7th September
The local WI Craft group has now finished its contribution to the Federation book of samplers so that is ready to join the others from WIs in the county. I am looking forward to seeing them all together. We were a bit disappointed that the drawings submitted from our WI for the tea towels were not considered worthy of a prize but it was heartening that there had been such a large response. We are now making some Christmas tree decorations which involve lots of cutting up of scraps of material and tiny pins so that will keep us quiet for a while. Also we are off to the Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show in October with a local coach company. I hope someone will stop me buying more wool and materials for new projects before I finish what I have already stacked about the house.
6th September
The Book Group met this afternoon. We had been reading "The Return" by Victoria Hislop which was thoroughly enjoyed by most people.We had liked "The Island" by the same writer and I must admit that I thought beforehand that she was returning to Crete but it was to Spain many years after the civil war.The theme was quite topical as there has been a lot in the press about the lifting of the silence over that event; it is only recently that this silence has been broken.Some of our members had actually visited the enormous tomb which the political prisoners were forced to build. I did think that the story sometimes became a cover for the historical account but on the whole it worked. It certainly prompted a lot of discussion of the disaster that is civil war, the role of religious belief and the general ignorance of what actually happened so recently.We also talked about the Laurie Lee books about the Spanish civil war which many of us had read in the past. Good news for us is that we have gained two new members to our group and that our next book appears in talking book form as well for our member that is struggling with sight problems.
9th September
The local WI held an extra meeting this evening when Clarins Beauty firm was invited to give a make-up demonstration to members and friends.It was a pleasant evening but it did make me wonder how anyone has the time to actually go out, if they have to go to such lengths in preparation.The cost is astronomical too and so many of the products smelled to me of good old fashioned Ponds Cream which our grandmothers used to use!
10th September
The subcommittee for Education and Current Affairs met today. We spent time making final preparations for next week's repeat crossword session which is really a re-run of the successful event in the north of the county.Nearly all the people who had been disappointed in the ballot previously had applied for this one which was good plus some new people.The next event is the International Day on Holland which is taking shape and after that next year we are planning a Tudor Day. We wish our lives away, but every event has to be organised so far in advance because of demand for halls and speakers.
11th September
Ten of us travelled to Norway today on the WI holiday.We were collected from our doorstep and whisked down to Heathrow in fine style.We had been issued with electronic tickets which was a first for many of us. I wish I had had a camera to hand to photograph our group coming to terms with the machines which issued our boarding cards. We managed it with great aplomb and agreed that this was the first part of our educational process on the holiday.Since returning the media is telling us that to cut costs several airlines will only issue electronic tickets in future so if you need any advice ask us! I am not going to regale you with all our adventures, suffice it to say we had a marvellous time: we saw a lot of beautiful places, the hotels were first class, the food was great and the weather was unusually good for the time of year ie we had one misty morning.We visited museums where we learned about Vikings and the Kontiki expeditition,we shut our eyes travelling up and down amazing road passes, we marvelled at the engineering expertise of the tunnels, and we never saw a moose.We educated the Americans with whom we were travelling into the history of World War II especially the Shetland Bus, the WI beyond the Calendar Girls whom they knew about, England beyond the Cotswolds and the Health Service.No American we talked to had read the Barak Obama books, yet they had been in the UK's bestsellers lists for months.What a wonderful country Norway is and how pleasant and welcoming the people are! The cost of living makes one's eyes water and I shall never forget the face of one of our members when she was asked the equivalent of £1.90 for a small mug of boiling water and a separate teabag! But if we were asked for a knitting pattern for a traditional Aran sweater, could we produce the instructions in Norwegian or any other European language for that matter!
23rd September
I hope you all read the latest issue of WI Life because there are several mentions of Bucks in it. Congratulations to Maids Moreton for its full page spread, to the lady who won a prize for her crochet from Flackwell Heath and again in the archive column about District Nurses we have a reference. But if you are feeling depressed, please read the letter from the lady who bought the magnetic appliance to help with her menopausal symptons.I haven't laughed so much for ages.The other more serious article about the interview with the BBC was picked up by the national press in the discussions about ageism, not just in the media but also in nursing care.So you see there are people out there wanting to know what we think on very different topics.
Also some time this week the national press mentioned a Town Council that had had to move its meeting place to avoid the WI's raucous singing of Jerusalem. There must be more verses than I know. I bet the council didn't want the WI to hear the waffle from it! Actually one evening class that holds its session nextdoor to our local WI asked us to leave the door open so that they could listen and join in too!
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Friday, 4 September 2009
Get me out of here
26th August
I drove over to the chairman of our sub-committee's house to work on the long agenda for the September meeting. It is always pleasant to visit informally even though one comes away with a feeling of foreboding over the possible length of the coming meeting. I thought WI members were to expect a holiday in August but the paperwork keeps piling up! I took the opportunity to explore this part of Bucks in some detail as three of us have been walking the Bernwood Jubilee Trail and we have reached Brill. We are now into an area we know very little about. We have been using public transport as much as possible but the western fringes of the county suffer from a dearth of buses at sensible times for walkers, so the logistics are going to be a problem until we reach the Buckingham catchment zone.I can recommend the trail and the countryside is lovely, very empty; we have disturbed deer and foxes on our way. The brambles are good too.
In the evening it was the local committee meeting at which we heard all about our treasurer's battles with the Bucks County Council over the draconian rise in rent for our meeting place. Although we have found other premises willing to take us if we must move, it will make changes necessary perhaps to our night of meeting or our timing, so we hope to be able to stay put but win our case. We have strong allies in the fight and I always remember the Member of Parliament who said that if the WI protested, the Government tended to throw in the towel! I don't fancy the local force's chances of success after that.The good news is that our WI came up in the Friends Club draw so we have some more pounds in the bank account. We will keep quiet about that to the local government people.Our WI buys two tickets every year in this lottery and we have had individual members win as well as the WI official ticket. Also to raise a few more funds of a more reliable kind, we are exploring Gift Aid on our subscriptions.There is a booklet of advice on this procedure available from NFWI.
27th August
Bucks County Show and a lovely day for it too.I went down just to collect some display material for the local town show and was caught up in a long tailback of traffic. It took me 45 minutes to cover the ground I usually do in four! Then once inside the ground I couldn't find the WI, all the guides and maps had been sold and no one official seemed to know where anything was either.I was very relieved to track down some friendly faces on our pitch who managed to calm me down.It really was not a very good site but gone are the days when the WI can afford a tent of its own. Had we all known of the frustrations ahead when trying to leave the showground, I think we would have walked to the nearest pub and fed and watered while the chaos dissolved. The organisers will have to get the entrances and exits sorted out or peolpe will give up coming. I know the attendance was greater than ever before but to have 5 lanes of cars in each of two fields converging on an exit each onto a shared track leading into a major road which carries masses of traffic on a normal day is just barmy. There were drivers, children and dogs all overheated by the sunshine and the frustration.I tell you...something has got to be done for next year.
31st August
Winslow Town Show--now this is how to arrange traffic! One entrance and one exit for vehicles but only two lanes on which to approach and then alternate and filter under the control of marshals.Simple when you know how.The WI had the same site as last year which is one we like because it overlooks the horse jumping area and is next to the pig roast and the beer tent! Everyone must come by our tent. The day was very cold and blowy first thing in the morning but the sun was out by the afternoon. We had lots of visiting members from WIs in Bucks as well as farther afield.Our major display this year was on the SOS for Honeybees campaign, general promotion of the WI, the craft group and the sampler which is to form part of the Federation book and the books read by the Book Group.We think we have attracted some new members but will wait to see if they actually turn up at a meeting.
2nd September
The local WI meeting was very well attended to hear a talk on scrapbooking which was not quite what I had thought scrapbooking was.Surely it isn't just sticking photos in an album? There were lots of reports on events during the recess and masses of talk on personal adventures and holidays so it was a very friendly meeting. We hope to start a discussion group in order to highlight some of the WI campaigns as well as airing topics that are of interest in everyday situations. One never knows, a resolution may spring from one of these meetings.
I drove over to the chairman of our sub-committee's house to work on the long agenda for the September meeting. It is always pleasant to visit informally even though one comes away with a feeling of foreboding over the possible length of the coming meeting. I thought WI members were to expect a holiday in August but the paperwork keeps piling up! I took the opportunity to explore this part of Bucks in some detail as three of us have been walking the Bernwood Jubilee Trail and we have reached Brill. We are now into an area we know very little about. We have been using public transport as much as possible but the western fringes of the county suffer from a dearth of buses at sensible times for walkers, so the logistics are going to be a problem until we reach the Buckingham catchment zone.I can recommend the trail and the countryside is lovely, very empty; we have disturbed deer and foxes on our way. The brambles are good too.
In the evening it was the local committee meeting at which we heard all about our treasurer's battles with the Bucks County Council over the draconian rise in rent for our meeting place. Although we have found other premises willing to take us if we must move, it will make changes necessary perhaps to our night of meeting or our timing, so we hope to be able to stay put but win our case. We have strong allies in the fight and I always remember the Member of Parliament who said that if the WI protested, the Government tended to throw in the towel! I don't fancy the local force's chances of success after that.The good news is that our WI came up in the Friends Club draw so we have some more pounds in the bank account. We will keep quiet about that to the local government people.Our WI buys two tickets every year in this lottery and we have had individual members win as well as the WI official ticket. Also to raise a few more funds of a more reliable kind, we are exploring Gift Aid on our subscriptions.There is a booklet of advice on this procedure available from NFWI.
27th August
Bucks County Show and a lovely day for it too.I went down just to collect some display material for the local town show and was caught up in a long tailback of traffic. It took me 45 minutes to cover the ground I usually do in four! Then once inside the ground I couldn't find the WI, all the guides and maps had been sold and no one official seemed to know where anything was either.I was very relieved to track down some friendly faces on our pitch who managed to calm me down.It really was not a very good site but gone are the days when the WI can afford a tent of its own. Had we all known of the frustrations ahead when trying to leave the showground, I think we would have walked to the nearest pub and fed and watered while the chaos dissolved. The organisers will have to get the entrances and exits sorted out or peolpe will give up coming. I know the attendance was greater than ever before but to have 5 lanes of cars in each of two fields converging on an exit each onto a shared track leading into a major road which carries masses of traffic on a normal day is just barmy. There were drivers, children and dogs all overheated by the sunshine and the frustration.I tell you...something has got to be done for next year.
31st August
Winslow Town Show--now this is how to arrange traffic! One entrance and one exit for vehicles but only two lanes on which to approach and then alternate and filter under the control of marshals.Simple when you know how.The WI had the same site as last year which is one we like because it overlooks the horse jumping area and is next to the pig roast and the beer tent! Everyone must come by our tent. The day was very cold and blowy first thing in the morning but the sun was out by the afternoon. We had lots of visiting members from WIs in Bucks as well as farther afield.Our major display this year was on the SOS for Honeybees campaign, general promotion of the WI, the craft group and the sampler which is to form part of the Federation book and the books read by the Book Group.We think we have attracted some new members but will wait to see if they actually turn up at a meeting.
2nd September
The local WI meeting was very well attended to hear a talk on scrapbooking which was not quite what I had thought scrapbooking was.Surely it isn't just sticking photos in an album? There were lots of reports on events during the recess and masses of talk on personal adventures and holidays so it was a very friendly meeting. We hope to start a discussion group in order to highlight some of the WI campaigns as well as airing topics that are of interest in everyday situations. One never knows, a resolution may spring from one of these meetings.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Summer frolics
5th August
This evening the local WI decided to use our usual monthly meeting date for an extra rather frivolous get-together. We hired the community bus and filled some overflow cars and sallied forth to another Bucks village. There were probably about 25 of us who descended on a private house to try on hats. Yes, I must admit I went thinking whatever is going to hold my interest until 10 o'clock this evening trying on hats.Of course I reckoned without the supper and the wine thrown in too! It was great fun. The rain held off we were sitting outside eating and drinking until 9.30pm and everyone had a great time amongst 400 hats and fascinators. Some were downright silly hats, others very glamourous and some were fashion statements in every sense of the word.What a pity that the WI members don't still wear hats for the AGM! I saw about 10 this year---mind, some of those we tried on this evening would have well and truly blanked out the stage for those sitting behind! Much of the success of this event lay in the fact that we all had time to talk to each other and not feel rushed to meet the demands of a formal WI meeting.
I am slightly concerned about whether the photos taken will be brought out for our next WI meeting on scrapbooking.Some will need censoring, I think.
12th August
Oh dear! Another social event to report on. The local WI held its second Barbecue of the summer in a member's garden as requested on the questionnaire conducted in the winter.Once more the rain held off and once more we all enjoyed ourselves sitting around eating, drinking and talking. Perhaps in order to mollify the Charity Commissioners our hostess had devised an educational gardening quiz. The answers were very entertaining and revealed a knowledge of horticulture which probably warrants a few gardening subjects to be included for next year's WI programme. It was a pity some of those who requested a barbecue once more failed to attend but that was their loss. These social "dos" were not planned to raise funds but just to cover costs and both events were important for the friendship side of the WI.
This evening the local WI decided to use our usual monthly meeting date for an extra rather frivolous get-together. We hired the community bus and filled some overflow cars and sallied forth to another Bucks village. There were probably about 25 of us who descended on a private house to try on hats. Yes, I must admit I went thinking whatever is going to hold my interest until 10 o'clock this evening trying on hats.Of course I reckoned without the supper and the wine thrown in too! It was great fun. The rain held off we were sitting outside eating and drinking until 9.30pm and everyone had a great time amongst 400 hats and fascinators. Some were downright silly hats, others very glamourous and some were fashion statements in every sense of the word.What a pity that the WI members don't still wear hats for the AGM! I saw about 10 this year---mind, some of those we tried on this evening would have well and truly blanked out the stage for those sitting behind! Much of the success of this event lay in the fact that we all had time to talk to each other and not feel rushed to meet the demands of a formal WI meeting.
I am slightly concerned about whether the photos taken will be brought out for our next WI meeting on scrapbooking.Some will need censoring, I think.
12th August
Oh dear! Another social event to report on. The local WI held its second Barbecue of the summer in a member's garden as requested on the questionnaire conducted in the winter.Once more the rain held off and once more we all enjoyed ourselves sitting around eating, drinking and talking. Perhaps in order to mollify the Charity Commissioners our hostess had devised an educational gardening quiz. The answers were very entertaining and revealed a knowledge of horticulture which probably warrants a few gardening subjects to be included for next year's WI programme. It was a pity some of those who requested a barbecue once more failed to attend but that was their loss. These social "dos" were not planned to raise funds but just to cover costs and both events were important for the friendship side of the WI.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Summer recess
7th July
I am afraid that the WI has had to take a back seat this month as I have been rather involved with family events. This has meant that several WI fixtures have not featured on my calendar so lots of you will have a better idea of what's gone on than I have. However I know that our local WI Reading Group met today and we discussed Cranford which some of us had never read but had enjoyed the costume adaptation on TV.It is a very forward-thinking book, quite feminist for its time and very amusing in its social comments.What fun Mrs Gaskell had at the expense of Lady Ludlow with her views on education for the lower orders!
In direct contrast to that work, we also had read Sea of Poppies by Ghosh who is one of the group's favourite authors.This is an action-packed account of India at the time just before the Opium Wars in China. The book is the first part of a trilogy so it was a question of getting all the characters on to a sailing boat heading off into the Indian Ocean. Once past the use of Pidjin English and the nautical terms, it was a wonderful adventure story with memorable characters and lots of information on the history of the time. Once again the British Empire is exposed in a far from glorious light. I for one am looking forward to the next instalment as I cannot see how the passengers and crew can ever get themselves out of the situation they are in at the end of Part One.
9th July
Today the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met. We seemed to spend most of our time planning coming events because we have a really good programme ahead stretching into 2011.Speakers have to be secured well in advance and halls too.We are looking forward to our repeat Brain Games session on cryptic crosswords and hope that everyone will apply within the time allocated in spite of several WIs not meeting in August. There is also the problem of the grandparents heaving a sigh of relief at the end of the school holidays and taking off on their own for a well earned rest from childcare.In planning our International Day on Holland, we are hoping for the WI members to be broadminded and attend the event which should be very interesting and educational as well.
23rd July
A young student came round to see me today. She is studying at a college for film-making and wanted to do her vacational project on activities in the local town.It is unfortunate that she needs this in the very month that the WI doesn't meet, in common with various other societies. However she could come to our next barbeque or to our extra meeting when we are off in posh frocks for an orgy of hat choosing.Neither of these events is at all traditional WI which is a pity.Perhaps we will not become filmstars this time but she promised to look in on one of the new WIs which has formed in Shoreditch in London near where she lives as a student.We read about the new young WI together in the WI Life. It would be lovely to think we might gain a new WI member who is young and interested in the aims of the WI even if it was not ours who benefitted.
I am afraid that the WI has had to take a back seat this month as I have been rather involved with family events. This has meant that several WI fixtures have not featured on my calendar so lots of you will have a better idea of what's gone on than I have. However I know that our local WI Reading Group met today and we discussed Cranford which some of us had never read but had enjoyed the costume adaptation on TV.It is a very forward-thinking book, quite feminist for its time and very amusing in its social comments.What fun Mrs Gaskell had at the expense of Lady Ludlow with her views on education for the lower orders!
In direct contrast to that work, we also had read Sea of Poppies by Ghosh who is one of the group's favourite authors.This is an action-packed account of India at the time just before the Opium Wars in China. The book is the first part of a trilogy so it was a question of getting all the characters on to a sailing boat heading off into the Indian Ocean. Once past the use of Pidjin English and the nautical terms, it was a wonderful adventure story with memorable characters and lots of information on the history of the time. Once again the British Empire is exposed in a far from glorious light. I for one am looking forward to the next instalment as I cannot see how the passengers and crew can ever get themselves out of the situation they are in at the end of Part One.
9th July
Today the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met. We seemed to spend most of our time planning coming events because we have a really good programme ahead stretching into 2011.Speakers have to be secured well in advance and halls too.We are looking forward to our repeat Brain Games session on cryptic crosswords and hope that everyone will apply within the time allocated in spite of several WIs not meeting in August. There is also the problem of the grandparents heaving a sigh of relief at the end of the school holidays and taking off on their own for a well earned rest from childcare.In planning our International Day on Holland, we are hoping for the WI members to be broadminded and attend the event which should be very interesting and educational as well.
23rd July
A young student came round to see me today. She is studying at a college for film-making and wanted to do her vacational project on activities in the local town.It is unfortunate that she needs this in the very month that the WI doesn't meet, in common with various other societies. However she could come to our next barbeque or to our extra meeting when we are off in posh frocks for an orgy of hat choosing.Neither of these events is at all traditional WI which is a pity.Perhaps we will not become filmstars this time but she promised to look in on one of the new WIs which has formed in Shoreditch in London near where she lives as a student.We read about the new young WI together in the WI Life. It would be lovely to think we might gain a new WI member who is young and interested in the aims of the WI even if it was not ours who benefitted.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Feeling heated
29 June
Today several members of one of the county sub-committees gathered to conduct a ballot for an over-subscribed event. It breaks our hearts to have to turn members away when this happens. Partly we are pleased that whatever is planned has appealed to the members but also sad that there isn't room for everyone either in the hall or on the coach. We cannot always add on another coach or repeat the event almost immediately.A ballot is not the correct term for what we do: it suggests names are drawn out of a hat. It is more an allocation really, worked out by practicalities such as carloads, distance and then as a last resort we consult the account of previous ballots to see how a WI fared last time a similar decision had to be made. We do our best to be fair but it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest!
This afternoon the blood donors' van was in town so members of the local WI were on hand serving teas and juices to those recuperating not only from giving blood but also from the heat outside.
30 June
Down to the federation HQ today to make the final financial arrangements for the coming holiday to Norway.It was so hot in the car that I began to really dream of getting away to somewhere a little less tropical. There are ten people travelling to Norway in September under a different organisational plan as far as the BFWI is concerned and a lot depends on how successful this is as to whether these foreign holidays can continue to be on offer.Personally I think it would be a shame to see them finish but the Federation needs someone to head them up. If there is anyone out there who is willing to give it a go, please let the Federation Secretary know.
1 July
Local WI meeting tonight . The room was like an inferno when we walked in so we flung all the windows and doors open. We had to spend quite a long time discussing the rise in hall hire charges for our meetings. These are going to treble over the next couple of years which is going to drastically affect our budget. Although we will obviously object and try to get the terms reduced, we are also calling on all the members to actively enquire about alternative venues.It is rich really when the town was promised that on the closure of the secondary school, the building would be used for the benefit of local educational adult needs and to forge closer links in the community. Now the WI which is all about these aims is being driven out.The smaller rooms have long since been swallowed up into offices for the council instead of being available for small classes. Letters will need to be written!
We listened to a speaker telling us about her experiences on going up to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE.
We finalised plans for our "posh hats" outing which seemed to fit in with the talk and made plans for the town show at the end of August where we will be promoting the WI in general as well as our local branch.
4 July
Doesn't it make you spit? You sit down to read the Saturday paper, turn to the page where someone is sent out to review a restaurant and what do you read? Jasper Gerard gets to the course which presents guinea fowl on the menu and completely out of the blue, with no connection to anything before or after, he writes "Guinea fowl can often be drier than a WI convention"! A WI convention? When did we last have a convention? Does he mean the Annual General Meeting? If so, can the uproar of the Tony Blair meeting be classed as dry? Or the appearances of Bill Bryson, or Sandi Tostig or indeed Maureen Lipman be classed as dry? He doesn't know what he is talking about, does he? Why make such an inane comparison--quite unnecessary. I think I shall have to reach for a particularly scratchy pen nib and the vitriolic ink to write another letter! Perhaps I am over-sensitive and all publicity is good publicity but I think it is another example of the WI name being taken in vain.
Today several members of one of the county sub-committees gathered to conduct a ballot for an over-subscribed event. It breaks our hearts to have to turn members away when this happens. Partly we are pleased that whatever is planned has appealed to the members but also sad that there isn't room for everyone either in the hall or on the coach. We cannot always add on another coach or repeat the event almost immediately.A ballot is not the correct term for what we do: it suggests names are drawn out of a hat. It is more an allocation really, worked out by practicalities such as carloads, distance and then as a last resort we consult the account of previous ballots to see how a WI fared last time a similar decision had to be made. We do our best to be fair but it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest!
This afternoon the blood donors' van was in town so members of the local WI were on hand serving teas and juices to those recuperating not only from giving blood but also from the heat outside.
30 June
Down to the federation HQ today to make the final financial arrangements for the coming holiday to Norway.It was so hot in the car that I began to really dream of getting away to somewhere a little less tropical. There are ten people travelling to Norway in September under a different organisational plan as far as the BFWI is concerned and a lot depends on how successful this is as to whether these foreign holidays can continue to be on offer.Personally I think it would be a shame to see them finish but the Federation needs someone to head them up. If there is anyone out there who is willing to give it a go, please let the Federation Secretary know.
1 July
Local WI meeting tonight . The room was like an inferno when we walked in so we flung all the windows and doors open. We had to spend quite a long time discussing the rise in hall hire charges for our meetings. These are going to treble over the next couple of years which is going to drastically affect our budget. Although we will obviously object and try to get the terms reduced, we are also calling on all the members to actively enquire about alternative venues.It is rich really when the town was promised that on the closure of the secondary school, the building would be used for the benefit of local educational adult needs and to forge closer links in the community. Now the WI which is all about these aims is being driven out.The smaller rooms have long since been swallowed up into offices for the council instead of being available for small classes. Letters will need to be written!
We listened to a speaker telling us about her experiences on going up to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE.
We finalised plans for our "posh hats" outing which seemed to fit in with the talk and made plans for the town show at the end of August where we will be promoting the WI in general as well as our local branch.
4 July
Doesn't it make you spit? You sit down to read the Saturday paper, turn to the page where someone is sent out to review a restaurant and what do you read? Jasper Gerard gets to the course which presents guinea fowl on the menu and completely out of the blue, with no connection to anything before or after, he writes "Guinea fowl can often be drier than a WI convention"! A WI convention? When did we last have a convention? Does he mean the Annual General Meeting? If so, can the uproar of the Tony Blair meeting be classed as dry? Or the appearances of Bill Bryson, or Sandi Tostig or indeed Maureen Lipman be classed as dry? He doesn't know what he is talking about, does he? Why make such an inane comparison--quite unnecessary. I think I shall have to reach for a particularly scratchy pen nib and the vitriolic ink to write another letter! Perhaps I am over-sensitive and all publicity is good publicity but I think it is another example of the WI name being taken in vain.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
A typical British summer
June 1st
A really pleasant way to start a new month! Three of us from the local WI had been lucky to be allocated places at Denman College's first Literary Lunch. We picked up a member from a neighbouring WI and we were off out for the day in lovely sunshine. Denman looked marvellous as usual and the new Ferris building is state of the art.The morning featured Santa Montefiore, a novelist of some renown who was a very accomplished speaker. She spoke with great humour about her life and her approach to writing and in no time at all it was lunch which was most enjoyable. In the afternoon two speakers talked about what was looked for in the entries for the WI Lady Denman Cup.This annual competition is different every year and although Bucks sends up 3 entries every year we haven't won for years and years. Well, there were 5 members from Bucks present today so perhaps there will be a change of fortune.
I would recommend people to go if another Literary Lunch is planned as it was good to discuss things with members from other Federations. Some had spent the previous night at the College so it had been a bit of a holiday as well.
June 2nd
Another lovely day on which 8 members of the local WI travelled down to High Wycombe ostensibly to visit the WI Exhibition in the library in the town. However as some had never been down to see Stuart Lodge, the Bucks Federation's ancient pile which is our headquarters nor had they sampled the delights of the WI shop we had a conducted tour of the premises too.We walked along to the library where we were given another conducted tour of the exhibits and the spanking new library. We were most impressed by the display and I think our archivist has done us proud. Of course after all that walking, we needed a little something for lunch and some indulged in retail therapy in the new Eden Centre. The exhibition closes soon so if you haven't seen it yet, you had better hurry.
June 3rd
I always like to imagine WI members staggering out into little lanes and busy roads all over the country at ungodly hours of the morning to catch trains and coaches to the Royal Albert Hall for the NFWI Annual General Meeting.In Bucks we are lucky as 7am is soon enough for us to contend with the rush hour across London.It was a really good meeting this year with excellent speakers and some interesting points raised on the single resolution about honey bees. This was of course carried almost unanimously.Maureen Lipman was her usual irrepressible self, the fellow from Yorkshire Tea knows exactly how to handle a WI audience, Eve Pollard was good too and we ended up with Richard Stilgoe with his Orpheus Centre Apprentices which was heartwarming.The weather was kind so we could migrate over lunch to the feet of dear Albert and watch the world go by with friends met in previous years.The only disappointing thing about the day was that the Albert Hall will no longer allow WI Enterprises to have a stall to sell WI items and there were none of the usual displays in the foyer.Oh! and what happened to the ice-cream man at the end of the meeting?
Two of us came straight back to our local meeting but didn't report on the AGM. We just sat and unwound and watched another excellent demonstrator and speaker from amongst our own members.The talent among WI members is amazing and yet so much is hidden under the proverbial bushel.
June 6th
Did you watch the programme on TV about the Calendar Girls? Of course you did.
June 8th
Today was the Dates Meeting where the chairmen and secretaries from all the Bucks sub-committees come together to hammer out the programme for the next 18 months and discuss policy too. As Bucks Federation is 90 next year watch out for lots of celebratory events and think how you would like to celebrate your membership of the WI. What has it done for you? And what have you done for it?
June 10th
When one chooses a date for a garden barbeque, one takes into account things like Wimbledon and the Fastnet races and plumps for a different date which is what we did locally. And the heavens opened about five minutes before everyone was due to arrive! Nothing daunted we carried on and enjoyed time together even if there was no chance of sitting in garden chairs in summer clothes. The event wasn't a fund-raiser but a social affair that the members had suggested in our WI questionnaire so that we could talk and get to know each other outside the meetings. So it was a success in its way.Never mind--we have another planned for an August evening. It can't happen twice, can it?
A really pleasant way to start a new month! Three of us from the local WI had been lucky to be allocated places at Denman College's first Literary Lunch. We picked up a member from a neighbouring WI and we were off out for the day in lovely sunshine. Denman looked marvellous as usual and the new Ferris building is state of the art.The morning featured Santa Montefiore, a novelist of some renown who was a very accomplished speaker. She spoke with great humour about her life and her approach to writing and in no time at all it was lunch which was most enjoyable. In the afternoon two speakers talked about what was looked for in the entries for the WI Lady Denman Cup.This annual competition is different every year and although Bucks sends up 3 entries every year we haven't won for years and years. Well, there were 5 members from Bucks present today so perhaps there will be a change of fortune.
I would recommend people to go if another Literary Lunch is planned as it was good to discuss things with members from other Federations. Some had spent the previous night at the College so it had been a bit of a holiday as well.
June 2nd
Another lovely day on which 8 members of the local WI travelled down to High Wycombe ostensibly to visit the WI Exhibition in the library in the town. However as some had never been down to see Stuart Lodge, the Bucks Federation's ancient pile which is our headquarters nor had they sampled the delights of the WI shop we had a conducted tour of the premises too.We walked along to the library where we were given another conducted tour of the exhibits and the spanking new library. We were most impressed by the display and I think our archivist has done us proud. Of course after all that walking, we needed a little something for lunch and some indulged in retail therapy in the new Eden Centre. The exhibition closes soon so if you haven't seen it yet, you had better hurry.
June 3rd
I always like to imagine WI members staggering out into little lanes and busy roads all over the country at ungodly hours of the morning to catch trains and coaches to the Royal Albert Hall for the NFWI Annual General Meeting.In Bucks we are lucky as 7am is soon enough for us to contend with the rush hour across London.It was a really good meeting this year with excellent speakers and some interesting points raised on the single resolution about honey bees. This was of course carried almost unanimously.Maureen Lipman was her usual irrepressible self, the fellow from Yorkshire Tea knows exactly how to handle a WI audience, Eve Pollard was good too and we ended up with Richard Stilgoe with his Orpheus Centre Apprentices which was heartwarming.The weather was kind so we could migrate over lunch to the feet of dear Albert and watch the world go by with friends met in previous years.The only disappointing thing about the day was that the Albert Hall will no longer allow WI Enterprises to have a stall to sell WI items and there were none of the usual displays in the foyer.Oh! and what happened to the ice-cream man at the end of the meeting?
Two of us came straight back to our local meeting but didn't report on the AGM. We just sat and unwound and watched another excellent demonstrator and speaker from amongst our own members.The talent among WI members is amazing and yet so much is hidden under the proverbial bushel.
June 6th
Did you watch the programme on TV about the Calendar Girls? Of course you did.
June 8th
Today was the Dates Meeting where the chairmen and secretaries from all the Bucks sub-committees come together to hammer out the programme for the next 18 months and discuss policy too. As Bucks Federation is 90 next year watch out for lots of celebratory events and think how you would like to celebrate your membership of the WI. What has it done for you? And what have you done for it?
June 10th
When one chooses a date for a garden barbeque, one takes into account things like Wimbledon and the Fastnet races and plumps for a different date which is what we did locally. And the heavens opened about five minutes before everyone was due to arrive! Nothing daunted we carried on and enjoyed time together even if there was no chance of sitting in garden chairs in summer clothes. The event wasn't a fund-raiser but a social affair that the members had suggested in our WI questionnaire so that we could talk and get to know each other outside the meetings. So it was a success in its way.Never mind--we have another planned for an August evening. It can't happen twice, can it?
Thursday, 28 May 2009
literary thoughts
19 May
Cheddington was once more the location for the BFWI Literary Lunch. This was the fifth of these annual get-togethers and they are always well attended. The speakers have been varied: we started with a Calendar Girl, then a romantic novelist, a journalist, a modern novelist and this time a biographical author who has just published her first book about Jane Austen. Hazel Jones was a very good speaker mixing humour with historical facts about life and marriage during Jane Austen's lifetime. The food was good and plentiful. I thought I heard a champagne bottle pop and the conversation certainly flowed. So do we continue with these lunches or do we try to think of something else? Next year is a celebratory one for Bucks Federation so the calendar may be full of exciting events.It would be really helpful if members would make their feelings known. We always receive letters of thanks and appreciation but some advice on this issue would be nice too.
20 May
I was asked to judge some of the classes for the local Blind Association. I was really impressed by what some of the writers could achieve in their lives in spite of the sudden onset of their disability. How does one come to terms with not being able to read or watch television or work with one's hands as one had been used to? Some of the handicrafts produced are really marvellous:it is humbling really.
21 May
Did you read that lovely letter in the Daily Telegraph which amid the gloom and doom of cheating politicians, pointed out the crazyness of getting the MPs to draw up a new set of rules for themselves? The correspondent from Wales suggested that it is administered by a "sensible, no-nonsense, incorruptible group of women--the Women's Institute". So there you go, girls!
25 May
I happened to catch the end of a TV programme about the Hairy Bikers on a visit to Denman College. They were making sponge cakes with the tutor who comes to Bucks to teach us for our hygiene certificates.The other spongemakers included some members from Bucks and ex-staff from Denman College. I was jumping up and down saying "Oh look ! There's so-and-so". It looked great fun and I wished I had seen all of the programme.
26 May
Local WI Book Group today and we have been reading a thriller by Peter James called "Dead Simple" which is to be the first in a series. Several of the readers really enjoyed this book and it was well plotted with many a twist and a few red herrings thrown in.It is not my sort of book as some of the violence is sadistic--not at all Agatha Christie like--and I do get fed up of hearing about the eating habits of police officers and their sex lives but I suppose that makes them more believable as people.Anyway besides me and one reader who suffers from claustrophobia and couldn't get past the first chapter, the others enjoyed it.I preferred "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga which was related by a murderer and had its fair share of gore. Anyone reading this couldn't agree with the idea that India is no longer a Third World country, an opinion that was voiced the other day when discussing choosing a project for ACWW.
27 May
WI committee this evening with lots of plans for the rest of the year. My diary exhausts me to just think about what is to come in June and July.What with barbeques, extra trips out to visit the WI exhibition in High Wycombe, a chance to dress up for a summer posh event and walks and playreading and perhaps a barn dance and a mystery evening, we shall all be dizzy! Don't join the WI if you want a quiet sedate life! When will we find the time to sort out the Government?
Cheddington was once more the location for the BFWI Literary Lunch. This was the fifth of these annual get-togethers and they are always well attended. The speakers have been varied: we started with a Calendar Girl, then a romantic novelist, a journalist, a modern novelist and this time a biographical author who has just published her first book about Jane Austen. Hazel Jones was a very good speaker mixing humour with historical facts about life and marriage during Jane Austen's lifetime. The food was good and plentiful. I thought I heard a champagne bottle pop and the conversation certainly flowed. So do we continue with these lunches or do we try to think of something else? Next year is a celebratory one for Bucks Federation so the calendar may be full of exciting events.It would be really helpful if members would make their feelings known. We always receive letters of thanks and appreciation but some advice on this issue would be nice too.
20 May
I was asked to judge some of the classes for the local Blind Association. I was really impressed by what some of the writers could achieve in their lives in spite of the sudden onset of their disability. How does one come to terms with not being able to read or watch television or work with one's hands as one had been used to? Some of the handicrafts produced are really marvellous:it is humbling really.
21 May
Did you read that lovely letter in the Daily Telegraph which amid the gloom and doom of cheating politicians, pointed out the crazyness of getting the MPs to draw up a new set of rules for themselves? The correspondent from Wales suggested that it is administered by a "sensible, no-nonsense, incorruptible group of women--the Women's Institute". So there you go, girls!
25 May
I happened to catch the end of a TV programme about the Hairy Bikers on a visit to Denman College. They were making sponge cakes with the tutor who comes to Bucks to teach us for our hygiene certificates.The other spongemakers included some members from Bucks and ex-staff from Denman College. I was jumping up and down saying "Oh look ! There's so-and-so". It looked great fun and I wished I had seen all of the programme.
26 May
Local WI Book Group today and we have been reading a thriller by Peter James called "Dead Simple" which is to be the first in a series. Several of the readers really enjoyed this book and it was well plotted with many a twist and a few red herrings thrown in.It is not my sort of book as some of the violence is sadistic--not at all Agatha Christie like--and I do get fed up of hearing about the eating habits of police officers and their sex lives but I suppose that makes them more believable as people.Anyway besides me and one reader who suffers from claustrophobia and couldn't get past the first chapter, the others enjoyed it.I preferred "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga which was related by a murderer and had its fair share of gore. Anyone reading this couldn't agree with the idea that India is no longer a Third World country, an opinion that was voiced the other day when discussing choosing a project for ACWW.
27 May
WI committee this evening with lots of plans for the rest of the year. My diary exhausts me to just think about what is to come in June and July.What with barbeques, extra trips out to visit the WI exhibition in High Wycombe, a chance to dress up for a summer posh event and walks and playreading and perhaps a barn dance and a mystery evening, we shall all be dizzy! Don't join the WI if you want a quiet sedate life! When will we find the time to sort out the Government?
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