Spa Afternoon WI

Gingerbread biscuits were first made in the town in 1720 by William Eggleston; Alastair and his wife decided to revive the local tradition some 300 years later.

Many recipes were tried and tested without success, until John Oldham, a descendent of William, contacted them to say he had recipes dating back over a long period.

With this stroke of luck, and Alastair’s hard work, the biscuits can be found online and in more than 200 outlets throughout the country.

The Beryl Chatterton trophy was presented to Michelle Willows, winner of the flower of the month competition for the last year.

The competition for a gingerbread recipe was won by Janice Withers, with Jan Cowan second and Doreen Holmes third.

The next meeting will be in St Peter’s Hall on May 11 at 2pm, when the WI resolutions will be discussed