The darker evenings of autumn are here, but hopefully Retford Mayflower WI members will continue to enjoy the meetings, catch up with friends, find a new book, and sign up for county-organised events if they appeal. One member experienced an exciting adventure in August, soaring upwards from the Darlton Gliding Club and enjoying views of local villages and countryside from a unique perspective.
At the September meeting, members welcomed Sue Smith, who until recently ran 7th Heaven Hedgehog Rescue. Sue now plans to rebrand as a sanctuary and continues to care for eleven hedgehogs, including eight disabled ones who thrive in her garden.
Hoglets are born blind and deaf with white spines showing on their first day. The mother provides colostrum containing antibodies to give them resistance to disease. Sue has received babies as small as 50g, which need to be raised to 500-550g before they can be released into the wild.
Male hedgehogs expel all their hormones before hibernating from September to March, while females begin hibernating in October. Males wake up earlier to build up their food reserves in preparation for mating. It was a fascinating talk.
On Sunday 22nd September, there was a successful litter pick around the streets of the town, with nine adults and five children participating. The event was followed by breakfast at Wetherspoons. It was also great to see everyone wearing their new hi-vis vests, making them look official!
The annual meeting of the branch took place in October, with the President and committee members duly elected. A ‘sweetie’ quiz added some fun to the proceedings.
On Wednesday 13th November, a food tasting will be held, kindly organised by one of the committee members. The Christmas tree is ready for the festival at St Swithun’s, and WI members will once again be running the Buttermarket Cafe on Sunday 24th November – lots of events to look forward to!
Mayflower WI always welcomes visitors to their meetings, which take place at 7.30pm at Stephen House on Chapelgate on the second Wednesday of the month. Go along and see if the group is just what you are looking for!