WHITLEY WI

Ten of our craft group ladies helped dress the tree with yet more new residents.

Murray Jacobs, a Cambridge Green Badge Guide, gave us a fascinating Zoom virtual tour of a ‘Must See Street in Cambridge’. His talk about King’s Parade, which is in the main tourist area of Cambridge, included stories of a rather eventful visit by a monarch, student antics that hit the front pages, and intriguing details of King’s College Chapel, to name just a few.

The Corpus, or Grasshopper clock, outside the Taylor Library is a gold plated stainless steel work of art. The grasshopper, or Chronophage meaning “time eater” at the top of the clock devours every minute as it passes with a snap of its jaws. The clock has no hands or numerals, but displays the time by opening individual slits in the clock face, backlit with blue LEDs; these slits are arranged in three concentric rings displaying hours, minutes, and seconds.

Five members of Whitley WI’s walking group, dressed suitably for some inclement weather set off from the Hatton Arms to enjoy their July walk. They turned right down Goose Lane then followed a path straight ahead towards the Appleton Reservoir. Walking along a well-marked trail, passing different fields planted with Oats, Barley and Wheat all waving in the wind to the walkers and waiting for the sun to arrive to help ripen them. Further along the track they entered a wooded area where all had to dodge quite a few puddles after the rain that had fallen over the last few days. Winding their way up and down the undulating paths they eventually turned left to join Park Lane which runs alongside the reservoir. In the distance a couple of swans enjoyed gliding on the water. The plan had been to go around the reservoir, but the path was very slippery, and the grass was high and wet falling across the path, so they turned around and walked along Warrington Road. Having been lucky with the weather so far, the rain started and carried on for most of the way back. A three-and-a-half-mile walk meant all were ready for lunch and a jolly good chat. A further member of the group came and joined them for a drink.
All in all…its good to both talk and walk!
Thanks to leader Ann, and where are they going next??

It was a lovely sunny day for 5 Whitley Wi walkers to make their way through the Beechwood Estate Runcorn and head for the pathway that skirts the top of the steep slopes of Floodbrook Clough, nicknamed Garlic Wood because of the pungent smell that floats in the air.
Reaching the end of the path they made their way, passing a pond with beautiful yellow iris and commented that the ducks were suitably abiding to the COVID rule of socially distancing. After crossing Beechwood Avenue, they took the path towards Clough Wood, a mature broadleaf woodland, eventually arriving in Sutton Weaver.
Following a brief stop for a drink in Aston Lane, the group climbed over a style taking them to the Weaver Navigation canal. The decent was very picturesque (more styles) with a meadow of wildflowers and interestingly some purple ones that stood up proud and tall.
Can anyone identify them from the photograph below?

On reaching the path along the waterway they turned right to continue to the Frodsham Swing bridge. The Danny, a 1903 steamship was moored nearby. Continuing to Halton Station Road then Wood Lane the walkers took a short cut through Beech Wood, a woodland that has steep sided incised cloughs that run down to the River Weaver. Retracing their steps back, four members stopped off at the Beechwood Community Centre to enjoy a tasty lunch at a reasonable price in the lovely sunshine which was thoroughly deserved after their 6-mile walk.
THANK YOU TO ANN
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ALWAYS MAKES THE WALKS EXTRA SPECIAL!

A year later than expected, Whitley WI and Dutton WI finally got ‘together’ to enjoy what is traditionally a biennial joint meeting. It was good to see the familiar faces of our near-neighbour WI, even if it was in the boxes of a Zoom Screen.
Our speaker Rina Tillinger usually accompanies holiday makers on various cruise ships. For our meeting she had found herself ‘land locked’ in Germany. This made no difference as it seemed her broadband was better than the members sometimes unreliable local ones.

When back on dry land, Rina enjoys spending time on one of her hobbies. It is to some a strange one, but one of major interest to her. She has explored many graveyards in Cheshire (and other areas) in search of unusual and unforgettable inscriptions and epitaphs on gravestones; All carved in stone for prosperity.
Her interest and enthusiasm has been recorded in one of her books that can be purchased on Amazon and other outlets. The causes of many deaths are so tragic: one was a mother of 33 children, others died from a lightning strike, a shipwreck, gunshots, explosions and many illnesses.
Rina pieces together stories of the lives that have been lived, and in a humorous and heart-warming manner tells their tales.
Thanks for this meeting must go to Presidents, Chris, and Margaret as well as to Melanie who very competently controlled all members with the technology of Zoom.