January 12th 2022
We were joined in January by Julie Davies, who is a well-being coach experienced in helping people to enjoy being active, especially in nature. Julie teaches yoga, indoors and outdoors, offering classes in Milton and surrounding villages. Her aim is to encourage a sense of fitness for life and enjoyment of nature with a non-competitive approach. She has been a lover of nature and movement since she was very young and this love has been the backdrop to her professional life.
February 9th 2022
Our first meeting in our new home at the St. Barnabas Centre, Mill Road! Our speaker this month was fellow Belle, Mel Phadre, who spoke to us about the Climate Crisis and what we can do to help change our future and that of the planet.
March 9th 2022
Our March meeting was devoted to the subject of ovarian cancer and we were delighted by the number of members and visitors who attended. We were so fortunate to be joined by Professors James D. Benton and Paul Pharoah and learnt so much from them, including where exactly in the body ovarian cancer forms, what the symptoms are and how it can be difficult to diagnose. We were given an insight into the epidemiology of this cancer and how researchers are trying to promote personalised treatments for the women affected. We were also very moved and, at the same time, inspired, to hear the personal story of one of the survivors.
We hope that those of you who attended in person or on Zoom enjoyed the meeting and that you will share the things you learned with your friends, family and colleagues to help us spread knowledge of the signs and symptoms of this cancer.
April 13th 2022
| Our April meeting was a chance to look back on the year as well as to vote in the new committee. Yvonne is – thankfully – staying on as President and Emma Connolly, Jenny Kavanagh and Emily Peirce are also staying on the committee. Jan Chadwick and Sue Collins have stepped down and we would like to thank them for their contributions these past two years. Kaitlin Bradley has also stepped down, but will still be helping us in the short term to find speakers and activities for our programme. We got through Belles’ business as quickly as possible so that we could enjoy the quiz that Emma Connolly had put together. |
May 11th 2022
| Our May Meeting was all about gin. We learned so much – about the origins and history of gin, the peaks and troughs of gin consumption in the UK and elsewhere and the current resurgence, as well as how it is actually made, what ingredients are used and what can be added to give extra flavour. But it wasn’t all theory; we were able to sample some gins and also some surprisingly good non-alcoholic versions. It was a lot of fun and a big thank you goes to member Emma Connolly for organising and delivering the session! |
June 15th 2022
We had a much healthier meeting in June when we tried out tai chi. We were joined by Sifu Hong, the founder of the Tai Chi for Health Academy who has over 40 years experience in practising tai chi and 20 years practising Chinese medicine. Tai chi relates to Ying-Yang theory, and practises and stimulates the process of harmonization – both within ourselves and between ourselves and our environment. Tai chi is low-impact and puts minimal stress on muscles and joints making it safe for all ages and fitness levels, and some of our members were delighted to get some instant relief from injuries they were suffering from.
July 13th 2022
Our July meeting got turned on its head when our original speaker fell ill at the last minute. So in true WI fashion, our president Yvonne stepped forward with a talk on Senbazuru and instructions on how to fold our own origami cranes.
August 10th 2022
August is the month in which we have our Summer Social, and this year we’re hoping to check out the newly refurbished Tivoli pub in Cambridge. We’ll be trying our hand at Mini-Golf then celebrating our success with some food at the Assembly Hall.
September 14th 2022
In September we heard from local author Shahida Rahman, about her books ‘An Ayah’s Choice’ and ‘Lascar’. Shahida was born and raised in Cambridge, and writes historical fiction, non-fiction and children’s stories often with influences from her Bangladeshi background.
October 12th 2022
For October we enjoyed a practical meeting, learning how to make flower decorations for cakes.
November 9th 2022
It was wonderful to see so many Belles and visitors at our November meeting for Dr Diarmuid Hester’s talk about the queer audio trail of the city that he put together. A lot of us have lived in Cambridge for a long time, if not for our whole lives, and yet there was a lot that we did not know about its queer history. If you missed the talk about the trail, it features interviews with older members of the city’s LGBTQ+ community and excerpts from literature produced in the city. It gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the history of the place. Diarmuid had maps of the trail which he distributed, but if you couldn’t come or have lost your map, you can find links to the trail and map here.
December 14th 2022
For our December meeting we transformed paracord – a lightweight rope originally used in parachutes – into Christmas decorations. We shared food, chatted and got into the Christmas spirit – a sociable end to 2022!
Cambridge Blue Belles WI 