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.
Friday, 22 April 2011
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.
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