SULLY WI met on September 3, at the start of a busy month. Members and visitors were welcomed and informed about forthcoming events. Everyone agreed that the Garden Party in July had been a wonderful occasion that had been enjoyed by all. As it had been so successful, Liz Marsh very kindly offered to host a garden party again in 2015, to which we look forward with eager anticipation.

The speaker for what turned out to be an enthralling and informative evening was Helen Jones, on Life with the London Met Murder Squad. After qualifying as a teacher in 1977, when there were far more teachers than teaching jobs, Helen worked as a supply teacher for two years. Finding herself out of work, she decided to join the Metropolitan Police, despite her mother’s displeasure! Training at Hendon Police College was followed by six years covering the Chelsea area of London, where her experiences ranged from the pleasurable, such as meeting Douglas Fairbanks Jr, to the indescribably awful experience standing on the steps of a nearby police station when the Hyde Park nail bomb went off, just three months after she joined the police.

After a few years, Helen was encouraged to join the Murder Squad. She informed us that this is not at all as it is portrayed in television dramas (with the exception of Prime Suspect); took us through the procedure which is followed using HOLMES – Home Office Large Major Enquiry System and presented us with a fictional witness “statement”, leading us to match “facts” to HOLMES Lists, as would be done during an actual murder enquiry. She spoke briefly about a few of the cases in which she had been involved, varying from the straightforward to those that required months of painstaking and emotionally exhausting work. Having completed her thirty years’ service, Helen now enjoys her well-earned retirement.

Winners of the ACWW competition: “A Legal Item” were: first Sylvia Hewlett and Kathy Jones, second Barbara Sadler and Adrienne Jones. The raffle was won by Vera Soane and Adrienne Jones.

At the mid-month meeting on September 17 we enjoyed a “Knit and Natter Session”. While members knitted squares to be made into baby blankets for our ongoing contributions to the charity “Life for African Mothers”, Eunice Grove told us about her involvement with TWAM’s Scholar Pack Project. We were then joined by Sara Head, the local Paralympic Bronze Medal Table Tennis Champion whose career we have followed avidly since 2012. Sara recently returned from the World Championships in China and spoke entertainingly about the team’s experiences. We presented her with a cheque as a donation towards her preparations for the qualifying events leading to the Rio Olympics.

Sully WI also organised the Craft and Cookery sections of the highly successful Sully Village Show on September 13. Many thanks to everyone who entered such skilfully made items in both sections and congratulations to the winners.

Sully WI meets on the first and third Wednesday each month at 7.30pm in the Old School. New members are always welcome. The meeting on October 1 is about the history of the Welsh Food Industry. For more information please telephone Liz on 029 20530887."