August 2011 - Dates for the Diary

Hello Ladies


I have been in the kitchen this week for the first time in months

I obviously had been going in there daily if only to feed my kittens but not really to indulge in my joy of making preserves much.

But I made this hot spicy sauce the other day which smelt so lovely HRH at home started complaining as soon as he smelt it his mouth started watering. Infact its become a bit of a Pavlovian response where he thinks about the sauce and his mouth starts watering. It became so funny today I took pity on him cracked open a jar, bought him some chips and allowed him to indulge.

So I thought I might share a quick and simple chilli sauce with you.

This makes enough to dip chips in not enough to bottle and is not necessarily one of my favourites but its pretty simple

I will pop it at the bottom of this email

16th August 2011 LWWI meeting - Flower Arranging
We are having a table display flower arranging session in August for our LWWI meeting with the delightful Maggie, who is once again over from the US. Last years talk was very well attended and enjoyed by those present. Maggie will also be imparting some of her top-tips like how to pick the best flowers and how to maintain flowers for the longest time possible.

20th September LWWI meeting- Gardening & Drinks
Kate and I were discussing what we should do in September and Jane suggested we have a gardening session in September like last year but Kate has countered this suggestion with the idea of a gardening and cocktail party.

As such I also enclose below 2 easy non alcoholic drinks recipes to get you all in the mood.
I had a bit of a hunt around and thought about what I would like to share with you all, as Kate and I are aware we only have a few more months until we stop being secretaries. And ironically because of this I have so much I want to share with you all in Dates for the Diary.

Saloni & her July talk about animal healing therapy.
Saloni who gave a lovely talk last month about reiki and other therpaies for animals has sent us list of what each rescue remedy does. I attached this to the emailed version of Dates for the Diary. If you want to see it but didn't get this email please contact us via londonwestendwi@gmail.com  and we will pass it on to you. The link to the pictures of her talk are here https://picasaweb.google.com/102427438962228048804/AnimalHealingTalkOnJuly192011#
For those who missed her talk I have recorded and uploaded some of it to our web space, address being..... http://www.youtube.com/user/LondonwestendWI

LWWI Programme for the Rest of the Year 2011.

Provisionally this is the programme for the rest of the year
September 2011Gardening & cocktail party (weather permitting) or a talk about Bell Ringing

October 2011
Diana has suggested we have a talk from a lovely man called David Gleeson

'David Gleeson is a freelance media consultant and art writer originally from Lincoln, now based in central London . He worked for more than eight years at the Whitechapel Gallery, as Information/Front of House Coordinator and also as Press Officer. He has also worked as an exhibition curator and a freelance journalist whose art criticism has been published in the UK , Europe, USA , Canada and Russia . Recent consultancy work has included exhibition, music and theatre venues as well as commissions from individual artists and projects. A member of the Advisory Board of the international touring exhibition The Missing Peace, he is also an advisor for the Modesto Art Museum of California. Over the last year he has curated two exhibitions of Iranian contemporary art in London: 'From Tehran to London' at Jill George Gallery, Soho (May-June 2010) and 'Breakfast in Tehran' at Frameless Gallery, Clerkenwell (June 2011). Since 2006 he has made four trips to Iran, the last being in January this year.'

He can be contacted via dgleeson@live.co.uk

David's talk on October 18th meeting will be Iranian Women and Contemporary Iranian Art

This promises to be most insightful

November 2011
Our annual AGM will be held in November as usual. Please do come along to have your voice heard, to elect a new committee and new President and secretaries for LWWI. This will be followed by another alcohol tasting arranged and led by Heather our departing President. Please do come along as this evening we hope will be very special.

I am saying no more about it than that for now. If you would like to join the committee don't be shy do step forward its a chance to help move LWWI forward into the future and if you would like a formal officer position once again do feel free to nominate yourself.

December 2011
We thought it might be nice to have a quiz night, we had one 2 years ago to celebrate the end of the year and that had proved quite popular. Jane is a Quiz Wiz if I remember rightly so it might be worth trying to get on her team ;-)


LWWI Summer Day Trips
Brighton trip for those who have booked and paid for it is on Thursday 18th of August 2011

And the Canterbury trip for those who have booked and paid for it is on Thursday 15th of September.
If anyone else would like to go on either of these trips, contact Nick Ricorn from the Friends of Russell Square 020 7404 8368 as there may be some spare tickets left.

Phoenix Gardens - Saturday 3rd September
Kate, bless her, has agreed to take on the coordination of our efforts at Phoenix gardens.

Kate has asked if we can perhaps form an online group to work on this so everyone is in the loop. Thank you Selina has already volunteered to help with this.If you would like to be involved (making cakes, jams etc) please contact Kate at londonwestendwi.co.uk, we will also be having a quick 'Fair' meeting after our usual meeting on the 16th

Its on Saturday 3rd of September, which seems ages away but believe me it is not.

I have a few pots of chilli jam made hence HRH and his food cravings and have dropped off some apple and lavendar conserve already

But we will need some more preserves and cakes. (Cost of ingredients on production of a receipt can be reclaimed)

Chris Raeburn who is organising Phoenix Gardens Agricultural show & fayre said the following:

The Phoenix Garden will be holding the 3rd Phoenix Garden Agricultural Show & St. Giles Fayre on Saturday 3rd September in The Phoenix Garden and St Giles churchyard. This year the attractions include;Kidsrome Mobile Farm, Fulham Brass Band, London Pride Morris Dancers, The St Giles Bellringers, Punch & Judy. The Show Market Stalls.

Open House
Open House is on Sunday 18th of September

The Vicar has asked if we will help serve tea and bake cakes and has offered to split the proceeds raised with us.

Ceilidh
There will be a ceilidh at 7.30pm at the 7 Dial's Club on Friday 19th August, tickets are £10 each and can be booked by contacting www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk or ringing 020 7240 6283

Knit and Natter on 6th of September at Seven Dials Club
We are renaming sewing circle/group to knit and knatter.

We usually have our committee meetings at sewing group on the first Tuesday of the month and would ideally like to have one bi monthly so definitely one in September and possibly in October also.

Do come along if you would like to work on something crafty, you don't have to knit or sew infact we often just make bunting or cut material. Its a nice way to keep in touch if you missed a meeting or if you want to get to know people better as sometimes its a bit frantic at the formal LWWI monthly meetings.

LWWI subscription
Please try and ensure you have paid for your LWWI membership for 2011, you can do this in person by paying Jane at the meetings otherwise you can do this online using paypal button at the bottom of the blog.

Please note we LWWI only get to keep about one third of the money you pay for your subscription and this money we spend on our rent of St George's. So it is vitally important people pay their subscription or their £3 visitor fees if they have previously attended a LWWI meeting.

Please also note if you are a potential new member you can join LWWI for 2012 from November 2011 and your subscription will expire in December 2012.

We will make this available online closer to the time

Great British Bake Off
Begins Tuesday 16th August on BBC, don't forget to set your video or catch it on iplayer. Last year's series was fabulous.

Phoenix Gardens
Many of you know Phoenix Gardens, that lovely 'oasis of peace' behind Centre Point where the annual Fair the first Saturday in September is held

Please click this link and vote for the Phoenix Garden in the Green Flag Award's Peoples Choice, and pass this on to anyone else you know -

http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/GreenFlagAwardSites/London/Default.aspx?parkID=1191
Thanks Kate & Claude

Surrey Federation sent us the following
Hi, ladies,
Attached is a flyer advertising our 'This is Jam Hot' event happening on the 21st September 2011. We'd like to try and swell the numbers from last year's choir event where we had 55 ladies singing a three-piece harmony - beautifully I might add! We'd love you to join us in our new venue at Shalford Infant School to make an even bigger noise, and we are throwing in a few simple dance moves this time for the more energetic. Bucks Fizz suddenly sprang to mind then although actually I think it will just be hand waving and hip wiggling but feel free to bring your velcro-fastening skirts!!

Please come, we'd love to see you again. Please let us know in advance if you'd like to come so that we can reserve you a place as numbers are limited.
The Jam Free girls x
P.S Please could you email this flyer to your members/anyone who you think might like to come.

R² Proofreading , 9 Old Farm Road, Guildford , GU1 1QN
01483 533895 07890 800035 http://www.r2proofreading.co.uk/

NFWI campaign - Action for Prisioners Families
The NFWI is working with Action for Prisoners Families on a creative writing project about journeys to prison. As part of this, the NFWI is inviting interested members to make the journey from their home to a prison and write about their experience of making this journey.

The written pieces produced by members will then be published in a collection, to mark the 21st anniversary of Action for Prisoners Families. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the experiences of families who have relatives in prison.

Jenny one of our members is taking part in the project, please get in contact if you would like more details about this.

Many Thanks
VCC now has over 25 friends/likes on facebook and so it is so much easier to find online.

It is also signed up to justtext giving which I think we at LWWI should join as so far its brought in about £100 a month to VCC, since it started its text campaign.

Website of the Month
Oh so many lovely sites this month so I shall nominate a few.

If anyone else has come across some they want to share do get in touch and I will pop them up for next month.

www.coffeeandroses.blogspot.com

www.supersavvyme.com

http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/


*Recipes as promised below.*
Dipping Chilli Sauce

1 clove garlic chopped

1 red chilli inc seeds chopped ( i have been growing my own in the garden this year, go on call me Alan Titchmarsh or should that be Nigel Slater, if you have no red or use green. if you have neither add maybe a teaspoon of some crushed chilli flakes)

50g ideally caster sugar (but if you have brown or granulated it should be fine)

2-3 tbsp of vinegar (they suggest white wine but I only had some cider vinegar so used that, use what you have basically)

Boil and simmer and it should reduce by half then pour into a dish to cool

This all takes about 10 mins or so.

I like to add a little mixed herbs (rebel that I am)

Refreshing cranberry water

Handful of ice

500mls of tap or chilled sparking water

2 Good spoonfulls/handfulls of frozen cranberries

(Pop all in a blender and whizz to a slush then pour into a glass)

Tropical water

500ml fizzy water

Again a handful of ice

2 Good spoonfulls/handfulls of frozen tropical fruit.

(Place fruit and ice in blender, whizz to a slush, add water then pout into a glass)

Well That's all for now folks, see you soon
Kate & Claude
(LWWI Secretaries)
--
londonwestendwi@gmail.com

http://www.londonwestendwi.blogspot.com/

1st Tuesday of the month Committee meeting & Sewing Group at Seven Dials.
3rd Tuesday of the month WI meeting at Upper Vestry Hall, St. Georges, Little Russell Street, London, WC1

Please arrive after 6:00PM for 6:30PM Start.