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Past Events 2019

Page Index

                                 

 

                                         2019

29/01/19  Bespoke Chocolate Workshop

02/02/19 BBWI Quiz Evening. Our sponsored Charity "CRY"

27/03/19  Bespoke Chocolate Workshop  "Chocolate Truffles"

18/04/19 Decorations made from recycled aluminium

09/05/19 Mary Quant Exhibition 

15/06/19 Bookham Village Day

18/06/19 Bookham Village Quiz Evening

30/06/19 Hever Castle

20/07/19 &7 10/08/19 Dorking Caves

06/08/19 Paper Folding

06/09/19 Gin Kitchen Dorking

17/10/19 Appletree Studio

21/11/19 Charity Christmas Shopping Evening

8/12/19 Christmas at Kew

9/12/19 Bespoke Christmas Wreath Making

16/12/19 Christmas Monthly Meeting & 5th Birthday

              Bespoke Chocolate Workshop 29.01.19

Six Butterflies went to IIdiko's Artisan Chocolate Shop on Bookham High Street on Tuesday 29th January for an evening workshop.

 

The shop is run by IIdiko and Tamas, a lovely Hungarian couple who decided to make a business out of IIdiko's  hobby of making chocolate. The business started small, making chocolates for friends and family at home, then in a friend's Weybridge cafe to running stalls at market/food fairs. Now they have their Bookham shop and online business.

 

The six of us were given a glass of Prosecco as a welcome, whilst Tamas gave us a short introduction on chocolate. Then we poured chocolate into rectangular moulds and decorated them with dried fruits and nuts and other decorations. Then we learnt to temper chocolate, which we then piped into various shapes and designs including lollipops onto a large  plastic mat. Once the chocolate had been in the fridge, we then packed our creations into proper packaging to take home.

We had a wonderful evening and we would like to say a huge thank you to Tamas and IIdiko for a lovely evening.

Gillian Micklewright

                     BBWI Quiz Evening 02.02.19

On a cold night in February the Bookham Butterflies WI and their guests turned out in force for a charity quiz night. The teams named after Butterflies, found on the local common battled it out with seven rounds of questions and two table rounds. From the amount of noise coming from the hall everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The teams were lulled into a false sense of security with a very easy opening question about colour. It was a very close fought fight to the end with 5 teams jostling for the exclusive first place. Well done to Speckled Wood who came out on top at the end of the evening, by just two points ahead of Purple Emperor. As in previous years delicious piping hot fish and chips were served half way through the evening by Michael's Chip Shop.

A raffle was also held with prizes donated by Bookham Businesses, a big thank you to Carolina's, Ken Davey, The Vineries, Rawlings & Kensett ( a wonderful Beef Wellington) Di Carlo's and IIdiko. All profit from the evening will be going to CRY- cardiac Risk in the Young - a local charity in Leatherhead. CRY works to prevent sudden cardiac death in the young through awareness,screening and supporting affected families. The grand total we raised for them was £ 514.05.

A huge thank you to our Quiz Masters Linda & Warren Rockett for another enjoyable evening.

                     Bespoke Chocolate Workshop

                                Chocolate Truffles

                                        27.03.19

                     BBWI Craft Evening 02.04.19

On Thursday 18th April, eight Butterflies did a can decorating course run by Sarah Betts from Granary Crafts. We made decorations from recycled aluminium drinks cans ( coke and diet coke cans are the best to use) We used templates of sea creatures and Sarah showed us how to cut the aluminium from the cans and then use the templates. We then used a variety of colours to decorate them and Sarah showed us how to create effects with the aluminium by adding raised lines and dots to decorate the sea creatures. We also indulged in tea and Easter Cakes made by Sarah. We all felt quite creative by the end and it was a fun evening and a big thank you to Jill for hosting the evening and to Sarah for suppling all materials, teaching us and for her wonderful cakes.

Gillian Micklewright

                    Mary Quant Exhibition 09.05.19

Bookham Butterflies had a fab visit to the V & A for the Mary Quant Exhibition. It was very nostalgic to see the amazing clothes we all aspired to wear in our youth! Thanks Linda for organising tickets.

Trudy Price

                    Bookham Village Day 15.06.19

              Bookham Village Quiz Evening 18.06.19

Bookham Butterflies were once again delighted to enter a team in the Village Week Quiz, at the Old Barn Hall. Eighteen teams took part, from a wide variety of local organisations. We answered eight rounds of questions on subjects as wide-ranging as Sport and Games, TV and Film, and Under the Sea, plus two "table rounds". One contained a number of tricky anagrams and crypic questions, the answers to some of which were local places, within 2 miles of the Barn Hall ( Clue: "Judi Dench,mid twenties" Answer: "M25". Brilliant!) In the other table round, we had to identify a series of famous dogs! Our joker was played - relatively successfully- on the Food and Drink round. The Butterflies team eventually finished in fourth place, just ten points behind the winners, the National Women's Register. The NWR will now organise next year's Village Week Quiz. As ever, the Butterflies team enjoyed a wonderful, fun evening, in a packed Barn Hall.

Jen Broh

                                                Hever Castle 30.06.19

The Butterflies and guests took a step back in time when they visited the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle ( a 13th cenntury double moated castle) and grounds on a beautiful June day during Hever's "Week in Bloom". A young lady dressed in a period costume of the Tudor times met us as we entered the castle. The interior was beautifully furnished, walls were covered in ornate wood paneling or heavy tapestries, and all rooms had the  most amazing flower displays. The 16th century Long Gallery had impressive heavy Tudor style restored embossing ( work carried out in the early 20th century) The house contains many fine paintings of Anne, Henry VIII and others, and in one room two prayer books belonged to Anne Boleyn ( both baring her signature) were on display.

The grounds and gardens were even more spectacular, all 125 acres of them. Butterflies, enjoyed the formal and not so formal gardens, walked around the restful lake some even were brave enough to go for a row on the huge lake, whilst others had a cheeky gin and tonic whilst watching the world go by.Those who walked around the lake came across areas swathed with wildflowers and benches to rest on and enjoy the tranquility. The formal gardens were a real delight - the smell of the  rose section, over 4,000 roses, was wonderful and certainly more than just a slight to behold. At the back of the main shop was a darkened room hosting a display of miniature houses that had been exquisitely dressed and made.

At Hever there was somrthing for everyone to take delight in-whether that involved trying your hand at archery, rowing or peddle boating, getting lost in the maze or wet from water sprays, or just taking in the sun rays with a picnic. A grand time was had by all.

Linda Rockett

                 Dorking ( South Street ) Caves 20/07/19 & 2/08/19

July saw the first of 2 Butterfly visits to the Dorking Caves. After our safety talk by one of our 3 guides ( all were very knowledgeable and charming ) we put on our hard hats and were allowed into the caves, which date back as far as the 17th century, but could even be older. Our entrance was beside the war memorial, the original entry was believed to be from the grounds of Butter Hill House. The caves are on 2 levels, and in great condition if not a little low in places. They were dug by hand using pickaxes - traces of the channeling can be seen in the roof. The first tunnel we entered was divided up into bins which stored wine, 700 bottles, right up until the early 1960's. Passing through another tunnel which used to store port in the past. We saw remains of very old broken glass bottles and some very fine pieces of early porcelain from China. We then made our way down several flights of stairs passing deep well shafts into what was called the mystery chamber - a small circular space with a bench around the edge cut out of the lower greensand stone. This was thought to be a secret meeting place,or a folly, no one knows for sure. Throughout the caves we saw extensive graffiti , mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries, but the oldest date recorded was from 1666.

Linda Rockett

                 Paper Folding Flowers Course 06.08.19

Last night, a small group of us did a paper folding flower course and our instructor was the lovely Sarah Betts from Granary Crafts.Sarah showed us first how to make paper roses, which we achieved after some mis-folding of the paper and getting sticky fingers from the glue. Next, we made the stunning and colourful six petal flowers and then we finished by making daffodils. The flowers look stunning but are quite easy to make. Sarah showed us her book of flowers which she had made using the same techniques she taught us. A very enjoyable and sticky fingered evening and a huge thank you to Sarah for a lovely evening complimented with her lovely cakes and a thank you to Jill for hosting.

Gillian Micklewright.

                                         Gin Kitchen Dorking 06.09.19

 

 

                                    The Butterflies once again go Gin sampling.

This time to the home of The Dorking Gin Kitchen. Our host George told us how two friends with a military background decided to make gin. Kate ( an engineer) was on a business trip to Paris when she heard on the radio about the popularity of gin and by the time she returned to Dorking she had decided that she and Helen ( a psychologist)should have a go at making it. The fun started with experimenting with flavours in a home kitchen and inviting friends over to sample ten varieties they had made. Their first,commercially produced in a small way was Gusty Monkey. It came about after a Dorking Butcher asked for a drink to go with a spicy chicken dish. It proved a hit in the local Dorking  pubs and stores when released in tim,e for Christmas 2016. The other was summer gin, Dancing Dragon tail  with the flavours of cardamon, grapefruit and orange. The gins popularity soon meant they ran out of space making gin in the kitchen. Now they are in their fourth location, a barn, and with two copper stills designed by the girls, named Dinky and Daisy. A third stainless steel still will go live soon . Currently they produce 60 bottles of gin a day and once the new still is in operation they will be making 400 bottles a day. Last September their latest Blushing Monkey Pink Gin hit the shelves. The time and effort spent on getting the flavour and smoothness correct is reflected in the gin, with the aim being to make a gin you can drink neat- a sign of a good gin. It takes 5 days to produce a bottle of gin and we sampled all three, first trying them neat and then with a splash of tonic. Then the big decision, which one to have as our main gin & tonic that evening. The group was lucky enough to meet and talk to Kate who told us that they still had many ideas for the future. These enterprising girls not only supply the Surrey are, but Fortnum & Mason, Singapore, Austria and California, we wish them well and much success going forward.

Linda Rockett

                                                Appletree Studio 17.10.19

 

 

                          

Christmas is Coming .... A group of Butterflies had another relaxing evening at The Appletree Studios painting ceramics, decorations or other items as Christmas gifts.After a refresher introduction from Liz the silence in the venue was amazing as we all concentrated on our particular piece of work and sipped prosecco. Quite a few hanging Father Christmas and Snowmen were painted along with mugs,coasters, spoon rests etc. Everyone enjoyed themselves and hopefully were pleased with their finished results.

Linda Rockett

                          Charity Christmas Shopping Evening 21.11.19

 

 A big thank you to everyone who came to support our first annual Charity Christmas Shopping Evening in aid of Home Start, a local and worthwhile charity.

Thank you to the Butterfly Committee for their help and support on the night manning the raffle, to our stall holders, our members and visitors. With your help we raised £260 from the raffle sales which was increased to £380 from a generous donation from Peter Eisenegger.

 

Season's Greetings.                       

 

                                                Christmas at Kew 8.12.19

 

 

Christmas has arrived! The Butterflies, with friends and partners flew in to see the Christmas illuminations at Kew Gardens on a dry but chilly Sunday evening. For some it started with hot drinks, Mulled Wine, Spiced Cider and Hot Chocolate, etc. We followed a well marked and easy to navigate trail that took us through various displays of changing light and foliage. Each area was themed with coloured lights shining up trees, cascades and curtain lighting at the treetop walkway, plus ribbons of changing light. Most impressive areas were the Tunnel of Light, Fire Garden, Tree Canopies and The Palm House Pond area with its jumping jets of water and lights in the mist of which you could see Santa driving his sleigh and also dancing snowmen.  Each area had music playing in the back ground, a mixture of classical or Christmas songs, some of which was synchronised with the lights changing colour. As we progressed there were lots of places to stop for drinks , snacks or meals, and and we could even toast marshmallows over an open fire pit.  It took around 2 hours to stroll through the gardens, before a visit to the shop, group photos and then our journey home. It was a magical evening.                   

Linda Rockett

                                   Christmas Wreath Making 9.12.19

 

 

Christmas has defiantly arrived when the Butterflies get together to make their door wreaths or table decorations for Christmas. Three sessions were run during the day and evening so as to maximise the opportunity for everyone to participate. As usual Cathy ( our crafting expert) produced hoards of wonderful items that we could use for our bespoke decorations.Everyone enjoys the couple of hours of creative making in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere away from the everyday hustle and bustle of Bookham life.

Linda Rockett

                                     Christmas Monthly Meeting & 5th Birthday

                                                       16.12.19

 

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