Poringland Newsletter April 2021

Dear All As we enter our second Easter in lockdown, we can hopefully look forward to being able to get together in the next few months either outside or indoors.  Unfortunately the community centre has been hired by the NHS until at least 30th June, so we have had to make the decision to cancel the speakers for June and July.  again we have to be advised by the government guidelines as to how many people can meet indoors after this date.  The committee continue to have zoom meetings monthly and try to stay positive and look forward to planning when we might be able to meet up again with you all.

I am pleased to say that we are very hopeful of still having our 100+ birthday dinner, I am in contact with the venue and they are being very helpful with working with us subject to Government guidelines to make this event possible to go ahead.  

 

With the lovely thought of us all meeting and being together for the first time as the WI ladies at Dunston Hall for lunch and the beautiful golden daffodils everywhere around us at the moment, let’s keep positive and smiling and looking forward to more freedom during the summer.  Hopefully all of us will have had our second jab and feel very positive to get back to a near normal life again.

Best wishes for Easter.

Pam.

We hope you like your little bag of Easter goodies.

Carol Cole is our crafty person and is the one to thank for the lovely Easter card and handpainted bookmark (each one is different).  Lesley made the seed bombs from an idea on My WI on the WI website* which has loads of craft ideas (instructions for sowing seeds enclosed).  The bags are from material supplied by committee members and Pam donated the Easter bunnies pick sticks.  The quiz was courtesy of Lochs and Glens.

An envelope addressed to Hilary is provided for the return of your Quiz entry – a prize will be given for the most correct answers sent in by the end of April.  You can either post it to her, or drop it in her door or the door of any convenient Committee Member.  I apologies for the envelope’s glue no longer working (waste not want not), you will need sellotape.

Subs are now due, so you can also post/deliver your payment in the envelope.  As we mentioned last month we have reduced the subs this year to £34. 

*If you would like to go on MyWI, you need to let me know and I will set you up. ( Lesley)

This is how my seedlings from the seed bomb are growing.  I sowed them rather early to see how it worked and some have gone a bit too leggy.  The flower pot (8”) is much too small so they are going to be a bit crowded, and I will need to transplant them - beware they need a larger pot!

 

Talking of plants how are your acorns growing?  I planted about a dozen that were left over – only half burying them but keeping them moist in the greenhouse.  I could see that several were sending a root down from the pointy end and now at least 3 are sprouting upwards.  Only about 1cm at the moment, but I hope to be able to put a picture in the next newsletter.  They will need a taller pot as the roots are beginning to come out the bottom.

 I have spoken to Daniel Skinner at High Ash and they will be happy to take any oak trees that we can grow to a reasonable size.  He says they constantly replant for either dead or fallen trees.  A well as Caistor camp, the farm has been a lovely place to walk around during lockdown.  Last week we saw 2 muntjac deer, a barn owl plus of course hundreds of rooks.  There are still flocks of linnets about and we have seen large groups in winter.

As you may know, the farm, as well as providing pasture for horses, has many permissive footpaths and is managed for wildlife.  Until 2017 they received EU funding to do so.  They now need sponsors to continue, as they do not want to return to intensive farming.  We have sponsored them this year, to help plant up field areas for the bees and birds.  Last summer we were amazed by this whole field of blue phacelia which the insects love.  Sorry the picture is not very amazing!

 

No little quiz this month, as you have the Chocolate quiz with a prize, so do send it in.  Meanwhile here are the answers to last month’s £sd Quiz – didn’t we have a lot of words for our coinage?   Just a reminder: 12d = 1/-( one shilling), 20/- = £1.

1.       Half a knicker. 10/- 2.       Centre of Head.  Crown = 5/- 3.       Type of hair cut.  Bob = 1/- 4.       The Queen’s ...... Shilling  = 1/- 5.       Its a relief to spend one.  Penny =  1d 6.       Kind of sleigh – Bob = 1/- 7.       Leather worker.  Tanner =  6d 8.       Cost of one or two hot cross buns. = 1d

9.       One of Tommy Steel’s shows Half a sixpence =  3d 10.   Cost of Julie’s bird food = 2d 11.   Enclosure for stray dogs.  Pound = £1 12.   Cost of a black stamp = 1d 13.   Old form of transport Penny farthing =   1¼d 14.   Reigning Monarch – Sovereign = £1   Total £2/19/3¼d