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.