SWEET TALK: President Hazel Shell welcomed 24 members and two guests to the meeting of Alnwick Centre WI, which was held in the Costello Centre, Bailiffgate, on Thursday, June 11.
The speaker was Lynn Oxley from Oxley's of Morpeth makers of hand made chocolates and chocolate celebration cakes.
Mrs Oxley prefaced her demonstration with talk on the qualities of chocolate, mentioning the subtleties of flavour of different var
ieties. She explained that chocolate was unpredictable and ideally should be used for cooking in a cool controlled temperature.
While Mrs Oxley made truffles, she invited members to smell and taste the chocolate and filling, which they did, with murmurs of appreciation.
She also demonstrated the use of chocolate transfers, while elusive smells of chocolate and peppermint wafted round the room.
She was thanked for her enjoyable talk and lively demonstration by Mrs Rosemary Lee.
The truffles were delicious.
Mrs Susan Frater gave a report of her visit to the National Federation AGM in the Albert Hall.
She gave a brief synopsis of the talks given by the celebrity guest speakers and urged other members to consider offering to attend the AGM as a delegate.
Members discussed the forthcoming visit to Paxton House on August 13 and a proposed afternoon outing to Belford on July 3, which it was hoped would be the first of a series of local outings.
Notices of future meetings and venues were also circulated to members of the Institute book club.
The competition for the evening was won by Mrs Sylvia Taylor, with a delicately-worked illustration on black card, of Walter de la Mare's poem 'Silver'.
The speaker at next month's meeting on July 9, will be Alison Marsh, from Bomb Cosmetics.
