The Autumn season swung into action with two very inspiring talks .During August the Blue Cross Sanctuary, between Rolleston and Stretton, had opened its gates and many members had called in to have a look. Everyone was delighted that Kath Urwin, the Manager, was able to spare time to give a very powerful presentation about the history of the Blue Cross, formerly the ‘Dumb Friends League’. In 1900, the League provided horse ambulances as well as veterinary care for animals that owners could not afford to look after. During World War 1, there were 870,000 horses on active service in appalling conditions .226,000 horses died horrific deaths during this conflict. Dogs too played their part as messengers and were cared for after the conflict. The League cared for old war horses and provided water troughs and free oats. More animals were helped until finally the League became ‘the Blue Cross’ in 1950.Today there are 11 Blue Cross Regional Centres and Rolleston is home to the 3rd Equine Centre. 

Kath Urwin was such an enthusiastic speaker and showed that she really loves her job. She was pleased to report that as a charity Blue Cross use 81p.from every £1 donated to help animal welfare. All the money comes from gifts and she urged all members to support the local fund raising.

For the October meeting. Mr Hobday gave a very interesting insight into Derbyshire, a county of amazing contrasts. Mr Hobday showed some beautiful slides giving his own personal view of a County, with which he is very familiar. As a very keen walker and photographer he has combined his two hobbies to give some most unusual views of well known locations, such as Chatsworth, taken from high above the fountain. Out in all weathers, the four seasons were well represented, with delightful Autumn and Winter scenes as well as exotic wild flowers such as orchids and cotton grass flowering in the Spring and Summer. 

Members enjoyed their visit to Burghley House, on a lovely September Sunday, as well as a walk arranged by Helen Barnett around Denstone. This was followed by a very welcome pub lunch. J.C.B. opened its doors to members and friends, who took a tour of the factory site, walking approximately three miles!

Sylvia Martin, an excellent needlewoman, gave a demonstration to an interested group of W.I. members in September of one of her more unusual craft skills, ‘Stump work’. This is can often be viewed in stately homes.

Rolleston member Iris Beresford was delighted to win the competition with her beautiful beadwork at the Group meeting, hosted by Anslow, held at De Ferrers in October. Sue Willmot has won an S.F.W.I. County Competition for a short story, following her success with a story at the Spring Group meeting.

Joan Price, the President will be welcoming everyone who is interested to a meeting on November 8th at the John of Rolleston School ,when an E.S.D.C. representative will explain ‘recycling’. Members are looking forward to their big fund raiser for the year, the Christmas Fair, to be held at 2.00pm.on Saturday 25th November at the Rolleston Club. This is the same day as the Memorial Concert for Ann Burston founder Chairman of R.O.D.S.E.C. and a very much missed W.I. member.

The Rolleston W.I. Choir is 20 years old and celebrated with a gig at Vicarage Fields. The Choir will sing at the Group Carol Service in Stretton on December 15th .With a Christmas party and a visit to the Christmas Festivities at the Black Country Museum the year will draw to a close.

Everyone is welcome to come along and join our happy thriving Institute, which meets on the first Monday of the month at the John of Rolleston School at 7.15pm. Please contact the Secretary 01283/813585 for more details.

Verity Conner

The summer programme has been a very full and busy one for Rolleston W.I. Our President, Joan Price has made sure that the meetings have run smoothly and covered a wide range of topics. In May, Mary Adams highlighted the arguments in the Resolutions concerning firstly, renewable energy technologies which should be used in all new buildings and secondly, better sports provisions to make for a healthier nation. These were discussed at the A.G.M. in Cardiff. Our delegate Margaret Hewitt reported back in July, praising the new National Federation Chairman, Faye Mansell, for leading this important meeting so admirably. The ‘Rosebowl Competition’ held in May was won by Elaine Toon for her magnificent bread rolls.

A beautiful summer’s evening heralded July’s meeting, when Allan Bembridge, with his guide dog, Henry, gave a fascinating insight into his life. Allan had become a ‘unit’ with each of the trained guide dogs he has been given by the R.N.I.B. From the birth of a puppy, through the puppy walking stage, to the completion of the training course with a blind person the cost involved is £36,000 for each dog. Alan wanted everyone to know that these dogs are only provided, because members of the public donate money regularly and he urged us all to keep on giving, because having a trained guide dog could transform a blind person’s life for ever. Alan then enjoyed strawberries and cream with Rolleston members but Henry was only allowed a bowl of water!

Lucy Ridgwick made a really glamorous model for a ‘makeup’ demonstration in June. Pam Moore applied the beauty products with care and skill so that our model ended the evening with a very ‘natural’ look.

Joan Price, our President, was delighted to report that, in June, she had been able to deliver the Lloyd Loom chair, bought in memory of Ann Burston and Ann Howard, to the W.I. College at Denman in Oxfordshire. Members attending the Staffordshire weekend there had been able to view the newly refurbished bedroom and see the chair in situ.

Members also put on a display at Community Day, a fund raiser for the John of Rolleston School.

Although the weather for the summer party was warm it was overcast but members made the most of the delicious ‘Pate and Cheese Ploughman’s Supper’ followed by delicious puds’! ‘Ann’s Game’ rounded off a convivial evening.

An excellent visit to a beautiful garden in Findern on a balmy summer’s evening, gave all those keen gardeners, who attended, a chance to glean new ideas for their borders and check out some very unusual colour combinations of flowers.

In September there are two more interesting visits, to Burghley House and to the J.C.B. Factory in Rocester.

Our fundraiser in November will be the Christmas Fair to be held at Rolleston Club on Saturday November 25th. This always gives a chance to find great bargains and super stocking fillers.

Everyone is welcome to come along and join our happy thriving Institute, which meets on the first Monday of the month at the John of Rolleston School at 7.15pm. Please contact the Secretary on 813585 for more details.

As the fine weather approaches, members have elected a new committee for the coming year. Mrs Joan Price is once again taking the helm for Rolleston W.I’s very busy summer programme. 

A coach full of keen walkers will be visiting the Bluebell Wood at Yoxall Lodge to enjoy the array of bluebells as well as some beautiful views. Arnold Burston has agreed to lead another village walk, with a lunch, on May 13th and the proceeds are to be used in memory of Ann Burston, a long standing member, who died last year. 

The May meeting is always exciting as there will the many proficient W.I. cooks competing to win the ‘Rosebowl.’ There should be plenty of carrot cakes, marmalade and bread rolls to sample afterwards.

In June Margaret Hewitt is attending the I.G.M. at Cardiff to represent several institutes. This is a memorable occasion when W.I. ladies meet en masse to discuss important national issues. Nearer to home members will be joining in with a display at Community Day to support FOJORPS. A garden visit has been arranged at the end of the month, which gives us all a chance to see the marvellous ideas really keen gardeners have for designing ways to group plants together.

Our summer party, on 10th July, is always great fun, especially after last year’s record breaking fine weather. This year the summer visit is to Burghley House which should prove interesting.

A wide variety of speakers will be attending our meetings. Mrs Spavold gave a fascinating and quite erudite talk on the history of South Derbyshire Sanitary Ware. Amazingly South Derbyshire was a centre for manufacturing ‘water closets’ but one of the last areas to have them fitted!
Strict behaviour codes and cleanliness were very much a part of Mrs Wheaton’s training as a paediatric nurse in the late 1950’s, when polio was at its height.

If you want to have fun, come along and join us. We meet regularly on the first Monday in the month at the John of Rolleston Primary School, Chapel Lane, at 7.15pm. Please telephone Verity Conner on 813414 for more details.

Another year has come and gone during which members of Rolleston on Dove W.I. have been busier than ever, and it looks as if the pace will continue into 2006!

Meetings began in November with our guest speaker Mr Hook, who gave us a fascinating insight into ‘The World of Mother of Pearl’. The month also saw another successful and well attended Christmas Fair in Rolleston Club. Later in November members were kept busy stitching the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ which decorated the W.I. Christmas tree as part of the Christmas Tree Festival held in St Mary’s Church. 

Mr and Mrs Urquhart, our guest speakers for December, transported members away from the damp cold and dismal weather to ‘Somewhere Hot’ with their entertaining slide show, following which members enjoyed mince pies and carols. Christmas festivities continued with the opportunity to attend both the County and Group Carol Services in Lichfield Cathedral and Hanbury Church respectively. Then later in the month we all enjoyed our annual Christmas Party with lots of good food, good company and exciting games.

In January members were enlightened about ‘Fun and Games in M&S’ by Mr Bailey, a retired employee of M&S, whose thirty years experience of working for the company provided us with some interesting and amusing anecdotes. Later in the month we were given the opportunity to attend a Beer Tasting Evening which needless to say, was enjoyed by all those who went! This was followed by a Bead Evening for members who enjoy trying out new crafts. A small group of members also travelled to Stratford to see a production of ‘Great Expectations’, which turned out to be an evening well spent. The month ended with the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the County Showground with Kate Adie as the guest speaker.

In February we are looking forward to a weekend in Harrogate and York, whilst the monthly meeting will include our annual Fish and Chip supper. We will also be sending a team to compete in the County Quiz. Other future activities include the Spring Group Council with Tricia Stewart, of ‘Calendar Girls’ fame, as guest speaker, the Spring Group Meeting in Hanbury, a second Beading Evening, a trip to see ‘Iolanthe’ and the A.G.M in March.

Alongside all of these activities we also continue to offer a programme of varied, sometimes amusing and always interesting guest speakers at every meeting.

If you would like to sample some of our many activities and meet new people why not come along to one of our meetings. We meet on the first Monday of the month at 7.15p.m in John of Rolleston Primary School, Chapel Lane, Rolleston. For more information contact Lesley Harding on 01283 530824.

Return to Village Website Home Page, Organisations Page or WI Home Page

Last updated: 9 December 2006