Best sausage rolls in the show by Betty Osborne received compliments but no silver cup at the annual Arts & Crafts Show, held at the Welfare Hall.

Members entered items with enthusiasm in the 18 classes. The demanding task of judging was the responsibility of Kate Hutchinson and Rosemary Webber. There was knitting and needlecraft, photography and calligraphy, preserves and cookery, plus an interesting and varied miscellaneous craft class. These entries included a string operated puppet with an unrecognisable paper mache face, a delightful modern designed brooch using metallic green, red and yellow threads, an unseasonal Christmas cracker, and in shades of blue a fancy yarn knitted scarf.

The item which took everyone’s eye was the ragging worked brooch. Some folk remember ragging during the War. For 1/- (one shilling) or maybe 6d (six pence) we bought a hessian sac (without is contents of grain or potatoes), then gave it a good wash and airing. Next, we found some old clothes (no donations to charity shops in those days) – vests, skirts or shirts and cut them into strips all the same length and width. With a poke, a push and a pull the strips were put though the hessian to produce a hardwearing rug – really useful in the kitchen but mother would not have put it into the front parlour So, by the same method around a button sewn centrally on a circle of hessian, lots of strips were inserted to produce a strikingly simple flower head. Was it a daisy? It was red fabric so more like a poppy. Attach a safety pin and maybe it was not a corsage for wearing at daughter’s wedding but it was an emblematic badge or attractive unique accessory.

Master chef baking standard won by Pam Seabridge the Cookery Cup with her consistent high marks for heavy cake, shortbread, sausage rolls, Victoria sponge and the Cornish Pasty. Kathryn Hodge was a double cup winter. She won the Arts & Craft section with the knitted items and photographs then topped this with her cookery to become the Overall Winner of the Show. Calligraphy is natural to some, other struggled for consistency with their handwriting; some tried italic style – ten marks out of ten for Margaret Whibley; for others it was almost copperplate whereas others produced honest joined-up legible text for the set task: My young man’s a Cornishman, He lives in Camborne town. I met him going up the hill, as I was coming down. Who wrote this? On April 2 members go to Truro for the Cornwall Federation of Women’s Institutes Spring Countdown meeting. Next meeting in Penryn is at the Welfare Hall on Wednesday, April 16, 2pm with Easter Cookery and a competition for the best painted egg. For more details contact Margaret Williams on 01326 373314.