A very wet and miserable evening didn’t deter our members from attending the first meeting of 2014
Our president, Jenny Daniel, brought us to order and wished us all best wishes and good health for the New Year, which seemed quite ironic as she was on crutches after breaking a bone in her foot. She did make us laugh when she informed us that Jane van Duijvenvoorde obviously hadn’t realised that when she took on the position of committee secretary it also involved delivering bread and potatoes to the president when she was incapacitated.
Business included the Denman Group Visit in April which we are all looking forward to. Resolution slips which had to be handed in and a report from Friendship Visitor, Sue Phipers, who had had a few members to call on but who were now recovering well. Details of both the walking and craft groups were given and the Denman Bursary was won by a very thrilled Ann Blake.
Our speaker for the evening was Lesley Richards who gave us a talk on The Quaker Tapestry. Although it is always referred to in the singular it is actually made up of 77 panels of narrative ‘crewel’ type embroidery telling something of the Quaker story, beliefs, insights and significant contribution Quakers have made to the modern world. Although The Quaker Tapestry is permanently based in Kendal, some of the panels are taken around the country to form exhibitions; one such display being in Ironbridge last summer when some members went to view it and had a lovely lunch out. Still in the vein of needlecraft we all had the opportunity of seeing Diana Stone’s Anniversary Cloth and she had set us a competition to guess how many yards feet and inches of feather stitching she had worked. At the end of the evening she informed us it was a staggering 46yards 1inch.
The vote of thanks was given by Betty Meredith for a most interesting and informative talk, not only on the Quaker Tapestry but also on various aspects of the Quaker Friends.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 12th February at Caynham and the talk will be by Penny Salisbury on ‘Route 66 on a motorbike’.