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.