WI Update and Eye to the skies

It has been a year since we met in person at the community centre in our regular first Wednesday of the month slot. If memory serves correctly, we spent the evening learning (for many of us) a new skill –macramé, with the aim of producing a useful and beautiful pot hanger, all whilst discussing the possibilities of changes to our lives that the approaching Coronavirus threatened, over a cup of tea, or glass of wine, along with a biscuit or two.

Since then, a lot of time has passed, and many a daily exercise walk around the village has been taken. Somewhat ironically, the WI walk scheduled for earlier this year had to be cancelled after the re implementation of restrictions.

Somehow, zoom calls are just not the same, and alas, the British weather does not always make outdoor meetings reasonably ideal. But the group has still carried on, we’ve not managed to meet every month but we have managed to meet one way or another once in a while. The March meeting though must be put down as a lockdown highlight. We had a go at a Zoom cook-along with Jeab from Jeab’s Thai Buffet at Home, how tricky can it be? The Scouts manage these on a regular basis with what I can only describe as impressive results. So on the first Wednesday of March interested members received a delivery to the doorstep of a small bag containing all the exotic ingredients required for the night – galangal, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and lime leaves providing a fragrant blast, along with other essential items, all portioned out by Jeab herself and ready to use. It was a very enjoyable evening, if somewhat chaotic at times, the talented and ever cheery Jeab took us through the process step by step to produce our own curry paste, and then use it to make a delicious curry which was enjoyed by all the households, and repeat requests submitted. Jeab was ever patient and her enthusiasm infectious, an evening well spent.

Hopefully we will be able to see each other in person at some point sooner rather than later and if you fancy joining us, then get in touch and come along, guests are always welcome and if you enjoy yourself then you might even want to join.

For further details, please contact Liz Fryers on 07542 959070.

Over the last month or so, while I and many others have been out on our daily exercise, there has been a lot of amazing spring and winter wildlife around. I have seen many species of birds. These have been out and about and also in my garden. I saw around 12 species alone during the Great British Birdwatch. These included: blue tits and great tits, green finches, wood pigeons and many more.

When I am walking, if it is a quiet day, I like to listen to the blackbirds and the robins singing in the hedgerows. I have also seen a couple of kestrels flying from telegraph pole to telegraph pole.

When it was snowy - a while ago now - I headed out early and saw a great many tracks in the snow. These included many tiny bird prints and even deer hoof prints and squirrel paw marks. I also saw fox tracks and was lucky enough to see the fox making them, as it ran over a field.

So next time while you are walking around the village, why not put your phone away and look around you and maybe you will see some of these creatures. You may even see the little egrets when they come next year. When the migratory birds return, soon, keep an eye out for the swifts and swallows that have travelled thousands of miles to be here.