Brandsby WI

18/05/2026

Three of us enjoyed a fabulous circular walk from Oulston, returning via Husthwaite and passing Beacon Alpacas along the way. The rain kindly held off for most of the walk, allowing us to make the most of the wonderful countryside views stretching across the landscape.

Along the route, we discovered several newly installed benches in perfect vantage points, ideal for resting and soaking in the scenery. Each bench featured beautiful carved birds, adding an extra touch of character and charm to the experience.

We passed lovely homesteads and saw plenty of domestic and wild animals, including alpacas, lambs, skylarks, chiffchaffs and yellowhammers. A particular highlight was spotting our first orange-spotted butterflies of the year — always a welcome sign of the changing season.

Combined with good companionship and plenty of fresh country air, it was an all-round enjoyable outing and a lovely reminder of just how fortunate we are to have such beautiful local countryside on our doorstep.

18/05/2026

12/05/2026

On Tuesday 14th July, Brandsby WI are hosting a wonderful Taste of Italy wine tasting evening, which will be led by John Butterwick.

Our meetings are usually for members, with visiting ladies warmly invited along, but for this special event we’re opening the doors to all wine lovers, friends, partners, neighbours and anyone who enjoys good company and a glass of wine 🍷🍷🍷

We would love you to join us at 7.30pm, at Brandsby Village Hall on the 14th July. A donation of £9 per person would be very much appreciated.

And because we firmly believe wine tasting should be enjoyed responsibly, our Village Hall has a large car park where you are very welcome to leave your car safely overnight – especially if you become very enthusiastic about sampling the wines!

To make sure there’s plenty of cheer to go around, booking is essential, to do this please WhatsApp Carol on 07989 529 585

10/05/2026

Seven of us recently enjoyed a glorious day out at Kiplin Hall under a cloudless sky! ☀️

We were fascinated by the hall’s rich history and the many artefacts on display, brought to life by the wonderfully knowledgeable guides in each room. We also loved exploring the beautiful grounds, where the geese and goslings were an added delight. 🪿

And of course, no WI day out would be complete without coffee and cake, followed by a delicious lunch enjoyed in the sunshine and the best of company! 🍰☕🥗

A truly lovely day all round.

02/04/2026

We love welcoming visitors to our WI, and you’re warmly invited to join us on 14th April, when we will be hosting local photographer John Illingworth.

John has been making photographs for most of his life and, over the past 25 years, has been fortunate enough to document his travels through the lens of a camera. For him, photography is more than just a hobby—it’s a way of seeing, of slowing down, and of connecting with the places he visits.

Over the last decade, John has returned time and again to Scandinavia and the Arctic. Last August, he and his wife Fiona set off on what would become one of their most memorable journeys.

Through a collection of still images and video, John will share a snapshot of that adventure. While he says it’s impossible to capture everything they experienced, he hopes to convey the atmosphere, beauty, and sense of adventure that defined those three months.

We do hope you can join us:

Brandsby Village Hall
14th April 2026
7:20pm

There is no formal charge, but a donation of £4.50 would be very welcome.

15/03/2026

At our April meeting, we were delighted to welcome our new President, Lynette Kilty. Lynette has been a valued member of Brandsby WI since moving to the village seven years ago and has played an active role in the life of the group during that time.

The photograph of our new President may not be quite what you might expect in a traditional introduction, but it perfectly captures one of Lynette’s great passions. As a keen runner, this is her usual attire, and she can often be found out on roads and trails keeping fit and enjoying the countryside.

Lynette brings plenty of energy and enthusiasm to her new role and is excited about the year ahead. Together with the rest of the committee, she is looking forward to building on the strong foundations of Brandsby WI, supporting the interests of members, organising enjoyable activities, and continuing the friendly and welcoming spirit that makes our WI such an important part of village life.

12/03/2026

After 32 years with Brandsby WI, we said a fond farewell and a heartfelt thank you to Jane, who is leaving the group following her recent house move.

Our Vice President, Hazel, reflected on Jane’s remarkable dedication and long association with the Brandsby WI. Over those 32 years, Jane has taken on many roles, including President, Treasurer, and Secretary (on numerous occasions), as well as serving on the Galtres committee and holding other positions within the Federation. Her warm smile, infectious sense of humour, and ever-present willingness to help others will be greatly missed.

While it is a loss for Brandsby WI, it is certainly a gain for Thornton-le-Dale WI, which is closest to Jane’s new home. She is looking forward to this new chapter and becoming part of their group. Of course, Jane will always receive a warm welcome back at any of our meetings or social events whenever she is able to join us. Thank you Jane.

08/03/2026

Brandsby WI are looking forward to welcoming local resident Dr Ginny Birrell to our next meeting to talk to us about her and her husband's experiences of volunteering in Zambia at the South Luangwa Valley national park as volunteer valley doctors.

Ladies, if you would like to join us, you are most welcome, just turn up on the evening, details are below:

When: Tuesday 10th March

Where: Brandsby Village Hall

Time: 7.20pm

Cost: A donation of £4 would be welcome!

Unfortunately we do not have the facility to accept payment by debit/credit card.

Ginny's talk will take approximately 40 minutes.

If you are unable to join us, we invite you to explore their previous blog entries, chronicling their experiences, accessible through this link:

https://keithandginnybirre.wixsite.com/intoafrica

06/12/2025

After a dismal start with Brandsby enveloped in fog, we were soon out in bright sunshine on our way to Harewood House, where we were blown away by the imagination, flare (sometimes some might consider OTT in places) and sheer volume of amazing decorations in a stunning house. No wonder it took 2,000 hours of volunteer time to complete!

A thoroughly enjoyable outing!

21/08/2025

Five of us Brandsby “Wild Indians” (our leader’s name for WI members) had a super time this morning at Beacon Alpacas, getting to know a bit more about their very cute alpacas, their individual characters and their amazing fleeces.

We took five out for a walk (or did they take us?) after a welcome coffee, swapping our alpacas around a couple of times, and stopping to either admire the views or have a munch on some sweet clover…..(the latter being the alpacas not the Wild Indians!)

A lovely - and very different - way to spend a morning.