  We spend some time sharing "what we did on our holidays" then gradually (reluctantly?) settle down.

The business part of any WI meeting follows a routine format.  Being a traditional Institute, we sing Jerusalem at the start and the National Anthem at the close.  In between, there are minutes, matters arising, notices and correspondence.  Once all that has been concluded, the speaker is introduced.  Today, we welcomed Mr Sean Brady who told us about his hobby which is the making of porcelain jewellery.  He has recently been to both the Meissen works in Germany and Limoges in France to observe how porcelain pieces are fashioned by top-flight professionals.  He gave us a brief resumé of the history of Chinese porcelain, and showed us the array of gadgets he has assembled - many of them borrowed from the world of cake decorating - to assist in the cutting and shaping of small pieces of porcelain prior to drying and firing.  A porcelain kiln reaches much higher temperatures than the ordinary potters kiln.  Mr Brady's talk, as well as being full of information, was enlivened with humorous anecdotes. 






The talk was well received and Mr Brady was thanked by Dot Spriggs.









After the tea interval, the Raffle (in aid of the Denman Appeal) was drawn and prizes distributed.  Birthday flowers were presented to members with birthdays in August and September, after which the competition - for an item of porcelain jewellery - was judged by Mr Brady.  He chose the necklace entered by Brenda Martin (pictured left).
 
 
The President thanked members and visitors for attending and the meeting closed at 4 pm.