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Committee members Rachel and Sam with
Rev Kate Bottley and a giant teapot.
Photo credit: Rachel White |
After finding ourselves potentially
venue-less for 2016, the SHWI committee were panic stricken: ensue canvassing
everyone we could think of for venue ideas, enough googling to break the
internet and lots of mad ringing round. One of the umpteen options mooted was St
Andrew’s URC. We didn’t want to get our hopes up but headed off for a nosey.
They told us they didn’t have a room we could hire…but that we could use the
actual church! January was our first meeting there, and it immediately felt
like home. Giant teapots a-hoy!
As a Gogglebox fan, I was right chuffed when
committee member Anna P said we’d bagged #revkate as a speaker. Turns out I’m
not alone, as it was one of the busiest meetings we’d had in yonks (the busiest
ever, perhaps?). With old members, new members and visiting members from other
WIs, there was a lovely, lively, anticipatory feel at the start of the meeting.
It seemed somehow fitting that our first speaker at the new venue would be of a
religious persuasion.
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Rev Kate with SHWI members and THAT tea cosy
Photo credit: Laura Bainbridge |
For those of you who don’t know, Reverend
Kate Bottley is a Sheffield lass born and bred, who was a teacher at
Ecclesfield (my alma mater) and then Yewlands school before going into vicaring
and appearing on Channel 4’s Gogglebox. Kate’s energy was contagious and her
delivery more stand-up comedy than Sunday communion. A self-confessed attention-seeker of the
warmest, humblest kind, she revealed that her husband, Graham, does speak (but
we suspect a lot less than Kate), that her favourite TV programmes feature
zombies and that many of the tea cosies they own come from fans of the show.
Well, she has one more now thanks to crafty knitter, Di Coupe. We’ll be looking
out for it on the next series.
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Rev Kate's Star Wars-themed shoes
Photo credit: Laura Bainbridge |
Kate wowed us with her shoes (she’d swapped
her usual slippers for R2-D2 heels), her tales of bumping into other
Goggleboxers (they’re not allowed to meet under normal circumstances) and her
crazy vicar antics (flash mob wedding, anyone?). There was so much #shwilove
for Rev Kate and she stayed ages after the end of meeting, chatting to members
and posing for photos. It was a fantastic start to the new year and new venue! Thank
you to everyone who pitched in to make it a brilliant evening, not least our
revered speaker, Kate.
Next up in February: salsa! Hope to see you
there.
Jennifer Marsden
Vice-President
