Oct 2024 – Subgroup meetings

Click on the blue/green links below for more information and pictures about what each of our subgroups have been up to

Walking Group enjoyed a lovely walk around Walton Gardens, followed by lunch at The Stag. Book Club read a classic for a change, Jane Eyre, and 5 members also visited the Garrick Theatre, Altrincham to enjoy a production of the story – very enjoyable. Craft group was led by Vanessa, and we made some lovely Christmas cards. Art Group had an Autumn theme and Karen showed us how we could blend our colours to build up some lovely pictures of leaves and berries.

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Main Meeting – October 2024 – Members’ night

Our October meeting was members’ night when our regular committee enjoy a night off their usual duties and the members’ night committee take over. Anne T was President for the evening, ably assisted by her secretary Vanessa. As we sang Jerusalem members were asked to think about one of past presidents, June Smither who sadly passed away earlier in the week.

Anne introduced our speaker for the evening, Robert Clarkson who told us about his life long love of the multicoloured Danish blocks , LEGO. The name comes from two Danish words LEG GODT which literally mean ‘play well’. Members were taken back to their childhood as Robert showed us examples of how LEGO has evolved since the design was patented in 1958. We were all presented with a LEGO figure to take home.

Our talented artists – CFWI Art Exhibition 2024

Well done to our Artists! Our Art Group entered 6 pictures in the CFWI Art Exhibition and Chris S won the ‘President’s Choice’ with her beautiful picture of St Luke’s Church, Whitley. Chris always has lots of ideas for our group and generously shares her talents and sometimes quirky ideas with us. This picture shows her being presented with her certificate by Selina, the Cheshire Chairman.

The theme of the exhibition was ‘A Life in Cheshire’ and 5 very talented members of our Art Group sent their work along – see below You can see all the paintings in the exhibition by clicking this blue/green link to the Cheshire website

Chris S – St Luke’s Church
Susan L – Cows in the Paddock
Joan B – Living in Cheshire
Chris S – Grappenhall church
Ann C – Busy day on the Farm
Ann O’B – Little Moreton Hall

Cheshire Federation Bowls Final 2024

After getting through to the quarter finals, there were 8 teams playing at Winnington on a stormy day in September. The Whitley team was made up of Ann T (captain), Ann B, Chris S and Jenny R. It was long wet day and playing in hailstone was not the best of conditions!

Our team got through to the final and played against Moulton, who have some very good players and have won the trophy for the last few years. Moulton won again this year, but Whitley did really well to get to this stage and to win the Runners Up shield. Congratulations to our team.

A trip down memory lane, Whitley was runner up in the county bowls to Antrobus in 2013. Thanks to Chris S for this photograph – some familiar faces of current members and old friends! Chris S, Ann B, Pam S, Jean L, Rita C, Pat G and Joan P

Main Meeting – Sept 2024 – The Walton Lea Partnership

Our speaker Dave McClure, a volunteer at the Walton Lea Partnership, told us about the work they do with Adults with Learning Disabilities in the beautiful Walled Garden adjacent to Walton Gardens. The learners gain skills and accreditation in a variety of activities including Gardening, Upcycling furniture, bike repairs, hospitality and Arts and Crafts.

Dave’s specialism is teaching learners and the public about resuscitation and the use of a defibrillator. It was a bonus that he shared this training with us. He brought along a number of Manikins and we all had the opportunity to learn what to do if we came across a person who is ‘unresponsive’, how to apply resuscitation and how easy it is to use a defibrillator. Now, instead of thinking this is a complicated and scary process, we learnt that, as Dave said, doing ‘something’ has to be better than doing nothing. We won’t do any harm worse than just standing by and watching somebody die.

One of our newer members, a paramedic, reminded us that we can look at what Dave was teaching us online at on the British Heart Foundation website on https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes

After our refreshment break Pat shared some memories of the August outing to Dunham Cider Farm. The competition for ‘An upcycled item’ was won by Pam with her Teddy Bear made from mementos of her life and we held the raffle.

Our next meeting on 3rd Oct is Member’s Night – where the committee take a break and a group of members plan and run the meeting – the competition is ‘A Childhood Toy’.