New Barkby W.I.

President Shirley Franklin welcomed New Barkby members, plus visitors from other institutes in the Leicestershire Soar Valley Group.
After a brief business period, plus the singing of ‘Jerusalem’, the speaker for the evening was Baroness Bolsover from Linda Holmes and ‘afternoon tea’.
With members bringing along their own cup, saucer, teaspoon and napkin, there were rules on etiquette and table manners, so having to sit upright and certainly no elbows on tables, there was then a chance to sip daintily the tea, with tea being poured into the cup, followed by milk. The teaspoon was then moved from front to back of the cup in a gentle way. Napkins had to be folded so that the crumbs from food could fall away easily from one’s clothes. Sandwiches and cakes were very small in portions, so that they could be held between a thumb and forefinger. Also there might be more than one tea party to attend, which might take place any time between 2.00pm and 7.00pm (before dinner or high tea at 8.00pm)
Sometimes men were invited, probably seen as potential suitors for the ladies’ daughters!
The Baroness, in costume with a handbag to match, carried so-called ‘calling cards’ and invitations to her tea party and after her talk, she held a question and answer time before everyone enjoyed cups of tea and biscuits, provided by Kerstyn Fryman and Julie Malam.
The vote of thanks was given by Dawn Haynes, the competition winner was Valerie Cobb and the raffle was won by Chris Parker.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 3rd August at Syston Community Centre at 7.30pm where The Laura Ashley Story will be told. Visitors are always welcome.