We meet at Helsby Community Centre, Lower Robin Hood Lane, Helsby, Cheshire, WA6 0BU. There is a car park on site but the community centre shares this with the library and health centre (please don’t park in the car park for the apartments next door).
In January, March, May, July, September and November we meet from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm on the 2nd Saturday when we usually welcome a speaker and often a supplier, speakers normally start at 1:30 for a maximum of 1 hour.
In February, April, June, October and December we meet from 10.30 am to 3.00 pm on the 2nd Friday when we make lace, share ideas and chat. There is usually no meeting in August.
From our September 2024 meeting we are going to be trying out a teaching table at our meetings for the first hour or so of a meeting, this is aimed primarily at beginners. This recognises that all but one of the groups and clubs in our “catchment area” are currently self help groups where there may be a bit of help for beginners. This is the first of a number of initiatives the committee are currently looking at.
Our remaining 2024 meetings are:
- Friday 11th October – Lace and chat with Members sales table
- Saturday 9th November – Speaker: Tina Saunders on “An Embroiderer’s Tale”, Supplier: Eddy Faber
- Friday 13th December – Lace and chat with Members sales table
Our 2025 meetings are:
- Saturday 11 January – Speaker: Diane Deanne – The British Wool Board, Members Sales table
- Friday 14 February – Lace and chat with Members sales table
- Saturday 8 March – Speaker: A member of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection Team – Collection Showcase, Lace,. Supplier: Mainly Lace
- Friday 11 April – Lace and chat with Members sales table
- Saturday 10 May – AGM, Competition and FREE members friendship buffet lunch – Speaker: Sarah Thursfield – A Gentlewoman’s Wardrobe in 1624: The Goods of Margaret Birkenhead, Spinster, no supplier and no members sales
- Friday 13 June – Lace and chat with Members sales table
- Saturday 12 July – Speaker: Brenda Rewhorn – What to do with (Tatted) Lace, Supplier: Tatting and Design
- We don’t meet in August
- Saturday 13 September – Speaker: Vicky Williams – Elizabeth Hoare Collection of Ecclesiastical Embroidery, Supplier: Chris Parsons
- Friday 10 October – Lace and chat with Members sales table
- Saturday 8 November – Speaker: Fiona Smithson – Victorians Unbuttoned, Supplier: Cathy Pinnock
- Friday 12 December – Lace and chat with Members sales table
Our next AGM will be Saturday 10th May 2025. The competition theme will be lace that fill fit inside a 4 inch square or 4 inch cube, this is the lace itself not any frame, hanging or backing fabric. The committee have decided that our AGM next year will be the first of an AGM and Friendship Day and as our 40th anniversary buffet was so successful that we will have another buffet at the meeting, this will use the last of the money in the Ann Maybrey Fund so there will be nothing for members to pay towards the buffet.
Please bring your own mug, we will provide the tea, coffee and, of course, biscuits. Members will need to take all rubbish home with them.
We have an area were members can share what they have made since they last visited (we are looking forward to a very full display of your lockdown work very soon). Lies, our Librarian, will also have a selection of our library of books on display to tempt you, please make sure all borrowings are recorded before you borrow a book.
We always have a raffle at meetings. Our raffle queen, Muriel, will visit all tables with tickets, tickets are one per person with a minimum donation of 50p. Muriel is always looking for good quality contributions to our raffles (no tat please … although tatting is ok). To ensure everyone gets a choice of prizes we stop the raffle when there are three prizes left, prizes remaining will appear in a future N~CLG raffle.
Non NCLG members are very welcome to join us at any of our meetings.