Agincourt WI

President welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave a warm welcome to three potential new members, Marjorie, Alison and Liz.

Various notices were given out and a report on the Gwent Federation show held at Bridges on 12th October. Hilary reported that the group did extremely well considering it was their first time of entering. Agincourt’s Bake-Off stall raised a good sum of money and thanks were given to the members who provided a delicious array of cakes biscuits and bread. Six members won awards, and all involved felt that they had learned a lot.

Hilary introduced the speaker for the evening, Jennifer Johnson who was going to guide members through making something festive for Christmas.

Jennifer told the group that she had had an extremely talented grandmother who was a seamstress whom she admired very much and this set the seal on her lifelong love of needlework. After working in the financial sector Jennifer studied textiles at the Hereford Art College.

Jennifer demonstrated how to make “Suffolk Puffs”. These are just a circle of fabric which is gathered to make a double layer of fabric, the origin of the Suffolk Puff was born from patchwork and quilting. They were used to make quilts from scraps of fabric and by gathering the fabric a double layer was created which added extra warmth. They were thought to have originated in Suffolk, hence the name. In modern times they have become more widely used for their decorative possibilities in addition to traditional quilting.

Jennifer had brought along a vast array of beautiful fabrics and beads, sequins and other adornments. The members then set to work to make their own Suffolk puffs, many made them into brooches but these are so versatile that many things can be made, for example deigns for cards, hair clips, hair bands, create shapes, the list is endless.

Agincourt WI’s next meeting is 18th November when they will be charmed with flowers. Meetings held at The Priory, Priory Street, Monmouth at 7pm.

Monmouth Bridge Club

Recent Monmouth Bridge Club results are as follows:

Monday 21st October 7pm to 10pm: North/South: 1st Tony Harris and Mike Roberts; 2nd Gordon Casson and Jon Dullforce; 3rd David and Julie Davies. East/West: 1st Terry Hill and Richard Miles; 2nd Richard Brierly and Paul Williams; 3rd Rosemary Whaley and Thomas Hamiltom-Jones.

Wednesday 23rd October (No Fear Bridge) 2pm to 4pm: North/South: 1st Rosemary Whaley and Mary Roden; 2nd David Boys and Ralph Leech; 3rd Jane Washer and Glenys Biggs. East/West: 1st Celia and Norman Skitt; 2nd Brigid and Thomas Hamilton-Jones; 3rd Peter McGahey and Sue Smith.

Thursday 24th October 7pm to 10pm: 1st David and Julie Davies; 2nd Tony Harris and Paul Williams; 3rd Michael Owen and Val Conniff. 

For details of club activities go to: www.bridgewebs.com/monmouth

Buckholt and District Gardening Club

THURSDAY 24TH October saw the first meeting of the Buckholt and District Gardening Club at Buckholt Village Hall, Hereford Road.

Despite a few technical glitches, the group listened to an informative talk by Cheryl Cummings on Sustainability in the Garden. A lot of useful information was gleaned from the talk, with the predominant message being “work with nature” and “have the right plant in the right place”.

The next meeting is on Thursday 28th November at 7pm. All new members are welcome. If you are interested in joining this friendly club, please contact secretary Marti Rex for further information on 01600 719793.

Chepstow Male Voice Choir

Chepstow Male Voice Choir has been on tour in Cornwall performing in venues that ranged from a medieval abbey to a lifeboat house.

At majestic Buckfast Abbey, on the edge of Dartmoor, they were accompanied by the abbey organist on one of the finest Italian-built pipe organs in the country.

And at Looe, on the Cornish coast, the lifeboat was moved out of its boat house on the quayside to make way for the choir and for their audience. This event raised £505 for the RNLI and the choir was told it was the best supported of their Sunday concerts this year.

This is a busy time for the choir. Within days of returning to Chepstow, the choir staged a charity concert in aid of the Noah’s Ark children’s charity raising in excess of £200, and is organising “Taster Evenings” around the locality  to raise the profile of the choir and attract new members.

Also just round the corner is a concert at Long Ashton near Bristol followed by the annual Christmas concert to be held at Chepstow Leisure Centre on 14th December.

Caldicot Male Voice Choir

On the competition stage there is great rivalry between male voice choirs but away from that there is true friendship and camaraderie amongst all who share the incredible, common hobby and experience of being in a male voice choir.

This was exemplified when Barry Male Voice Choir took up the invitation of the choristers of Caldicot Male Voice Choir to join in with them on 26th October at an ‘Evening of Song’ at their magnificent Choir Hall in Caldicot. The evening event was held to raise funds for The Sepsis Trust UK, Caldicot’s adopted charity this year and it is estimated that over £500 was raised by the generosity of all who attended.

Planned so that the evening enabled both choirs to show off their talents and expertise of choral singing, Caldicot, conducted by Si?n Hatton and Shirley-Anne James and accompanied by John Nicholson included in its appreciated pieces ‘African Prayer’, ‘Benedictus’, ‘With a Voice of Singing’, Paul Simon’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, arranged by choir accompanist Stephen Berry and to wide acclaim premiered the Bob Dylan composition ‘Make You Feel My Love’ arranged by Si?n Hatton.

The ‘Boys in Blue’ the visitors from Barry, conducted by Dorothy Connell and accompanied by James Bull, further entertained the packed house of invited guests to a wide range of genres including ‘Crugybar’, ‘Au Fond’ from Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers and the complex piece ‘Sky and Space’ which included arrangements of David Bowie’s Life on Mars and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.

The formal part ended with both choirs combining in an assembly of over 80 voices to sing favourite hymn ‘Deus Salutis’ to the tune of Llef.

The evening continued with a superb and extensive buffet provided by Caldicot choristers’ wives and an enjoyable, rousing period of Afterglow singing by a combination of both choirs which gave the opportunity to sing their favourite songs in a relaxed atmosphere of choral harmony.