Another wet and windy evening for our September meeting but still a good attendance for what turned out to be an enjoyable evening.
Final arrangements were made for our Soup and Pudding Lunch (£4 per person) on 4 October from 11.30am - 2.00pm with Cake, Plant and Bric a Brac Stalls. This is always a pleasant event so do try and come. Our Group Meal has been booked at the Sidcot
Hotel for 21 October so we look forward to that. Two members are going to the AGM at the Winter Gardens, Weston on 23 September and we also have our evening meal
at the Langford Inn on 16 September.
With the business finished we then had our speaker for the evening, Mrs Margaret Brees, who gave us an interesting insight into 'Country Markets' which used to be called 'W.I. Markets' and which was started in 1919 when one lady had some spare ingredients in her pantry so made two cakes instead of one and took the spare to the village and sold it.
From there it snowballed with an annual turnover of £11 million. So this shows what a success can be made when people get together. There are still openings for anyone who wishes to cook or grow garden produce and you don't have to be a member of the W.I.
Some country market producers have stalls at the Farmers' Markets which seem to be working quite well. If you do cook for their markets you have to have a Hygiene Certificate for which you take a short course.
Wrington is our nearest market and celebrations are planned for its 30th Birthday at the end of September.
When the meeting had finished Mrs Brees was able to sell some of the lovely selection of goodies she had brought along, as well as some craft items. She was warmly thanked by Mrs Jill Hale. We then had our cup of tea and home made cakes and ended our meeting with the draw.
We next meet on Thursday 2 October at 7.30 pm in the Burrington Parish Rooms when the speaker will be Mrs Georgie Bigg on the work of the CPRE. We look forward to seeing members and guests on this occasion.
