WI MEETING REPORT OCTOBER 2017
Opening the meeting Teresa welcomed members and three visitors. Following Jerusalem a minutes silence was held in remembrance of Elsie Thompson.
Reports were given on skittles, lunch club and knit and stitch groups. The soup and puds event was enjoyed by all; three delicious soups followed by a choice of five scrumptious desserts, raising £114 towards the bench to be purchased by our WI as part of our 75th Birthday celebrations and the Somerset County Centenary next year.
Teresa thanked the many members who had supported the Village Show.
Corena gave details of future events, County AGM, County Carol Service at Wells, Group Carol Service and the Travelling Light Christmas Magic Lantern Show. Proposed outings are to Athelhampton House, Blackmore Farm and our Christmas trip will be to Exeter for the Christmas Fair.
Ian Williamson kept us entertained with his adventures in Peru walking the Salkantay Trail, raising funds for St Margaret’s Hospice. The four day jungle trail follows an ancient route used by the Incas and is named after the highest peak of the Vilcamba mountains which can be seen from the Sun Dial of Machu Picchu.
The route took the trekkers through quieter and more remote regions than the usual ways used by tourists and led them through lush jungles and ancient sites, seeing forests, waterfalls, thermal springs of varying temperatures, fruit bearing trees and varied flora, butterflies and birds. The altitudes covered ranged from sea level to over four thousand metres. The group of twenty-five camped each night and had to travel light, pack ponies carrying their allowance of 8kg luggage per person.
However before all this the group were asked to complete a project helping a local community; something which is an equally important part of these fund-raising treks. This took the form of painting the classrooms of the local school a rather lurid pink, being the colour of paint being provided. It ended up on the outside of the school also as there was a plentiful supply!
On arrival at Machu Picchu (which translates as Old Peak) and is a fifteenth century citadel built between 1438 and 1472, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the group transferred to buses to ascend. Due to the detrimental impact of the many visitors this is now necessary to preserve the path and entrance is also restricted to 400 people a day.
Ian is no stranger to the St Margaret’s Hospice trek challenges having walked in Vietnam. Tasmania, Nepal and, closer to home, Hadrian's Wall.
The Peruvian trek raised £125,000, with £70,000 net profit and Ian has himself raised a grand total of £9,400 for the Hospice where he also volunteers. Well done Ian! It was a pleasure to hear you speak.
Ian's next trip is to Southern India. in 2019. The project will be to help at a Children's Cancer Centre and Hospice facility before another four day trek which will pass through the highest tea plantation in the world.
Opening the meeting Teresa welcomed members and three visitors. Following Jerusalem a minutes silence was held in remembrance of Elsie Thompson.
Reports were given on skittles, lunch club and knit and stitch groups. The soup and puds event was enjoyed by all; three delicious soups followed by a choice of five scrumptious desserts, raising £114 towards the bench to be purchased by our WI as part of our 75th Birthday celebrations and the Somerset County Centenary next year.
Teresa thanked the many members who had supported the Village Show.
Corena gave details of future events, County AGM, County Carol Service at Wells, Group Carol Service and the Travelling Light Christmas Magic Lantern Show. Proposed outings are to Athelhampton House, Blackmore Farm and our Christmas trip will be to Exeter for the Christmas Fair.
Ian Williamson kept us entertained with his adventures in Peru walking the Salkantay Trail, raising funds for St Margaret’s Hospice. The four day jungle trail follows an ancient route used by the Incas and is named after the highest peak of the Vilcamba mountains which can be seen from the Sun Dial of Machu Picchu.
The route took the trekkers through quieter and more remote regions than the usual ways used by tourists and led them through lush jungles and ancient sites, seeing forests, waterfalls, thermal springs of varying temperatures, fruit bearing trees and varied flora, butterflies and birds. The altitudes covered ranged from sea level to over four thousand metres. The group of twenty-five camped each night and had to travel light, pack ponies carrying their allowance of 8kg luggage per person.
However before all this the group were asked to complete a project helping a local community; something which is an equally important part of these fund-raising treks. This took the form of painting the classrooms of the local school a rather lurid pink, being the colour of paint being provided. It ended up on the outside of the school also as there was a plentiful supply!
On arrival at Machu Picchu (which translates as Old Peak) and is a fifteenth century citadel built between 1438 and 1472, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the group transferred to buses to ascend. Due to the detrimental impact of the many visitors this is now necessary to preserve the path and entrance is also restricted to 400 people a day.
Ian is no stranger to the St Margaret’s Hospice trek challenges having walked in Vietnam. Tasmania, Nepal and, closer to home, Hadrian's Wall.
The Peruvian trek raised £125,000, with £70,000 net profit and Ian has himself raised a grand total of £9,400 for the Hospice where he also volunteers. Well done Ian! It was a pleasure to hear you speak.
Ian's next trip is to Southern India. in 2019. The project will be to help at a Children's Cancer Centre and Hospice facility before another four day trek which will pass through the highest tea plantation in the world.