Wells WI August 2021 meeting report.

Our August meeting consisted of the long-awaited face-to-face (outdoor) reunion, with a tea party in the lovely garden of Wells and Mendip Museum. The weather was kind and the sun shone.

Members wore their best dresses and hats and enjoyed catching up with each other in person after such a long gap. The committee had put up bunting, brought their crockery, and organised a fabulous tea with sandwiches and cakes, Pimm's and elderflower cordial, and tea and coffee.

Members played people bingo to get to know each other better – this involved asking other questions (have you ever been on TV? On a motorbike? Kept chickens? Met royalty?) in an effort to tick all the boxes on their sheets - Zoe was first with a full house. Val M triumphed in the competition for best arrangement of flowers in a jam jar.

We were professionally entertained throughout by Bethany, our president's daughter who normally works on cruise ships, singing jazzy jukebox songs that were the perfect background for a sunny afternoon social. At the end of the afternoon Tessa took the uneaten food to a local shelter for less fortunate people, who called her later to express their thanks.

Some members are still meeting for weekly coffee at the Bishop's Palace. There has been plenty of opportunity to be active: Shirley has led some evening walks; others have formed a new cycling group and been on some short exploratory rides; the walking netball players enjoyed their last games of the term, but cold and gusty winds this week put paid to this week's planned boules on Cathedral Green.

Meanwhile the gardening group have visited several gardens – each other's and some more formal, including The Newt at Bruton. They are also planning to share surplus plants, sharing expertise about polytunnels versus traditional glasshouses and considering making a bulk order for autumn bulbs.

The photography group has been experimenting with capturing shadows. The book groups are enjoying their reading and planning to co-ordinate their autumn book to be the one featured for book groups at Wells Festival of Literature in October.

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More details of Wells WI can be found on our Facebook page.

By Veronica Howe