The sun is out, it is the Spring Solstice today and the green bin collections have started – must be Spring? Enjoy the sunshine and if you are at a loose end, here is what is in store for you at the Market Harborough WI in April:

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Allotment – In Hibernation

The Gardening Girls are looking forward to the planting season – waiting for warmer weather is one of the difficult tasks at the allotment. There will be a few planning meetings (involving a decent amount of cake and tea for sure) to come before meetings start again  every Monday (weather permitting) from 2pm (until we run out of steam…). Watch this space. If you would like to join in next season please contact Julie at Jusellars1960@gmail.com 

Craft Club – 3rd April

The Craft Club will be meeting at 7pm at the Congregational Church in Bowden Lane on the first floor doe some mindful stitching.

Mindful stitching, also known as slow stitching, is using hand sewing as a way to relax and focus on the moment rather than on creating perfection. Some materials will be provided, but participants should bring some fabric scraps, a sewing needle and embroidery scissors as well as any embroidery thread they have. More details on the WI Craft WhatsApp group in due course. If you would like to join the MHWI Craft Club, please contact Fiona at fegraham1@gmail.com

Walking Group – 6th April

The Walking Group is starting this year’s programme at 10am with a walk through Great Bowden Village and along Burnmill Road. is currently in hibernation, but has been working on the schedule of walks for the coming season. The meeting place/parking directions will be send to members via the Walking Club WhatsApp group. If you would like to join the group, please email Fiona at f_tomlin@sky.com

Book Club – 16th March

The Book Angels Book Club will be meeting at the Three Swans at 2.30pm. The book of the month in April is any book by S J Parris.

Please contact Valerie at vhitchcox50@hotmail.com if you would like to join.

Easter Sunday – 20th April

MHWI Monthly Meeting – 23rd April

This month Sophie Sparrow will visit us at the Church Hall in Fairfield Road at 7.30pm.

Since graduating from Harper Adams University in 2011 with a BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursins and Practice Management Sophie has been working predominantly within zoological institutions such as the ZSL London Zoo. She has achieved her Animal Physiotherapy Diploma in 2021 and will be talking to us about some of the challenges she has encountered in her work with animals of all sizes. How do you get a blood sample from a tiger? Or do a health check on a 12g elephant shrew…?

Welland Valley WI Group Spring Meeting – 28th April 

This year it is the turn of the Market Harborough WI to organise and host the Welland Valley WI Group Spring Meeting. We’ll be meeting with members from the other WIs in the area for an evening of fun and networking at the Octagonal Church Hall at Our Lady of Victories in Fairfield Road at 7pm.

After tea, coffe, cakes and prosecco, the programme includes a Fashion Show organised by Jackie Allen from Jackie’s Mobile Boutique. There will be an opportunities to talk about tips for the coming season and purchase items from Jackie’s stock. 

This meeting will be an Open Meeting, so members can invite friends and family to join in. The cost per person is £ 10.00 – please email marketharboroughwi@gmail.com by 20th April the latest to sign up.

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And if you are not a member of the Market Harborough WI yet why not take the opportunity and join us to see if you like what we do?

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We’ll be updating the ‘Dates for the Diary’ post on a regular basis, so keep an eye on the website for the latest news. Or you can subscribe by entering your email address below and you will be send the latest news automatically:

You have been sent this message because you are following the website of the Market Harborough Womens Institute. If you no longer wish to do so, please click here to unsubscribe.

This month we will have a talk about sausage making as well as a cheese tasting session with Jill of Bridge 67 in Kibworth at the Church Hall in Fairfield Road at 7.30pm.

There will also be an opportunity to purchase some of the products discussed. Hope you’ll all join us tomorrow!

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Some of you may remember that we visited the Emma Bridgewater Factory in 2018.  It was very popular and so we’ve decided to arrange another visit this year as part of our Social Event Calendar.

We are planning to visit the factory on Wednesday, 11th June 2025, departing Market Harborough around 9.30 am. Because we will be using the Community Bus for transport, places will be limited to 16.

The cost per person is £ 54.00 and includes:

• Transport from/to Market Harborough
• Factory tour at 11.30am to see the production process and decorating of the iconic Emma Bridgewater Pottery
• After the tour we will go to the Decorating Studio where we will each choose an item to decorate with our own design. (Once they have been fired, the finished items will be posted to us for distribution to the participants)
• At 2.20pm there will be a full afternoon tea in the cafe and an opportunity to visit the gift shop before we start the trip back to Market Harborough arriving there around 6pm.

Members can sign up for the trip at the next monthly meeting on 26th February and full payment will be required by 20th March to secure a place. Please email marketharboroughwi@gmail.com if you need any further information.

The days are getting longer and rumour has it that the wait for spring is nearly over… Here is what is in store for you at the Market Harborough WI in March:

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Allotment – In Hibernation

The Gardening Girls have now closed down the allotment until spring next year. There will be a few planning meetings (involving a decent amount of cake and tea for sure) in the next few months before meetings start again in spring every Monday (weather permitting) from 2pm (until we run out of steam…). If you would like to join in next season please contact Julie at Jusellars1960@gmail.com 

Craft Club – 6th March

The Craft Club will be meeting at 7pm at the Congregational Church in Bowden Lane on the first floor to try their hands at Diamond Painting.

All materials to make a coaster each will be provided at a cost of £ 3.50. Participants should bring some jam jar lids or similar to keep the little diamonds in while working on the coaster. If you would like to join the MHWI Craft Club, please contact Fiona at fegraham1@gmail.com

International Womens Day – 8th March

Walking Group – in Hibernation

The Walking Group is currently in hibernation, but has been working on the schedule of walks for the coming season. Watch this space! If you would like to join the group, please email Fiona at f_tomlin@sky.com

Book Club – 19th March

The Book Angels Book Club will be meeting at the Three Swans at 2.30pm. The book of the month is What a Way to Go by Bella Mackie.

Please contact Valerie at vhitchcox50@hotmail.com if you would like to join.

MHWI Monthly Meeting – 26th March

Get ready for a lesson in Victorian Afternoon Tea Etiquette by Baroness Bolsover at the Church Hall in Fairfield Road at 7.30pm.

Her Ladyship will be talking about this quintessentially English tradition and teach us how to mind our Ps and Qs – training which we can then put into practice straight away with a range of refreshments provided.

And if you are not a member of the Market Harborough WI yet why not take the opportunity and join us to see if you like what we do?

Annual Council Meeting – 29th March

This year’s ACM of the Leicestershire & Rutland Federation will be held at the Leicester Grammar School. The programme is available here. Tickets have to be ordered in advance – please speak to Fiona Tomlin to check if any are still available.

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We’ll be updating the ‘Dates for the Diary’ post on a regular basis, so keep an eye on the website for the latest news. Or you can subscribe by entering your email address below and you will be send the latest news automatically:

You have been sent this message because you are following the website of the Market Harborough Womens Institute. If you no longer wish to do so, please click here to unsubscribe.

And before you know it, the first month of the year is aleady half gone… Here are the Dates for your Diaries for the coming month. As always – please send an email to marketharboroughwi@gmail.com if you would like to join any event or group that you are not yet a member of.

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Allotment – In Hibernation

The Gardening Girls have now closed down the allotment until spring next year. There will be a few planning meetings (involving a decent amount of cake and tea for sure) in the next few months before meetings start again in spring every Monday (weather permitting) from 2pm (until we run out of steam…). If you would like to join in next season please contact Julie at Jusellars1960@gmail.com 

Craft Club – 6th February

The Craft Club will be meeting at 7pm at the Congregational Church in Bowden Lane on the first floor to make wine bottle lights from empty wine bottles.

Participants should bring a bottle with the labels removed and a pair of sharp scissors. Everything else will be provied. Costs for the session are £1.50 per bottle kit and £ 3,- per person for the room hire. If you would like to join the MHWI Craft Club, please contact Fiona at fegraham1@gmail.com

Walking Group – 16th February

The Walking Group is currently in hibernation, but is holding their annual planning meeting a Delight (the Turkish Restaurant in Market Harborough) on the 16th February at noon. If you would like to join the group, please email Fiona at f_tomlin@sky.com

Book Club – 19th February

The Book Angels Book Club will be meeting at the Three Swans at 2.30pm. The book of the month is The Vegetarian by Hang Kang. Please contact Valerie at vhitchcox50@hotmail.com if you would like to join.

MHWI Monthly Meeting – 26th February

This month we will have a talk about sausage making as well as a cheese tasting session at the Church Hall in Fairfield Road at 7.30pm with Jill of Bridge 67 in Kibworth . 

And if you are not a member of the Market Harborough WI yet why not take the opportunity and join us to see if you like what we do?

* * * * * *

We’ll be updating the ‘Dates for the Diary’ post on a regular basis, so keep an eye on the website for the latest news. Or you can subscribe by entering your email address below and you will be send the latest news automatically:

You have been sent this message because you are following the website of the Market Harborough Womens Institute. If you no longer wish to do so, please click here to unsubscribe.

Just a quick reminder, that our monthly meeting is coming up on Wednesday, 22nd January!

Join us at the Church Hall in Fairfield Road from 7.30pm for an evening of all things Wellness. We have a fabulous line-up of consultants from Manor Walk Wellness

There is Laura, who is a holistic massage therapist. She’ll be joined by Tracy, an aestethics nurse, Sarah a naturopathic food nutritionalist and Jo, who specialises in Hypnotherapy. We’ll also have Mary – an accupuncturist, Iwona, who is a beauty therapist and Izzy, who’s speciality is massages. They will all talk to us in small groups and offer some demonstrations as well. This promises to be a really informative evening to get us all on track to start our wellbeing journey into 2025. 

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

If you are interested in what the Market Harborough WI is up to, keep an eye on the website for the latest news. Or you can subscribe by entering your email address below and you will be send the latest news automatically:

You have been sent this message because you are following the website of the Market Harborough Womens Institute. If you no longer wish to do so, please click here to unsubscribe.