Tea & Tents

August 01, 2016 Balham WI 0 Comments

Tea & Tents is a camping festival weekend run by WI members and for WI members at Walesby Forest in Nottinghamshire. It's an unofficial event, not sponsored by NFWI, but completely created by wonderful and creative members.
From 22 - 25 July, Heléne and Laura Sh. headed north for a fabulous few days surrounded by 500+ other WI ladies. This was the 3rd year for the event and the 1st time Wandsworth WI members were able to attend  - the 500+ tickets went on sale in February and sold out in less than 25 minutes!
Camp was set up and themed in a flamingo/tropical theme.  We didn't win the Best Dressed Campsite award - that went to a lady who brought a king sized bed & bedroom set! - but we thought it was pretty fun.
The weekend was filled with all sorts of activities, workshops, contests, and ways to get involved.  Some of the many options to choose from included: sewing up cute felt vegetable brooches, a recorder choir, axe throwing & archery, a talent contest, a bake off, candle making, retirement planning, Zumba, rock climbing, a makers' market, cooking workshops, a massive yarnbombed wartime allotment garden, sewing competition, hot tubbing, book group, and so much more! It was a jam-packed weekend full of WI magic. Laura entered Earl Grey shortbread biscuits into the baking competition and Heléne entered the decorated sunglasses competition - and came in 2nd place with her moss-covered miniature mountaineer glasses.
The T&T team are taking a year off, but we hope that in 2018 Wandsworth WI will have an even larger representation at the event.  It was so much fun to meet women of all ages from all over England, Wales, & the islands and share our love of this wonderful organisation.