The first event of the month was a delicious lunch at The Falmouth Packet followed by, a few days later, a trip to The Goosey Fair in Tavistock.

Twenty six members enjoyed a largely dry day shopping at the fair and enjoying the delights of Tavistock including the wonderful Pannier Market.

To finish off that busy week was the meeting of the Book Club. During the following week members enjoyed a social and games afternoon and a craft evening. Three teams from Helston WI took part in the Redruth Townswomen Guild Quiz taking fifth and joint sixth places.

During the monthly meeting President Lesley Lewis welcomed visitor Pat Steadman.

The winners of the monthly competition: 1, Armorel Todd; 2, Jill Hetherington; 3, Eunice Powell. The winners of the flower of the month: 1, Anne Barlow; 2, Carol Padgeth; 3, Sue Smith. Pat Taylor gave a report to the meeting of the Autumn Countdown meeting.

The speaker was member Jennie Ripley talking about “Sticks, Stones and Embroidery Thread”. Jennie has enjoyed needlework since childhood and, in 1995, she enrolled on a part time City and Guilds Creative Embroidery Course studying in Lancashire for two years. She had originally started using needlework kits then progressed to designing her own work using natural materials such as sticks and stones, in particular chalk from Bridlington beach. Students had to design everything themselves and had to work out how to create design boards. She had to make folders of samples of her work on different themes and symbols, to complete the course they had to make full size pieces of some of the samples. She had brought a lot of her work to show the audience including a fabulous decorated deckchair which she had produced for her Part II project. She studied for the Part II at Gawthorpe Hall, a National Trust property near Burnley where The Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is held. She researched The Evolution of Musical Instruments using the Collection as a resource. After completing the course she was nominated for a Silver Medal.

As a member of her previous WI she helped create projects representing Stoney Creek, the place in Canada where the WI began, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the WI. She was also involved in creating an altar cloth for a local church where they were using fabric worth £400 per metre! She still regularly exhibits her work.

Jennie received a bursary to attend a course at Denman College to learn to paint and, next, she intends to learn to lino paint.

A few members joined Cury WI to visit Wadebridge and Trelawney Garden Centre for a day of pre-Christmas shopping. The WI Walking Group held its inaugural walk at Penrose.