Royal Cornwall Show: Thursday 6-Saturday 8 June
The arrangements are in full swing for the Royal Cornwall Show and we have only a few days to go before we begin organising our WI marquee at the showground.
Pam Selley, CFWI Vice-Chair, is the amazing co-ordinator of this whole event and leads the organising team. She is busy with spreadsheets and contacts and starts the process of sourcing a marquee and equipment during the previous November.
The Events Team, led by Mary Venn, does a wonderful job setting up a fully equipped kitchen with utilities and arranging the fixtures and fittings, chairs and tables, along with the stalls which are run by the various sub-committees. The safety of everyone in the marquee, whether workers or visitors, is a priority and a risk assessment has been completed and approved.
Pam orders all the refreshments, consisting of a variety of cakes, scones, jam and cream and flapjacks, along with the beverages and numerous other items. The delicious food will be set out on the opening day ready for the hungry and thirsty visitors who come along in their droves to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere. The tables look so quintessentially attractive with tablecloths and flowers along with the china crockery, a feature that is often remarked on by the visitors. Bunting and pennants decorate the tent and a beautiful flower display welcomes all the visitors.
In February we ask members for help as volunteers or tea stewards because, without your assistance, this event would not happen. Our helpers work as a team in the kitchen area, making and serving the tea, clearing tables and washing up. Volunteers help anywhere they are needed and we ask that everyone is flexible in either role so we can manage the throughput of visitors in a safe way.
The other end of the marquee is set aside for the superb competition entries created by our members, the WI Shop, a beautiful craft stall, books and raffle and a willow demonstration by Emma Scott. Access to sub-committee members and Board Trustees is available, as we all attend as many days as we can.
As members of WIs ourselves we all have roles to play in putting on this showcase occasion. It is a great opportunity to reach out to other women and tell them about the WI and raise our profile. Helen Kestle, Chair of CFWI, recently recorded a podcast where we talked about the RCS; this will be available very soon on Spotify and on the CFWI YouTube channel.
So all we need now is some summer sunshine and we look forward to meeting new people and catching up with friends. Do come along and see us. We are Stand 288, near The Pavilion.
You will be assured of a warm welcome.