wheels within wheels

3rd July
Back to school with the girls for sewing today. Progress is being made with the crochet lessons although the pieces are turning out to be triangles instead of squares! At least they are persevering and enjoying a good laugh.We were shown the photos of the evening dress being worn for which we had helped to produce accessories and were given a happy account of the event. A new person came along to learn to knit and everyone seemed relaxed in our company.I must admit I enjoy talking to the youngsters and meeting their children.
7th July
More knitting and talk today but this took place in our local WI craft group. The project for Winslow Show is taking shape and looks a lot better than I thought it would a month ago.If it attracts children, it will draw the mothers in as well and you never know, they might find something in the rest of the display to tempt them into joining.
10th July
The second Thursday every other month is now the regular meeting day for the Education and Current Affairs Sub-Committee. This month we welcomed two observers to the meeting. This is the way in which we hope to recruit people on to the committees. Some volunteer and some are spotted at other events held across the county.We had to wind up the Westonbirt outing and the Taste of Poland Day and then start to plan the next series of activities. Nothing daunted by having to cancel the Health Day in the Spring, we are going to try a slightly different slant in October in Winslow Public Hall. We are taking some travel under our wing and thinking about another international day.The really good news is that we now have an appointed representative for ACWW (the Associated Country Women of the World).This is an international organisation to which every WI contributes its Coins for Friendship each year. One may specify how the money should be spent to help women less fortunate than ourselves. In the past BFWI has helped with fresh water projects in Lesotho, bought sewing machines for Africa and cattle and goats for India.We hope that now we have another representative, we may be able to ask the members to undertake a named scheme again.What seems a small amount to us in UK can make a huge difference in the Third World.
12th July
Six members of our local WI took part in a very different activity today.We travelled north to the DIRFT centre near Daventry and enjoyed a conducted tour of the Eddie Stobart logistics park at Crick.One may do this only with a bona fide member of the Eddie Stobart Fan Club! It was great fun clambering into lorries, being shown round the workshops and hearing how the journeys and loads are planned. We saw where freight is transferred on to rail and learned how the drivers are trained and the way they live in their lorries and the type of loads they carry. We were told of the costs not only of the vehicles but also of the journeys.Unfortunately we cannot afford to have our names on the front of one of these giant lorries but why pay when one can spot one's lorry right there in the parking area? I think one of the most impressive things of the visit was to be told how well the drivers are looked after and that it still is a family concern and this caring element is appreciated by the men. Oh dear I have just realised that I forgot to ask if they had female drivers! They were certainly females in the HQ planning routes and loads, but there would be wouldn't there! That's organisation and we are good at that. Everyone we spoke to seemed to take a pride in working for the company so we were impressed. Now there are five more who will relieve the monotony of motorway travel by spotting Eddie Stobart named lorries.The company is also environmentally aware and does lots of worthwhile things for charities.