Becky.

Our August meeting on Tuesday 18 August was spent playing lawn bowls at Bristol St Andrews Bowling club, our WI meeting venue.

It was a bright, sunny late summer evening and ideal weather for playing outdoor bowls. We had some Pimms to drink as we got a quick lesson and demo from the friendly and enthusiastic bowls players from the club who helped us with handling the bowls correctly, footwork and technique during the session.

Bowls is played on a green of closely cut grass, and players take turns to bowl their ball from one end of the green towards the small white ball, called a jack at the other end of the green. The object of the game is to get your bowl as close as possible to the jack.

We were split into teams of 4 and much hilarity ensued as we did our best to deliver the bowls as close as possible to the jack. The bowls are weighted so that they have to be sent in a curved line towards the jack which complicates matters for beginners to the game, however our patient bowling mentors did their best to guide and direct us.

The game was very absorbing and enjoyable to play and it’s fairly easy for beginners to pick up the rules, although the superior expertise of our mentors was obvious when they demonstrated how to bowl.

The club is looking for new members and encouraged any Gloucester Rd WI members interested in joining to contact them for more information.

The meeting moved indoors as darkness fell and the following items were discussed:

  • The meeting passed a resolution to ban plastic beads in cosmetics such as face and body scrubs. These plastic beads are washed into the water supply and subsequently rivers and seas where they accumulate and cause a hazard for wildlife.
  • A WI Quiz night is planned for October – more information to be provided at September’s meeting.
  • India is seeking sponsorship for her charity sky-dive to fundraise for this year’s charity Mothers for Mothers, please donate via the link. She has a £500 target to raise. https://localgiving.com/fundraising/indiajumpsoutofaplane
  • Book club is meeting at the Flyer at 7pm on Wednesday 9 September for food and drinks and to discuss the novel Versions of Us by Laura Barnett.
  • Knit and Stitch club are next meeting on Tuesday 1 September at 7.30pm at the Flyer.
  • On 16 September, one of the London WIs is organising a WI Flash Mob outside Westminster to hand out free cake to passers by, from 11am.
  • September’s meeting will be our Bake Off/Grow Off with various categories of cakes, home grown veg and fruit or home made jams and chutneys.