December 11th
An Evening of Craft and Company
ur December meeting we or our December meeting, we will be making Christmas themed origami decorations which will be expertly led by our very own Veronika and her small crating team.
We will have some paper for everyone, but if you’d like to choose your own paper and colour scheme in advance you’ll need paper squares. We recommend 14 x 14 cm; you can buy them from all kinds of places (Etsy for example) or, green tip, use any paper you have that holds its shape well (so, for example, not crepe or tissue)
You can use any fairy lights you have at home already, as long as the lights stick out, like these ones
November
What we did
October
What we did
September
What we did
August
What we did
July
What we did
June
What we did
May
What we did
April
What we did
March
What we did
February
What we did
January 9th
Expedition leader and all round inspirational woman Emma Linford visited us for a motivational meeting to kick off 2019! Emma (IML) has operated in extreme environments the world over; from the sea ice of the high Arctic, high altitude mountains, to the African bush and jungle. Her wide experience is exhibited through her strong chameleon leadership style, adapting herself to any given situation. She is ‘comfortable being uncomfortable’. Her leadership challenges have varied, from selecting and training potential polar explorers, leading overseas youth leadership expeditions or migrating with the Nenets in Siberia.
February 13
Eating to our heart’s content!
In February we were joined by cheesemonger and proprietor of Hum-Closen, Suzannah Watson, for a talk and tasting of selected artisan cheeses, all made by women. We learnt about the history of cheese-making, how women have been at the heart of this wonderful food throughout history, and about the important role that women play in the production of artisan food and farming today.
February 24
Hot Yoga Trip
Belles got hot and sweaty with a taster session of hot yoga provided by Hot Pod Yoga.
March 29
Cambridge Ghost Walk
In March a brave group of Belles took an official guided walking tour of Cambridge to discover the ghostly secrets hiding around every corner of its dark, cobbled streets. They heard the ghostly tales and sinister stories connected to Cambridge’s most haunted streets and buildings.
May 8
Tang So Doo
Katie Alexander introduced us to Tang Soo Do (Korean Martial Art)! She is passionate about building confidence in the vulnerable and using martial arts to express this through the ethos it teaches as well as what it brings physically to empower the individual. Katie has been practicing martial arts for many years and competes internationally, 2017 she became Female European Champion in Tang Soo Do.
We all had a wonderful time learning self defense, learning really practical tips, Including how to put someone in an arm lock if they grab your hair! Mr Halliday got set upon by the butt kicking Belle’s and we were assisted by his very knowledgeable daughter.
June 12
an evening about our mental health
For our June meeting we will be about all things mental health, inspired by the WI’s Make Time for Mental Health campaign. It will be a great opportunity to reflect and share positive ways to care for our mental health and to support others in doing the same. This will include guidance to approach the subject and we will also spend some time thinking about Blue Belles can play in supporting the campaign.
We were able to have an open interactive session, reviewing some key facts and figures, highlighting how there has never been a more important time to talk about mental health. We had opportunities to reflect and share with others positive ways everyone can support their own mental health, as well as able to look at ways we could as a WI not only look after our own, but support each other’s mental well-being.
An important aspect of the original resolution was about how to support others and to raise awareness so that it is as acceptable to talk about mental health as physical health, we looked at this and ways we can support each other not only in meetings but outside too.
What a great meeting about a subject that may affect 1 in 4 of us at anytime!
June meeting details: June 12
July 12
A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed in St John’s College Gardens on Wednesday 12th July .The play starts at 7:30 p.m. but entry is from 6:30 p.m., which allows time for a shared picnic before the performance. Tickets are £17, please go ahead and buy your own ticket – we recommend you get a ticket sooner rather than later, they tend to sell out. Do check out the Shakespeare festival website (www.cambridgeshakespeare.com) and their FAQ section if you haven’t been to one of these plays before.
August
For our August meeting we will be having an evening to bring and share things from everyBelle’s homes and cultures – the lovely Aoife is helping the committee organise this one, and she has asked for volunteers to share something from their places of origin (be that Aberdeen or Zimbabwe, close-by or far-away!). Do email the committee is you’d like to participate.
September
We’ll be joined by Cara Thurlbourn who will be telling us all about her experiences as an author, book coach and self-publishing consultant. Copies of her books will be available for sale on the night, so do bring some cash if you like a good read.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, we will also be running the very successful Blind Date with a Book!
October
an evening with death!
Our October meeting will touch on the topic of death so naturally there will be lots of food, colour, music, and laughter! The Mexican festival Day of the Dead is unlike anything else, and as it is Lucy’s favourite holiday she will be sharing a bit of its history, cultural significance, and traditions. This will be a talk combined with some crafting, so please bring scissors, tissue paper if you have it (we’ll have some as well!), any spare string or yarn, and lots of questions!
The topic of the meeting can be sensitive, but please don’t be put off by it – celebrating life is a big part of the festival and Lucy will keep things lighthearted and fun.
November
e’re learning all things bread! And yes, there will be samples!
So, come along on Wednesday to hear from Alison McTaggart from ‘Bread on a Bike’, an artisan micro bakery in Cambridge. Think hand crafted loaves using the highest quality organic ingredients… We’re going to find out what ‘real’ bread is and why it matters, how Alison started bread making and how she continues to develop her baking skills and her business.
7 December
‘Blind Date with a Book’ stall at the Mill Road Winter Fair. The Fair is on Saturday 7th December
January
January – and an evening to make, do, and mend!
To greet the new decade, we will met Jade, the inspiring woman behind the ‘notbuyingnew’ Instagram account! She’ll share all her tips to source a minimalist wardrobe using only second hand gems. Inspired by this, we’ll be holding a clothes swap. Please bring one or two high quality items of clothing or accessories and you can pick up something new for £1.
Cambridge Blue Belles WI 