Pens,jars and books

8th October
Ten apprehensive WI members met together this morning at Stuart Lodge, High Wycombe for a Writers' Workshop under the tutorship of Jan Moran Neil.We had been warned to expect writing exercises, group discussion and brainstorming as well as reading our own words so it wasn't really surprising that we were feeling nervous. The theme was to be our personal memory box and how to use it for writing not only our memoirs but also for background experience if any of us was contemplating writing a novel.With Jan's sympathetic approach to all our fears, we were soon scribbling away and listening to what others had written. It wasn't a time for in-depth literary criticism, more an opportunity to draw out thoughts that had been pushed to the back of our minds but needed organising. Where do I begin? Who am I writing for? Why do I want to write this anyway? The hours passed very quickly and although it was exceedingly tiring I think we all enjoyed the course.Jan runs courses and day schools at Missenden Abbey and in Beaconsfield so some of our October scribblers are thinking of joining in one of these.So you never know perhaps the next shades of grey bestseller might come from a Bucks WI member.
We did have time to express our indignation at the latest dictum from the EU banning the re-use of jamjars for home-made preserves for sale on stalls and Farmers' Markets.Come on National! We won on the silly ban on cakes so please make sure this is laughed out of court. Where does one buy small quantities of new jam jars? Preserving jars, yes but ordinary jars come in bulk and the average WI member doesn't deal in gross. Perhaps the EU is not aware that part of the production process for jams and marmalade is scalding the jars to sterilize them.

4th October
A lot of local endeavour this week has been spent on preparing a promotional WI display board and publicity stand to support the town players' production of Calendar Girls. This was staged for 3 nights and was a sell-out on all three. It was a really good production, very slick and well done.We were pleased to be asked to come along because it is still a wonderful advertisement for the WI even though we are often asked whether stripping is part of being a WI member. We were pleased to have also another opportunity to gather signatures for our community bid with the Town Council for an Outdoor Fitness Centre in the town.We have hundreds of signatures now and hope that we will be successful.

26th September
Another interesting meeting of the Book Group after reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Some members had seen the film too but nearly everyone had enjoyed reading the novel. The subject was distressing: the intense divide between black and white in the American South which featured in our newspapers in the 1960s but the author's treatment of it was sympathetic and witty. It is one of those books where one moment the reader is laughing out loud and the next close to tears.It was very effective to have 3 characters telling the story in their own accents which one could hear across the script.The cruelty and insensitivity exhibited so recently in that society is hard to believe but as one of the characters says "It was taught and passed down from parent to child." The lines were drawn and no one dared to cross them.