You may have recently noticed a competition for WI members on our website under the glorious title of Yule Britannia. This was a competition to produce a Christmas dish using only the best British ingredients, with the delicious entreaty: " We want to know more about what inspires your cooking, so we need you to tell us in no more than 200 words, what inspires you about cooking Christmas food and in particular, using the best of British produce.” A photograph of the masterpiece was also requested.
The four finalists competed at the BBC Good Food Show, cooking their recipe in 25 mins. The final recipes were made on the Stoves stand and judged by renowned chef Brian Turner The winner, Yasmin Limbert, a member of Wirral Belles WI in Cheshire received a prize of £1,500 worth of Stoves appliances and a choice of cookery courses at the WI Cookery School, at Denman College, Oxfordshire.
Yasmin will indeed be taking up her prize of a course before long. Do check out the courses at the WI Cookery School, where there are courses for all interests and for everyone, including gentlemen. We should be learning more about Yasmin and her entry in the next edition of WI Life.
And WI Life was the reason behind an indulgence of a "white chocolate Gianduja mousse with cherry jelly, cherry sorbet and almond tuille" at the Independent Publisher awards earlier this week where our magazine was nominated under the category of ‘best new launch/ best relaunch of the year'. WI Life might not have won the award but its small, perfectly formed team, headed up by Editor Neal Maidment, is a winner with the WI.
Speaking of winning combinations the combined voices of WI members and several gentlemen in a choir sang in Kent West Kent Federation for their Christmas celebration. I'm sure such celebrations will resound across England and Wales in the coming weeks. In my own federation we have 'Words and Music for Christmas', which I always hope will include a few words from Mr Charles Dickens and his Christmases past.
But for Christmas present – a song with a difference. 'The Harmonies – the voices of the WI' are releasing their beautiful arrangement of Jerusalem on Sunday 12 December. Nowadays, to achieve a chart topping hit single, the song needs to be downloaded from the internet. Even if you've never download music before, please do give it a go and download Jerusalem by The Harmonies from http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/jerusalem/id397820151?i=397820155&ign-mpt=uo%3D4. Jerusalem – always a hit with the WI, now let’s make it one for the nation.
Friday, 10 December 2010
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Water water everywhere
A resolution on flooding was put forward in 2009, and although it was not accepted, it was of great interest to many members and so under the banner of environment it was decided to look further into flooding. The result was the creation of flooding workshops in partnership with the Environment Agency.
I spent yesterday morning in Cambridge at the third of these flooding workshops – the other two had been held in the West Midlands and Devon – discussing floods, their history, their causes and some possible solutions. There was also discussion on issues relevant to the area, including what might happen to excess water where thousands of new dwellings are built. We spoke of the recommended provisions in the Pitt Review, including the active response by communities before, during and after flooding and the recruitment of Flood Wardens. You know, so many of these proposals fit quite naturally with the ethos of the WI.
Householders, parish councils, indeed, anyone, may sign up to receive flood warnings wherever they are. Go to the Environment Agency website, http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/default.aspx if you are interested in learning more.
Not living near a stretch of water Riparian Rights is something I know little about, but, as with all rights come responsibilities. I learned that householders whose land stretches to the bank of a river are responsible for that bank along their boundary and also for that water to the middle of the width. This must surely come from the time of the ancient Franks living on the Rhine between the Meuse and the Moselle and the code they observed for harmonious living.
And this type of discussion I also had yesterday around the ‘Big Society’, in an interview for the Office of Public Management Public Service Futures programme. In many ways WI members are already doing or living the ideals of this ‘Big Society’; being engaged in their own communities and coming together within their WIs to make a positive difference to their lives and the lives of others. The ‘Big Society’ is about rights and responsibilities too and as such will mean commitment at all levels.
Footnote: I learned of Elton John editing The Independent newspaper today. Where WI Life leads others follow; the WI has a guest edited edition of our membership magazine coming up in 2011.
And congratulations to WI Life Editor Neal Maidment for his nomination from the Periodicals Training Council as ’new editor of the year’ - an accolade in the big society of periodicals.
I spent yesterday morning in Cambridge at the third of these flooding workshops – the other two had been held in the West Midlands and Devon – discussing floods, their history, their causes and some possible solutions. There was also discussion on issues relevant to the area, including what might happen to excess water where thousands of new dwellings are built. We spoke of the recommended provisions in the Pitt Review, including the active response by communities before, during and after flooding and the recruitment of Flood Wardens. You know, so many of these proposals fit quite naturally with the ethos of the WI.
Householders, parish councils, indeed, anyone, may sign up to receive flood warnings wherever they are. Go to the Environment Agency website, http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/default.aspx if you are interested in learning more.
Not living near a stretch of water Riparian Rights is something I know little about, but, as with all rights come responsibilities. I learned that householders whose land stretches to the bank of a river are responsible for that bank along their boundary and also for that water to the middle of the width. This must surely come from the time of the ancient Franks living on the Rhine between the Meuse and the Moselle and the code they observed for harmonious living.
And this type of discussion I also had yesterday around the ‘Big Society’, in an interview for the Office of Public Management Public Service Futures programme. In many ways WI members are already doing or living the ideals of this ‘Big Society’; being engaged in their own communities and coming together within their WIs to make a positive difference to their lives and the lives of others. The ‘Big Society’ is about rights and responsibilities too and as such will mean commitment at all levels.
Footnote: I learned of Elton John editing The Independent newspaper today. Where WI Life leads others follow; the WI has a guest edited edition of our membership magazine coming up in 2011.
And congratulations to WI Life Editor Neal Maidment for his nomination from the Periodicals Training Council as ’new editor of the year’ - an accolade in the big society of periodicals.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
The WI Real Jam Festival went down a treat
You know, I wonder if we should ask ourselves why it has taken almost 100 years for the WI to get around to holding a Jam Festival! Over the last weekend people came to our WI college in Oxford, Denman College, to view jars of jam - in fact, over 500 jars of jams in 12 classes, including one entitled 'Man Made' and another especially for children. The Jam with a Difference class did attract a very high number of entries - one of my favourite being "Traffic Jam", a glass jam jar full of small plastic cars! A Winner!!
Prizes were awarded in each category with for the best in show prize winner receiving not only a jam making kit and lots of goodies but £700 worth of Stoves electrical kitchen equipment of their choice. Stoves was only one of the sponsors of the event which also included Billington's Sugar, The Jam Jar Shop and World of Glass.
As well as examining jam for clarity and colour, visitors could buy from stalls locally produced foods and goods. And during the two days cookery demonstrations, with jam as a common theme, were given by Rachel Green, Pam Corbin and the WI's own Anne Harrison, Chair of Denman College, whose idea the jam festival was. The fourth demonstrator was Dhruv Baker. Winner of Masterchef 2010 and no stranger to Denman College, Dhruv took part by cooking for a crowd using Denman's own catering kitchen.
Look out for the next WI Real Jam Festival – get boiling and stirring and that Best in Show title could be yours.
And now, for the next few days it is back to meetings, not least a National Board meeting, the final one of the year. We are looking forward to the Harmonies joining us all at the end of the two day meeting where I have a hunch they will sing their new version of 'Jerusalem'.
You can download Jerusalem from the internet on 12 December, and the more folk who do the closer it gets to being a possible Christmas No. 1.
Prizes were awarded in each category with for the best in show prize winner receiving not only a jam making kit and lots of goodies but £700 worth of Stoves electrical kitchen equipment of their choice. Stoves was only one of the sponsors of the event which also included Billington's Sugar, The Jam Jar Shop and World of Glass.
As well as examining jam for clarity and colour, visitors could buy from stalls locally produced foods and goods. And during the two days cookery demonstrations, with jam as a common theme, were given by Rachel Green, Pam Corbin and the WI's own Anne Harrison, Chair of Denman College, whose idea the jam festival was. The fourth demonstrator was Dhruv Baker. Winner of Masterchef 2010 and no stranger to Denman College, Dhruv took part by cooking for a crowd using Denman's own catering kitchen.
Look out for the next WI Real Jam Festival – get boiling and stirring and that Best in Show title could be yours.
And now, for the next few days it is back to meetings, not least a National Board meeting, the final one of the year. We are looking forward to the Harmonies joining us all at the end of the two day meeting where I have a hunch they will sing their new version of 'Jerusalem'.
You can download Jerusalem from the internet on 12 December, and the more folk who do the closer it gets to being a possible Christmas No. 1.
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