13th December
This will be my last entry for 2011 unless the WI does something newsworthy in the run up to Christmas. I would like to wish all the blog readers a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Perhaps some of you could make a new year's resolution to look at the new BFWI website every now and again and even better, contribute a little something towards it.We often feel like voices crying in the wilderness.Our local WI has at last been accepted on to the Town Council website so by publishing our programme and writing up events we may attract new members.Mind that hasn't been a problem this year when every meeting seems to welcome someone new.
This afternoon was the meeting of the Book Group. The novel was The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer. It hadn't been on our list but we are grateful that our branch librarian had provided it for us because more than half of the readers really enjoyed it: others found it a bit long-drawn out and with too little action.It was a beautifully written story set in the USA of the 1950s when young men were trying to dodge the draft or suffering the after-effects of war, when racism was rampant and the public was coming to terms with accepting homosexuality.In the middle of all this, the story tells of the struggle of a young wife to hang on to her husband against the blandishments of a former army friend.
12th December
Some 40 local WI members and friends went out for a Christmas dinner this evening. It was a very noisy affair but great fun. The food was good and we hired the community bus so that no one need worry about the odd glass of wine---or two.This is a chance for members to say thank you to their partners for all the many strange jobs we ask them to do in the course of the year.
7th December
The final meeting of the WI had a party feel to it because we had a brief session of traditional musichall singing and nearly everyone came in a big hat. Unfortunately the heating in the hall packed up on us so we were forced to wear our coats for most of the evening which made light-hearted bonhomie quite difficult to achieve.The January meeting promises to be really special as we are being given a cookery demonstration by the nationally recognised local chef from the town's cookery school.At one fell swoop the raised WI subscription will prove its worth. A vote was taken on whether to cut down on speakers in the 2013 programme because of the expense. This is a controversial idea so although it was carried on the night I am hoping that we will be given a second chance to argue the point. A WI stands or falls by its speakers---anyone can do social.
3rd December
The local church tree festival was a huge success. The church looked lovely and the stalls were well patronised. The WI tree looked pretty good with its homemade sheep, shepherds and stars, depicting "When Shepherds watched". There was a line of mini socks hung out to dry which was a touch I hope people appreciated.I hope the tree survives:it is very near to a radiator but as half the WI members have volunteered to water it it will probably suffer death by drowning.
Thursday 15 December 2011
Sunday 27 November 2011
Food in plenty
26 November
The members of our own WI plus some from neighbouring WIs enjoyed a lovely tea party this afternoon in a private house. Not only were the cakes definitely up to WI standard but there was also an interesting selection of books on offer as part of a book swap. The activity was in response to the plea from Denman College to finance some building improvements to the college by asking members to provide cups of tea @ £1 each to their friends and neighbours. This way the NFWI calculates that if every member of the 210,000 or so membership just sold one cup, sufficient money would be raised with little effort.A good idea and a very pleasant way to achieve the required funds.
25 November
What a lovely afternoon about 100 WI members from across the county enjoyed today! Such a simple idea too! Fill a room with people interested in craft of all kinds and get them to "Show and Tell" in true kindergarten manner, have a bargain sales table of materials and thread and serve teas.It was marvellous to see what others had created and the bulk of it was the result of putting their skill into making something of their own design, not just following a printed pattern. Some of the work was inspired by foreign travel where a traditional craft had been studied and then adapted into use in the home country.I lost count of the different crafts on display and some of the items produced were to die for. If you missed this meeting watch out for the next wherever it is held.Bucks doesn't need Kirstie Allsopp!
24 November
A few of us drove over to the WI shop which was temporarily set up in a private house in Stony Stratford. There was another at Little Missenden on the same day.This scheme enables those of us at a distance from Stuart Lodge in High Wycombe to see what is on offer.The northern shop seemed very busy when we were there and there was a good selection of items from which to choose.Then of course there was the opportunity to chat over a mince pie and coffee.
23 November
This wasn't an official WI event but as it was held by one of our local WI members, lots of the WI attended. We heard a presentation by a representative of the Food Bank which has its headquarters in Milton Keynes. I think people who just go to the centre for shopping have no idea of some of the poverty in the various communities within the city grid. As we were told, it only needs a combination of misfortunes to reduce a family to needing a basic box of food: most boxes are given out over a short period of time and all who receive are referred by a social welfare body or a church or a job centre to avoid the system being abused.I think the work of this organisation, completely staffed by volunteers, ties in well with the NFWI work with the campaign to make people aware of the domestic violence against women. Quite a few reduced to desperate straits are escaping a home where violence has become too much to bear.A tin of baked beans can sometimes be a feast. The Food Bank can only deal with food that does not require refridgeration as neither it nor the recipients have the means to keep things frozen.The WI has always kept the needs of the family as part of its aims and objects so the afternoon was relevant to what the WI is about.
The members of our own WI plus some from neighbouring WIs enjoyed a lovely tea party this afternoon in a private house. Not only were the cakes definitely up to WI standard but there was also an interesting selection of books on offer as part of a book swap. The activity was in response to the plea from Denman College to finance some building improvements to the college by asking members to provide cups of tea @ £1 each to their friends and neighbours. This way the NFWI calculates that if every member of the 210,000 or so membership just sold one cup, sufficient money would be raised with little effort.A good idea and a very pleasant way to achieve the required funds.
25 November
What a lovely afternoon about 100 WI members from across the county enjoyed today! Such a simple idea too! Fill a room with people interested in craft of all kinds and get them to "Show and Tell" in true kindergarten manner, have a bargain sales table of materials and thread and serve teas.It was marvellous to see what others had created and the bulk of it was the result of putting their skill into making something of their own design, not just following a printed pattern. Some of the work was inspired by foreign travel where a traditional craft had been studied and then adapted into use in the home country.I lost count of the different crafts on display and some of the items produced were to die for. If you missed this meeting watch out for the next wherever it is held.Bucks doesn't need Kirstie Allsopp!
24 November
A few of us drove over to the WI shop which was temporarily set up in a private house in Stony Stratford. There was another at Little Missenden on the same day.This scheme enables those of us at a distance from Stuart Lodge in High Wycombe to see what is on offer.The northern shop seemed very busy when we were there and there was a good selection of items from which to choose.Then of course there was the opportunity to chat over a mince pie and coffee.
23 November
This wasn't an official WI event but as it was held by one of our local WI members, lots of the WI attended. We heard a presentation by a representative of the Food Bank which has its headquarters in Milton Keynes. I think people who just go to the centre for shopping have no idea of some of the poverty in the various communities within the city grid. As we were told, it only needs a combination of misfortunes to reduce a family to needing a basic box of food: most boxes are given out over a short period of time and all who receive are referred by a social welfare body or a church or a job centre to avoid the system being abused.I think the work of this organisation, completely staffed by volunteers, ties in well with the NFWI work with the campaign to make people aware of the domestic violence against women. Quite a few reduced to desperate straits are escaping a home where violence has become too much to bear.A tin of baked beans can sometimes be a feast. The Food Bank can only deal with food that does not require refridgeration as neither it nor the recipients have the means to keep things frozen.The WI has always kept the needs of the family as part of its aims and objects so the afternoon was relevant to what the WI is about.
Saturday 19 November 2011
Competitions and campaigns
14 November
The local WI craft group has been invited to take part in the town's Christmas Tree Festival so its members are putting their minds and hands to work on our entry. Although it isn't a competition we want to do our best and basically if truth was told we want to be the best. Did you watch Kirstie Allsopp on ITV this week pitting her skills against other WIs at the Hampshire and New Forest Show? She became very competitive and is in awe of WI judges.I must admit that I don't think the average WI member would go so far as to take an expensive course in some new craft in order to enter a class but it makes more interesting television and is good publicity. All the exhibits looked good and professional and the members were a suitably mixed bunch of normal people enjoying themselves, although competing.How lucky Hampshire Federation is to still have a designated marquee at their county show!
10 November
A very busy meeting of the Education & Current Affairs sub-committee today.It is part of this committee's job to keep up-to-date with the national and county campaigns.At present there is a lot of activity about the planning system reform, the scaling back of the legal aid system and the threatened closure of libraries.The WI has mandates on all these topics so every WI member may do her bit by keeping the government aware of the likely impact on women in the UK from changes in legislation. Locally, of course we are working on the care of stroke victims and their carers and BFWI has also been asked to be part of the consultation process on the trial of street lighting cuts in Buckinghamshire. At the same time we try to host interesting events and outings to broaden the members' minds, such as writers' workshops and historical or environmental days.It all sounds rather blue-stockingish but we also have a lot of fun. I wonder if anyone would like to come and join us or just arrange to sit in on a meeting? You would be welcome so get in touch with the office at Stuart Lodge.
8 November
The local book group has been reading Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. This is a prize-winning teenage novel. Several readers thought it too tough meat for teenagers but when you see what they watch on screen I don't agree.The majority considered the novel well worth reading. It is a Romeo and Juliet story set in an indeterminate time and place where the white population is subservient to the coloured---the reverse of the school segregation battles in the American South. The author doesn't give us a happy ending and the characters are so well drawn albeit in simple language that we did care about their decisions as they grow up and struggle against the society operating in the world around them.
The local WI craft group has been invited to take part in the town's Christmas Tree Festival so its members are putting their minds and hands to work on our entry. Although it isn't a competition we want to do our best and basically if truth was told we want to be the best. Did you watch Kirstie Allsopp on ITV this week pitting her skills against other WIs at the Hampshire and New Forest Show? She became very competitive and is in awe of WI judges.I must admit that I don't think the average WI member would go so far as to take an expensive course in some new craft in order to enter a class but it makes more interesting television and is good publicity. All the exhibits looked good and professional and the members were a suitably mixed bunch of normal people enjoying themselves, although competing.How lucky Hampshire Federation is to still have a designated marquee at their county show!
10 November
A very busy meeting of the Education & Current Affairs sub-committee today.It is part of this committee's job to keep up-to-date with the national and county campaigns.At present there is a lot of activity about the planning system reform, the scaling back of the legal aid system and the threatened closure of libraries.The WI has mandates on all these topics so every WI member may do her bit by keeping the government aware of the likely impact on women in the UK from changes in legislation. Locally, of course we are working on the care of stroke victims and their carers and BFWI has also been asked to be part of the consultation process on the trial of street lighting cuts in Buckinghamshire. At the same time we try to host interesting events and outings to broaden the members' minds, such as writers' workshops and historical or environmental days.It all sounds rather blue-stockingish but we also have a lot of fun. I wonder if anyone would like to come and join us or just arrange to sit in on a meeting? You would be welcome so get in touch with the office at Stuart Lodge.
8 November
The local book group has been reading Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. This is a prize-winning teenage novel. Several readers thought it too tough meat for teenagers but when you see what they watch on screen I don't agree.The majority considered the novel well worth reading. It is a Romeo and Juliet story set in an indeterminate time and place where the white population is subservient to the coloured---the reverse of the school segregation battles in the American South. The author doesn't give us a happy ending and the characters are so well drawn albeit in simple language that we did care about their decisions as they grow up and struggle against the society operating in the world around them.
Saturday 5 November 2011
Annual Meeting
2nd November
Tonight was the time for the local WI to hold its annual meeting and there was a good attendance. Some members do not enjoy this meeting so think of other things to do. If they intend to try to escape being assigned duties in helping to run the WI, they have another think coming! We always catch up with them and this year with a slightly smaller committee there will be no hiding place. The review of the year is always interesting and never ceases to amaze me at what we manage to achieve within the 12 months. We have increased our membership, attended lots of out of town events and done well in competitions.Some reservations were expressed on parts of the recent fundraiser but so what: in 8 years there is room for a slight blip and anyway the majority enjoyed themselves.The various sections continue to flourish so there are plenty of opportunities to share different interests, whether it be craft or badminton, reading or walking, discussion or becoming a lady who lunches.A few of us are getting together to take part in the local church Christmas Tree Festival which at the moment seems to involve a lot of cut and paste and collecting toilet roll cardboard centres but I am sure will look quite professional in the end.
What did you think of the last issue of WI Life? It was the one that focussed on the history of the WI. I read it from cover to cover and thought it was really interesting. It would be worth making a visit to the Women's Library to examine some of the exhibits. It was pleasing to see our BFWI archivist mentioned and of course you may read about our history in Bucks if you go on to the BFWI website. This website is in the process of being revitalised so keep your eyes open for when it launches in its new format.
Tonight was the time for the local WI to hold its annual meeting and there was a good attendance. Some members do not enjoy this meeting so think of other things to do. If they intend to try to escape being assigned duties in helping to run the WI, they have another think coming! We always catch up with them and this year with a slightly smaller committee there will be no hiding place. The review of the year is always interesting and never ceases to amaze me at what we manage to achieve within the 12 months. We have increased our membership, attended lots of out of town events and done well in competitions.Some reservations were expressed on parts of the recent fundraiser but so what: in 8 years there is room for a slight blip and anyway the majority enjoyed themselves.The various sections continue to flourish so there are plenty of opportunities to share different interests, whether it be craft or badminton, reading or walking, discussion or becoming a lady who lunches.A few of us are getting together to take part in the local church Christmas Tree Festival which at the moment seems to involve a lot of cut and paste and collecting toilet roll cardboard centres but I am sure will look quite professional in the end.
What did you think of the last issue of WI Life? It was the one that focussed on the history of the WI. I read it from cover to cover and thought it was really interesting. It would be worth making a visit to the Women's Library to examine some of the exhibits. It was pleasing to see our BFWI archivist mentioned and of course you may read about our history in Bucks if you go on to the BFWI website. This website is in the process of being revitalised so keep your eyes open for when it launches in its new format.
Sunday 23 October 2011
Poetry and dance
22nd October
After about a year's planning the local WI held its annual fund-raiser, an international evening concentrating on dance.We were delighted to welcome 92 people from different organisations in the town as well as members from neighbouring WIs.We bought in fish and chip suppers but provided home-made desserts. The Indian dancing performed by Geet Kala's little troupe was very good but it was the Morris Dancers who stole the show.I think we could all appreciate the steps and timing with their sticks far better when seen up on a stage rather than on the village green.The reggae singing was interesting but we would have liked more story-telling from the Caribbean compere.The hall looked good and there was an attractive display of Indian materials and jewellery for the audience to look at during the interval.The guests seemed to have enjoyed themselves so when the dust has settled we will start to plan another different event for next year.
The morning's Daily Telegraph featured the WI on the front page where our National Chairman was complaining that there are not enough women in the Cabinet to stand up for women's concerns.This is especially disappointing to the WI because our campaigns, such as combatting violence in the home, need Government support.I think we agree that we want the best and most honest people to be Cabinet Ministers whatever their politics or sex. However, to expect half its members to be women is unrealistic: the pool of women MPs from which these must come, is so much smaller than the male so the standard would have to be skewed to do this.What we should be going for is more women becoming MPs and that cannot happen until childcare facilities and care of the elderly are both improved to free women to think of entering politics.For many years this has been the aim of NFWI for more women to become parish councillors, town councillors and magistrates and so work their way into Parliament.The ability is there: it is the time that is lacking.
11th October
Our WI Book Group met this afternoon and because of a slight hiccup in planning we had all taken home different books to read---not the usual "set" book. Several different novels by Jodi Piccoult and some poetry selections from Carol Ann Duffy, Andrew Motion, Seamus Heaney and Roger McGough were the objects for discussion.Some readers found Jodi Piccoult's books rather upsetting to read.Even when they knew that the author always dealt with a controversial social issue, they didn't want to get so involved with the problem but felt compelled to carry on reading which is a mark of her success as a writer, I suppose. We wondered how the poetry would work out in the Group but it was a great success. We picked out favourite poems and read some of them aloud. We even considered how different the writing of verse had become since we were schoolchildren. How much easier it was to learn poetry in our youth and how it sticks in one's memory down the years.The real mark of success was that some of the readers intend to borrow the poetry from the library and to buy some for Christmas presents. Perhaps we ought to do it again.
After about a year's planning the local WI held its annual fund-raiser, an international evening concentrating on dance.We were delighted to welcome 92 people from different organisations in the town as well as members from neighbouring WIs.We bought in fish and chip suppers but provided home-made desserts. The Indian dancing performed by Geet Kala's little troupe was very good but it was the Morris Dancers who stole the show.I think we could all appreciate the steps and timing with their sticks far better when seen up on a stage rather than on the village green.The reggae singing was interesting but we would have liked more story-telling from the Caribbean compere.The hall looked good and there was an attractive display of Indian materials and jewellery for the audience to look at during the interval.The guests seemed to have enjoyed themselves so when the dust has settled we will start to plan another different event for next year.
The morning's Daily Telegraph featured the WI on the front page where our National Chairman was complaining that there are not enough women in the Cabinet to stand up for women's concerns.This is especially disappointing to the WI because our campaigns, such as combatting violence in the home, need Government support.I think we agree that we want the best and most honest people to be Cabinet Ministers whatever their politics or sex. However, to expect half its members to be women is unrealistic: the pool of women MPs from which these must come, is so much smaller than the male so the standard would have to be skewed to do this.What we should be going for is more women becoming MPs and that cannot happen until childcare facilities and care of the elderly are both improved to free women to think of entering politics.For many years this has been the aim of NFWI for more women to become parish councillors, town councillors and magistrates and so work their way into Parliament.The ability is there: it is the time that is lacking.
11th October
Our WI Book Group met this afternoon and because of a slight hiccup in planning we had all taken home different books to read---not the usual "set" book. Several different novels by Jodi Piccoult and some poetry selections from Carol Ann Duffy, Andrew Motion, Seamus Heaney and Roger McGough were the objects for discussion.Some readers found Jodi Piccoult's books rather upsetting to read.Even when they knew that the author always dealt with a controversial social issue, they didn't want to get so involved with the problem but felt compelled to carry on reading which is a mark of her success as a writer, I suppose. We wondered how the poetry would work out in the Group but it was a great success. We picked out favourite poems and read some of them aloud. We even considered how different the writing of verse had become since we were schoolchildren. How much easier it was to learn poetry in our youth and how it sticks in one's memory down the years.The real mark of success was that some of the readers intend to borrow the poetry from the library and to buy some for Christmas presents. Perhaps we ought to do it again.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
History on hand
10th October
This evening about 20 of our local WI members joined with others from the surrounding WIs for a Group Meeting. We are very fortunate in this area that we are still able to find a volunteer Group Convener to arrange two meetings a year and, doubly so because she also organises an outing in the summer. We heard that many groups have ceased to function because no one thinks she has the time to act in this way which is a pity.Clubbed together we can afford more expensive speakers although cost is not always a good yardstick for judging performance. It is also a chance for the members who cannot attend the larger meetings to mix with other WI members. Actually the one criticism I had of last night's get-together was that we sat around tables designated to our own WIs rather than mixed up but there was fraternization during the refreshment break.
The speaker was Mary Forlenza who talked about the wide topic of "Women". She gave an amusing well-constructed talk which everyone enjoyed. The female subjects whom she used to illustrate the changes in recent history which have most affected women were interesting and she very diplomatically ended with Adelaide Hoodless the founder of the WI. It was a very good meeting with lots of talk and an excellent selection of refreshments.
5th October
The local WI meeting tonight was very interesting. We entered the hall to see a machine made of wood and brass which would have graced the bridge of an ocean-going private yacht. It turned out to be a change of the century magic lantern projector which had been lovingly restored by the speaker. The members then enjoyed a demonstration of moving pictures and cartoons:some of these were historically significant in their own right, others were amusing and some I'm afraid we recognised were early examples of advertising. It is good to hear of enthusiasts about the country who make sure that historic items and interests do not disappear from memory in this throw-away society of today.
Talking of history did you see that a new account of the WI has been published recently? "A Force to be Reckoned with" by Jane Robinson is a history of the WI movement which has had quite good reviews, except for the title. I am sure the author could have thought of a better one than that.If you are a keen or new WI member it might make a nice present or reserve it through your local library which should make sure it is bought for stock.
There seems to be a wide range of events coming up this autumn so a lot of the meeting was taken up with reports and plans for the future and, of course, arrangements for the Christmas Dinner. Already? Where did 2011 go?
1st October
The SSAFA organisation held a public event in the town to advertise the wealth of activities available for "oldies" so naturally it asked the WI to participate! Having explained yet again that we were not a senior citizens' gathering, we agreed to have a publicity stand because obviously we will welcome new members whatever their age. It was a very successful event and we stand to gain at least 2 new members who are moving to the town but we didn't ask their age.A lot of interest was shown in our display and in a way it made up for not having a tent at the Winslow Show this year.
This evening about 20 of our local WI members joined with others from the surrounding WIs for a Group Meeting. We are very fortunate in this area that we are still able to find a volunteer Group Convener to arrange two meetings a year and, doubly so because she also organises an outing in the summer. We heard that many groups have ceased to function because no one thinks she has the time to act in this way which is a pity.Clubbed together we can afford more expensive speakers although cost is not always a good yardstick for judging performance. It is also a chance for the members who cannot attend the larger meetings to mix with other WI members. Actually the one criticism I had of last night's get-together was that we sat around tables designated to our own WIs rather than mixed up but there was fraternization during the refreshment break.
The speaker was Mary Forlenza who talked about the wide topic of "Women". She gave an amusing well-constructed talk which everyone enjoyed. The female subjects whom she used to illustrate the changes in recent history which have most affected women were interesting and she very diplomatically ended with Adelaide Hoodless the founder of the WI. It was a very good meeting with lots of talk and an excellent selection of refreshments.
5th October
The local WI meeting tonight was very interesting. We entered the hall to see a machine made of wood and brass which would have graced the bridge of an ocean-going private yacht. It turned out to be a change of the century magic lantern projector which had been lovingly restored by the speaker. The members then enjoyed a demonstration of moving pictures and cartoons:some of these were historically significant in their own right, others were amusing and some I'm afraid we recognised were early examples of advertising. It is good to hear of enthusiasts about the country who make sure that historic items and interests do not disappear from memory in this throw-away society of today.
Talking of history did you see that a new account of the WI has been published recently? "A Force to be Reckoned with" by Jane Robinson is a history of the WI movement which has had quite good reviews, except for the title. I am sure the author could have thought of a better one than that.If you are a keen or new WI member it might make a nice present or reserve it through your local library which should make sure it is bought for stock.
There seems to be a wide range of events coming up this autumn so a lot of the meeting was taken up with reports and plans for the future and, of course, arrangements for the Christmas Dinner. Already? Where did 2011 go?
1st October
The SSAFA organisation held a public event in the town to advertise the wealth of activities available for "oldies" so naturally it asked the WI to participate! Having explained yet again that we were not a senior citizens' gathering, we agreed to have a publicity stand because obviously we will welcome new members whatever their age. It was a very successful event and we stand to gain at least 2 new members who are moving to the town but we didn't ask their age.A lot of interest was shown in our display and in a way it made up for not having a tent at the Winslow Show this year.
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Glory,glory
27th September
An Evening of Fish Cookery may not be an invitation that appeals to lots of people but over 100 Bucks WI members and friends thoroughly enjoyed watching the demonstration given at Newton Longueville Hall tonight. Carrie O'Regan from Denman College showed us how to make 7 different dishes and inspired us to try something a little more stylish and interesting when cooking fish.She started out with a spinach and smoked salmon roulade which looked easy to do, even though the thought of producing any sort of roulade has many cooks retreating to a dark corner in tears.Congratulations to the organising sub-committee Home and Garden for presenting the evening and choosing such a good venue. Carrie will be one of the course leaders when Bucks takes over Denman College in November this year so we know already how good this option will be.
22nd September
Two coachloads of Bucks members and friends set off at the crack of dawn to visit the Olympic Village site under the guidance of 2 Blue Badge guides who met us at Woolwich Arsenal. The event was heavily over-subscribed so another date has been found for those who were disappointed in the ballot. On my coach we had a troublefree run into London and even had time for a comfort stop en route. I mention this only because I know how long some people have to be in the coach before reaching the destination, especially if it involves entering London: this can make travellers hesitate from booking on outings.I think many passengers were pleasantly surprised at the included film and tour of the Firepower Museum before lunch. It was impressive to listen to the young soldiers recently returned from the Middle Eastern battlelines. After a good lunch, we nipped in to the Greenwich Heritage Gallery to see its embroidered panels depicting the history of Greenwich and Woolwich. I could have spent much longer here but then we were off to look at the site for the Olympic Games. This was very impressive indeed, mostly ahead of schedule and much, much bigger than I for one had somehow envisaged. We viewed from the viewing platform and toured round in the coach seeing where the outlying buildings were and what events they were going to house. Our tour was called Land of Hope and Glory and we couldn't have had a more enthusiastic guide. It was good to listen to someone who was so positive about the staging of the Games and of the UK too. And as for Seb Coe, she obviously worshipped him! The outing was full of interest and very busy: everyone enjoyed the day and to arrive home so quickly, was just the icing on the cake.
19th September
It doesn't get better than that! Front page of the Daily Telegraph "WI joins battle to save the Green Belt" and inside a photo of our National Chairman heading an article on the way in which the WI has always fought for our greeen and pleasant land. Along with other organisations such as the National Trust, the Countryside Alliance and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the WI is joining in the battle against the Government's controversial changes to planning rules, the Hands off Our Land Campaign. Watch the media and if you are asked to write to MPs and Councillors please make time to do so. Imagine the effect of 208,000 letters bombarding the Government offices! Could save the Post Office too, although I bet we are asked for e-mail votes.
An Evening of Fish Cookery may not be an invitation that appeals to lots of people but over 100 Bucks WI members and friends thoroughly enjoyed watching the demonstration given at Newton Longueville Hall tonight. Carrie O'Regan from Denman College showed us how to make 7 different dishes and inspired us to try something a little more stylish and interesting when cooking fish.She started out with a spinach and smoked salmon roulade which looked easy to do, even though the thought of producing any sort of roulade has many cooks retreating to a dark corner in tears.Congratulations to the organising sub-committee Home and Garden for presenting the evening and choosing such a good venue. Carrie will be one of the course leaders when Bucks takes over Denman College in November this year so we know already how good this option will be.
22nd September
Two coachloads of Bucks members and friends set off at the crack of dawn to visit the Olympic Village site under the guidance of 2 Blue Badge guides who met us at Woolwich Arsenal. The event was heavily over-subscribed so another date has been found for those who were disappointed in the ballot. On my coach we had a troublefree run into London and even had time for a comfort stop en route. I mention this only because I know how long some people have to be in the coach before reaching the destination, especially if it involves entering London: this can make travellers hesitate from booking on outings.I think many passengers were pleasantly surprised at the included film and tour of the Firepower Museum before lunch. It was impressive to listen to the young soldiers recently returned from the Middle Eastern battlelines. After a good lunch, we nipped in to the Greenwich Heritage Gallery to see its embroidered panels depicting the history of Greenwich and Woolwich. I could have spent much longer here but then we were off to look at the site for the Olympic Games. This was very impressive indeed, mostly ahead of schedule and much, much bigger than I for one had somehow envisaged. We viewed from the viewing platform and toured round in the coach seeing where the outlying buildings were and what events they were going to house. Our tour was called Land of Hope and Glory and we couldn't have had a more enthusiastic guide. It was good to listen to someone who was so positive about the staging of the Games and of the UK too. And as for Seb Coe, she obviously worshipped him! The outing was full of interest and very busy: everyone enjoyed the day and to arrive home so quickly, was just the icing on the cake.
19th September
It doesn't get better than that! Front page of the Daily Telegraph "WI joins battle to save the Green Belt" and inside a photo of our National Chairman heading an article on the way in which the WI has always fought for our greeen and pleasant land. Along with other organisations such as the National Trust, the Countryside Alliance and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the WI is joining in the battle against the Government's controversial changes to planning rules, the Hands off Our Land Campaign. Watch the media and if you are asked to write to MPs and Councillors please make time to do so. Imagine the effect of 208,000 letters bombarding the Government offices! Could save the Post Office too, although I bet we are asked for e-mail votes.
Saturday 17 September 2011
New term for WI members too
16th September
Love your Library Day and the birthday of the Women's Institute.Every WI member was exhorted to borrow a book from her library to reinforce the message given at last June's AGM in Liverpool that the WI was against library closures. It was a pretty insignificant gesture locally so I hope more was made of it nationally. We needed a banner really and actually we could have got away with just passing backwards and forwards through the library door because books issued are not recorded so much as the "footfall".It all went wrong when the authorities started to refer to clients instead of readers. Anyway several of us dutifully attended and let's hope that 4,000 or so Bucks members did the same. We got a mention in the local press.
14th September
The local WI discussion Group enjoyed a good evening when a member reported back on having attended a meeting where the speaker explained about New Leaf. This is an organisation set up to help rehabilitate prisoners who have been in prison for under 2 years. Two WI members had attended in order to tell the rest of us following our discussion on the Care not Custody campaign. The WI was more interested in the sentencing of lawbreakers who had mental disabilities, the topic which had been covered by a pair of magistrates at a neighbouring WI. We revisited the subject and also discussed the mandate passed by the Bucks Federation on Care for Stroke victims. We decided to advise the members at the next WI meeting to contact their MP and local organisations to express our concern about provision of help and information.
13th September
We were almost back to full strength at the Book Group today after the holidays. We started with a brief reprise on Africa House by Christina Lamb for those who had missed the last meeting. Then we turned our attention to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton which everyone had enjoyed reading.It was a long novel with some unexpected twists. The style of writing which tells the story in turns between 3 generations is confusing but seems to be a popular tradition in today's novels. Some of the descriptions were a bit Dickensian but the characters were interesting although we thought that one male could have been brought to the fore which would have darkened the plot.We like a bit of the sinister in our books!
12th September
Those WI members who did not sign up for the Art Day at Cheddington missed a treat. Professor Anthony Slinn talking about the Impressionists was a delight and we all learned a great deal. The food at lunchtime had a French theme and was excellent. The exhibition of art from WI members was of a high standard. There was lots of talk over lunch and everyone was full of praise for the small team which had planned and carried out such a successful event.Well done to the Executive members hard at work in the kitchen!
2nd September
A brief mention of an article in the fashion pages of the Daily Telegraph which featured Jazz Domino Holly who has just published a book called Queen of Crafts. Apparently it all started with the author wanting to learn to knit, then forming the Shoreditch Sisters WI to encourage others and the WI grew to over 100 members mostly working girls with Jazz as President for a couple of years, doing much more than craftwork as we all know WIs do.
1st September
The Bucks County Show and for once it was a lovely fine day. The Bucks Federation had space in the Produce marquee and showed off displays with the title of Our County. It was fascinating to see the different interpretations of the subject and to take part in a joint effort. It is all good experience in showing and following the schedule to the letter because WI judges are famous for their strictness in such matters. The training to become a WI judge is stiff but well respected in the world of county shows so that they are often asked to judge for other organisations.It's something to think about doing if you know you have the expertise in either craft or cooking.
Love your Library Day and the birthday of the Women's Institute.Every WI member was exhorted to borrow a book from her library to reinforce the message given at last June's AGM in Liverpool that the WI was against library closures. It was a pretty insignificant gesture locally so I hope more was made of it nationally. We needed a banner really and actually we could have got away with just passing backwards and forwards through the library door because books issued are not recorded so much as the "footfall".It all went wrong when the authorities started to refer to clients instead of readers. Anyway several of us dutifully attended and let's hope that 4,000 or so Bucks members did the same. We got a mention in the local press.
14th September
The local WI discussion Group enjoyed a good evening when a member reported back on having attended a meeting where the speaker explained about New Leaf. This is an organisation set up to help rehabilitate prisoners who have been in prison for under 2 years. Two WI members had attended in order to tell the rest of us following our discussion on the Care not Custody campaign. The WI was more interested in the sentencing of lawbreakers who had mental disabilities, the topic which had been covered by a pair of magistrates at a neighbouring WI. We revisited the subject and also discussed the mandate passed by the Bucks Federation on Care for Stroke victims. We decided to advise the members at the next WI meeting to contact their MP and local organisations to express our concern about provision of help and information.
13th September
We were almost back to full strength at the Book Group today after the holidays. We started with a brief reprise on Africa House by Christina Lamb for those who had missed the last meeting. Then we turned our attention to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton which everyone had enjoyed reading.It was a long novel with some unexpected twists. The style of writing which tells the story in turns between 3 generations is confusing but seems to be a popular tradition in today's novels. Some of the descriptions were a bit Dickensian but the characters were interesting although we thought that one male could have been brought to the fore which would have darkened the plot.We like a bit of the sinister in our books!
12th September
Those WI members who did not sign up for the Art Day at Cheddington missed a treat. Professor Anthony Slinn talking about the Impressionists was a delight and we all learned a great deal. The food at lunchtime had a French theme and was excellent. The exhibition of art from WI members was of a high standard. There was lots of talk over lunch and everyone was full of praise for the small team which had planned and carried out such a successful event.Well done to the Executive members hard at work in the kitchen!
2nd September
A brief mention of an article in the fashion pages of the Daily Telegraph which featured Jazz Domino Holly who has just published a book called Queen of Crafts. Apparently it all started with the author wanting to learn to knit, then forming the Shoreditch Sisters WI to encourage others and the WI grew to over 100 members mostly working girls with Jazz as President for a couple of years, doing much more than craftwork as we all know WIs do.
1st September
The Bucks County Show and for once it was a lovely fine day. The Bucks Federation had space in the Produce marquee and showed off displays with the title of Our County. It was fascinating to see the different interpretations of the subject and to take part in a joint effort. It is all good experience in showing and following the schedule to the letter because WI judges are famous for their strictness in such matters. The training to become a WI judge is stiff but well respected in the world of county shows so that they are often asked to judge for other organisations.It's something to think about doing if you know you have the expertise in either craft or cooking.
Tuesday 23 August 2011
Talk,talk
11th August
Three of us from our WI got together this afternoon to plan our exhibit for the Bucks County Show. Gone are the days when the BFWI used to have its own tent at this event but we are promised an area for promotion and for displaying a craft competition. We hope to improve on last year and on the result from the Mums Matter competition in which our WI did very well.Several other members are contributing items but the person arranging the floral part always has to be able to set the display up on the day previous to the Show as flower arrangements don't travel well.
10th August
The WI Discussion Group met tonight and although the set topic was Dentistry, I'm afraid we were straight into the city riots of the weekend. In fact more than half the allotted time was spent on discussing what had gone wrong over those few days and what was the real cause of such a breakdown of the rules of behaviour.We came up with a selection of suggestions on how to repair the situation.The general feeling is that it will take about 20 years to re-build the public attitudes to society and that the lack of respect for anything at all, lies at the heart of the problem.The importance of communication between parents and children was stressed, the relationship of teachers and pupils and the importance of example from public representatives whether government or sporting personalities. Solutions ranged from the re-instatement of parent-facing pushchairs, some sort of National Service and the teaching of basic principles eg that rights come with responsibilities.
Dentistry had improved technically and was something positive to think about, although it was still very difficult to sign on with NHS dentists and the alternatives were expensive. We considered ourselves lucky to have escaped the false teeth at an early age with which our parents' generation battled.Were jokes about false teeth still made or had they become outdated?
9th August
The Book Group members had been reading Africa House by Christine Lamb which was the biography of a man who spent most of his life in Northern Rhodesia. He built an English style mansion and a complete village for the native community based on the production of fruit and herbs. He played a major role in the setting up of Zambia and fought against apartheid although he treated his staff quite brutally at times. The book was very well written and caused a lot of discussion because Gore-Browne was a man with such conflicting characteristics and he lived such a hard life.I think we all felt that we were glad not to have had to live with or work for such a man! The book was enjoyed by everyone.
8th August
Our local WI fields a regular team to help serve drinks to the blood donors when the unit comes to the town.There is always a steady stream of donors so the three hours of talk and tea-making passes quickly. We now wear our WI badges because people ask why we are there and it does prompt enquiries about membership of the WI. It is also part of our contribution to the local community.
Three of us from our WI got together this afternoon to plan our exhibit for the Bucks County Show. Gone are the days when the BFWI used to have its own tent at this event but we are promised an area for promotion and for displaying a craft competition. We hope to improve on last year and on the result from the Mums Matter competition in which our WI did very well.Several other members are contributing items but the person arranging the floral part always has to be able to set the display up on the day previous to the Show as flower arrangements don't travel well.
10th August
The WI Discussion Group met tonight and although the set topic was Dentistry, I'm afraid we were straight into the city riots of the weekend. In fact more than half the allotted time was spent on discussing what had gone wrong over those few days and what was the real cause of such a breakdown of the rules of behaviour.We came up with a selection of suggestions on how to repair the situation.The general feeling is that it will take about 20 years to re-build the public attitudes to society and that the lack of respect for anything at all, lies at the heart of the problem.The importance of communication between parents and children was stressed, the relationship of teachers and pupils and the importance of example from public representatives whether government or sporting personalities. Solutions ranged from the re-instatement of parent-facing pushchairs, some sort of National Service and the teaching of basic principles eg that rights come with responsibilities.
Dentistry had improved technically and was something positive to think about, although it was still very difficult to sign on with NHS dentists and the alternatives were expensive. We considered ourselves lucky to have escaped the false teeth at an early age with which our parents' generation battled.Were jokes about false teeth still made or had they become outdated?
9th August
The Book Group members had been reading Africa House by Christine Lamb which was the biography of a man who spent most of his life in Northern Rhodesia. He built an English style mansion and a complete village for the native community based on the production of fruit and herbs. He played a major role in the setting up of Zambia and fought against apartheid although he treated his staff quite brutally at times. The book was very well written and caused a lot of discussion because Gore-Browne was a man with such conflicting characteristics and he lived such a hard life.I think we all felt that we were glad not to have had to live with or work for such a man! The book was enjoyed by everyone.
8th August
Our local WI fields a regular team to help serve drinks to the blood donors when the unit comes to the town.There is always a steady stream of donors so the three hours of talk and tea-making passes quickly. We now wear our WI badges because people ask why we are there and it does prompt enquiries about membership of the WI. It is also part of our contribution to the local community.
Friday 5 August 2011
Vague ramblings
3rd August
Today dawned bright and fresh after the storms of the night so another couple and ourselves set off for a walk in the Vale and decided to have lunch together at a village pub. Once more it wasn't long before I recognised other WI members enjoying eating together in three different parties from WIs within the county. The WI really is a network stretched all over the country so it would never do to try and fix an illicit rendezvous because someone would be sure to turn up and recognise you!
This evening the local WI held its summer al fresco meeting with a buffet supper and sporty games on the grass around the hall where it meets. There was a little time for consultations on events coming up but no real business done. It was enjoyable just to be frivolous and compete in garden party type activities.
2nd August
There was a big turn-out of WI members at the funeral of one of the Bucks County stalwarts from the past Catering Committee.Of course her local WI provided the refreshments for the buffet after the ceremony and another member played the organ.Mary Bowden died at the age of 87 but it is only within the last five years that she declared herself unable to lift the huge pans necessary for bulk catering.We are all so grateful to have known her and will always remember her cheerfulness.
1st August
I forgot to mention that several of our local WI are learning to crochet so we meet on Monday afternoons.Some people are starting from scratch, others are remembering what they learned before and others are learning to read and make sense of written instructions. I am trying to remember how to tat and discovering that my fingers are far too stiff to take it up again easily.We use the sessions to plan future activities and to catch up on holidays already taken.
July
I don't usually comment on private holidays but thought I should share some of the things that occurred this year. My husband and I set off to walk the middle stretch of Hadrian's Wall, a length of about 65 miles which is the interesting bit in the middle. I knew that 3 couples from our town were going to be doing the whole lot around the same time---one being our WI President.So I wasn't all that surprised to hear her shout across the moor where there is the site of the Temple of Mithras but what was amazing was that three out of five of our hostesses at the B&Bs where we stayed were WI members. The first one recognised my Denman College sweatshirt and she phoned along ahead to the next hostess. As a result we enjoyed long talks about common WI problems and campaigns. What came out very forcibly was their delight at the stay of execution for bank cheques. The cheque is vital for their businesses and for them living out in the country, often with poor internet connections and no reliable mobile reception. You can imagine my husband's opinion of these conversations: he was heard to mutter that he had walked miles to get away from the WI. I am afraid that it can be compared to the hidden Mafia sometimes!
Today dawned bright and fresh after the storms of the night so another couple and ourselves set off for a walk in the Vale and decided to have lunch together at a village pub. Once more it wasn't long before I recognised other WI members enjoying eating together in three different parties from WIs within the county. The WI really is a network stretched all over the country so it would never do to try and fix an illicit rendezvous because someone would be sure to turn up and recognise you!
This evening the local WI held its summer al fresco meeting with a buffet supper and sporty games on the grass around the hall where it meets. There was a little time for consultations on events coming up but no real business done. It was enjoyable just to be frivolous and compete in garden party type activities.
2nd August
There was a big turn-out of WI members at the funeral of one of the Bucks County stalwarts from the past Catering Committee.Of course her local WI provided the refreshments for the buffet after the ceremony and another member played the organ.Mary Bowden died at the age of 87 but it is only within the last five years that she declared herself unable to lift the huge pans necessary for bulk catering.We are all so grateful to have known her and will always remember her cheerfulness.
1st August
I forgot to mention that several of our local WI are learning to crochet so we meet on Monday afternoons.Some people are starting from scratch, others are remembering what they learned before and others are learning to read and make sense of written instructions. I am trying to remember how to tat and discovering that my fingers are far too stiff to take it up again easily.We use the sessions to plan future activities and to catch up on holidays already taken.
July
I don't usually comment on private holidays but thought I should share some of the things that occurred this year. My husband and I set off to walk the middle stretch of Hadrian's Wall, a length of about 65 miles which is the interesting bit in the middle. I knew that 3 couples from our town were going to be doing the whole lot around the same time---one being our WI President.So I wasn't all that surprised to hear her shout across the moor where there is the site of the Temple of Mithras but what was amazing was that three out of five of our hostesses at the B&Bs where we stayed were WI members. The first one recognised my Denman College sweatshirt and she phoned along ahead to the next hostess. As a result we enjoyed long talks about common WI problems and campaigns. What came out very forcibly was their delight at the stay of execution for bank cheques. The cheque is vital for their businesses and for them living out in the country, often with poor internet connections and no reliable mobile reception. You can imagine my husband's opinion of these conversations: he was heard to mutter that he had walked miles to get away from the WI. I am afraid that it can be compared to the hidden Mafia sometimes!
Thursday 7 July 2011
Healthy minds and bodies
6th July
"It's a mad world , my masters" I cannot remember where that comes from but it certainly applies to what I read in this morning's paper. Did you see where a Surrey Burough Council had forbidden the local WI from tending the War Memorial in its home town? In order to save £14,000 per year in maintenance costs, the Council decided to replace flower displays with grass. The WI in typical fashion said its members would perform the task for free, only to be told that it was too dangerous for the women to cross the road in case they got knocked down by the traffic. Did you ever? I presume it is OK to send their sons and daughters off to war but not to allow the mothers to walk across a road which they have to do countless times a year in the course of their normal lives.
Our WI meeting tonight involved exercises done on our chairs and gentle stretching upright from the floor---the sort of thing one could do in queues, I suppose. Everyone took part and the result was lots of smiling faces. We heard the report from the AGM in Liverpool and were given information on what follow-up work should be done on the mandate about the closure of libraries. Plans for future events were made and volunteers sought for a catering job which the WI has undertaken. The cushions made at the patchwork course were on display and these were admired. A large party is off to the Bank of England this month on an outing arranged within our group of neighbouring WIs. There are lots of activities advertised in the Bucks Newsletter for September so it was a case of working out dates for the diaries.
5th July
The Book Group met today. We started off with a reprise on "The Swimmer" by Roma Tearne which had been well received the month before. Then we talked about the Literary Lunch which several members of the group had attended. We all agreed that Katharine McMahon had been an excellent speaker and someone had bought each of the titles on sale that day so some swapping was arranged. The book we had all been reading or attempting to read was "Now is the Time to Open your Heart" by Alice Walker. Actually a lot of the readers had given up because it was very deep and meaningful with a storyline that was unimportant to the message of the book. One can only be interested in a limited amount of experiences in a person's soul induced by drugs taken to purge the mind and body. The novel was beautifully written but very different from "The Colour Purple" which had prompted this selection. We were encouraged to enjoy the companionship of women who were all better guardians of the planet than the males, to preserve the Earth and ourselves by making conscious decisions about our relationships with others and our food.At least I think that was what we all thought it was about! Our next book is a biography of someone who had lived in Northern Rhodesia in the days of the British Empire which I hope will be more manageable.
"It's a mad world , my masters" I cannot remember where that comes from but it certainly applies to what I read in this morning's paper. Did you see where a Surrey Burough Council had forbidden the local WI from tending the War Memorial in its home town? In order to save £14,000 per year in maintenance costs, the Council decided to replace flower displays with grass. The WI in typical fashion said its members would perform the task for free, only to be told that it was too dangerous for the women to cross the road in case they got knocked down by the traffic. Did you ever? I presume it is OK to send their sons and daughters off to war but not to allow the mothers to walk across a road which they have to do countless times a year in the course of their normal lives.
Our WI meeting tonight involved exercises done on our chairs and gentle stretching upright from the floor---the sort of thing one could do in queues, I suppose. Everyone took part and the result was lots of smiling faces. We heard the report from the AGM in Liverpool and were given information on what follow-up work should be done on the mandate about the closure of libraries. Plans for future events were made and volunteers sought for a catering job which the WI has undertaken. The cushions made at the patchwork course were on display and these were admired. A large party is off to the Bank of England this month on an outing arranged within our group of neighbouring WIs. There are lots of activities advertised in the Bucks Newsletter for September so it was a case of working out dates for the diaries.
5th July
The Book Group met today. We started off with a reprise on "The Swimmer" by Roma Tearne which had been well received the month before. Then we talked about the Literary Lunch which several members of the group had attended. We all agreed that Katharine McMahon had been an excellent speaker and someone had bought each of the titles on sale that day so some swapping was arranged. The book we had all been reading or attempting to read was "Now is the Time to Open your Heart" by Alice Walker. Actually a lot of the readers had given up because it was very deep and meaningful with a storyline that was unimportant to the message of the book. One can only be interested in a limited amount of experiences in a person's soul induced by drugs taken to purge the mind and body. The novel was beautifully written but very different from "The Colour Purple" which had prompted this selection. We were encouraged to enjoy the companionship of women who were all better guardians of the planet than the males, to preserve the Earth and ourselves by making conscious decisions about our relationships with others and our food.At least I think that was what we all thought it was about! Our next book is a biography of someone who had lived in Northern Rhodesia in the days of the British Empire which I hope will be more manageable.
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Food for thought
4th July
It was interesting to read that NFWI is about to launch its first range of branded food products for store shelves. There will also be some non-alcoholic drinks on offer and there would be an on-line service too. The WI is being encouraged by the trade magazine The Grocer so let's hope this will be a successful venture. I wonder what the former stalwarts of WI Markets will make of this move.
The really good news released at the same time in the national media is that at long last the Powers that Be in the Government are addressing the time scale for the adoption of children. About five years ago Winslow WI wanted NFWI to accept a resolution on this very problem but it wasn't selected to go to the national AGM so watch the press on progress with this heart-breaking problem.Perhaps if the WI had been able to bring more publicity to the issue it would have saved more disappointment for would-be parents and years of "temporary" foster care for hundreds of children. The article I have just read states that only 70 young babies were adopted last year compared with 4000 in the 1970s and it is not that there is less demand---just too much ridiculous bureaucracy.(Actually the paper didn't say the last bit but I can!)
28th June
Today 114 WI members converged on the Holiday Inn in Aylesbury to enjoy a lunch and listen to Katharine McMahon at the Bucks Literary Lunch 2011. Katharine is the author of "The Rose of Sebastopol" and "The Alchemist's Daughter". She is also a very good speaker so everyone was happy to hear her describe her work as a novelist and teacher at Hertfordshire and Warwick Universities. It was a pleasant room and a friendly atmosphere. The venue was new to WI and avoided the problems of hiring outside caterers to produce a meal in village hall kitchens with only limited facilities.We will have to wait to see what the members thought of the event before deciding to repeat it in this format. There is also the consideration of who to book as speaker because the written word may be brilliant but public speaking weak. Today we knew we were on to a winner and Katharine was delighted that we were able to sell all the copies of her novels which we had obtained from the publishers.Our reading group enjoys Katharine's books and finds there is always plenty to talk about, the characters and the historical settings.
It was interesting to read that NFWI is about to launch its first range of branded food products for store shelves. There will also be some non-alcoholic drinks on offer and there would be an on-line service too. The WI is being encouraged by the trade magazine The Grocer so let's hope this will be a successful venture. I wonder what the former stalwarts of WI Markets will make of this move.
The really good news released at the same time in the national media is that at long last the Powers that Be in the Government are addressing the time scale for the adoption of children. About five years ago Winslow WI wanted NFWI to accept a resolution on this very problem but it wasn't selected to go to the national AGM so watch the press on progress with this heart-breaking problem.Perhaps if the WI had been able to bring more publicity to the issue it would have saved more disappointment for would-be parents and years of "temporary" foster care for hundreds of children. The article I have just read states that only 70 young babies were adopted last year compared with 4000 in the 1970s and it is not that there is less demand---just too much ridiculous bureaucracy.(Actually the paper didn't say the last bit but I can!)
28th June
Today 114 WI members converged on the Holiday Inn in Aylesbury to enjoy a lunch and listen to Katharine McMahon at the Bucks Literary Lunch 2011. Katharine is the author of "The Rose of Sebastopol" and "The Alchemist's Daughter". She is also a very good speaker so everyone was happy to hear her describe her work as a novelist and teacher at Hertfordshire and Warwick Universities. It was a pleasant room and a friendly atmosphere. The venue was new to WI and avoided the problems of hiring outside caterers to produce a meal in village hall kitchens with only limited facilities.We will have to wait to see what the members thought of the event before deciding to repeat it in this format. There is also the consideration of who to book as speaker because the written word may be brilliant but public speaking weak. Today we knew we were on to a winner and Katharine was delighted that we were able to sell all the copies of her novels which we had obtained from the publishers.Our reading group enjoys Katharine's books and finds there is always plenty to talk about, the characters and the historical settings.
Sunday 19 June 2011
Space and Time
14th June
Today six members from Bucks travelled down to NFWI Headquarters in Fulham to attend a "Stars in their Eyes" day which had been advertised in WI Life.The audience numbered just under 40 from all over the country, including two who had come down for the day from Westmorland. They had left home not long before us and travelled happily by train--- which makes one wonder who needs the HS2.
The first speaker, Dr Carolin Crawford was from the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University and her subject was the "Science and Beauty of Nebulae". She showed us marvellous pictures of outer space and taught us how to look at them and know what we were actually looking at: what sort of stars they were and whether they were growing or about to blow themselves apart. We looked at the Horse's Head nebula, the Eagle nebula and the Head of the Witch nebula and were shown the pillars of dust formed like stalagmites which are the next generation of stars, called proplyds.As a reluctant scientist, I found that it was really impressive to learn in Carolin's talk that when she enthused about the beauty of the pictures coming from large ground-based and space telescopes, she wasn't just admiring their clarity and technical achievement in being received but appreciating the sheer beauty of the stars and clouds themselves.
In the afternoon, we were treated to a wonderful talk from Dame Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell who had been involved in the discovery of pulsars in the team which won the Nobel Prize for setting up the new branch of research called astrophysics.We heard about all the different types of light rays in the universe and of the importance of infra red images. Once more, we wondered at marvellous pictures and learned about the unimaginable measurements of time and space and that our sun is a third generation star. Science is poised to reveal that there are yet masses more planets circulating around other stars whose presence can be only guessed at now. Again I loved the way Jocelyn brought in art and the language of different cultures into her talk. As we struggled with the mathematics of millions of light years and billions of stars, there was the romance of language and poetry to help to keep one's balance as it were.I came away full of joy and amazement that by what was a sheer stroke of luck really, we had been granted planet Earth and quite willing to believe, if it had happened to us, it could have happened elsewhere in crowded space---OK the odds might be one to a million billions but what is that to an astro-mathematician? Half a grain of rice in a room packed full of rice is what our planet is. The other conclusion that must come to us all learning these things, is that there is a duty of care to the planet on which we ride for such a short time and sadly, this is not what the human race exercises in many places in our world today.
What do you think about having an astronomy related day for the Bucks' WIs? Let's give ourselves time and space to think about time and space.
Today six members from Bucks travelled down to NFWI Headquarters in Fulham to attend a "Stars in their Eyes" day which had been advertised in WI Life.The audience numbered just under 40 from all over the country, including two who had come down for the day from Westmorland. They had left home not long before us and travelled happily by train--- which makes one wonder who needs the HS2.
The first speaker, Dr Carolin Crawford was from the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University and her subject was the "Science and Beauty of Nebulae". She showed us marvellous pictures of outer space and taught us how to look at them and know what we were actually looking at: what sort of stars they were and whether they were growing or about to blow themselves apart. We looked at the Horse's Head nebula, the Eagle nebula and the Head of the Witch nebula and were shown the pillars of dust formed like stalagmites which are the next generation of stars, called proplyds.As a reluctant scientist, I found that it was really impressive to learn in Carolin's talk that when she enthused about the beauty of the pictures coming from large ground-based and space telescopes, she wasn't just admiring their clarity and technical achievement in being received but appreciating the sheer beauty of the stars and clouds themselves.
In the afternoon, we were treated to a wonderful talk from Dame Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell who had been involved in the discovery of pulsars in the team which won the Nobel Prize for setting up the new branch of research called astrophysics.We heard about all the different types of light rays in the universe and of the importance of infra red images. Once more, we wondered at marvellous pictures and learned about the unimaginable measurements of time and space and that our sun is a third generation star. Science is poised to reveal that there are yet masses more planets circulating around other stars whose presence can be only guessed at now. Again I loved the way Jocelyn brought in art and the language of different cultures into her talk. As we struggled with the mathematics of millions of light years and billions of stars, there was the romance of language and poetry to help to keep one's balance as it were.I came away full of joy and amazement that by what was a sheer stroke of luck really, we had been granted planet Earth and quite willing to believe, if it had happened to us, it could have happened elsewhere in crowded space---OK the odds might be one to a million billions but what is that to an astro-mathematician? Half a grain of rice in a room packed full of rice is what our planet is. The other conclusion that must come to us all learning these things, is that there is a duty of care to the planet on which we ride for such a short time and sadly, this is not what the human race exercises in many places in our world today.
What do you think about having an astronomy related day for the Bucks' WIs? Let's give ourselves time and space to think about time and space.
Sunday 12 June 2011
The AGM et al
11th June
Only eight of our local WI members took advantage of a patchwork day class sponsored by the WI's annual bursary today. Every year the WI gives a bursary for either one member to go to Denman College or on alternate years to enjoy an educational course or an event free to the whole membership. This year we visited a craft shop which runs different craft courses and we chose patchwork. It was an excellent way to spend a few hours and we all came home with a small cushion, a covered notebook and enough lumps of co-operatively made patchwork to make a quilt which we will probably raffle to raise funds for the WI. The benefit along the way was to become familiar with a variety of modern sewing machines which seemed quite capable of doing the work without much human intervention at all.Also of course we enjoyed a good crack and sitting in the sun in the pub garden over lunch.
9th June
I am not going to say much about today's Book Group because there were few of us there and the novel was politely described by most as tripe so I had better not reveal the title for fear of legal repercussions.It is very rare for this to happen: someone will usually rise to the author's defence but there wasn't much anyone could find this time. However the good thing is that we are now back and synchronized with the County Library reading group pattern so shouldn't incur fines under the new system. We just need the local branch to remain open for our use.
8th June
The NFWI Annual General Meeting at Liverpool. We were back in the Echo Building on the dockside at the foot of one of these London Eye-like wheels which wasn't there last time.It's a good hall which held 4583 WI members comfortably.The singing of Jerusalem was as usual impressive and the business part ran like clockwork. The WI is in good heart;we have 102 new WIs and financially we are doing well. There was a statement about the proposed abolition of cheques which was meant to allay members' fears and a vague hint that the subscription might have to be raised next year. Our National Chair Ruth Bond reported on her activities on our behalf and tried hard to whip up a bit of enthusiasm among the members but it was hard going in a hall that size and so early on in proceedings.
We then heard from Erwin James, an ex-prisoner about being inside and his work now for prison reform which was relevant to the WI campaign for Care not Custody. This led naturally to the Campaigns up-date from the Board of Trustees.Two city librarians brought conflicting views on the closure of libraries resolution and although on different sides, they both talked a lot of sense. The discussion from the floor was lively but we all knew the motion would succeed.A report on Denman College followed in which Anne Harrison suggested every member made 5 cups of tea or coffee and sold them at £1 each and lo and behold, we would raise enough money to up-date the main house at the college which was beginning to need some TLC.
After lunch we tackled the agricultural resolution which had been billed all along as against mega farms. We knew the decision on this was going to be tight as many delegates on the coach had said they were holding different decisions from the WIs they were representing.The proposer from Wiltshire opened her speech by declaring she was against intensive farming per se and it was fascinating to watch the unrest spread from the WI Advisers at the back of the hall through to the delegates.Helen Browning spoke as usual very well for the resolution, very fairly not talking about organic versus non-organic but about the effect on Britain's countryside of mega farms and our lack of infrastructure to deal with things which the USA'S vast size could house comfortably. Peter Kendall, the Chairman of NFU spoke equally well about the threat to British farming if a blanket ban was put on large farming units and how if we lost our farmers we would be importing food produced abroad where animal husbandry was nowhere near up to our standards of humane animal welfare. Again excellent speeches and well argued views from the floor. The delegates were now thrown into confusion: the wording of the resolution was bad; the proposer hadn't stuck to the notes issued; what was "mega" anyway; and "I know these WIs would have voted differently if they had been here but they haven't given me leave to alter the vote"; this is too important an issue for the NFWI to get it wrong. The result was that someone moved to reject the resolution altogether, to go back and work it out properly and move immediately to the next business . For some reason this confused the Chair but eventually she was persuaded that this was a legal move, and the delegates as a woman rejected it. Exciting stuff and it was being discussed all the way home,in the cold waiting for coaches, on coaches and in service stations.
We simmered down and listened to Dr Rita Gardner begging us to support the teaching of geography to produce people who could tackle the problems of climate change. Then Sir Steve Redgrave told us about the work of Fairtrade in the cotton fields of Mali and Gambia. We finished with the singing WI group The Harmonies.
We didn't arrive home until after 11pm but even so I wasn't the only person there who will always try to attend the AGM because it inspires one for another year. If you are asked to be a delegate, say yes and go and see for yourself what happens. You can always go as an Observer but then you have to meet your own expenses: the delegates are assisted by the WI and their link WIs. As for the reporting back---it will all appear on the NFWI website and in WI Life so you just need to add what you saw and did around the meeting.Easy! Just don't rely on the national press to cover it because they hardly ever do unless we handbag someone.
7th June
Off to Liverpool for tomorrow's NFWI AGM. The coaches were on time, there were stops for refreshments and after an unscheduled trip through the Mersey Tunnel while trying to locate the hotel, we had several hours to explore the city and re-establish contact with the Beatles of our youth. A pleasant dinner all together in a comfortable hotel mixing with members from other Federations, in our case the Isle of Man and Somerset and then off to bed to watch the ferries on the Mersey twinkling with lights along the banks.
Only eight of our local WI members took advantage of a patchwork day class sponsored by the WI's annual bursary today. Every year the WI gives a bursary for either one member to go to Denman College or on alternate years to enjoy an educational course or an event free to the whole membership. This year we visited a craft shop which runs different craft courses and we chose patchwork. It was an excellent way to spend a few hours and we all came home with a small cushion, a covered notebook and enough lumps of co-operatively made patchwork to make a quilt which we will probably raffle to raise funds for the WI. The benefit along the way was to become familiar with a variety of modern sewing machines which seemed quite capable of doing the work without much human intervention at all.Also of course we enjoyed a good crack and sitting in the sun in the pub garden over lunch.
9th June
I am not going to say much about today's Book Group because there were few of us there and the novel was politely described by most as tripe so I had better not reveal the title for fear of legal repercussions.It is very rare for this to happen: someone will usually rise to the author's defence but there wasn't much anyone could find this time. However the good thing is that we are now back and synchronized with the County Library reading group pattern so shouldn't incur fines under the new system. We just need the local branch to remain open for our use.
8th June
The NFWI Annual General Meeting at Liverpool. We were back in the Echo Building on the dockside at the foot of one of these London Eye-like wheels which wasn't there last time.It's a good hall which held 4583 WI members comfortably.The singing of Jerusalem was as usual impressive and the business part ran like clockwork. The WI is in good heart;we have 102 new WIs and financially we are doing well. There was a statement about the proposed abolition of cheques which was meant to allay members' fears and a vague hint that the subscription might have to be raised next year. Our National Chair Ruth Bond reported on her activities on our behalf and tried hard to whip up a bit of enthusiasm among the members but it was hard going in a hall that size and so early on in proceedings.
We then heard from Erwin James, an ex-prisoner about being inside and his work now for prison reform which was relevant to the WI campaign for Care not Custody. This led naturally to the Campaigns up-date from the Board of Trustees.Two city librarians brought conflicting views on the closure of libraries resolution and although on different sides, they both talked a lot of sense. The discussion from the floor was lively but we all knew the motion would succeed.A report on Denman College followed in which Anne Harrison suggested every member made 5 cups of tea or coffee and sold them at £1 each and lo and behold, we would raise enough money to up-date the main house at the college which was beginning to need some TLC.
After lunch we tackled the agricultural resolution which had been billed all along as against mega farms. We knew the decision on this was going to be tight as many delegates on the coach had said they were holding different decisions from the WIs they were representing.The proposer from Wiltshire opened her speech by declaring she was against intensive farming per se and it was fascinating to watch the unrest spread from the WI Advisers at the back of the hall through to the delegates.Helen Browning spoke as usual very well for the resolution, very fairly not talking about organic versus non-organic but about the effect on Britain's countryside of mega farms and our lack of infrastructure to deal with things which the USA'S vast size could house comfortably. Peter Kendall, the Chairman of NFU spoke equally well about the threat to British farming if a blanket ban was put on large farming units and how if we lost our farmers we would be importing food produced abroad where animal husbandry was nowhere near up to our standards of humane animal welfare. Again excellent speeches and well argued views from the floor. The delegates were now thrown into confusion: the wording of the resolution was bad; the proposer hadn't stuck to the notes issued; what was "mega" anyway; and "I know these WIs would have voted differently if they had been here but they haven't given me leave to alter the vote"; this is too important an issue for the NFWI to get it wrong. The result was that someone moved to reject the resolution altogether, to go back and work it out properly and move immediately to the next business . For some reason this confused the Chair but eventually she was persuaded that this was a legal move, and the delegates as a woman rejected it. Exciting stuff and it was being discussed all the way home,in the cold waiting for coaches, on coaches and in service stations.
We simmered down and listened to Dr Rita Gardner begging us to support the teaching of geography to produce people who could tackle the problems of climate change. Then Sir Steve Redgrave told us about the work of Fairtrade in the cotton fields of Mali and Gambia. We finished with the singing WI group The Harmonies.
We didn't arrive home until after 11pm but even so I wasn't the only person there who will always try to attend the AGM because it inspires one for another year. If you are asked to be a delegate, say yes and go and see for yourself what happens. You can always go as an Observer but then you have to meet your own expenses: the delegates are assisted by the WI and their link WIs. As for the reporting back---it will all appear on the NFWI website and in WI Life so you just need to add what you saw and did around the meeting.Easy! Just don't rely on the national press to cover it because they hardly ever do unless we handbag someone.
7th June
Off to Liverpool for tomorrow's NFWI AGM. The coaches were on time, there were stops for refreshments and after an unscheduled trip through the Mersey Tunnel while trying to locate the hotel, we had several hours to explore the city and re-establish contact with the Beatles of our youth. A pleasant dinner all together in a comfortable hotel mixing with members from other Federations, in our case the Isle of Man and Somerset and then off to bed to watch the ferries on the Mersey twinkling with lights along the banks.
Thursday 2 June 2011
Out and About
1st June
Did you remember that this was National Family Week? Winslow WI did so planned a guided family walk around the town. The sun shone but only WI members turned up which was disappointing as it was halfterm too.Never mind we enjoyed the local history information and being able to really look at the buildings instead of just scooting past them on the way to do some shopping. It is surprising what one can learn from different coloured bricks and strange shapes added to old houses.Is Winslow alone in having so many pubs and little schools converted into houses?
Following on from the family walk the local WI then threw open its monthly meeting to anyone who wished to come along to hear a survivor from the 1939 Jewish children's exodus train tell her story. How well she spoke and reduced quite a few of the audience to tears! What she described and endured fitted in very neatly with the book I am reading at the moment, The Hare with the Amber Eyes. To come through that experience and keep such a positive view on life is remarkable and a lesson to those who feel hard done by at very minor inconveniences encountered in their lives.There were 23 visitors to this meeting so that made up for the disappointment of the walk in the morning.After that it was back to arranging all the events both at home and away for the next month which range from an outing to the Bank of England to getting together to see if anyone can remember how to tat.Several members had completed the NFWI survey on Water Supplies. The bring and buy book sale proved a success and was something different from a raffle.
21st May
I don't usually put anything in the blog about where I go outside the WI but a visit to Greys Court near Nettlebed has a strong WI connection.This Tudor country house was the home of the Bruner family until quite recently. Lady Bruner was our WI National Chairman for five years in the 1950s and played a vital role in setting up Denman College. Her portrait used to hang above the piano in the drawing room: I hope it still does. She appears very ladylike in the picture but history tells us she was no mean rider of a motorbike in her youth.The house and gardens are well worth a visit. The guide mentioned the Keep Britain Tidy in reference to Lady Bruner's husband but not the WI. Upstairs there was an embroidered cushion which said "Lady Bruner was a keen member of the WI". I wanted to say she WAS the WI. Then my husband said there was a poster displayed in the Gents about a WI exhibition on the site.Strangely it wasn't in the Ladies. Anyway, we found it behind the queue for refreshments and up a spiral staircase in this lovely old building.It was a very good exhibition about the WI during the World War and in the fifties.Around the room there were those stand up plastic display panels which covered campaigns and events up until 2006. It would be a good display to go out on loan and have circulating around the counties but would need to be updated. On the side tables were lots of leaflets about joining the WI as an Associate Member and a few copies of the Oxfordshire Federation newsletter dated February 2011.I was glad to see that it had been thought of as a good place for recruitment but was disappointed that it wasn't being kept up-to-date.
Did you remember that this was National Family Week? Winslow WI did so planned a guided family walk around the town. The sun shone but only WI members turned up which was disappointing as it was halfterm too.Never mind we enjoyed the local history information and being able to really look at the buildings instead of just scooting past them on the way to do some shopping. It is surprising what one can learn from different coloured bricks and strange shapes added to old houses.Is Winslow alone in having so many pubs and little schools converted into houses?
Following on from the family walk the local WI then threw open its monthly meeting to anyone who wished to come along to hear a survivor from the 1939 Jewish children's exodus train tell her story. How well she spoke and reduced quite a few of the audience to tears! What she described and endured fitted in very neatly with the book I am reading at the moment, The Hare with the Amber Eyes. To come through that experience and keep such a positive view on life is remarkable and a lesson to those who feel hard done by at very minor inconveniences encountered in their lives.There were 23 visitors to this meeting so that made up for the disappointment of the walk in the morning.After that it was back to arranging all the events both at home and away for the next month which range from an outing to the Bank of England to getting together to see if anyone can remember how to tat.Several members had completed the NFWI survey on Water Supplies. The bring and buy book sale proved a success and was something different from a raffle.
21st May
I don't usually put anything in the blog about where I go outside the WI but a visit to Greys Court near Nettlebed has a strong WI connection.This Tudor country house was the home of the Bruner family until quite recently. Lady Bruner was our WI National Chairman for five years in the 1950s and played a vital role in setting up Denman College. Her portrait used to hang above the piano in the drawing room: I hope it still does. She appears very ladylike in the picture but history tells us she was no mean rider of a motorbike in her youth.The house and gardens are well worth a visit. The guide mentioned the Keep Britain Tidy in reference to Lady Bruner's husband but not the WI. Upstairs there was an embroidered cushion which said "Lady Bruner was a keen member of the WI". I wanted to say she WAS the WI. Then my husband said there was a poster displayed in the Gents about a WI exhibition on the site.Strangely it wasn't in the Ladies. Anyway, we found it behind the queue for refreshments and up a spiral staircase in this lovely old building.It was a very good exhibition about the WI during the World War and in the fifties.Around the room there were those stand up plastic display panels which covered campaigns and events up until 2006. It would be a good display to go out on loan and have circulating around the counties but would need to be updated. On the side tables were lots of leaflets about joining the WI as an Associate Member and a few copies of the Oxfordshire Federation newsletter dated February 2011.I was glad to see that it had been thought of as a good place for recruitment but was disappointed that it wasn't being kept up-to-date.
Sunday 15 May 2011
A Frantic week in May
12th May
The second Thursday in the month so it must be the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee. May is the month when the sub-committees give themselves a little shake and elect their officers for the second year of their two year appointment.It's all very democratic and shares the load around. This meeting had a full agenda with reports from earlier activities and plans for future events. Various items in the federation programme have had to be cancelled from lack of support and some events have seen a smaller take-up than expected.Is it that the wrong things are being planned? Is the recession really starting to bite? Are events staged in the wrong areas? If we don't receive constructive feedback we can do nothing to rectify matters.Our main item on the agenda was to receive a delegation from Bledlow WI who had made such a splendid success at the April Council Meeting of presenting their resolution on after care for stroke victims.This is now a mandate for BFWI to act upon, so a plan of action must be made for Bucks members to follow. We are all in this fight together so watch the newsletter for progress and how to do your bit to further the cause.
On the way home, I was unable to avoid a large moulded piece of polystyrene packaging from someone's new equipment which suddenly blew across the road.It became wedged under the front axel of my car. You can imagine the noise---everyone's teeth on edge for miles around! Anyway, I pulled into the side and got on my hands and knees to see if I could remove the thing. Almost immediately one of the drivers who had been behind me, came back to help and a young man stopped with his family. He lay flat on his back in the road and worked the block free " to save my pretty skirt"! Nor would anyone, in the small crowd by now, hear of my taking the offending article away with me to dump. "No problem. We'll do that". So you see the age of chivalry is not yet dead ---at least among the people of four different ethnic origins living on Terriers Hill this afternoon.
11th May
This morning twenty four of us went on the Nature Walk at the Hanson Centre near Great Linford where we did a bit of bird-watching, insect spotting and some wild flower recognition. It was hard to remember we were so close to the busy Milton Keynes roads. The guides were very knowledgeable and the centre is welcoming. Unfortunately the outfit is a victim of financial cuts. It provides an excellent resource for the local schools and welcomes adult visitors too. Would anyone like to go pond-dipping? Why should kids have all the fun? Think about it.Another WI group went round in the afternoon.
In the evening the local WI discussion group met to talk about cosmetics. I didn't think this promised much as a topic but I was wrong. We had a very interesting debate about why we needed cosmetics at all, about the ethics of cosmetic surgery and experimentation on animals.Next month we are exploring WiFit so will probably end up in hospital with slipped discs!
10th May
The local WI Book Group gathered to comment on "The Swimmer" by Rosa Tearne which was well received. This is the story of an immigrant worker coming to Suffolk from Sri Lanka in the 1950s and the way this affected three women. It is more than a love story, told beautifully which touches on the UK treatment of foreigners and the cruelty of civil war. We had read also "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith which was not to everyone's taste. It is funny, an accurate picture of family life in several ethnic groups linked by university life from the staff and the students' angle. The sex is unnecessarily graphic and the language is blue but the novel is still well worth reading.One learns a lot about art and the effect of beauty too and the small-mindedness of academia.
4th May
Resolutions meeting tonight at WI and of course the attendance was thin. Why do members choose to miss this meeting? They disenfranchise themselves for the resolutions going up to the Annual General Meeting of the whole of the WI in Liverpool this year. Our members presented the resolutions for discussion very well and there was lots of comment from the floor.We decided to vote against the motion for a blanket ban on all mega farms and for continued financial support for public libraries.We voted for an item to be part of our craft competition entry, agreed to wear WI badges when serving teas for blood donors and listened to the report on the April Council Meeting in the new theatre in Aylesbury. We have a full coach to visit the Bank of England in July and many people wish to attend the Literary Lunch in June. We await further information before putting ourselves down for Gift Aid because it seems to be fraught with problems which may not be worth the financial saving. Two members are off to experience a taster day at Denman College later this week.Besides all that we did nothing!
The second Thursday in the month so it must be the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee. May is the month when the sub-committees give themselves a little shake and elect their officers for the second year of their two year appointment.It's all very democratic and shares the load around. This meeting had a full agenda with reports from earlier activities and plans for future events. Various items in the federation programme have had to be cancelled from lack of support and some events have seen a smaller take-up than expected.Is it that the wrong things are being planned? Is the recession really starting to bite? Are events staged in the wrong areas? If we don't receive constructive feedback we can do nothing to rectify matters.Our main item on the agenda was to receive a delegation from Bledlow WI who had made such a splendid success at the April Council Meeting of presenting their resolution on after care for stroke victims.This is now a mandate for BFWI to act upon, so a plan of action must be made for Bucks members to follow. We are all in this fight together so watch the newsletter for progress and how to do your bit to further the cause.
On the way home, I was unable to avoid a large moulded piece of polystyrene packaging from someone's new equipment which suddenly blew across the road.It became wedged under the front axel of my car. You can imagine the noise---everyone's teeth on edge for miles around! Anyway, I pulled into the side and got on my hands and knees to see if I could remove the thing. Almost immediately one of the drivers who had been behind me, came back to help and a young man stopped with his family. He lay flat on his back in the road and worked the block free " to save my pretty skirt"! Nor would anyone, in the small crowd by now, hear of my taking the offending article away with me to dump. "No problem. We'll do that". So you see the age of chivalry is not yet dead ---at least among the people of four different ethnic origins living on Terriers Hill this afternoon.
11th May
This morning twenty four of us went on the Nature Walk at the Hanson Centre near Great Linford where we did a bit of bird-watching, insect spotting and some wild flower recognition. It was hard to remember we were so close to the busy Milton Keynes roads. The guides were very knowledgeable and the centre is welcoming. Unfortunately the outfit is a victim of financial cuts. It provides an excellent resource for the local schools and welcomes adult visitors too. Would anyone like to go pond-dipping? Why should kids have all the fun? Think about it.Another WI group went round in the afternoon.
In the evening the local WI discussion group met to talk about cosmetics. I didn't think this promised much as a topic but I was wrong. We had a very interesting debate about why we needed cosmetics at all, about the ethics of cosmetic surgery and experimentation on animals.Next month we are exploring WiFit so will probably end up in hospital with slipped discs!
10th May
The local WI Book Group gathered to comment on "The Swimmer" by Rosa Tearne which was well received. This is the story of an immigrant worker coming to Suffolk from Sri Lanka in the 1950s and the way this affected three women. It is more than a love story, told beautifully which touches on the UK treatment of foreigners and the cruelty of civil war. We had read also "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith which was not to everyone's taste. It is funny, an accurate picture of family life in several ethnic groups linked by university life from the staff and the students' angle. The sex is unnecessarily graphic and the language is blue but the novel is still well worth reading.One learns a lot about art and the effect of beauty too and the small-mindedness of academia.
4th May
Resolutions meeting tonight at WI and of course the attendance was thin. Why do members choose to miss this meeting? They disenfranchise themselves for the resolutions going up to the Annual General Meeting of the whole of the WI in Liverpool this year. Our members presented the resolutions for discussion very well and there was lots of comment from the floor.We decided to vote against the motion for a blanket ban on all mega farms and for continued financial support for public libraries.We voted for an item to be part of our craft competition entry, agreed to wear WI badges when serving teas for blood donors and listened to the report on the April Council Meeting in the new theatre in Aylesbury. We have a full coach to visit the Bank of England in July and many people wish to attend the Literary Lunch in June. We await further information before putting ourselves down for Gift Aid because it seems to be fraught with problems which may not be worth the financial saving. Two members are off to experience a taster day at Denman College later this week.Besides all that we did nothing!
Friday 22 April 2011
BFWI annual meeting compares well with NFWI
19th April
The Bucks Federation of WIs held its Annual Council Meeting in the new Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. This was a very successful event and everyone coped excellently with the challenges of a completely new venue--not just the WI but also the staff at the theatre who were not sure what they were in for either.The long glass sided corridor made an excellent exhibition area for the displays from the sub-committees and the competition for a handknitted bag. These were many and all totally different. The conference room at the end which had been set aside for pre-ordered lunches proved surprisingly elegant too: a definite improvement here on the Civic Centre. The sun shone so those members who had brought picnic lunches were able to sit outside in the pattern of the Albert Hall Annual General Meeting which must have been good publicity for the WI.
The business element of the meeting was well conducted by our Chairman, Jean Morris, ably assisted by Sara Galloway, the Federation Secretary. In fact all the WI speakers were very polished. The resolution on Support for Stroke Victims and their carers was well presented by Bledlow WI and was carried by a large majority. It now becomes a mandate for BFWI to work on on behalf of the members.
Lynne Stubbings from the NFWI Trustees gave what I am sure must have been an inspiring talk on the work of the WI and how she became so involved with it.Pam Rhodes was an accomplished speaker, very relaxed but although she had consulted the website about the WI she had failed to take on board that it is a non-sectarian organisation which is eager to welcome new members who follow other faiths. But then, if one works in the rarified atmosphere of Songs of Praise for 30 odd years, that isn't really surprising.It was good to watch the presentations of cups and awards and listen to the news from the various sub-committees. We then watched Christopher Biggins talking about his career on stage and on television.The audience obviously enjoyed this but I came to the conclusion, not that I must get out more, but I must watch TV more frequently so that I have a better understanding of the enthusiasm generated for this speaker.Have you been watching Lucy Worsley on TV in a programme called If Only Walls Could Talk? You remember Lucy was the speaker on Kensington Palace down at High Wycombe for the BFWI's Autumn Event. Now she can really speak and be 100% interesting in a lively manner! The afternoon concluded with a demonstration by the TrapDoor Drama School which sent us home in a sort of maternal glow from watching these little people working hard at remembering where they should be at any one time; one little boy who never was and the lefthanded wee girl who nearly always swung left when she should have swung right.
In all, it was a really good meeting which everyone seemed to enjoy. I hope members go home feeling proud of the WI and BFWI in particular to enthuse those who didn't come so that we have enough people in the audience to be able to afford to book the theatre again next year. I presume the theatre staff will have us back.
11th April
We managed to double the turnout for crochet lessons this week but still constitute a small group. Progress is being made and we hope to meet again in May.
4th April
Have you ever tried to make a covered coathanger? That was the task set at the local WI's craft group today. It looks so simple: tale a hanger, some padding and some material, then sew it on.That's it really. However, I am wiser now and I do possess a covered coathanger but I think it will be forever a lone effort on my behalf. As for making them as presents...There were moments when this piece of wood behaved like a hazelwood branch in the hands of a successful water-diviner. It twisted and turned and the holding pins at each end lacerated my arms so that it will be weeks before I can go without sleeves again. And what have I got? A bumpy hanger which will have to go to the back of the wardrobe where no one will see it! We all have our limitations and the manufacture of coathangers is certainly one of mine.
The Bucks Federation of WIs held its Annual Council Meeting in the new Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. This was a very successful event and everyone coped excellently with the challenges of a completely new venue--not just the WI but also the staff at the theatre who were not sure what they were in for either.The long glass sided corridor made an excellent exhibition area for the displays from the sub-committees and the competition for a handknitted bag. These were many and all totally different. The conference room at the end which had been set aside for pre-ordered lunches proved surprisingly elegant too: a definite improvement here on the Civic Centre. The sun shone so those members who had brought picnic lunches were able to sit outside in the pattern of the Albert Hall Annual General Meeting which must have been good publicity for the WI.
The business element of the meeting was well conducted by our Chairman, Jean Morris, ably assisted by Sara Galloway, the Federation Secretary. In fact all the WI speakers were very polished. The resolution on Support for Stroke Victims and their carers was well presented by Bledlow WI and was carried by a large majority. It now becomes a mandate for BFWI to work on on behalf of the members.
Lynne Stubbings from the NFWI Trustees gave what I am sure must have been an inspiring talk on the work of the WI and how she became so involved with it.Pam Rhodes was an accomplished speaker, very relaxed but although she had consulted the website about the WI she had failed to take on board that it is a non-sectarian organisation which is eager to welcome new members who follow other faiths. But then, if one works in the rarified atmosphere of Songs of Praise for 30 odd years, that isn't really surprising.It was good to watch the presentations of cups and awards and listen to the news from the various sub-committees. We then watched Christopher Biggins talking about his career on stage and on television.The audience obviously enjoyed this but I came to the conclusion, not that I must get out more, but I must watch TV more frequently so that I have a better understanding of the enthusiasm generated for this speaker.Have you been watching Lucy Worsley on TV in a programme called If Only Walls Could Talk? You remember Lucy was the speaker on Kensington Palace down at High Wycombe for the BFWI's Autumn Event. Now she can really speak and be 100% interesting in a lively manner! The afternoon concluded with a demonstration by the TrapDoor Drama School which sent us home in a sort of maternal glow from watching these little people working hard at remembering where they should be at any one time; one little boy who never was and the lefthanded wee girl who nearly always swung left when she should have swung right.
In all, it was a really good meeting which everyone seemed to enjoy. I hope members go home feeling proud of the WI and BFWI in particular to enthuse those who didn't come so that we have enough people in the audience to be able to afford to book the theatre again next year. I presume the theatre staff will have us back.
11th April
We managed to double the turnout for crochet lessons this week but still constitute a small group. Progress is being made and we hope to meet again in May.
4th April
Have you ever tried to make a covered coathanger? That was the task set at the local WI's craft group today. It looks so simple: tale a hanger, some padding and some material, then sew it on.That's it really. However, I am wiser now and I do possess a covered coathanger but I think it will be forever a lone effort on my behalf. As for making them as presents...There were moments when this piece of wood behaved like a hazelwood branch in the hands of a successful water-diviner. It twisted and turned and the holding pins at each end lacerated my arms so that it will be weeks before I can go without sleeves again. And what have I got? A bumpy hanger which will have to go to the back of the wardrobe where no one will see it! We all have our limitations and the manufacture of coathangers is certainly one of mine.
Sunday 10 April 2011
Softly softly
9th April
Another promotion session at the Milton Keynes theatre where The Calendar Girls is just closing after a run of two weeks. Next week the show moves to High Wycombe. It is still playing to packed houses although this is its second showing at MK and it is booked again for the autumn sometime. It is great to see the members of the audience come out laughing after the first act and after the end of the show contributing so generously to the collections for leukemia research which is the real purpose behind the original calendar, the film and now the show. Most of the people whom we approached seemed to be from Bedfordshire so we were encouraging them to join WIs in another county but that doesn't matter as long as they become WI members somewhere.
5th April
A full house today for the local WI book group meeting. We returned briefly to Trespass by Rose Tremain because there had been quite a few people absent last month. We then discussed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. When this book was first recommended to me I thought it was a joke but I am very glad to have read it. I think we all learned a lot about the suffering and hardship which the people of Guernsey underwent during World War Two as described in the novel. In spite of the occupation the author included several members of the invading forces who were not villains and some quite unpleasant natives to the island. Some readers don't like novels written as a series of letters but it worked really well here because the different characters all showed a different style of writing in their correspondence: even the telegrams added something to the story. It was not just a romance: it had humour and a lot of discussion about literature in general, publishing and journalism. The characters were believable and some of the experiences heart-breaking. Even so, it was a lighter book to read than the Rose Tremain and I would recommend it to anyone--- especially someone going on holiday to the Channel Islands.
4th April
This was one of those days when one is not sure whether one is in control of one's life or whether the WI has taken over. I had forgotten that I had promised to do a second session of crochet teaching in the afternoon so was taken by surprise when the first pupil arrived on the doorstep. Then another WI person came along to conduct a ballot on one of the Rambles which was over-subscribed. There are more people wanting to walk than ever before which is good news but creates headaches when the catering WIs have to draw the line at a certain number for practical reasons. At home we managed to fit in a meal and a change of clothes and then it was off to promote the WI at Milton Keynes theatre, a solo effort because my partner cried off sick.I don't think I caught any new potential members but spent a long time chatting to people from local WIs and during the first act, to the stall-holders in aid of Leukemia who were pitched in the foyer beside our display. I think the WI profitted in a way from not having things to sell. It is difficult to draw the fine line between standing back while people read the display and rushing up to accost them and so frightening them away! I know I shy off when a shop assistant approaches me too quickly when "I am just looking". Don't you?
Another promotion session at the Milton Keynes theatre where The Calendar Girls is just closing after a run of two weeks. Next week the show moves to High Wycombe. It is still playing to packed houses although this is its second showing at MK and it is booked again for the autumn sometime. It is great to see the members of the audience come out laughing after the first act and after the end of the show contributing so generously to the collections for leukemia research which is the real purpose behind the original calendar, the film and now the show. Most of the people whom we approached seemed to be from Bedfordshire so we were encouraging them to join WIs in another county but that doesn't matter as long as they become WI members somewhere.
5th April
A full house today for the local WI book group meeting. We returned briefly to Trespass by Rose Tremain because there had been quite a few people absent last month. We then discussed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. When this book was first recommended to me I thought it was a joke but I am very glad to have read it. I think we all learned a lot about the suffering and hardship which the people of Guernsey underwent during World War Two as described in the novel. In spite of the occupation the author included several members of the invading forces who were not villains and some quite unpleasant natives to the island. Some readers don't like novels written as a series of letters but it worked really well here because the different characters all showed a different style of writing in their correspondence: even the telegrams added something to the story. It was not just a romance: it had humour and a lot of discussion about literature in general, publishing and journalism. The characters were believable and some of the experiences heart-breaking. Even so, it was a lighter book to read than the Rose Tremain and I would recommend it to anyone--- especially someone going on holiday to the Channel Islands.
4th April
This was one of those days when one is not sure whether one is in control of one's life or whether the WI has taken over. I had forgotten that I had promised to do a second session of crochet teaching in the afternoon so was taken by surprise when the first pupil arrived on the doorstep. Then another WI person came along to conduct a ballot on one of the Rambles which was over-subscribed. There are more people wanting to walk than ever before which is good news but creates headaches when the catering WIs have to draw the line at a certain number for practical reasons. At home we managed to fit in a meal and a change of clothes and then it was off to promote the WI at Milton Keynes theatre, a solo effort because my partner cried off sick.I don't think I caught any new potential members but spent a long time chatting to people from local WIs and during the first act, to the stall-holders in aid of Leukemia who were pitched in the foyer beside our display. I think the WI profitted in a way from not having things to sell. It is difficult to draw the fine line between standing back while people read the display and rushing up to accost them and so frightening them away! I know I shy off when a shop assistant approaches me too quickly when "I am just looking". Don't you?
Saturday 2 April 2011
Trees for life
31st March
Clue in today's Daily Telegraph Toughie Crossword: "Sign, one defining the WI?" (4). The WI often features in clues. I suppose there are a lot of words that contain w and i within them for anagrams.If you haven't already got the answer, it is "omen".
21st March
A busy day for some of us because an early start was needed to get down to High Wycombe for the Trees for Life event. In spite of last minute worries and panics it was a success.We could have done with more members attending: the response was disappointing considering that many members pay lip service to the need to conserve our trees and preservation had featured in the short list of resolutions for this year's AGM in Liverpool in June.Right at the beginning we were asked to imagine our world without trees. It presents a horrific picture if one can imagine it at all.
The four speakers all made good presentations which prompted many questions from the audience. Dr Helen Read talked about ancient trees and her work in Burnham Beeches; Martin Woolner described the work of the Woodland Trust; Alan French reported on the setting up of Community Orchards and Mohammad Rafiq represented the Rainforest Alliance.The information available in the meeting room covered related topics and included an interesting display from the Wycombe Museum on wood crafts.I hope some members will have been inspired to take advantage of at least one of these organisations because our trees need all the protection they can get.
A local farmer to us has cut down 19 middle-aged healthy trees along the roadside and the BCC Tree Preservation Officer, although alerted halfway through the devastation, could do nothing to stop it happening. I must admit that I had thought that that was what his job specification was all about but apparently not so.After listening to Helen Read I went north and was looking at old trees with new eyes, studying evidence of pollarding, height of flood levels and occupation by mosses and lichen.I even went so far as to force the grandchildren to look at the trees around them in more detail in the hope that when they were under threat there would be someone still around to say, "Hang on a minute! These trees are special."
In the evening the local WIs came together for the Spring Group Meeting where we heard from Susan Howe talking about her experiences working for John Betjeman and other celebrities. She was a very amusing speaker who had been snapped up by our Group Convenor after her invitation to speak at the Bucks Council Meeting a couple of years ago. The competition was for a teddybear which resulted in nearly 50 bears coming to the meeting---all shapes and sizes and in all states of disrepair. It just shows that we WI members are sentimental people who cannot bring ourselves to get rid of our childhood toys. A trip to the Bank of England is planned for the summer which should prove popular. It is always pleasant for the WI members to get together and hear what we are all doing. This year's reports revealed that the WI is gaining members which is heartening for us all.
Clue in today's Daily Telegraph Toughie Crossword: "Sign, one defining the WI?" (4). The WI often features in clues. I suppose there are a lot of words that contain w and i within them for anagrams.If you haven't already got the answer, it is "omen".
21st March
A busy day for some of us because an early start was needed to get down to High Wycombe for the Trees for Life event. In spite of last minute worries and panics it was a success.We could have done with more members attending: the response was disappointing considering that many members pay lip service to the need to conserve our trees and preservation had featured in the short list of resolutions for this year's AGM in Liverpool in June.Right at the beginning we were asked to imagine our world without trees. It presents a horrific picture if one can imagine it at all.
The four speakers all made good presentations which prompted many questions from the audience. Dr Helen Read talked about ancient trees and her work in Burnham Beeches; Martin Woolner described the work of the Woodland Trust; Alan French reported on the setting up of Community Orchards and Mohammad Rafiq represented the Rainforest Alliance.The information available in the meeting room covered related topics and included an interesting display from the Wycombe Museum on wood crafts.I hope some members will have been inspired to take advantage of at least one of these organisations because our trees need all the protection they can get.
A local farmer to us has cut down 19 middle-aged healthy trees along the roadside and the BCC Tree Preservation Officer, although alerted halfway through the devastation, could do nothing to stop it happening. I must admit that I had thought that that was what his job specification was all about but apparently not so.After listening to Helen Read I went north and was looking at old trees with new eyes, studying evidence of pollarding, height of flood levels and occupation by mosses and lichen.I even went so far as to force the grandchildren to look at the trees around them in more detail in the hope that when they were under threat there would be someone still around to say, "Hang on a minute! These trees are special."
In the evening the local WIs came together for the Spring Group Meeting where we heard from Susan Howe talking about her experiences working for John Betjeman and other celebrities. She was a very amusing speaker who had been snapped up by our Group Convenor after her invitation to speak at the Bucks Council Meeting a couple of years ago. The competition was for a teddybear which resulted in nearly 50 bears coming to the meeting---all shapes and sizes and in all states of disrepair. It just shows that we WI members are sentimental people who cannot bring ourselves to get rid of our childhood toys. A trip to the Bank of England is planned for the summer which should prove popular. It is always pleasant for the WI members to get together and hear what we are all doing. This year's reports revealed that the WI is gaining members which is heartening for us all.
Sunday 20 March 2011
Just a matter of scale
While I have been doing all the usual things one does on a Sunday morning, I couldn't help thinking about those poor souls in Japan--- no house, no water, no food, no warmth and for thousands, no family either. And we grumble about disruption for a few days because of snow and the dreadful potholes in the roads! What a load of wimps we are! I wonder whether our Emergency Teams can even imagine where to start in that situation. I doubt if the WI could rustle up cups of tea and sympathy in that scenario but maybe I under-rate it.The world is so small these days that people in our town knew the frequency and scale of the after-shocks before it was listed on the web or TV; all courtesy of the personal mobile phone.
18th March
Cheltenham Gold Cup. Did you watch Denman battling it out in the race? Just think, if you had been on him for the last five years you would have had no problem for WI funds. Treasurers, only joking, of course! I think it is too late now because he is getting a bit old but he has the heart of a lion.Even finishing second you would have had a return on your outlay. I must find out how he came by his very WI name which brought him to my notice. I know there is a syndicate of WI members who share ownership of a flat-racing horse but I don't think they own a bit of Denman---more's the pity.
16th March
The local WI has a select group which is trying to make its voice heard on the town website. We met this evening to celebrate having got an entry about the April meeting actually printed on it. To achieve even this, we had to go on through other agencies than the web-master. There is much talk of wanting the WI and other town organisations to contribute but material sent up disappears into a black hole while we wait for the web-master to have time to add it on.It is so frustrating because this would be a marvellous tool for promotion and other communities are using their websites to good account. We also know what we want to do with it. We have called ourselves the Ginger Group but I think we want a name more aggressive than that. The Insurgents? Anyway our meetings are a good excuse for a good talk over a glass of wine.
15th March
A rather depleted meeting of the local WI Book Group this afternoon. It was not for lack of will to come along but pressures of work, grandparent duties and illness which thinned the ranks.We enjoyed discussing two novels: the "set" book The Time Traveller's Wife and Trespass by Rose Tremain. The first title was well received by the majority because it is such an intrigueing idea. Even those who don't normally appreciate sci-fi were fascinated by the workings of the plot. The characters were well drawn and amazingly believable whatever the complications of their DNA. How did the author write it? Did she describe the action at first chronologically and then sort of shuffle the chapters like a pack of cards? Anyway, well worth reading but not easy for the visually impaired to listen to on a tape. Trespass was a dark read but absolutely gripping. Another novel with wonderful characters even though they were mostly people one wouldn't like to spend time with. It is set in an isolated part of France where dreadful deeds go undisclosed for generations. The plot is tightly constructed and the aims of the avenging woman so well executed that one fears that she will become unstuck at any moment. One of those stories where one finds oneself on the side of the murderer I always enjoy Rose Tremain.We are going to return to this book next time when the others can add their twopennyworth.
We have learned of the new system for borrowing books for reading groups from the County Library Service which we will need to abide by. It is interesting to note that it doesn't tell us how we will be able to benefit from loans if or when our library becomes a community library. I imagine it will then involve going by community transport at least 7 miles to collect the books. We will see.
18th March
Cheltenham Gold Cup. Did you watch Denman battling it out in the race? Just think, if you had been on him for the last five years you would have had no problem for WI funds. Treasurers, only joking, of course! I think it is too late now because he is getting a bit old but he has the heart of a lion.Even finishing second you would have had a return on your outlay. I must find out how he came by his very WI name which brought him to my notice. I know there is a syndicate of WI members who share ownership of a flat-racing horse but I don't think they own a bit of Denman---more's the pity.
16th March
The local WI has a select group which is trying to make its voice heard on the town website. We met this evening to celebrate having got an entry about the April meeting actually printed on it. To achieve even this, we had to go on through other agencies than the web-master. There is much talk of wanting the WI and other town organisations to contribute but material sent up disappears into a black hole while we wait for the web-master to have time to add it on.It is so frustrating because this would be a marvellous tool for promotion and other communities are using their websites to good account. We also know what we want to do with it. We have called ourselves the Ginger Group but I think we want a name more aggressive than that. The Insurgents? Anyway our meetings are a good excuse for a good talk over a glass of wine.
15th March
A rather depleted meeting of the local WI Book Group this afternoon. It was not for lack of will to come along but pressures of work, grandparent duties and illness which thinned the ranks.We enjoyed discussing two novels: the "set" book The Time Traveller's Wife and Trespass by Rose Tremain. The first title was well received by the majority because it is such an intrigueing idea. Even those who don't normally appreciate sci-fi were fascinated by the workings of the plot. The characters were well drawn and amazingly believable whatever the complications of their DNA. How did the author write it? Did she describe the action at first chronologically and then sort of shuffle the chapters like a pack of cards? Anyway, well worth reading but not easy for the visually impaired to listen to on a tape. Trespass was a dark read but absolutely gripping. Another novel with wonderful characters even though they were mostly people one wouldn't like to spend time with. It is set in an isolated part of France where dreadful deeds go undisclosed for generations. The plot is tightly constructed and the aims of the avenging woman so well executed that one fears that she will become unstuck at any moment. One of those stories where one finds oneself on the side of the murderer I always enjoy Rose Tremain.We are going to return to this book next time when the others can add their twopennyworth.
We have learned of the new system for borrowing books for reading groups from the County Library Service which we will need to abide by. It is interesting to note that it doesn't tell us how we will be able to benefit from loans if or when our library becomes a community library. I imagine it will then involve going by community transport at least 7 miles to collect the books. We will see.
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Marching on
10th March
A sub-committee meeting in Stuart lodge today at which we made last minute plans for our Trees for Life day next week.Most unusually I looked at my e-mails before leaving home and was shaken to find that one of our main speakers booked was changing his job so not only could he not fulfil his commitment to speak but he wouldn't even be in the country. It is moments like these that turn WI committee members grey overnight! Besides this temporary setback, I am pleased to say that everything else promises to be really interesting. We are also busy planning the summer activities with a nature walk and an outing to Blenheim Palace. Before that, we are giving a presentation for Women's International Day in Aylesbury and coming to give our news at the Spring Council Meeting where the ACWW representative will be able to announce that BFWI has reached its target for the Kenyan project.
8th March
There were several Bucks WI members among the invited audience at the Women's Aid 25th anniversary celebration in Aylesbury this afternoon.The work that this organisation does is marvellous and fulfils a vital need for women and children who have been subjected to physical and mental abuse in their homes.One had to admire the women who were able to stand up and tell everyone of their experiences and how Women's Aid had helped them. The WI has an on-going campaign against Violence against Women and works hard to support the needs of the abused here and abroad.Our WI always tries to save worthwhile items for the local centres and BFWI has a supply of leaflets if anyone wishes to learn more about them. Of course secrecy about the whereabouts of safe houses has to be maintained which must make fund-raising that much more difficult.I must say the refreshments were well up to WI standards but then some of them were made by WI members!
7th March
Some members of the local WI met this afternoon to learn how to crochet. This was quite amusing as there were a couple of absolute beginners who seemed determined to produce corkscrews but after a little while little pieces of flat crochet were appearing.We really need to meet several times to develop our skills but it is so difficult to find a regular slot which doesn't cross with other WI activities. We are all so busy and so involved with the town's activities.It is a shame if craft skills are lost and the new young members of the WI nationally want to learn them. It is also a very pleasant way to spend time with each other where there is a lot of talk and laughter and the opportunity to exchange ideas about life in general, not just the WI.
2nd March
One of the editorial team from the local newspaper came to talk at our regular monthly meeting tonight. We found what she had to say very interesting and she answered a lot of questions about the way in which the team selects items for the issues. Of course we complained that WI reports were often edited down and that sometimes our invitations to the press to attend events were disregarded.Our speaker was able to tell us why and we made her promise to cover our WI in a very positive fashion when we celebrate our 90th anniversary next year. We are planning an outing with our group WIs to the Bank of England and to repeat our Sports Day type of meeting as an extra in August. Then there are county competitions in which to participate for the Chiltern Show and the Bucks County Show and, wait for it...it will be soon time for the big fund-raising event we always hold in October or November.The initial plans sound different and exciting.Did I tell you we had 6 new members this year and our meetings are will become even more lively as none of them are exactly shrinking violets.
A sub-committee meeting in Stuart lodge today at which we made last minute plans for our Trees for Life day next week.Most unusually I looked at my e-mails before leaving home and was shaken to find that one of our main speakers booked was changing his job so not only could he not fulfil his commitment to speak but he wouldn't even be in the country. It is moments like these that turn WI committee members grey overnight! Besides this temporary setback, I am pleased to say that everything else promises to be really interesting. We are also busy planning the summer activities with a nature walk and an outing to Blenheim Palace. Before that, we are giving a presentation for Women's International Day in Aylesbury and coming to give our news at the Spring Council Meeting where the ACWW representative will be able to announce that BFWI has reached its target for the Kenyan project.
8th March
There were several Bucks WI members among the invited audience at the Women's Aid 25th anniversary celebration in Aylesbury this afternoon.The work that this organisation does is marvellous and fulfils a vital need for women and children who have been subjected to physical and mental abuse in their homes.One had to admire the women who were able to stand up and tell everyone of their experiences and how Women's Aid had helped them. The WI has an on-going campaign against Violence against Women and works hard to support the needs of the abused here and abroad.Our WI always tries to save worthwhile items for the local centres and BFWI has a supply of leaflets if anyone wishes to learn more about them. Of course secrecy about the whereabouts of safe houses has to be maintained which must make fund-raising that much more difficult.I must say the refreshments were well up to WI standards but then some of them were made by WI members!
7th March
Some members of the local WI met this afternoon to learn how to crochet. This was quite amusing as there were a couple of absolute beginners who seemed determined to produce corkscrews but after a little while little pieces of flat crochet were appearing.We really need to meet several times to develop our skills but it is so difficult to find a regular slot which doesn't cross with other WI activities. We are all so busy and so involved with the town's activities.It is a shame if craft skills are lost and the new young members of the WI nationally want to learn them. It is also a very pleasant way to spend time with each other where there is a lot of talk and laughter and the opportunity to exchange ideas about life in general, not just the WI.
2nd March
One of the editorial team from the local newspaper came to talk at our regular monthly meeting tonight. We found what she had to say very interesting and she answered a lot of questions about the way in which the team selects items for the issues. Of course we complained that WI reports were often edited down and that sometimes our invitations to the press to attend events were disregarded.Our speaker was able to tell us why and we made her promise to cover our WI in a very positive fashion when we celebrate our 90th anniversary next year. We are planning an outing with our group WIs to the Bank of England and to repeat our Sports Day type of meeting as an extra in August. Then there are county competitions in which to participate for the Chiltern Show and the Bucks County Show and, wait for it...it will be soon time for the big fund-raising event we always hold in October or November.The initial plans sound different and exciting.Did I tell you we had 6 new members this year and our meetings are will become even more lively as none of them are exactly shrinking violets.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
a mixed bag
1st March
I have just been reading the Buckinghamshire WI News which is full of lovely things to do right through to July. However, what a shame that 22 Bucks WIs did not return a single vote in the choice of resolution for the AGM in Liverpool in June! It seems a great pity that when every member now has the opportunity to express a preference she doesn't use the chance. Not one person out of 22 WIs! Part of me would like to see that the guilty WIs are refused the right to attend the Annual General Meeting but we"can't do that there here" as they say.
24th February
A busy day today rushing from one planning meeting to another. First of all a small working party met to arrange the summer literary lunch which promises to be great this year.We have booked a good author who is also a good speaker and we are holding the event in exceedingly comfortable surroundings. I'm not going to tell you any more at present so you will have to wait for a proper announcement in the Newsletter. Keep 28th June free though!
After that it was off to look at High Wycombe Town Hall to see how to lay out the room for the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee Trees event in March.It really is a pleasant venue and the buses stop right outside which avoids having to spend a small fortune in the carparks.The station isn't far away either.I always come away from these sorties quite convinced that something has been forgotten. It is rather like moving house when you realise that the diningroom table will not actually go through the door!
After that we repaired to the local Costa to draft the long agenda before returning home to feed the halfterm hordes.
23rd February
A lovely morning to go to the Wallace Collection on the visit organised by the Arts and Craft sub-committee.We were all punctual and enjoyed a good run in to London. It was pleasant to arrive in time for a coffee before setting out with our guides to look around the exhibition. These guides are so knowledgeable and make it sound as if they are fresh to the job when one knows they can be asked to do three tours a day. Although it was halfterm the rooms were not overcrowded and in the afternoon we were able to go back to see whatever we were most interested in with more time to really browse. The lunch was fine, a bit rushed because we had spent extra minutes on the tour, but it really was a very interesting way to spend the day. The journey home was slowed by a holdup on the motorway but one cannot make provision for that eventuality---better to happen on the way home than arrive late at our place of interest.
22nd February
It is always thrilling to suddenly see faces one knows on the national television.Sitting drinking a bedtime coffee, I was very surprised to see WI members from Bucks hobnobbing with the Duchess of Cornwall at Denman College! Apparently it was all kept secret when, as a WI member from Tetbury in Gloucestershire, the Duchess came to look around the WI college. She visited all the classes and was very interested in everything that was going on that day.
16th February
Tonight our local WI held a new members' evening in the President's house.We are rather proud of having seven new members and we agreed that they would get more out of their membership and more quickly, if we shared our experiences with them in a social setting. And it worked. It was a most enjoyable evening with lots of information given about the history and structure of the WI both nationally and at a local level. There was a lot of laughter too of course and I suspect that the committee members were spotting talent as well. I did hear someone say that the best way to get to know about the WI was to join the committee. I bet you were not the first person to be caught like that! It happens to most of us.
15th February
Over lunchtime the local WI helped one of its members run a jigsaw swap in the village hall in aid of Adoption UK. We had masses of puzzles to exchange or buy secondhand. We served coffees and soup and rolls and Lo and Behold the local press turned up --uninvited. Isn't it just the way when you ask, it fails to arrive and when you don't in walk the reporter and photographer. Anyway, there was a lot of chat and some jigsaw pieces added to the one on the table to complete and we raised £117. Something different which could be done again, preferably without a funeral going on nextdoor.
I have just been reading the Buckinghamshire WI News which is full of lovely things to do right through to July. However, what a shame that 22 Bucks WIs did not return a single vote in the choice of resolution for the AGM in Liverpool in June! It seems a great pity that when every member now has the opportunity to express a preference she doesn't use the chance. Not one person out of 22 WIs! Part of me would like to see that the guilty WIs are refused the right to attend the Annual General Meeting but we"can't do that there here" as they say.
24th February
A busy day today rushing from one planning meeting to another. First of all a small working party met to arrange the summer literary lunch which promises to be great this year.We have booked a good author who is also a good speaker and we are holding the event in exceedingly comfortable surroundings. I'm not going to tell you any more at present so you will have to wait for a proper announcement in the Newsletter. Keep 28th June free though!
After that it was off to look at High Wycombe Town Hall to see how to lay out the room for the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee Trees event in March.It really is a pleasant venue and the buses stop right outside which avoids having to spend a small fortune in the carparks.The station isn't far away either.I always come away from these sorties quite convinced that something has been forgotten. It is rather like moving house when you realise that the diningroom table will not actually go through the door!
After that we repaired to the local Costa to draft the long agenda before returning home to feed the halfterm hordes.
23rd February
A lovely morning to go to the Wallace Collection on the visit organised by the Arts and Craft sub-committee.We were all punctual and enjoyed a good run in to London. It was pleasant to arrive in time for a coffee before setting out with our guides to look around the exhibition. These guides are so knowledgeable and make it sound as if they are fresh to the job when one knows they can be asked to do three tours a day. Although it was halfterm the rooms were not overcrowded and in the afternoon we were able to go back to see whatever we were most interested in with more time to really browse. The lunch was fine, a bit rushed because we had spent extra minutes on the tour, but it really was a very interesting way to spend the day. The journey home was slowed by a holdup on the motorway but one cannot make provision for that eventuality---better to happen on the way home than arrive late at our place of interest.
22nd February
It is always thrilling to suddenly see faces one knows on the national television.Sitting drinking a bedtime coffee, I was very surprised to see WI members from Bucks hobnobbing with the Duchess of Cornwall at Denman College! Apparently it was all kept secret when, as a WI member from Tetbury in Gloucestershire, the Duchess came to look around the WI college. She visited all the classes and was very interested in everything that was going on that day.
16th February
Tonight our local WI held a new members' evening in the President's house.We are rather proud of having seven new members and we agreed that they would get more out of their membership and more quickly, if we shared our experiences with them in a social setting. And it worked. It was a most enjoyable evening with lots of information given about the history and structure of the WI both nationally and at a local level. There was a lot of laughter too of course and I suspect that the committee members were spotting talent as well. I did hear someone say that the best way to get to know about the WI was to join the committee. I bet you were not the first person to be caught like that! It happens to most of us.
15th February
Over lunchtime the local WI helped one of its members run a jigsaw swap in the village hall in aid of Adoption UK. We had masses of puzzles to exchange or buy secondhand. We served coffees and soup and rolls and Lo and Behold the local press turned up --uninvited. Isn't it just the way when you ask, it fails to arrive and when you don't in walk the reporter and photographer. Anyway, there was a lot of chat and some jigsaw pieces added to the one on the table to complete and we raised £117. Something different which could be done again, preferably without a funeral going on nextdoor.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Meetings and more meetings
February 10th
Someone somewhere ought to invent a new word which we could use alongside "meeting": I seem to have to utilise the word all the time and it sounds too formal to describe the different kinds of gatherings which WI members find themselves attending. We all know about the meeting which the person whom we call on the phone is always engaged in, which I suspect is a nice little chat around the office coffee machine but then there are all the others; those where we do meet together when it is more like a conversational visit but has hopefully an end result.What should we term those?
Our local WI book group meets informally in a member's house. Sometimes there is debate about the books read, sometimes just conversations. This week we were discussing The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill which is the middle part of a trilogy featuring the author's detective, Simon Serrailler. It is a thriller which everyone found gripping although some members criticised the fact that the story contained pieces which obviously harked back to the first instalment or were hooks needed for the next.It was an exploration of the idea of evil being a basic element present in most people: it may remain dormant but can be activated by situations experienced in their lives.About six other books were exchanged and recommended so we will not be short of material next month.
February 9th
We had fixed the topic for the discussion evening before the mounting concern for the future of our local library branch. It was an opportunity for those who had attended the recent public meetings to put those who hadn't, in the picture.The Read-In at the library the previous Saturday had been very successful.In discussion it transpired that there were those present who could imagine a future without a library as we know it today, a time when people will be reading their books downloaded on to their electronic plastic pads but the majority of us couldn't find it in themselves to look forward to such a development. We discussed our experiences of libraries throughout our childhoods and student years and also what we could expect of a volunteer community library, if that should prove to be the only way to maintain our town library.
February 8th
The local WI Craft Group fell into abeyance before Christmas so this afternoon we had a meeting of interested parties to try to rectify the situation. It would be a great pity if craft activities went underground again, as it were. There is a lot of talent in every WI and one of the aims of the WI movement is to keep crafts alive. Many of the new WI members cite the wish to learn crafts as the reason why they have become members. The good news is that we seem to have rescued our group and in order to involve ourselves in a corporate effort, we are going to enter some of the BFWI county competitions. This will give us a purpose and a way of finding out what everyone is able to do. It is however, quite possible to run side by side with some members just getting together like an old-fashioned sewing bee and those working towards a competition or dare I say it producing a new WI tablecloth or something for a charity.But let's keep the ideas flowing and the crafts alive.
February 3rd
Two thirds of the local WI membership enjoyed an outing to the new theatre in Aylesbury. We spent the morning being guided around backstage and then in the afternoon we watched the matinee of "Annie".These tours may be booked by any group and the young managerial staff members are available to come out as speakers to WI meetings provided they may be fitted in to their heavy workload. It was a most interesting day and we were all impressed by the amount of activity backstage, the enthusiasm of the staff and the architectural features of the theatre.It really adds to Aylesbury's image as a growing town. We just wonder about the need for parking and especially somewhere to set down for the coaches. Anyway, make sure you come along to the BFWI Council Meeting on April 19th when you may see the theatre for yourself. Let's show them we can fill it too!
February 2nd
There are some who can throw a successful pot and there are those who can't. This we learned at our February meeting when we had a pottery demonstration instead of a speaker. We now have around 55 members paid up and more to come which is very rewarding. There are lots of events on the calendar, outings and meetings on various topics, workshops and the inter-WI county quiz. Badminton continues and the Wednesday morning walks are popular so there are lots of other things available beyond the monthly meeting.The names of volunteers to help with providing teas for the blood-donor service were taken and helpers came forward to assist at the Jigsaw Swap on February 15th in aid of Adoption UK. Members appreciated the work of the new committee and it is already planning the annual fund-raiser in October. It will be something completely different again I am sure.
Someone somewhere ought to invent a new word which we could use alongside "meeting": I seem to have to utilise the word all the time and it sounds too formal to describe the different kinds of gatherings which WI members find themselves attending. We all know about the meeting which the person whom we call on the phone is always engaged in, which I suspect is a nice little chat around the office coffee machine but then there are all the others; those where we do meet together when it is more like a conversational visit but has hopefully an end result.What should we term those?
Our local WI book group meets informally in a member's house. Sometimes there is debate about the books read, sometimes just conversations. This week we were discussing The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill which is the middle part of a trilogy featuring the author's detective, Simon Serrailler. It is a thriller which everyone found gripping although some members criticised the fact that the story contained pieces which obviously harked back to the first instalment or were hooks needed for the next.It was an exploration of the idea of evil being a basic element present in most people: it may remain dormant but can be activated by situations experienced in their lives.About six other books were exchanged and recommended so we will not be short of material next month.
February 9th
We had fixed the topic for the discussion evening before the mounting concern for the future of our local library branch. It was an opportunity for those who had attended the recent public meetings to put those who hadn't, in the picture.The Read-In at the library the previous Saturday had been very successful.In discussion it transpired that there were those present who could imagine a future without a library as we know it today, a time when people will be reading their books downloaded on to their electronic plastic pads but the majority of us couldn't find it in themselves to look forward to such a development. We discussed our experiences of libraries throughout our childhoods and student years and also what we could expect of a volunteer community library, if that should prove to be the only way to maintain our town library.
February 8th
The local WI Craft Group fell into abeyance before Christmas so this afternoon we had a meeting of interested parties to try to rectify the situation. It would be a great pity if craft activities went underground again, as it were. There is a lot of talent in every WI and one of the aims of the WI movement is to keep crafts alive. Many of the new WI members cite the wish to learn crafts as the reason why they have become members. The good news is that we seem to have rescued our group and in order to involve ourselves in a corporate effort, we are going to enter some of the BFWI county competitions. This will give us a purpose and a way of finding out what everyone is able to do. It is however, quite possible to run side by side with some members just getting together like an old-fashioned sewing bee and those working towards a competition or dare I say it producing a new WI tablecloth or something for a charity.But let's keep the ideas flowing and the crafts alive.
February 3rd
Two thirds of the local WI membership enjoyed an outing to the new theatre in Aylesbury. We spent the morning being guided around backstage and then in the afternoon we watched the matinee of "Annie".These tours may be booked by any group and the young managerial staff members are available to come out as speakers to WI meetings provided they may be fitted in to their heavy workload. It was a most interesting day and we were all impressed by the amount of activity backstage, the enthusiasm of the staff and the architectural features of the theatre.It really adds to Aylesbury's image as a growing town. We just wonder about the need for parking and especially somewhere to set down for the coaches. Anyway, make sure you come along to the BFWI Council Meeting on April 19th when you may see the theatre for yourself. Let's show them we can fill it too!
February 2nd
There are some who can throw a successful pot and there are those who can't. This we learned at our February meeting when we had a pottery demonstration instead of a speaker. We now have around 55 members paid up and more to come which is very rewarding. There are lots of events on the calendar, outings and meetings on various topics, workshops and the inter-WI county quiz. Badminton continues and the Wednesday morning walks are popular so there are lots of other things available beyond the monthly meeting.The names of volunteers to help with providing teas for the blood-donor service were taken and helpers came forward to assist at the Jigsaw Swap on February 15th in aid of Adoption UK. Members appreciated the work of the new committee and it is already planning the annual fund-raiser in October. It will be something completely different again I am sure.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
The World outside
31st January
Just in case you imagine that I have gone into hibernation which I would dearly love to do, I am going to add some not-exactly WI things which I have been spending time on. Those of you who were in at the beginning of this blog will know that its real function is to illustrate the various events and activities in which an average WI member in Bucks would or could be involved.The list of possible resolutions to go forward to the AGM in Liverpool in June 2011 includes one about the closure of libraries in order to meet the demands of the Government for savings in the public sector.My local town has a library which is under threat so, along with several other members of my WI, I attended the meetings to see what can be done about the situation. These were run by the Town Council and were well attended.After much discussion a Friends of the Library management Committee has been formed to explore ways of co-operating with Bucks Library Service to set up a "community library" with a lot of volunteer participation.This may or may not be the solution: we must wait and see.If you wish to read an excellent article on the subject read http://falseeconomy.org .uk/blog/save-oxfordshire-libraries-speech-philip-pullman.
The local branch of the Lions held an open meeting on another subject on which the WI has been campaigning viz. "Care not Custody".Actually this meeting was about sentencing in general in magistrates' courts but it touched briefly on the specific problem. I thought WI meetings were difficult to control but try the Lions! There were some fierce views expressed on what to do with various offenders but I think we were all made to understand the difficult decisions the courts need to make and the important role of the probation service.Some of us are going to visit a neighbouring WI whose next monthly meeting has another magistrate as its main speaker.This interest came about following the NFWI campaign and our local WI's discussion group.
One final snippet of information from the national press last week---did you read the interview with the WI National Chairman, Ruth Bond as an Eco Hero in the Telegraph? She was talking about our other campaigns on COOL labelling of foodstuffs and the use of hazardous chemicals.The public relations team at NFWI seem to manage to keep the WI in the public eye and to present a positive image. No wonder we are gaining members again.
Just in case you imagine that I have gone into hibernation which I would dearly love to do, I am going to add some not-exactly WI things which I have been spending time on. Those of you who were in at the beginning of this blog will know that its real function is to illustrate the various events and activities in which an average WI member in Bucks would or could be involved.The list of possible resolutions to go forward to the AGM in Liverpool in June 2011 includes one about the closure of libraries in order to meet the demands of the Government for savings in the public sector.My local town has a library which is under threat so, along with several other members of my WI, I attended the meetings to see what can be done about the situation. These were run by the Town Council and were well attended.After much discussion a Friends of the Library management Committee has been formed to explore ways of co-operating with Bucks Library Service to set up a "community library" with a lot of volunteer participation.This may or may not be the solution: we must wait and see.If you wish to read an excellent article on the subject read http://falseeconomy.org .uk/blog/save-oxfordshire-libraries-speech-philip-pullman.
The local branch of the Lions held an open meeting on another subject on which the WI has been campaigning viz. "Care not Custody".Actually this meeting was about sentencing in general in magistrates' courts but it touched briefly on the specific problem. I thought WI meetings were difficult to control but try the Lions! There were some fierce views expressed on what to do with various offenders but I think we were all made to understand the difficult decisions the courts need to make and the important role of the probation service.Some of us are going to visit a neighbouring WI whose next monthly meeting has another magistrate as its main speaker.This interest came about following the NFWI campaign and our local WI's discussion group.
One final snippet of information from the national press last week---did you read the interview with the WI National Chairman, Ruth Bond as an Eco Hero in the Telegraph? She was talking about our other campaigns on COOL labelling of foodstuffs and the use of hazardous chemicals.The public relations team at NFWI seem to manage to keep the WI in the public eye and to present a positive image. No wonder we are gaining members again.
Sunday 16 January 2011
Into 2011
Happy New Year to anyone who reads my blog! What do you think of the new picture heading? It is another gateway or door meant to signify an entrance into all the activities which the WI has to offer its members. OK. I admit it's a bit loose this time and one could be forgiven for thinking the path leads into a black hole but that wasn't my intended interpretation.
What with the weather and the Christmas festivities, it seems a long break from WI events but last week things picked up again.Did you pick up that article in the national press about the appointment of a male Federation Secretary in Gloucestershire? It gave the impression that this was unheard of but Bucks had a very popular gentleman employed as book-keeper for many years and not so long ago either. Also there was a really amusing item in one of the publicity hand-outs from Waitrose about a reporter who had taken part in a Keep Fit Boot Camp at Denman College under the direction of an ex-Army instructor.One of her comments was "There was no way if you were undertaking an activity with the WI you could quit".
13th January
The meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee took place today.We spent some time reviewing the Alternative Christmas lunch which had successfully enabled BFWI to reach the target for fund-raising for the ACWW project which it had adopted for 2009-2010.The WI collects Pennies for Friendship every year for ACWW (The Associated Countrywomen of the World), an organisation to which the WI is affiliated. The project which we have just completed was for a women's self-help agricultural group in Kenya.We know that members prefer to raise money for specific ends rather than just pay over to a general fund so we will enquire into what projects are available and choose one for the next two years.If any WI wanted a speaker about ACWW there is always someone available in BFWI who can do this.
As a committee in December we had learned how to use our new laptop and projector and would be putting this knowledge to the test at our Trees for Life event in March. We have some excellent speakers booked for this so hope we will get a good take-up there. It was pleasant to be planning summer events which has to be done well in advance. It was also good news to hear that the new County website is almost ready for launching.
12th January
The local WI always delays its first meeting of the year by one week to avoid clashing with the New Year bank holiday. Our speaker was also local in order to avoid possible bad weather. His subject was The Churches of Buckinghamshire so we were able to view in comfort the architectural treasures of our county, all bathed in warm sunshine in contrast to the weather outside.There were a lot of reports of events before Christmas which had been enjoyed and the new committee swung into action for the coming year. We welcomed 5 new members and 2 visitors which augurs well for 2011. The WI has now completed one year in its new venue so the President conducted a plus and minus debate on the change. There are always some members resistant to change but the majority realised that economically and in practice it had been the right thing to do. Although the meeting place in the town centre had been refurbished, it was not big enough for our membership if we wanted to use tables for displays, the raffle and the spread of information to which we have become accustomed. We need the space for people to feel they can circulate and not just sit throughout the evening. Our next meeting is a hands-on session with pottery clay---imagine that with no elbow room! We completed arrangements for a tour followed by a matinee at the new theatre in Aylesbury. The votes for our choice of resolution for the AGM at Liverpool this year were also collected up for forwarding to NFWI.There is also going to be a WI presence at the local meeting about the possible closure of the branch library in the town.
11th January
We started the New Year locally with a meeting of our WI Book Group. Of course we had all received books for Christmas so there was a deal of exchanging them as well as talk about The Interpretaion of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld which was our set book for the past month.This novel did lead to a long discussion as it was a complicated plot and very long novel too.We felt that sometimes it was too long because the author wanted to do an awful lot within the story. He is obviously very interested in the history of the birth of psychological analysis so he ties the action in with Freud and Jung's visit to America for a lecture tour in 1909. He also wants the reader to appreciate the growth of the city of New York not just physically but also as a business centre in the world.We learned a lot about the building of the Manhattan Bridge for instance. The murders were very gruesome and we came away from the book feeling a bit depressed as the whole of society, except the detective and one young psychologist, was corruptible for money or sex. Are we being naive in thinking things have changed? Anyway, it kept us talking and was successful in blending true events and characters with the fictional.
What with the weather and the Christmas festivities, it seems a long break from WI events but last week things picked up again.Did you pick up that article in the national press about the appointment of a male Federation Secretary in Gloucestershire? It gave the impression that this was unheard of but Bucks had a very popular gentleman employed as book-keeper for many years and not so long ago either. Also there was a really amusing item in one of the publicity hand-outs from Waitrose about a reporter who had taken part in a Keep Fit Boot Camp at Denman College under the direction of an ex-Army instructor.One of her comments was "There was no way if you were undertaking an activity with the WI you could quit".
13th January
The meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee took place today.We spent some time reviewing the Alternative Christmas lunch which had successfully enabled BFWI to reach the target for fund-raising for the ACWW project which it had adopted for 2009-2010.The WI collects Pennies for Friendship every year for ACWW (The Associated Countrywomen of the World), an organisation to which the WI is affiliated. The project which we have just completed was for a women's self-help agricultural group in Kenya.We know that members prefer to raise money for specific ends rather than just pay over to a general fund so we will enquire into what projects are available and choose one for the next two years.If any WI wanted a speaker about ACWW there is always someone available in BFWI who can do this.
As a committee in December we had learned how to use our new laptop and projector and would be putting this knowledge to the test at our Trees for Life event in March. We have some excellent speakers booked for this so hope we will get a good take-up there. It was pleasant to be planning summer events which has to be done well in advance. It was also good news to hear that the new County website is almost ready for launching.
12th January
The local WI always delays its first meeting of the year by one week to avoid clashing with the New Year bank holiday. Our speaker was also local in order to avoid possible bad weather. His subject was The Churches of Buckinghamshire so we were able to view in comfort the architectural treasures of our county, all bathed in warm sunshine in contrast to the weather outside.There were a lot of reports of events before Christmas which had been enjoyed and the new committee swung into action for the coming year. We welcomed 5 new members and 2 visitors which augurs well for 2011. The WI has now completed one year in its new venue so the President conducted a plus and minus debate on the change. There are always some members resistant to change but the majority realised that economically and in practice it had been the right thing to do. Although the meeting place in the town centre had been refurbished, it was not big enough for our membership if we wanted to use tables for displays, the raffle and the spread of information to which we have become accustomed. We need the space for people to feel they can circulate and not just sit throughout the evening. Our next meeting is a hands-on session with pottery clay---imagine that with no elbow room! We completed arrangements for a tour followed by a matinee at the new theatre in Aylesbury. The votes for our choice of resolution for the AGM at Liverpool this year were also collected up for forwarding to NFWI.There is also going to be a WI presence at the local meeting about the possible closure of the branch library in the town.
11th January
We started the New Year locally with a meeting of our WI Book Group. Of course we had all received books for Christmas so there was a deal of exchanging them as well as talk about The Interpretaion of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld which was our set book for the past month.This novel did lead to a long discussion as it was a complicated plot and very long novel too.We felt that sometimes it was too long because the author wanted to do an awful lot within the story. He is obviously very interested in the history of the birth of psychological analysis so he ties the action in with Freud and Jung's visit to America for a lecture tour in 1909. He also wants the reader to appreciate the growth of the city of New York not just physically but also as a business centre in the world.We learned a lot about the building of the Manhattan Bridge for instance. The murders were very gruesome and we came away from the book feeling a bit depressed as the whole of society, except the detective and one young psychologist, was corruptible for money or sex. Are we being naive in thinking things have changed? Anyway, it kept us talking and was successful in blending true events and characters with the fictional.
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