Seven Hills WI on Sheffield Live!

On Tuesday 11th November, Kirsty, Laura and Vicky were invited to local TV station Sheffield Live! to talk about Seven Hills WI, the groups recent 5th birthday celebrations and to dispel some myths about the women's institute. 

SHWI Getaway: The Sequel

I’m writing this post from the loneliness of my sofa. It feels weird, no, in fact WRONG not to be surrounded by a bevvy of SHWI beauties. Once again, I’ve left my heart in Keighley! 

Currer Laithe Farm

I’ve just arrived home from SHWI Getaway: the sequel. The thing is about sequels is that they rarely live up to the original (except for Grease 2, of course which is AWESOME and I shall not have a word said against it!) So, after last year’s escapades, which can be revisited here, how was a return visit to Currer Laithe going to pan out? Was it going to cut the mustard (or, homemade chutney?) Was it going to be an unfortunate cringe-fest of epic proportions a la Sex and the City 2? Or was it going to be a legendary, action-packed thriller in the mould of Terminator 2 (only HOPEFULLY without the molten metal, shape-shifting cyborgs)? 

Well, I’m here to tell the tale (just) and while there were certainly a few incidents that would make even Samantha Jones blush, I’m chuffed to announce that SHWI Getaway 2 was a resounding success! As last year, the convoy of SHWI-ers arrived at Currer Laithe farm just outside of Keighley on Friday evening anticipating the Pot Luck Buffet that awaited them, managing en masse to avoid the hideous fate of pushing cars up Cobbled Hill of Doom (I think I need to trademark that name). The weather was kind to us but the roaring fire, courtesy of firestarters-extraordinaire Julie and Cat, was a welcome sight, as we all settled into our rooms and pondered the sensible evening of quiet reflection and polite conversation that was surely to follow (!!!) The buffet was IMMENSE as ever, and I think I speak for all when I give a special shout out to Di’s terrine, Corinne’s Aero traybake and Carolyne’s breads for providing ultimate culinary fitness. Ain’t no buffet like a SHWI-made buffet. Word.

The first night was all about getting to know each other and the ice-breaker games were nothing if not slightly revelatory. I think it’s fair to say that we all went to bed feeling that we had made new friends, and even those who were old friends definitely became more, er, intimate, as there were a few stories that made us QUAIL (sorry, readers, Getaway in-joke alert). But, onto Saturday. 

We headed into Saltaire to visit its Salts Mill complex and wander about the town. It was a very relaxed day and people wandered in groups finding activities to suit their own tastes. Some people visited the David Hockney exhibition, some trawled the vintage shops, some went to partake in milkshake heaven, some went in search of beer kegs and some bankrupted themselves in the frankly marvellous book shop. We all also enjoyed a fantabulous packed lunch constructed from Friday night’s leftovers by Anna T and Carolyne. Us SHWI-ers love many things (one in particular, as the Getaway go-ers know), but we do hate waste, so thank you again ladies for this. This was much-appreciated after a hard morning’s browsing and lined our stomachs nicely before heading to Fanny’s Ale House. There we met several lovely ladies from Saltaire WI and spent a couple of hours spreading the WI love over an ale or two. We do love a bit of bonding.

SHWI meets Saltaire WI

All too soon it was back to the house to prepare for our fancy dress pizza party. This year’s theme was ‘female characters from film, TV or literature’ and only myself and Jen could manage with a category this wide to come as the same person! However, we were both happy as it goes to show that great minds dress alike! So, who did we have this year? We had literary lovelies (Hermione Granger and The Owl and the Pussycat), animated awesomeness (Tank Girl, Kiki, Marge Simpson, Leela, Velma), TV titans (Joan Holloway, Wednesday Addams and Leslie Knope) and filmic femmes fatales (Mrs Mia Wallace, Dorothy, Frenchie, Sarah Tobias, Viane Rocher and of course Lydia Deetz x2, which I think proves that Beetlejuice is one of the best films EVER and should be watched IMMEDIATELY by all SHWI-ers). 

Fancy dress night

As with last year, I’m afraid I can’t divulge any more about the evening’s shenanigans, but I will say that a few important lessons were learned: that Jen makes a mean Prosecco punch, that we can’t eat as much pizza as we previously thought , that I now know Brook and Grace rather better than I did before, and that Carly is one HARD taskmaster…

Sunday was a day of recuperation, with some folks blazing a trail round the farm and its neighbouring footpaths, others staying behind to prep for the Sunday lunch of epicness that was to follow, and others (i.e. me) put on tea-making and dancing duties (really) so as not to cause havoc anywhere near the kitchen. We all convened to sample the feast of wonder at 2pm, as some people sadly had to leave on the Sunday night. Surely it should be written into every SHWI-er’s employment contract from now on that time off for the Getaway is a non-negotiable basic human right? Not sure how the catering team managed it, but I think it’s fair to say that this year’s effort surpassed last year’s. Grace’s Yorkshires were a triumph, Julie showed mad skillz (chest thump) in pimping the packet stuffing, the roast squash was simply ambrosial and I’m just going to have to observe a reverential silence of wonder as I recall Di’s leeks… sigh.

Awesome Sunday lunch

Dinner was followed by a chilled out evening of crochet, reading and chat, lubricated by leftover booze, tea and homemade bread and butter, jam and Nutella pudding (oh, yes, we went there). Or at least this would have been the case had we not switched on Absolute Radio Gold and got a bit overexcited by Ace of Base and Shed Seven, and had we not then gotten out the Taboo (the board game, not the spirit, although to be fair that wouldn’t have gone amiss). A hard-fought battle left Team A overall victors (boooooooo), but special mention must be given to Zoe’s talent in both guessing (Di: ‘It could be a man or a women and is present during…’ Zoe (interrupting):‘midwife?’ Di: ‘YES!’ Everyone else: sound of jaws hitting floor) and describing (‘hard egg on a cake’. Answer: meringue and yes, Bainbridge guessed it correctly from that clue!)

Anna learns to crochet from Sarah

And again, Monday arrived like a slap in the face. But unlike last year, I am not in a deep chasm of depression. This is because when Kirsty and Grace went to hand in the keys, the ladies who own the farm asked if they wanted to pencil in dates for next year! No brainer! SHWI Getaway the Third WILL occur! Roll on 2015, only 362 days to wait! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Kirsty and Grace from us all for all of your hard work organising the weekend, we are forever indebted to you both. But, seeing as you are so good at organising these things, when are you going to start organising a commune for us all to live on?!

Anna Pilson

SHWI Committee Member

SHWI turns five and waves goodbye to Lindsay and Kim

October’s always a special month for Seven Hills WI. It’s a time for partying as we mark the anniversary of our official forming meeting and this year it was a little sad too as Kim and I addressed the group as President and Secretary for the very last time.


Our October meeting saw us celebrate our fifth birthday (five! Time flies!) with a birthday social, pot luck supper and cake competition. We had an abundance of food from crisps to pasta salad, mackerel pate to sausage rolls, and everything in between! And then there were the cakes. Special mentions go to Anna P’s Kinder egg cake with photos of me, Jen and Kim, and Vicky’s M&M and Maltesers dairy-free cake. After a gruelling taste test (it’s a hard life!) we chose Sam’s sponge piñata cake with a hidden filling of M&Ms as the winner. Well done Sam and thanks to everyone who entered the competition or brought food for the buffet, you are all brilliant! 

Sam's piñata cake

In true kid’s party style we played a round of pass the parcel although we had to draw the line at musical chairs; we’re still scarred from the musical chair incident of 2010…
It was a lovely night and great chance for members to have a chat in a more informal setting as we marked reaching the grand old age of five. It makes me so happy to see how far SHWI has come in the past five years and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next five hold. 

Members with the winning birthday cake

October was also a time for goodbyes and hellos as six members of the current committee stepped down, one new member joined the committee and roles were swapped around. As you will no doubt already know, after founding the group with Jen back in 2009 and being officers for the past five years, Kim and I decided to step down from our positions of President (me) and Secretary (her) as from November’s committee meeting. Kim and I will continue to be SHWI members and are looking forward to being able to fully enjoy meetings without worrying about organising them! Other committee members to step down this year are Ruth, Katie, Chelle, and Louise – thank you for all your hard work ladies – while we welcome Sam as a new committee member. 


We are very pleased to say that current committee members Kirsty and Laura will be taking over as President and Secretary so you’ll be hearing more from them soon. Good luck K-Bo and Bainbridge!

Lindsay (centre) with Kirsty (left) and Laura (right)

Kim and I were overwhelmed with the thank you cards and gifts our lovely members bought for us and would like to say another big thank you for everyone’s kind words. So many people told me at the meeting that through founding the group we had changed their lives for the better and that’s something I will continue to be proud of for a very long time.


I look forward to seeing you all at meetings and thank you to each and every member, past and present, for making SHWI such an amazing group to lead.

With love,


Lindsay x

President of Seven Hills WI

Seven Hills WI Christmas Market

On Saturday 15^th November, we will be hosting a fabulous Christmas Market with a chance to buy handmade crafts, homemade food and gift ideas galore from both WI members and local traders.

The Market will run from 11am and 2pm and is being held at Electric Works, Sheffield.

Interested in taking a stall?

For full information, download our Stall Holder Application Form and Guidance 

Please be aware that completing an application form does not mean you will automatically be given a stall. We will prioritise WI members and local people that make or design their stock themselves, or that sell unique products and vintage items. We will also try to ensure that we have a variety of different types of stall.

Able to help out on the day?

We are looking for willing WI members to volunteer to bake, help set up, look after stall holders and serve refreshments. If you can help, please let us know by emailing SHWIChristmasMarket@outlook.com

Venue

The front entrance to Electric Works can be found on Sheaf Street, conveniently located in front of Sheffield Interchange and on the opposite side of the road to Sheffield Railway Station.

Poster

Can you display a poster? If you have somewhere you can share our poster, such as your workplace noticeboard or in a window, we’d be really grateful.

Lastly, we’d be delighted if you could share this post on social media using the icons below. Thank you!

SHWI Mad Skillz: Pretty Girls Make Shelves

SHWI Mad Skillz is one of our spin-off groups organised by Di and Anna T. They organise bespoke sessions where SHWI members can learn a new skill in a smaller-sized group. Last week, ten members went along to Sheffield City College for a night of furniture making. Committee member Kirsty tells us all about it....

The last time I was let loose with a band saw was my year 9 design and technology class and to be honest, I spent most of the lesson in the toilet swapping notes with my mate who was doing IT next door. Making furniture was just not a priority at 15. But now, I'm 27 with my own home and I need to know the right way around a power drill. So I was really up for a night of furniture making. 

The Women's Workshop is nearly 25!

Anna and Di had organised Sheffield City College teacher Anna Childs to give us a one-of taster session of the course that she runs in the Women's Workshop there. Due to numbers, the courses in the workshop are now open to men too. Liz Kettle from WEST (Women in Engineering Science and Technology), a voluntary organisation that encourage women and girls to take up careers in non-traditional roles in Science, Engineering, Technology and the Built Environment, was keen to show us the facilities.

Liz and Anna met us on a rainy Wednesday night and supplied us with plenty of tea, coffee and tunnocks biscuits (just what some of us needed after the horrific traffic). They introduced the course, how WEST can help women with bursaries and outreach work and then it was down to what we were making - shelves. 

Anna explains what we're going to do

Anna took it step by step - explaining how we would go about starting the project then letting us do it ourselves. It was scary to be let loose on the big machines like the drill and sanders but Liz and Anna were very encouraging (and nobody lost a finger, so yay!). Using her example, we measured, sawed, drilled, screwed and sanded our wood into something that looked a lot like a set of small shelves!

I must say that there was some more talented members in the group than me - Chloe and Carolyne took so much care in sanding and smoothing their shelves that they were left with something very professional looking. Mine on the other hand was a bit rough and ready but acceptable enough to go on my bathroom wall. 

Anna and Liz were so generous in their time and resources and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to play with all their tools and create something really worthwhile. 

Our finished shelves!

If you're interested in one of the furniture making courses, have a look at the page on the Sheffield City College website. 

Kirsty Bowen

SHWI Committee member

September meeting - Badge and mirror making

Our September meeting saw us getting nifty with glue and scissors, with Crafty Jackdaw helping us to design badges and mirrors.

As members and guests gathered in the club area at Electric Works, Crafty Jackdaw were already busy setting up the conference room into three long tables with a finishing station at one end.

Kim, Lindsay and Vicky started the meeting by going through WI business, including news of the upcoming Don Valley Rally, Autumn Council and our fabulous limited edition Christmas cards (which we’re selling for £5 a pack in aid of our charity of the year, Young Women’s Housing Project).

During the break, while we were all quaffing tea and cake, Crafty Jackdaw put out all the bits and pieces we needed to make our badges and mirrors. Following a brief explanation, members set about using the templates to create their designs out of everything from comics and children’s story books to sheet music and vintage fabric. 

The ladies from Crafty Jackdaw press our badges

Members could make various different items, which saw even the creatively-challenged (that’d be me) engrossed cutting and sticking. Crafty Jackdaw were kept busy all meeting, as members queued to have their inspired designs made into badges or mirrors, so that everyone got the chance to take home a unique keepsake they’d made themselves.

I found it quite therapeutic and enjoyed doing something that meant we could chat while we had a go at doing something new!

Some of Laura's badges

Next month we will be celebrating our 5th birthday with party games and a pot luck supper. Remember, to bring a dish a long to share and if you fancy getting your bake on you can also enter our birthday cake competition!

See you soon,

Jennifer
Vice President

August meeting - Blood donation and why it's important

After a month off, it was FINALLY time to head back to Electric Works for some Seven Hills action. After catching up with familiar faces and meeting a few new ones, the ladies settled into the meeting room for an informative evening of talk. 

First up - business! President Garfitt announced her decision to step down as captain of the great ship SHWI in 2015, a post she has kept since she conceived the group back in 2009. There'll be lots of changes afoot next year, as the committee loses some major players (including another founder member, Kim Whelan, our current Secretary). I don't think it's possible to thank these ladies enough for all that they've done. I think I speak for all SHWI members when I say we are SO grateful that they set this wonderful group up. But before I start blubbing, I know that the ladies that take on their roles will also do a fantastic job and so while it's the end of an era, the future is looking bright for SHWI.

Our first guest speakers were Katie and Jo from our charity for 2014, Young Women's Housing Project. It's great to have representatives from the charities come speak to the group – not only do we find out where the money goes, but it's nice to know how much the funds we raise are appreciated. The YWHP ladies seemed genuinely surprised and delighted that we had chosen them, courtesy of a nomination by SHWI member, Kat. The ladies explained the money we raised at the Sheffield Food Festival would be used to take some of their young women on a day trip with their children, an opportunity some of them would never have had before.

Lindsay and Kim handover the cheque to Katie and Jo from YWHP

Our main speaker was Holly Mason from the NHS Blood and Transplant Service – rather fitting for the WI, as our national resolution this year is to encourage people to talk about organ donation. Holly gave us a talk on blood – why we should consider giving it, what we can donate (it's not just blood! Platelets and bone marrow can also be donated) and where to do it. With only 4% of the population giving blood regularly, it really is something worth considering – not only does it help save the lives of people who have been in tragic accidents, but premature babies, people with sickle cell disease, cancer patients (to name but a few) all benefit from the generous donations of blood givers.

Kirsty and Liz meet Holly

After we'd all learnt a bit about Dracula's favourite drink, our resident blood expert (and Assistant Treasurer) Dr Leanne had prepared a little bloody themed quiz for the group. Did you know that blood can be used as an egg substitute? Bear it in mind, SHWI bakers! (Actually...perhaps not... brings whole new meaning to red velvet cake!) The winners were treated to some Haribo strawberries (as hearts weren't available) but the pride of winning was the real prize! We know how competitive these SHWI quizzes can get...

If you fancy finding out more about blood donation, check out Give Blood – Do Something Amazing

Laura Bainbridge
SHWI Committee member

WI Resolutions - Making a difference on issues that matter to you

Every year all WI members are given the opportunity to suggest issues as 'resolutions' for the national organisation to campaign on. This is a chance to take forward a personal concern and develop it into a national campaign once adopted at the NFWI Annual Meeting.

It's the time of year to put forward resolutions so if you have great idea for a resolution or would like further information, please read on…

What makes a good resolution?

·         Is it topical and does it fit with current areas of public interest?

·         Does it have clear and realistic targets?

·         Would the change bring a meaningful and sensible outcome?

·         Does it reflect the current situation?

·         Is it based on accurate data?

·         Is there an opportunity to obtain positive media coverage?

·         Does it fit with the overall WI vision?

If you need some inspiration, here are details of other campaigns the WI is involved in...

• Time to Talk about Organ Donation
• SOS for High Streets and Town Centres
• More Midwives
• The WI Great Food Debate
• Love Your Libraries 
• Care Not Custody
• Country of Origin Labelling (COOL)
• SOS for Honeybees

Support is available through your WI group, our local Federation and Federation Resolution Advisors.  The deadline for submission of resolutions is 12 September. Full details and submission forms are available here.

Any questions please email us 

Kim x

SHWI Secretary

SHWI do Ceilidh dancing

Before the the last meeting, I had never been to a ceilidh. I didn't really know it was, but suspected it would be like line dancing with more tartan and less denim. My only "experience" of ceilidhs was knowing that my old high school held them for charity. But no way would my 15 year old self go to a dance with her parents in hall used for assembly! (But then my 15 yr old self thought the charity ale festivals were lame too, so...how things change). 

Beautiful cupcakes are de rigour at our meetings

The meeting started off as any other - business first, a little break for natter, tea and cake, then on to the activity. What made June's guests extra fabulous is that they included one of our own. SHWI lady and leader of our Sheffield Food Festival stall for the past two years , Zoë Loveday is the caller for local ceilidh band Big Stuffed Fish. Her boyfriend Tom and his father make up the rest of the band.

Zoë had come with her own megaphone (handcrafted by super-handy Tom) and the menfolk were equppied with a washboard and melodeon. The chairs were pushed to the sides and everyone gathered in the meeting room - unbeknownst to me, this was the calm before the storm.

Zoe and her megaphone told us what to do

Anyone who had no idea what they were doing needn't have worried. Zoë explained everything - where to stand, what moves to do and where to go. There was skipping about, ducking under arms and "stripping the willow" as the room filled with catchy traditional music and big smiles all round. I had NEVER seen so much physical activity in that room before - there were ladies dancing around all over the place! I had wisely chosen to stay out of this - someone needed to take photos of the ladies flinging each other around as Zoë called out instructions. Plus I have zero co-ordination and had a belly full of beer. So how I ended up dancing is beyond me. The moves in a ceilidh are relatively simple. But not when you have had a Russian Imperial stout. Once Vice President Jen's shoe came off mid dance, I was gone and spent the rest of the dance laughing hysterically. Good job the other ladies knew what they were doing and were able to manouvre me to the right places.

Our members have a go at ceilidh dancing

I cannot tell you how much laughter was in that room. Everyone seemed to have a really good time and it was dissapointing when it ended after one big final dance where everyone got to strip the willow*!
 

The good news is Big Stuffed Fish can be found playing at events all over South Yorkshire - so be sure to check them out.

(*stripping the willow is a dance move and does not involve any actual stripping or willow. So no funny ideas!)

Laura Bainbridge
SHWI Committee member

Four Ladies Go to Leeds - SHWI at the WI Annual Meeting

A damp and grey Saturday morning dawned and four SHWI ladies braved the inclement weather on the M1 North to Leeds for the WI Annual General Meeting. Over five thousand ladies were present from all corners of the United Kingdom brought together by a mutual bond and a love of bunting.

The AGM took place at the Leeds First Direct Arena

The meeting was opened, business discussed and the resolutions raised. This year, the resolution proposed highlighting and promoting the importance of making friends and relatives aware while living of your wishes after death, specifically the donation of organs and tissues. A delicate subject, handled with the decency and gravitas it deserved. All speakers were informed, eloquent and thought-provoking, even the lady tasked with the difficult assignment of arguing against organ donation found it hard not to support the resolution. The floor was opened then to members of the delegation, I think it would be fair to say there were few WI members not moved to tears as we heard tales of a mother who consented to her 10 year-old son's organs being donated, or the lady who was able to see because of a double cornea transplant and the lady who’s donated kidney allowed her to live. With this, the resolution was passed with a 98% majority. Given that the UK has one of the highest family refusal rates in Europe, this motion has such a fantastic potential to save a huge number of lives.

Following the resolution debate was a talk on poetry, literature and the importance of saving our nation's countryside from Sir Andrew Motion. His passion for improving the housing crisis through the use of brown field sites rather than encroaching on our ever-diminishing green belt was almost palpable.

The lunch break came soon after and the SHWI ladies nipped off for a refreshing beverage and cheap lunch at a local Wetherspoons. Luckily, other WIs had the same idea and the Hedley Verity pub was soon invaded by members of Tea and Tarts WI, Cambridge Blue Belles WI, Cookridge Crumpets WI, Holmfirth WI and more. 

WIs from around the country gathered for lunch

The afternoon commenced with a harrowing talk on the worldwide effects of deforestation by Dr George McGavin, failing to protect the nation's rainforests will ultimately lead to their complete destruction, the loss of entire ecosystems and the extinction of species we have yet to discover. The knock-on effects of this would be catastrophic for us in ways we are as yet unable to imagine, but it is within our powers to prevent it. As Dr McGavin highlighted, Plan A is to protect as much natural environment as possible, which will take an immediate, co-ordinated, international effort. This is of such importance because there is no Plan B.

The next item on the agenda was exciting for all - the plans for the WI's Centenary year. Wheels are already in motion to celebrate this auspicious event with the Baton relay underway, the history/cookbook (a double threat and a must for any bookshelf) being published, the documentary due to air and the centenary AGM to be held in the Royal Albert Hall. Each and every WI was encouraged to celebrate our 100th birthday in their own way. If any SHWI-ers have ideas for how this can be done please let the committee know!

The final speaker of the day was the ever effervescent Bill Turnbull, talking about the art of reluctant beekeeping, working at the BBC, sequins and Strictly Come Dancing and how to use the punchline 'hung like a donkey' infront of HRH Queen Elizabeth. An entertaining, light-hearted talk to round off the day - and apparently even the most experienced of television presenters still fears the infamous WI slow clap.

Kirsty, Sarah and Sam from SHWI

Five thousand ladies singing Jerusalem rounded off the day, reminding us all that the WI is more than just making friends and learning. We are part of a movement, we are part of history, and in our own way we have the power to change the country for the better. It was a moment that brought goosebumps out on the skin of even the most sceptical delegates. Roll on our centenary and here's to the next 100.

Sam Foster
SHWI Member

We baked our way to £1,170 at Sheffield Food Festival!

Members at this year's Food Festival

We are celebrating after raising £1,170 for the Young Women’s Housing Project through our stall and competition at this year’s Sheffield Food Festival.

We raised the sum by selling cakes, biscuits and buns made by SHWI members on their traditional stall and through entry fees for their Best in Show competition at the Festival held last month. It is the fourth year running that SHWI has taken part in the event.

Seven Hills WI President, Lindsay Garfitt, said: “We’re thrilled to have raised such a lot of money for the Young Women’s Housing Project. Last year, we made just over £1,000 at the Food Festival and really wanted to beat that total this year so we are very happy to have done so. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along and bought cakes from us or entered our competition.”

Jo Meagher from YWHP added: "It really motivates the team knowing that people want to support the project, and the young women are really grateful that Seven Hills WI wants to raise money to help them get back on their feet.

“With the funds raised we are hoping to take the young women and children on a family day out to the seaside, something many of them will not have done for many years, if at all. We will also be able to provide some specialist parent and child sessions to support these young families to build strong, trusting relationships and develop their strengths for coping with difficulties. The support from Seven Hills WI will make a real difference for these young women; we can't thank the members enough."

The winners of the Seven Hills WI Best in Show competition were as follows:

Strawberry Jam – Clare Savage
Victoria Sponge – Neil Askew
Bread – Clare Savage
Children’s Cupcakes – Lia Touhey and Frances Williamson (joint winners)

All About Beauty

Hello, Ruth here.

Hands up who doesn’t love a freebie?

Anyone? Anyone?

Nope, thought not. I definitely do love a freebie, so I was more than a little excited to find a bag of fragrance samples and No.7 goodies on our each of our chairs upon entering the meeting room at Electric Works for May’s meeting. Yes, this month was all about beauty as we were joined by Meadowhall’s No.7 consultants, Clare and Natasha.

No.7 goodies were brought along

After Lindsay and Kim (our President and Secretary) gave their updates on local and national WI news, including welcoming new members to the committee, we were each given the opportunity to be colour-matched using the swanky No.7 Match Made machine. Essentially, it takes a picture of your skin, and then tells you which one of their foundation shades is most suitable for you. 

Members find out their perfect shade in the break

After the break, it was down to the real beauty business. Lots of hands shot up when Clare asked for two volunteers to help during her talk and Victoria was chosen to receive a skincare consultation.  As an avid skincare fan, I was interested to find out about the No.7 take on cleansing, toning and moisturising, and  I was particularly pleased to hear that they don’t advocate the use of face wipes (*cough* even though they sell them *cough*). Clare shared some other useful tips, including how exfoliating a couple of times a week will remove dead skin cells and help improve absorption of products, and she talked about the importance of wearing facial sunscreen rather than relying on a moisturiser with SPF which won’t provide adequate protection.

Amy gets her new look

Next up, member Amy was treated to a makeover. As someone who doesn’t usually wear much make-up she wanted a natural look, which Clare achieved through a sheer base and neutral tones on the eyes, lips and cheeks. Once again, multi-tasking Clare shared some useful snippets with the rest of us whilst working her magic on Amy. Members seemed particularly keen to find out more about primer, which Clare advised can smooth out uneven complexions and add longevity to your usual base. The other burning question was about eyebrows. As someone cursed with straggly albino brows, I’ve long known the face-lifting benefits of adding colour and shape to my brows, and Clare advised us on how to achieve a natural look whilst avoiding the dreaded Scouse Brow – never a good look.

The primer was a relevation to some of the audience

At the end of the meeting we were offered the chance to receive our own skincare and make-up consultations at the No.7 counter, along with a pleasing 10% off all No.7 products. It was no surprise that a long queue quickly formed as members lined up to get their consultation booked in. A sign of an enjoyable talk me thinks.

 Ruth Kirkman

SHWI Committee member

For more beauty news, reviews and make-up tips, read Ruth's blog – The Beauty Scriptures – and like The Beauty Scriptures Facebook page.

SHWI Mad Skillz: Myth Busting Bread Making

Mad Skillz is one of our spin-off groups organised by Di and Anna T. They organise bespoke sessions where SHWI members can learn a new skill in a smaller-sized group. Last week, two groups of five members went along to Forge Bakehouse on consecutive evenings. Committee member Ruth tells us all about it....

A beautiful loaf of freshly baked bread is one of my all-time favourite things to eat, but alas my limited baking skills (and my dodgy oven) have put paid to any attempts at actually making it myself. I tell a lie, I made focaccia once in 2008. So anyway, I was in need of some bread-based education and I was thrilled to be one of the lucky few to secure a place on the oversubscribed SHWI Mad Skillz 'Myth Busting Bread Making' session at Forge Bakehouse.

It was a thoroughly damp day in Sheffield, but there was a warm glow from the oven in the shop and Martha, the young owner and all round baker extraordinaire, greeted us with freshly brewed tea and one of the most amazing brownies I have ever tasted. Having trained at the School of Artisan Food, she clearly knows her stuff. After the obligatory SHWI catch-up over said cuppa, it was time for the session to kick off.

Anna is amazed by the fermenting dough

It was a very hands-on lesson and we started off by mixing our own dough. I think we were all expecting a serious upper arm workout from all the kneading (we've clearly been watching too much Great British Bake Off), but Martha shared an absolutely revelatory tip with us: the ‘Ten Second Knead’ technique. Forget pummelling your dough for an age. Oh no. Kneading the dough in a circular motion for just ten seconds, then leaving it to prove for ten minutes and repeating a couple of times is just as effective and far less exhausting. Win! Whilst the dough was proving, we learnt lots of other interesting snippets about all of the different factors that can affect the success of your bake.

Plaiting the dough

We then went on to shaping and slashing a whole variety of loaves. Martha had kindly prepared lots of dough for us to practice on and I was disproportionately pleased with my baguette. My poor plaits left a lot to be desired though. Other members of the group were far more successful - there was some very impressive plait action going on - but my Great British Bake Off application will have to wait for another year (or four), me thinks.

Jen, Ruth, Di, Cat, Anna and Vicky

I know I speak for the rest of the group when I say what a great evening this was. Martha was knowledgeable, interesting, and thoroughly lovely. A great teacher. Some left with their own sour dough starter to bake for themselves at home. I left laden with some of Mr Potato Bread (it was delicious) and my very own scraper (essential baking kit apparently). I definitely won’t be leaving it another six years between bakes from now on.

If you’re a Forge Bakehouse regular, don’t fear – our loaves were not made to be sold to the paying public. All of the waste products from the shop are given to the pigs at Heeley City Farm – such lucky piggies! That gesture reflects the overall ethos of Forge Bakehouse. They use locally sourced organic flour in all their loaves and provide lots of local cafes with their goodies. Best of all, everything is really reasonably priced. It's only been open for a couple of years but this place is going to become a Sheffield institution, I'm sure of it.

To find out more about what SHWI Mad Skillz have got coming up, speak to Di or Anna T at a meeting or search for the Facebook group 'SHWI Mad Skillz'. 

Ruth Kirkman
SHWI Committee member