Happy New Year

Despite the cold, blustery weather outside, a warm welcome inside the Trinity Centre greeted members for the first meeting of 2015.

Subs were paid, resolutions discussed, and events signed up and paid for ........ then we tried to match the 'bonny baby' photos to current members.  

Sue Delaney proved a well deserved winner successfully managing to recognise nearly all the BABIES (unlike some of us!!)

We then had to try and remember our Nursery Rhymes by their letters eg  LBPHLHS  was 'Little Bo Peep'.  This time Linda and Joan were the worthy winners.

After all that 'brain-work', our hostesses Pauline and Sheila's tea and scones were extremely welcome.

The committee wished Happy New Year to all members.

Carol Service/Christmas Tree Festival

This years Rockley Group Carol Service was once again held at Holy Trinity Thorpe Hesley.  Each WI group chose a 'favourite' carol and provided a member who read a Christmas Biblical Reading.  Sue Dunigan from Thorpe Hesley WI played the organ beautifully and the choir from Holy Trinity led the singing.  The church was still decorated with trees from the recent Christmas Tree Festival and looked really welcoming.  After the service led by local Methodist Preacher Morag Walder,  we all enjoyed seasonal refreshments as well as as a good chat with members from other WI groups. 

Jayne, Marjorie and Cynthia with our WI tree representing the Czech Republic (2nd place)

Jean, Ruth, Marjorie, Jean, Sybil, Margaret, Cynthia and Sheila ready for their Christmas Lunch


2014 really has been a year of wonderful WI friendship - and wishes were shared at the end of the service for a 'Happy and Healthy 2015' to all members and their families.

1940's Christmas Party

This year our amazingly hard-working committee decided to change the format of our Christmas celebrations and organised a 1940's themed evening in recognition of the centenary of WW1.  Many members turned up beautifully dressed for the 'era' and Dorothy put together a 1940's quiz as well.

Don't they all look fantastic!!

Joan presenting December 'babies' with their cards

Cheers!!

                   

Enjoying a toast to 'friendship'

What a couple!

                                                 

Next weeks washing on display!!

              What an amazing                                buffet!!

   Good job none of us has to watch our weight!     
            

'Enjoying a sing-a-long'

Sue Delaney was the well-deserved winner of the 'best-dressed' award.

A toast was given to the committee for organising a really enjoyable evening.

'Songs from the Shows' with Thorpe Hesley Village Choir

'Oh What a Night' as the song goes ........ and what a night it was!  The evening started with the business part of the meeting with Sue Dixon welcoming a number of visitors - from the Village, the South Yorkshire Federation and even as far away as America!!  Jean Alcock then spoke about the success of our involvement in putting shoe boxes together for Operation Christmas Child in conjunction with Holy Trinity Church and then details of activities in the run-up to Christmas were discussed.

Sara Parish (Musical Director) of the Village Choir then introduced the evenings entertainment and we were not disappointed with songs from all our favourite shows - 26 in fact!!

Sara inviting us to join in!

Soloist Andrea Blackett

After an hour of the highest quality singing, we were all rewarded with a well-earned cup of tea/coffee and refreshments provided by Linda Simpson and Joan Corker.

Opportunity for a chat wasn't wasted either!!

Tea Ladies - Linda and Joan

Rockley Group AGM - All Things Yorkshire

Who says AGM's are boring ....... this one certainly wasn't!!

Sue Dixon chaired the meeting which started with a review of finances, followed by a summary of this years activities and a look forward to the events organised in the year ahead.

Wentworth WI then 'kicked off' the entertainment with an entertaining guide to the 'patois' spoken by the natives of nearby Barnsley.

Sue Dixon enlightened us with 'interesting' facts about Yorkshire in between each WI giving us their insight into GOD's COUNTY!  The 'flat-capped' ladies of High Green certainly didn't disappoint!!

Jean Alcock read out her award-winning poem on the WI followed by Mary Wilman and Jean Newbold singing us a 'reyt ditty'.

Jean -A natural story teller!!

After the excellent entertainment the raffle was drawn then down to the real business ...... tea, coffee and Cake!

Operation Christmas Child

  Throughout the last year at WI Wednesday meetings, members have generously donated items                         suitable for inclusion in 'Shoe Boxes' as part of the fundraising for the 2014
                                                        Operation Christmas Child.

The boxes were put together by Committee members and then added to those put together by the young members of Holy Trinity Thorpe Hesley Church.  Not only a great cause but a great example of the 'Communty' working together.

Brenda, Jean and Sybil with completed Boxes

'Vision' Youth group collating their Boxes

An Evening with Gervase Phinn

Wentworth WI welcomed us to their October meeting to enjoy 'An Evening with Gervase Phinn' and we were not disappointed.

The 'man' himself

Professor Gervase Phinn taught in a range of schools for fourteen years before becoming an education adviser and school inspector. He is now a freelance lecturer, broadcaster and writer, a consultant for the Open University, Honorary Fellow of St. John's College, York and the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at The University of Teesside. He has published many articles, chapters and books and edited a wide range of poetry and short story collections. 

He entertained us for over an hour with a wide range of stories - from his own childhood in Rotherham, his teaching days as well as his visits to schools as an inspector.  He is fiercely proud of Rotherham and is very 'angry' at how children in the Borough have been 'let-down' by those who should have cared for them - something we all agreed with.  We all loved his poem dedicated to his much-loved Mother and many members were moved to tears.  

The evening finished  with us being able to buy signed copies of his new book as well as back copies of others.

Many thanks Wentworth for a really enjoyable evening of hospitality  - we had a fantastic evening  listening to a 'born raconteur!'

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