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We try hard to keep this page up to date but do also pop over to our facebook page or twitter account to see the latest.
Covid-19....Please use the Happy Bundays' email (skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com), or the Happy Bundays' Facebook page as points of contact should you find yourself in need, even if it's only for a chat.
December Meeting
We would very much like to invite you for a ‘Chat and Cheery Festive Drink’ via Zoom on Monday 14th December (email us for the invitation). We might throw in a few festive quiz questions but whatever happens, it will be a very relaxed affair.
Important Message.
Monday (16th November) saw a small number of Happy Bundays’ members gathered together, via Zoom, for our rather belated AGM. Thank you to those who attended; not only was it was an important meeting, but it was also great to see you all.
Conversation moved fairly swiftly to item three on the agenda: the committee going forward. We have known for some time that 2019/2020 was to be the final year of service for a couple of committee members. Other committee members have, over this difficult year, had to reprioritise and have stepped down from their positions in recent weeks/months. None of the decisions to step back from the committee have been made lightly. The future of our WI was dependent on members getting involved in the running of the Happy Bundays by joining the committee. We particularly needed to fill the constitutionally essential positions of Treasurer and President (the current incumbents having held these roles for 2 ½ and 4 1/2 years respectively). Our secretary and programming guru were happy to stay in post for one more year.
Regrettably, no one felt able to step forward to fill the vacant positions and as such we do not adhere to the constitution and, sadly, our branch of the WI will close. All good things come to an end.
We are now required to have a special meeting (which we would like to hold in January) and this is to be preceded by a secret ballot which allows members to vote on the options for the future of the Happy Bundays WI. I believe the options to be the following: we close (with a suspension period of 3 years during which we could re-start if a committee can be formed); or we have the option of ‘merging’ with another WI. Our adviser, Anne Harrison, will clarify these options when the time comes and she will also take charge of the process. Anne will then join us at our special meeting to discuss the result of the ballot.
Early in 2021 members should look out for an email containing details of the ballot and special meeting.
Happily, five members of the committee have agreed to stay in post until the end of the (Covid extended) membership year, which is set to end on March 31st 2021. This means that we are still able to offer monthly meetings to our members and guests, if this is what people would like. Please join us in December to let us know your view, or email your thoughts to skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com .
So, on to next month. We would very much like to invite you for a ‘Chat and Cheery Festive Drink’ via Zoom on Monday 14th December (email us for the invitation). We might throw in a few festive quiz questions but whatever happens, it will be a very relaxed affair.
It was also agreed at the AGM that we would use some of our remaining funds (there isn’t a great deal in the pot as we haven’t been able to fund raise, but neither have we spent much!) to pay for members to attend a Federation Zoom course if desired. The thought is that members let us know that they would like to attend a course, then they would be responsible for signing up and paying for their chosen course (following the Federation instructions). We would then reimburse them after the event. Email us at skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com if you fancy taking up this offer. To clarify, we can only, at present, offer to pay for one course per member. Hope this makes sense?
We also need to advise you that we will be closing down the website in order to avoid the annual subscription costs that are due in December. All messages and updates will be communicated via Facebook and email.
Are we a casualty of the global pandemic? We shall never really know. Sad times.
Take care, and hopefully we might see you on the 14th December.
AGM
16th November 8pm
Please join us via Zoom for our (rather delayed) AGM.
Zoom invitations have been sent by email to those on our mailing list. Please contact us via email or Facebook if you did not receive the message / would like to join us.
Once we have finished the formal meeting we plan to have a go at a Countdown style quiz.
21st September 2020
Regrettably, our carefully planned (Covid-safe) real-life 'Fairtrade' themed meeting with guest speaker Liz Roodhouse has, for the time being been shelved. We very much hope to reschedule Liz for some time in 2021.
So, plan B it is! To keep members and guests safe we have reverted to online meetings for the next month or two.
For September's meeting we will be learning how to draw a cartoon style self-portrait courtesy of Rob Biddulph's 'Draw With Rob'. These YouTube tutorials have been lockdown lifesavers in many houses over recent months, and they are great fun. All you need is the Zoom invitation (please email skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com or contact us via Facebook if you have not received this, or are not on our mailing list); a couple of pieces of A4 sized plain paper, a pencil, rubber and some coloured pencils or crayons. (Some cake and a cuppa or gin / beer / wine might help too).
We very much hope to see you on Monday at 7.45 for 8pm.
Take care and stay safe.
17th August 2020
We have come up with a plan for our August meeting and hope that it will entice you out!
Last month, rather happily, our (somewhat short!) walk ended up leading us to the pub garden at the front of the Castle Inn. It was so good to chat with real life people and relax with a drink in hand.
Whilst we have summer evenings on our side we thought that something similar would work well for this month too. A couple of years' ago our August meeting saw us Geocaching. There are a couple of caches to discover along the canal which would mean a short walk back to somewhere like Herriots or The Boat House for some socially distanced liquid refreshment afterwards. So we can plan things in advance, we would really appreciate knowing if you are intending on joining us on Monday (17th).
We will meet at the Freddie Trueman statue in the canal basin at 7.30pm and hang about for 5 mins or so before heading off.
Please can you EMAIL US (SkiptonHappyBundaysWI@yahoo.com) by close of day on FRIDAY (14th) if you ARE PLANNING to join us for Geocaching and beer/wine/gin... (sorry for all the CAPITALS!) - thanks.
Masks are optional, hand gel might be wise (geocaches can be a wee bit tucked away) beer money (or rather more accurately- contactless payment method) is essential.
20th July 2020
Just a very quick update regarding this month’s meeting.
We felt that given the changes to government rulings regarding outdoor gatherings we should try to meet in person, albeit whilst keeping a safe distance (and of course, without wishing to state the obvious, individuals may choose to also wear a face mask). The plan for this month is to meet on Monday (20th), at 7.30pm which is slightly earlier time than normal in order to make the best of the light evenings. The meeting point is in the Canal Basin by the statue of Freddie Trueman- I hope everyone knows where this is ( if not please shout at me and I will try to give more accurate directions!)
We thought it might be fun to head off on a walk in small groups (the size of these groups is dependent on how many folk join us, but obviously no more than 6 to a group as the rules dictate). We have managed to find a Skipton treasure trail to keep us busy.
So pop on some comfy shoes ( that makes me sound very old...) and come join us. We will hang about by Freddie for 5 mins or so, but rest assured if you miss us you will be able to catch us up - we will be heading along the canal tow path in the direction of the castle and may still be on the patch of green grass just the other side of the bridge... enticing huh?!
Hoping to see you on Monday (even if the weather isn’t on our side),
18th May 2020
Zoom Quiz 7.45pm for an 8.00pm start!
Venue -somewhere comfy at home with a cuppa and a slab of cake!
Members and recent guests have been emailed with the meeting link and the first two quiz rounds. If you would like to join us (and you have not received the info )then the more the merrier. Email us at skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com or message us via facenook by lunchtime on Monday and we will forward you all the details.
Our latest email to members and friends....
Hello to you all,
For those who felt able to come along last night we had a fabulous meeting with the lovely Michelle from Chocolate and Truffles in town. And to top it off, Helen and Maggie provided lovely cake to compliment Michelle's talk and the amazing chocolate she treated us to.
There were, however, only 6 of us present to enjoy the evening (which on the plus side did mean that we had a lot of chocolate to eat and we were able to sit well apart!) Based on a number of factors including last night's (understandably) low turnout, the PMs announcement at tea time on Monday, and the fact that things are going to get a great deal worse before they get better, those present agreed that April's meeting should be cancelled. We will assess the situation as it unfolds re the May meeting and keep you all thoroughly informed of (and if appropriate involved in ) any further decision making. We have received advice from North Yorkshire West Federation of WIs and they are postponing or cancelling all the Federation activities in March. They will reassess for April. The advice for our own WIs was to consult members, which we did last night.
We will endeavour to keep the website and Facebook up to date with any announcements and email you all as appropriate.
On a community level, please do look out for those who might need help- this might not be as simple or as obvious as looking out for older folk and those who are vulnerable in some way. NHS workers and those other workers who do not have the option to work from home, or who our day to day existence rely on, anyone who is self-isolating, the local independent businesses that make Skipton such a special place to live (including Michelle's chocolate shop in Mount Pleasant just off the top end of the High Street) - they will all need help and support over the coming days and weeks, even months.
Please use the Happy Bundays' email (skiptonhappybundayswi@yahoo.com), or the Happy Bundays' Facebook page as points of contact should you find yourself in need, even if its only for a chat.
So, keep safe, keep handwashing, try to keep smiling and we will at some point see an end to this craziness.
All the best,
Heidi and all the Happy Bundays Committee
We were on on Monday....
Chocolate Tasting
On March 16th we welcome Michelle, from Skipton's fabulous 'Chocolates & Truffles'. She will tell us a little bit about her business and all we might ever need to know about chocolate! The evening will start with a bit of a talk before we get down to the serious business of tasting some samples. With Mother's Day in mind, Michelle is going to bring a few goodies to sell. It would be great if you could join us....
#Show The Love
Inspired by The Climate Coalition's #ShowTheLove campaign, we have invited crafting genius Chrissie Dodd to come along to our meeting on February 17th. Chrissie will help us create beautifully scented, stitched green fabric hearts to wear or share. Existing WI members will have received #ShowTheLove postcards in their January/February copy of WI Life magazine; please bring them along to the meeting. There will be a small additional cost of no more than £2 to help cover the costs of materials.
Welcome to 2020.
The new programme is now live! Join us on 20th January to explore the past with the wonderful Craven Museum. We will also be collecting membership fees for 2020. Membership of the WI is a bargain £43 for the year (2020) and it gives you 12 Happy Bundays' meetings, lots of tea and cake, copies of WI Life popping through your door throughout the year, involvement in WI campaigns at regional and national levels, and of course fun and friendship in a safe and supportive environment- what's not to like?!
A very Merry Christmas to you all.
Beads, Baubles and Christmas Cheer....December 16th. Mrs Bead returns to the Happy Bundays!
Please join us on Monday 16th December for another fabulous evening with the lovely Rachael aka Mrs Bead. We can look forward to an evening of beady creativity, festive chat and cake eating. There will be a small additional charge (in the region of £2) for materials.
Forget about the card writing and present wrapping for one night....come along to the Happy Bundays....it will be lots fun... don't miss it!
Next meeting- November 18th
Pampering, Prosecco and Presents. Join us for an evening of 'me time' before the craziness of the festive period takes over. Body Shop and Avon reps will helps us to relax and enjoy some sumptuous products, and we will be shown how to do a hand massage - all with a glass of something fizzy in hand. Perfect!
October 21st Surfers Against Sewage
Pop by and join the conversation... How can we help to protect our beautiful beaches? Janet from SAS tells us how 'plastic pollution is the new sewage'.
Pub Club - Thursday September 26th
Come along to the Castle Inn, Skipton for a drink and chat. From 8pm onward. We would love to see you.
The Great Happy Bundays Bake-off and our AGM
Come and join us on Monday 17th June. Meet the fabulous Sandy Docherty, one of the original stars of the Great British Bake-off (from back when it was in the BBC) . Sandy will judge our very own Happy Bundays Bake-off ( so get planning and baking) and then talk to us about what it was like being on the TV show and what she has been up to since. The second half of the evening will be our Annual General Meeting, so members, please try to make it- we've important things to decide.
Chinese Brush Painting
We would be delighted to see members and visitors at the next meeting of the Skipton Happy Bundays WI on Monday 20th May. The very talented Chris Newson will be showing us how to write our names in Chinese as well as how to paint some beautiful plum blossom on a paper fan- and who knows perhaps it might just get warm enough at some point for us to use them!
April's meeting - fused glass
The talented Charlotte Seth (and her mum Helen) show us how to fuse glass. Join us on Monday 15th for a bit of practical creativity and make something lovely that you will get to keep.
Our next meeting, 'The joy of tiny, everyday (midlife) adventures' is on Monday 18th March (7.45 for 8pm)
Come and listen to blogger, tweeter (@Healthyhappy50), plogger and the all round inspirational Jo Moseley. Hear how she has discovered the joy of mid-life by bringing the outdoors and exercise into her life. and obviously there will be cake!
Come along to our next meeting on the 18th February for Fun and Games
We are having a night of games: board games, getting to know each other games, eating cake and drinking hot chocolate games... Enough said!
What a brilliant start to the year!
The first Happy Bundays meeting of 2019 was brilliant fun. We were joined by 8 members of the Skipton Ukulele Club (plus a roadie!) and we listened, learned, had a sing-song and then all had a go at playing some chords. What a fabulous bunch of folk they were. Special thanks must go to Eric who had not only organised the evening but also prepared a talk to tell us all about the fabulous little instrument. If you fancy popping by, Skipton Ukulele Club meet at 7.15pm for 2 hours on a Thursday at the Three Links Club in Skipton.
2019 Programme
If you've not already visited 'Our Programme' page do pop across and have a gander.... the 2019 programme is now live!
Happy New Year!
So, after a busy festive period our January meeting is almost upon us. Come along on Monday 21st to meet, listen to and join in with the Skipton Ukelele Club. And of course there will be an opportunity to eat some cake, drink tea, have a good natter and sign up for your 2019 membership ( a bargain at £42 for 12 fabulous meetings, lots of tea and cake, lovely company and friendship, and all that the WI has to offer). Keep an eye on the website as in the coming days we will be updating 'Our Programme' so you can see what we have lined up for you this year. Happy days!
Joan Murray : Textiles and Tassels
Come along on Monday 10th (please note that to avoid crowding Christmas we moved the meeting to the second Monday of the month) to hear the super-talented Joan Murray talk to us about her amazing 30 year career in textiles and knitwear design. We will then have the opportunity to create for ourselves using miniature looms before being shown how to tie a tassel or two.
A Good Death
Alison from the Settle Death Café joins us to talk about the café. Perhaps this might encourage us to talk openly about 'death' and to share our experiences of bereavement- which for many of us is something we shy away from.
Bags of Difference
Join us on September 17th to learn all about this ethical company. Bags, made in Uganda from locally sourced materials, are sold here in the UK with 100% of the sale price going back to source. Make sure you bring your purses as hopefully we will have the opportunity to support this charity with a purchase or two...
Yorkshire Dales Flower Company
Join us on Monday 16th July for a demonstration of rustic, 'undone' floral creativity. Susan Dobson (Yorkshire Dales Flower Company) grows many of her own flowers in her amazing garden. Based in Bradley, Susan is a very talented lady when it comes to creating beautiful floral displays. We are thrilled to have Susan join us this month and the added bonus is that the raffle winners this month will take home one of her arrangements- happy days.
AGM and other stuff...
Hello all,
Just a quick note to give everyone a friendly nudge about our June meeting (Monday 18th). It’s the (all important) AGM and the committee would like to encourage all signed up members to attend as all members are entitled to a say in the future of the Happy Bundays- including who will be in next year’s committee. It would be fantastic if you were able to go to MyWI and have a look at the WI’s Policy on Equality and Diversity in advance of Monday.
Once we have finished the formal stuff we will launch into the ‘everyone’s a winner!’ raffle- just remember to bring a shiny pound coin and you can be the proud owner of one of the fabulous prizes on offer. Happy days.
We will also be holding a ‘swishing’ event. This is an ideal opportunity to pass on any unwanted gifts or good quality items that need a new home. Books and (unopened) toiletries were pretty popular last year. Perhaps, like me, you’ve made one of those mistake clothing purchases and have a new, or nearly new, item of clothing that you are just never going to wear. You are welcome to bring just one thing or if you fancy bringing a few bits then you will get a ticket per item. A little later in the evening, after perusing what other folk have brought in, you will be able to swap each ticket for something new (to you!). Anything that is left at the end of the evening can either go back home with its original owner, or it will be donated to the SCAD charity shop.
And finally, step aside Rob Brydon. The Happy Bundays will present their own version of ‘Would I Lie to You’. In preparation you might want to pop on your thinking cap- those who fancy playing will need to come up with three facts about themselves, two that are honest and good, and one (perhaps rather fanciful) lie. What better way to find out a little more about the lovely folk with whom we share the 3rd Monday of every month?
Hope to see you on Monday.
Bees - A talk from the Airedale Beekeepers
We look forward to seeing you on Monday 19th February to find out more about these fabulous little creatures. Remember to bring your green hearts to 'Show the Love' - you should have received your postcard in the latest issue of WI Life. Doors open at 7.45pm for tea and cake.
2018 Programme
The new programme is about to be published - come to our January meeting on Monday 15th at 7.45pm to be the first to find out what is in store for 2018.
In January we will be having a photography workshop with professional photographer Alessandra Bowditch. Bring a camera if you have one.
Membership fees for 2018 are due next week. It's £41 for the year. Please bring cash or a cheque made payable to Happy Bundays WI
Update...
A huge thank you to The Wooleys (Sheep Street/ High Street, Skipton) who have donated over 70 balls of yarn and loads of crochet hooks for our Learn to Crochet evening. Over-whelming generosity. Please try to 'shop local' for your yarn to say thank you.
Learn to Crochet Evening (Monday 20th Nov 7.45pm)
I hope that you are all fit and well, and looking forward, with hook in hand, to Monday’s learn to crochet evening. If you’ve not seen Jane’s crochet themed tweets on the Happy Bundays Twitter account then please do check them out - they are brilliant.
There will be plenty of cake and tea but feel free, if you fancy something stronger, to BYO -it might help your creativity. I generally find that the crochet flies off my hook when I’ve a glass of something by my side....
Anyway, the main point of this message is to say please do bring a friend or two. Novices can learn and have guidance; the more experienced might help to teach someone else or you may know of someone who would just appreciate a chat and the chance to meet new people and eat cake. There is no charge this month for guests. I’m bringing my mum!
If you can crochet already feel free to bring your own project bag as we’ve no idea how many folk may turn up - you may get a chance to crochet for yourself rather than teach.
Yarn is being provided by two or three of the more experienced crochet folk (and all being well we hope to have a visit from a rather special crochet guru). The Wooleys on Sheep Street is donating some yarn too and they are providing some hooks for us to sell. There might be a few hooks that can be loaned for the evening but if you have access to your own or know someone who can provide them for you I would suggest you go for size 4 or 5.
Please bring your purses so that you can support the raffle this month- it’s such an important drip feed to our funds.
See you Monday
Heidi
Minutes from our October Meeting
1. Puppet Festival Animation Workshop
Thank you to Jane for organising our session with Virpi. We had lots of fun; a great family afternoon. Jane sent out links to our animations and we shall pop them onto the website when it is up and running. Was fab to see them playing in the Festival hub marquee with our logo top and tailing them.
2. Bat walk
Last month’s bat walk, despite rubbish weather early evening, was a really good evening. We had a great talk from Morris as we walked along and spotted pipastrelle and daubenton bats and finished off the night with a drink in the pub.
3. Peg dolls.
We collected those brought on Monday but will delay judging until next month when it will fit with our crafty evening.
4. Girls the Musical at the Leeds Grand Theatre.
Tickets are now available for the show which will run from August 15-Sept 1 2018. We are going to pick a date and suggest that members buy tickets in small groups as the logistics re making and paying for a large booking so far in advance, and during the school holidays, are too complicated. We will meet up for drinks and / or food to suit the timing of the performance. Date to follow.
5. Fundraising
Karen and Maggie are going to head up a fundraising sub-committee. Let them know if you fancy joining them or if you feel you can help in any way.
6. Website.
Jane and Heidi are constructing our website and will be popping on lots of lovely photos. If you don’t wish your photo to be used please let Heidi know by email.
7. November’s meeting
Learn to crochet evening but the committee have discussed linking it to WI resolution ‘Link Together to Alleviate Loneliness’. Bring a friend you think might like to learn to crochet , or someone who might just appreciate some company. Bring someone who can already crochet so they can help the learners. If possible try to get hold of a size 4 or 5 crochet hook for the evening (although Heidi is trying to get some on sale or return from a local yarn shop). Indeed any size hook will be fine - we will make sure we have a variety of yarn weights available. We are planning a very relaxed evening and, in the spirit of the resolution, we will not charge guests - but will encourage them to buy raffle tickets! And there will be lots of cake.
8. Social
We are going to organise a pub quiz night. Email to follow with details.
9. Finances
Jane told us that they are healthy enough at present, but that we really need to double our membership next year to ensure viability. We raised £12 with the raffle.
10.Correspondance – NFWI & NYWFWI information was available at the back of the room for people to browse and sign up for. Much of this is either well into the future (2018 for the NFWI stuff) or already fully booked.
Karen (Vice President)
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