Next Meeting: Saturday 7 May 2022 at 12 noon at New Longton Village Hall

Our next meeting is at 12 noon at New Longton Village Hall on Saturday, 7 May 2022.  This will be a meeting for us to make lace and chat.  Remember that we shall also have the 'All our own work' display.  Please bring any items of your work, lace and other crafts, to put on the display table.

If you are interested in lace but not a member, why not come along to the meeting and see what we do.  Members normally bring their own lunch and a cup for a hot drink, though spare cups are available.  Hot drinks and biscuits are provided and there are shops locally if you need to buy lunch. You will be made very welcome. 

Next Meeting: Saturday 2 April 2022 at 12 noon, New Longton Village Hall

Many thanks to all members attending and contributing to the AGM.  Particular thanks to those who have taken on roles on the committee and supporting the committee in the work of the group.  We still need a Vice-Chairman, so could members please consider whether they could help in this role.

Our next meeting takes place on 2 April 2022 at New Longton Village Hall from 12 noon until 4.00 pm.  It is another chance to get together and chat.  We now have a programme secretary, who aims to put together a programme of events for the next two years.  If you have any suggestions for events you would like to see included, please contact Christine on telephone 01772 339913 or by email: prestonlacemakers@yahoo.com.  Similarly, if you provide workshops or talks with a lace theme and would be interested in coming to Preston Lacemakers, please get in touch.

Next Meeting Saturday 5 February 2022 at 12:00 noon

Happy New Year to all

Our next meeting will be held at New Longton Village Hall on Saturday 5 February at 12:00 noon.  

June Ward's friend, Julie, will be bringing June's lace and craft items to the meeting for members to purchase by way of donation to charity.  We are also having the Felts Forever workshop which was postponed from November.

If you are interested in lace and would like to come to the meeting as a visitor, please bring your own food and a cup.

Next Meeting: Saturday, 4 December at 12 noon at New Longton Village Hall

Our next meeting will take place at New Longton Village Hall at 12 noon on 4 December 2021.  Betsy the Scullery Maid (Joanne Halliwell), will be joining us at 1.30 pm to describe her interesting and amusing life at the big house.  Andrea will also give her Dorset button workshop again.  Whilst Andrea will bring everything required, it would be helpful if those wishing to participate could bring basic sewing equipment, including crewel or tapestry needles, scissors and thread.  Embroidery thread is suggested.

Anyone attending is asked to bring their own lunch.  Hot drinks will be available as usual.  If you wish to participate in the secret Santa, remember to bring a wrapped gift to the value of £5.00.

It has been wonderful to be able to get together again and I look forward to seeing you all at the December meeting.

Next Meeting: Saturday 4 September 2021 in person at New Longton Village Hall

Hope everyone is looking forward to meeting up in person again and at our new venue:

New Longton Village Hall

Boundary Close
New Longton
Preston
PR4 4BD

Please note the new start time of 12 noon. 

The venue advises that there will be hand sanitiser by the entrance and also in our meeting room on the table near the fire exit. 

There'll be a signing in sheet, so you may wish to bring your own pen if you don't want to use the communal one. 

Given the ongoing pandemic and the fact that there's likely to be a lot going on because we've not had a physical meeting for 18 months, there won't be a sales table or a raffle at this first meeting.

The kitchen will be available for use and tea/coffee/milk/biscuits will be provided as usual. We suggest you bring your own mug. 

For the comfort and safety of everyone, we recommend wearing a facemask (if you can) when moving around the hall/building and maintaining social distancing where possible.  For anyone who's slightly nervous about coming, the hall is plenty large enough to allow everyone enough space.

There'll be disinfectant spray and cloths available and we'd be grateful if you would wipe your table and seat down before putting them away. 

It would be helpful if you would inform the secretary if you'll be joining us on 4th September so we have an idea of numbers expected.  She can be contacted on prestonlacemakers@yahoo.com. 

Please inform any former members or any potential new members who may wish to visit us and to see the Village Hall. 

The committee is really looking forward to welcoming as many as possible on the 4th September and having a long awaited catch up in person.

Change of Venue and Times of Meetings from 4 September 2021

As the Covid regulations require more space between people at meetings, the committee has successfully searched for a new venue.  It is hoped that we shall be able to meet together once again from Saturday, 4 September 2021 at New Longton Village Hall, Boundary Close, Off Chapel Lane, New Longton, Preston PR4 4BD.  There is a class in the hall in the morning, so meetings will now be held from 12 noon until 4pm.  You might also have seen the following message that Andrea, our Chairman, has posted in FaceBook:

Hi Everyone,

Katharine, my hubby Dave and I managed to relocate our library and supplies to our new venue this morning (Saturday 8th May). We have been made to feel so welcome by the Chairman (Bernard), at New Longton Village Hall and we are really excited to begin this new chapter for our meetings from Saturday 4th September. The meetings will be held from 12pm to 4pm and visitors will be most welcome. There will be further information during the summer re Covid-19 and what we will need to take into consideration going forward.

Here is a link to the village hall website, where you will find details of where to find us. There also some photographs.

If you have any questions please contact me.

Andrea

https://www.newlongtonvillagehall.co.uk/

Whilst it was great to see and speak to people using Zoom since lockdown, there is nothing like meeting up in person.  It will be lovely to see everyone again.

Update from the Chairman and next Zoom meeting 7 November 2020 at 13:00

On Sunday, 1 November, the secretary sent an email to members giving details of our next Zoom meeting at 1.00 pm on Saturday 7 November and including an update from the Chairman.  If any member has not received the email, please check your spam folder in the first instance and then contact the Chairman or Secretary.  The Chairman's update is given below, after the removal of some personal information.  Unfortunately the picture of Dorothy did not transfer, but members will see it in their emails.

Hello everyone.

I do hope that you are all keeping safe and well.

Who would have thought that we would still be in lockdown after all these months! Sadly, it doesn’t look promising for Christmas or the New Year. I am wondering what plans everyone has for Christmas?

We usually celebrate Christmas Day with either our son or daughter for lunch, then the other one for tea. Later, my husband’s family (around 30 of us) all crowd into his mum’s for games and pressies.

I have managed to make some lace over recent weeks… mostly finishing things bought at shows that I never got round to. Here is Dorothy … a design by Sue Clothier of Harlequin Lace. I am going to hang her on the Christmas tree.

It was lovely to see some of you at our last Zoom meeting and a few ideas were mooted to try and encourage more of you to join in. The pity is that the meetings are only 40 minutes long on the free version and the time passes so quickly. I was asked to consider finding a speaker for one of the meetings, but this would only be possible with a longer meeting.

With this in mind, I am proposing that we purchase a licence for a year to use Zoom for longer meetings. This would enable us to have more items of interest and give others more of an opportunity to chat. The cost is around £90, but would be good value for money if more of you were to join us, especially as we do not know how long this situation will carry on. It would be lovely to organize a speaker; show and tell and even a quiz!

If we purchase a licence, I would propose to do one or more training sessions for anyone who doesn’t feel confident enough to use Zoom. I could do these on a one to one basis or a small group. If you are interested, please contact me through the email or telephone details below and I will make arrangements.

Stay safe and well everyone and Happy Lacemaking.

Andrea Gaskell

Chairman

On behalf of PLM Committee.

07590116912

madwomanlace@gmail.com