On May 31st a group of us enjoyed a Pensioners Lunch at the Redwell. It was a lovely day, the Saddles café was busy but we all sat together at a long table and thoroughly enjoyed the lunch and the company.
Our meeting on June 9th was a visit to RNLI Lifeboat Station at Morecambe, arranged by Sue Hodkinson. The history of the Morecambe lifeboat began in 1934 when Sir William Priestley gave money for a boat to be built by Crossfield in Arnside. It had oars and an engine. 20,000 people attended the naming and the launch by Lady Priestley! This first boat was finally decommissioned in the 1980s but by then it had been superseded by the first inflatable D-class boat in 1963. Since 1966 there have been quite a few boats because they have a lifetime of about 10 years. The current boat is the Brenda Rowarth, funded by Dr Rowarth. The first hovercraft arrived in 2002 and the two vessels work in partnership. The crew train once a week on the sea or on shore and they also train with other crews. In 2022 there were 56 “shouts”, 23 people were aided and 6 lives were saved. In Morecambe Bay the problems are usually people stuck in the mud or cut off by the tide. Information about tide times is going to be posted along the Prom in Morecambe in the hope that fewer people will venture onto the sands when the tide is coming in.
We also looked round the rescue boat which normally has a crew of 3, a helm and 2 crew who deal with the navigation and radio communication. The crew have to kneel in the boat which is very uncomfortable in rough seas! We then saw the impressive kit that they have to wear and the equally impressive drying room. WI made a donation at the end of the visit, the RNLI being funded entirely by donations and the profits from their shops. The evening was rounded off with a drink in the sunshine outside the Auckland Hotel.
Ten of us went to Barton Grange on June 13th to play Crazy Golf. It was a very hot day which some found hard to cope with but it was great fun, with a few holes in one, a few forays into the water and some more into the boulder field! The worthy winner was Barbara Bellis. After the match we enjoyed lunch in the restaurant. Thank you to Jane Storer for organising the trip.
On July 14th our speaker was the very talented textile artist Corinne Young. She creates 3D embroidered artwork (such as Auricula or Hellebores in pots), embroidered panels and brooches, all of flowers or butterflies. She makes her own paper from flax and then embroiders it on her Bernina sewing machine and makes the French knots by hand. She then uses wire to create the 3D shapes and varnishes the final product. She gets lots of commissions, sells her work on line and via a shop in London. Her work is amazing and absolutely beautiful and it is well worth visiting her website to view it (corinneyoungtextiles.co.uk). The winner of the competition for an embroidery sample was Joyce Mace and Pat Preston was second.