Following our recent – and at times hilarious - Committee meeting, there are a number of items you may wish to take note of:

Friday November 6^th will be our AGM. Please come, it is never boring and we need to know how you would like the Club to continue for the next 12 months. We would prefer you not to bring your wheels, knitting is fine.

Members will receive a separate notice regarding the AGM.

Friday December 18^th will be the last meeting before Christmas (mince pies will be provided) and we restart on January 8^th with the Christmas Party the following week, January 15^th. This will follow the usual format of drinks being provided by the Club and food a plate of something sweet or savoury from each person. There will probably be the usual Lucky Dip – this will be discussed at the AGM. Perhaps at the last meeting of the year we could have a display of items produced during the year, even if it is only a skein of wool…

This year’s Competition – to be judged at the Party – is to dress a peg doll. You can hand your entry in early if you wish. Jan has some pegs and I think I do too, somewhere…

We have yet to receive our official invitation to Cheddleton’s Advent Gathering, but it is on Saturday, December 5^th and the present intention is to go by minibus with Jenny driving.

Apropos of this – we made a loss on the visit to Devon through not having a full bus. The minibus is not a cheap way of travelling but it is convenient for people who do not wish to travel in their own cars. Your Committee feels that, in future, bookings will have to be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit. Whereas the Club is not in financial straits we cannot afford to subsidise outings.

We have received a suggestion that we hold another tabletop sale to make up for the shortfall from the Devon trip. We will probably wait until the Spring when the number of members attending is higher.

Suggestions are welcome for future mini workshops, outings and day workshops. Let us have your ideas at the AGM. So far we have considered Dorset buttons with beads, silk painting, netting, inkle weaving. Visit ideas include the Derbyshire Rare Breeds farm again, Griffiths Mill at Sudbury, Jewellery Quarter Museum, Willow weaving…

Tea Rota We have 17 individuals or couples on the membership list, if everyone did it just 3 times a year, some would not be on duty 4 or 5 times.

Exhibitions etc. From now until November 21^st there are Quilts on show at Walsall Museum

Wolverhampton Embroiderers’ Guild "Autumn Delights" at Bilston Craft Gallery 17^th October to 14^th November (plus the shop) and at the same venue, Bilston Craft Gallery’s Textile Group – "Winter", from 21^st November to 19th December.

Next year, we anticipate being asked back to Middleton Hall at Easter, Bloxwich in August and New Hall Mill, but there will be no Lichfield Festival in 2010. Also, as Jane said, there is always the Sandwell Shearing Day. If you were not there, you could not conceive the extent to which we were ignored!

Betty Fox, Secretary