THE speaker at the June meeting of YEOFORD was Dr Roger Bristow who showed us some beautiful slides and talked about the various butterflies that we are likely to see in our gardens throughout the year.

We visited the Crediton Flower Festival preceded by a meal in the Boniface Centre.

The flower of the month competition was won by Sue Thomas, 2 Vera Squires, 3 Betty Miller.

JN

MEMBERS and one guest were welcomed to MORCHARD BISHOP by President Angie Williams on a cloudy June afternoon. A group of members enjoyed their day at the "Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre" near Taunton – most interesting.

The skittles team will start practice sessions soon on Tuesday evenings and plans for the Summer Celebration in August were announced.

Names were entered for the "Bursary" draw and later, the speaker drew out the lucky name – Jill Riddiford who hopes to do a cookery course – a new chef?

Mr Comber was introduced to members who settled to see the "Beauty of Exmoor" plus Mortehoe. The screen in the hall is large so we were able to see his superb photography virtually life-size. His close-ups of flowers and sea shore were really lovely.

He was thanked by Ruth Taylor, and by enthusiastic members, for such an absorbing view of Exmoor and snippets of information.

The competition was for a Moor-land view. Results were: 1 Pam Schofield, 2 Annie Robinson. Flower of the month: 1 Sue Pluckwell, 2 Jenny Pettyfer.

The next meeting is on Wednesday, July 8 with speaker Mrs. Penny Townsend, whose subject is - "Jane Austin, Her Life and Local Links with Bath and Devon.">

PRESIDENT Barbara Paddon welcomed members and three guests to the June meeting of CHERITON FITZPAINE. Plans were well ahead for the Mid Devon Show entry in July.  Entry forms were now available for the Scarecrow Competition at the end of the month - the winner would be announced at the WI Coffee morning to be held in the Methodist Hall on June 27.

In view of the success of our previous year's "alternative" WI Calendar, we are to repeat this again this year.  Members, partners and friends are asked to submit photographs of village scenery and events, and the calendar would be launched at a Craft Fair to be held in the Parish Hall on October 23.

Our speaker for the afternoon was a young man,  Jamie Sutherland, accompanied by his father Charlie and dog Tyler. 

At the age of 131/2 Jamie was just like any other teenager, going to school and playing football with his mates.  He was starting to enjoy some of the independence that goes with being a young adult - his local paper round meant that he even had his own pocket money and dreamt of a career in the Army when he left school. 

But Jamie's life was to change forever when a car hit him as he cycled home one day.  He sustained massive head injuries and was not expected to live.  With wonderful care at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, he slowly recovered, spending the next year in hospital rehabilitating. 

When he finally returned home, Jamie was living a life in a wheelchair.  With slight speech problems, and needing care with every-day living, he became isolated and depressed.

Then, Jamie's mother heard of "Dogs for the Disabled".  An instructor visited Jamie, and at 16 he went to the Frances Hay Centre to train with his first dog, Kandy, which he still has, but is superseded by a beautiful black labrador - Tyler.

Apart from helping Jamie with daily living, Tyler also breaks down barriers, enabling other youngsters to talk to Jamie, who having achieved his HND at college, now works part time for the Barn Owl Trust.  He also goes to the school where his mother works and helps children with their reading skills.

Jamie's father explained the process of training a puppy, which lives for a year with a volunteer family to become socialised, before undergoing more rigorous training.  Dogs for the Disabled is a registered charity and depends on voluntary contributions for its work.

Mary Burchmore gave the vote of thanks and members were able to ask more questions whilst enjoying a cup of tea.

There will be no meeting in July, but an outing to Dartmouth is being arranged.

MN

FOLLOWING a short business meeting COLEBROOKE were pleased to welcome Nicholas Baker to their June meeting. He gave an interesting talk and slide show on Gardener's Travels in Madeira.

Something that few of us knew was that all the beautiful flowers and plants associated with the island, such as the birds of paradise, were all introduced by settlers as the original vegetation was very wild and overgrown after the volcano became extinct.

We also saw slides of the various walks on the levadas, the man-made water collection system high in the hills, ranging from gentle strolls lower down to precarious paths clinging to the sides of steep slopes which were not for the faint-hearted.

Numbers were finalised for our visit to Cothay Manor in July, along with orders for lunch.

After the meeting there was a very successful bring and buy with plants, home-made produce as well as various craft items.

As we do not have a meeting in August our next meeting will be in September and this will be a Members' meeting.

BM

 

PRESIDENT Margaret Tucker welcomed members to the June meeting of SANDFORD. Special welcome was made to Margaret Reeve and Gwen Cleverdon  who had been unable to attend recently.

Secretary Ann Evans said that the ballot for afternoon or evening meetings was for evenings to continue, by just one vote!  She also gave details of The Italian Job, an Italian day with lunch at Clyst St Mary on July 15. Four members said they would like to go. 

Details were also given of several Christmas Cookery Days. The President also asked if  any members would be interested in visiting Waitrose, for a presentation and, due to the response, she will arrange this for the Autumn.

The speaker was Pat Sherwood, a member of Crediton Flower Club, who gave an excellent demonstration on creating a delightful table arrangement with a blue candle, and white carnations, lilies and foliage. Members then did their own arrangements, all in identical containers and what a variety they created, all of which Mrs. Sherwood said were "very good".   Members said how much they enjoyed this "hands on" evening. 

Mrs. Sherwood also judged the arrangements and results were: 1 Margaret Reeve, 2 Joyce Reddaway, 3 Annie Aggett.

The Flower of the month results: 1 Margaret Tucker,  2 Margaret Phillips, 3 Phyllis Conibere.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 14 at  7.30pm in the Parish Hall. There will be a talk on the work of the Police Dogs. The competition is for a decorated egg.   Visitors and new members welcome.^