Our meetings are held in St Luke's Church Hall on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm except in December
Visitors welcome - £5 per visit which includes refreshments and a raffle ticket The competition is only open to HCWI members and all entries must be member’s own work or be owned by the member |
Updated: 2nd March 2024
2024
23rd April 2024
Speaker: John Lindley - Adventures of a Full Time Poet / Enrolment
Competition: Group - musical instrument
28th May 2024
Speaker: Resolutions/Pride Craft Activities/Rainbow Art
Competition: Rainbow(s)
25th June 2024
Speaker: Sue Bentley - Cheshire Climate Ambassadors - Green Dot Week
Competition: Home grown flowers in a jam jar
23rd July 2024
Speaker: Rowena Lovatt - A Lingerie Designer’s Life
Competition: A lace item
27th August 2024
Speaker: Visit to Dorothy Monks Garden
24th September 2024
Speaker: Bollywood Dance
Competition: Group tba
22nd October 2024
Speaker: Matthew - Tiger Muffin Soaps
Competition: Something Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
26th November 2024
Annual Meeting - Members Evening
10th December 2024
Christmas Party
POSSIBLE OUTINGS -
Keep an eye out on this website as the Committee are looking to do various trips for the members this year
Speaker: John Lindley - Adventures of a Full Time Poet / Enrolment
Competition: Group - musical instrument
28th May 2024
Speaker: Resolutions/Pride Craft Activities/Rainbow Art
Competition: Rainbow(s)
25th June 2024
Speaker: Sue Bentley - Cheshire Climate Ambassadors - Green Dot Week
Competition: Home grown flowers in a jam jar
23rd July 2024
Speaker: Rowena Lovatt - A Lingerie Designer’s Life
Competition: A lace item
27th August 2024
Speaker: Visit to Dorothy Monks Garden
24th September 2024
Speaker: Bollywood Dance
Competition: Group tba
22nd October 2024
Speaker: Matthew - Tiger Muffin Soaps
Competition: Something Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
26th November 2024
Annual Meeting - Members Evening
10th December 2024
Christmas Party
POSSIBLE OUTINGS -
Keep an eye out on this website as the Committee are looking to do various trips for the members this year
Reports
26th March 2024
94th Birthday Party: Peter, the Magician
Competition: A musical Instrument (Group entry)
Sue Blantern, our president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 38 people celebrating our 94th birthday. This included our guests from Jodrell Side; Lower Withington; Over Alderley and Birtles; and Swettenham. Julie Hornby provided the flowers which were presented to Sue Dykes in recognition of her special birthday in April. The raffle prizes were arranged by the committee. We had several conventional gifts, but Helen Rigby supplied and decorated small plant pots with primulas. These were used as table decorations and then raffled off. They proved very popular.
This evening’s entertainment was Peter the magician with food provided by Symphony, and wine and soft drinks provided by the Committee. We had set the tables out into one large square, decorated with tablecloths and pot plants. All members and visitors sat down to a freshly prepared hot pot served with red cabbage and green vegetables. Once the food had been eaten and the plates cleared away we were lost in the ‘mysterious world of magic’ by the engineer of the impossible, Paul the Magician.
94th Birthday Party: Peter, the Magician
Competition: A musical Instrument (Group entry)
Sue Blantern, our president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 38 people celebrating our 94th birthday. This included our guests from Jodrell Side; Lower Withington; Over Alderley and Birtles; and Swettenham. Julie Hornby provided the flowers which were presented to Sue Dykes in recognition of her special birthday in April. The raffle prizes were arranged by the committee. We had several conventional gifts, but Helen Rigby supplied and decorated small plant pots with primulas. These were used as table decorations and then raffled off. They proved very popular.
This evening’s entertainment was Peter the magician with food provided by Symphony, and wine and soft drinks provided by the Committee. We had set the tables out into one large square, decorated with tablecloths and pot plants. All members and visitors sat down to a freshly prepared hot pot served with red cabbage and green vegetables. Once the food had been eaten and the plates cleared away we were lost in the ‘mysterious world of magic’ by the engineer of the impossible, Paul the Magician.
- Karen G went up first to have her mind blow by a ring getting tied up in a chain.
- Jackie expected money to be stolen from her purse.
- Karen E did imaginary writing on imaginary cards.
- Helen couldn’t understand how the penny became bent.
27th February 2024
Speaker: Macclesfield Crisp Packet Blankets
Competition: Decorated Potato
Sue Blantern, our president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 27 members and 3 visitors. We had books and cards for sale, some magazines were also available, a collection for Cheshire Without Abuse and a box full of blister packs. We have requested a stall at this year’s summer fair (7th July) so we will be collecting ‘bottles’, any bottles.
General business matters were discussed before introducing our speaker for the evening. We had a lovely upbeat presentation from Sue on behalf of Macclesfield Crisp Packet Blankets, where she explained how the idea had developed from ‘a prosecco fuelled lockdown haze’ to the successful volunteer led venture it is today. We also got to see how the blankets were made using the classic line ‘here’s one I made earlier’.
Back in October 2020 the country, and Sue, were in the middle of the second lockdown. It was during this time that she realised schools (that were closed) had previously collected and recycled crisp packets with teracycle as a way of raising funds. As the schools were closed, they could not do this. However, parents were still avidly collecting. Bored, Sue found out, via the internet, that it was possible to use these to make bivvy type sleeping bags for the homeless. She also found out that there was a loophole that allowed voluntary groups to meet up whilst still following social distancing guidelines. And that was the start of the project. She and a group of volunteers washed and dried thousands of dirty crisp packets using the workspace at the sign making company she worked for. They are still there, but now they only accept clean offerings. She did mention that they still talk about murdering their ex/current husbands.
We learnt that:
Sue then invited questions from members.
The raffle winners were Julie Hornby, Maime Bell and Donna Caffyn. Our competition was A Decorated Potato. 1st was Barbara Jackson, 2nd Helen Rigby, 3rd Karen Glendining and Celia Steel.
See photos on News page
Speaker: Macclesfield Crisp Packet Blankets
Competition: Decorated Potato
Sue Blantern, our president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 27 members and 3 visitors. We had books and cards for sale, some magazines were also available, a collection for Cheshire Without Abuse and a box full of blister packs. We have requested a stall at this year’s summer fair (7th July) so we will be collecting ‘bottles’, any bottles.
General business matters were discussed before introducing our speaker for the evening. We had a lovely upbeat presentation from Sue on behalf of Macclesfield Crisp Packet Blankets, where she explained how the idea had developed from ‘a prosecco fuelled lockdown haze’ to the successful volunteer led venture it is today. We also got to see how the blankets were made using the classic line ‘here’s one I made earlier’.
Back in October 2020 the country, and Sue, were in the middle of the second lockdown. It was during this time that she realised schools (that were closed) had previously collected and recycled crisp packets with teracycle as a way of raising funds. As the schools were closed, they could not do this. However, parents were still avidly collecting. Bored, Sue found out, via the internet, that it was possible to use these to make bivvy type sleeping bags for the homeless. She also found out that there was a loophole that allowed voluntary groups to meet up whilst still following social distancing guidelines. And that was the start of the project. She and a group of volunteers washed and dried thousands of dirty crisp packets using the workspace at the sign making company she worked for. They are still there, but now they only accept clean offerings. She did mention that they still talk about murdering their ex/current husbands.
We learnt that:
- Walkers crisps are the best, most robust crisp packets. Seabrooks are good too.
- All packets are accepted, and the volunteers sort them. Any packets that cannot be used to make a blanket are taken to a local supermarket for recycling.
- There are many different sizes even for the same flavour by the same brand.
- Sorting out the packets to colour and size is the most efficient way to work.
- There are over 20 regular volunteers.
- They support Duke of Edinburgh volunteers for their 3,6 and 9 month stints. Mainly boys. And who they teach to iron.
- How quick and easy it is to seal bags together into long thing strips using a heat presser. The strips are then sealed together to make a large bag. (The material used is the same as silver survival blankets).
- The foil is then covered with a plastic (again donated) and both are ironed together to make a durable bag.
- The bags are made extra-large so that the person and all their personal items can fit in the bag.
- The completed bags go to Manchester to the two groups that they work with.
- The group can usually make 7 bags on one Saturday.
Sue then invited questions from members.
The raffle winners were Julie Hornby, Maime Bell and Donna Caffyn. Our competition was A Decorated Potato. 1st was Barbara Jackson, 2nd Helen Rigby, 3rd Karen Glendining and Celia Steel.
See photos on News page
23rd January 2024
Speaker: Chair, Chris Jackson - Your Parish Council - what we do
Competition: Holmes Chapel memories, past or present
Sue Blantern, our returning president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 22 members and 3 visitors. Karen G and Andrea P had made reusable gift bags from a checked duvet donated by Carole to hold our raffle prizes as part of our ongoing Green Dot initiative.
Sue Blantern introduced the new committee members that were present. Barbara Foster (Hostess), Karen Glendining (Treasurer), Janet Jackson (MSC, competition), Andrea Petty (Secretary), Helen Rigby (Door), Jackie Tindal (Door), Carole Warburton (Environmental, Cheshire Without Abuse).
The NFWI resolutions were voted on during the meeting. The results were as follows:
This evening’s speaker Chris Jackson, Chair of the Parish Council gave a talk entitled ‘What we do’. Quite a lot actually! Chris came with his full regalia. A small gold badge on a blue ribbon. The insignia is real gold though. The chains get bigger as you go up to town council or borough council. He explained how the parish council is the first tier of local government, (with about 10,000 or so in the country) and the fact that they have power as stated in legislation, to do certain roles. There are two paid officers, the Clerk and the Deputy, who are the officers of the council. The councillors are elected every four years, and the parish council has 2 ward councillors on it too. As chair, Chris is also ‘the King’s representative’.
The Parish Council has
• provided CCTV in some areas,
• funds village events,
• organises the Remembrance Parade,
• has a Youth Council (that recently went to London),
• funds SIDs (speed indicator devices),
• owns the community centre (with Everybody acting as a tenant),
• co-ordinated the improvement works around Church Walk,
• is in the process of relocating some of the Dane Valley Way on Macclesfield Road to behind the hedge line to prevent people from having to walk on the grass verge,
• views every planning application,
• produces the neighbourhood plan (with the current one being under review),
• and more
The members then had the opportunity to ask some questions:
• Are we a still a village or are we now a town? No definitive definition, so we are still a village.
• Who owns Church Walk? There are multiple private people who would not have paid for the works to be done.
• Manor Lane lighting? Deep sigh. Cheshire East have said it is not something they will do. Even pedestrian lights. However the Parish Council are still looking at options.
• Crossing points on London Road and Chester Road? There is £½ m in a pot to do a roundabout. However the costs came back at £2m. They are looking at other options.
It was a light-hearted yet informative talk on a subject that could have been quite dry. It was a good talk.
The competition was Holmes Chapel past and present. 1st was Barbara Jackson, 2nd Karen Glendining, 3rd Valerie McArdle.
See photos on News page
Speaker: Chair, Chris Jackson - Your Parish Council - what we do
Competition: Holmes Chapel memories, past or present
Sue Blantern, our returning president rang the bell and welcomed everyone to sing Jerusalem. We had 22 members and 3 visitors. Karen G and Andrea P had made reusable gift bags from a checked duvet donated by Carole to hold our raffle prizes as part of our ongoing Green Dot initiative.
Sue Blantern introduced the new committee members that were present. Barbara Foster (Hostess), Karen Glendining (Treasurer), Janet Jackson (MSC, competition), Andrea Petty (Secretary), Helen Rigby (Door), Jackie Tindal (Door), Carole Warburton (Environmental, Cheshire Without Abuse).
The NFWI resolutions were voted on during the meeting. The results were as follows:
- Dental health matters – 4
- Poor housing conditions – 8
- Say no to gambling advertising – 7
- Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system – 2
This evening’s speaker Chris Jackson, Chair of the Parish Council gave a talk entitled ‘What we do’. Quite a lot actually! Chris came with his full regalia. A small gold badge on a blue ribbon. The insignia is real gold though. The chains get bigger as you go up to town council or borough council. He explained how the parish council is the first tier of local government, (with about 10,000 or so in the country) and the fact that they have power as stated in legislation, to do certain roles. There are two paid officers, the Clerk and the Deputy, who are the officers of the council. The councillors are elected every four years, and the parish council has 2 ward councillors on it too. As chair, Chris is also ‘the King’s representative’.
The Parish Council has
• provided CCTV in some areas,
• funds village events,
• organises the Remembrance Parade,
• has a Youth Council (that recently went to London),
• funds SIDs (speed indicator devices),
• owns the community centre (with Everybody acting as a tenant),
• co-ordinated the improvement works around Church Walk,
• is in the process of relocating some of the Dane Valley Way on Macclesfield Road to behind the hedge line to prevent people from having to walk on the grass verge,
• views every planning application,
• produces the neighbourhood plan (with the current one being under review),
• and more
The members then had the opportunity to ask some questions:
• Are we a still a village or are we now a town? No definitive definition, so we are still a village.
• Who owns Church Walk? There are multiple private people who would not have paid for the works to be done.
• Manor Lane lighting? Deep sigh. Cheshire East have said it is not something they will do. Even pedestrian lights. However the Parish Council are still looking at options.
• Crossing points on London Road and Chester Road? There is £½ m in a pot to do a roundabout. However the costs came back at £2m. They are looking at other options.
It was a light-hearted yet informative talk on a subject that could have been quite dry. It was a good talk.
The competition was Holmes Chapel past and present. 1st was Barbara Jackson, 2nd Karen Glendining, 3rd Valerie McArdle.
See photos on News page