Church and Church Yard Working Party
Bring your own tools on Saturday October 20th 10am to 2pm.
Date for your Diary.
1st December at All Saints’ Village Hall
Christmas Fayre 2pm onwards.
Raffle, Cakes, Christmas Stall, Wood Turner.
Nativity around the Village.
Would you like to take part or join us on Sunday 9th December 4pm onwards?
Tell Paul, Sharon or Elaine.
Children must have parents’ approval.
Let’s put Jesus back into Christmas.
Milwich WI Report, September 2018
Mr Martin Peet was an excellent speaker, telling us about the manufacture and the history of sweets. He was born up the road in Hopton in 1962. After working for some years as a window cleaner, he joined the family business started by his grandfather 50 years ago and remains passionate about sweet-making the traditional way. He set up his own business in Leek 10 years ago and had 10 shops in the locality trading as “Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppes” He gave us all a “goody-bag” so we could sample as he spoke! Many of the sweets took us back to the days of our childhood. Most were developed in the U.K. and the very first ones were pure liquorice, later modified to become Pontefract cakes with the addition of sugar and wheat. Aniseed balls were invented in 1450 and were used for stomach ailments and for preventing nightmares. Jelly babies were developed in 1899 but only called as such in 1953. Liquorice allsorts were developed by Bassetts in 1899. Pear drops were first made in Nottingham in 1891 heating sugar and glucose in a copper pan to 160 degrees first by coal and then changing to gas. The higher the temperature, the harder the sweet. They were dusted in sugar to prevent sticking together.
Over the years, medicines have sometimes been included – for instance, the Chinese used to put analgesics in flying saucers and Greys Herbal tablets are sold as sweets but were developed by wives of miners in the Midlands so they could give them to their husbands to take down the mines to soothe their throats from irritation caused by coal dust.
The confectionery industry has had to move with the times – coconut used in coconut mushrooms has become very expensive so production will cease this year. Fairy satins are now known as satin pillows to be politically correct! However, a high proportion of sweets remain hand crafted.
All in all we enjoyed an entertaining and informative evening
Do come and join us for an evening at our friendly W.I. Visitors are always most welcome
At our next meeting Mrs Theresa Allen will be talking on “Healthy Living”
For more information contact Helen Hocknell on 01889 505717
Cuppa for Care” – was the theme for the August meeting, to support Katharine Hospice for all their care to terminally ill patients.
Many guests, families and friends were welcomed and the social evening enjoyed by everyone. Members brought delicious cakes and those left were offered for donations. £264.25 was raised and has been taken to Katharine House. A “Big Thank You” to all those who supported the event and donated so generously.
Theresa Allen, one of our own members, will be speaking on October 10th, the talk is entitled “Healthy Living”.
Visitors are always welcome to very happy and interesting meetings held on the second Wednesday of the month.
For further information please ring Helen Hocknell on 01889 505717.
Milwich & District Produce Guild
Our July meeting was a visit to The Secret Garden at Little Haywood. This is a truly magical place. We enjoyed exploring the winding paths, and hideaways. We finished the evening with tea and beautiful home-made cake (large slices, just as we like it). An evening to remember.
In August we welcomed Mrs. Margaret Bullock, who gave a fascinating talk, with slides, entitled “The Great Wall of China for Parkinsons”. She described an arduous trek along parts of the wall not open to tourists. It looked like hard work, and in places, downright dangerous. The money raised by sponsorships was donated by the intrepid hikers to the Parkinson’s charity.
Our next meeting will be on October 25th, and will be our AGM.
For any further information, please contact Mike Baggaley on 01889 270161, or m_baggaley@btinternet.com
Milwich Village Hall
COFFEE SHOP
Opening Friday Oct 12th from 10.30 – 11.30am
Hot drinks always available
Garden produce, Plants and Crafts when available
Change your library books at the Mobile Library 11 – 11.40am
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