7th December
A very small meeting of the local craft members at which we thought about what we would offer in the new year.It seems most likely that we shall do some more decoupage and have a go at ribboncraft.We will need to do a bit of research on projects using these skills and see what appeals to the majority.
6th December
I hope some of you watched the programme on Alan Bennett when he was speaking at a local WI in North Yorkshire. He watched the members perform a little play which he had written for them. Wow! Imagine having a playwright of that standing writing for your WI Group meeting! The documentary revealed how Alan Bennett learned his craft. He is obviously a great watcher of people but possibly more of a listener to conversations around him.No wonder he came up with such marvellous parts for Thora Hurd.
4th December
A sad day for BFWI because Jean Baldock, our Federation Chairman of the last few years, died this morning. Jean had been fighting cancer for 5 years but all the while working for the WI as a member of Executive and as a WI Adviser. This was doubly noble when you think of the mileage she had to cover getting between Lavendon and High Wycombe for meetings.She must have felt so tired so often. Jean was never a great talker but whatever she said was sensible and well thought out and she was absolutely dedicated to the WI. We all owe a lot to Jean and she will be missed by everyone as a caring, pleasant individual and a strong family person.
Then of course life must go on and in the evening we went off to Mursley to listen to the annual concert from the Bletchley Belles. This was as enjoyable as ever. It is good to hear people singing for the joy of it.The group donates its fee equally to the Mursley WI and to Willen Hospice which is where poor Jean ended her life.
3rd December
It was the town's Christmas Fayre this evening when the lights are switched on and there are all sorts of activities in the Market Square.The WI had a stall undercover in the Church Hall for which we were thankful as it was freezing cold outside.This was good for business as people came in to warm up and we did quite well.It is a family affair with dressing up and jugglers and hot chestnuts etc. Everyone seemed in a good mood and spending freely.It is a strange thing that people have two interpretations of the term "home made".It is used as a mark of approval, old values, something to be preserved but at the same time people think because it is home made it should be cheap. What about the hours taken to make items, whether it be cooking time or craft ? You can't have it both ways: so often to my mind, the WI sells itself short. I hate to hear members say "OK I'd rather sell it now than wait to try to obtain the asking price".
2nd December
The local WI meeting tonight was in party mood. We had a new president and we were celebrating a successful result from our fundraising barn dance. We had a session on giftwrapping, voted on whom we would like to put up for the award given by the Town Council to someone who had been especially community-minded in 2009 and planned various added ventures outside the printed programme.We also heard from a member how she and her husband had been evacuated from their hotel in the Cumbrian floodsThe only sore point as far as I am concerned was to hear several members when the new voting system for resolutions was discussed say they never read WI Life magazine and therefore had thrown away their voting form unseen. I ask you !!! That magazine has really improved over the year and has provided much more direct information to the members so that they can learn what the WI is doing about the issues of the day, all our campaigns. It leaves me speechless!
1st December
The members of the Book Group are struggling with Ivanhoe.The idea was to read a classic for a change and we knew the story and some could remember Errol Flynn in the film but the reading is hard work. Yet we read it as schoolchildren so perhaps we have been dumbed down as well. Anyway we went back to talking about Beyond Black and what we had thought of the Readers' Day in Chesham which we had enjoyed very much. We shall try to obtain one of the titles mentioned there for the January meeting.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Thursday, 26 November 2009
In full flow
21st November
This evening the local WI hosted its Barn Dance and I think we can safely say it was a success.It was a new experience for the WI to hold this type of event so we were uncertain right up to last week about the outcome as the tickets seemed to be selling very slowly but we ended up with over 80 people of all ages and they all danced. The caller was excellent, the food was good and plentiful and the whole evening was enjoyable. We even had teenage gate-crashers which is probably a first for a WI event! Maybe barn dances are the way to attract younger members.It was our annual fund-raiser but the final sums have not been done.The important point is that it was a team effort when several members who could not attend the dance provided items for the supper.
20th November
An aside really here. When one sees pictures of people gathered in village halls and schools in Cumbria as their houses fill up with flood waters, one realises the importance of the system of emergency planning in which our WIs play such a welcome part. I bet the Cumbrian WI members are handing out tea and sympathy from those kitchens and being generally helpful.It could be us who have to report suddenly for duty in a crisis, to swing into action as rehearsed.
19th November
This morning saw the launch of the new part-time Post Office in Twyford village. There was a small opening ceremony in the United Reform Church at which the local people who had campaigned for the return of postal services to the village gathered and were duly photographed by the local press.The WI has been instrumental in raising people's awareness to the loss of services to rural communities so several of us went along to show how much this development was appreciated. It is now up to the local residents to take advantage of the new service. There are to be four other part-time Post Offices in North Bucks all run under the one peripatetic sub-postmistress so let us hope that the venture will prove a success.
In the afternoon some of us went to Stony Stratford where Bucks WI goods were on sale in a member's house. Items from the WI Shop down at High Wycombe are transported to some town in the north of the County in November every year so that WI members who cannot reach the shop may see what is available. It is also a social occasion with probably the first mincepies of the season for all to share. There was a lot of chat about the new WI logo which had been released in the November issue of WI Life magazine.We agreed it was smart and would be useful in printed paperwork but it isn't as strikingly visible as the old WI tree.It will not do the same job as our trees on boards at road ends to help identify halls used for events.Anyway we will still be able to use our wooden trees until they fall to pieces which probably wont be all that long either as they are becoming tatty round the edges.
This evening the local WI hosted its Barn Dance and I think we can safely say it was a success.It was a new experience for the WI to hold this type of event so we were uncertain right up to last week about the outcome as the tickets seemed to be selling very slowly but we ended up with over 80 people of all ages and they all danced. The caller was excellent, the food was good and plentiful and the whole evening was enjoyable. We even had teenage gate-crashers which is probably a first for a WI event! Maybe barn dances are the way to attract younger members.It was our annual fund-raiser but the final sums have not been done.The important point is that it was a team effort when several members who could not attend the dance provided items for the supper.
20th November
An aside really here. When one sees pictures of people gathered in village halls and schools in Cumbria as their houses fill up with flood waters, one realises the importance of the system of emergency planning in which our WIs play such a welcome part. I bet the Cumbrian WI members are handing out tea and sympathy from those kitchens and being generally helpful.It could be us who have to report suddenly for duty in a crisis, to swing into action as rehearsed.
19th November
This morning saw the launch of the new part-time Post Office in Twyford village. There was a small opening ceremony in the United Reform Church at which the local people who had campaigned for the return of postal services to the village gathered and were duly photographed by the local press.The WI has been instrumental in raising people's awareness to the loss of services to rural communities so several of us went along to show how much this development was appreciated. It is now up to the local residents to take advantage of the new service. There are to be four other part-time Post Offices in North Bucks all run under the one peripatetic sub-postmistress so let us hope that the venture will prove a success.
In the afternoon some of us went to Stony Stratford where Bucks WI goods were on sale in a member's house. Items from the WI Shop down at High Wycombe are transported to some town in the north of the County in November every year so that WI members who cannot reach the shop may see what is available. It is also a social occasion with probably the first mincepies of the season for all to share. There was a lot of chat about the new WI logo which had been released in the November issue of WI Life magazine.We agreed it was smart and would be useful in printed paperwork but it isn't as strikingly visible as the old WI tree.It will not do the same job as our trees on boards at road ends to help identify halls used for events.Anyway we will still be able to use our wooden trees until they fall to pieces which probably wont be all that long either as they are becoming tatty round the edges.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
A mixed bag
17th November
Good news today that the Post Office at Twyford is going to be re-instated albeit just twice a week. There is to be a mini grand opening tomorrow. The WI over the last three years has done a lot of campaigning to keep post offices open but it has been an uphill battle so even two days a week is a success. Let's hope that the local people prove it valuable to them.
16th November
There was a large audience at Longueville Hall, Newton Longueville today for the Gourmet Christmas demonstration organised by the new Home and Gardens Sub-committee. The morning passed well as we watched the team produce preserves for Christmas and the lunch of soup and rolls was lovely. It was also quite an achievement logistically as there were about 140 people to serve.However the afternoon was disappointing because the demonstrators had not included enough on their programme to keep us occupied.It was the first time that they had demonstrated to a WI audience but were experienced in running courses at their own base for students and corporate events.They were such pleasant people that the audience was half way to forgiving them and certainly the WI subcommittee was in no way responsible for the shortened afternoon session.It was a very social meeting which was enjoyable in itself.
14th November
Five members of the local WI Book Group drove down to Chesham for a Writers' Day organised by the Bucks County Library.It was held in the Town Hall which we could see but not actually reach by car before two abortive attempts! There must have been almost 100 people there. During the day there were 2 sessions when we were all together and then we had the choice of two sessions from six.Three female crime writers held a conversation about writing crime novels, there was a travel author and another discussing his progress from poetry appreciation to scientific writing and finally a biography of Charles Darwin.Our members kept meeting up as we went our different ways but we also met other WI members who were attending and even former school friends. The Bucks County Library hold these events every year and publish a newsletter for book groups which is useful when picking new titles to read. We tend to go our own way but every now and then follow up a suggestion. It was a very good day and well worth a visit.
12th November
Today was the Education and Current Affairs subcommittee meeting and lots of other things happening down at Stuart Lodge. We had a long agenda but managed to get through it before lunch. A lot of time was taken up with reviewing the events held in September and October, the second Brain Games and the International Day on Holland. Fortunately both had been successful and we had received favourable comments. I just wish we had taken some photos to put in either the newsletter or on the website.The correspondence included a letter from an organisation wanting WIs to discuss these new electronic patient records. I don't think we can avoid them, however much we doubt their security, but I wonder how many members would attend a small discussion party on this subject. We held one on stem cell biology and another on climate change so perhaps...The other topic was the NFWI's campaign to approach tea firms to ask them to use only Fairtrade produce. Taylors of Harrogate use some Fairtrade tea but have other sources too. The firm will obviously resent the WI interference on this as they have been environmentally active for years and are members of the Rain Forest Alliance. They have also been extremely generous towards WIs so it will be interesting to see what the individual WIs do about this campaign.
11th November
An exceedingly small group from the BFWI met to review progress on our website. And there is progress! For Heaven's sake all of you take the time to have a look. Our website manager is working wonders and what we need now is for the WI members and the WI committees to submit material whether it be written accounts or photos so that there is always a change of items on the screen. If members and the outside world can see what we are doing and what fun we have, we will never have to cancel events and will attract new members.We must come out from under our collective bushel.
4th November
Local WI Annual meeting tonight and a very good turn out.Actually it was a very lively meeting and we were able to catch up on quite a few things that have been hanging over us for a while.We heard from our members who took part in the Emergency Planning day, about all the BFWI events that had been attended and we learned the result of the vote on where we are to meet next year. We are on the move, girls! The finances are OK although we lost a little money last year. We have a new President, a new Treasurer and the same Secretary. The Barn Dance will go ahead, although the sale of tickets has been a trifle slow so far. This is our major fundraiser this year so we wouldn't like to cancel it.I am sure it will be very enjoyable and the food volunteered will be first class as usual.
Good news today that the Post Office at Twyford is going to be re-instated albeit just twice a week. There is to be a mini grand opening tomorrow. The WI over the last three years has done a lot of campaigning to keep post offices open but it has been an uphill battle so even two days a week is a success. Let's hope that the local people prove it valuable to them.
16th November
There was a large audience at Longueville Hall, Newton Longueville today for the Gourmet Christmas demonstration organised by the new Home and Gardens Sub-committee. The morning passed well as we watched the team produce preserves for Christmas and the lunch of soup and rolls was lovely. It was also quite an achievement logistically as there were about 140 people to serve.However the afternoon was disappointing because the demonstrators had not included enough on their programme to keep us occupied.It was the first time that they had demonstrated to a WI audience but were experienced in running courses at their own base for students and corporate events.They were such pleasant people that the audience was half way to forgiving them and certainly the WI subcommittee was in no way responsible for the shortened afternoon session.It was a very social meeting which was enjoyable in itself.
14th November
Five members of the local WI Book Group drove down to Chesham for a Writers' Day organised by the Bucks County Library.It was held in the Town Hall which we could see but not actually reach by car before two abortive attempts! There must have been almost 100 people there. During the day there were 2 sessions when we were all together and then we had the choice of two sessions from six.Three female crime writers held a conversation about writing crime novels, there was a travel author and another discussing his progress from poetry appreciation to scientific writing and finally a biography of Charles Darwin.Our members kept meeting up as we went our different ways but we also met other WI members who were attending and even former school friends. The Bucks County Library hold these events every year and publish a newsletter for book groups which is useful when picking new titles to read. We tend to go our own way but every now and then follow up a suggestion. It was a very good day and well worth a visit.
12th November
Today was the Education and Current Affairs subcommittee meeting and lots of other things happening down at Stuart Lodge. We had a long agenda but managed to get through it before lunch. A lot of time was taken up with reviewing the events held in September and October, the second Brain Games and the International Day on Holland. Fortunately both had been successful and we had received favourable comments. I just wish we had taken some photos to put in either the newsletter or on the website.The correspondence included a letter from an organisation wanting WIs to discuss these new electronic patient records. I don't think we can avoid them, however much we doubt their security, but I wonder how many members would attend a small discussion party on this subject. We held one on stem cell biology and another on climate change so perhaps...The other topic was the NFWI's campaign to approach tea firms to ask them to use only Fairtrade produce. Taylors of Harrogate use some Fairtrade tea but have other sources too. The firm will obviously resent the WI interference on this as they have been environmentally active for years and are members of the Rain Forest Alliance. They have also been extremely generous towards WIs so it will be interesting to see what the individual WIs do about this campaign.
11th November
An exceedingly small group from the BFWI met to review progress on our website. And there is progress! For Heaven's sake all of you take the time to have a look. Our website manager is working wonders and what we need now is for the WI members and the WI committees to submit material whether it be written accounts or photos so that there is always a change of items on the screen. If members and the outside world can see what we are doing and what fun we have, we will never have to cancel events and will attract new members.We must come out from under our collective bushel.
4th November
Local WI Annual meeting tonight and a very good turn out.Actually it was a very lively meeting and we were able to catch up on quite a few things that have been hanging over us for a while.We heard from our members who took part in the Emergency Planning day, about all the BFWI events that had been attended and we learned the result of the vote on where we are to meet next year. We are on the move, girls! The finances are OK although we lost a little money last year. We have a new President, a new Treasurer and the same Secretary. The Barn Dance will go ahead, although the sale of tickets has been a trifle slow so far. This is our major fundraiser this year so we wouldn't like to cancel it.I am sure it will be very enjoyable and the food volunteered will be first class as usual.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
action plans
26th October
On my way to the Daily Telegraph crossword, my eye was caught by the Nature Note headed WI hopes to create buzz around bees.It is a nice little article about our SOS Honeybees campaign in Bee Aware Action Week. I hope you all ate something which the bees had helped to pollinate. I baked that honey cake which was the competition entry at the Bucks WI event at the Chiltern Open Air Museum many years ago. It is a lovely cake, absolutely fool-proof invented by one of the tutors at Denman College--the same one who is going to lead the next session of Basic Hygiene Certificates in High Wycombe early next year.Will I be sure to pass if I mention this recipe?!
28th October
Local WI committee this evening when we returned to the vexed topic of a change in venue for our meetings. All must be decided next month. Plans were made for the Barn Dance and we were also thinking some more about next year's fundraising event. Everything is in place for the Annual Meeting which promises to be a very busy evening because it will give us the chance to catch up on items and reports that had to be missed last meeting when we ran out of time.
31st October
This afternoon we were invited to a member's house for "tea and chat". The questionnaire which we circulated last year to find out what everyone would like to find on offer at the WI showed that social get-togethers of this type would be popular. The committee has responded with barbeques and soup and sandwich events and now this tea.We don't expect to make money at them but we usually do, so it helps with the annual finance sheet. Unfortunately some of the people who asked for them haven't turned up but that's their look-out! I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to meet people beyond the monthly meeting and it is surprising how helpful it can be to sort out minor details of the up and coming programme.
On my way to the Daily Telegraph crossword, my eye was caught by the Nature Note headed WI hopes to create buzz around bees.It is a nice little article about our SOS Honeybees campaign in Bee Aware Action Week. I hope you all ate something which the bees had helped to pollinate. I baked that honey cake which was the competition entry at the Bucks WI event at the Chiltern Open Air Museum many years ago. It is a lovely cake, absolutely fool-proof invented by one of the tutors at Denman College--the same one who is going to lead the next session of Basic Hygiene Certificates in High Wycombe early next year.Will I be sure to pass if I mention this recipe?!
28th October
Local WI committee this evening when we returned to the vexed topic of a change in venue for our meetings. All must be decided next month. Plans were made for the Barn Dance and we were also thinking some more about next year's fundraising event. Everything is in place for the Annual Meeting which promises to be a very busy evening because it will give us the chance to catch up on items and reports that had to be missed last meeting when we ran out of time.
31st October
This afternoon we were invited to a member's house for "tea and chat". The questionnaire which we circulated last year to find out what everyone would like to find on offer at the WI showed that social get-togethers of this type would be popular. The committee has responded with barbeques and soup and sandwich events and now this tea.We don't expect to make money at them but we usually do, so it helps with the annual finance sheet. Unfortunately some of the people who asked for them haven't turned up but that's their look-out! I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to meet people beyond the monthly meeting and it is surprising how helpful it can be to sort out minor details of the up and coming programme.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
different senses of humour
19th October
This evening the autumn group meeting was held for the five WIs in the local area.These are important dates in the WI year when it is a chance to get together and discuss relevant topics. Some groups have fallen by the wayside and others have changed the nature of their meetings into fundraisering events open to all.We are very fortunate to have an active group convener who is prepared to go beyond the usual job description: she organises outings for the local WIs as well, so we get to see each other more frequently and support each other for events.Last summer it was a trip to London and now she is planning a pre-Christmas outing to Birmingham which will combine Christmas market shopping with an art gallery and a guided tour of the new developments in the city.
The speaker entertained the members with monologues written and immortalised by Joyce Grenfell. She is a tutor from our own Denman College and everyone enjoyed her presentation.We had the usual reports on what some of the WIs had been doing over the last year and noted possible speakers for ourselves. One WI included the usual complaint about the rising cost of the subscription, warning of possible loss of members because of fixed incomes. However she rather undermined her argument by reporting that her small WI had entertained a speaker from the Air Ambulance people who had been delighted to sell over £100 worth of goods at the meeting. It's all a question of perceived values, I suppose.
20th October
Local WI Book group this afternoon and I'm pleased to relate that we are a growing band, although any more and I for one will have difficulty in finding comfortable chairs for everyone.We had requested a Hilary Mantel novel following her Booker Prize win last month so the Bucks Library came up with "Beyond Black".Those who had managed to read it in time were praising the writing and the wit but it caused a few doubts because it was such black humour and a weird subject matter.The writer is so observant of our society (and it is our society because the story is centred around the outskirts of the M25), our ways in supermarkets, our behaviour on roads, the modern training jargon for work improvement, the philosophy behind new build projects---it's all there and so funny! But if you cannot stomach the idea of companion spirits like Harry Potter's and those in Northern Lights but seedier by far, don't read it. It is very original and we now want to read some more of Hilary Mantel but in the meantime we are going back to a classic or two.
This evening the autumn group meeting was held for the five WIs in the local area.These are important dates in the WI year when it is a chance to get together and discuss relevant topics. Some groups have fallen by the wayside and others have changed the nature of their meetings into fundraisering events open to all.We are very fortunate to have an active group convener who is prepared to go beyond the usual job description: she organises outings for the local WIs as well, so we get to see each other more frequently and support each other for events.Last summer it was a trip to London and now she is planning a pre-Christmas outing to Birmingham which will combine Christmas market shopping with an art gallery and a guided tour of the new developments in the city.
The speaker entertained the members with monologues written and immortalised by Joyce Grenfell. She is a tutor from our own Denman College and everyone enjoyed her presentation.We had the usual reports on what some of the WIs had been doing over the last year and noted possible speakers for ourselves. One WI included the usual complaint about the rising cost of the subscription, warning of possible loss of members because of fixed incomes. However she rather undermined her argument by reporting that her small WI had entertained a speaker from the Air Ambulance people who had been delighted to sell over £100 worth of goods at the meeting. It's all a question of perceived values, I suppose.
20th October
Local WI Book group this afternoon and I'm pleased to relate that we are a growing band, although any more and I for one will have difficulty in finding comfortable chairs for everyone.We had requested a Hilary Mantel novel following her Booker Prize win last month so the Bucks Library came up with "Beyond Black".Those who had managed to read it in time were praising the writing and the wit but it caused a few doubts because it was such black humour and a weird subject matter.The writer is so observant of our society (and it is our society because the story is centred around the outskirts of the M25), our ways in supermarkets, our behaviour on roads, the modern training jargon for work improvement, the philosophy behind new build projects---it's all there and so funny! But if you cannot stomach the idea of companion spirits like Harry Potter's and those in Northern Lights but seedier by far, don't read it. It is very original and we now want to read some more of Hilary Mantel but in the meantime we are going back to a classic or two.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
All over the place
30th September
The local WI committee meeting tonight was taken up with discussing how to approach the problem of the future venue for WI meetings. There are pros and cons for wherever we choose but we must decide quickly as the programme for next year's speakers is completed and we need to have it printed ready for the new year. We finally agreed that we would have to give the members the opportunity to vote but to make it a written and signed vote so that there could be no claims that the choice had been other than what it was.Tickets are ready for sale for the Barn Dance and posters were distributed. Also nomination sheets for next year's committee will be available at the meeting.
7th October
We knew it was going to be a busy meeting and so it proved. All the members have taken away a voting card for their choice of venue but the issue was even more clouded tonight as the Winslow Centre administration had suddenly come up with another alternative price for hire of the premises.Are they running scared, I wonder. However this offer was still subject to change in April 2010 with no detail on what the change may be.Some members suggested charging for coffees at the meeting, which we used to do years ago, but I think one of the pluses to our WI is that drinks are free as well as the Green Letter. Anyway, we'll see what the vote is.Then we had forgotten about arranging the Christmas dinner and then there was some discussion on the pricing for the Barn Dance and ...so on.The speaker turned out to be not quite what we expected in that it was really a fairly blatant call to support his charity which was rather naughty as he has spoken to other WIs and should be aware of our rules and regulations.
8th October
Six of us were up early this morning to catch a coach to the Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching Show.The journey was quite eventful as the driver missed out a pick-up stop and we encountered two accidents so arrived later than expected. The view across London was lovely but inside we went, to do about 6 hours looking and walking around the stands. The exhibitions of embroidery and quilts were breath-taking ; the accent this year was definitely on knitting. Last year it was beads, the year before handmade cards. I can remember one year when there was only one stall where the wools were heaped on the floor in a mountain and that was it for wool! This year everywhere, of all sorts from about 20 ply to gossamer thin.It is always interesting to see what is being worn too---real works of art in crochet and knitting.The show was very crowded in the morning and there were lots of members from Bucks there who had arrived by different means.One rather strange thing occured when I picked up a leaflet on a stall about knitting for the children in Afghanistan and I turned to the steward and said that that might be an idea for us as we had been turned away from providing for the Army. The steward, a titled lady according to her name badge, said "A much better cause than knitting for those bloody soldiers"! As we walked away, I asked my companion whether she had really said what I thought she had said, and she said Yes. Whoever let that woman loose as a steward? The following day when visiting Basildon Park (as a free agent) I overheard a NT steward saying in her room commentary some really unpleasant things about one living member of our royalty and another now departed from natural causes.What has happened to respect for others these days? Or tact? Or indeed Christian charity?
12th October
Tonight the Bucks Federation put on the meeting called Quavers and Quilts. Those who didn't go missed a treat. Jennie Rayment is a wonderful speaker who just happens to be talking about patchwork and showing off marvellous examples of her work but is also entertaining everyone to snippets of her experiences travelling the world teaching her art.This was followed by songs from Lori Tingay Weber accompanied by David Perkins which were absolutely lovely to hear. The whole event was great and we want more like this in the future. The new teacloth with Bucks views on was on sale and some of the WI samplers were on display too.
14th October
And now for something completely different! The International Day on Holland managed not to mention canals nor windmills all day. Instead we had a very interesting talk about bulbs by Janet Cropley, followed by a presentation on Dutch floral art. We now know what to look for in still lifes and can read the symbolism of the picture content. This was given by Anna Steven who teaches at Denman College. After listening to Anna, I think I might book in for one of her art appreciation courses.We enjoyed a Dutch light lunch and then listened to the tales of Jean Johnson's travels while filming her exploration of the world of brothels in Holland and around the world.She continues to fight for the legalisation of brothels in order to afford some protection to the women from violence and exploitation by pimps.All in all it was a very different event for the WI to stage and we will await comments from the members.
15th October
Several former VCOs gathered in a kind of reunion this morning and (even if I shouldn't say this) we have worn rather well! I think it is the sense of humour that is still rampant and the sense of common purpose as well as the belief in the spirit of the WI that lasts the test of time. Beware of phoenixes!
The local WI committee meeting tonight was taken up with discussing how to approach the problem of the future venue for WI meetings. There are pros and cons for wherever we choose but we must decide quickly as the programme for next year's speakers is completed and we need to have it printed ready for the new year. We finally agreed that we would have to give the members the opportunity to vote but to make it a written and signed vote so that there could be no claims that the choice had been other than what it was.Tickets are ready for sale for the Barn Dance and posters were distributed. Also nomination sheets for next year's committee will be available at the meeting.
7th October
We knew it was going to be a busy meeting and so it proved. All the members have taken away a voting card for their choice of venue but the issue was even more clouded tonight as the Winslow Centre administration had suddenly come up with another alternative price for hire of the premises.Are they running scared, I wonder. However this offer was still subject to change in April 2010 with no detail on what the change may be.Some members suggested charging for coffees at the meeting, which we used to do years ago, but I think one of the pluses to our WI is that drinks are free as well as the Green Letter. Anyway, we'll see what the vote is.Then we had forgotten about arranging the Christmas dinner and then there was some discussion on the pricing for the Barn Dance and ...so on.The speaker turned out to be not quite what we expected in that it was really a fairly blatant call to support his charity which was rather naughty as he has spoken to other WIs and should be aware of our rules and regulations.
8th October
Six of us were up early this morning to catch a coach to the Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching Show.The journey was quite eventful as the driver missed out a pick-up stop and we encountered two accidents so arrived later than expected. The view across London was lovely but inside we went, to do about 6 hours looking and walking around the stands. The exhibitions of embroidery and quilts were breath-taking ; the accent this year was definitely on knitting. Last year it was beads, the year before handmade cards. I can remember one year when there was only one stall where the wools were heaped on the floor in a mountain and that was it for wool! This year everywhere, of all sorts from about 20 ply to gossamer thin.It is always interesting to see what is being worn too---real works of art in crochet and knitting.The show was very crowded in the morning and there were lots of members from Bucks there who had arrived by different means.One rather strange thing occured when I picked up a leaflet on a stall about knitting for the children in Afghanistan and I turned to the steward and said that that might be an idea for us as we had been turned away from providing for the Army. The steward, a titled lady according to her name badge, said "A much better cause than knitting for those bloody soldiers"! As we walked away, I asked my companion whether she had really said what I thought she had said, and she said Yes. Whoever let that woman loose as a steward? The following day when visiting Basildon Park (as a free agent) I overheard a NT steward saying in her room commentary some really unpleasant things about one living member of our royalty and another now departed from natural causes.What has happened to respect for others these days? Or tact? Or indeed Christian charity?
12th October
Tonight the Bucks Federation put on the meeting called Quavers and Quilts. Those who didn't go missed a treat. Jennie Rayment is a wonderful speaker who just happens to be talking about patchwork and showing off marvellous examples of her work but is also entertaining everyone to snippets of her experiences travelling the world teaching her art.This was followed by songs from Lori Tingay Weber accompanied by David Perkins which were absolutely lovely to hear. The whole event was great and we want more like this in the future. The new teacloth with Bucks views on was on sale and some of the WI samplers were on display too.
14th October
And now for something completely different! The International Day on Holland managed not to mention canals nor windmills all day. Instead we had a very interesting talk about bulbs by Janet Cropley, followed by a presentation on Dutch floral art. We now know what to look for in still lifes and can read the symbolism of the picture content. This was given by Anna Steven who teaches at Denman College. After listening to Anna, I think I might book in for one of her art appreciation courses.We enjoyed a Dutch light lunch and then listened to the tales of Jean Johnson's travels while filming her exploration of the world of brothels in Holland and around the world.She continues to fight for the legalisation of brothels in order to afford some protection to the women from violence and exploitation by pimps.All in all it was a very different event for the WI to stage and we will await comments from the members.
15th October
Several former VCOs gathered in a kind of reunion this morning and (even if I shouldn't say this) we have worn rather well! I think it is the sense of humour that is still rampant and the sense of common purpose as well as the belief in the spirit of the WI that lasts the test of time. Beware of phoenixes!
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Under and over
7th September
The local WI Craft group has now finished its contribution to the Federation book of samplers so that is ready to join the others from WIs in the county. I am looking forward to seeing them all together. We were a bit disappointed that the drawings submitted from our WI for the tea towels were not considered worthy of a prize but it was heartening that there had been such a large response. We are now making some Christmas tree decorations which involve lots of cutting up of scraps of material and tiny pins so that will keep us quiet for a while. Also we are off to the Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show in October with a local coach company. I hope someone will stop me buying more wool and materials for new projects before I finish what I have already stacked about the house.
6th September
The Book Group met this afternoon. We had been reading "The Return" by Victoria Hislop which was thoroughly enjoyed by most people.We had liked "The Island" by the same writer and I must admit that I thought beforehand that she was returning to Crete but it was to Spain many years after the civil war.The theme was quite topical as there has been a lot in the press about the lifting of the silence over that event; it is only recently that this silence has been broken.Some of our members had actually visited the enormous tomb which the political prisoners were forced to build. I did think that the story sometimes became a cover for the historical account but on the whole it worked. It certainly prompted a lot of discussion of the disaster that is civil war, the role of religious belief and the general ignorance of what actually happened so recently.We also talked about the Laurie Lee books about the Spanish civil war which many of us had read in the past. Good news for us is that we have gained two new members to our group and that our next book appears in talking book form as well for our member that is struggling with sight problems.
9th September
The local WI held an extra meeting this evening when Clarins Beauty firm was invited to give a make-up demonstration to members and friends.It was a pleasant evening but it did make me wonder how anyone has the time to actually go out, if they have to go to such lengths in preparation.The cost is astronomical too and so many of the products smelled to me of good old fashioned Ponds Cream which our grandmothers used to use!
10th September
The subcommittee for Education and Current Affairs met today. We spent time making final preparations for next week's repeat crossword session which is really a re-run of the successful event in the north of the county.Nearly all the people who had been disappointed in the ballot previously had applied for this one which was good plus some new people.The next event is the International Day on Holland which is taking shape and after that next year we are planning a Tudor Day. We wish our lives away, but every event has to be organised so far in advance because of demand for halls and speakers.
11th September
Ten of us travelled to Norway today on the WI holiday.We were collected from our doorstep and whisked down to Heathrow in fine style.We had been issued with electronic tickets which was a first for many of us. I wish I had had a camera to hand to photograph our group coming to terms with the machines which issued our boarding cards. We managed it with great aplomb and agreed that this was the first part of our educational process on the holiday.Since returning the media is telling us that to cut costs several airlines will only issue electronic tickets in future so if you need any advice ask us! I am not going to regale you with all our adventures, suffice it to say we had a marvellous time: we saw a lot of beautiful places, the hotels were first class, the food was great and the weather was unusually good for the time of year ie we had one misty morning.We visited museums where we learned about Vikings and the Kontiki expeditition,we shut our eyes travelling up and down amazing road passes, we marvelled at the engineering expertise of the tunnels, and we never saw a moose.We educated the Americans with whom we were travelling into the history of World War II especially the Shetland Bus, the WI beyond the Calendar Girls whom they knew about, England beyond the Cotswolds and the Health Service.No American we talked to had read the Barak Obama books, yet they had been in the UK's bestsellers lists for months.What a wonderful country Norway is and how pleasant and welcoming the people are! The cost of living makes one's eyes water and I shall never forget the face of one of our members when she was asked the equivalent of £1.90 for a small mug of boiling water and a separate teabag! But if we were asked for a knitting pattern for a traditional Aran sweater, could we produce the instructions in Norwegian or any other European language for that matter!
23rd September
I hope you all read the latest issue of WI Life because there are several mentions of Bucks in it. Congratulations to Maids Moreton for its full page spread, to the lady who won a prize for her crochet from Flackwell Heath and again in the archive column about District Nurses we have a reference. But if you are feeling depressed, please read the letter from the lady who bought the magnetic appliance to help with her menopausal symptons.I haven't laughed so much for ages.The other more serious article about the interview with the BBC was picked up by the national press in the discussions about ageism, not just in the media but also in nursing care.So you see there are people out there wanting to know what we think on very different topics.
Also some time this week the national press mentioned a Town Council that had had to move its meeting place to avoid the WI's raucous singing of Jerusalem. There must be more verses than I know. I bet the council didn't want the WI to hear the waffle from it! Actually one evening class that holds its session nextdoor to our local WI asked us to leave the door open so that they could listen and join in too!
The local WI Craft group has now finished its contribution to the Federation book of samplers so that is ready to join the others from WIs in the county. I am looking forward to seeing them all together. We were a bit disappointed that the drawings submitted from our WI for the tea towels were not considered worthy of a prize but it was heartening that there had been such a large response. We are now making some Christmas tree decorations which involve lots of cutting up of scraps of material and tiny pins so that will keep us quiet for a while. Also we are off to the Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show in October with a local coach company. I hope someone will stop me buying more wool and materials for new projects before I finish what I have already stacked about the house.
6th September
The Book Group met this afternoon. We had been reading "The Return" by Victoria Hislop which was thoroughly enjoyed by most people.We had liked "The Island" by the same writer and I must admit that I thought beforehand that she was returning to Crete but it was to Spain many years after the civil war.The theme was quite topical as there has been a lot in the press about the lifting of the silence over that event; it is only recently that this silence has been broken.Some of our members had actually visited the enormous tomb which the political prisoners were forced to build. I did think that the story sometimes became a cover for the historical account but on the whole it worked. It certainly prompted a lot of discussion of the disaster that is civil war, the role of religious belief and the general ignorance of what actually happened so recently.We also talked about the Laurie Lee books about the Spanish civil war which many of us had read in the past. Good news for us is that we have gained two new members to our group and that our next book appears in talking book form as well for our member that is struggling with sight problems.
9th September
The local WI held an extra meeting this evening when Clarins Beauty firm was invited to give a make-up demonstration to members and friends.It was a pleasant evening but it did make me wonder how anyone has the time to actually go out, if they have to go to such lengths in preparation.The cost is astronomical too and so many of the products smelled to me of good old fashioned Ponds Cream which our grandmothers used to use!
10th September
The subcommittee for Education and Current Affairs met today. We spent time making final preparations for next week's repeat crossword session which is really a re-run of the successful event in the north of the county.Nearly all the people who had been disappointed in the ballot previously had applied for this one which was good plus some new people.The next event is the International Day on Holland which is taking shape and after that next year we are planning a Tudor Day. We wish our lives away, but every event has to be organised so far in advance because of demand for halls and speakers.
11th September
Ten of us travelled to Norway today on the WI holiday.We were collected from our doorstep and whisked down to Heathrow in fine style.We had been issued with electronic tickets which was a first for many of us. I wish I had had a camera to hand to photograph our group coming to terms with the machines which issued our boarding cards. We managed it with great aplomb and agreed that this was the first part of our educational process on the holiday.Since returning the media is telling us that to cut costs several airlines will only issue electronic tickets in future so if you need any advice ask us! I am not going to regale you with all our adventures, suffice it to say we had a marvellous time: we saw a lot of beautiful places, the hotels were first class, the food was great and the weather was unusually good for the time of year ie we had one misty morning.We visited museums where we learned about Vikings and the Kontiki expeditition,we shut our eyes travelling up and down amazing road passes, we marvelled at the engineering expertise of the tunnels, and we never saw a moose.We educated the Americans with whom we were travelling into the history of World War II especially the Shetland Bus, the WI beyond the Calendar Girls whom they knew about, England beyond the Cotswolds and the Health Service.No American we talked to had read the Barak Obama books, yet they had been in the UK's bestsellers lists for months.What a wonderful country Norway is and how pleasant and welcoming the people are! The cost of living makes one's eyes water and I shall never forget the face of one of our members when she was asked the equivalent of £1.90 for a small mug of boiling water and a separate teabag! But if we were asked for a knitting pattern for a traditional Aran sweater, could we produce the instructions in Norwegian or any other European language for that matter!
23rd September
I hope you all read the latest issue of WI Life because there are several mentions of Bucks in it. Congratulations to Maids Moreton for its full page spread, to the lady who won a prize for her crochet from Flackwell Heath and again in the archive column about District Nurses we have a reference. But if you are feeling depressed, please read the letter from the lady who bought the magnetic appliance to help with her menopausal symptons.I haven't laughed so much for ages.The other more serious article about the interview with the BBC was picked up by the national press in the discussions about ageism, not just in the media but also in nursing care.So you see there are people out there wanting to know what we think on very different topics.
Also some time this week the national press mentioned a Town Council that had had to move its meeting place to avoid the WI's raucous singing of Jerusalem. There must be more verses than I know. I bet the council didn't want the WI to hear the waffle from it! Actually one evening class that holds its session nextdoor to our local WI asked us to leave the door open so that they could listen and join in too!
Friday, 4 September 2009
Get me out of here
26th August
I drove over to the chairman of our sub-committee's house to work on the long agenda for the September meeting. It is always pleasant to visit informally even though one comes away with a feeling of foreboding over the possible length of the coming meeting. I thought WI members were to expect a holiday in August but the paperwork keeps piling up! I took the opportunity to explore this part of Bucks in some detail as three of us have been walking the Bernwood Jubilee Trail and we have reached Brill. We are now into an area we know very little about. We have been using public transport as much as possible but the western fringes of the county suffer from a dearth of buses at sensible times for walkers, so the logistics are going to be a problem until we reach the Buckingham catchment zone.I can recommend the trail and the countryside is lovely, very empty; we have disturbed deer and foxes on our way. The brambles are good too.
In the evening it was the local committee meeting at which we heard all about our treasurer's battles with the Bucks County Council over the draconian rise in rent for our meeting place. Although we have found other premises willing to take us if we must move, it will make changes necessary perhaps to our night of meeting or our timing, so we hope to be able to stay put but win our case. We have strong allies in the fight and I always remember the Member of Parliament who said that if the WI protested, the Government tended to throw in the towel! I don't fancy the local force's chances of success after that.The good news is that our WI came up in the Friends Club draw so we have some more pounds in the bank account. We will keep quiet about that to the local government people.Our WI buys two tickets every year in this lottery and we have had individual members win as well as the WI official ticket. Also to raise a few more funds of a more reliable kind, we are exploring Gift Aid on our subscriptions.There is a booklet of advice on this procedure available from NFWI.
27th August
Bucks County Show and a lovely day for it too.I went down just to collect some display material for the local town show and was caught up in a long tailback of traffic. It took me 45 minutes to cover the ground I usually do in four! Then once inside the ground I couldn't find the WI, all the guides and maps had been sold and no one official seemed to know where anything was either.I was very relieved to track down some friendly faces on our pitch who managed to calm me down.It really was not a very good site but gone are the days when the WI can afford a tent of its own. Had we all known of the frustrations ahead when trying to leave the showground, I think we would have walked to the nearest pub and fed and watered while the chaos dissolved. The organisers will have to get the entrances and exits sorted out or peolpe will give up coming. I know the attendance was greater than ever before but to have 5 lanes of cars in each of two fields converging on an exit each onto a shared track leading into a major road which carries masses of traffic on a normal day is just barmy. There were drivers, children and dogs all overheated by the sunshine and the frustration.I tell you...something has got to be done for next year.
31st August
Winslow Town Show--now this is how to arrange traffic! One entrance and one exit for vehicles but only two lanes on which to approach and then alternate and filter under the control of marshals.Simple when you know how.The WI had the same site as last year which is one we like because it overlooks the horse jumping area and is next to the pig roast and the beer tent! Everyone must come by our tent. The day was very cold and blowy first thing in the morning but the sun was out by the afternoon. We had lots of visiting members from WIs in Bucks as well as farther afield.Our major display this year was on the SOS for Honeybees campaign, general promotion of the WI, the craft group and the sampler which is to form part of the Federation book and the books read by the Book Group.We think we have attracted some new members but will wait to see if they actually turn up at a meeting.
2nd September
The local WI meeting was very well attended to hear a talk on scrapbooking which was not quite what I had thought scrapbooking was.Surely it isn't just sticking photos in an album? There were lots of reports on events during the recess and masses of talk on personal adventures and holidays so it was a very friendly meeting. We hope to start a discussion group in order to highlight some of the WI campaigns as well as airing topics that are of interest in everyday situations. One never knows, a resolution may spring from one of these meetings.
I drove over to the chairman of our sub-committee's house to work on the long agenda for the September meeting. It is always pleasant to visit informally even though one comes away with a feeling of foreboding over the possible length of the coming meeting. I thought WI members were to expect a holiday in August but the paperwork keeps piling up! I took the opportunity to explore this part of Bucks in some detail as three of us have been walking the Bernwood Jubilee Trail and we have reached Brill. We are now into an area we know very little about. We have been using public transport as much as possible but the western fringes of the county suffer from a dearth of buses at sensible times for walkers, so the logistics are going to be a problem until we reach the Buckingham catchment zone.I can recommend the trail and the countryside is lovely, very empty; we have disturbed deer and foxes on our way. The brambles are good too.
In the evening it was the local committee meeting at which we heard all about our treasurer's battles with the Bucks County Council over the draconian rise in rent for our meeting place. Although we have found other premises willing to take us if we must move, it will make changes necessary perhaps to our night of meeting or our timing, so we hope to be able to stay put but win our case. We have strong allies in the fight and I always remember the Member of Parliament who said that if the WI protested, the Government tended to throw in the towel! I don't fancy the local force's chances of success after that.The good news is that our WI came up in the Friends Club draw so we have some more pounds in the bank account. We will keep quiet about that to the local government people.Our WI buys two tickets every year in this lottery and we have had individual members win as well as the WI official ticket. Also to raise a few more funds of a more reliable kind, we are exploring Gift Aid on our subscriptions.There is a booklet of advice on this procedure available from NFWI.
27th August
Bucks County Show and a lovely day for it too.I went down just to collect some display material for the local town show and was caught up in a long tailback of traffic. It took me 45 minutes to cover the ground I usually do in four! Then once inside the ground I couldn't find the WI, all the guides and maps had been sold and no one official seemed to know where anything was either.I was very relieved to track down some friendly faces on our pitch who managed to calm me down.It really was not a very good site but gone are the days when the WI can afford a tent of its own. Had we all known of the frustrations ahead when trying to leave the showground, I think we would have walked to the nearest pub and fed and watered while the chaos dissolved. The organisers will have to get the entrances and exits sorted out or peolpe will give up coming. I know the attendance was greater than ever before but to have 5 lanes of cars in each of two fields converging on an exit each onto a shared track leading into a major road which carries masses of traffic on a normal day is just barmy. There were drivers, children and dogs all overheated by the sunshine and the frustration.I tell you...something has got to be done for next year.
31st August
Winslow Town Show--now this is how to arrange traffic! One entrance and one exit for vehicles but only two lanes on which to approach and then alternate and filter under the control of marshals.Simple when you know how.The WI had the same site as last year which is one we like because it overlooks the horse jumping area and is next to the pig roast and the beer tent! Everyone must come by our tent. The day was very cold and blowy first thing in the morning but the sun was out by the afternoon. We had lots of visiting members from WIs in Bucks as well as farther afield.Our major display this year was on the SOS for Honeybees campaign, general promotion of the WI, the craft group and the sampler which is to form part of the Federation book and the books read by the Book Group.We think we have attracted some new members but will wait to see if they actually turn up at a meeting.
2nd September
The local WI meeting was very well attended to hear a talk on scrapbooking which was not quite what I had thought scrapbooking was.Surely it isn't just sticking photos in an album? There were lots of reports on events during the recess and masses of talk on personal adventures and holidays so it was a very friendly meeting. We hope to start a discussion group in order to highlight some of the WI campaigns as well as airing topics that are of interest in everyday situations. One never knows, a resolution may spring from one of these meetings.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Summer frolics
5th August
This evening the local WI decided to use our usual monthly meeting date for an extra rather frivolous get-together. We hired the community bus and filled some overflow cars and sallied forth to another Bucks village. There were probably about 25 of us who descended on a private house to try on hats. Yes, I must admit I went thinking whatever is going to hold my interest until 10 o'clock this evening trying on hats.Of course I reckoned without the supper and the wine thrown in too! It was great fun. The rain held off we were sitting outside eating and drinking until 9.30pm and everyone had a great time amongst 400 hats and fascinators. Some were downright silly hats, others very glamourous and some were fashion statements in every sense of the word.What a pity that the WI members don't still wear hats for the AGM! I saw about 10 this year---mind, some of those we tried on this evening would have well and truly blanked out the stage for those sitting behind! Much of the success of this event lay in the fact that we all had time to talk to each other and not feel rushed to meet the demands of a formal WI meeting.
I am slightly concerned about whether the photos taken will be brought out for our next WI meeting on scrapbooking.Some will need censoring, I think.
12th August
Oh dear! Another social event to report on. The local WI held its second Barbecue of the summer in a member's garden as requested on the questionnaire conducted in the winter.Once more the rain held off and once more we all enjoyed ourselves sitting around eating, drinking and talking. Perhaps in order to mollify the Charity Commissioners our hostess had devised an educational gardening quiz. The answers were very entertaining and revealed a knowledge of horticulture which probably warrants a few gardening subjects to be included for next year's WI programme. It was a pity some of those who requested a barbecue once more failed to attend but that was their loss. These social "dos" were not planned to raise funds but just to cover costs and both events were important for the friendship side of the WI.
This evening the local WI decided to use our usual monthly meeting date for an extra rather frivolous get-together. We hired the community bus and filled some overflow cars and sallied forth to another Bucks village. There were probably about 25 of us who descended on a private house to try on hats. Yes, I must admit I went thinking whatever is going to hold my interest until 10 o'clock this evening trying on hats.Of course I reckoned without the supper and the wine thrown in too! It was great fun. The rain held off we were sitting outside eating and drinking until 9.30pm and everyone had a great time amongst 400 hats and fascinators. Some were downright silly hats, others very glamourous and some were fashion statements in every sense of the word.What a pity that the WI members don't still wear hats for the AGM! I saw about 10 this year---mind, some of those we tried on this evening would have well and truly blanked out the stage for those sitting behind! Much of the success of this event lay in the fact that we all had time to talk to each other and not feel rushed to meet the demands of a formal WI meeting.
I am slightly concerned about whether the photos taken will be brought out for our next WI meeting on scrapbooking.Some will need censoring, I think.
12th August
Oh dear! Another social event to report on. The local WI held its second Barbecue of the summer in a member's garden as requested on the questionnaire conducted in the winter.Once more the rain held off and once more we all enjoyed ourselves sitting around eating, drinking and talking. Perhaps in order to mollify the Charity Commissioners our hostess had devised an educational gardening quiz. The answers were very entertaining and revealed a knowledge of horticulture which probably warrants a few gardening subjects to be included for next year's WI programme. It was a pity some of those who requested a barbecue once more failed to attend but that was their loss. These social "dos" were not planned to raise funds but just to cover costs and both events were important for the friendship side of the WI.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Summer recess
7th July
I am afraid that the WI has had to take a back seat this month as I have been rather involved with family events. This has meant that several WI fixtures have not featured on my calendar so lots of you will have a better idea of what's gone on than I have. However I know that our local WI Reading Group met today and we discussed Cranford which some of us had never read but had enjoyed the costume adaptation on TV.It is a very forward-thinking book, quite feminist for its time and very amusing in its social comments.What fun Mrs Gaskell had at the expense of Lady Ludlow with her views on education for the lower orders!
In direct contrast to that work, we also had read Sea of Poppies by Ghosh who is one of the group's favourite authors.This is an action-packed account of India at the time just before the Opium Wars in China. The book is the first part of a trilogy so it was a question of getting all the characters on to a sailing boat heading off into the Indian Ocean. Once past the use of Pidjin English and the nautical terms, it was a wonderful adventure story with memorable characters and lots of information on the history of the time. Once again the British Empire is exposed in a far from glorious light. I for one am looking forward to the next instalment as I cannot see how the passengers and crew can ever get themselves out of the situation they are in at the end of Part One.
9th July
Today the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met. We seemed to spend most of our time planning coming events because we have a really good programme ahead stretching into 2011.Speakers have to be secured well in advance and halls too.We are looking forward to our repeat Brain Games session on cryptic crosswords and hope that everyone will apply within the time allocated in spite of several WIs not meeting in August. There is also the problem of the grandparents heaving a sigh of relief at the end of the school holidays and taking off on their own for a well earned rest from childcare.In planning our International Day on Holland, we are hoping for the WI members to be broadminded and attend the event which should be very interesting and educational as well.
23rd July
A young student came round to see me today. She is studying at a college for film-making and wanted to do her vacational project on activities in the local town.It is unfortunate that she needs this in the very month that the WI doesn't meet, in common with various other societies. However she could come to our next barbeque or to our extra meeting when we are off in posh frocks for an orgy of hat choosing.Neither of these events is at all traditional WI which is a pity.Perhaps we will not become filmstars this time but she promised to look in on one of the new WIs which has formed in Shoreditch in London near where she lives as a student.We read about the new young WI together in the WI Life. It would be lovely to think we might gain a new WI member who is young and interested in the aims of the WI even if it was not ours who benefitted.
I am afraid that the WI has had to take a back seat this month as I have been rather involved with family events. This has meant that several WI fixtures have not featured on my calendar so lots of you will have a better idea of what's gone on than I have. However I know that our local WI Reading Group met today and we discussed Cranford which some of us had never read but had enjoyed the costume adaptation on TV.It is a very forward-thinking book, quite feminist for its time and very amusing in its social comments.What fun Mrs Gaskell had at the expense of Lady Ludlow with her views on education for the lower orders!
In direct contrast to that work, we also had read Sea of Poppies by Ghosh who is one of the group's favourite authors.This is an action-packed account of India at the time just before the Opium Wars in China. The book is the first part of a trilogy so it was a question of getting all the characters on to a sailing boat heading off into the Indian Ocean. Once past the use of Pidjin English and the nautical terms, it was a wonderful adventure story with memorable characters and lots of information on the history of the time. Once again the British Empire is exposed in a far from glorious light. I for one am looking forward to the next instalment as I cannot see how the passengers and crew can ever get themselves out of the situation they are in at the end of Part One.
9th July
Today the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met. We seemed to spend most of our time planning coming events because we have a really good programme ahead stretching into 2011.Speakers have to be secured well in advance and halls too.We are looking forward to our repeat Brain Games session on cryptic crosswords and hope that everyone will apply within the time allocated in spite of several WIs not meeting in August. There is also the problem of the grandparents heaving a sigh of relief at the end of the school holidays and taking off on their own for a well earned rest from childcare.In planning our International Day on Holland, we are hoping for the WI members to be broadminded and attend the event which should be very interesting and educational as well.
23rd July
A young student came round to see me today. She is studying at a college for film-making and wanted to do her vacational project on activities in the local town.It is unfortunate that she needs this in the very month that the WI doesn't meet, in common with various other societies. However she could come to our next barbeque or to our extra meeting when we are off in posh frocks for an orgy of hat choosing.Neither of these events is at all traditional WI which is a pity.Perhaps we will not become filmstars this time but she promised to look in on one of the new WIs which has formed in Shoreditch in London near where she lives as a student.We read about the new young WI together in the WI Life. It would be lovely to think we might gain a new WI member who is young and interested in the aims of the WI even if it was not ours who benefitted.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Feeling heated
29 June
Today several members of one of the county sub-committees gathered to conduct a ballot for an over-subscribed event. It breaks our hearts to have to turn members away when this happens. Partly we are pleased that whatever is planned has appealed to the members but also sad that there isn't room for everyone either in the hall or on the coach. We cannot always add on another coach or repeat the event almost immediately.A ballot is not the correct term for what we do: it suggests names are drawn out of a hat. It is more an allocation really, worked out by practicalities such as carloads, distance and then as a last resort we consult the account of previous ballots to see how a WI fared last time a similar decision had to be made. We do our best to be fair but it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest!
This afternoon the blood donors' van was in town so members of the local WI were on hand serving teas and juices to those recuperating not only from giving blood but also from the heat outside.
30 June
Down to the federation HQ today to make the final financial arrangements for the coming holiday to Norway.It was so hot in the car that I began to really dream of getting away to somewhere a little less tropical. There are ten people travelling to Norway in September under a different organisational plan as far as the BFWI is concerned and a lot depends on how successful this is as to whether these foreign holidays can continue to be on offer.Personally I think it would be a shame to see them finish but the Federation needs someone to head them up. If there is anyone out there who is willing to give it a go, please let the Federation Secretary know.
1 July
Local WI meeting tonight . The room was like an inferno when we walked in so we flung all the windows and doors open. We had to spend quite a long time discussing the rise in hall hire charges for our meetings. These are going to treble over the next couple of years which is going to drastically affect our budget. Although we will obviously object and try to get the terms reduced, we are also calling on all the members to actively enquire about alternative venues.It is rich really when the town was promised that on the closure of the secondary school, the building would be used for the benefit of local educational adult needs and to forge closer links in the community. Now the WI which is all about these aims is being driven out.The smaller rooms have long since been swallowed up into offices for the council instead of being available for small classes. Letters will need to be written!
We listened to a speaker telling us about her experiences on going up to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE.
We finalised plans for our "posh hats" outing which seemed to fit in with the talk and made plans for the town show at the end of August where we will be promoting the WI in general as well as our local branch.
4 July
Doesn't it make you spit? You sit down to read the Saturday paper, turn to the page where someone is sent out to review a restaurant and what do you read? Jasper Gerard gets to the course which presents guinea fowl on the menu and completely out of the blue, with no connection to anything before or after, he writes "Guinea fowl can often be drier than a WI convention"! A WI convention? When did we last have a convention? Does he mean the Annual General Meeting? If so, can the uproar of the Tony Blair meeting be classed as dry? Or the appearances of Bill Bryson, or Sandi Tostig or indeed Maureen Lipman be classed as dry? He doesn't know what he is talking about, does he? Why make such an inane comparison--quite unnecessary. I think I shall have to reach for a particularly scratchy pen nib and the vitriolic ink to write another letter! Perhaps I am over-sensitive and all publicity is good publicity but I think it is another example of the WI name being taken in vain.
Today several members of one of the county sub-committees gathered to conduct a ballot for an over-subscribed event. It breaks our hearts to have to turn members away when this happens. Partly we are pleased that whatever is planned has appealed to the members but also sad that there isn't room for everyone either in the hall or on the coach. We cannot always add on another coach or repeat the event almost immediately.A ballot is not the correct term for what we do: it suggests names are drawn out of a hat. It is more an allocation really, worked out by practicalities such as carloads, distance and then as a last resort we consult the account of previous ballots to see how a WI fared last time a similar decision had to be made. We do our best to be fair but it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest!
This afternoon the blood donors' van was in town so members of the local WI were on hand serving teas and juices to those recuperating not only from giving blood but also from the heat outside.
30 June
Down to the federation HQ today to make the final financial arrangements for the coming holiday to Norway.It was so hot in the car that I began to really dream of getting away to somewhere a little less tropical. There are ten people travelling to Norway in September under a different organisational plan as far as the BFWI is concerned and a lot depends on how successful this is as to whether these foreign holidays can continue to be on offer.Personally I think it would be a shame to see them finish but the Federation needs someone to head them up. If there is anyone out there who is willing to give it a go, please let the Federation Secretary know.
1 July
Local WI meeting tonight . The room was like an inferno when we walked in so we flung all the windows and doors open. We had to spend quite a long time discussing the rise in hall hire charges for our meetings. These are going to treble over the next couple of years which is going to drastically affect our budget. Although we will obviously object and try to get the terms reduced, we are also calling on all the members to actively enquire about alternative venues.It is rich really when the town was promised that on the closure of the secondary school, the building would be used for the benefit of local educational adult needs and to forge closer links in the community. Now the WI which is all about these aims is being driven out.The smaller rooms have long since been swallowed up into offices for the council instead of being available for small classes. Letters will need to be written!
We listened to a speaker telling us about her experiences on going up to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE.
We finalised plans for our "posh hats" outing which seemed to fit in with the talk and made plans for the town show at the end of August where we will be promoting the WI in general as well as our local branch.
4 July
Doesn't it make you spit? You sit down to read the Saturday paper, turn to the page where someone is sent out to review a restaurant and what do you read? Jasper Gerard gets to the course which presents guinea fowl on the menu and completely out of the blue, with no connection to anything before or after, he writes "Guinea fowl can often be drier than a WI convention"! A WI convention? When did we last have a convention? Does he mean the Annual General Meeting? If so, can the uproar of the Tony Blair meeting be classed as dry? Or the appearances of Bill Bryson, or Sandi Tostig or indeed Maureen Lipman be classed as dry? He doesn't know what he is talking about, does he? Why make such an inane comparison--quite unnecessary. I think I shall have to reach for a particularly scratchy pen nib and the vitriolic ink to write another letter! Perhaps I am over-sensitive and all publicity is good publicity but I think it is another example of the WI name being taken in vain.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
A typical British summer
June 1st
A really pleasant way to start a new month! Three of us from the local WI had been lucky to be allocated places at Denman College's first Literary Lunch. We picked up a member from a neighbouring WI and we were off out for the day in lovely sunshine. Denman looked marvellous as usual and the new Ferris building is state of the art.The morning featured Santa Montefiore, a novelist of some renown who was a very accomplished speaker. She spoke with great humour about her life and her approach to writing and in no time at all it was lunch which was most enjoyable. In the afternoon two speakers talked about what was looked for in the entries for the WI Lady Denman Cup.This annual competition is different every year and although Bucks sends up 3 entries every year we haven't won for years and years. Well, there were 5 members from Bucks present today so perhaps there will be a change of fortune.
I would recommend people to go if another Literary Lunch is planned as it was good to discuss things with members from other Federations. Some had spent the previous night at the College so it had been a bit of a holiday as well.
June 2nd
Another lovely day on which 8 members of the local WI travelled down to High Wycombe ostensibly to visit the WI Exhibition in the library in the town. However as some had never been down to see Stuart Lodge, the Bucks Federation's ancient pile which is our headquarters nor had they sampled the delights of the WI shop we had a conducted tour of the premises too.We walked along to the library where we were given another conducted tour of the exhibits and the spanking new library. We were most impressed by the display and I think our archivist has done us proud. Of course after all that walking, we needed a little something for lunch and some indulged in retail therapy in the new Eden Centre. The exhibition closes soon so if you haven't seen it yet, you had better hurry.
June 3rd
I always like to imagine WI members staggering out into little lanes and busy roads all over the country at ungodly hours of the morning to catch trains and coaches to the Royal Albert Hall for the NFWI Annual General Meeting.In Bucks we are lucky as 7am is soon enough for us to contend with the rush hour across London.It was a really good meeting this year with excellent speakers and some interesting points raised on the single resolution about honey bees. This was of course carried almost unanimously.Maureen Lipman was her usual irrepressible self, the fellow from Yorkshire Tea knows exactly how to handle a WI audience, Eve Pollard was good too and we ended up with Richard Stilgoe with his Orpheus Centre Apprentices which was heartwarming.The weather was kind so we could migrate over lunch to the feet of dear Albert and watch the world go by with friends met in previous years.The only disappointing thing about the day was that the Albert Hall will no longer allow WI Enterprises to have a stall to sell WI items and there were none of the usual displays in the foyer.Oh! and what happened to the ice-cream man at the end of the meeting?
Two of us came straight back to our local meeting but didn't report on the AGM. We just sat and unwound and watched another excellent demonstrator and speaker from amongst our own members.The talent among WI members is amazing and yet so much is hidden under the proverbial bushel.
June 6th
Did you watch the programme on TV about the Calendar Girls? Of course you did.
June 8th
Today was the Dates Meeting where the chairmen and secretaries from all the Bucks sub-committees come together to hammer out the programme for the next 18 months and discuss policy too. As Bucks Federation is 90 next year watch out for lots of celebratory events and think how you would like to celebrate your membership of the WI. What has it done for you? And what have you done for it?
June 10th
When one chooses a date for a garden barbeque, one takes into account things like Wimbledon and the Fastnet races and plumps for a different date which is what we did locally. And the heavens opened about five minutes before everyone was due to arrive! Nothing daunted we carried on and enjoyed time together even if there was no chance of sitting in garden chairs in summer clothes. The event wasn't a fund-raiser but a social affair that the members had suggested in our WI questionnaire so that we could talk and get to know each other outside the meetings. So it was a success in its way.Never mind--we have another planned for an August evening. It can't happen twice, can it?
A really pleasant way to start a new month! Three of us from the local WI had been lucky to be allocated places at Denman College's first Literary Lunch. We picked up a member from a neighbouring WI and we were off out for the day in lovely sunshine. Denman looked marvellous as usual and the new Ferris building is state of the art.The morning featured Santa Montefiore, a novelist of some renown who was a very accomplished speaker. She spoke with great humour about her life and her approach to writing and in no time at all it was lunch which was most enjoyable. In the afternoon two speakers talked about what was looked for in the entries for the WI Lady Denman Cup.This annual competition is different every year and although Bucks sends up 3 entries every year we haven't won for years and years. Well, there were 5 members from Bucks present today so perhaps there will be a change of fortune.
I would recommend people to go if another Literary Lunch is planned as it was good to discuss things with members from other Federations. Some had spent the previous night at the College so it had been a bit of a holiday as well.
June 2nd
Another lovely day on which 8 members of the local WI travelled down to High Wycombe ostensibly to visit the WI Exhibition in the library in the town. However as some had never been down to see Stuart Lodge, the Bucks Federation's ancient pile which is our headquarters nor had they sampled the delights of the WI shop we had a conducted tour of the premises too.We walked along to the library where we were given another conducted tour of the exhibits and the spanking new library. We were most impressed by the display and I think our archivist has done us proud. Of course after all that walking, we needed a little something for lunch and some indulged in retail therapy in the new Eden Centre. The exhibition closes soon so if you haven't seen it yet, you had better hurry.
June 3rd
I always like to imagine WI members staggering out into little lanes and busy roads all over the country at ungodly hours of the morning to catch trains and coaches to the Royal Albert Hall for the NFWI Annual General Meeting.In Bucks we are lucky as 7am is soon enough for us to contend with the rush hour across London.It was a really good meeting this year with excellent speakers and some interesting points raised on the single resolution about honey bees. This was of course carried almost unanimously.Maureen Lipman was her usual irrepressible self, the fellow from Yorkshire Tea knows exactly how to handle a WI audience, Eve Pollard was good too and we ended up with Richard Stilgoe with his Orpheus Centre Apprentices which was heartwarming.The weather was kind so we could migrate over lunch to the feet of dear Albert and watch the world go by with friends met in previous years.The only disappointing thing about the day was that the Albert Hall will no longer allow WI Enterprises to have a stall to sell WI items and there were none of the usual displays in the foyer.Oh! and what happened to the ice-cream man at the end of the meeting?
Two of us came straight back to our local meeting but didn't report on the AGM. We just sat and unwound and watched another excellent demonstrator and speaker from amongst our own members.The talent among WI members is amazing and yet so much is hidden under the proverbial bushel.
June 6th
Did you watch the programme on TV about the Calendar Girls? Of course you did.
June 8th
Today was the Dates Meeting where the chairmen and secretaries from all the Bucks sub-committees come together to hammer out the programme for the next 18 months and discuss policy too. As Bucks Federation is 90 next year watch out for lots of celebratory events and think how you would like to celebrate your membership of the WI. What has it done for you? And what have you done for it?
June 10th
When one chooses a date for a garden barbeque, one takes into account things like Wimbledon and the Fastnet races and plumps for a different date which is what we did locally. And the heavens opened about five minutes before everyone was due to arrive! Nothing daunted we carried on and enjoyed time together even if there was no chance of sitting in garden chairs in summer clothes. The event wasn't a fund-raiser but a social affair that the members had suggested in our WI questionnaire so that we could talk and get to know each other outside the meetings. So it was a success in its way.Never mind--we have another planned for an August evening. It can't happen twice, can it?
Thursday, 28 May 2009
literary thoughts
19 May
Cheddington was once more the location for the BFWI Literary Lunch. This was the fifth of these annual get-togethers and they are always well attended. The speakers have been varied: we started with a Calendar Girl, then a romantic novelist, a journalist, a modern novelist and this time a biographical author who has just published her first book about Jane Austen. Hazel Jones was a very good speaker mixing humour with historical facts about life and marriage during Jane Austen's lifetime. The food was good and plentiful. I thought I heard a champagne bottle pop and the conversation certainly flowed. So do we continue with these lunches or do we try to think of something else? Next year is a celebratory one for Bucks Federation so the calendar may be full of exciting events.It would be really helpful if members would make their feelings known. We always receive letters of thanks and appreciation but some advice on this issue would be nice too.
20 May
I was asked to judge some of the classes for the local Blind Association. I was really impressed by what some of the writers could achieve in their lives in spite of the sudden onset of their disability. How does one come to terms with not being able to read or watch television or work with one's hands as one had been used to? Some of the handicrafts produced are really marvellous:it is humbling really.
21 May
Did you read that lovely letter in the Daily Telegraph which amid the gloom and doom of cheating politicians, pointed out the crazyness of getting the MPs to draw up a new set of rules for themselves? The correspondent from Wales suggested that it is administered by a "sensible, no-nonsense, incorruptible group of women--the Women's Institute". So there you go, girls!
25 May
I happened to catch the end of a TV programme about the Hairy Bikers on a visit to Denman College. They were making sponge cakes with the tutor who comes to Bucks to teach us for our hygiene certificates.The other spongemakers included some members from Bucks and ex-staff from Denman College. I was jumping up and down saying "Oh look ! There's so-and-so". It looked great fun and I wished I had seen all of the programme.
26 May
Local WI Book Group today and we have been reading a thriller by Peter James called "Dead Simple" which is to be the first in a series. Several of the readers really enjoyed this book and it was well plotted with many a twist and a few red herrings thrown in.It is not my sort of book as some of the violence is sadistic--not at all Agatha Christie like--and I do get fed up of hearing about the eating habits of police officers and their sex lives but I suppose that makes them more believable as people.Anyway besides me and one reader who suffers from claustrophobia and couldn't get past the first chapter, the others enjoyed it.I preferred "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga which was related by a murderer and had its fair share of gore. Anyone reading this couldn't agree with the idea that India is no longer a Third World country, an opinion that was voiced the other day when discussing choosing a project for ACWW.
27 May
WI committee this evening with lots of plans for the rest of the year. My diary exhausts me to just think about what is to come in June and July.What with barbeques, extra trips out to visit the WI exhibition in High Wycombe, a chance to dress up for a summer posh event and walks and playreading and perhaps a barn dance and a mystery evening, we shall all be dizzy! Don't join the WI if you want a quiet sedate life! When will we find the time to sort out the Government?
Cheddington was once more the location for the BFWI Literary Lunch. This was the fifth of these annual get-togethers and they are always well attended. The speakers have been varied: we started with a Calendar Girl, then a romantic novelist, a journalist, a modern novelist and this time a biographical author who has just published her first book about Jane Austen. Hazel Jones was a very good speaker mixing humour with historical facts about life and marriage during Jane Austen's lifetime. The food was good and plentiful. I thought I heard a champagne bottle pop and the conversation certainly flowed. So do we continue with these lunches or do we try to think of something else? Next year is a celebratory one for Bucks Federation so the calendar may be full of exciting events.It would be really helpful if members would make their feelings known. We always receive letters of thanks and appreciation but some advice on this issue would be nice too.
20 May
I was asked to judge some of the classes for the local Blind Association. I was really impressed by what some of the writers could achieve in their lives in spite of the sudden onset of their disability. How does one come to terms with not being able to read or watch television or work with one's hands as one had been used to? Some of the handicrafts produced are really marvellous:it is humbling really.
21 May
Did you read that lovely letter in the Daily Telegraph which amid the gloom and doom of cheating politicians, pointed out the crazyness of getting the MPs to draw up a new set of rules for themselves? The correspondent from Wales suggested that it is administered by a "sensible, no-nonsense, incorruptible group of women--the Women's Institute". So there you go, girls!
25 May
I happened to catch the end of a TV programme about the Hairy Bikers on a visit to Denman College. They were making sponge cakes with the tutor who comes to Bucks to teach us for our hygiene certificates.The other spongemakers included some members from Bucks and ex-staff from Denman College. I was jumping up and down saying "Oh look ! There's so-and-so". It looked great fun and I wished I had seen all of the programme.
26 May
Local WI Book Group today and we have been reading a thriller by Peter James called "Dead Simple" which is to be the first in a series. Several of the readers really enjoyed this book and it was well plotted with many a twist and a few red herrings thrown in.It is not my sort of book as some of the violence is sadistic--not at all Agatha Christie like--and I do get fed up of hearing about the eating habits of police officers and their sex lives but I suppose that makes them more believable as people.Anyway besides me and one reader who suffers from claustrophobia and couldn't get past the first chapter, the others enjoyed it.I preferred "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga which was related by a murderer and had its fair share of gore. Anyone reading this couldn't agree with the idea that India is no longer a Third World country, an opinion that was voiced the other day when discussing choosing a project for ACWW.
27 May
WI committee this evening with lots of plans for the rest of the year. My diary exhausts me to just think about what is to come in June and July.What with barbeques, extra trips out to visit the WI exhibition in High Wycombe, a chance to dress up for a summer posh event and walks and playreading and perhaps a barn dance and a mystery evening, we shall all be dizzy! Don't join the WI if you want a quiet sedate life! When will we find the time to sort out the Government?
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Bees today, but tomorrow?
6th May
The local WI held its resolution meeting tonight and we were delighted to welcome 3 visitors to a well-attended gathering. One visitor was from one of the Yorkshire federations; she is staying in the area conducting some research into her family history so we were very pleased that she had seen our notice and decided to drop in. The other two visitors were even more exciting as they were a mother and daughter who wish to join. I hope we made the young girl welcome enough for her to want to keep coming. Actually it was a very lively meeting because the members had taken part in so many different events during the month that there was one report after another and all of them interesting and revealing lots of aspects of WI life.The member who presented the resolution on the health of honey bees did so in a very cunning way. She gave us all a quiz on bees and then while talking us through the answers was able to transmit most of the information on the notes from NFWI so the whole operation was quite painless and produced more feedback than usual in these debates. Then we did a little sketch--albeit read-- about the process behind the production of a resolution which went down well.
7th May
Notice in the press that The Calendar Girls are going to produce another calendar next year. Is this wise I ask myself? The original was such a success and a trailblazing exercise which has been copied almost to boredom that I wonder whether they should just rest on their laurels now. We have seen firemen, farmworkers and nurses all in the buff and much of the appeal of the original was in the surprise element of members of a respectable society stripping off. Maybe you think differently on this.
I hope some of you have noticed the changes on the BFWI website recently. Have a look at the members' page which is getting up-to-date and of course, the home page is different too. Could we re-vitalise the discussion part now?
11th May
The local craft group from our WI has finished the pictorial side of its sampler but unfortunately we have forgotten what to write on the reverse! A case of diving around to find the instructions is called for.Meanwhile there are some whirly-gig scarves being knit following the pattern in the newsletter a couple of months ago. I had much rather produce something like this than fiddle about with quilling! The sessions are very enjoyable as the members bring problems along and there is usually someone who can sort them out. Also it gives us time to make arrangements for transport to events or arrange outings to craft exhibitions.
13th May
I popped over to another WI to take the members through the Bee health resolution today. I felt rather guilty but I copied what our own member had done for us and I am pleased to say it worked just as well again.The bonus here was that one member had a son who kept bees so she was able to add even more information and give us a firsthand account of what it feels like to open up a hive and find that the bees have been attacked by the verroa mite.That WI had also lost the instructions for the back of the sampler so we are not alone in our quandary.
14th May
Today was the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee at which everyone moves round for the next year.We had received very favourable reports of the crossword workshop so we are arranging another for those who missed out last time. We are also planning to hold an international day in October and looking ahead to lots of events for 2010. If only people would reply to letters and e-mails, even if it is just a one word answer...One can send SAEs asking for just that and get no response. I am afraid I think it is a case of bad manners, not just thoughtlessness but I am old-fashioned.
The local WI held its resolution meeting tonight and we were delighted to welcome 3 visitors to a well-attended gathering. One visitor was from one of the Yorkshire federations; she is staying in the area conducting some research into her family history so we were very pleased that she had seen our notice and decided to drop in. The other two visitors were even more exciting as they were a mother and daughter who wish to join. I hope we made the young girl welcome enough for her to want to keep coming. Actually it was a very lively meeting because the members had taken part in so many different events during the month that there was one report after another and all of them interesting and revealing lots of aspects of WI life.The member who presented the resolution on the health of honey bees did so in a very cunning way. She gave us all a quiz on bees and then while talking us through the answers was able to transmit most of the information on the notes from NFWI so the whole operation was quite painless and produced more feedback than usual in these debates. Then we did a little sketch--albeit read-- about the process behind the production of a resolution which went down well.
7th May
Notice in the press that The Calendar Girls are going to produce another calendar next year. Is this wise I ask myself? The original was such a success and a trailblazing exercise which has been copied almost to boredom that I wonder whether they should just rest on their laurels now. We have seen firemen, farmworkers and nurses all in the buff and much of the appeal of the original was in the surprise element of members of a respectable society stripping off. Maybe you think differently on this.
I hope some of you have noticed the changes on the BFWI website recently. Have a look at the members' page which is getting up-to-date and of course, the home page is different too. Could we re-vitalise the discussion part now?
11th May
The local craft group from our WI has finished the pictorial side of its sampler but unfortunately we have forgotten what to write on the reverse! A case of diving around to find the instructions is called for.Meanwhile there are some whirly-gig scarves being knit following the pattern in the newsletter a couple of months ago. I had much rather produce something like this than fiddle about with quilling! The sessions are very enjoyable as the members bring problems along and there is usually someone who can sort them out. Also it gives us time to make arrangements for transport to events or arrange outings to craft exhibitions.
13th May
I popped over to another WI to take the members through the Bee health resolution today. I felt rather guilty but I copied what our own member had done for us and I am pleased to say it worked just as well again.The bonus here was that one member had a son who kept bees so she was able to add even more information and give us a firsthand account of what it feels like to open up a hive and find that the bees have been attacked by the verroa mite.That WI had also lost the instructions for the back of the sampler so we are not alone in our quandary.
14th May
Today was the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee at which everyone moves round for the next year.We had received very favourable reports of the crossword workshop so we are arranging another for those who missed out last time. We are also planning to hold an international day in October and looking ahead to lots of events for 2010. If only people would reply to letters and e-mails, even if it is just a one word answer...One can send SAEs asking for just that and get no response. I am afraid I think it is a case of bad manners, not just thoughtlessness but I am old-fashioned.
Friday, 1 May 2009
That was April, that was
April 15th
I bet you are enjoying the irony of someone who is always saying that things must be up-to-date falling so far behind with the blog, so I had better do some catching up!
The local WI had its first session for a small group who fancied doing some playreading. We were ably guided by a member who is part of the town's amateur dramatic society.We had borrowed several sets of plays from the Bucks WI drama collection at Stuart Lodge.This is an amazing resource where Mrs Barbara Edwards had annotated and catalogued all the plays--- a real labour of love which should not be forgotten.Anyway we spent an enjoyable afternoon and roped in a passing grand daughter to read a part too. We have agreed to meet again and are plotting a contribution to the WI Christmas meeting.
April 20th
Not such a happy occasion today as about a dozen members attended a well-loved member's funeral.It is always sad to lose someone but this occasion was kept as a celebration of her life which went some way to soften the blow of an unexpected departure from our midst.
April 27th
Local WI meeting of the Book Group. We had expected a newcomer to the meeting but unfortunately she didn't appear so we will need to chase her up. The novel under discussion was "About Grace" by Anthony Doerr which was set in the Caribbean and Alaska. It contained some strange characters, all of whom seemed to have consuming interests in a subject such as metal sculpture, model boat making, sea creatures or (the main character's) the structure of snowflakes. The hero (if that is the right word) also suffered from severe attacks of deja vu about coming disasters which in most cases proved remarkably accurate and affected his life decisions.I had rather hoped people would be prompted to talk about this phenomenon which probably we have all shared at some time but I got the feeling the others didn't want to. Anyway the novel received a mixed reception.The next evening I watched a TV programme about snow crystals which was a bit weird--not the programme, but the timing.
April 28th
There was a meeting organised by the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee today at Bierton in a little hall still owned by the village WI.These halls are a mixed blessing to the WI.The accounts have to be kept separate but the buildings cost a lot to maintain and equipment tends to become out-of-date.We certainly battled today with desperate tables and metered heating but these problems were soon forgotten as 40 people pitted their brains against a selection of crosswords brought along by a devilish crossword setter for the Times and other newspapers. Tim Moorey was a wonderful speaker, quite charming and able to hide the workings of his devious mind behind a very engaging manner.We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and he liked us too and has promised to come back to hold another session for the members balloted out this time.
April 29th
An outing to Wimpole Hall was arranged for today by the new sub-committee for Homes and Gardens. Three coachloads of members and friends set out on a beautiful morning. Unfortunately one of the coaches broke down but the driver coped with the situation very well and within an hour a replacement coach had picked us up and we were on our way again. I wished that I had picked up the newspaper before I left the house so I could have exercised my improved skills at finishing cryptic crosswords.Instead during the wait with everyone else on our side of the coach we surveyed the portaloo across what looked like the trenches of the Somme battlefield and I wondered whether I would be the first to have to leg it across to the builders' facility!
Wimpole Hall is gorgeous and the gardens too but the stewards in the hall itself were so approachable and enthusiastic about the place that it added a lot to the visit.
As our coach had been given extra time because it arrived late, we had hardly had a quick wash before it was off to the local WI committee meeting.We heard what a good Council meeting it had been in spite of the fact that the County Chairman was too ill to attend.I was sorry to have missed it as I really enjoy council meetings and catching up with what is happening outside my patch.Our own meeting had been very successful when the members were asked to bring a photo meaningful to them and then talk about it.AND THEY DID.So that is a useful idea when a speaker leaves you in the lurch.Our treasurer has produced a budget for the year which we will discuss at the May meeting, then there are lots of events attended to report on and plans to make, so the evening should be full even though there is just one resolution to discuss.There was an active bees' nest in the structure of the wall in the walled garden at Wimpole Hall. They looked busy and healthy; I hope they keep that way.There is a lot of information about bees on the TV and in the papers at the moment so members should be quite well-informed for the Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall in June.
I bet you are enjoying the irony of someone who is always saying that things must be up-to-date falling so far behind with the blog, so I had better do some catching up!
The local WI had its first session for a small group who fancied doing some playreading. We were ably guided by a member who is part of the town's amateur dramatic society.We had borrowed several sets of plays from the Bucks WI drama collection at Stuart Lodge.This is an amazing resource where Mrs Barbara Edwards had annotated and catalogued all the plays--- a real labour of love which should not be forgotten.Anyway we spent an enjoyable afternoon and roped in a passing grand daughter to read a part too. We have agreed to meet again and are plotting a contribution to the WI Christmas meeting.
April 20th
Not such a happy occasion today as about a dozen members attended a well-loved member's funeral.It is always sad to lose someone but this occasion was kept as a celebration of her life which went some way to soften the blow of an unexpected departure from our midst.
April 27th
Local WI meeting of the Book Group. We had expected a newcomer to the meeting but unfortunately she didn't appear so we will need to chase her up. The novel under discussion was "About Grace" by Anthony Doerr which was set in the Caribbean and Alaska. It contained some strange characters, all of whom seemed to have consuming interests in a subject such as metal sculpture, model boat making, sea creatures or (the main character's) the structure of snowflakes. The hero (if that is the right word) also suffered from severe attacks of deja vu about coming disasters which in most cases proved remarkably accurate and affected his life decisions.I had rather hoped people would be prompted to talk about this phenomenon which probably we have all shared at some time but I got the feeling the others didn't want to. Anyway the novel received a mixed reception.The next evening I watched a TV programme about snow crystals which was a bit weird--not the programme, but the timing.
April 28th
There was a meeting organised by the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee today at Bierton in a little hall still owned by the village WI.These halls are a mixed blessing to the WI.The accounts have to be kept separate but the buildings cost a lot to maintain and equipment tends to become out-of-date.We certainly battled today with desperate tables and metered heating but these problems were soon forgotten as 40 people pitted their brains against a selection of crosswords brought along by a devilish crossword setter for the Times and other newspapers. Tim Moorey was a wonderful speaker, quite charming and able to hide the workings of his devious mind behind a very engaging manner.We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and he liked us too and has promised to come back to hold another session for the members balloted out this time.
April 29th
An outing to Wimpole Hall was arranged for today by the new sub-committee for Homes and Gardens. Three coachloads of members and friends set out on a beautiful morning. Unfortunately one of the coaches broke down but the driver coped with the situation very well and within an hour a replacement coach had picked us up and we were on our way again. I wished that I had picked up the newspaper before I left the house so I could have exercised my improved skills at finishing cryptic crosswords.Instead during the wait with everyone else on our side of the coach we surveyed the portaloo across what looked like the trenches of the Somme battlefield and I wondered whether I would be the first to have to leg it across to the builders' facility!
Wimpole Hall is gorgeous and the gardens too but the stewards in the hall itself were so approachable and enthusiastic about the place that it added a lot to the visit.
As our coach had been given extra time because it arrived late, we had hardly had a quick wash before it was off to the local WI committee meeting.We heard what a good Council meeting it had been in spite of the fact that the County Chairman was too ill to attend.I was sorry to have missed it as I really enjoy council meetings and catching up with what is happening outside my patch.Our own meeting had been very successful when the members were asked to bring a photo meaningful to them and then talk about it.AND THEY DID.So that is a useful idea when a speaker leaves you in the lurch.Our treasurer has produced a budget for the year which we will discuss at the May meeting, then there are lots of events attended to report on and plans to make, so the evening should be full even though there is just one resolution to discuss.There was an active bees' nest in the structure of the wall in the walled garden at Wimpole Hall. They looked busy and healthy; I hope they keep that way.There is a lot of information about bees on the TV and in the papers at the moment so members should be quite well-informed for the Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall in June.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
world affairs and exercise
16 March
Tonight there was a gathering of local WIs in our WI Group. The subject was "Weird and wonderful weddings across the World" which sounded interesting and proved to be most enjoyable. The speaker was an anthropologist who brought along a marvellous collection of visual aids and hardly stopped for breath as she discussed each item.We are lucky to have a good group whose members get together for outings as well as welcoming each other to their special events.I feel sorry for WIs when their group has fallen into disuse because a group really widens the opportunity to hear different speakers--not that a higher fee guarantees a better speaker but it means one can offer a larger audience which appeals to some speakers from farther afield.
24 March
Local book group this afternoon at which we were discussing "Gem Squash Tokoloshe" by Rachel Zadok. It's no good: I cannot remember that title and had to look it up again. However I shall remember the book for a long time.Some readers were put off by the first chapter in which the author took a risk of this happening but once through that, the story became spell-binding as it was about the childhood of the lead character as her mind was filled with the myths and legends of her African culture. What a terrifying imaginative world she lived in!
Other titles were discussed because we all seem to get through many books in a month and pass them around to share. We also went through a list of titles we had covered over the years in order to see whether we had enough to concoct a display based on the different world localities in which our books were based. No problem! What a contrast between the atmosphere conjured up in Gem Squash and the new series on TV of the Number One Lady Detective's Agency in Botswana!
25 March
Four stalwarts this morning met as a working party to plan an event coming up in May. I have always felt a bit guilty meeting in a hotel foyer, having a coffee and staying over an hour with papers all over the table but after today I will stop, as we were surrounded by other groups doing exactly the same, including (would you believe ?) 5 women who I am sure were sharing books in a book group.So if a venue is a problem, why not try that?
Our local WI committee was held tonight at which we discussed our main fund-raising event in November and how best to present it to the members so that they embraced the idea as well.It is rather ambitious and different so we will need everyone's support both in practice and in theory. We are back to 51 members and discussed this idea of becoming de-registered with the Charity Commission. It sounds as if it will cut down on a lot of form-filling without us losing any advantage of registration. Presumably each WI will still be protected under the Federation charity number but lose the individual number which few WIs used anyway.We have also received another letter of thanks from the RAF overseas which always encourages the members to buy the extra bag of sweets or toiletry when shopping.
26 March
Off to the WI Quiz evening in Buckingham tonight where 35 teams of three from the northern half of the county battled it out.It was an enjoyable affair but why these days cannot one remember a name within the time allotted? Actually our team thought there were too many American questions but no one else was heard to mutter on that score. Of course we didn't win but we never have, so we were very content to just enjoy the evening. The winning team contained a lady who told me because she was over 80 she wasn't as good at remembering as she used to be. You could have fooled me!
27 March
This week has been a week of ballots for events which is good because it shows the Federation is putting on activities that the members wish to attend. However it is sad for the organisers that they have to turn people away and much soul-searching goes on before those letters are posted. Many events are limited by the size of the hall available or the number of tickets we can obtain from a museum or a show. Sometimes the tutor cannot take more than a certain amount in order to give enough attention to everyone. The Federation keeps an account of members turned down for every event and this is consulted before another cut is made in order to try to be fair.Then if one is doing a cut in ratio, one has to consider places in a car and not reducing down to singles... It is a can of worms and now we open a lot of events to non-members, that problem comes into the equation.We really do the best we can but obviously do not please everyone.
28 March
I am still suffering the after-effects of our WI's Fun and Fitness Day! Actually it was fun but I was obviously unfit to take part.We spent the morning doing exercises on chairs and then gently, standing up. After a healthy lunch we went into line dancing and ended up on the floor with more exercises and then relaxation.There was plenty of time for drinks and chat and laughter throughout the day although there was serious intent too. Our instructor was very good and we did enjoy ourselves and learned quite a few ways to keep fit. It's only a matter of keeping at it.Whatever happened to Elliman's Embrocation?
Tonight there was a gathering of local WIs in our WI Group. The subject was "Weird and wonderful weddings across the World" which sounded interesting and proved to be most enjoyable. The speaker was an anthropologist who brought along a marvellous collection of visual aids and hardly stopped for breath as she discussed each item.We are lucky to have a good group whose members get together for outings as well as welcoming each other to their special events.I feel sorry for WIs when their group has fallen into disuse because a group really widens the opportunity to hear different speakers--not that a higher fee guarantees a better speaker but it means one can offer a larger audience which appeals to some speakers from farther afield.
24 March
Local book group this afternoon at which we were discussing "Gem Squash Tokoloshe" by Rachel Zadok. It's no good: I cannot remember that title and had to look it up again. However I shall remember the book for a long time.Some readers were put off by the first chapter in which the author took a risk of this happening but once through that, the story became spell-binding as it was about the childhood of the lead character as her mind was filled with the myths and legends of her African culture. What a terrifying imaginative world she lived in!
Other titles were discussed because we all seem to get through many books in a month and pass them around to share. We also went through a list of titles we had covered over the years in order to see whether we had enough to concoct a display based on the different world localities in which our books were based. No problem! What a contrast between the atmosphere conjured up in Gem Squash and the new series on TV of the Number One Lady Detective's Agency in Botswana!
25 March
Four stalwarts this morning met as a working party to plan an event coming up in May. I have always felt a bit guilty meeting in a hotel foyer, having a coffee and staying over an hour with papers all over the table but after today I will stop, as we were surrounded by other groups doing exactly the same, including (would you believe ?) 5 women who I am sure were sharing books in a book group.So if a venue is a problem, why not try that?
Our local WI committee was held tonight at which we discussed our main fund-raising event in November and how best to present it to the members so that they embraced the idea as well.It is rather ambitious and different so we will need everyone's support both in practice and in theory. We are back to 51 members and discussed this idea of becoming de-registered with the Charity Commission. It sounds as if it will cut down on a lot of form-filling without us losing any advantage of registration. Presumably each WI will still be protected under the Federation charity number but lose the individual number which few WIs used anyway.We have also received another letter of thanks from the RAF overseas which always encourages the members to buy the extra bag of sweets or toiletry when shopping.
26 March
Off to the WI Quiz evening in Buckingham tonight where 35 teams of three from the northern half of the county battled it out.It was an enjoyable affair but why these days cannot one remember a name within the time allotted? Actually our team thought there were too many American questions but no one else was heard to mutter on that score. Of course we didn't win but we never have, so we were very content to just enjoy the evening. The winning team contained a lady who told me because she was over 80 she wasn't as good at remembering as she used to be. You could have fooled me!
27 March
This week has been a week of ballots for events which is good because it shows the Federation is putting on activities that the members wish to attend. However it is sad for the organisers that they have to turn people away and much soul-searching goes on before those letters are posted. Many events are limited by the size of the hall available or the number of tickets we can obtain from a museum or a show. Sometimes the tutor cannot take more than a certain amount in order to give enough attention to everyone. The Federation keeps an account of members turned down for every event and this is consulted before another cut is made in order to try to be fair.Then if one is doing a cut in ratio, one has to consider places in a car and not reducing down to singles... It is a can of worms and now we open a lot of events to non-members, that problem comes into the equation.We really do the best we can but obviously do not please everyone.
28 March
I am still suffering the after-effects of our WI's Fun and Fitness Day! Actually it was fun but I was obviously unfit to take part.We spent the morning doing exercises on chairs and then gently, standing up. After a healthy lunch we went into line dancing and ended up on the floor with more exercises and then relaxation.There was plenty of time for drinks and chat and laughter throughout the day although there was serious intent too. Our instructor was very good and we did enjoy ourselves and learned quite a few ways to keep fit. It's only a matter of keeping at it.Whatever happened to Elliman's Embrocation?
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Busy March
3rd March
There was a meeting down at the Federation Office for those interested in updating the Bucks website and setting up a team to keep it rolling. Members have lost interest in the discussion page and the campaigns information is almost 4 years out of date.This is not only embarrassing but a shame as there has been a lot of work done within the County recently on the projects promoted by the NFWI, such as the BIG Tidy UP and Violence against Women and the protest against cuts in adult education.You will be pleased to know that all will be rectified soon and we will be informed when the new website is launched.It would be good if WIs could get into the habit of sending snippets in about their own activities. We will probably be able to include photos now. The wonders of modern technology!
It was busy at High Wycombe as the WI shop was open and there were people coming and going. The shop is only open twice a month (the first and third Tuesday) but one can buy from a wide range of cards and stationery, gifts and kitchenware as well as the WI tools of the trade, such as registers and account books.It is worth going down to visit--perhaps to include a walk on the Rye now the weather is improving.
4th March
Our WI speaker tonight was a Wimbledon umpire who told us about her training and experiences on the tennis court. The rules and regulations about dress are as draconian as the poshest public school. The lady was a good speaker and everyone enjoyed her talk. We had quite a long discussion on what to do for our meeting where we have had a cancellation and I was able to put through some of the suggestions from the comments on my last blog. Imagine ...comments actually received! Anyway, there were lots of ideas put forward and I think we know what we are going to do.There was also a good report from one of the members on her course at Denman College where she was experimenting with machine embroidery.We were able to view her lovely work of art even though it is not quite finished. We always like an account of visits to Denman especially if the member went on our WI bursary.
9th March
I went over to a neighbouring village to iron out a long agenda this morning and finished the morning off learning about different species of snowdrops. I have always looked at snowdrops and thought how pleased I was to see them, heralds of Spring etc. but not recognising all the tiny differences there are between the varieties. I went straight home to stare into the faces of our garden flowers and was really pleased to find they were not all the same, and not just short and tall types either.
In the afternoon it was the local WI craft group meeting. The bad news here is that we will more or less have to start again with our sampler because of assembly difficulties.Personally I was disappointed that no one felt they had the time to produce a story sack as requested by the Federation for the Chiltern Show. It has to be the work of three people so that is that, I suppose.
11th March
This evening the Bucks Federation had been invited to attend the Soroptimists International Women's Day event in Aylesbury so two members of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee went along with a promotional display and information on ACWW (Associated Countrywomen of the World).The Soroptimists seem to have the same concerns as the WI on campaigns such as violence in the home and the dreadful lack of food and facilities suffered by women across the world.We spent time chatting, listening to the Radio Oxford speaker and watching a fashion show but the real highlight was the variety of stalls selling wonderful hats and ethnic handicrafts from around the world and a presentation on the work done in Nicaragua.
12th March
Up and away this morning to the subcommittee meeting of Education and Current Affairs. We have received the full complement of replies from the county MPs about cuts in adult learning opportunities and thanks for our efforts with the campaign against Violence against Women in rural areas. The full report on the survey makes interesting, although depressing reading. Most of the agenda was to do with forthcoming events because we have a lot at the planning stage at present. The trip to the Darwin Exhibition was oversubscribed and it is with relief we can report that the Crosswords workshop will be able to go ahead. One never knows with something absolutely new whether it will appeal to members or not.We all live on tenterhooks until the budget deadline is reached.
After the meeting a physiotherapist joined us for a session on Core Wellness. I cannot describe this as a hands on session, more an-on-your-knees activity. Luckily we knew each other quite well beforehand but we certainly knew each other a lot better afterwards.It was really worthwhile to learn the exercises and was good fun but I don't know whether we would get any takers for a bigger event for the WIs, which is what the organisers want us to do. You know, "cascade", which in this context is an unfortunate word to use! But it is good that people will now talk about problems with pelvic floors which would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.
There was a meeting down at the Federation Office for those interested in updating the Bucks website and setting up a team to keep it rolling. Members have lost interest in the discussion page and the campaigns information is almost 4 years out of date.This is not only embarrassing but a shame as there has been a lot of work done within the County recently on the projects promoted by the NFWI, such as the BIG Tidy UP and Violence against Women and the protest against cuts in adult education.You will be pleased to know that all will be rectified soon and we will be informed when the new website is launched.It would be good if WIs could get into the habit of sending snippets in about their own activities. We will probably be able to include photos now. The wonders of modern technology!
It was busy at High Wycombe as the WI shop was open and there were people coming and going. The shop is only open twice a month (the first and third Tuesday) but one can buy from a wide range of cards and stationery, gifts and kitchenware as well as the WI tools of the trade, such as registers and account books.It is worth going down to visit--perhaps to include a walk on the Rye now the weather is improving.
4th March
Our WI speaker tonight was a Wimbledon umpire who told us about her training and experiences on the tennis court. The rules and regulations about dress are as draconian as the poshest public school. The lady was a good speaker and everyone enjoyed her talk. We had quite a long discussion on what to do for our meeting where we have had a cancellation and I was able to put through some of the suggestions from the comments on my last blog. Imagine ...comments actually received! Anyway, there were lots of ideas put forward and I think we know what we are going to do.There was also a good report from one of the members on her course at Denman College where she was experimenting with machine embroidery.We were able to view her lovely work of art even though it is not quite finished. We always like an account of visits to Denman especially if the member went on our WI bursary.
9th March
I went over to a neighbouring village to iron out a long agenda this morning and finished the morning off learning about different species of snowdrops. I have always looked at snowdrops and thought how pleased I was to see them, heralds of Spring etc. but not recognising all the tiny differences there are between the varieties. I went straight home to stare into the faces of our garden flowers and was really pleased to find they were not all the same, and not just short and tall types either.
In the afternoon it was the local WI craft group meeting. The bad news here is that we will more or less have to start again with our sampler because of assembly difficulties.Personally I was disappointed that no one felt they had the time to produce a story sack as requested by the Federation for the Chiltern Show. It has to be the work of three people so that is that, I suppose.
11th March
This evening the Bucks Federation had been invited to attend the Soroptimists International Women's Day event in Aylesbury so two members of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee went along with a promotional display and information on ACWW (Associated Countrywomen of the World).The Soroptimists seem to have the same concerns as the WI on campaigns such as violence in the home and the dreadful lack of food and facilities suffered by women across the world.We spent time chatting, listening to the Radio Oxford speaker and watching a fashion show but the real highlight was the variety of stalls selling wonderful hats and ethnic handicrafts from around the world and a presentation on the work done in Nicaragua.
12th March
Up and away this morning to the subcommittee meeting of Education and Current Affairs. We have received the full complement of replies from the county MPs about cuts in adult learning opportunities and thanks for our efforts with the campaign against Violence against Women in rural areas. The full report on the survey makes interesting, although depressing reading. Most of the agenda was to do with forthcoming events because we have a lot at the planning stage at present. The trip to the Darwin Exhibition was oversubscribed and it is with relief we can report that the Crosswords workshop will be able to go ahead. One never knows with something absolutely new whether it will appeal to members or not.We all live on tenterhooks until the budget deadline is reached.
After the meeting a physiotherapist joined us for a session on Core Wellness. I cannot describe this as a hands on session, more an-on-your-knees activity. Luckily we knew each other quite well beforehand but we certainly knew each other a lot better afterwards.It was really worthwhile to learn the exercises and was good fun but I don't know whether we would get any takers for a bigger event for the WIs, which is what the organisers want us to do. You know, "cascade", which in this context is an unfortunate word to use! But it is good that people will now talk about problems with pelvic floors which would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
books and crafts
23 February
A meeting of the local WI Book Group today. We seem to have got through a lot of titles over the last few weeks.We are also bang up-to-date with our "set" books because one was "The Reader" by Schlink and the other was "Faceless Killers", a Wallandar detective story as seen on TV.We had quite a long discussion on whether we liked to see a film after we had read the book or not. Personally if I have enjoyed the book, I don't like to interfere with my feelings towards it by seeing someone else's take on the book. The flyers for the very successful film of "The Reader" seemed to emphasize the concentration camp part of the novel which worried me slightly as it was crucial on the page but there was more to it than that. However I hear that the film does follow the order of presentation of the story and the acting is great. It is a good short novel and the characters are strong and believable. Discussion led us on to "The Welsh Girl" by Peter Ho Davies and "Suite Francaise" by Irena Nemerovski which covered the prisoners of war in British camps and the early years of the German Occupation of France.
The detective Wallander is not a person I would like to have any dealings with. You cannot say he is a pleasant character and if the author,Henning Mankell wants us to be on his side, he doesn't really succeed. I am told that his private life is a link between the stories but I became tired of his dietary problems, let alone his shattered marriage so I wont be watching any of the TV series. The scenery will obviously be attractive on the screen which could act in its favour.
The Book Group has been asked to prepare a display for this year's Winslow Show so we will have to think of something that will attract people into the WI tent from our readings in the past.Perhaps geographical, as this month we have touched on Germany, Sweden, France and Wales.
24 February
The Arts and Home Crafts sub-committee held a Craft Collation meeting at Cheddington today. It was well attended and very enjoyable.It managed to be quite informal although there was a large audience. The show -and -tell session was difficult because of the lack of a microphone but most people were audible. The work shown was of a high standard, varied and beautiful. Most items were decorative rather than useful. Ideas were tossed around and it was good to learn that the Federation is planning some competitive projects for the future eg some more story sacks and samplers. Competition brings out the best in the craft circles and a shared purpose binds a group together.There were a lot of crafty bargains to be bought at giveaway prices and the cakes at teatime were wonderful.
25 February
The local committee meeting was very busy and chatty .There are lots of events planned in the county over the next couple of months and we have our own Group Meeting coming up too. We were pleased to have received a supportive reply from our MP against the proposed cuts in adult education. He had already signed the Early Day Motion.The programme setters have a problem cancellation for June. We are wondering whether a do-it-yourself session might go well instead--not home improvements, but short talks from our own members either on a theme or based on a personal photo. It has been done successfully elsewhere and someone suggested it in our questionnaire.
A meeting of the local WI Book Group today. We seem to have got through a lot of titles over the last few weeks.We are also bang up-to-date with our "set" books because one was "The Reader" by Schlink and the other was "Faceless Killers", a Wallandar detective story as seen on TV.We had quite a long discussion on whether we liked to see a film after we had read the book or not. Personally if I have enjoyed the book, I don't like to interfere with my feelings towards it by seeing someone else's take on the book. The flyers for the very successful film of "The Reader" seemed to emphasize the concentration camp part of the novel which worried me slightly as it was crucial on the page but there was more to it than that. However I hear that the film does follow the order of presentation of the story and the acting is great. It is a good short novel and the characters are strong and believable. Discussion led us on to "The Welsh Girl" by Peter Ho Davies and "Suite Francaise" by Irena Nemerovski which covered the prisoners of war in British camps and the early years of the German Occupation of France.
The detective Wallander is not a person I would like to have any dealings with. You cannot say he is a pleasant character and if the author,Henning Mankell wants us to be on his side, he doesn't really succeed. I am told that his private life is a link between the stories but I became tired of his dietary problems, let alone his shattered marriage so I wont be watching any of the TV series. The scenery will obviously be attractive on the screen which could act in its favour.
The Book Group has been asked to prepare a display for this year's Winslow Show so we will have to think of something that will attract people into the WI tent from our readings in the past.Perhaps geographical, as this month we have touched on Germany, Sweden, France and Wales.
24 February
The Arts and Home Crafts sub-committee held a Craft Collation meeting at Cheddington today. It was well attended and very enjoyable.It managed to be quite informal although there was a large audience. The show -and -tell session was difficult because of the lack of a microphone but most people were audible. The work shown was of a high standard, varied and beautiful. Most items were decorative rather than useful. Ideas were tossed around and it was good to learn that the Federation is planning some competitive projects for the future eg some more story sacks and samplers. Competition brings out the best in the craft circles and a shared purpose binds a group together.There were a lot of crafty bargains to be bought at giveaway prices and the cakes at teatime were wonderful.
25 February
The local committee meeting was very busy and chatty .There are lots of events planned in the county over the next couple of months and we have our own Group Meeting coming up too. We were pleased to have received a supportive reply from our MP against the proposed cuts in adult education. He had already signed the Early Day Motion.The programme setters have a problem cancellation for June. We are wondering whether a do-it-yourself session might go well instead--not home improvements, but short talks from our own members either on a theme or based on a personal photo. It has been done successfully elsewhere and someone suggested it in our questionnaire.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Fiddle and fume
9th February
Today was the first real craft group meeting for our local WI because last month we combined a craft shopping expedition with a light lunch to celebrate the new year. One of our members demonstrated the art of quilling and then we experimented making flowers and decorations for greeting cards. It was all rather fiddley but we ended up with at least one reasonable card! We will return to this craft next month when we hope to progress to animal designs and more recognisable flowers. Some time was spent on the progress of our WI sampler too.It was very pleasant to get out of our houses after all the snow ---although the footpaths were still lethal for the walkers.
One of the subjects of conversation, over juggling with tiny pieces of paper, was the WI subscription book of vouchers which members receive every year. Some members think this is a waste of money but in actual fact the WI brings in funds to the organisation from the advertisers, even if individual members just bin it.So it must be worth the advertisers' while to make those offers contained in the token book. In our own WI, I have heard of people who have more than paid for their WI subscription by taking advantage of offers on holiday bookings, insurance, new sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. Also if no one in one's own family has allergy problems, there is nothing wrong with handing the token over to another member who would be glad of it.Also there are shops where one receives a discount if one shows the WI membership card from the front of the token book.
This entry is rather late because my family has been struggling with the installation of Broadband which we thought would swing us into the 21st century, seamlessly providing an all-singing-all dancing service.Don't you believe it! It has taken a good three weeks and finally ended up with my threatening to take the engineer hostage unless he had fixed it before leaving the house.He thought I was joking! In place of the extra back-up service provision subscription, I think BT should arrange something on the same lines with the Relate marriage guidance people.How the Powers that Be can say they plan to have everyone on Broadband beats me, when the willing horse to the trough cannot drink the waters there of. And then to put on the box "Just follow the easy set -up guide and you are off"... Where are Trade Descriptions when you need them?
Today was the first real craft group meeting for our local WI because last month we combined a craft shopping expedition with a light lunch to celebrate the new year. One of our members demonstrated the art of quilling and then we experimented making flowers and decorations for greeting cards. It was all rather fiddley but we ended up with at least one reasonable card! We will return to this craft next month when we hope to progress to animal designs and more recognisable flowers. Some time was spent on the progress of our WI sampler too.It was very pleasant to get out of our houses after all the snow ---although the footpaths were still lethal for the walkers.
One of the subjects of conversation, over juggling with tiny pieces of paper, was the WI subscription book of vouchers which members receive every year. Some members think this is a waste of money but in actual fact the WI brings in funds to the organisation from the advertisers, even if individual members just bin it.So it must be worth the advertisers' while to make those offers contained in the token book. In our own WI, I have heard of people who have more than paid for their WI subscription by taking advantage of offers on holiday bookings, insurance, new sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. Also if no one in one's own family has allergy problems, there is nothing wrong with handing the token over to another member who would be glad of it.Also there are shops where one receives a discount if one shows the WI membership card from the front of the token book.
This entry is rather late because my family has been struggling with the installation of Broadband which we thought would swing us into the 21st century, seamlessly providing an all-singing-all dancing service.Don't you believe it! It has taken a good three weeks and finally ended up with my threatening to take the engineer hostage unless he had fixed it before leaving the house.He thought I was joking! In place of the extra back-up service provision subscription, I think BT should arrange something on the same lines with the Relate marriage guidance people.How the Powers that Be can say they plan to have everyone on Broadband beats me, when the willing horse to the trough cannot drink the waters there of. And then to put on the box "Just follow the easy set -up guide and you are off"... Where are Trade Descriptions when you need them?
Friday, 6 February 2009
More snow, birds and glass
Yet more snow.The snow is bringing about a great communal spirit in the town. Groups of adults and children are standing around talking or building snowmen. Someone said there were so many snowmen in the Winslow Hall field that they looked like Chinese warriors! Some of the talk will be about the proposed new 3500 house development planned for the old Little Horwood airfield. It is only a proposal so far but it resulted in a huge public meeting in the town this week and this is proving another unifying agency among the locals.
Our garden was visited by two fieldfares today much to the annoyance of the regulars.They were given a poor welcome but after a while began to give as good as they got. I was so disappointed with our results from the recent Garden Bird Watch. I especially waited to start my hour until the green woodpecker alighted but he never showed up all weekend.The trotty wagtails came along, all jaunty the next day, the ring collared doves went elsewhere so I was left with a very dull tally, when the garden has a wide variety of birds normally. However, they tell you not to cheat, so I didn't but was sorely tempted.
4th February
The bad weather caused us to have a rather select meeting which was a pity as the speaker was most interesting. He was talking about glass, its uses and manufacture and he had plenty of visual aids and a pleasant relaxed manner.The meeting was taken for the first time by our new Vice-President which gave everyone a chance to judge her performance. She obviously came up to scratch and members got to know her a little better. We had changed the format of the meeting again and it was very satisfactory--- except for the events book as I mentioned last week.Plans are well afoot for our WI Health and Fitness day at the end of March and we can now open it to other organisations in the town.Our own members have had first bite of the cherry.The WI programme is going to be added to our County website entry soon. The letter about adult education cuts is written and approved so that can go to our MP to join those from other WIs across the country. The boxes for the Forces overseas are still receiving contributions and this scheme was really brought into context for me because when I returned home the News was on television.Amazingly a handsome young army major was being interviewed in Basra about the planned withdrawal and he was my son's primary schoolfriend. I wonder whether he remembers the pair of them setting off to remove the wallpaper from my son's bedroom walls using pieces of metal toy train track as scrapers. Fortunately in those days, if you clipped the ears of a near-neighbour's child, you did not receive a court summons but a box of conciliatory chocolates and a friend for life! Keep safe, lad.
Our garden was visited by two fieldfares today much to the annoyance of the regulars.They were given a poor welcome but after a while began to give as good as they got. I was so disappointed with our results from the recent Garden Bird Watch. I especially waited to start my hour until the green woodpecker alighted but he never showed up all weekend.The trotty wagtails came along, all jaunty the next day, the ring collared doves went elsewhere so I was left with a very dull tally, when the garden has a wide variety of birds normally. However, they tell you not to cheat, so I didn't but was sorely tempted.
4th February
The bad weather caused us to have a rather select meeting which was a pity as the speaker was most interesting. He was talking about glass, its uses and manufacture and he had plenty of visual aids and a pleasant relaxed manner.The meeting was taken for the first time by our new Vice-President which gave everyone a chance to judge her performance. She obviously came up to scratch and members got to know her a little better. We had changed the format of the meeting again and it was very satisfactory--- except for the events book as I mentioned last week.Plans are well afoot for our WI Health and Fitness day at the end of March and we can now open it to other organisations in the town.Our own members have had first bite of the cherry.The WI programme is going to be added to our County website entry soon. The letter about adult education cuts is written and approved so that can go to our MP to join those from other WIs across the country. The boxes for the Forces overseas are still receiving contributions and this scheme was really brought into context for me because when I returned home the News was on television.Amazingly a handsome young army major was being interviewed in Basra about the planned withdrawal and he was my son's primary schoolfriend. I wonder whether he remembers the pair of them setting off to remove the wallpaper from my son's bedroom walls using pieces of metal toy train track as scrapers. Fortunately in those days, if you clipped the ears of a near-neighbour's child, you did not receive a court summons but a box of conciliatory chocolates and a friend for life! Keep safe, lad.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Funds freeze and snow
Continuing the poetic turn with which I started the year, do any of you remember that poem which describes a classroom of children distracted by the snow falling outside, the wonder and beauty of it, which finishes with the teacher calling them to order with the words "It's only snow"? How chilling in every sense of the word.
I am always distracted by snow and spend happy minutes just watching it. I know it is inconvenient and I have come to an age when the last thing I want to do is suffer a fall on ice but all the same... Anyway, this snowy interval does provide a space in which to update the blog.
28th January
The local WI committee meeting was held in someone's cosy and warm house as usual and although we had members with seasonal colds and some away enjoying winter breaks in the sunshine, we got quite a lot done. We have received a certificate in thanks from ENCAMS for our efforts in the Big Tidy Up last September which is rather nice. We all agreed that the town needed doing again. Sadly we heard that there were no longer any funds to continue our work on the Let's Sew project in Bletchley. This tied in with a letter received from NFWI asking members and WIs to write to their MPs about the cuts in funding for adult education.The WI is an educational charity and we have our own residential college at Abingdon and the WI is a centre for the Lifelong Learning Project.Apparently CALL (the Campaign for Adult Lifelong Learning) is going to put up an Early Day Motion at the end of February and needs support. We will put the idea of a letter to our members next week.
The change of format last month was voted a success so we will try again to have the speaker's slot first, then break for refreshments and then the business. If we keep the drawing of the raffle right to the end, no one will sneak off before the business! I think we will have to think of a way to circulate the events book from the very beginning of the meeting and hope that the members will read their Monthly Letter as soon as they pick it up because any promotion of events which the President does in the business section will be ignored as everyone prepares to leave at the end of the meeting. There must be a way round this. What do you do in your WIs?
I am always distracted by snow and spend happy minutes just watching it. I know it is inconvenient and I have come to an age when the last thing I want to do is suffer a fall on ice but all the same... Anyway, this snowy interval does provide a space in which to update the blog.
28th January
The local WI committee meeting was held in someone's cosy and warm house as usual and although we had members with seasonal colds and some away enjoying winter breaks in the sunshine, we got quite a lot done. We have received a certificate in thanks from ENCAMS for our efforts in the Big Tidy Up last September which is rather nice. We all agreed that the town needed doing again. Sadly we heard that there were no longer any funds to continue our work on the Let's Sew project in Bletchley. This tied in with a letter received from NFWI asking members and WIs to write to their MPs about the cuts in funding for adult education.The WI is an educational charity and we have our own residential college at Abingdon and the WI is a centre for the Lifelong Learning Project.Apparently CALL (the Campaign for Adult Lifelong Learning) is going to put up an Early Day Motion at the end of February and needs support. We will put the idea of a letter to our members next week.
The change of format last month was voted a success so we will try again to have the speaker's slot first, then break for refreshments and then the business. If we keep the drawing of the raffle right to the end, no one will sneak off before the business! I think we will have to think of a way to circulate the events book from the very beginning of the meeting and hope that the members will read their Monthly Letter as soon as they pick it up because any promotion of events which the President does in the business section will be ignored as everyone prepares to leave at the end of the meeting. There must be a way round this. What do you do in your WIs?
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Year3: 2009
2009
Already we are nearly one twelfth of the way through the year and I haven't added a thing to my blog. Actually I am a bit despondent about it as I ended 2008 with a plea for information on how many people actually valued it or even read it. I would have ended it with the quote
"I have no precious time at all to spend
Nor services to do till you require"
but I didn't think of it at the time. Now with a complete lack of response "I wander lonely as a cloud .." might be more appropriate.However I am reliably informed that the blog chalks up hits (in internet jargon) so I will soldier on for a while.
January 7th
The first event of every WI year seems to be the series of Resolution Selection meetings. This year I attended the first of the four organised across Bucks.Members vote how they think personally on whether the resolution should be discussed at the National AGM in June at the Royal Albert Hall. They are not representing their own WI although they should report back on the result of the voting at the particular meeting attended.WI Advisers presented each of the 5 resolutions and there was another source of interest this year because two of the presenters were trainee WI Advisers. The NFWI trains members who have been suggested by the Federations as likely lassies: they learn all the information on the history and structure and rules of the constitution of the WI so that they can form new WIs and help with problems in their own counties.
The resolutions to choose from this year were on the health of honey bees, action on flooding, hospital cleaning services, residential care fees for the elderly and GP led health centres. All wanted to urge action by the Government and if any of these become mandates in June, the WI will be able to lobby the Government. The NFWI has a very powerful and effective public affairs department. The members at the meeting in Aylesbury wanted the resolution on the health of bees to be first on the agenda and the question of fees for residential care to be second.I think the elderly care would have received more votes if we hadn't become side-tracked by the postal code lottery rather than the different rates demanded for the same services in the same residential home fixed by income.Perhaps that issue will come out more at the other meetings.
In the evening we attended our first committee meeting of the local WI. It was mostly to do with sorting out jobs for the new year as there has been a slight change in the make-up of the committee. Unfortunately we have lost some WI members through ill-health but we have also gained a handful of new ones to replace them so our membership will probably remain about the same.
January 8th
Thank Goodness the snow was on the way out as the last few days have rendered the smaller roads very hazardous for walking or driving---the main roads were well salted.The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met at High Wycombe. We were a rather select group because of illness as well as the weather.
We have loads of plans to complete for events in the Spring and Summer and have some really good things on the agenda.One of our recurring problems is that a lot of speakers these days require powerpoint presentations and the Federation is going to have to invest in a projector.We will have to consult others for advice.
January 12th
The advantage of bad weather and a break for Christmas is that one has time to read. Our local WI Book Group has knocked off a lot of titles over the holiday. The novel we were supposed to be sharing "Housewife Down" by Alison Harper was not popular and was returned to the library collection very quickly! However we had enjoyed reading several of the Kate Adie books which we had purchased at the Council Meeting. She writes so well and, for all she denies it, is a very brave lady.Three of us read The City of Djinns which is non-fiction, an account by William Dalrymple of a year in Delhi but gives a very good backwards history of India. Although it is amusing, it really opens one's eyes to the horrors of partition in 1947. When will the Powers-that-Be realise that partition never works, be it Ireland, Cyprus or Korea? I also enjoyed The Tenderness of wolves by Stef Penney, and then there were the Christmas presents as well. There are books going in all directions across the town! Again we have lost one member of our reading group because of deteriorating sight but we have gained a new member so it is as we were here too.
January 13th
The National press office at New Kings Road has been successful again in obtaining very good coverage of another young WI newly formed. A lovely picture of girls lined up on a bridge in Colchester with the article stressing how they were going to do new things at their meetings to shake off the elderly image of the WI. Several WI husbands were reported as saying "What's new there? We have listened to accounts of activities of this sort for years in the local WIs". Never mind, it is good publicity and will off-set the rather negative coverage with Trinny and What's her name on the TV dress programme.
January 14th
A really good local meeting tonight about evacuation in World War II. OK, so a lot of our members were old enough to have been evacuees or to have harboured them but the younger members enjoyed the two-way exchange of memories and tales of the wartime plane crash in Winslow. Actually it was a very lively meeting. We changed the order of proceedings and managed to alter the seating to break up the set groups and forced everyone to wait until the real end of the meeting instead of drifting off without really saying goodnight, which is one of my pet hates.
January 16th
I had a meeting with a caterer today to try and work something out for the Literary Lunch in May. Now that we have employed outside caterers we will probably have to stick with that until the Catering Committee gets in some younger blood. It is a pity really, as our WI catering is always excellent and of course cheaper but needs must if we haven't the physical manpower.
January 19th
The local WI Craft Group treated itself to a lunch out today. We justified this by visiting Hobbycraft for supplies for some of our meetings to come. I must admit to getting side-tracked in the shop and had to be very strong-willed not to equip myself for another project before finishing the one I have draped over several surfaces at home.We are looking forward to making our sampler for the Federation display book and there are members interested in drawing line prints for the teacloths, also requested by County.
Already we are nearly one twelfth of the way through the year and I haven't added a thing to my blog. Actually I am a bit despondent about it as I ended 2008 with a plea for information on how many people actually valued it or even read it. I would have ended it with the quote
"I have no precious time at all to spend
Nor services to do till you require"
but I didn't think of it at the time. Now with a complete lack of response "I wander lonely as a cloud .." might be more appropriate.However I am reliably informed that the blog chalks up hits (in internet jargon) so I will soldier on for a while.
January 7th
The first event of every WI year seems to be the series of Resolution Selection meetings. This year I attended the first of the four organised across Bucks.Members vote how they think personally on whether the resolution should be discussed at the National AGM in June at the Royal Albert Hall. They are not representing their own WI although they should report back on the result of the voting at the particular meeting attended.WI Advisers presented each of the 5 resolutions and there was another source of interest this year because two of the presenters were trainee WI Advisers. The NFWI trains members who have been suggested by the Federations as likely lassies: they learn all the information on the history and structure and rules of the constitution of the WI so that they can form new WIs and help with problems in their own counties.
The resolutions to choose from this year were on the health of honey bees, action on flooding, hospital cleaning services, residential care fees for the elderly and GP led health centres. All wanted to urge action by the Government and if any of these become mandates in June, the WI will be able to lobby the Government. The NFWI has a very powerful and effective public affairs department. The members at the meeting in Aylesbury wanted the resolution on the health of bees to be first on the agenda and the question of fees for residential care to be second.I think the elderly care would have received more votes if we hadn't become side-tracked by the postal code lottery rather than the different rates demanded for the same services in the same residential home fixed by income.Perhaps that issue will come out more at the other meetings.
In the evening we attended our first committee meeting of the local WI. It was mostly to do with sorting out jobs for the new year as there has been a slight change in the make-up of the committee. Unfortunately we have lost some WI members through ill-health but we have also gained a handful of new ones to replace them so our membership will probably remain about the same.
January 8th
Thank Goodness the snow was on the way out as the last few days have rendered the smaller roads very hazardous for walking or driving---the main roads were well salted.The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met at High Wycombe. We were a rather select group because of illness as well as the weather.
We have loads of plans to complete for events in the Spring and Summer and have some really good things on the agenda.One of our recurring problems is that a lot of speakers these days require powerpoint presentations and the Federation is going to have to invest in a projector.We will have to consult others for advice.
January 12th
The advantage of bad weather and a break for Christmas is that one has time to read. Our local WI Book Group has knocked off a lot of titles over the holiday. The novel we were supposed to be sharing "Housewife Down" by Alison Harper was not popular and was returned to the library collection very quickly! However we had enjoyed reading several of the Kate Adie books which we had purchased at the Council Meeting. She writes so well and, for all she denies it, is a very brave lady.Three of us read The City of Djinns which is non-fiction, an account by William Dalrymple of a year in Delhi but gives a very good backwards history of India. Although it is amusing, it really opens one's eyes to the horrors of partition in 1947. When will the Powers-that-Be realise that partition never works, be it Ireland, Cyprus or Korea? I also enjoyed The Tenderness of wolves by Stef Penney, and then there were the Christmas presents as well. There are books going in all directions across the town! Again we have lost one member of our reading group because of deteriorating sight but we have gained a new member so it is as we were here too.
January 13th
The National press office at New Kings Road has been successful again in obtaining very good coverage of another young WI newly formed. A lovely picture of girls lined up on a bridge in Colchester with the article stressing how they were going to do new things at their meetings to shake off the elderly image of the WI. Several WI husbands were reported as saying "What's new there? We have listened to accounts of activities of this sort for years in the local WIs". Never mind, it is good publicity and will off-set the rather negative coverage with Trinny and What's her name on the TV dress programme.
January 14th
A really good local meeting tonight about evacuation in World War II. OK, so a lot of our members were old enough to have been evacuees or to have harboured them but the younger members enjoyed the two-way exchange of memories and tales of the wartime plane crash in Winslow. Actually it was a very lively meeting. We changed the order of proceedings and managed to alter the seating to break up the set groups and forced everyone to wait until the real end of the meeting instead of drifting off without really saying goodnight, which is one of my pet hates.
January 16th
I had a meeting with a caterer today to try and work something out for the Literary Lunch in May. Now that we have employed outside caterers we will probably have to stick with that until the Catering Committee gets in some younger blood. It is a pity really, as our WI catering is always excellent and of course cheaper but needs must if we haven't the physical manpower.
January 19th
The local WI Craft Group treated itself to a lunch out today. We justified this by visiting Hobbycraft for supplies for some of our meetings to come. I must admit to getting side-tracked in the shop and had to be very strong-willed not to equip myself for another project before finishing the one I have draped over several surfaces at home.We are looking forward to making our sampler for the Federation display book and there are members interested in drawing line prints for the teacloths, also requested by County.
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