Anyone for gin?

'Do you fancy doing a gin tasting in Glastonbury?' was the text message received by local wine and spirits tutor Linda Piggott-Vijeh last month, who said,

'It seemed such a random idea, and right up my street, that I could hardly fail to say yes, as one does not normally associate the WI with having a knees up in a local church.

On finding out more, I discovered the gin tasting was to be at the October meeting of the newly formed Avalon Ladies WI, which meets at St. Benedict's Church in Glastonbury on the second Thursday of each month. The group, which so far has 15 members, was the brainchild of vicar's wife, Kathy MacGeoch, the current President, who as a working mother decided to set up a second group in the town, meeting in the evenings.

I had originally intended for us to taste just four gins, as they are quite expensive at around £30 a bottle, but as usual I got a bit carried away and we tasted 10 in all, with the Bathtub gin being voted overwhelmingly the favourite. This lively crowd has certainly blown away any image of the WI being staid.'

The evening was such a success that Linda has been invited back for a wine tasting in February.