2011 PROGRAMME

Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month, at the Holiday Inn, Bridgefoot,
Stratford upon Avon, unless otherwise stated. Arrive from 7pm to sign in, grab a glass of wine
or a cup of tea/coffee, ready to be seated for a prompt meeting start at 7.30pm.

January  - Oli Hyatt, Blue Zoo Animation
Direct from BAFTA winning animation company Blue Zoo, Oli will be joining us to share his experiences of setting up his own animation company, writing and producing television shows and his passion for keeping children's television relevant. So if you've ever wondered how those whizzy looking animations end up on the screen in your living room, come along to find out!

February    - Jessica Lindon, Fabric Brooches
We're delighted to welcome to Jessican Lindon to our Febraury meeting. Jessica is passionate about traditional crafts and (following our recent vote on which craft we wanted to learn!) she will be teaching us how to make our very own fabric brooches. Come along to pick up a new skill and make something fabulous to show off to your friends!

March  - Kitten von Mew, Burlesque Artist
At our March meeting we will be joined by fabulous burlesque artist and 1940s pin up Kitten von Mew. As a nationally renowned performer, and local favourite, Kitten will be returning to WILS following her hugely successful involvement with our 2010 Pin Up Calendar. Kitten will be sharing her extensive vintage costume collection with us, modelling some of her incredible pieces and giving us all n insight into her life as a performer.

April - Cupcakes - Venue Stratford Civic Hall
This month you will have the opportunity to learn how to make the perfect cupcakes. Then we will be shown different ways to decorate them before everyone gets the chance to decorate their own cupcakes and stamp their individuality onto them.

May   - Hogan's Cider - Venue Welcombe Hotel
In the UK we consume over one billion pints of cider every year and it is enjoying a real resurgence. We are very fortunate that Allen Hogan from Hogan's Cider in Alcester will be joining us to explain how their ciders and perries are made from only the freshest pressed English apples and pears, no sugars are added prior to fermentation and no apple or pear juice concentrate is used. A totally natural process.

June - Nest Jewellery - The Falcon Hotel
Designing the jewellery you have always wanted couldn’t be easier. Zoe and Kate from Nest are going to inspire you so that you can create a design from start to finish. You will also have the opportunity to see the beautiful selection of gemstones that they use and see how each one is graded. This is a rare opportunity to be able to play with diamonds, sapphires and other precious stones.

July - John the Hoop Guy! - The Falcon Hotel
Tonight we are going back to our childhood. John the Hoop guy will be entertaining us with the history of hoops and the benefits of hooping. Hooping is sociable, it helps promote fitness, assists in weight control, and can be a fun way to exercise. It also strengthens your back, by exercising your core muscles that surround your spine. John will then let us loose with his hoops for a chance to have some fun and learn how to use them, something I’ve not done since I was at school!

August - The SK:n Clinic - Venue The Holiday Inn
This month we have Sophie Reading from Sk:n Clinics coming with her team of professional consultants to talk to us about the effects of the sun on our skin, sun damaged skin and advise us of the preventative measures and treatments available.  Everyone will be offered a free skin consultation using a special dermo analyzer which scans key areas of the face which shows the level of sun damage and help identify areas for action. Sophie’s team will also demonstrate some of their anti-aging treatments and treatments for scarring and age spots.

September - Charity Fashion Show & Shopping Experience
Venue - Stratford Civic Hall
We will have some of your favourite clothes and lingere boutiques showing off their new Autumn/Winter collections. If that wasn't enough we will also have a variety of local retailers offering you a wide selection of interesting and unusual gifts, so you should have no difficulty finding something that catches your eye. And with Christmas just around the corner it is never to early to start your shopping whilst also supporting some of Stratford WI Lite & Warwick Hospital's Breast Unit.

October - Silk Painting + AGM - Stratford Manor Hotel
We are delighted to welcome Mary Day who will be teaching us how to paint on silk and have the opportunity to turn our creations into a greetings card or gift. Mary usually teaches in her studio in the beautiful costwold town of Chipping Camden and she is also a tutor at Denman College.

November - Choosing Wines for Christmas - Civic Hall
Struggling to team your Tempranillo with your Turkey and your Sangiovese with your Stuffing then come and hear how the professionals match the perfect wines to Christmas meals and events! Christmas Lunch is a notoriously difficult meal to match with wines, so why not come and learn a few tips. Lindsay Poole of Wine Poole, Independent Fine Wines, based in Warwick, will explain the fundamentals of food and wine pairing plus choosing ideal wines for drinks parties.

December - Experience Chocolate Ltd - Venue Civic Hall
We are fortunate to have Simon Read of Experience Chocolate Limited to whisk us away into the world of chocolate. Simon will demonstrate the true art of tempering chocolate and share his skills to create luxury handmade chocolates. He will explain about what chocolate actually is taking us through the process from cocoa bean to truffle - soon chocolate lab jargon like refining and conching, roasting, cracking and winnowing will all make sense and you'll know your Criollo from your Forastero cocoa beans. A chocolate fountain will be running throughout the experience for you to indulge in and a the end of the demonstration members will have an opportunity to sample one of Simon’s fabulous Belgian truffle chocolates.