Published at 11:03, Thursday, 24 May 2012

THE April meeting was held on April 14 when 15 members and one guest were welcomed by the president.

The visit to the Mayor’s Parlour had been a great success. Everyone enjoyed the visit and being shown around by Coun John Jackson.

Correspondence included an invitation to afternoon tea at Loweswater on June 14; a letter from Eleanor Graham about the meeting at Bigrigg village hall; information about the 200 club; and tickets for the county raffle.

Brenda Powe requested that those people who were willing to do a handicraft with the speaker for May to give their names.

Angela Walls introduced speaker Phil Hazelhurst of The Rum Story who gave a cookery demonstration with, naturally, rum.

The first dish was a delicious savoury of black pudding, apple, rum, cream, Cumbrian mustard and Hawkshead relish served on bread.

The pudding course was melted rum butter, bananas, lime juice flambéd with rum and served with ice cream and crushed ginger snaps.

The demonstration was ‘spiced up’ with amusing anecdotes of his experiences. He was thanked by Ceri Jackson.

The competition for a dish of rum butter was won by Elsie Jenkinson; 2, Angela Walls; 3, Doreen Head.

PRESIDENT Mrs Angela Walls welcomed 14 members to the March meeting.

The Olympic cushions knitted by members were taken to the stuffing event in Eskdale in March – 68 had been forwarded from Cumbria.

The president advised everyone that we were to do refreshments at the Farmers’ market in Egremont on June 15 and December 7.

The soup lunch hosted by the WI on February 15 had been successful.

Barry Clarke, our speaker, was then introduced and he spoke on ‘My Life So Far’. He had been born at Backbeck Farm and Beckermet had been a big influence on his life.

After his birth he had spent the first two months in an incubator at Whitehaven hospital.

His mother had been a governess to a family called Taylor who were related to Ernest Simpson, the first husband of Wallis Simpson.

Blackbeck farm had Land Girls and Italian PoWs working there during World War Two.

In 1956 ,he remembered the Queen going past to open Calder Hall. He also related memories of Beckermet school.

He stopped his talk all too soon and a further instalment would be interesting.

The competition for a favourite photo was won by Angela Walls, 2 Brenda Powe, 3 Margaret Crayston.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk