Cainscross WI: Weavers Group Meeting with Richard Westcott, a Pantomime Dame

Held Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at St Matthew’s Church Hall, Cainscross.

It was the turn of Cainscross WI to host the Weavers Group Meeting on this occasion and doors opened at 7pm for a chance to buy raffle tickets, stage exhibits for the Homemade Biscuit Competition, buy goodies from the bring and buy stall and generally greet friends and members of the other groups.

The meeting started at 7.30pm with the singing of Jerusalem and apologies from Sandi Baker the WE Advisor, Janice Cole and Georgie Hall.

Linda Foreman was thanked for her lovely table flowers which included yellow roses, pink spray carnations and gypsophila.

The meeting was officially opened by Mary Herbert, the Group Secretary and Doreen Tucker the Treasurer.

Mary Herbert read out the Minutes of last year’s meeting which was hosted by Stroud Shambles WI at St. Laurence Church Hall, The Shambles, Stroud.

The Treasurer then read her report and this was followed by the Secretaries’ Reports from each of the five groups; Cainscross, Frocester, Leonard Stanley, Randwick and Stonehouse.

All groups agreed they were all still enjoying their WI meetings, but with the continuing increase of subscriptions every year it was not getting any easier to recruit new members, especially younger ones.

Speakers are raising the costs of their talks and, not surprisingly, their travel charges and this makes securing good speakers and at the same time balancing the books very difficult to achieve.

With business concluded, we moved on to the entertainment part of the evening, when we welcomed Richard Westcott, a Pantomime Dame who was a fascinating and hilarious entertainer.

He ‘started from scratch’ showing us the application of his make-up, wigs and earrings.

The evening finished with a lovely supper of cheese, crackers, grapes, celery, wine or soft drink, followed by tea/coffee and some wonderful homemade cakes and biscuits.

The raffle was called, the Biscuit Competition Winners announced as:-

First - Mary Nash from Leonard Stanley

Second - Marleen Jordan from Stonehouse

Third - Jackie Jones from Stonehouse

And after God Save the Queen, it was time to bid farewells.