7th December
One of the WIs in our local WI group hosted an evening concert by the Bletchley Belles singers at Mursley. This has become an annual event to raise money for Willen Hospice and the host WI. The Bletchley Belles got together several years ago to compete in the WI contest for choirs. They did very well regionally and have continued singing together ever since for their own enjoyment and for those of us who like to go along to listen.
8th December
More carols at the WI event held in Buckingham Community Centre tonight. Bravura Brass provided the accompaniment and there were readings by members of the Leisure and Performing Arts Sub-committee. It was a lovely evening and the singing was great. The refreshments were traditional mincepies homemade by WI members.
10th December
Our local craft group was a very small gathering this afternoon as these dreadful coughs and colds took their toll. But we have planned our 2008 programme of demonstrations and activities and we spent a cosy time chatting around a coal fire.
11th December
Tonight the local WI members went out for a Christmas dinner at Claydon House. This is an extra event so if we wish to attend we have to pay for ourselves and our guests.We hire the community bus to which the WI pays an annual affiliation fee so that no one has to avoid alcohol consumption for the drive home. It is a very popular event for which we all have an excuse to dress up: the males enjoy wearing dinner jackets too. We choose fairly local restaurants and change the venue every year.This custom also provides an opportunity to socialise and to thank partners for their support during the year.You know the sort of thing--moving tables and chairs, taxi-ing, bringing refreshments out to tents and answering endless telephone calls!
End of year
There are no more WI events planned for 2007 so this will be my final entry for this year.I don't really know how successful this idea has been or whether to continue in 2008. The aim was to show what the WI has to offer locally, within the County Federation and nationally. I also wanted to encourage Bucks WI members to look at the website and to use it. I have received few comments on the blog but several in conversation so it's up to you readers and Bucks Executive to decide what becomes of this spot.
In the meantime may I wish you all the best for 2008 and rather like Bruce Forsyth would say "Keep WI-ing!"
Friday, 28 December 2007
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Mummies and Let's Cook
27th November
Over the next ten days, 140 Bucks WI members and friends will visit O2 and see the Tutankhamun Exhibition before being driven by coach to look at the Christmas lights. The exhibition was fascinating and although very crowded one was able to examine all the exhibits. The "shop" was awful! Whatever does one do with a miniature teddy with a Tutankhamun headdress?
These WI excursions to exhibitions and museums are always popular so there will be huge demand for the Terracotta Warriors in March 2008.
And aren't our coach drivers brilliant?!
28th November
Local WI committee tonight where the main business was planning the December Christmas monthly meeting. We also arranged how to ballot the members on their views about the WI Denman bursary. The special event called Food and Flowers had been a great success not only socially but also financially so the treasurer is starting her new term with a smile on her face.
3rd December
The Book Group meeting was small today because of illness but we enjoyed discussing Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother. Although part of its content was to do with homosexuality and was very explicit ( which would have been considered taboo in the early days of our readers' lives), we managed to really enjoy the novel. We are going to try writing a review for inclusion in the Bucks County Library Reading Group newsletter and who knows? perhaps even WI Life. (The editor did request reviews in the last issue). We'll see how we go.
5th December
The WI Christmas meeting was well attended and very pleasant. There were some readings but no carols this year as we have lost our pianist. The result of the ballot was a wish to alternate the bursary between an individual award and an extra meeting for all members.We will start with an individual drawn by lot as the last two years have been special meetings.
One member had sweet-talked a trade demonstrator in Central Milton Keynes into giving her a good selection of cookery knives to donate to the Let's Cook project in Bletchley. We will present these next week along with the large casserole dishes already donated last month.
The Let's Cook scheme was started by NFWI. It is to encourage the County Federations to train volunteer WI members to teach basic cookery to disadvantaged groups. Bucks has trained two people already and has run a very successful course for young mothers in Bletchley. Another is planned for early 2008. Our WI wondered about offering Let's Sew. Of course, like anything else these days all instructors and helpers have to be police checked and this puts off volunteers.
I can understand this situation but don't you think it is time the WI led the revolt against some of these daft Health and Safety rules? In the press this week we have had parents forbidden to bring home-made mince pies to a PTA carol service and school nativity plays abandoned for fear of affront to other faiths.And what price now for summer fetes wanting to run name the teddy competitions? Yet we have footballers running about the fields called Jesus and receiving yellow and red cards like everyone else!
Someone or some organisation has got to make a stand and halt this paranoia.
Over the next ten days, 140 Bucks WI members and friends will visit O2 and see the Tutankhamun Exhibition before being driven by coach to look at the Christmas lights. The exhibition was fascinating and although very crowded one was able to examine all the exhibits. The "shop" was awful! Whatever does one do with a miniature teddy with a Tutankhamun headdress?
These WI excursions to exhibitions and museums are always popular so there will be huge demand for the Terracotta Warriors in March 2008.
And aren't our coach drivers brilliant?!
28th November
Local WI committee tonight where the main business was planning the December Christmas monthly meeting. We also arranged how to ballot the members on their views about the WI Denman bursary. The special event called Food and Flowers had been a great success not only socially but also financially so the treasurer is starting her new term with a smile on her face.
3rd December
The Book Group meeting was small today because of illness but we enjoyed discussing Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother. Although part of its content was to do with homosexuality and was very explicit ( which would have been considered taboo in the early days of our readers' lives), we managed to really enjoy the novel. We are going to try writing a review for inclusion in the Bucks County Library Reading Group newsletter and who knows? perhaps even WI Life. (The editor did request reviews in the last issue). We'll see how we go.
5th December
The WI Christmas meeting was well attended and very pleasant. There were some readings but no carols this year as we have lost our pianist. The result of the ballot was a wish to alternate the bursary between an individual award and an extra meeting for all members.We will start with an individual drawn by lot as the last two years have been special meetings.
One member had sweet-talked a trade demonstrator in Central Milton Keynes into giving her a good selection of cookery knives to donate to the Let's Cook project in Bletchley. We will present these next week along with the large casserole dishes already donated last month.
The Let's Cook scheme was started by NFWI. It is to encourage the County Federations to train volunteer WI members to teach basic cookery to disadvantaged groups. Bucks has trained two people already and has run a very successful course for young mothers in Bletchley. Another is planned for early 2008. Our WI wondered about offering Let's Sew. Of course, like anything else these days all instructors and helpers have to be police checked and this puts off volunteers.
I can understand this situation but don't you think it is time the WI led the revolt against some of these daft Health and Safety rules? In the press this week we have had parents forbidden to bring home-made mince pies to a PTA carol service and school nativity plays abandoned for fear of affront to other faiths.And what price now for summer fetes wanting to run name the teddy competitions? Yet we have footballers running about the fields called Jesus and receiving yellow and red cards like everyone else!
Someone or some organisation has got to make a stand and halt this paranoia.
Sunday, 25 November 2007
music,drama,art and food
15th November
For the first time this year Speakers&Publications Sub-Committee did not open the WI shop at High Wycombe especially for Christmas shopping. It used to be a social event with mincepies and coffees and the building all decorated.However, the building works opposite and flood damage repairs inside, it seemed a good opportunity to take the shop elsewhere. Luckily members in Little Missenden and Stony Stratford agreed to hold the sales in their houses and these were well attended.
The WI shop occupies a small area of the Bucks' WI Headquarters building in High Wycombe. It sells official stationery as well as a wide selection of cards, books, paper and foil kitchenware and toys. This activity contributes towards the upkeep of the building. It is open most Tuesday mornings and well worth a visit. It also affords a chance to look at Stuart Lodge which--after all-- belongs to the members.
19th November
After the sudden covering of snow last night, it was an afternoon and evening of heavy rain which resulted in an extremely wet drive to another WI's Annual Meeting. Here was a small WI in which the Officers really wanted to step down or shift positions but there was no one willing to take over--well, not this year anyway.But there is hope, as they have attracted a couple of new members who are willing to watch and learn so we have installed assistants and it is up to the officers to use them and train them up.
Has this WI got the youngest member in Bucks at 22 years of age?
21st November
Another dreadful wet night for travelling but well worth it. Those who missed the show by Bucks WIZZ at Holmer Green missed a treat. It was lively, well-dressed and great fun. The audience (no spare seats) was most appreciative and those on stage were obviously enjoying themselves. It takes a lot of time and planning to put on a show like this and although one doesn't begrudge the event being in aid of the Children's Society, one wishes that it could have had a more obvious WI connection: it would have shown that music and drama were alive and well in our Federation. How nice to see the late Muriel Rutherford's tappers still strutting their stuff!
23rd November
Another good event.
Tonight was a demonstration in Winslow Public Hall of flower arranging and festive food preparation organised by Winslow WI. This was open to the public and it came---extra chairs were needed. John Holland and John Parrott were the demonstrators and they performed an excellent double act. The beautiful flower arrangements were donated to the raffle along with the prepared dishes. The creation of spun sugar was sensational and the tipping of a bowl of whisked egg-white over his own head by John should have been preceded by the warning "Don't try this at home".
It has come to my notice that the WI should have an anti-bullying policy for its groups. Each WI plays host for a group meeting every other year and it is up to that WI to decide where and what to do, with the support of the Group Convenor of course.
Suppose that after you had given a lavish party for friends, one of your guests who is not so well-endowed financially returned the favour and invited you round for a more modest affair. How many of you, in your thank-you letter, would say "What a pity you didn't use the 4 star hotel like I did! You could have had more guests and more special food etc."?
As my old uncle would have said, "Manners, you brute! Thar's pigs aboot." It goes better with a Northern accent but you get the drift.
For the first time this year Speakers&Publications Sub-Committee did not open the WI shop at High Wycombe especially for Christmas shopping. It used to be a social event with mincepies and coffees and the building all decorated.However, the building works opposite and flood damage repairs inside, it seemed a good opportunity to take the shop elsewhere. Luckily members in Little Missenden and Stony Stratford agreed to hold the sales in their houses and these were well attended.
The WI shop occupies a small area of the Bucks' WI Headquarters building in High Wycombe. It sells official stationery as well as a wide selection of cards, books, paper and foil kitchenware and toys. This activity contributes towards the upkeep of the building. It is open most Tuesday mornings and well worth a visit. It also affords a chance to look at Stuart Lodge which--after all-- belongs to the members.
19th November
After the sudden covering of snow last night, it was an afternoon and evening of heavy rain which resulted in an extremely wet drive to another WI's Annual Meeting. Here was a small WI in which the Officers really wanted to step down or shift positions but there was no one willing to take over--well, not this year anyway.But there is hope, as they have attracted a couple of new members who are willing to watch and learn so we have installed assistants and it is up to the officers to use them and train them up.
Has this WI got the youngest member in Bucks at 22 years of age?
21st November
Another dreadful wet night for travelling but well worth it. Those who missed the show by Bucks WIZZ at Holmer Green missed a treat. It was lively, well-dressed and great fun. The audience (no spare seats) was most appreciative and those on stage were obviously enjoying themselves. It takes a lot of time and planning to put on a show like this and although one doesn't begrudge the event being in aid of the Children's Society, one wishes that it could have had a more obvious WI connection: it would have shown that music and drama were alive and well in our Federation. How nice to see the late Muriel Rutherford's tappers still strutting their stuff!
23rd November
Another good event.
Tonight was a demonstration in Winslow Public Hall of flower arranging and festive food preparation organised by Winslow WI. This was open to the public and it came---extra chairs were needed. John Holland and John Parrott were the demonstrators and they performed an excellent double act. The beautiful flower arrangements were donated to the raffle along with the prepared dishes. The creation of spun sugar was sensational and the tipping of a bowl of whisked egg-white over his own head by John should have been preceded by the warning "Don't try this at home".
It has come to my notice that the WI should have an anti-bullying policy for its groups. Each WI plays host for a group meeting every other year and it is up to that WI to decide where and what to do, with the support of the Group Convenor of course.
Suppose that after you had given a lavish party for friends, one of your guests who is not so well-endowed financially returned the favour and invited you round for a more modest affair. How many of you, in your thank-you letter, would say "What a pity you didn't use the 4 star hotel like I did! You could have had more guests and more special food etc."?
As my old uncle would have said, "Manners, you brute! Thar's pigs aboot." It goes better with a Northern accent but you get the drift.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Women's interests at heart
November 2008
Wow! A comment which I only found after I had posted the whole of October in one fell swoop.
I do believe that WI committees can become too large. It happens because one year there is one extra nominee for committee and no one wants to discourage just one extra from joining. The next year the committee is replaced and the extra place is passed on. The same thing happens later and like Topsy the whole thing grows. The WIs where this happens are lucky because it is a problem which those WIs that are struggling to get a committee at all wish they shared. The only answer would be to look up the original decisions taken by the WI when it was formed and have a skim through the records to see if the number of committee members had ever been formally altered at an annual meeting and then go from there. But if your committee becomes more than a quarter of the membership, I think it should be culled.Members should not be hurt but keen to deserve their place on the committee--after all lots of jobs can be done by non-committee members and sometimes one is safer on the committee than off!
Will that do,Aichzed? What do the rest of you think?
1st November
It was the week for the meeting of the Education&Current Affairs sub-committee. As usual this was extremely busy as there are plans in hand for events right through 2008.It becomes rather confusing because one has to pre-think timing schedules for the monthly newsletter and opening dates for applications so far ahead. However it is the only way to work--one cannot really do anything spontaneously in the WI as much as one would like to appear so.
This health day It's a Woman's Thing is going to be really good as we have some high powered medical people lined up to speak and how often is one able to be told of the latest scientific developments face to face? I hope everyone will make the effort to come along and show that the WI is interested and involved with the medical advances of today.
We are also planning sessions for members to update their Hygiene Certificates and heard more detailed reports of the success of the Let's Cook scheme in Bletchley which was featured at the Council Meeting. I have a feeling that the team will disappear beneath a heap of pots and pans after Jackie Moffat's appeal. It will be like the Burundi Bears all over again! WI members do enjoy a project where they can help or take an active part: there is always a marvellous response.
6th November
Local WI book group which was a rather thin showing this month so we will continue our discussions on A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler next time plus Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother. Thank Goodness we are all feeling positive about these titles after the disappointment of the sushi last month.We are thinking about another author for a literary event in 2008 and we have drawn up a short list.I wonder whether any of the reading groups in Bucks are going to take up the challenge to submit reviews which was issued in the latest WI Life magazine.It would be nice to read something about Bucks in the magazine.
Did you notice that the WI hit the headlines in the Daily Telegraph today. There was a report on a suggested resolution to back the licensing of brothels: "trust the WI to think the unthinkable" was the title.The writer was reporting on Hampshire Federation's move to make this a resolution for the AGM in 2008. Actually this idea came up on the short list for discussion several years ago. I remember many police forces were in favour but the membership preferred another subject and it never made the AGM. However it goes to prove we were even more ahead of the game--if you'll excuse the pun! If the WI has women's health and safety at heart, it would do well to support this issue.
But are we brave enough to see the headlines in June?
7th November
It was the local WI Annual Meeting tonight and we had a really good turn out. Actually it was a good opportunity to talk to each other and we attempted to alter the seating so as to break up those little fixed groups from which every WI suffers.I took along a potential new member and she described the meeting as highly amusing! Anyway she is going to join for sure so she must have meant it.
There were questions asked about the method of every member nominating the president from the elected committee before asking the nominees whether they are willing to stand. This is a time-honoured method which works.It means that every member has the chance to nominate her president or even herself for president. Then the nominees are asked whether they are willing to stand. In this way, someone who may never have considered that the membership would like her to stand is able to weigh up the idea and make a decision. She may say no the first time but who knows the next? A seed has been planted.
Our finances are in good order and our treasurer had worked out and presented to the members exactly how much money the WI needs to run throughout the year. Costs always rise but one good fund-raising event is usually enough to see us through. No one complained about the £1 subscription rise this year which shows that the WI Life has been winning friends during its initial year and it is only because of that that the rise has been so small.
Wow! A comment which I only found after I had posted the whole of October in one fell swoop.
I do believe that WI committees can become too large. It happens because one year there is one extra nominee for committee and no one wants to discourage just one extra from joining. The next year the committee is replaced and the extra place is passed on. The same thing happens later and like Topsy the whole thing grows. The WIs where this happens are lucky because it is a problem which those WIs that are struggling to get a committee at all wish they shared. The only answer would be to look up the original decisions taken by the WI when it was formed and have a skim through the records to see if the number of committee members had ever been formally altered at an annual meeting and then go from there. But if your committee becomes more than a quarter of the membership, I think it should be culled.Members should not be hurt but keen to deserve their place on the committee--after all lots of jobs can be done by non-committee members and sometimes one is safer on the committee than off!
Will that do,Aichzed? What do the rest of you think?
1st November
It was the week for the meeting of the Education&Current Affairs sub-committee. As usual this was extremely busy as there are plans in hand for events right through 2008.It becomes rather confusing because one has to pre-think timing schedules for the monthly newsletter and opening dates for applications so far ahead. However it is the only way to work--one cannot really do anything spontaneously in the WI as much as one would like to appear so.
This health day It's a Woman's Thing is going to be really good as we have some high powered medical people lined up to speak and how often is one able to be told of the latest scientific developments face to face? I hope everyone will make the effort to come along and show that the WI is interested and involved with the medical advances of today.
We are also planning sessions for members to update their Hygiene Certificates and heard more detailed reports of the success of the Let's Cook scheme in Bletchley which was featured at the Council Meeting. I have a feeling that the team will disappear beneath a heap of pots and pans after Jackie Moffat's appeal. It will be like the Burundi Bears all over again! WI members do enjoy a project where they can help or take an active part: there is always a marvellous response.
6th November
Local WI book group which was a rather thin showing this month so we will continue our discussions on A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler next time plus Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother. Thank Goodness we are all feeling positive about these titles after the disappointment of the sushi last month.We are thinking about another author for a literary event in 2008 and we have drawn up a short list.I wonder whether any of the reading groups in Bucks are going to take up the challenge to submit reviews which was issued in the latest WI Life magazine.It would be nice to read something about Bucks in the magazine.
Did you notice that the WI hit the headlines in the Daily Telegraph today. There was a report on a suggested resolution to back the licensing of brothels: "trust the WI to think the unthinkable" was the title.The writer was reporting on Hampshire Federation's move to make this a resolution for the AGM in 2008. Actually this idea came up on the short list for discussion several years ago. I remember many police forces were in favour but the membership preferred another subject and it never made the AGM. However it goes to prove we were even more ahead of the game--if you'll excuse the pun! If the WI has women's health and safety at heart, it would do well to support this issue.
But are we brave enough to see the headlines in June?
7th November
It was the local WI Annual Meeting tonight and we had a really good turn out. Actually it was a good opportunity to talk to each other and we attempted to alter the seating so as to break up those little fixed groups from which every WI suffers.I took along a potential new member and she described the meeting as highly amusing! Anyway she is going to join for sure so she must have meant it.
There were questions asked about the method of every member nominating the president from the elected committee before asking the nominees whether they are willing to stand. This is a time-honoured method which works.It means that every member has the chance to nominate her president or even herself for president. Then the nominees are asked whether they are willing to stand. In this way, someone who may never have considered that the membership would like her to stand is able to weigh up the idea and make a decision. She may say no the first time but who knows the next? A seed has been planted.
Our finances are in good order and our treasurer had worked out and presented to the members exactly how much money the WI needs to run throughout the year. Costs always rise but one good fund-raising event is usually enough to see us through. No one complained about the £1 subscription rise this year which shows that the WI Life has been winning friends during its initial year and it is only because of that that the rise has been so small.
Friday, 2 November 2007
Underground rumblings
October 3
Local WI monthly meeting when we were entertained to a talk on language. This proved to be an interesting subject as it covered dialects and how our language continues to change. The delivery was rather flat which was a pity but most people got something out of the evening.
We took in nominations for next year's committee and planned our coming Group Meeting when we will be the hostess WI.
October 4-11
Fourteen members from Bucks' WIs travelled to Sicily on a very enjoyable and educational holiday. We visited Syracuse and studied the antiquities from centuries before the birth of Christ and the Roman period afterwards. We were awed by the smoking Mount Etna and by the enormity of the spread of its lava after recent eruptions. The sea was warm, the hotel impressive and the food and wine delightful.
We shared our experiences with a group of Americans many of whom were alumni from Michigan University. I was so proud of how much more mobile we WI members were and it was kind of cute to be referred to as "The Brits"!
October 13
Today is the opening day for the Bucks outings to the Tutankhamun Exhibition at O2. Originally just two coaches were booked but it was soon obvious that demand would be high. We were lucky to secure another 46 tickets to the exhibition but no more are available before Christmas.
How difficult it is to sort out an oversubscribed event! Cheques have to be altered, numbers cut, new dates offerred etc.etc. Sure to be grumbles and claims of unfair allocations. However, it shows that this is what the members want and we do our best.
October 15
There was a good turn out for the Group Meeting to hear Gabriella talk about her progress from convent to convicts. She got to the topic eventually as is her wont! Gabriella is of Polish descent but has been brought up in Wolverhampton: she has a marvellous personality which comes across to an audience almost immediately.
The reports from other WIs are always interesting and one is amazed by the variety of subjects and activities covered. The outings that the Group Convener organises are very popular and help to finance the group meetings. It is the end of term for group conveners so nominations are being sought but if she is good we tend to keep her as long as possible.
October 22
I suggested to the local WI that our members all did something today to reduce their carbon footprint. Anything, however small. I wonder whether anyone remembered. I did not wash my teeth under a running tap; I got out of the bath instead of adding a little more hot water in order to wallow there for longer; I didn't fill the kettle over full for a pot of tea. Now I must keep it up and add some more savings in order to feel I am making a difference--as everyone is fond of saying.
October 23
The Bucks Half yearly Council Meeting--the last at the Civic Centre, Aylesbury. The WI has had a love/hate relationship for years with that place. Catering has always been the chief bone of contention.I enjoy council meetings and I was particularly interested in the talk about ACWW from a member of the Hampshire Federation which is hosting the next European Conference.
The display of BFWI's prizewinners' silverware was most impressive and looked very attractive. The Federation Archivist reminded us of the past glories of BFWI which is an historian's remit but ours is busy making plans for us all for the future too which is good to know.
The speaker James Wight was entertaining. It is strange how amusing these bluff Yorkshire men appear to be eg Gervaise Phynn, Derek Longden and Freddie Trueman. It cannot be just the accent.
October 29
Did you see the items about WRAP , the agency for reducing household food waste? They were quoting the WI as an authority on producing good food and then re-using the leftovers. It seems to be a Bring Back Bubble and Squeak campaign--except the recipe in the Daily Telegraph used olive oil! Never! Olive oil? What's wrong with lard or dripping?
October 31
A neighbouring Group Meeting was held tonight and I had been asked to talk about Coins for Friendship and the ACWW and its links with the WI. It is amazing how few WIs actually know why we collect for ACWW but happily contribute every year. I feel it is an opportunity missed if it is not explained as those coins are the main source of income to the organisation.
After 10 minutes of that, I rushed out for my local committee. One misses the pre-November committee meeting on pain of finding oneself assigned some ghastly task for the coming year! It should all be left to the members to sort things out for the next session of the committee but a lot is really fixed in advance which is not really all that democratic. Unfortunately apathy rules in many cases which is sad.Members get what they deserve in those situations!
Local WI monthly meeting when we were entertained to a talk on language. This proved to be an interesting subject as it covered dialects and how our language continues to change. The delivery was rather flat which was a pity but most people got something out of the evening.
We took in nominations for next year's committee and planned our coming Group Meeting when we will be the hostess WI.
October 4-11
Fourteen members from Bucks' WIs travelled to Sicily on a very enjoyable and educational holiday. We visited Syracuse and studied the antiquities from centuries before the birth of Christ and the Roman period afterwards. We were awed by the smoking Mount Etna and by the enormity of the spread of its lava after recent eruptions. The sea was warm, the hotel impressive and the food and wine delightful.
We shared our experiences with a group of Americans many of whom were alumni from Michigan University. I was so proud of how much more mobile we WI members were and it was kind of cute to be referred to as "The Brits"!
October 13
Today is the opening day for the Bucks outings to the Tutankhamun Exhibition at O2. Originally just two coaches were booked but it was soon obvious that demand would be high. We were lucky to secure another 46 tickets to the exhibition but no more are available before Christmas.
How difficult it is to sort out an oversubscribed event! Cheques have to be altered, numbers cut, new dates offerred etc.etc. Sure to be grumbles and claims of unfair allocations. However, it shows that this is what the members want and we do our best.
October 15
There was a good turn out for the Group Meeting to hear Gabriella talk about her progress from convent to convicts. She got to the topic eventually as is her wont! Gabriella is of Polish descent but has been brought up in Wolverhampton: she has a marvellous personality which comes across to an audience almost immediately.
The reports from other WIs are always interesting and one is amazed by the variety of subjects and activities covered. The outings that the Group Convener organises are very popular and help to finance the group meetings. It is the end of term for group conveners so nominations are being sought but if she is good we tend to keep her as long as possible.
October 22
I suggested to the local WI that our members all did something today to reduce their carbon footprint. Anything, however small. I wonder whether anyone remembered. I did not wash my teeth under a running tap; I got out of the bath instead of adding a little more hot water in order to wallow there for longer; I didn't fill the kettle over full for a pot of tea. Now I must keep it up and add some more savings in order to feel I am making a difference--as everyone is fond of saying.
October 23
The Bucks Half yearly Council Meeting--the last at the Civic Centre, Aylesbury. The WI has had a love/hate relationship for years with that place. Catering has always been the chief bone of contention.I enjoy council meetings and I was particularly interested in the talk about ACWW from a member of the Hampshire Federation which is hosting the next European Conference.
The display of BFWI's prizewinners' silverware was most impressive and looked very attractive. The Federation Archivist reminded us of the past glories of BFWI which is an historian's remit but ours is busy making plans for us all for the future too which is good to know.
The speaker James Wight was entertaining. It is strange how amusing these bluff Yorkshire men appear to be eg Gervaise Phynn, Derek Longden and Freddie Trueman. It cannot be just the accent.
October 29
Did you see the items about WRAP , the agency for reducing household food waste? They were quoting the WI as an authority on producing good food and then re-using the leftovers. It seems to be a Bring Back Bubble and Squeak campaign--except the recipe in the Daily Telegraph used olive oil! Never! Olive oil? What's wrong with lard or dripping?
October 31
A neighbouring Group Meeting was held tonight and I had been asked to talk about Coins for Friendship and the ACWW and its links with the WI. It is amazing how few WIs actually know why we collect for ACWW but happily contribute every year. I feel it is an opportunity missed if it is not explained as those coins are the main source of income to the organisation.
After 10 minutes of that, I rushed out for my local committee. One misses the pre-November committee meeting on pain of finding oneself assigned some ghastly task for the coming year! It should all be left to the members to sort things out for the next session of the committee but a lot is really fixed in advance which is not really all that democratic. Unfortunately apathy rules in many cases which is sad.Members get what they deserve in those situations!
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Promotion all ways
25 September
I spent most of the day with one of Bucks'WI Advisers promoting the WI in Asda in Bletchley. We were there at the invitation of the management to represent the WI along with other community organisations during the course of that week. The staff made us very welcome, giving us a prime site, two tables and chairs and coffees whenever needed.This is the biggest Asda in Europe and it certainly is vast. We had a steady stream of visitors to our display and it was interesting to watch how people approached. Some make a positive bee-line and say something like "I've been meaning to enquire into the WI for some time so it is good to see you here". Others wander close and one knows that we have to make the first move and a rather unrelated approach is the best tactic.People-watching is always fascinating, isn't it?
Anyway I think we will have done rather well and I hope that the members of the various WIs which we were recommending follow through in a welcoming manner. What I think could also be done in that store is to form a staff WI as NFWI did in Selfridges in London. Asda has a huge staff and premises which could be used and we could approach them through the staff association which seems pretty active after viewing the noticeboard in its staff only area.
26 September
Local WI committee tonight at my house which involved a bit of heavy dusting! As we come up to annual meetings it is worth considering whether the committee has become too large.I know we are lucky that we can raise a lot of people willing to stand when other WIs struggle but it is fairly difficult for me to muster 12 chairs and fit them into my lounge. This problem may just put some members off taking their turn to host the committee meeting. The extra womenpower is welcome but many jobs can be farmed out to non-committee members. What do you think?
We are approaching our annual meeting so will be taking nominations this month and the financial statement has gone for examination to the volunteer auditor.We are also planning the Group Meeting in October when we shall be hostess WI.Because we can afford the space and we know we have an excellent speaker, we have opened this to other organisations in the town which will be a bit of subtle promotion and a chance to attract people to our fund-raiser in November.
I spent most of the day with one of Bucks'WI Advisers promoting the WI in Asda in Bletchley. We were there at the invitation of the management to represent the WI along with other community organisations during the course of that week. The staff made us very welcome, giving us a prime site, two tables and chairs and coffees whenever needed.This is the biggest Asda in Europe and it certainly is vast. We had a steady stream of visitors to our display and it was interesting to watch how people approached. Some make a positive bee-line and say something like "I've been meaning to enquire into the WI for some time so it is good to see you here". Others wander close and one knows that we have to make the first move and a rather unrelated approach is the best tactic.People-watching is always fascinating, isn't it?
Anyway I think we will have done rather well and I hope that the members of the various WIs which we were recommending follow through in a welcoming manner. What I think could also be done in that store is to form a staff WI as NFWI did in Selfridges in London. Asda has a huge staff and premises which could be used and we could approach them through the staff association which seems pretty active after viewing the noticeboard in its staff only area.
26 September
Local WI committee tonight at my house which involved a bit of heavy dusting! As we come up to annual meetings it is worth considering whether the committee has become too large.I know we are lucky that we can raise a lot of people willing to stand when other WIs struggle but it is fairly difficult for me to muster 12 chairs and fit them into my lounge. This problem may just put some members off taking their turn to host the committee meeting. The extra womenpower is welcome but many jobs can be farmed out to non-committee members. What do you think?
We are approaching our annual meeting so will be taking nominations this month and the financial statement has gone for examination to the volunteer auditor.We are also planning the Group Meeting in October when we shall be hostess WI.Because we can afford the space and we know we have an excellent speaker, we have opened this to other organisations in the town which will be a bit of subtle promotion and a chance to attract people to our fund-raiser in November.
Monday, 24 September 2007
Travel broadens the mind v.damages the environment
6th September
I read in the paper that the average retired person now spends 4 hours a day using the net. Well, one thing is certain: the WI members of Bucks are well below the national average for "silver surfing". At today's Education &Current Affairs sub-committee we talked of the use made of our Federation's website and were plunged into gloom once again.
Plans are well in hand for our health day next spring and hopefully we will be able to obtain tickets for the Terracotta Army Exhibition in February. These will be two very educational events to start 2008--the Charity Commission should be pleased with us!
13th September
I accompanied the Bucks members on the coach to Coventry and the Shakespeare country today. We enjoyed a marvellously sunny day which brought out the best in the stained glass windows in the Cathedral and lit up the huge tapestry. It is a really imaginative building with the recurring theme of reconciliation.It was fascinating to compare the old St. Mary's Church, which was nearly chosen to replace the bombed version, with the modernity of the new cathedral--both have their strengths e.g. the acoustics in the new are diabolical whereas one would be embarrassed if one's knees cracked in the old!
The Blue Badge guide gave an entertaining and very knowledgeable commentary both in the cathedral and when we journeyed cross-country to Stratford-on-Avon. The blue skies set off the ruins of Kenilworth Castle which is so atmospheric.After visiting the museum at Shakespeare's birthplace, we were able to sit out at the pavement cafes and enjoy traditional cream teas. The museum is well worth a visit although the subtle lighting gets a bit too subtle sometimes. It was thronged with tourists from all over the world.
14th September
I spent a couple of hours finalising arrangements for the WI Discover Sicily visit next month with the representative from the travel firm.There are so many places in the world one would love to visit but somehow we ought to try and balance the education brought by travel with the added load on the environment of air travel. Has it got to be education versus carbon footprint? What about the UK? What about our own county? Some of our members are unable to place Haddenham or Wing!
I read in the paper that the average retired person now spends 4 hours a day using the net. Well, one thing is certain: the WI members of Bucks are well below the national average for "silver surfing". At today's Education &Current Affairs sub-committee we talked of the use made of our Federation's website and were plunged into gloom once again.
Plans are well in hand for our health day next spring and hopefully we will be able to obtain tickets for the Terracotta Army Exhibition in February. These will be two very educational events to start 2008--the Charity Commission should be pleased with us!
13th September
I accompanied the Bucks members on the coach to Coventry and the Shakespeare country today. We enjoyed a marvellously sunny day which brought out the best in the stained glass windows in the Cathedral and lit up the huge tapestry. It is a really imaginative building with the recurring theme of reconciliation.It was fascinating to compare the old St. Mary's Church, which was nearly chosen to replace the bombed version, with the modernity of the new cathedral--both have their strengths e.g. the acoustics in the new are diabolical whereas one would be embarrassed if one's knees cracked in the old!
The Blue Badge guide gave an entertaining and very knowledgeable commentary both in the cathedral and when we journeyed cross-country to Stratford-on-Avon. The blue skies set off the ruins of Kenilworth Castle which is so atmospheric.After visiting the museum at Shakespeare's birthplace, we were able to sit out at the pavement cafes and enjoy traditional cream teas. The museum is well worth a visit although the subtle lighting gets a bit too subtle sometimes. It was thronged with tourists from all over the world.
14th September
I spent a couple of hours finalising arrangements for the WI Discover Sicily visit next month with the representative from the travel firm.There are so many places in the world one would love to visit but somehow we ought to try and balance the education brought by travel with the added load on the environment of air travel. Has it got to be education versus carbon footprint? What about the UK? What about our own county? Some of our members are unable to place Haddenham or Wing!
Friday, 14 September 2007
Thinking about 2008 and hidden talents
August 29th
How the paperwork mounts up during the summer recess! I meant to count the items but forgot. Of course, it is like starting a new academic term.
Our local committee members have the 2008 speakers booked but the usual little competitions and the tea hostesses are yet to sort out. It is a false economy to go for all the cheapest speakers or those from voluntary or trade groups--not that the more expensive a speaker is, assures one of the best performances: it doesn't work like that. Often the reverse is true and travel always adds to the cost anyway. Members are guaranteed 11 meetings for their annual subscription and it is up to the WI committee to provide the most interesting and varied programme possible within budget.
At this time of year we also have to think about volunteers for committee in 2008 in time for the Annual Meeting in November.The nomination papers for the County Federation Executive are also circulating as the programme for the next two year stint gets underway. I wish more people would consider joining the county sub-committees or the local one. It is not a life sentence as with all appointments there is a finite end which is there to be used.
This evening there were the usual post-mortems on our own summer events and on county federation meetings attended. We feel we have had a successful summer in spite of the weather.
September 3rd
This month our WI Book Group has been reading The Olive Readers by Christine Aziz. None of us had heard of this novel and it was an unusual choice for us as it is set in the future but isn't really science fiction. The plot all hinges on the corruption of power possible for an international corporation which has the ability to manufacture water. It is interesting and topical for WI members studying ecology and trying to restrict their carbon footprint.
But have you noticed how the future and the past seem both to be getting closer?
September 5th
Our WI promotion stand at the Winslow Show has borne fruit. Two potential new members visited the September meeting and another is heralded for November. One of our visitors is a young mother who feels she needs some time for herself and the other is a full-time carer. I am glad to say that the members were very welcoming to both ladies and I am sure they will be back next month.
At the end of October there is the last Autumn Council Meeting to be held at the Civic Centre in Aylesbury which is to be demolished. Every WI is expected to send a delegate.I was very disappointed at the lack of volunteers for this and for observers too. The Federation produces a synopsis of the business part of the meeting so it is not an arduous task and the standard of speakers is always excellent. Future Council Meetings will have to drastically cut the number who can attend so some members may live to regret not having seized the opportunity when it was given.It may be a speaker of the same ilk as Anne Widdecombe or Paul Whittaker next time and the seats will be rationed.
Our President gave the members the unwelcome news that the booked speaker on Reflexology had phoned the previous evening to say she couldn't come. Miraculously a member who had joined this year had volunteered to take her place. How often this happens in the WI--someone has never revealed her skills and qualifications and then takes eveyone by surprise.
We watched a very good demonstration and two lucky guinea pigs were chosen to be treated. It was a most interesting and friendly meeting which everyone enjoyed.
How the paperwork mounts up during the summer recess! I meant to count the items but forgot. Of course, it is like starting a new academic term.
Our local committee members have the 2008 speakers booked but the usual little competitions and the tea hostesses are yet to sort out. It is a false economy to go for all the cheapest speakers or those from voluntary or trade groups--not that the more expensive a speaker is, assures one of the best performances: it doesn't work like that. Often the reverse is true and travel always adds to the cost anyway. Members are guaranteed 11 meetings for their annual subscription and it is up to the WI committee to provide the most interesting and varied programme possible within budget.
At this time of year we also have to think about volunteers for committee in 2008 in time for the Annual Meeting in November.The nomination papers for the County Federation Executive are also circulating as the programme for the next two year stint gets underway. I wish more people would consider joining the county sub-committees or the local one. It is not a life sentence as with all appointments there is a finite end which is there to be used.
This evening there were the usual post-mortems on our own summer events and on county federation meetings attended. We feel we have had a successful summer in spite of the weather.
September 3rd
This month our WI Book Group has been reading The Olive Readers by Christine Aziz. None of us had heard of this novel and it was an unusual choice for us as it is set in the future but isn't really science fiction. The plot all hinges on the corruption of power possible for an international corporation which has the ability to manufacture water. It is interesting and topical for WI members studying ecology and trying to restrict their carbon footprint.
But have you noticed how the future and the past seem both to be getting closer?
September 5th
Our WI promotion stand at the Winslow Show has borne fruit. Two potential new members visited the September meeting and another is heralded for November. One of our visitors is a young mother who feels she needs some time for herself and the other is a full-time carer. I am glad to say that the members were very welcoming to both ladies and I am sure they will be back next month.
At the end of October there is the last Autumn Council Meeting to be held at the Civic Centre in Aylesbury which is to be demolished. Every WI is expected to send a delegate.I was very disappointed at the lack of volunteers for this and for observers too. The Federation produces a synopsis of the business part of the meeting so it is not an arduous task and the standard of speakers is always excellent. Future Council Meetings will have to drastically cut the number who can attend so some members may live to regret not having seized the opportunity when it was given.It may be a speaker of the same ilk as Anne Widdecombe or Paul Whittaker next time and the seats will be rationed.
Our President gave the members the unwelcome news that the booked speaker on Reflexology had phoned the previous evening to say she couldn't come. Miraculously a member who had joined this year had volunteered to take her place. How often this happens in the WI--someone has never revealed her skills and qualifications and then takes eveyone by surprise.
We watched a very good demonstration and two lucky guinea pigs were chosen to be treated. It was a most interesting and friendly meeting which everyone enjoyed.
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Denman College bursary and Winslow Show
August
This month tends to be a time when nothing much happens on the WI front. Most people used to be on holiday but nowadays a high proportion of WI members wait until September. This makes booking for autumn events a dodgy operation and necessitates early opening dates.
There have been several mentions of the WI in the media. A Bucks member had a very good letter about the Foot and Mouth crisis published in the Daily Telegraph:100% practical criticism of the carting of the culled livestock across the country from Surrey to Somerset. Well done, Kathleen!
Then there was the announcement of the publication of the final WI Calendar. It was also proclaimed that there were chocolates being traded by Waitrose with pictures of the Calendar Girls on the wrappers. Profits once more in aid of Leukemia Research. However, the local branches of Waitrose haven't any in stock yet. Let's hope the store gets its act together for the Christmas market.
August 14th
The annual get-together for all the volunteer members of Bucks WI sub-Committees was held at Milton Keynes.This is a pleasant evening when there can be a bit of fraternization or cross-pollination between the committee members outside the confines of meetings.I hasten to add that this is not a financial perk as everyone must pay for her meal and travel! Central Milton Keynes WI catered for the first time and made an excellent job of it.Thanks to its members!
August 22nd
The local WI held an extra and rather special evening event. This meeting is for the members only and is financed by the money which is allocated every year for an educational bursary. Originally this bursary was for one member to visit Denman College, our own WI residential college near Abingdon. We used to ballot for the chance to attend but some years the winner prefered to use the bursary locally. It has been used for a driving course and for swimming lessons. Then it was suggested that all the members could benefit from a purely educational meeting. The decision for next year should come up for discussion at the November annual meeting.
If a WI decides to award a bursary, then every member, no matter how long or how short a time she has been a member, has the right to win: the unlucky should not be heard to grumble and certainly not have their complaints minuted in the record book. What sort of a friendly welcome is that?
Our members thoroughly enjoyed learning how to start work researching their personal family tree.There were many notes taken, loads of questions and a lot of comparisons of family legends. One thing that became very obvious was that there were only two out of 40plus present who had been in Bucks for more than one generation.
August 27th
Ideal weather conditions for Winslow Show today in comparison to some previous years. Once a neighbouring stall's tent became airborne and landed on top of the WI's gazebo which was very exciting. This year there was a gentle cross-breeze and warm sunshine.
I don't know the official figures for the gate yet but the absence of the cattle show classes because of Foot and Mouth restrictions did not seem to have affected the numbers at all and there were definitely more stalls.We had many visitors to our tent, members from local WIs as well as others from as far afield as Yorkshire, Somerset and Wales. It was most enjoyable to afford a base for pleasant talk and promotion of our own WI in which we take great pride. We were one of the few sites not out to make money or sell raffle tickets but just to advertise the WI. When one saw displayed all the events and occasions in which our members had participated both locally, countywise and nationally it was easy to be enthusiastic when people made enquiries about joining. We are reasonably confident in having attracted several new members but will not know for sure until after the next couple of meetings.
This month tends to be a time when nothing much happens on the WI front. Most people used to be on holiday but nowadays a high proportion of WI members wait until September. This makes booking for autumn events a dodgy operation and necessitates early opening dates.
There have been several mentions of the WI in the media. A Bucks member had a very good letter about the Foot and Mouth crisis published in the Daily Telegraph:100% practical criticism of the carting of the culled livestock across the country from Surrey to Somerset. Well done, Kathleen!
Then there was the announcement of the publication of the final WI Calendar. It was also proclaimed that there were chocolates being traded by Waitrose with pictures of the Calendar Girls on the wrappers. Profits once more in aid of Leukemia Research. However, the local branches of Waitrose haven't any in stock yet. Let's hope the store gets its act together for the Christmas market.
August 14th
The annual get-together for all the volunteer members of Bucks WI sub-Committees was held at Milton Keynes.This is a pleasant evening when there can be a bit of fraternization or cross-pollination between the committee members outside the confines of meetings.I hasten to add that this is not a financial perk as everyone must pay for her meal and travel! Central Milton Keynes WI catered for the first time and made an excellent job of it.Thanks to its members!
August 22nd
The local WI held an extra and rather special evening event. This meeting is for the members only and is financed by the money which is allocated every year for an educational bursary. Originally this bursary was for one member to visit Denman College, our own WI residential college near Abingdon. We used to ballot for the chance to attend but some years the winner prefered to use the bursary locally. It has been used for a driving course and for swimming lessons. Then it was suggested that all the members could benefit from a purely educational meeting. The decision for next year should come up for discussion at the November annual meeting.
If a WI decides to award a bursary, then every member, no matter how long or how short a time she has been a member, has the right to win: the unlucky should not be heard to grumble and certainly not have their complaints minuted in the record book. What sort of a friendly welcome is that?
Our members thoroughly enjoyed learning how to start work researching their personal family tree.There were many notes taken, loads of questions and a lot of comparisons of family legends. One thing that became very obvious was that there were only two out of 40plus present who had been in Bucks for more than one generation.
August 27th
Ideal weather conditions for Winslow Show today in comparison to some previous years. Once a neighbouring stall's tent became airborne and landed on top of the WI's gazebo which was very exciting. This year there was a gentle cross-breeze and warm sunshine.
I don't know the official figures for the gate yet but the absence of the cattle show classes because of Foot and Mouth restrictions did not seem to have affected the numbers at all and there were definitely more stalls.We had many visitors to our tent, members from local WIs as well as others from as far afield as Yorkshire, Somerset and Wales. It was most enjoyable to afford a base for pleasant talk and promotion of our own WI in which we take great pride. We were one of the few sites not out to make money or sell raffle tickets but just to advertise the WI. When one saw displayed all the events and occasions in which our members had participated both locally, countywise and nationally it was easy to be enthusiastic when people made enquiries about joining. We are reasonably confident in having attracted several new members but will not know for sure until after the next couple of meetings.
Thursday, 2 August 2007
WI Promotion:past and present
23 July
My local WI's reading group met today.We have been reading "The Colour" by Rose Tremain which is about the gold rush in New Zealand. There are marvellous descriptions of the rugged countryside which I am told are very accurately pictured. What amazes me is the way in which women coped with the hardships and inconveniences of life under those conditions and the complete breakdown of the moral codes of the groups once away from normal society.Perhaps the most interesting part was the insight into the Maori culture and superstitions which made one wonder whether our beliefs were all that superior. Well worth reading as we all thought.
It has been a quiet week WI-wise but it was good to read in the Bucks Herald that one of our Bucks members was the winner at the Beaujolais Day at Denman College. Well done, Hazel. She is obviously diversifying as I seem to remember her studying chianti when on holiday in Florence!
I was pleased to hear that the BFWI will be manning a promotion stand in the NFU tent at the County Show.I was disappointed that the presence at the Winslow Show is not going to be the official promotion display. Winslow WI will promote itself rather than all the county WIs as in previous years.Every opportunity for promotion should be grabbed with both hands for the common good rather than used parochially. Winslow WI will do well, as it always does but still...
Without good promotion in years past one wouldn't have spotted this clue in a Daily Telegraph crossword.
"Jam makers live north of church in market town". Got it?
WISBECH
1st August
A gorgeous sunny day for the local WI to visit the BBC garden in Wendover. The rain had damaged the delphiniums but we were shown photos of what they had looked like and the rest of the garden was a delight.We enjoyed very informative advice on the identification of plants and on how to make successful cuttings.Before arriving in the garden we enjoyed tea with another Bucks WI where the food was excellent.We had also done some retail therapy at the Worlds End Garden Centre.
A newcomer to the town phoned last night. Someone is going to call for her to attend the September meeting so that she doesn't feel too strange walking in to the meeting on her own.She said that she had seen one of the press reports in the parish magazine and wondered if she could come along and give the WI a try. As I said above, promotion is important and the WI needs all it can get.
My local WI's reading group met today.We have been reading "The Colour" by Rose Tremain which is about the gold rush in New Zealand. There are marvellous descriptions of the rugged countryside which I am told are very accurately pictured. What amazes me is the way in which women coped with the hardships and inconveniences of life under those conditions and the complete breakdown of the moral codes of the groups once away from normal society.Perhaps the most interesting part was the insight into the Maori culture and superstitions which made one wonder whether our beliefs were all that superior. Well worth reading as we all thought.
It has been a quiet week WI-wise but it was good to read in the Bucks Herald that one of our Bucks members was the winner at the Beaujolais Day at Denman College. Well done, Hazel. She is obviously diversifying as I seem to remember her studying chianti when on holiday in Florence!
I was pleased to hear that the BFWI will be manning a promotion stand in the NFU tent at the County Show.I was disappointed that the presence at the Winslow Show is not going to be the official promotion display. Winslow WI will promote itself rather than all the county WIs as in previous years.Every opportunity for promotion should be grabbed with both hands for the common good rather than used parochially. Winslow WI will do well, as it always does but still...
Without good promotion in years past one wouldn't have spotted this clue in a Daily Telegraph crossword.
"Jam makers live north of church in market town". Got it?
WISBECH
1st August
A gorgeous sunny day for the local WI to visit the BBC garden in Wendover. The rain had damaged the delphiniums but we were shown photos of what they had looked like and the rest of the garden was a delight.We enjoyed very informative advice on the identification of plants and on how to make successful cuttings.Before arriving in the garden we enjoyed tea with another Bucks WI where the food was excellent.We had also done some retail therapy at the Worlds End Garden Centre.
A newcomer to the town phoned last night. Someone is going to call for her to attend the September meeting so that she doesn't feel too strange walking in to the meeting on her own.She said that she had seen one of the press reports in the parish magazine and wondered if she could come along and give the WI a try. As I said above, promotion is important and the WI needs all it can get.
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Literary Lunch and Working Parties for WI events
4th July
Our WI had a very interesting speaker this month. He is a local gardener who won the BBC Make a Garden national competition. He told us about the selection process along the way to becoming one of the 5 finalists and the extra stress of being filmed and quizzed on his knowledge while putting up arches, laying a little path and planting his chosen flowers and shrubs.I've watched some of those programmes and had no idea of the time it all took and how the presenters try to set the competitors at odds with one another in order to create that mean streak which they seem to like to have in all their programmes.We are going to visit the speaker's garden for our August meeting and then have tea with another WI in the area.
9th July
I watched the BBC 4 programme about Denman College. Here was another example of how much filming is done and how little of it appears in the programme proper. It was interesting how little information was given on Denman because the producers concentrated on the members attending and on their reasons for being there rather than on what they were doing. I think what I call the social services side of the WI was thoroughly aired as it has been in each programme. Do you think it will have attracted new members or made people shy away in case their private lives were explored in such depth?
It will have made members realise the problems of the upkeep of the buildings etc but did I nod off or was no mention made of how the Federations support their own bedrooms or part of the gardens? I still don't like the chairs in the bar and I have a nasty feeling there are some very similar models now in the drawing-room. OK, OK I'll go and have a look!
10th July
Today was the day for the BFWI Literary Lunch with Sandra Howard as the speaker. The Cheddington Village Hall has one of the most helpful caretakers in the county and he looked after us very well.The hall looked nice when laid out for lunch and the members arrived all looking summery and smiling. The caterers performed wonders as usual, the waitresses were very efficient but even so we ran late but no one seemed to mind. Sandra Howard is a lovely person and we appreciated what she had to say and she signed all the 50 copies of her book we had on sale.
All but two members were happy with the day: there is always someone, isn't there! In this case two but they came together so they count as one. The trouble is that afterwards it is only the criticism that the organisers remember, not the happy comments and encouragement to repeat the pattern.
Sandra donated her fee to a charity which helps fight alcohol and drug addiction. The event should turn out to be a good fund-raising event.This event is run by Executive for the members but organised by a small working party. Working Parties provide a good way to achieve successful results without spending a lot of time nor money on travel expenses. Members of the group do not need to be on Executive nor attend other meetings: no minutes, just notes back to Executive. One plans, organises help and runs things on the day then one is fancyfree again.
Would anyone like to help at a future event on this footing? It could involve writing letters, doing sums, cooking, buying whatever is needed, printing menus, waitressing, selling raffle tickets---all the things which you happily undertake in your own WIs.THINK ABOUT IT.
11th July
I took various items back to Stuart Lodge today after yesterday's Literary Lunch and immediately began to receive phone calls and e-mails saying how much people had enjoyed themselves."It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it".We have made these lunches into special occasions and everyone makes an effort and comes expecting to have a pleasant day. I only wish we could accommodate a larger number.
Our WI had a very interesting speaker this month. He is a local gardener who won the BBC Make a Garden national competition. He told us about the selection process along the way to becoming one of the 5 finalists and the extra stress of being filmed and quizzed on his knowledge while putting up arches, laying a little path and planting his chosen flowers and shrubs.I've watched some of those programmes and had no idea of the time it all took and how the presenters try to set the competitors at odds with one another in order to create that mean streak which they seem to like to have in all their programmes.We are going to visit the speaker's garden for our August meeting and then have tea with another WI in the area.
9th July
I watched the BBC 4 programme about Denman College. Here was another example of how much filming is done and how little of it appears in the programme proper. It was interesting how little information was given on Denman because the producers concentrated on the members attending and on their reasons for being there rather than on what they were doing. I think what I call the social services side of the WI was thoroughly aired as it has been in each programme. Do you think it will have attracted new members or made people shy away in case their private lives were explored in such depth?
It will have made members realise the problems of the upkeep of the buildings etc but did I nod off or was no mention made of how the Federations support their own bedrooms or part of the gardens? I still don't like the chairs in the bar and I have a nasty feeling there are some very similar models now in the drawing-room. OK, OK I'll go and have a look!
10th July
Today was the day for the BFWI Literary Lunch with Sandra Howard as the speaker. The Cheddington Village Hall has one of the most helpful caretakers in the county and he looked after us very well.The hall looked nice when laid out for lunch and the members arrived all looking summery and smiling. The caterers performed wonders as usual, the waitresses were very efficient but even so we ran late but no one seemed to mind. Sandra Howard is a lovely person and we appreciated what she had to say and she signed all the 50 copies of her book we had on sale.
All but two members were happy with the day: there is always someone, isn't there! In this case two but they came together so they count as one. The trouble is that afterwards it is only the criticism that the organisers remember, not the happy comments and encouragement to repeat the pattern.
Sandra donated her fee to a charity which helps fight alcohol and drug addiction. The event should turn out to be a good fund-raising event.This event is run by Executive for the members but organised by a small working party. Working Parties provide a good way to achieve successful results without spending a lot of time nor money on travel expenses. Members of the group do not need to be on Executive nor attend other meetings: no minutes, just notes back to Executive. One plans, organises help and runs things on the day then one is fancyfree again.
Would anyone like to help at a future event on this footing? It could involve writing letters, doing sums, cooking, buying whatever is needed, printing menus, waitressing, selling raffle tickets---all the things which you happily undertake in your own WIs.THINK ABOUT IT.
11th July
I took various items back to Stuart Lodge today after yesterday's Literary Lunch and immediately began to receive phone calls and e-mails saying how much people had enjoyed themselves."It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it".We have made these lunches into special occasions and everyone makes an effort and comes expecting to have a pleasant day. I only wish we could accommodate a larger number.
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
BBC4:the WI as others are viewing us
25th June
Another evening in the pub! This was the final meeting to plan our literary event. We have got down to the details now: where to find 30 cruets etc.We are also rather shell-shocked by the popularity of this meeting and hating turning people away but it is absolutely impossible to cater for more safely so we shall have to plan another similar get-together as soon as possible.
Of course being out of the house we all had to miss the BBC4 programme on the WI and I am told that you cannot video from this channel. Let's hope it is repeated.
27th June
Tonight was the local WI committee at which we discussed plans for the town show and for catering in the garden for a neighbouring WI and whether we could undertake some sort of basic cookery skills course for young mothers and children similar to the NFWI Let's Cook idea.
There was much talk of the Hissing of Summer Lawns programme. Everyone seemed to think it was a good programme which left much to discuss. Apparently it centred on a new WI on the Isle of Wight which was proving very successful but so divorced from the accepted norm for WIs that it was in danger of stepping beyond the constitution.The general opinion among the committee members was that it was a mini war between the federation and the new president and their money was on the establishment to win!
28th June
The meeting of the Education&Current Affairs sub-committee also chatted about the TV programme which I still haven't seen.Plans are being made for forthcoming events so this involves lots of letterwriting and phone calls to possible speakers and hall curators.I filled my car with equipment for the literary event and spent the evening at home practising with the Public Address system which must have given the neighbours quite a surprise! I think I have mastered it but these things are so sensitive that they need tender maintenance between events.It would also help if instructions were not written in Korean.
!st July
At last I have watched the Programme even though it meant sitting up until 12.30am. No wonder everyone is talking about it! I tried to look at it as a non-member and I could see how some of the views of young Amy would appear justified.And give her her due, she did pay her respects to what the WI had achieved and showed enthusiasm for current campaigns. What she didn't grasp was that much of what had been achieved had been done by people very like herself who had found the best way to tackle it.Amy thought she was breaking new ground by having controversial topics on the WI programme ("Look at me ruffling feathers" syndrome) when way back in the 1940s WIs were debating venereal diseases, divorced women, violence in the home etc.Every WI has always chosen its own programme and created itself to be what its members want.
I really felt for the girl when every president's nightmare came true and the speaker either doesn't turn up at all or is dreadfully late.
As a WI member who perhaps doesn't know what's what in the constitution, the programme might lead her to think it is OK not to keep accounts of the money, not to pay any notice of basic hygiene rules when preparing food and to fail to ask for nominations for the committee and president at the annual meeting.Also it came across that one needed to have a pretty substantial income to belong to the WI.Yarmouth may have the most members in the country but there was only 48 at the annual meeting. Are these members really members or just cherry pickers who pay their subs and don't attend ordinary WI meetings and therefore become an economic liability to the WI?
As an experienced WI member I was a bit surprised that the federation didn't ensure that the producer pointed out that Amy had been co-opted onto Executive ie invited to serve on the committee, not voted in. It will be up to the other WI members on the Island to elect her at the end of the next 2 year stint and she may well have upset a few people by then.
I don't know whether it was wise to invite the other three members of Yarmouth as well. Could have echoes of a Trojan horse there!
Actually like many other watchers of the programme I think that the relationship between the IOW Federation and the new president will be beneficial to both parties and that the establishment will be able to channel Amy's enthusiasm into a more traditional mode of operation and as her own member observed "She'll learn".
2nd July
The second programme was very different and highlighted another side to the WI. This was again someone thinking outside the norm in planning an outward bound event for a traditional WI with all the risks involved.It was very funny too.Did you notice the sparkle in everyone's eyes when they came in for lunch? They were really enjoying themselves.The main emphasis though was in the different personalities within the branch and the place of the WI within the village community.The social benefits afforded by a group helping each other recover from illness or trauma was acknowledged but we also saw the failure to consider the feelings of others which lost a member.
Here was another style of recruitment in the work of Mary, the WI Adviser.There was the fun element as well as the hard work and commitment at the Yorkshire Show and I bet there were many WI members who recognised the basic appeal of the WI from this piece of film.
Another evening in the pub! This was the final meeting to plan our literary event. We have got down to the details now: where to find 30 cruets etc.We are also rather shell-shocked by the popularity of this meeting and hating turning people away but it is absolutely impossible to cater for more safely so we shall have to plan another similar get-together as soon as possible.
Of course being out of the house we all had to miss the BBC4 programme on the WI and I am told that you cannot video from this channel. Let's hope it is repeated.
27th June
Tonight was the local WI committee at which we discussed plans for the town show and for catering in the garden for a neighbouring WI and whether we could undertake some sort of basic cookery skills course for young mothers and children similar to the NFWI Let's Cook idea.
There was much talk of the Hissing of Summer Lawns programme. Everyone seemed to think it was a good programme which left much to discuss. Apparently it centred on a new WI on the Isle of Wight which was proving very successful but so divorced from the accepted norm for WIs that it was in danger of stepping beyond the constitution.The general opinion among the committee members was that it was a mini war between the federation and the new president and their money was on the establishment to win!
28th June
The meeting of the Education&Current Affairs sub-committee also chatted about the TV programme which I still haven't seen.Plans are being made for forthcoming events so this involves lots of letterwriting and phone calls to possible speakers and hall curators.I filled my car with equipment for the literary event and spent the evening at home practising with the Public Address system which must have given the neighbours quite a surprise! I think I have mastered it but these things are so sensitive that they need tender maintenance between events.It would also help if instructions were not written in Korean.
!st July
At last I have watched the Programme even though it meant sitting up until 12.30am. No wonder everyone is talking about it! I tried to look at it as a non-member and I could see how some of the views of young Amy would appear justified.And give her her due, she did pay her respects to what the WI had achieved and showed enthusiasm for current campaigns. What she didn't grasp was that much of what had been achieved had been done by people very like herself who had found the best way to tackle it.Amy thought she was breaking new ground by having controversial topics on the WI programme ("Look at me ruffling feathers" syndrome) when way back in the 1940s WIs were debating venereal diseases, divorced women, violence in the home etc.Every WI has always chosen its own programme and created itself to be what its members want.
I really felt for the girl when every president's nightmare came true and the speaker either doesn't turn up at all or is dreadfully late.
As a WI member who perhaps doesn't know what's what in the constitution, the programme might lead her to think it is OK not to keep accounts of the money, not to pay any notice of basic hygiene rules when preparing food and to fail to ask for nominations for the committee and president at the annual meeting.Also it came across that one needed to have a pretty substantial income to belong to the WI.Yarmouth may have the most members in the country but there was only 48 at the annual meeting. Are these members really members or just cherry pickers who pay their subs and don't attend ordinary WI meetings and therefore become an economic liability to the WI?
As an experienced WI member I was a bit surprised that the federation didn't ensure that the producer pointed out that Amy had been co-opted onto Executive ie invited to serve on the committee, not voted in. It will be up to the other WI members on the Island to elect her at the end of the next 2 year stint and she may well have upset a few people by then.
I don't know whether it was wise to invite the other three members of Yarmouth as well. Could have echoes of a Trojan horse there!
Actually like many other watchers of the programme I think that the relationship between the IOW Federation and the new president will be beneficial to both parties and that the establishment will be able to channel Amy's enthusiasm into a more traditional mode of operation and as her own member observed "She'll learn".
2nd July
The second programme was very different and highlighted another side to the WI. This was again someone thinking outside the norm in planning an outward bound event for a traditional WI with all the risks involved.It was very funny too.Did you notice the sparkle in everyone's eyes when they came in for lunch? They were really enjoying themselves.The main emphasis though was in the different personalities within the branch and the place of the WI within the village community.The social benefits afforded by a group helping each other recover from illness or trauma was acknowledged but we also saw the failure to consider the feelings of others which lost a member.
Here was another style of recruitment in the work of Mary, the WI Adviser.There was the fun element as well as the hard work and commitment at the Yorkshire Show and I bet there were many WI members who recognised the basic appeal of the WI from this piece of film.
Bucks WI look North
June 15th
En route to Scarborough with 38 other WI members and friends. We travelled happily up North through what used to be the industrial towns of the Midlands which is now reclaimed as green and pleasant land. We passed through rain but were quite oblivious of the torrential downpours the rest of Yorkshire was experiencing.
What a lot of cars on the motorways carry just one passenger! It was lovely to see the sea and to hear the seagulls and to discover that the hotel was welcoming. The food was good too.
June 16th
Today we were off to learn about the lovely city of York and to see the first evidence of the flooding overnight.The locals informed us that this was nothing out of the ordinary for them but it certainly impressed us.We had a very amusing and knowledgeable guide for the morning and then went our separate ways to explore whatever interested us.I was most impressed by the York Minster and the work done to underpin it.The embroidery on show is very fine and the modern work of stonemasons equals that of those who went before.It was wonderful to hear the service in progress with the choir singing in the midst of tourists from all over the world.
The party is beginning to jell as the travellers get to know each other which is an important part of these holidays.
June 17th
We travelled up the coast today visiting Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby and then home across the moors. It was very atmospheric on the moors as the mist came down bringing a shower of rain.Our guide gave us an historical account of life among the fishing fleets and the abbey communities. Lots of people just had to have fish and chips in Whitby and then sit and watch the clog dancing on the pier.We were there at the end of the festival and when the dancers finished with an eight group communal dance on the beach they up-skirts and rushed into the sea!
June 19th
We received a bit of reflected glory today with the publication of the article about the WI impact on Marks & Spenser in the Daily Telegraph. Some of the hotel staff knowing we were from Buckinghamshire wondered if they were harbouring members of the focus group.I wish they had been because that was wonderful publicity and such a well written piece. Some of us considered an invasion of the local branch to receive the grateful thanks of the shop staff for saving their stores but a sense of decorum prevailed and we went off to learn about Pickering and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway instead.
There is no doubt about it that the WI is constantly appearing in the media these days. Someone somewhere is working the system to good effect.
June 20th
We visited Castle Howard where two gentlemen on the staff made us very welcome because they had both spent time in Buckinghamshire schools either as pupils or staff. We had a lovely day with a guided tour of the house with all its treasures and there were guided tours of the marvellous Italian, rose and vegetable gardens. I have never seen such a good vegetable garden and the House boasts that the restaurant and cafe on the premises uses all its own local produce.There was a wonderful choice of honey and jams and cakes in the shop and soups all homemade in the restaurant. There was also a wonderful chocolate shop! Temptation!
We could not look around two of the rooms in the house because they are filming a remake of Brideshead Revisited.There were people milling around with cameras and stars reading their lines in secluded corners and every now and again everyone had to be absolutely silent while some tiny bit of film was made. The only thing that refused to keep quiet was the peacock! We are all going to have to see the film to see how it turns out.
Home tomorrow with new friends made and a nice break away enjoyed because the worries and concerns that many of the passengers have in their private lives are left behind for a few days.
En route to Scarborough with 38 other WI members and friends. We travelled happily up North through what used to be the industrial towns of the Midlands which is now reclaimed as green and pleasant land. We passed through rain but were quite oblivious of the torrential downpours the rest of Yorkshire was experiencing.
What a lot of cars on the motorways carry just one passenger! It was lovely to see the sea and to hear the seagulls and to discover that the hotel was welcoming. The food was good too.
June 16th
Today we were off to learn about the lovely city of York and to see the first evidence of the flooding overnight.The locals informed us that this was nothing out of the ordinary for them but it certainly impressed us.We had a very amusing and knowledgeable guide for the morning and then went our separate ways to explore whatever interested us.I was most impressed by the York Minster and the work done to underpin it.The embroidery on show is very fine and the modern work of stonemasons equals that of those who went before.It was wonderful to hear the service in progress with the choir singing in the midst of tourists from all over the world.
The party is beginning to jell as the travellers get to know each other which is an important part of these holidays.
June 17th
We travelled up the coast today visiting Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby and then home across the moors. It was very atmospheric on the moors as the mist came down bringing a shower of rain.Our guide gave us an historical account of life among the fishing fleets and the abbey communities. Lots of people just had to have fish and chips in Whitby and then sit and watch the clog dancing on the pier.We were there at the end of the festival and when the dancers finished with an eight group communal dance on the beach they up-skirts and rushed into the sea!
June 19th
We received a bit of reflected glory today with the publication of the article about the WI impact on Marks & Spenser in the Daily Telegraph. Some of the hotel staff knowing we were from Buckinghamshire wondered if they were harbouring members of the focus group.I wish they had been because that was wonderful publicity and such a well written piece. Some of us considered an invasion of the local branch to receive the grateful thanks of the shop staff for saving their stores but a sense of decorum prevailed and we went off to learn about Pickering and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway instead.
There is no doubt about it that the WI is constantly appearing in the media these days. Someone somewhere is working the system to good effect.
June 20th
We visited Castle Howard where two gentlemen on the staff made us very welcome because they had both spent time in Buckinghamshire schools either as pupils or staff. We had a lovely day with a guided tour of the house with all its treasures and there were guided tours of the marvellous Italian, rose and vegetable gardens. I have never seen such a good vegetable garden and the House boasts that the restaurant and cafe on the premises uses all its own local produce.There was a wonderful choice of honey and jams and cakes in the shop and soups all homemade in the restaurant. There was also a wonderful chocolate shop! Temptation!
We could not look around two of the rooms in the house because they are filming a remake of Brideshead Revisited.There were people milling around with cameras and stars reading their lines in secluded corners and every now and again everyone had to be absolutely silent while some tiny bit of film was made. The only thing that refused to keep quiet was the peacock! We are all going to have to see the film to see how it turns out.
Home tomorrow with new friends made and a nice break away enjoyed because the worries and concerns that many of the passengers have in their private lives are left behind for a few days.
Thursday, 14 June 2007
WI Annual General Meeting and ballots
31st May
I spent the evening in a local pub making plans for the next big Federation event. We often find it easier to arrange a meeting centrally in a pub rather than in someone's house. The bigger the pub the less the staff notice that you are spending more time discussing paperwork and less time ordering food and drink.It also reduces the cost of running a sub-committee if it meets centrally and so cuts the cost of mileage. These costs have to be built in to the cost of the event so this system helps keep the prices reasonable for the people attending.
6th June
Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall--the big event of the WI year.
This was the first time that our coach has ever arrived just as the staff were opening the doors. How different from the notorious time when we were singing Jerusalem somewhere in North London when we had encountered horrendous traffic congestion on the motorway!
And what good seats! The Bucks Observers were situated in the second tier and five of us were in the box just above the royal coat of arms above the Royal Box.It really is a lovely hall and the singing of Jerusalem was inspirational again.
I thought our National Chairman Fay Mansell appeared more relaxed at her second AGM and she delivered a very upbeat address concentrating on the successful campaigns and the introduction of WI Life which had been achieved without quite as much fuss as the initial run up had suggested.
The main theme of the meeting seemed to be about differences. The National Treasurer Sally Roberts had a positive report to make on the finances where for once the VAT had helped rather than been a burden. The NFWI is now zero rated for VAT and staff numbers are down though costs are much the same.Next year the WI subscription will be £27 and pooling of fares £13.The rise of just £1 was welcomed and the rise in pooling of fares not surprising.(This system spreads the cost of travel to the AGM fairly across WIs from all over the country).
Baroness Hayman, the Speaker for the House of Lords, spoke of her admiration for the work done by the WI which she compared to the role of the House of Lords in government. The Upper House recognises female expertise, is really outside politics, being a revising chamber where open debate when scrutinising legislation is welcome.She said that the WI was part of the nation's framework and acted as a vital glue-- an interesting idea.
The resolution about fighting the closure of community hospitals was well presented. A member from Broughton Pastures in our Federation seconded it without the slightest hint of nerves and Graham Stuart MP, representing CHANT, also endorsed it.A civil servant from the Dept of Health, John Pope spoke very well explaining the Government view but poor man, he didn't stand a chance! The mandate is now in place with an almost unanimous vote.
Ruth Bond, a member of the NFWI Trustees, then gave a resume of the progress in the national campaigns--the milk debate, Human Trafficking, packaging and introduced the Carbon Footprint Challenge to which Philip Selby from the Energy Saving Trust added information on renewables in building.
Next I was delighted that an added item was discussed and it was agreed to support the campaign on providing sanitary wear for the women of Zimbabwe. Imagine the cost of buying sanitary products in Zimbabwe is half the national monthly wage!
A new competition was announced to follow on from the Stepping Out Challenge =One Step Further. We are asked to produce a leaflet on a local walk. We could do that locally and I know several other Bucks WIs will be interested in having a go.
Then it was lunch and off we all trouped to bring the traffic to a standstill as we crossed to sit on the steps of the Albert Memorial. Luckily the weather was fine and hot so the grass was covered in people eating lunch and talking 60 to the dozen.
Stuart Rose from Marks and Spencer then introduced the Carbon Challenge which is being shared by the WI and M&S.He told us what M&S is planning for their Plan A campaign, what the firm has already undertaken and asking for active participation from the WI. He was an inspirational speaker.
We received a very good report from Denman College which has had a successful year and is planning structural additions eg a cookery school and modernising some of the halls of residence. Anne Harrison was keen to point out the refurbished seating in the bar and foyer saying how nice it looked.Personally I don't like it but perhaps others do. If it is good for Denman I'll try to go with the flow!
The new NFWI Trustees were announced and the results of the Cycle Cuba for Denman which were fantastic. Not just for the money raised £83,395 but for the personal achievement of those taking part.
Then Alan Cook from Post Office Ltd spoke about Post Office closures and the schemes planned to compensate for their loss. These included a link up with WHSmith in towns and mobile post offices, post and Go boxes etc and added services such as Broadband. He very bravely answered questions but at the end, the meeting decided to write to express its continued concern about closures.I bet poor Mr Cook went home and said "Why did I bother?" It was almost rude to appear not to have listened to a word he said but....
We finished with the most amazing event. Tony Christie came and for some reason sang "Is this the way to Amarillo?" . Perhaps he happened to be passing as it bore no relevance at all to the meeting and he didn't know the words to Jerusalem either. I couldn't help thinking that "Return to sender" would have followed on nicely to the Post Office but then he is dead, isn't he?
The arrangements for travel home worked well but we spent 20 minutes in Kensington High Street completely jammed because of road works. Never mind, it was a wonderful day as always and it re-enthuses one on what the WI is all about.
9th June
We held a garden tea party at home to raise some funds to cover the costs of our local WI's Milk Debate. It was a wonderfully sunny day and although there were only a few of us there we enjoyed sitting about and chatting.And we have now made enough to meet the expenses.
11th June
How can one make a ballot for tickets really fair? In the Federation we seem to chew over this problem and find no easy solution. I hate turning members away when they book for events that are over-subscribed: WIs that meet late in the month are penalised if one uses the first come, first served method; large WIs suffer if one wants every WI to be represented; small WIs suffer if you go by the highest requests; the amount of passengers per car messes up the ratio etc.etc.Two of us spent three hours tonight trying to cut over 300 applications down to 180 fairly and fearing for our lives when the WI secretaries open their post to find fewer tickets than expected.
Another similar event is the obvious answer but the organisers will be on their knees after this one so will need to be given time to recuperate before then--and then can we get the speaker?
I spent the evening in a local pub making plans for the next big Federation event. We often find it easier to arrange a meeting centrally in a pub rather than in someone's house. The bigger the pub the less the staff notice that you are spending more time discussing paperwork and less time ordering food and drink.It also reduces the cost of running a sub-committee if it meets centrally and so cuts the cost of mileage. These costs have to be built in to the cost of the event so this system helps keep the prices reasonable for the people attending.
6th June
Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall--the big event of the WI year.
This was the first time that our coach has ever arrived just as the staff were opening the doors. How different from the notorious time when we were singing Jerusalem somewhere in North London when we had encountered horrendous traffic congestion on the motorway!
And what good seats! The Bucks Observers were situated in the second tier and five of us were in the box just above the royal coat of arms above the Royal Box.It really is a lovely hall and the singing of Jerusalem was inspirational again.
I thought our National Chairman Fay Mansell appeared more relaxed at her second AGM and she delivered a very upbeat address concentrating on the successful campaigns and the introduction of WI Life which had been achieved without quite as much fuss as the initial run up had suggested.
The main theme of the meeting seemed to be about differences. The National Treasurer Sally Roberts had a positive report to make on the finances where for once the VAT had helped rather than been a burden. The NFWI is now zero rated for VAT and staff numbers are down though costs are much the same.Next year the WI subscription will be £27 and pooling of fares £13.The rise of just £1 was welcomed and the rise in pooling of fares not surprising.(This system spreads the cost of travel to the AGM fairly across WIs from all over the country).
Baroness Hayman, the Speaker for the House of Lords, spoke of her admiration for the work done by the WI which she compared to the role of the House of Lords in government. The Upper House recognises female expertise, is really outside politics, being a revising chamber where open debate when scrutinising legislation is welcome.She said that the WI was part of the nation's framework and acted as a vital glue-- an interesting idea.
The resolution about fighting the closure of community hospitals was well presented. A member from Broughton Pastures in our Federation seconded it without the slightest hint of nerves and Graham Stuart MP, representing CHANT, also endorsed it.A civil servant from the Dept of Health, John Pope spoke very well explaining the Government view but poor man, he didn't stand a chance! The mandate is now in place with an almost unanimous vote.
Ruth Bond, a member of the NFWI Trustees, then gave a resume of the progress in the national campaigns--the milk debate, Human Trafficking, packaging and introduced the Carbon Footprint Challenge to which Philip Selby from the Energy Saving Trust added information on renewables in building.
Next I was delighted that an added item was discussed and it was agreed to support the campaign on providing sanitary wear for the women of Zimbabwe. Imagine the cost of buying sanitary products in Zimbabwe is half the national monthly wage!
A new competition was announced to follow on from the Stepping Out Challenge =One Step Further. We are asked to produce a leaflet on a local walk. We could do that locally and I know several other Bucks WIs will be interested in having a go.
Then it was lunch and off we all trouped to bring the traffic to a standstill as we crossed to sit on the steps of the Albert Memorial. Luckily the weather was fine and hot so the grass was covered in people eating lunch and talking 60 to the dozen.
Stuart Rose from Marks and Spencer then introduced the Carbon Challenge which is being shared by the WI and M&S.He told us what M&S is planning for their Plan A campaign, what the firm has already undertaken and asking for active participation from the WI. He was an inspirational speaker.
We received a very good report from Denman College which has had a successful year and is planning structural additions eg a cookery school and modernising some of the halls of residence. Anne Harrison was keen to point out the refurbished seating in the bar and foyer saying how nice it looked.Personally I don't like it but perhaps others do. If it is good for Denman I'll try to go with the flow!
The new NFWI Trustees were announced and the results of the Cycle Cuba for Denman which were fantastic. Not just for the money raised £83,395 but for the personal achievement of those taking part.
Then Alan Cook from Post Office Ltd spoke about Post Office closures and the schemes planned to compensate for their loss. These included a link up with WHSmith in towns and mobile post offices, post and Go boxes etc and added services such as Broadband. He very bravely answered questions but at the end, the meeting decided to write to express its continued concern about closures.I bet poor Mr Cook went home and said "Why did I bother?" It was almost rude to appear not to have listened to a word he said but....
We finished with the most amazing event. Tony Christie came and for some reason sang "Is this the way to Amarillo?" . Perhaps he happened to be passing as it bore no relevance at all to the meeting and he didn't know the words to Jerusalem either. I couldn't help thinking that "Return to sender" would have followed on nicely to the Post Office but then he is dead, isn't he?
The arrangements for travel home worked well but we spent 20 minutes in Kensington High Street completely jammed because of road works. Never mind, it was a wonderful day as always and it re-enthuses one on what the WI is all about.
9th June
We held a garden tea party at home to raise some funds to cover the costs of our local WI's Milk Debate. It was a wonderfully sunny day and although there were only a few of us there we enjoyed sitting about and chatting.And we have now made enough to meet the expenses.
11th June
How can one make a ballot for tickets really fair? In the Federation we seem to chew over this problem and find no easy solution. I hate turning members away when they book for events that are over-subscribed: WIs that meet late in the month are penalised if one uses the first come, first served method; large WIs suffer if one wants every WI to be represented; small WIs suffer if you go by the highest requests; the amount of passengers per car messes up the ratio etc.etc.Two of us spent three hours tonight trying to cut over 300 applications down to 180 fairly and fearing for our lives when the WI secretaries open their post to find fewer tickets than expected.
Another similar event is the obvious answer but the organisers will be on their knees after this one so will need to be given time to recuperate before then--and then can we get the speaker?
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Antiques of various kinds
24 May
I went this evening to another WI Group Meeting which had been thrown open to neighbouring WIs from other groups.The speaker was Charlie Ross the antiques adviser whom we know from TV's Flog It and the Antiques Roadshow.The advantage of these larger meetings is that the hostess WI with the help of the Group Convenor can afford to invite speakers who appear either on TV or on the stage. The fact that a lot of these speakers donate their fees to their pet charities is an added feel-good factor to the WIs concerned.Mr Ross entertained everyone and involved us all in a mock auction which revealed how much and how little the audience knew about the antique world.
The annual reports of the WIs in the group were worth listening to and proved once again that the WI enjoys its food, its walks and its meetings on all sorts of varied subjects.Several WIs cater for the general public in their towns and villages so the members have to keep their hygiene certificates up to date: there must be at least one among the caterers involved. I often look around garden fetes and wonder whether these rules are followed by other organisations.The BFWI is planning some more basic hygiene courses and refresher courses--in the north of the county this time. Halls are always a problem for during the day as most halls have resident playgroups but I am sure somewhere will be found.
28 May
Listening to the test cricket commentary on radio I was surprised to catch the commentator discussing the WI calendar. Of course the match was in Yorkshire! Anyway he was explaining that the calendar's appeal had been because it featured real women (like they had at home!) and because the whole idea of posing naked was bucking the nation's image of the WI. How true!
Later in the evening did you watch the Zimmers making their recording which will rocket to the top of the charts for exactly the same reason?Here is a group of people over 70 years old refusing to lie down and conform to what everyone thinks they should be doing at their age. They should be sitting in a circle clutching at crocheted multi-coloured blankets vaguely aware of a TV which is blaring out rubbish.
The real purpose of the programme was to make people think about the standards of care for the elderly in society--physical and mental. It was so sad and I hope WI members took note and will re-vitalise all our mandates on the care of the elderly because we do have them--mandates, I mean. How can these care homes slip through the net of inspection? Can't the families see what is wrong when the old person is literally dying of boredom because his/her body has worn out before the mind? We all know of cases where grandparents bring up children or regularly child-mind. This has always happened after family tragedies but nowadays many are expected to do it in order to meet the mortgage requirements of the parents. Is this a just reward to look forward to for our generation?
As the song says "Let me die before I grow old".
30 May
Good Lord! My husband has looked at Ceefax which is announcing the cast for the next series of Big Brother. It includes a lap dancer, a female MP and a WI member! Please may I be excused from watching that. I bet she wins however they judge these things.
I went this evening to another WI Group Meeting which had been thrown open to neighbouring WIs from other groups.The speaker was Charlie Ross the antiques adviser whom we know from TV's Flog It and the Antiques Roadshow.The advantage of these larger meetings is that the hostess WI with the help of the Group Convenor can afford to invite speakers who appear either on TV or on the stage. The fact that a lot of these speakers donate their fees to their pet charities is an added feel-good factor to the WIs concerned.Mr Ross entertained everyone and involved us all in a mock auction which revealed how much and how little the audience knew about the antique world.
The annual reports of the WIs in the group were worth listening to and proved once again that the WI enjoys its food, its walks and its meetings on all sorts of varied subjects.Several WIs cater for the general public in their towns and villages so the members have to keep their hygiene certificates up to date: there must be at least one among the caterers involved. I often look around garden fetes and wonder whether these rules are followed by other organisations.The BFWI is planning some more basic hygiene courses and refresher courses--in the north of the county this time. Halls are always a problem for during the day as most halls have resident playgroups but I am sure somewhere will be found.
28 May
Listening to the test cricket commentary on radio I was surprised to catch the commentator discussing the WI calendar. Of course the match was in Yorkshire! Anyway he was explaining that the calendar's appeal had been because it featured real women (like they had at home!) and because the whole idea of posing naked was bucking the nation's image of the WI. How true!
Later in the evening did you watch the Zimmers making their recording which will rocket to the top of the charts for exactly the same reason?Here is a group of people over 70 years old refusing to lie down and conform to what everyone thinks they should be doing at their age. They should be sitting in a circle clutching at crocheted multi-coloured blankets vaguely aware of a TV which is blaring out rubbish.
The real purpose of the programme was to make people think about the standards of care for the elderly in society--physical and mental. It was so sad and I hope WI members took note and will re-vitalise all our mandates on the care of the elderly because we do have them--mandates, I mean. How can these care homes slip through the net of inspection? Can't the families see what is wrong when the old person is literally dying of boredom because his/her body has worn out before the mind? We all know of cases where grandparents bring up children or regularly child-mind. This has always happened after family tragedies but nowadays many are expected to do it in order to meet the mortgage requirements of the parents. Is this a just reward to look forward to for our generation?
As the song says "Let me die before I grow old".
30 May
Good Lord! My husband has looked at Ceefax which is announcing the cast for the next series of Big Brother. It includes a lap dancer, a female MP and a WI member! Please may I be excused from watching that. I bet she wins however they judge these things.
Saturday, 19 May 2007
grumpy old woman meets new WI
May 14th
Local WI book club today. We are trying a new system for choosing the books to read. Originally we tended to follow the Daily Mail selection and buy copies over the internet as a group at a reduced price but then we heard that the County Library had sets of titles which could be ordered monthly. So we perused the list and marked what we had already read. It is a long list, very varied and in some ways rather strange. Anyway we sent up our list and Lo and Behold nothing which we considered was available. I think we were all amazed at the obvious popularity of reading groups in all sorts of different organisations across the county. I began to wonder whether this was the right way to spend the book fund on sets of 20 or so of several hundred titles when money was so scarce in the public libraries.
We were given a latest list of five to choose from and chose Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I know it has won prizes and is wonderfully written about an unusual topic but really I wonder about the novel having a place in the core collection. It has the capacity to shock readers of a sensitive disposition who are not forewarned of its content.Our readers are a broadminded group and we certainly found it educational but should it have a place on the list?
May 15th
I went off this evening to visit one of the newest WIs in Bucks. I was scheduled by the Art and Home Crafts sub-committee to take along the Craft basket to the meeting. This is a fine collection of craft work collected over the years which has been done by WI members. Apparently there are 14 different crafts to exhibit in the basket.It is a popular item to have at a meeting--and fairly cheap too! One arranges its loan through the Federation Office in High Wycombe.
Without wanting to appear a grumpy old woman, I just wish that the examples exhibited more modern practice of the traditional techniques. No one is interested in making crocheted doilies or smocked romper suits today but there are marvellous modern crochet patterns for clothes and they appear in fashion shops at exorbitant prices.The skills shown in the basket are amazing but could be put to use in much more appealing modern items.
This is probably our youngest in age WI in Bucks. The members are interested in crafts and a fair smattering have mastered several skills, even tatting, and what was their competition that evening? Cake-making! And the standard was very high indeed--nothing from Marks and Sparks here! They discussed the resolution about community hospitals; the members are involved in their new local community; they are making a banner and took some ideas away from the craft collection; they have an appealing WI website. They are taking what the WI has to offer in the way of learning and appreciate what has been achieved in the past but are going their own way with the programme and activities for the year.So you see it isn't just Fulham and Islington that can set up such a WI!
May 19th
After all the rain of last week, it dawned clear and bright for the first of the Leisure and Performing Arts sub-committee's summer rambles.This was based on Emberton and the local WI (shortly to be celebrating its 70th anniversary) provided a light lunch for the 40+ walkers.It is lovely rolling countryside at the northern extremity of the county and we walked across fields and along ancient bridleways. Of course there was too much chatter for birdwatching but that wasn't the object of the exercise--just the companionable exercise which is so enjoyable. Many WIs now meet together for gentle walks between meetings and actually these walks do encourage new people to join. One has time to talk and explain what the WI is about and swap useful information on speakers and activities---and enjoy a bit of gossip as well.
There are several other rambles planned about the county and I do recommend them. They blow away the cobwebs and I returned with nothing to grumble about!
Local WI book club today. We are trying a new system for choosing the books to read. Originally we tended to follow the Daily Mail selection and buy copies over the internet as a group at a reduced price but then we heard that the County Library had sets of titles which could be ordered monthly. So we perused the list and marked what we had already read. It is a long list, very varied and in some ways rather strange. Anyway we sent up our list and Lo and Behold nothing which we considered was available. I think we were all amazed at the obvious popularity of reading groups in all sorts of different organisations across the county. I began to wonder whether this was the right way to spend the book fund on sets of 20 or so of several hundred titles when money was so scarce in the public libraries.
We were given a latest list of five to choose from and chose Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I know it has won prizes and is wonderfully written about an unusual topic but really I wonder about the novel having a place in the core collection. It has the capacity to shock readers of a sensitive disposition who are not forewarned of its content.Our readers are a broadminded group and we certainly found it educational but should it have a place on the list?
May 15th
I went off this evening to visit one of the newest WIs in Bucks. I was scheduled by the Art and Home Crafts sub-committee to take along the Craft basket to the meeting. This is a fine collection of craft work collected over the years which has been done by WI members. Apparently there are 14 different crafts to exhibit in the basket.It is a popular item to have at a meeting--and fairly cheap too! One arranges its loan through the Federation Office in High Wycombe.
Without wanting to appear a grumpy old woman, I just wish that the examples exhibited more modern practice of the traditional techniques. No one is interested in making crocheted doilies or smocked romper suits today but there are marvellous modern crochet patterns for clothes and they appear in fashion shops at exorbitant prices.The skills shown in the basket are amazing but could be put to use in much more appealing modern items.
This is probably our youngest in age WI in Bucks. The members are interested in crafts and a fair smattering have mastered several skills, even tatting, and what was their competition that evening? Cake-making! And the standard was very high indeed--nothing from Marks and Sparks here! They discussed the resolution about community hospitals; the members are involved in their new local community; they are making a banner and took some ideas away from the craft collection; they have an appealing WI website. They are taking what the WI has to offer in the way of learning and appreciate what has been achieved in the past but are going their own way with the programme and activities for the year.So you see it isn't just Fulham and Islington that can set up such a WI!
May 19th
After all the rain of last week, it dawned clear and bright for the first of the Leisure and Performing Arts sub-committee's summer rambles.This was based on Emberton and the local WI (shortly to be celebrating its 70th anniversary) provided a light lunch for the 40+ walkers.It is lovely rolling countryside at the northern extremity of the county and we walked across fields and along ancient bridleways. Of course there was too much chatter for birdwatching but that wasn't the object of the exercise--just the companionable exercise which is so enjoyable. Many WIs now meet together for gentle walks between meetings and actually these walks do encourage new people to join. One has time to talk and explain what the WI is about and swap useful information on speakers and activities---and enjoy a bit of gossip as well.
There are several other rambles planned about the county and I do recommend them. They blow away the cobwebs and I returned with nothing to grumble about!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
WI under water at Pann Mill
May 11th
I happened to watch "Ready, steady cook" this afternoon. Angela Baker was a participant with her new husband Rev Charles Knowles.Angela was Miss February on the WI Calendar and it was her husband's death from cancer which inspired the local WI members to pose nude for the calendar.It was lovely to see her so happy after her recent marriage to Charles who had been a friend of John's.It was also pleasing to hear her say that the only thing she criticised the film of Calendar Girls for was the way in which it looked as if the NFWI hadn't supported the members in planning the calendar when they had been given approval all along.But that wouldn't have been such a good story, would it?
May 13th
It was National Mill Day today and the BFWI was booked to attend the open day at Pann Mill in High Wycombe. We were all geared up with a treasure trail, a promotion stand and a good site.The WI has been a part of this open day for 3 years now because it links in with local heritage and the Environmental Centre on the Rye.
Last year there wasn't enough water in the river to turn the mill wheel.How different this year! From the cover of our tent we watched the river level rise at least 6 inches as the rain came down non-stop. We abandoned the trail as no parent or child would enjoy trekking about the Rye looking for items of natural interest.Several people, mostly WI members already, dropped in to talk or shelter but there was hardly anyone there. Such a shame because the setting is lovely and the mill was going great guns grinding the corn and so much work had gone into the preparation nearly all done by volunteers.
Anyway when the RNLI bailed out the WI did too! We had got to the point when we were all wet, the tent needed the water on the roof shaken off every 2 minutes and our display was sodden.The things we do for the WI!
There was a good article in the Stella magasine part of the Sunday Telegraph talking about the growth of new WIs catering for younger members. It was a well written piece, very positive with lots of photos of members in Fulham and Islington. They looked very glamorous in their little black dresses but the other photos were what was described as the traditional WI image. Unfortunately, the editor had gone back to wartime pictures of members in turbans making jam and unflattering shots of icecream-eating members at the AGM. I agree that the average WI member of today doesn't wear smart little black numbers for the monthly meeting but neither do they wear pinnies and turbans! We may not be under thirty but we still dress up well and engage in all the activities that the younger WIs are now embracing too. Just a bit unfair I thought and we have some Bucks members who are under thirty and working. The reasons why these young members join are exactly the same as when we older members did--the need for friendship, a place and voice in the community and the chance to be ourselves and have fun.
I happened to watch "Ready, steady cook" this afternoon. Angela Baker was a participant with her new husband Rev Charles Knowles.Angela was Miss February on the WI Calendar and it was her husband's death from cancer which inspired the local WI members to pose nude for the calendar.It was lovely to see her so happy after her recent marriage to Charles who had been a friend of John's.It was also pleasing to hear her say that the only thing she criticised the film of Calendar Girls for was the way in which it looked as if the NFWI hadn't supported the members in planning the calendar when they had been given approval all along.But that wouldn't have been such a good story, would it?
May 13th
It was National Mill Day today and the BFWI was booked to attend the open day at Pann Mill in High Wycombe. We were all geared up with a treasure trail, a promotion stand and a good site.The WI has been a part of this open day for 3 years now because it links in with local heritage and the Environmental Centre on the Rye.
Last year there wasn't enough water in the river to turn the mill wheel.How different this year! From the cover of our tent we watched the river level rise at least 6 inches as the rain came down non-stop. We abandoned the trail as no parent or child would enjoy trekking about the Rye looking for items of natural interest.Several people, mostly WI members already, dropped in to talk or shelter but there was hardly anyone there. Such a shame because the setting is lovely and the mill was going great guns grinding the corn and so much work had gone into the preparation nearly all done by volunteers.
Anyway when the RNLI bailed out the WI did too! We had got to the point when we were all wet, the tent needed the water on the roof shaken off every 2 minutes and our display was sodden.The things we do for the WI!
There was a good article in the Stella magasine part of the Sunday Telegraph talking about the growth of new WIs catering for younger members. It was a well written piece, very positive with lots of photos of members in Fulham and Islington. They looked very glamorous in their little black dresses but the other photos were what was described as the traditional WI image. Unfortunately, the editor had gone back to wartime pictures of members in turbans making jam and unflattering shots of icecream-eating members at the AGM. I agree that the average WI member of today doesn't wear smart little black numbers for the monthly meeting but neither do they wear pinnies and turbans! We may not be under thirty but we still dress up well and engage in all the activities that the younger WIs are now embracing too. Just a bit unfair I thought and we have some Bucks members who are under thirty and working. The reasons why these young members join are exactly the same as when we older members did--the need for friendship, a place and voice in the community and the chance to be ourselves and have fun.
WI abroad in Florence
April 27th
Sleepers in towns across Bucks stir in their beds and wonder why their neighbours are putting the bins out so early.Not so--it is the WI trundling their wheelie cases along to catch the coach for an early departure to Florence from Stansted.It was my first experience of a budget flight and I cannot see the problem with the legroom on board for a short flight. I think I would like to have an allocated seat rather than queue to obtain an early place but now I know the system I'll rush to stand in a queue at the departure gate with the other seasoned travellers.
Anyway the journey out went according to plan and once we had convinced the coach driver in Pisa that we didn't want to immediately go to see the Leaning Tower because we had been up all night, we were taken to our lovely hotel in Florence.Spacious bedrooms, roof-top restaurant with real live fully grown trees and good food and cheerful staff and the sunshine, what more did we want?
April 28th
The following day we met for a walk around the city with a charming guide and then it was everyone off to do their own thing.Many of the party had pre-booked visits to the Uffizzi Gallery either by phone or by the website, so don't tell me the WI is not computer literate when it wants to be! The art on show is breathtaking and we were able to view the most famous exhibits before having to admit to Madonna fatigue and seek out ice-creams! In a sacrilegious manner I couldn't help remembering the "Allo, Allo" programme with the Madonna with the big boobies! I had Madonna with strange red hat, Madonna with angel with the deformed foot etc.Seriously, it is a marvellous collection and well worth the visit.
April 29th
Next morning we visited the Chianti region. The coach travelled up and down through this marvellous landscape to a little market town of Breve which is a centre for the production of the Chianti wine. It was Sunday morning so the square was free of stalls but all the shops and restaurants were open. Suddenly over 100 motorbikes roared into the square to the acclamation of the locals. How they gleamed and revved--not the locals, the bikes! The driver intimated that this was part of a Tuscan rally.The Italians love motorbikes and Florence is packed with scooters which is a very sensible way of getting about the cities with their very narrow crowded streets.
We boarded our coach for wine-tasting and lunch and travelled up a windy road to a typical Tuscan castle perched on the hillside. Marvellous we thought until we realised that no one was expecting us because the Florentia Bus Company had not booked us in.The vineyard people were very polite and promised us a wine-tasting at the shop on the main road and recommended a restaurant some miles away on top of a hill and a wild boar festival in a nearby village. Off down the hillside (still beautiful) we swing past the wine-tasting shop mentioned and the driver turns into another vineyard which is just closing. We sense that the driver is a very unhappy man but off we go to the top of another hill with a restaurant and obvious signs of activity. The driver reported that we would have to wait 10 minutes and then we could eat outside under the trees.It was more than 10 minutes but it was well worth the wait. The meal was marvellous, beautifully presented, lovely local food and masses of Chianti to drink. We had a wonderful time, made so welcome and our meal with all the wine and the happy ambience came to 10 Euros each! Who wants wine-tasting when you can quaff the stuff in the sunshine ? Who wants to go to eat wild boar sandwiches! A triumph out of a potential disaster to the relief of everyone.
April 30th
Next day we spent in Florence trying to visit the places we had not yet seen. The city was very crowded, very beautiful and we needed more time to cover everything that we wished.Then it was off to look at Pisa on the way to the airport. It was a bank holiday and the traffic into Pisa made our time schedule impossible as we crawled along at the M25 average speed so we opted for the airport straightaway.Our flight was the last of the day and we couldn't risk missing our scheduled departure.
We enjoyed the weekend, met several new people from other WIs and just hope that they will spread the word that these holidays are friendly, educational and sometimes have unexpected elements within them.I'm vowing to have some Italian at my disposal before we go to Sicily in October.
Sleepers in towns across Bucks stir in their beds and wonder why their neighbours are putting the bins out so early.Not so--it is the WI trundling their wheelie cases along to catch the coach for an early departure to Florence from Stansted.It was my first experience of a budget flight and I cannot see the problem with the legroom on board for a short flight. I think I would like to have an allocated seat rather than queue to obtain an early place but now I know the system I'll rush to stand in a queue at the departure gate with the other seasoned travellers.
Anyway the journey out went according to plan and once we had convinced the coach driver in Pisa that we didn't want to immediately go to see the Leaning Tower because we had been up all night, we were taken to our lovely hotel in Florence.Spacious bedrooms, roof-top restaurant with real live fully grown trees and good food and cheerful staff and the sunshine, what more did we want?
April 28th
The following day we met for a walk around the city with a charming guide and then it was everyone off to do their own thing.Many of the party had pre-booked visits to the Uffizzi Gallery either by phone or by the website, so don't tell me the WI is not computer literate when it wants to be! The art on show is breathtaking and we were able to view the most famous exhibits before having to admit to Madonna fatigue and seek out ice-creams! In a sacrilegious manner I couldn't help remembering the "Allo, Allo" programme with the Madonna with the big boobies! I had Madonna with strange red hat, Madonna with angel with the deformed foot etc.Seriously, it is a marvellous collection and well worth the visit.
April 29th
Next morning we visited the Chianti region. The coach travelled up and down through this marvellous landscape to a little market town of Breve which is a centre for the production of the Chianti wine. It was Sunday morning so the square was free of stalls but all the shops and restaurants were open. Suddenly over 100 motorbikes roared into the square to the acclamation of the locals. How they gleamed and revved--not the locals, the bikes! The driver intimated that this was part of a Tuscan rally.The Italians love motorbikes and Florence is packed with scooters which is a very sensible way of getting about the cities with their very narrow crowded streets.
We boarded our coach for wine-tasting and lunch and travelled up a windy road to a typical Tuscan castle perched on the hillside. Marvellous we thought until we realised that no one was expecting us because the Florentia Bus Company had not booked us in.The vineyard people were very polite and promised us a wine-tasting at the shop on the main road and recommended a restaurant some miles away on top of a hill and a wild boar festival in a nearby village. Off down the hillside (still beautiful) we swing past the wine-tasting shop mentioned and the driver turns into another vineyard which is just closing. We sense that the driver is a very unhappy man but off we go to the top of another hill with a restaurant and obvious signs of activity. The driver reported that we would have to wait 10 minutes and then we could eat outside under the trees.It was more than 10 minutes but it was well worth the wait. The meal was marvellous, beautifully presented, lovely local food and masses of Chianti to drink. We had a wonderful time, made so welcome and our meal with all the wine and the happy ambience came to 10 Euros each! Who wants wine-tasting when you can quaff the stuff in the sunshine ? Who wants to go to eat wild boar sandwiches! A triumph out of a potential disaster to the relief of everyone.
April 30th
Next day we spent in Florence trying to visit the places we had not yet seen. The city was very crowded, very beautiful and we needed more time to cover everything that we wished.Then it was off to look at Pisa on the way to the airport. It was a bank holiday and the traffic into Pisa made our time schedule impossible as we crawled along at the M25 average speed so we opted for the airport straightaway.Our flight was the last of the day and we couldn't risk missing our scheduled departure.
We enjoyed the weekend, met several new people from other WIs and just hope that they will spread the word that these holidays are friendly, educational and sometimes have unexpected elements within them.I'm vowing to have some Italian at my disposal before we go to Sicily in October.
Friday, 4 May 2007
dairy farming and WI
April 23rd
The local craft group spent the afternoon finishing off the bags that we had been making and being instructed on the high-tec of modern sewing machines.This was a revelation to me--all those computerised programmes to help the dressmaker or embroiderer to perform wonders.I quite expected the machine to speak up to tell one when the cotton was about to run out, like the modern car reporting on the remaining petrol in its tank. Perhaps these machines sing out "Call that a straight line?!" I'm only jealous because the amount of use I would make of mine would no way justify the expense.
Later in the afternoon it was a dash to a meeting to finalise arrangements for the Great Milk Debate. We admired the display that the WI members had put together on historical farming in the local area.It is rather unsettling to discover how recently history seems to start these days.I am sure this display will create a lot of interest on the night.I wish we knew how many people were coming!
April 25th
Winslow WI hosted the first of three Great Milk Debates (as suggested by NFWI in conjunction with the NFU) to be held in Bucks. Speakers were Tim Whitlock, the NFU secretary for the North Bucks area, Simon Bates the director of Dairy UK and Nigel Stacey, a local farmer. Local food producers were displaying their wares around the hall and several local retailers had provided items either for the refreshments or for the raffle. Over 120 people from the north of the county were present and it was a really lively affair.
WI is famous or infamous for being a very practical organisation.The purpose of the national Great Milk Debate was to hammer out some plan of action to try to help the struggling dairy industry.It was quite in keeping with WI history that we should be holding such a debate because the WI movement started originally in Canada to improve the hygiene of milk production following the death of the infant child of Adelaide Hoodless.
We listened to very good speakers and they fielded some good questions. We heard statements from the floor and the Chairman read out prepared statements from various supermarket chains. To sum up:-
It seems legitimate to blame the supermarkets for being able to call the tune on sales of dairy produce but that is not the total answer. The supermarkets have and do take notice of what their customers demand. They have started to stock Fairtrade products, local produce, organic foods, specialist dietary foods and even begun to reduce packaging. They have definitely taken notice of this joint venture of the WI and the NFU. They are running scared to promise an extra 4p per litre to the farmer, but the date of implementation appears hazy. Even then, the profit margin is pretty good.
There needs to be some sort of investigation into the dairy sector as a whole to ensure that the dairy farmer is protected. Hopefully that would alter the balance of commodity product sales and slow the present rate of dairy farm sales.
But we , the consumers must change our ways too. We must think LOCAL. We have shown that we will pay extra for Fairtrade coffees etc. and organic milk. We could go back to local milk deliveries and perhaps ask the dairyman to increase the local produce that they deliver too.
It seems we would like DEFRA to get its act together. We want the Government to lessen the bureaucratic hold on the farmer, to enquire closely into the monopoly of the supermarkets' powers to go back on contracts which may be short-term to them but must by their very nature be long-term for the farmer.
We, as human beings, value our countryside and recognise the role of the farmer in our communities as an employer and in maintaining the environment. Farming has had a bad press over recent decades and some of the blame for this must be laid at the environmentalists' doors. No farming, no green and pleasant land.
So LOCAL and VOCAL. Over 90 people signed the petitions and promised to send postcards to their MPs and Euro MPs and talk to retailers.I am absolutely confident that these meetings will make the Government and the retailers sit up and take notice.I was a little surprised that on the eve of local elections the invited district councillors were not present but perhaps they thought that it was not relevant to their interests!
The local craft group spent the afternoon finishing off the bags that we had been making and being instructed on the high-tec of modern sewing machines.This was a revelation to me--all those computerised programmes to help the dressmaker or embroiderer to perform wonders.I quite expected the machine to speak up to tell one when the cotton was about to run out, like the modern car reporting on the remaining petrol in its tank. Perhaps these machines sing out "Call that a straight line?!" I'm only jealous because the amount of use I would make of mine would no way justify the expense.
Later in the afternoon it was a dash to a meeting to finalise arrangements for the Great Milk Debate. We admired the display that the WI members had put together on historical farming in the local area.It is rather unsettling to discover how recently history seems to start these days.I am sure this display will create a lot of interest on the night.I wish we knew how many people were coming!
April 25th
Winslow WI hosted the first of three Great Milk Debates (as suggested by NFWI in conjunction with the NFU) to be held in Bucks. Speakers were Tim Whitlock, the NFU secretary for the North Bucks area, Simon Bates the director of Dairy UK and Nigel Stacey, a local farmer. Local food producers were displaying their wares around the hall and several local retailers had provided items either for the refreshments or for the raffle. Over 120 people from the north of the county were present and it was a really lively affair.
WI is famous or infamous for being a very practical organisation.The purpose of the national Great Milk Debate was to hammer out some plan of action to try to help the struggling dairy industry.It was quite in keeping with WI history that we should be holding such a debate because the WI movement started originally in Canada to improve the hygiene of milk production following the death of the infant child of Adelaide Hoodless.
We listened to very good speakers and they fielded some good questions. We heard statements from the floor and the Chairman read out prepared statements from various supermarket chains. To sum up:-
It seems legitimate to blame the supermarkets for being able to call the tune on sales of dairy produce but that is not the total answer. The supermarkets have and do take notice of what their customers demand. They have started to stock Fairtrade products, local produce, organic foods, specialist dietary foods and even begun to reduce packaging. They have definitely taken notice of this joint venture of the WI and the NFU. They are running scared to promise an extra 4p per litre to the farmer, but the date of implementation appears hazy. Even then, the profit margin is pretty good.
There needs to be some sort of investigation into the dairy sector as a whole to ensure that the dairy farmer is protected. Hopefully that would alter the balance of commodity product sales and slow the present rate of dairy farm sales.
But we , the consumers must change our ways too. We must think LOCAL. We have shown that we will pay extra for Fairtrade coffees etc. and organic milk. We could go back to local milk deliveries and perhaps ask the dairyman to increase the local produce that they deliver too.
It seems we would like DEFRA to get its act together. We want the Government to lessen the bureaucratic hold on the farmer, to enquire closely into the monopoly of the supermarkets' powers to go back on contracts which may be short-term to them but must by their very nature be long-term for the farmer.
We, as human beings, value our countryside and recognise the role of the farmer in our communities as an employer and in maintaining the environment. Farming has had a bad press over recent decades and some of the blame for this must be laid at the environmentalists' doors. No farming, no green and pleasant land.
So LOCAL and VOCAL. Over 90 people signed the petitions and promised to send postcards to their MPs and Euro MPs and talk to retailers.I am absolutely confident that these meetings will make the Government and the retailers sit up and take notice.I was a little surprised that on the eve of local elections the invited district councillors were not present but perhaps they thought that it was not relevant to their interests!
Sunday, 22 April 2007
nuclear physics and dynamic personality
April 16th
The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee arranged a day school on radio-activity at the Civic Centre in Aylesbury. The title was How safe are we? The aim was to dispel a few myths so that we realised that the nuclear industry is not all bad news and that all of us have probably benefitted from the scientific and technological wisdom that has given us this branch of physics.
I'm no scientist but at the end of the day I had learned a lot about what radio-activity actually is, how it is used and how it affects our bodies when we come into contact with it.Power point presentations were the order of the day and we started with a really good session from Steve Barlow who works for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) at Harwell: he made the physics understandable and even raised a few moments of humour.The questions showed that the audience were not only interested but keeping up with the information.
We then moved on to the medical benefits of nuclear physics under Katie Sturrock's direction. She works for Amersham International (now GE Healthcare) and told us about the advances possible in medical diagnosis and treatment. Once again really interesting, lively questions and a very good presentation.
Mike Farley, an ex-member of Bucks Museum Service described the way in which carbon-dating is used in archaeology using excavation finds from digs in the Aylesbury area.You would be amazed what a heap of bones Aylesbury sits upon!
After lunch Malcolm Grimston from Chatham House gave a very good prognosis of the future of the nuclear power industry and the reasons why we are going to have to build more nuclear power stations.Environmental solutions, although appealing and useful will not be able to meet the future demands predicted caused by a growing world population and global warming.
Then we were back with Steve Barlow for an explanation of how the UK is dealing with nuclear waste, its different categories and various solutions across the world. We got rather bogged down with the need for transparency in public consultations and enquiries but emerged at the end with a clearer idea of what was necessary.
It is difficult to make such an informative day appear as enjoyable as it was. It all seems deadly serious: it is, of course, but everyone was concentrating hard and finished up feeling that their little grey cells had been seriously challenged but they were very pleased to have attended. The standard and standing of the speakers in their professions was very high and never once did they talk down to us as a bunch of lay people.
I think I feel happier about nuclear power than I was. I did want to ask whether putting nuclear waste in containers arrested the half-life process ie.if the radio-activity cannot get out, can the radio-activity reduce itself as it does above ground? BUT I didn't, because I wasn't sure whether I would make an idiot of myself! If anyone can answer that query, please put me right.
April 19th
Back to the Civic Centre for the Bucks Federation Annual Council Meeting where the Rt. Hon Ann Widdecombe was the main speaker. Over 600 WI members attended drawn by the popularity of this dynamic personality.She talked about her writing, about her work in the Shadow Cabinet in nearly all the important departments and on television. In spite of the risk of losing her voice completely she spoke at length and with animation on these topics. It was unfortunate when she was having difficulty speaking at all, that the Civic Centre microphones began to play up and she and everyone else had to finish with a hand-held mike.
This is the meeting when the end of year financial figures are presented and our Hon Treasurer reported that although we were not as rich as we were last year there is still a profit over the year.Money had been lost on An Evening with Stella Rimington but other events had been well supported. It is only by members attending events that we survive financially. I thought Beryl Coombs deserved a round of applause as the treasuryship is a heavy load to bear.
It was interesting to hear about the Bucks three members who cycled Cuba for Denman College. Brave souls! I hope some WIs invite them to talk at their meetings because we had time only for a short account.
It was another excellent meeting, a mixture of business and entertainment. I always enjoy council meetings. It is such a good opportunity to meet fellow members and exchange news and views.
The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee arranged a day school on radio-activity at the Civic Centre in Aylesbury. The title was How safe are we? The aim was to dispel a few myths so that we realised that the nuclear industry is not all bad news and that all of us have probably benefitted from the scientific and technological wisdom that has given us this branch of physics.
I'm no scientist but at the end of the day I had learned a lot about what radio-activity actually is, how it is used and how it affects our bodies when we come into contact with it.Power point presentations were the order of the day and we started with a really good session from Steve Barlow who works for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) at Harwell: he made the physics understandable and even raised a few moments of humour.The questions showed that the audience were not only interested but keeping up with the information.
We then moved on to the medical benefits of nuclear physics under Katie Sturrock's direction. She works for Amersham International (now GE Healthcare) and told us about the advances possible in medical diagnosis and treatment. Once again really interesting, lively questions and a very good presentation.
Mike Farley, an ex-member of Bucks Museum Service described the way in which carbon-dating is used in archaeology using excavation finds from digs in the Aylesbury area.You would be amazed what a heap of bones Aylesbury sits upon!
After lunch Malcolm Grimston from Chatham House gave a very good prognosis of the future of the nuclear power industry and the reasons why we are going to have to build more nuclear power stations.Environmental solutions, although appealing and useful will not be able to meet the future demands predicted caused by a growing world population and global warming.
Then we were back with Steve Barlow for an explanation of how the UK is dealing with nuclear waste, its different categories and various solutions across the world. We got rather bogged down with the need for transparency in public consultations and enquiries but emerged at the end with a clearer idea of what was necessary.
It is difficult to make such an informative day appear as enjoyable as it was. It all seems deadly serious: it is, of course, but everyone was concentrating hard and finished up feeling that their little grey cells had been seriously challenged but they were very pleased to have attended. The standard and standing of the speakers in their professions was very high and never once did they talk down to us as a bunch of lay people.
I think I feel happier about nuclear power than I was. I did want to ask whether putting nuclear waste in containers arrested the half-life process ie.if the radio-activity cannot get out, can the radio-activity reduce itself as it does above ground? BUT I didn't, because I wasn't sure whether I would make an idiot of myself! If anyone can answer that query, please put me right.
April 19th
Back to the Civic Centre for the Bucks Federation Annual Council Meeting where the Rt. Hon Ann Widdecombe was the main speaker. Over 600 WI members attended drawn by the popularity of this dynamic personality.She talked about her writing, about her work in the Shadow Cabinet in nearly all the important departments and on television. In spite of the risk of losing her voice completely she spoke at length and with animation on these topics. It was unfortunate when she was having difficulty speaking at all, that the Civic Centre microphones began to play up and she and everyone else had to finish with a hand-held mike.
This is the meeting when the end of year financial figures are presented and our Hon Treasurer reported that although we were not as rich as we were last year there is still a profit over the year.Money had been lost on An Evening with Stella Rimington but other events had been well supported. It is only by members attending events that we survive financially. I thought Beryl Coombs deserved a round of applause as the treasuryship is a heavy load to bear.
It was interesting to hear about the Bucks three members who cycled Cuba for Denman College. Brave souls! I hope some WIs invite them to talk at their meetings because we had time only for a short account.
It was another excellent meeting, a mixture of business and entertainment. I always enjoy council meetings. It is such a good opportunity to meet fellow members and exchange news and views.
Saturday, 7 April 2007
Music and DramaApril 2nd
I feel written up after the last entry! So I'll just say that we held another Book Group session when we discussed Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal which was well received. Some people had been to see the film but others didn't want to because they had enjoyed the book too much. I remember feeling like that about Cold Mountain. I thought the portrayal of the school staffroom (not Cold Mountain of course) was brilliant. I am sure Judi Dench was a marvellously sinister older teacher.We discussed why it was seen as more reprehensible for an older woman to take up with a young boy than the other way round... or is it?
April 3rdAnother WI Group meeting where we were entertained very professionally with monologues and sketches. The only props consisted of selection of hats. Everyone enjoyed the occasion and laughed a lot.
April 4thLocal WI meeting was a musical event when a lady who had lately become blind talked about her life playing the violin and how the instrument was helping her to face the future with a positive attitude.A very gifted and strongwilled character who filled the audience with admiration and made them laugh too.
April 3rdAnother WI Group meeting where we were entertained very professionally with monologues and sketches. The only props consisted of selection of hats. Everyone enjoyed the occasion and laughed a lot.
April 4thLocal WI meeting was a musical event when a lady who had lately become blind talked about her life playing the violin and how the instrument was helping her to face the future with a positive attitude.A very gifted and strongwilled character who filled the audience with admiration and made them laugh too.
ACWW Associated Countrywomen of the World
I met 4 other members of Bucks' WIs when I attended the ACWW Conference in London on March 30th.We were not delegates but had seen the information in our newsletter and in WI Life.The audience was about 100 in number and the World President of ACWW gave a report on the work which had been done following the appeal to help the victims of the tsunami. The WI is associated with the ACWW and it is to this organisation that our Coins for Friendship are given. It is a worldwide organisation and many on the administrative board have come up through the WI. £200,000 was raised for the tsunami appeal which has now closed. The money went into income generation schemes mostly directed towards women.It was designed to be 100% practical and a rapid response.In India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia help was given to buy fishing tackle, sewing machines,agricultural tools and seeds, education and training, sanitation provision and the setting up of orphanages.There was a heartbreaking session on human trafficking in UK when we were told of the work being done by the WI with M&S and Amnesty International to combat the modern slave trade in sex and menial jobs.Remember we have a mandate to fight against this trade and we, as members must keep our eyes and ears open to try to check that it is not happening under our very noses. If it can occur in all the big cities and in the fields of Cornwall and East Anglia, what's to stop it being in Bucks?Then we heard about the state of women living in Zimbabwe. The statistics beggar belief:life expectancy for a woman was 65 ten years ago, now 34 years:4200 deaths in childbirth:1800% inflation and the HIV/Aids epidemic just grows and grows.The women cannot afford to buy sanitary protection even if it was available and they are beaten up when they protest.Do look at www.dignity!period.campaign.Bodyform is trying to get cutprice products into Zimbabwe but the local government imposed a tax of $32,000 on the first shipment so the firm is setting up a line through the trade unions against stiff opposition and corruption. The listeners on Friday were plotting to try to get an emergency resolution for the AGM in June.There was a brief report on the work done at United Nations where we have six women working to protect the rights of the girl-child and to improve the status of women across the world.Then we heard how the Ceredigion Federation of WIs had adopted a community of Khosa women in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, again helping in a practical way with health and education as well as providing chickens to kick start the economy.The final item was on global warming and its effect on Bangladesh, Indonesia and the drought-ridden areas of Africa.We came out into the gentle rain in an affluent area of London with fruit and vegetables in shop windows and commuters chatting on mobiles and I for one was full of indignation that so few people seemed to care about what was happening elsewhere in the world BUT also felt a sense of pride that the WI was trying to do something, was a vital part of ACWW and was able to act if it put its mind to it.I wish Bucks was more interested in ACWW. It is a while since we got together to provide water standpipes in Lesotho. Mind, we knitted teddies to buy bricks for schools in Burundi, didn't we ? So perhaps I am being a bit hard.
Fencing and a volunteer wanted
Well, what do you know? My entry last weekend was published without a hitch!
I see in the April Bucks WI newsletter that there is planned a taster day for fencing, an opportunity for WI members to try fencing. That's a first for our Federation, I think. I hope the students can learn somewhere where there are stairs so that they can stage a duel up steps in the best cinema tradition. "Have at you...!" What's the female for varlet?
Is there anyone out there who would volunteer to report on the Resolution Briefing Meeting in Aylesbury on 11th April? For the first time for donkeys' years, I cannot go and it is one of the most important WI meetings of the year. This is when BFWI calls in experts to talk about the subjects to be raised as resolutions at the Annual General Meeting of the NFWI at the Royal Albert Hall in June.
I see in the April Bucks WI newsletter that there is planned a taster day for fencing, an opportunity for WI members to try fencing. That's a first for our Federation, I think. I hope the students can learn somewhere where there are stairs so that they can stage a duel up steps in the best cinema tradition. "Have at you...!" What's the female for varlet?
Is there anyone out there who would volunteer to report on the Resolution Briefing Meeting in Aylesbury on 11th April? For the first time for donkeys' years, I cannot go and it is one of the most important WI meetings of the year. This is when BFWI calls in experts to talk about the subjects to be raised as resolutions at the Annual General Meeting of the NFWI at the Royal Albert Hall in June.
Sunday, 1 April 2007
Groups and Quilts
24 March
I spent lunchtime today at a local WI member's house where we shared soup and sandwiches in aid of WI funds.We needed to make a small amount to help to finance our Great Milk Debate event which is going to be free entrance.The array of food is always marvellous at these gatherings and they do provide a time for general chat which prove difficult to find at monthly meetings. Also members bring in friends who are not necessarily WI themselves so it is promotional as well.
26 March
This was a crafty day with a vengeance! In the afternoon the local WI Craft Group hosted a speaker from a neighbouring WI to talk about her patchwork and embroidery. She had picked up ideas from all around the world and showed us samples of her work. She said that craft work in Australia and America was of a higher standard than here in UK and that a higher percentage of women in those countries actually still carried out traditional hand sewing.I wonder whether that is what you other travellers believe?
In the evening it was our WI's Group Meeting. Nearly all the WIs in Bucks belong to a Group. These are made up of 4-6 WIs geographically close to each other who join together twice a year to have a large meeting.The beauty of this is that one can hear a more expensive speaker than is possible in some of the smaller WIs.Not that the higher price necessarily guarantees a better talk or demonstration but it does mean the hostess WI may be able to engage a big name to attend.
We listened and watched a marvellous speaker who had travelled up from Portsmouth to describe the Travels of a Nipper and Tucker! I think several people in the audience thought they were in for a session on cosmetic surgery but no: it was about quilting as you have never heard it described before.The work shown was breath-taking in its beauty and execution but the presentation was so amusing that everyone was exhausted by laughing before she finished.I am not going to tell you how she finished but it was completely unexpected and it involved a whip!
An evening to be remembered for a long, long time.
One of the things that many WIs do wrong in my opinion is to give too detailed a report of their speakers' talks in their press reports.Yes: it is important to tell everyone who spoke about what and how good it was etc. but I wish they wouldn't give a potted account of the whole address and especially I wish they wouldn't reveal the final surprise or climax to the talk.It must be so annoying to the speaker and spoils the talk for others who have read the paper.
28 March
Local WI committee night with lots of discussion about the summer programme and of course, this Great Milk Debate. Our finances are still satisfactory but the amount actually in the bank has fallen rather spectacularly this month as the Treasurer has paid out our part of the annual subscription to the County Federation and the National Federation. The local WI just gets to keep almost half of the subscription but the other part goes to support county and the national administration and now the new WI Life.Some WI members resent having to pay this money away but those who object are usually the members that do not appreciate the wider aspects of being a WI member.How could we manage without a county newsletter or the council meetings or sub-committees to organise events or a treasury department to steer us through the minefields of tax and charity commission and insurance? Who would be able to represent us in government petitions, organise the Annual General Meeting at the Albert Hall or Cardiff, produce the magazine and issue press reports? In other words how could the WI maintain its status as an important element in the nation's community without a national and regional presence? Hundreds of groups gathering in little village halls without an overall umbrella would have no voice at all.
I spent lunchtime today at a local WI member's house where we shared soup and sandwiches in aid of WI funds.We needed to make a small amount to help to finance our Great Milk Debate event which is going to be free entrance.The array of food is always marvellous at these gatherings and they do provide a time for general chat which prove difficult to find at monthly meetings. Also members bring in friends who are not necessarily WI themselves so it is promotional as well.
26 March
This was a crafty day with a vengeance! In the afternoon the local WI Craft Group hosted a speaker from a neighbouring WI to talk about her patchwork and embroidery. She had picked up ideas from all around the world and showed us samples of her work. She said that craft work in Australia and America was of a higher standard than here in UK and that a higher percentage of women in those countries actually still carried out traditional hand sewing.I wonder whether that is what you other travellers believe?
In the evening it was our WI's Group Meeting. Nearly all the WIs in Bucks belong to a Group. These are made up of 4-6 WIs geographically close to each other who join together twice a year to have a large meeting.The beauty of this is that one can hear a more expensive speaker than is possible in some of the smaller WIs.Not that the higher price necessarily guarantees a better talk or demonstration but it does mean the hostess WI may be able to engage a big name to attend.
We listened and watched a marvellous speaker who had travelled up from Portsmouth to describe the Travels of a Nipper and Tucker! I think several people in the audience thought they were in for a session on cosmetic surgery but no: it was about quilting as you have never heard it described before.The work shown was breath-taking in its beauty and execution but the presentation was so amusing that everyone was exhausted by laughing before she finished.I am not going to tell you how she finished but it was completely unexpected and it involved a whip!
An evening to be remembered for a long, long time.
One of the things that many WIs do wrong in my opinion is to give too detailed a report of their speakers' talks in their press reports.Yes: it is important to tell everyone who spoke about what and how good it was etc. but I wish they wouldn't give a potted account of the whole address and especially I wish they wouldn't reveal the final surprise or climax to the talk.It must be so annoying to the speaker and spoils the talk for others who have read the paper.
28 March
Local WI committee night with lots of discussion about the summer programme and of course, this Great Milk Debate. Our finances are still satisfactory but the amount actually in the bank has fallen rather spectacularly this month as the Treasurer has paid out our part of the annual subscription to the County Federation and the National Federation. The local WI just gets to keep almost half of the subscription but the other part goes to support county and the national administration and now the new WI Life.Some WI members resent having to pay this money away but those who object are usually the members that do not appreciate the wider aspects of being a WI member.How could we manage without a county newsletter or the council meetings or sub-committees to organise events or a treasury department to steer us through the minefields of tax and charity commission and insurance? Who would be able to represent us in government petitions, organise the Annual General Meeting at the Albert Hall or Cardiff, produce the magazine and issue press reports? In other words how could the WI maintain its status as an important element in the nation's community without a national and regional presence? Hundreds of groups gathering in little village halls without an overall umbrella would have no voice at all.
comments
3rd weekend in March
Would you believe I had difficulties again getting my blog to print. I had to put it out to tender for the last instalment to appear.This is not a great way to introduce what I am about to write but I want to make it clear that, if you wish to make a comment on the blog, it does not cost you anything. The first time you want to write you register your name and think up a password (not your private password from other activities), write your piece and publish.You will not be billed nor have to go through that process again. Some things I write, you may want to argue about or add your agreement or give your account of the event.That is if there is anyone out there reading this...
Would you believe I had difficulties again getting my blog to print. I had to put it out to tender for the last instalment to appear.This is not a great way to introduce what I am about to write but I want to make it clear that, if you wish to make a comment on the blog, it does not cost you anything. The first time you want to write you register your name and think up a password (not your private password from other activities), write your piece and publish.You will not be billed nor have to go through that process again. Some things I write, you may want to argue about or add your agreement or give your account of the event.That is if there is anyone out there reading this...
Monday, 26 March 2007
Hearts and minds
March 12th
The local WI craft group met to compare progress on the making of handbags. Some patterns had been taken from the last issue of WI Life or were adaptations of them. I am not into this felting business because I seem to have spent years trying not to felt my woollens in the wash and to actually aim to produce a thick mat goes against the grain.
I consulted the magazine for an address for some American friends who are coming to UK in May. They need a bed and breakfast near Gatwick and there are several regularly advertised in the back pages. The advantage is that they are tried and tested by WI members and they provide transport to the airport. Some will even garage your car while you are on holiday.
It is Fairtrade Fortnight and this organisation is always dear to the hearts of WI members.It is amazing how many places now stock fairtrade products. It is good to see even the supermarkets have got the message which is to a great extent from the consumers bringing them up short and asking for products to appear on the shelves. WI members do have a voice which supermarkets listen to. Just notice how they are adopting the idea of re-cycled plastic bags after our demonstrations against excess packaging last June.As they say, we can make a difference.
March 15th
Discussion today at the Education & Current Affairs sub-committee about the Let's Cook campaign which is being run through the county federations by the National WI. The idea is to encourage people from disadvantaged groups and youngsters to learn to cook healthy meals and to use their money more wisely. It has had quite a bit of media coverage and we have now two members in Bucks who are trained and ready to go.The courses for obtaining hygiene certificates or renewing them are running this month.We would like to hold some further north in the county as it is a long haul down to High Wycombe.
It is a long time since we held a Health Day so that was suggested but it is always a problem getting subjects to match the time of day so that those who might benefit can attend. Age related problems are less successful in the evening and IVF is no good in the afternoons (I could have phrased that better). Yet one needs to cover a variety of topics to obtain an audience large enough to cover the expenses of speakers and hall.
March 19th
Isn't it difficult these days to find really good craft shops? There used to be a marvellous fabric shop in the town where I live but it has been closed for years now. There is a renewed interest in knitting and crochet which is catered for by the department stores I suppose but the sort of place where you can toddle in with a pattern or a problem zip have disappeared locally. But not in Penzance.....I found a marvellous place up a side street which was selling local organic wools and kits made up by local people to make these popular scarves and handbags.I could have spent a fortune on wools and yarns.
Community life is changing or breaking down completely. We posted a letter to number 68 in a street in a big city some weeks ago. It should have gone to number 64.Because the contents were obviously important the 68 resident returned it via the bank and then to us.This was very kind of her but 68 and 64 had lived either side of 66 for over 6 years and didn't know each other's names. It is this sort of lack of cohesion that I think the WI can and should address. They may not suffer from loneliness but surely it is more comfortable to know a little about one's neighbours, to have some feeling of belonging.
March 20th
The WI Three Counties Quiz night started tonight.This competition has taken place for many years. Bucks, Herts and Beds federations hold meetings in their own counties to find the top 6 teams of 3 to compete against each other in June every year.The first of two meetings in Bucks was held tonight in Buckingham where 31 teams took part from WIs in the northern half of the county. On Thursday those from the south face the same questions.Some years the questions seem very hard but they were OK this year--a nice variety under ten categories. Everyone enjoys these events and shares a laugh at some of the answers.The final used to be broadcast on local 3 Counties radio but isn't anymore.We have some very knowledgeable members and the Suffolk Federation of WIs once appeared on University Challenge and went through to the second round which was quite an achievement.
The local WI craft group met to compare progress on the making of handbags. Some patterns had been taken from the last issue of WI Life or were adaptations of them. I am not into this felting business because I seem to have spent years trying not to felt my woollens in the wash and to actually aim to produce a thick mat goes against the grain.
I consulted the magazine for an address for some American friends who are coming to UK in May. They need a bed and breakfast near Gatwick and there are several regularly advertised in the back pages. The advantage is that they are tried and tested by WI members and they provide transport to the airport. Some will even garage your car while you are on holiday.
It is Fairtrade Fortnight and this organisation is always dear to the hearts of WI members.It is amazing how many places now stock fairtrade products. It is good to see even the supermarkets have got the message which is to a great extent from the consumers bringing them up short and asking for products to appear on the shelves. WI members do have a voice which supermarkets listen to. Just notice how they are adopting the idea of re-cycled plastic bags after our demonstrations against excess packaging last June.As they say, we can make a difference.
March 15th
Discussion today at the Education & Current Affairs sub-committee about the Let's Cook campaign which is being run through the county federations by the National WI. The idea is to encourage people from disadvantaged groups and youngsters to learn to cook healthy meals and to use their money more wisely. It has had quite a bit of media coverage and we have now two members in Bucks who are trained and ready to go.The courses for obtaining hygiene certificates or renewing them are running this month.We would like to hold some further north in the county as it is a long haul down to High Wycombe.
It is a long time since we held a Health Day so that was suggested but it is always a problem getting subjects to match the time of day so that those who might benefit can attend. Age related problems are less successful in the evening and IVF is no good in the afternoons (I could have phrased that better). Yet one needs to cover a variety of topics to obtain an audience large enough to cover the expenses of speakers and hall.
March 19th
Isn't it difficult these days to find really good craft shops? There used to be a marvellous fabric shop in the town where I live but it has been closed for years now. There is a renewed interest in knitting and crochet which is catered for by the department stores I suppose but the sort of place where you can toddle in with a pattern or a problem zip have disappeared locally. But not in Penzance.....I found a marvellous place up a side street which was selling local organic wools and kits made up by local people to make these popular scarves and handbags.I could have spent a fortune on wools and yarns.
Community life is changing or breaking down completely. We posted a letter to number 68 in a street in a big city some weeks ago. It should have gone to number 64.Because the contents were obviously important the 68 resident returned it via the bank and then to us.This was very kind of her but 68 and 64 had lived either side of 66 for over 6 years and didn't know each other's names. It is this sort of lack of cohesion that I think the WI can and should address. They may not suffer from loneliness but surely it is more comfortable to know a little about one's neighbours, to have some feeling of belonging.
March 20th
The WI Three Counties Quiz night started tonight.This competition has taken place for many years. Bucks, Herts and Beds federations hold meetings in their own counties to find the top 6 teams of 3 to compete against each other in June every year.The first of two meetings in Bucks was held tonight in Buckingham where 31 teams took part from WIs in the northern half of the county. On Thursday those from the south face the same questions.Some years the questions seem very hard but they were OK this year--a nice variety under ten categories. Everyone enjoys these events and shares a laugh at some of the answers.The final used to be broadcast on local 3 Counties radio but isn't anymore.We have some very knowledgeable members and the Suffolk Federation of WIs once appeared on University Challenge and went through to the second round which was quite an achievement.
Trouble I've seen
Second weekend in March
What a nightmare! I decided that I would customise my blog, add a rural Bucks photo and a brief profile and then transpose the next instalment.The idea of headings seemed a good one too.
My machine threw an absolute wobbly at all of these ideas.My blog refused to receive another word and when I said it was being unreasonable it told me to cleanse my browser. I was absolutely sure my machine was as pure as the driven snow and anyway what is my browser? I thought you, the reader was probably my browser and I feel pretty sure that your cleanliness is beyond question.These computer helplines are all very well as a title but the description is not accurate. The problem is that you need more than one screen, mouse and telephone wire.Why don't they invent their own words instead of using terms that mean something completely normal in the real world for the lay user?
Mouse? Browser? And once into helpline, the jargon is unintelligible!
Anyway...
To cleanse one's browser, take a good hour after deciding that they probably meant that I had to clear a bit of space for my next instalment.So I wiped out the first two which was a shame as they contained the explanation of why I was messing about with a blog at all.The blog would still not accept the latest input.I consulted technical whizz kids in the family, gave away my precious password and Lo and Behold from a distance of several miles THEY could add on to my blog site but I still couldn't. Back to helpline, to discover a little notice saying that my blog provider had been having trouble accepting entries from my net company and it was working on the problem.
Heart rate slowed and the next day I found that I could post some text and I can now begin to use headings.When I am fully out of shock I shall re-instate my earlier entries because they did explain what I was trying to do.
What a nightmare! I decided that I would customise my blog, add a rural Bucks photo and a brief profile and then transpose the next instalment.The idea of headings seemed a good one too.
My machine threw an absolute wobbly at all of these ideas.My blog refused to receive another word and when I said it was being unreasonable it told me to cleanse my browser. I was absolutely sure my machine was as pure as the driven snow and anyway what is my browser? I thought you, the reader was probably my browser and I feel pretty sure that your cleanliness is beyond question.These computer helplines are all very well as a title but the description is not accurate. The problem is that you need more than one screen, mouse and telephone wire.Why don't they invent their own words instead of using terms that mean something completely normal in the real world for the lay user?
Mouse? Browser? And once into helpline, the jargon is unintelligible!
Anyway...
To cleanse one's browser, take a good hour after deciding that they probably meant that I had to clear a bit of space for my next instalment.So I wiped out the first two which was a shame as they contained the explanation of why I was messing about with a blog at all.The blog would still not accept the latest input.I consulted technical whizz kids in the family, gave away my precious password and Lo and Behold from a distance of several miles THEY could add on to my blog site but I still couldn't. Back to helpline, to discover a little notice saying that my blog provider had been having trouble accepting entries from my net company and it was working on the problem.
Heart rate slowed and the next day I found that I could post some text and I can now begin to use headings.When I am fully out of shock I shall re-instate my earlier entries because they did explain what I was trying to do.
Saturday, 24 March 2007
Thursday, 15 March 2007
the loneliness of the short haul blogger
4th March
This blog business seems very one-sided at the moment. I don't seem to be getting any replies or comments. Perhaps I am not looking in the right place. I know people are reading it but they leave no trace--wierd!
5th March
Yesterday the weather was diabolical and I was dreading the fact that seven of us had arranged to go to Denman College and walk the nature trail. We planned then to explore part of one of the Marcham Jubilee trails. However the day dawned bright and we drove over to the college.The NFWI sold off about 60 acres of land from the original bought when the WI purchased the residential college.In 1947 it cost £16000 for a Georgian mansion set in 100 acres! Some of this land was bought back by one of the previous owners but he allows the WI members to walk through the area behind the lake. This is where the nature trail has been established. It is not a great distance and there is a set of notes to guide one around.
We set off well-booted and it was exceedingly wet and muddy. The water was flowing over the top of one of the little bridges and we had to make a detour but managed to cover most of the trail.It was sad to see that one of the lovely walnut trees had been toppled in the recent gales. On the other hand lots of work has been done on the lake edges so perhaps after the clearance of a decent flight path in and out our swans will return.
After cleaning ourselves up we went inside to join about 50 Bucks WI members who were taking part in a day visit to look around the college.We had an excellent lunch and then enjoyed a guided tour of the main house and teaching block.
The college runs about 500 courses a year and entertains over 6000 students.The new programme is due out in the April issue of WI Life.There are great plans for building a new Catering School and many of the public rooms have been re-furbished this year. We all felt very proud of OUR COLLEGE.
7th March
The local WI heard a talk about diamonds tonight which was very interesting with some excellent slides on the mining of diamonds and the treatment of them to produce the rings and crown jewels which we admire so much.Did you know that you can have your loved one's ashes made into a diamond? It costs about £10000 and will be slightly yellow but it might appeal to some people I suppose.
Our WI members always help provide tea for the blood-doning service when it visits the town so that had to be arranged. Also plans made for our 85th WI birthday celebration.
8th March
I joined 3 other WI members to plan a Literary Lunch in July. In spite of the fact we met in a pub we managed to agree speaker, hall and menu and quite a lot of the detail for the day too. We left feeling very confident that we would be able to repeat the success of the last two years.
9th March
My husband found an article in Country Living in the dentist's waiting room about the crisis in British agriculture which mentioned the work being done by the WI nationally. I must try to obtain a copy. The Public Affairs Committee at NFWI is doing a splendid job on this topic and it is just the sort of publicity we need.
This blog business seems very one-sided at the moment. I don't seem to be getting any replies or comments. Perhaps I am not looking in the right place. I know people are reading it but they leave no trace--wierd!
5th March
Yesterday the weather was diabolical and I was dreading the fact that seven of us had arranged to go to Denman College and walk the nature trail. We planned then to explore part of one of the Marcham Jubilee trails. However the day dawned bright and we drove over to the college.The NFWI sold off about 60 acres of land from the original bought when the WI purchased the residential college.In 1947 it cost £16000 for a Georgian mansion set in 100 acres! Some of this land was bought back by one of the previous owners but he allows the WI members to walk through the area behind the lake. This is where the nature trail has been established. It is not a great distance and there is a set of notes to guide one around.
We set off well-booted and it was exceedingly wet and muddy. The water was flowing over the top of one of the little bridges and we had to make a detour but managed to cover most of the trail.It was sad to see that one of the lovely walnut trees had been toppled in the recent gales. On the other hand lots of work has been done on the lake edges so perhaps after the clearance of a decent flight path in and out our swans will return.
After cleaning ourselves up we went inside to join about 50 Bucks WI members who were taking part in a day visit to look around the college.We had an excellent lunch and then enjoyed a guided tour of the main house and teaching block.
The college runs about 500 courses a year and entertains over 6000 students.The new programme is due out in the April issue of WI Life.There are great plans for building a new Catering School and many of the public rooms have been re-furbished this year. We all felt very proud of OUR COLLEGE.
7th March
The local WI heard a talk about diamonds tonight which was very interesting with some excellent slides on the mining of diamonds and the treatment of them to produce the rings and crown jewels which we admire so much.Did you know that you can have your loved one's ashes made into a diamond? It costs about £10000 and will be slightly yellow but it might appeal to some people I suppose.
Our WI members always help provide tea for the blood-doning service when it visits the town so that had to be arranged. Also plans made for our 85th WI birthday celebration.
8th March
I joined 3 other WI members to plan a Literary Lunch in July. In spite of the fact we met in a pub we managed to agree speaker, hall and menu and quite a lot of the detail for the day too. We left feeling very confident that we would be able to repeat the success of the last two years.
9th March
My husband found an article in Country Living in the dentist's waiting room about the crisis in British agriculture which mentioned the work being done by the WI nationally. I must try to obtain a copy. The Public Affairs Committee at NFWI is doing a splendid job on this topic and it is just the sort of publicity we need.
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
march2
2nd March Tonight the Bucks WIs celebrated St David's Day courtesy of the federation Leisure and Performing Arts sub-committee. This was the fourth in a series of patriotic days and it was every bit as enjoyable as the others.We listened to a harpist and a group of 6 WI singers calling themselves the Celtic Connection and danced pretty energetically to the Old Police-yard Band. Then of course we ate a Welsh supper produced by the committee and their catering friends. It was a most enjoyable evening and well worth the time and efforts of the members of this wonderful sub-committee.There were about 95 people there and no one had to queue for ages either at suppertime or at the bar.Takes some organising that!
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Sunday, 4 March 2007
24-25 February
This weekend I have found myself thinking a great deal about the train crash in Cumbria. Probably this is because I know the area so well. The prettiest road in England leads from Tebay to Kendal: I forget its number. There's a controversial statement for you! I bet you all have your favourite. I admit the road surface is not the best but the views...even with a wind farm over the hill!
Thank Goodness it seems the construction of the carriages appears to have helped to reduce the number of injuries to the passengers or this could have been a major disaster like Hatfield.It is for these sort of events that the county Emergency Planning scheme has been created. The WIs are circulated annually with a request for members to make themselves available in the event of disaster to help in any way they can, be it manning information points or serving refreshments to casualties and service staff. This is also why the WI conducted a survey of village halls and meeting places so that the relief organisations know what is available and who can administer TLC. There was a group of WI ladies serving drinks and light refreshments under a hawthorn tree beside the railway line at Hatfield.
26th February
Local book group today. We read" Stuart: a life backwards" by Alexander Masters which had been recommended in WI Life. We certainly learned a lot about the ills in today's society and about the vicious circle of homelessness. This was the subject of one of the resolutions discarded from the list this January.I made a private vow to buy a copy of the Big Issue next time instead of looking at my feet and hurrying by.
If you want a really poetic novel about modern inner city life, try Jon Macgregor "If No one speaks of remarkable things".
27th February
Great Milk Debate local planning committee met tonight. We have our speakers signed up and publicity from NFWI to help in the campaign. The staff in London are pulling out all the stops on this.This is part of the follow-up to the passing of a mandate at the WI Annual General Meeting and shows how some of the money which the WIs contribute to NFWI as a part of the annual subscription is spent.
It is a shame that the major retailers are very loth to send out speakers to these debates as they should be prepared to defend their position on this issue. Otherwise it looks as though they are not sure of their conduct towards the dairy industry. It will be bad publicity for them not to appear or make some statement.
What a marvellous tool the Web is for finding out about organisations and contacts for speakers and details for outings! A press on a few keys and you can find out the opening hours of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
28th February
Local WI committee met to arrange the next monthly meeting and plan the main fundraising event of the year. No WI can function without raising some funds above the annual subscription.The subscription is supposed to cover 11 meetings per year but the cost of hiring halls and of hosting speakers is more than this. Last year we had a very successful Christmas Tree Festival which engaged the whole of the local community and we wish to repeat this triumph. Coffee mornings help but are not enough so it is a case of everyone putting on their thinking caps.
This weekend I have found myself thinking a great deal about the train crash in Cumbria. Probably this is because I know the area so well. The prettiest road in England leads from Tebay to Kendal: I forget its number. There's a controversial statement for you! I bet you all have your favourite. I admit the road surface is not the best but the views...even with a wind farm over the hill!
Thank Goodness it seems the construction of the carriages appears to have helped to reduce the number of injuries to the passengers or this could have been a major disaster like Hatfield.It is for these sort of events that the county Emergency Planning scheme has been created. The WIs are circulated annually with a request for members to make themselves available in the event of disaster to help in any way they can, be it manning information points or serving refreshments to casualties and service staff. This is also why the WI conducted a survey of village halls and meeting places so that the relief organisations know what is available and who can administer TLC. There was a group of WI ladies serving drinks and light refreshments under a hawthorn tree beside the railway line at Hatfield.
26th February
Local book group today. We read" Stuart: a life backwards" by Alexander Masters which had been recommended in WI Life. We certainly learned a lot about the ills in today's society and about the vicious circle of homelessness. This was the subject of one of the resolutions discarded from the list this January.I made a private vow to buy a copy of the Big Issue next time instead of looking at my feet and hurrying by.
If you want a really poetic novel about modern inner city life, try Jon Macgregor "If No one speaks of remarkable things".
27th February
Great Milk Debate local planning committee met tonight. We have our speakers signed up and publicity from NFWI to help in the campaign. The staff in London are pulling out all the stops on this.This is part of the follow-up to the passing of a mandate at the WI Annual General Meeting and shows how some of the money which the WIs contribute to NFWI as a part of the annual subscription is spent.
It is a shame that the major retailers are very loth to send out speakers to these debates as they should be prepared to defend their position on this issue. Otherwise it looks as though they are not sure of their conduct towards the dairy industry. It will be bad publicity for them not to appear or make some statement.
What a marvellous tool the Web is for finding out about organisations and contacts for speakers and details for outings! A press on a few keys and you can find out the opening hours of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
28th February
Local WI committee met to arrange the next monthly meeting and plan the main fundraising event of the year. No WI can function without raising some funds above the annual subscription.The subscription is supposed to cover 11 meetings per year but the cost of hiring halls and of hosting speakers is more than this. Last year we had a very successful Christmas Tree Festival which engaged the whole of the local community and we wish to repeat this triumph. Coffee mornings help but are not enough so it is a case of everyone putting on their thinking caps.
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