5th September
Throughout the best part of 2010 BFWI to celebrate its 90 year history has been granted a room in the High Wycombe Museum.It is a lovely display and many people have commented favourably on it.Also during the summer holidays the WI has held small craft groups for children in the same room and on the first Sunday of the summer months there have been craft demonstrations too.Today the subject was the gentle art of crochet and two BFWI committee members and a couple of WI members went down to demonstrate their skills.Surrounded by lots of items of crochet we immediately found ourselves with nine visitors who wanted to learn to crochet. It was great fun because several of them had never held a hook in their lives and others could do a bit or had forgotten how to start.These people had picked up the notice in the local press and were not WI members. However I shouldn't be surprised if they don't become members in the future. They all said how much they had enjoyed themselves and thought it a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.They all went home proudly clutching mis-shapen pieces of work! I felt a bit guilty about the ordinary museum visitors who followed the sound of chatter and walked into a room full of people trailing wool and wielding hooks but curiosity usually got the better of them and they completed their tour.
1st September
It was agreed to write to suggest that BFWI makes a contribution to the discussions on the new High Speed Railway and that members should keep an eye on labelling of country of origin on meat, fish and poultry in supermarkets following the mandate at the AGM in June.We also want to make ourselves heard in defence of the cheque which is threatened with extinction.Although we had not done very well with our exhibit at the County Show, one of our members had come first in the county competition for a piece of original writing for the Lady Denman Cup. The sound in our new premises goes up to somewhere in the ceiling so some of us suggested we should enquire into buying a small microphone system. Our speaker spoke clearly but her tone was rather expressionless and became lost in the roof.It is difficult for the officers as well sometimes.Perhaps we could put some of our funds towards a lapel mike or apply for a grant.All the group activities which the WI hold are up and running for the autumn so we should be out of mischief for at least 3 months.
31st August
What a lot of reading has been going on this month! We started with discussion about Katharine McMahon's novel The Crimson Rooms which everyone had enjoyed.The plot was good, the location fairly local, the period within our parents' memory and the writing was atmospheric.We are still not sure of the endings of this author's novels as we tend to interpret them in different ways so we shall have to ask her about them when she comes to speak at the BFWI Literary Lunch next June.We also resumed talk about Wolf Hall which is so long that it takes everyone time to read but I think our group deserve praise for completing the book: an article in the Telegraph reported that only two out of 35 readers questioned had managed to do this! I don't know how they could stop reading and now we hear there is to be a sequel. Obviously the author is planning to kill Thomas Cromwell off after all. I thought she would never be able to release him. The book which we had all been supposed to have been reading was the Olive Readers by Aziz which is one of these post Armageddon sort of novels.Here opinion was divided between those who were fascinated by it and those that thought it was absolutely ridiculous. The general theme was that the possession or lack of water would define the world of the future which is probably true but all the submarine rocket ships and bubbly globes and flashing lights was too much for some of us. We had also read The Glass Room by Simon Mawer which was about a house in Czechoslovakia built for an artistic rich family with Jewish connections and what befell the building and the family through the World Wars up to the present day. It was beautifully written and well researched.Another recent publication was The Angel's Game by Zafon which is a Gothic novel, very dark and powerful and complicated but a real page-turner of a novel.
26th August
No wonder this county is famous for ducks! The County Show suffered the same fate as the BFWI did for the Stowe Garden Party except the mud was worse. The WI had a reasonable amount of room this year and the competition for a Celebration entry was eye-catching. There was plenty to see and do in the marquee. Our WI won no prizes but at least we did better than the 100 other WIs who never even tried. Unfortunately for the organising committee the attendance was only half that of last year but one presumes the losses can be set against other years.The Bucks County Show is said to be one of the best nationally so it would be a pity to lose it.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Friday, 13 August 2010
Singing in the rain
12th August
A slightly different group of the local WI members met tonight to plan the fund-raising event booked for the end of October. As usual we are sharing the proceeds with a local good cause: this time, the fund to refurbish the meeting room on the Square where the WI used to meet for many years until it outgrew the premises and got fed up with regularly blowing the fuses when switching on the speakers' projectors! We are trying to make sure that very few members have to be incarcerated in the kitchen and so miss all the fun. Of course the more we do ourselves the more profit there will be, but there comes a point when one has to recognise that we are taking advantage of our willing helpers. So this time we are shopping around for labour-saving services whenever possible---naturally we are not going to lose our excellent reputation for delicious desserts.
11th August
The discussion group met today and spent two hours talking about "respect". I heard once that part of the examination for one of the older universities was a three hour paper on one abstract word such as "charity" or "mercy". It took two hours for 7 people to discuss "respect" and it was extremely entertaining as well as raising concerns on the loss of many outward signs of respect and, more seriously, it was thought that the whole concept seems to be in danger of disappearing.We ranged from respect for age, authority, place, religion to the worth of history. We took in the recent cases where the stepping stones in Dovedale have been lifted up with lumps of cement and an ancient bridleway on Exmoor which is to be covered in concrete, all for health and safety reasons.The discussion was not all negative because we found out who was still admired and respected by those present which as you may imagine caused some argument!
10th August
After all that IT RAINED, almost from start to finish! The spirit of the Blitz took over and everyone made the best of it and agreed that it was a wonderful day.There were about 1300 people at Stowe to celebrate the Bucks Federation's 90th anniversary. Seventeen coaches massed in the carpark. The tents and marquees proved themselves watertight and the Temple provided cover for the needlework exhibits and the lovely birthday cake. The trade stalls were interesting and the children enjoyed the physics experiments at one stall as well as the games provided in the open. Some brave souls ventured into the grounds to see the lake and count temples. The church was welcoming and the sound of the bells was lovely. A small group gave an impromptu rendition of Jerusalem in the church attracted by the echo.The brass band played manfully throughout the afternoon; the sale of Pimms was brisk because they had to be drunk in competition with the wasps which always head for the Pimms tent at any event.The picnics in the competition were beautiful if a bit bedraggled by the rain and the Group and WI stalls provided lots for people to see and buy.Beneath dripping umbrellas everyone talked and laughed and appreciated what had been arranged for the day. Well done to all who organised the day and it wasn't your fault it was the wettest day of the year in Bucks.
9th August
Today was spent by Executive members, committee members and helpers recruited into the workforce in setting up the WI event at Stowe Landscape Gardens. I think many members will have no idea of the enormity of planning such an event nor of the sheer physical strength needed by this party to put on an occasion like this. Where and when do you begin? Booking the venue and marquees and extra mobile loos; the tickets and the coaches; the band and the trade stalls are all matters outside the WI that have to be organised.Within the federation, a huge quantity of cake must be baked and one beautiful one iced and decorated for ceremonial cutting. Then there has to be a large van hired and some WI member has to be prepared to drive it. It has to be loaded with all the items from Stuart Lodge that the Executive and committees need for their stalls. Space has to be allocated inside the tents and once on site the tents have to erected. For this the WI member is at least a foot too short to fasten the fabric sides, hammers have to be wielded, safety concerns considered, tables carted about the site and draped.Never is that old cliche "Things don't just happen" more true than on occasions like this and I think we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Executive and to Betty Furner for masterminding such an event which will do us credit in the eyes of everyone who attends whether a WI member or a casual visitor. Thank you.
A slightly different group of the local WI members met tonight to plan the fund-raising event booked for the end of October. As usual we are sharing the proceeds with a local good cause: this time, the fund to refurbish the meeting room on the Square where the WI used to meet for many years until it outgrew the premises and got fed up with regularly blowing the fuses when switching on the speakers' projectors! We are trying to make sure that very few members have to be incarcerated in the kitchen and so miss all the fun. Of course the more we do ourselves the more profit there will be, but there comes a point when one has to recognise that we are taking advantage of our willing helpers. So this time we are shopping around for labour-saving services whenever possible---naturally we are not going to lose our excellent reputation for delicious desserts.
11th August
The discussion group met today and spent two hours talking about "respect". I heard once that part of the examination for one of the older universities was a three hour paper on one abstract word such as "charity" or "mercy". It took two hours for 7 people to discuss "respect" and it was extremely entertaining as well as raising concerns on the loss of many outward signs of respect and, more seriously, it was thought that the whole concept seems to be in danger of disappearing.We ranged from respect for age, authority, place, religion to the worth of history. We took in the recent cases where the stepping stones in Dovedale have been lifted up with lumps of cement and an ancient bridleway on Exmoor which is to be covered in concrete, all for health and safety reasons.The discussion was not all negative because we found out who was still admired and respected by those present which as you may imagine caused some argument!
10th August
After all that IT RAINED, almost from start to finish! The spirit of the Blitz took over and everyone made the best of it and agreed that it was a wonderful day.There were about 1300 people at Stowe to celebrate the Bucks Federation's 90th anniversary. Seventeen coaches massed in the carpark. The tents and marquees proved themselves watertight and the Temple provided cover for the needlework exhibits and the lovely birthday cake. The trade stalls were interesting and the children enjoyed the physics experiments at one stall as well as the games provided in the open. Some brave souls ventured into the grounds to see the lake and count temples. The church was welcoming and the sound of the bells was lovely. A small group gave an impromptu rendition of Jerusalem in the church attracted by the echo.The brass band played manfully throughout the afternoon; the sale of Pimms was brisk because they had to be drunk in competition with the wasps which always head for the Pimms tent at any event.The picnics in the competition were beautiful if a bit bedraggled by the rain and the Group and WI stalls provided lots for people to see and buy.Beneath dripping umbrellas everyone talked and laughed and appreciated what had been arranged for the day. Well done to all who organised the day and it wasn't your fault it was the wettest day of the year in Bucks.
9th August
Today was spent by Executive members, committee members and helpers recruited into the workforce in setting up the WI event at Stowe Landscape Gardens. I think many members will have no idea of the enormity of planning such an event nor of the sheer physical strength needed by this party to put on an occasion like this. Where and when do you begin? Booking the venue and marquees and extra mobile loos; the tickets and the coaches; the band and the trade stalls are all matters outside the WI that have to be organised.Within the federation, a huge quantity of cake must be baked and one beautiful one iced and decorated for ceremonial cutting. Then there has to be a large van hired and some WI member has to be prepared to drive it. It has to be loaded with all the items from Stuart Lodge that the Executive and committees need for their stalls. Space has to be allocated inside the tents and once on site the tents have to erected. For this the WI member is at least a foot too short to fasten the fabric sides, hammers have to be wielded, safety concerns considered, tables carted about the site and draped.Never is that old cliche "Things don't just happen" more true than on occasions like this and I think we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Executive and to Betty Furner for masterminding such an event which will do us credit in the eyes of everyone who attends whether a WI member or a casual visitor. Thank you.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
In the eyes of the public
27th July
Here we are, not yet in the silly season for the media, and one cannot open a national paper without there being some mention of the WI! I exaggerate of course but the WI has had a very busy month for promotional articles which makes up in a way for the tiny mention of the AGM in Cardiff. Our National Chairman, Ruth Bond was interviewed on Breakfast TV about the planned launch in October of the Harmonies' album The Voices of the WI.The members who attended the AGM were recorded singing Jerusalem as one part of the album. Apparently Universal Records has invested £1 million in this project so we had better buy it for all our relatives to get it on to the top record charts. There has also been a lot of publicity for the cakes which are going to appear in supermarkets acknowledging the WI recipes used but not, I hasten to add, actually cooked by WI members --that is still the province of Country Markets and us locals."Young, hip and part of the WI" was the heading for another feature on our membership growth based on a reporter's visit to the new WI in Islington with a photo of pretty, lively faces enjoying an evening at their meeting. That article was followed by an explanation in another paper of why we couldn't directly collect for Help the Heroes because of our charitable status. Although members had been sending goodies out to the troops for several years and supported the forces in every way they could, they are not allowed to contribute anything from their funds into the monies of another charitable organisation. And then, blow me! featured in a glossy supplement, there was an ex-Bucks WI president looking absolutely gorgeous (and we who knew her in that role know exactly how old she is) interviewed about her life on the Continent as a very popular DJ. So it is not the young WI member who is hip but also the longstanding one! My sister-in-law and two friends wandered mistakenly into a WI meeting in Cumbria thinking they were going to support a friend in the mobile theatre visit to the village.They were made very welcome and although they got rather giggly when they realised their mistake, they didn't know how to get out without appearing very rude so they stayed and enjoyed a talk about hats.Well, you never know maybe they will become members after this chance encounter.
20th July
The local WI book group met today. It was too hot to sit outside so we retreated indoors. Several people had read "Once a Landgirl" by Angela Huth which was much lighter than our recent selected novels. We suspected that the author having concentrated on one of the girls from the original book, might very well produce stories based on the lives of the two other girls. We didn't feel it held our interest as well as the first book because Prue's life had become just another rather amusing take on a girl's search for love in post war Britain.We had also been reading Crimson Rooms by Katherine McMahon but because not everyone had had sight of a copy, we have held discussion of that title over until next time. However as one member declared it the best novel she had read for ages, I think we have picked a winner here.A few had been reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Martel which is a wonderful historical novel based on the life of Thomas Cromwell. No wonder it won the Booker Prize as it is a wonderful novel which keeps one reading far into the night. The good thing too for us is that it has been done as an audio book so our member with sight problems could listen, although she had to get a member of the family to produce a character chart for her. It is confusing because Henry VIII gave out titles and posts at such regular intervals that one has to concentrate on who is being addressed in conversation. Although the novel covers only the time when the king was trying to obtain a divorce from his first wife until Anne Boleyn's miscarriage, it is a fascinating account of the intrigues at court and Cromwell's rise to power. The character of Cromwell is so appealing that I don't think the author could bring herself to recount his subsequent fall from grace and end.
8th July
The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met today. Committees receive a bad press.Who was it that said"Committees are made up of the unwilling, chosen from the unfit to do the unnecessary"? However the WI wouldn't manage on any level without them: they can be enjoyable and rewarding meetings. It is good when what has caused a lot of work goes well and people are appreciative. This was certainly so over our committee's Henry VIII day and the recent Nature Ramble. So of course we set about planning events for the rest of the year and 2011 which we hope members will support and enjoy.Following the meeting we had a short presentation from the Bucks County Council on the provision of help to women (and men) suffering from domestic violence, especially those in rural areas. The NFWI survey carried out last year had made everyone aware of the incidence of this problem.The WI is a valuable source of information and power for good on family issues so to question and ignore the information wrung from individuals is to be guilty of stuffing unpleasant truths under a cosy pillow of respectability.If we think back to colleagues at work, friends, children unable to go swimming in case their bruises are noted, cross generation abuse where the elderly relative suffers rough handling and calculated mental cruelty, who can say she is unaware of the problem or doubt its frequency? Uncomfortable knowledge it may be, but if the WI can do anything to help, it should.How can we call ourselves a caring organisation if we turn our backs on those suffering from domestic violence?
Here we are, not yet in the silly season for the media, and one cannot open a national paper without there being some mention of the WI! I exaggerate of course but the WI has had a very busy month for promotional articles which makes up in a way for the tiny mention of the AGM in Cardiff. Our National Chairman, Ruth Bond was interviewed on Breakfast TV about the planned launch in October of the Harmonies' album The Voices of the WI.The members who attended the AGM were recorded singing Jerusalem as one part of the album. Apparently Universal Records has invested £1 million in this project so we had better buy it for all our relatives to get it on to the top record charts. There has also been a lot of publicity for the cakes which are going to appear in supermarkets acknowledging the WI recipes used but not, I hasten to add, actually cooked by WI members --that is still the province of Country Markets and us locals."Young, hip and part of the WI" was the heading for another feature on our membership growth based on a reporter's visit to the new WI in Islington with a photo of pretty, lively faces enjoying an evening at their meeting. That article was followed by an explanation in another paper of why we couldn't directly collect for Help the Heroes because of our charitable status. Although members had been sending goodies out to the troops for several years and supported the forces in every way they could, they are not allowed to contribute anything from their funds into the monies of another charitable organisation. And then, blow me! featured in a glossy supplement, there was an ex-Bucks WI president looking absolutely gorgeous (and we who knew her in that role know exactly how old she is) interviewed about her life on the Continent as a very popular DJ. So it is not the young WI member who is hip but also the longstanding one! My sister-in-law and two friends wandered mistakenly into a WI meeting in Cumbria thinking they were going to support a friend in the mobile theatre visit to the village.They were made very welcome and although they got rather giggly when they realised their mistake, they didn't know how to get out without appearing very rude so they stayed and enjoyed a talk about hats.Well, you never know maybe they will become members after this chance encounter.
20th July
The local WI book group met today. It was too hot to sit outside so we retreated indoors. Several people had read "Once a Landgirl" by Angela Huth which was much lighter than our recent selected novels. We suspected that the author having concentrated on one of the girls from the original book, might very well produce stories based on the lives of the two other girls. We didn't feel it held our interest as well as the first book because Prue's life had become just another rather amusing take on a girl's search for love in post war Britain.We had also been reading Crimson Rooms by Katherine McMahon but because not everyone had had sight of a copy, we have held discussion of that title over until next time. However as one member declared it the best novel she had read for ages, I think we have picked a winner here.A few had been reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Martel which is a wonderful historical novel based on the life of Thomas Cromwell. No wonder it won the Booker Prize as it is a wonderful novel which keeps one reading far into the night. The good thing too for us is that it has been done as an audio book so our member with sight problems could listen, although she had to get a member of the family to produce a character chart for her. It is confusing because Henry VIII gave out titles and posts at such regular intervals that one has to concentrate on who is being addressed in conversation. Although the novel covers only the time when the king was trying to obtain a divorce from his first wife until Anne Boleyn's miscarriage, it is a fascinating account of the intrigues at court and Cromwell's rise to power. The character of Cromwell is so appealing that I don't think the author could bring herself to recount his subsequent fall from grace and end.
8th July
The Education and Current Affairs sub-committee met today. Committees receive a bad press.Who was it that said"Committees are made up of the unwilling, chosen from the unfit to do the unnecessary"? However the WI wouldn't manage on any level without them: they can be enjoyable and rewarding meetings. It is good when what has caused a lot of work goes well and people are appreciative. This was certainly so over our committee's Henry VIII day and the recent Nature Ramble. So of course we set about planning events for the rest of the year and 2011 which we hope members will support and enjoy.Following the meeting we had a short presentation from the Bucks County Council on the provision of help to women (and men) suffering from domestic violence, especially those in rural areas. The NFWI survey carried out last year had made everyone aware of the incidence of this problem.The WI is a valuable source of information and power for good on family issues so to question and ignore the information wrung from individuals is to be guilty of stuffing unpleasant truths under a cosy pillow of respectability.If we think back to colleagues at work, friends, children unable to go swimming in case their bruises are noted, cross generation abuse where the elderly relative suffers rough handling and calculated mental cruelty, who can say she is unaware of the problem or doubt its frequency? Uncomfortable knowledge it may be, but if the WI can do anything to help, it should.How can we call ourselves a caring organisation if we turn our backs on those suffering from domestic violence?
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Normal service has been resumed
29th June
Dear Reader, I rather hope that you have missed me throughout this month but the truth of the matter has been that for some reason or other, best known to itself, the family computer died. Technology is all very well until it goes wrong. What worries me is that we are forever being encouraged to rely on the www. and to become a paperless society without taking into account what happens when information technology fails or is sabotaged. And as for doing away with cheques...the mind boggles! Isn't it galling to have to visit someone who one thinks would make a lovely grandson, if one needed any more, for advice and rescue?
22nd June
I joined around 60 WI members on one of the summer rambles arranged by the Leisure and Performing Arts sub-committee. These rambles are very popular because one gets to walk in areas not usually explored previously by the walkers and there is always good food at the end. The Steeple Claydon ramble was exactly so. We were walking in lovely green countryside, plenty of trees, few stiles and dry underfoot. We passed in front of Claydon House where people were scattered about the grounds drinking Pimms and listening to jazz from the drawing room. It was a beautiful summer evening and we were able to escape from the TV's post mortems on the budget. I hear many WIs are well advanced on the Triathlon organised by NFWI for this summer. I reckon our WI should not have decided to give it a miss because although we are short of cyclists, we could have shared a bike and done short runs along the cycle track and reached the desired mileage probably in relative safety. It is not too late---we have until October after all.
21st June
The Chairmen and Secretaries of the sub-committees met down at Stuart Lodge this morning. The purpose of this meeting is to reinforce the "house style" for BFWI as there are always a few changes in office every year. It was useful this time as our Treasurer explained some of the rules about VAT charges in respect to county meetings. The federations are VAT rated and the part of the subscription which we as WIs pay to the BFWI incurs VAT. We are also being encouraged to use e-mails as much as possible to cut down on the rising postage costs.
15th June
The local WI reading group met today to discuss "Lighthousekeepig" by Jeanette Winterson. It is a short novel completely different to the author's other works and I thought it was wonderful; so poetic and so imaginatively original. I read it through twice and even made notes of favourite parts but quite a few people present hadn't bothered to finish it. It had been a bit confusing to listen to on tape for our nearly blind member but she enlisted her husband's help to point out the chapter or story breaks from the written copy: the professional reader had not made this clear. The arrangements of the chapters had confused another reader but in spite of that she had enjoyed the novel. But I wish more had persevered because we ended up talking about odds and ends which had been read during the month and I felt thwarted!
14th June
The Education and Current Affairs day called "Henry VIII and All That" at Cheddington was a great success which I know I shouldn't say as I was so heavily involved in its running. But it was: the speakers were excellent, the jester was made welcome at lunchtime, the food was good and the caretaker had had curtains made for the top lights especially for the WI following our remarks after the Holland Day. The screen showed up better in spite of the bright sunshine. We had all worked very hard on this event. The cooking alone had been going on for days beforehand and just to serve out and clear away after 180 people is a logistical nightmare. It also means that the committee members see and hear very little of the proceedings that they have so carefully planned. However, it becomes worth it when members stop to say "Well done" or write/e-mail to congratulate us. We learned a lot from our speakers and hopefully it will encourage members to visit Hampton Court with us in September.
9th June
The local WI Discussion Group met this evening to work its way through a conversation kit on the whys and wherefores of electronic health record data banks. This is a topical subject as the government is discussing this at the end of the month. We have sent up our thoughts to be included in its consultation. Our WI is fortunate to have members with experience in the Health Service past and present so we benefitted form their input. It is a subject worth thinking about as you may not be aware that already the data bank holds a lot of medical information about us without needing to consult us at all about whether we want to opt out or not. Ask your doctor as practices vary.
8th June
Of course, it rained today! Whenever our WI decides to go al fresco, it rains. It was our part of the NFWI's national coffee morning week. There was a good turn out in spite of the weather and we have probably contributed a reasonable sum towards an educational bursary.
Dear Reader, I rather hope that you have missed me throughout this month but the truth of the matter has been that for some reason or other, best known to itself, the family computer died. Technology is all very well until it goes wrong. What worries me is that we are forever being encouraged to rely on the www. and to become a paperless society without taking into account what happens when information technology fails or is sabotaged. And as for doing away with cheques...the mind boggles! Isn't it galling to have to visit someone who one thinks would make a lovely grandson, if one needed any more, for advice and rescue?
22nd June
I joined around 60 WI members on one of the summer rambles arranged by the Leisure and Performing Arts sub-committee. These rambles are very popular because one gets to walk in areas not usually explored previously by the walkers and there is always good food at the end. The Steeple Claydon ramble was exactly so. We were walking in lovely green countryside, plenty of trees, few stiles and dry underfoot. We passed in front of Claydon House where people were scattered about the grounds drinking Pimms and listening to jazz from the drawing room. It was a beautiful summer evening and we were able to escape from the TV's post mortems on the budget. I hear many WIs are well advanced on the Triathlon organised by NFWI for this summer. I reckon our WI should not have decided to give it a miss because although we are short of cyclists, we could have shared a bike and done short runs along the cycle track and reached the desired mileage probably in relative safety. It is not too late---we have until October after all.
21st June
The Chairmen and Secretaries of the sub-committees met down at Stuart Lodge this morning. The purpose of this meeting is to reinforce the "house style" for BFWI as there are always a few changes in office every year. It was useful this time as our Treasurer explained some of the rules about VAT charges in respect to county meetings. The federations are VAT rated and the part of the subscription which we as WIs pay to the BFWI incurs VAT. We are also being encouraged to use e-mails as much as possible to cut down on the rising postage costs.
15th June
The local WI reading group met today to discuss "Lighthousekeepig" by Jeanette Winterson. It is a short novel completely different to the author's other works and I thought it was wonderful; so poetic and so imaginatively original. I read it through twice and even made notes of favourite parts but quite a few people present hadn't bothered to finish it. It had been a bit confusing to listen to on tape for our nearly blind member but she enlisted her husband's help to point out the chapter or story breaks from the written copy: the professional reader had not made this clear. The arrangements of the chapters had confused another reader but in spite of that she had enjoyed the novel. But I wish more had persevered because we ended up talking about odds and ends which had been read during the month and I felt thwarted!
14th June
The Education and Current Affairs day called "Henry VIII and All That" at Cheddington was a great success which I know I shouldn't say as I was so heavily involved in its running. But it was: the speakers were excellent, the jester was made welcome at lunchtime, the food was good and the caretaker had had curtains made for the top lights especially for the WI following our remarks after the Holland Day. The screen showed up better in spite of the bright sunshine. We had all worked very hard on this event. The cooking alone had been going on for days beforehand and just to serve out and clear away after 180 people is a logistical nightmare. It also means that the committee members see and hear very little of the proceedings that they have so carefully planned. However, it becomes worth it when members stop to say "Well done" or write/e-mail to congratulate us. We learned a lot from our speakers and hopefully it will encourage members to visit Hampton Court with us in September.
9th June
The local WI Discussion Group met this evening to work its way through a conversation kit on the whys and wherefores of electronic health record data banks. This is a topical subject as the government is discussing this at the end of the month. We have sent up our thoughts to be included in its consultation. Our WI is fortunate to have members with experience in the Health Service past and present so we benefitted form their input. It is a subject worth thinking about as you may not be aware that already the data bank holds a lot of medical information about us without needing to consult us at all about whether we want to opt out or not. Ask your doctor as practices vary.
8th June
Of course, it rained today! Whenever our WI decides to go al fresco, it rains. It was our part of the NFWI's national coffee morning week. There was a good turn out in spite of the weather and we have probably contributed a reasonable sum towards an educational bursary.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
One thing after another
13th May
Every two years at the beginning of May, the members of the various sub-committees in BFWI are appointed to serve for another two years. Every year in May they give themselves a shake and change officers or responsibilities.So today Education and Current Affairs met to sort itself out for another year.Unfortunately we are losing our Chairman and the sub-committee is below strength anyway at the moment and we are running up to a very active summer with big events planned. This will mean us calling in promises from helpers outside. I wish we could get some more volunteers to join us but we seem to suffer from an unfortunate image. People think we are a load of blue stockings and therefore either dull or forbidding. And we are not at all like that. Our meetings are lively and the events we plan are popular but still this idea persists. So go on prove me wrong and make enquiries: it is only six meetings a year!
Great was the rejoicing that we have won a grant to buy a laptop to go with our recent purchase of the projector which many of you saw in use at the Celebration Lunch at Newton Longville. The trip to Paris had gone well and there was talk of a follow-up to another European attraction. There are events planned for this year and next at Denman College. However the bulk of the meeting was taken up with arrangements for our Tudor Day, Henry VIII and All That which is over-subscribed. If you missed a ticket, think if you had been on the committee you would have been able to attend!
12th May
The local WI held its second Discussion Group evening and although we had come ready to talk about packaging and labelling as per this year's resolution, the subjects discussed were far-ranging. We have decided to try to bring to every meeting to start us off some item either in the media or in real life that has amused us. This practice can torpedo the whole evening but it is a good way to make people relax, along with the wine of course.We did discuss packaging but also the lack of parity in payments in for leave and allowances to natural parents and adopting parents. And of course keeping party politics out of it, we reviewed the TV coverage of the election and reminisced on elections of former years without the media coverage.
11th May
The County Library had come up trumps this time with enough copies of "The View from Castle Rock" by Alice Munro for us all to read at the same time and an audio version too. The majority enjoyed this very different way of approaching one's own family history---turn most of it into short stories. This method brought home the privations of the early Scottish settlers in Canada. Life was tough in those days; the women were amazingly strong physically and mentally just to cope with the everyday struggle against the elements, the frequent childbirths and the early loss of life. We have the Angela Huth "Once a Landgirl " in hand for next time and "Lighthousekeeping" which sounds intriguing.Our group is comfortably sized at ten members which means that even when folks are away on holiday there is a good number present. Also of course, we need time to discuss the travel as well, so we should call absentees fieldworkers.
10th May
The local WI craft group spent the afternoon pooling resources for the BFWI competition "Celebration". We have decided on our theme, now it is what to include and what to leave out, what accessories will be allowed. We didn't have time to actually do anything with a needle and thread this afternoon.
5th May
Resolution evening tonight at the monthly meeting. Members are a bit disappointed that there is only the one going up to the NFWI AGM at Cardiff next month. We entertained a member from a neighbouring WI who is to represent us this year as our delegate. Our Vice-Chairman took us through the resolution and we did agree with it in the main, although some members would have preferred it if the one about flood management had been chosen. One of our members brought up an issue about allowances for adopting parents and it was decided to write to our MP as soon as we knew who he/she was to be, to seek for support when the social welfare scheme is next reviewed. As there are only 4000 adoptions in UK per year, it was thought too small a subject to go up as a resolution for next year.
We were disappointed that our nominee for the community award in the town had not won so in true WI fashion we made enquiries about the system of choosing the winner so that we wouldn't risk being unsuccessful another year! Our new venue is proving comfortable and we will probably benefit from its garden space if we stage a barbeque-type meeting in August to replace our missed meeting because of the snow in January.
Disappointingly no one would mastermind the WI tent at the Winslow Show so for the first time for more than 20 years there will be no WI presence on August Bank Holiday Monday. The trouble is that the people who do things are also doing them for other town organisations and we shouldn't grumble at that but wouldn't it be wonderful if someone who had never done anything like that before suddenly volunteered...and pigs might fly!
Every two years at the beginning of May, the members of the various sub-committees in BFWI are appointed to serve for another two years. Every year in May they give themselves a shake and change officers or responsibilities.So today Education and Current Affairs met to sort itself out for another year.Unfortunately we are losing our Chairman and the sub-committee is below strength anyway at the moment and we are running up to a very active summer with big events planned. This will mean us calling in promises from helpers outside. I wish we could get some more volunteers to join us but we seem to suffer from an unfortunate image. People think we are a load of blue stockings and therefore either dull or forbidding. And we are not at all like that. Our meetings are lively and the events we plan are popular but still this idea persists. So go on prove me wrong and make enquiries: it is only six meetings a year!
Great was the rejoicing that we have won a grant to buy a laptop to go with our recent purchase of the projector which many of you saw in use at the Celebration Lunch at Newton Longville. The trip to Paris had gone well and there was talk of a follow-up to another European attraction. There are events planned for this year and next at Denman College. However the bulk of the meeting was taken up with arrangements for our Tudor Day, Henry VIII and All That which is over-subscribed. If you missed a ticket, think if you had been on the committee you would have been able to attend!
12th May
The local WI held its second Discussion Group evening and although we had come ready to talk about packaging and labelling as per this year's resolution, the subjects discussed were far-ranging. We have decided to try to bring to every meeting to start us off some item either in the media or in real life that has amused us. This practice can torpedo the whole evening but it is a good way to make people relax, along with the wine of course.We did discuss packaging but also the lack of parity in payments in for leave and allowances to natural parents and adopting parents. And of course keeping party politics out of it, we reviewed the TV coverage of the election and reminisced on elections of former years without the media coverage.
11th May
The County Library had come up trumps this time with enough copies of "The View from Castle Rock" by Alice Munro for us all to read at the same time and an audio version too. The majority enjoyed this very different way of approaching one's own family history---turn most of it into short stories. This method brought home the privations of the early Scottish settlers in Canada. Life was tough in those days; the women were amazingly strong physically and mentally just to cope with the everyday struggle against the elements, the frequent childbirths and the early loss of life. We have the Angela Huth "Once a Landgirl " in hand for next time and "Lighthousekeeping" which sounds intriguing.Our group is comfortably sized at ten members which means that even when folks are away on holiday there is a good number present. Also of course, we need time to discuss the travel as well, so we should call absentees fieldworkers.
10th May
The local WI craft group spent the afternoon pooling resources for the BFWI competition "Celebration". We have decided on our theme, now it is what to include and what to leave out, what accessories will be allowed. We didn't have time to actually do anything with a needle and thread this afternoon.
5th May
Resolution evening tonight at the monthly meeting. Members are a bit disappointed that there is only the one going up to the NFWI AGM at Cardiff next month. We entertained a member from a neighbouring WI who is to represent us this year as our delegate. Our Vice-Chairman took us through the resolution and we did agree with it in the main, although some members would have preferred it if the one about flood management had been chosen. One of our members brought up an issue about allowances for adopting parents and it was decided to write to our MP as soon as we knew who he/she was to be, to seek for support when the social welfare scheme is next reviewed. As there are only 4000 adoptions in UK per year, it was thought too small a subject to go up as a resolution for next year.
We were disappointed that our nominee for the community award in the town had not won so in true WI fashion we made enquiries about the system of choosing the winner so that we wouldn't risk being unsuccessful another year! Our new venue is proving comfortable and we will probably benefit from its garden space if we stage a barbeque-type meeting in August to replace our missed meeting because of the snow in January.
Disappointingly no one would mastermind the WI tent at the Winslow Show so for the first time for more than 20 years there will be no WI presence on August Bank Holiday Monday. The trouble is that the people who do things are also doing them for other town organisations and we shouldn't grumble at that but wouldn't it be wonderful if someone who had never done anything like that before suddenly volunteered...and pigs might fly!
Monday, 26 April 2010
April in Paris
21st April
Today the local WI entertained itself with another session of playreading. We read two short plays which were quite enjoyable and not too dated in spite of being sets which were physically pretty old. We are now going to explore the idea of using the Bucks County Library playsets (if they still exist) as it would be expensive to buy sets unless we were seriously thinking of putting on a production.Our WI used to be very strong on drama but besides winning the South East Region WI competition about 10 years ago we have avoided the stage since.Most of that original cast are still members but they are all short of spare time for the commitment to rehearsals and evening presentations.
16th-19th April in Paris
We will all remember the date of the volcanic ash alert because that was the weekend Bucks WI members travelled to Paris by Eurostar to celebrate in style the 90th anniversary of the Bucks Federation of WIs.Thirty of us left St Pancras International on the Friday morning, arrived in Paris at 2.30pm local time and stopped the traffic as we crossed to our coach outside the Gare du Nord. Our guide said it had never been done before but we explained we always did that at the Albert Hall! We enjoyed a three hour tour of the city in gorgeous sunshine with our lovely guide. We checked in to the hotel and then walked to a nearby restaurant for a celebratory dinner. You can imagine the level of noise and chatter in there but we did stop for a few minutes to drink a toast to BFWI.We got lost on the way home ---the wine may have had something to do with that! It certainly seemed farther and we had to ask for directions quite often.
Next morning 14 of us went with Elizabeth, our guide to Versailles. We travelled on the RER public transport system and our fare seemed to get smaller by the minute as Elizabeth did deals with the ticket office. We had great adventures with the closing doors on the train but all arrived safely if slightly bruised at the palace. And the sunshine was wonderful, lighting up all the gold on the gates and in the rooms inside. After a lunch sitting outside on the pavement of a good restaurant, we explored the palace gardens and wandered about in the sunshine. Our guide took some members back to the hotel while two of us attempted to go up the Eifel Tower. Actually we just looked at the queue and found out it would be a 2 hour wait for a lift, so decided to find another cafe outside in the sun instead.
While we were away the others had explored museums, art galleries and visited the Galeries Lafayette for le shopping.
Next day sun still shining, 20 of us boarded a bateau mouche and glided down the Seine listening to a commentary in 7 different languages. After that everyone went off in different directions to view the Louvre collection, the gardens or the Impressionist paintings at the Musee d'Orsay.
The travellers tended to gather together in the hotel garden in the evening to plan further forays or to talk over what they had done. People were sitting out until 10pm like starlings gathering before bedtime.Other guests were stranded trying to get coaches and trains home. One party from Finland left to endure a 30 hour coach journey; we never found out how some girls from the Balkans were going to make it.
Next day we had until 3.30pm before joining the coach to return to the station which was packed with people trying to board trains as their flights had been cancelled.People were queuing to get in to the station never mind get a ticket. Thank Goodness BFWI didn't decide to go by air! A young Irish couple helped us with our luggage on and off the train and several of the party thought they were Eurostar staff.I overheard one of the party doing a grand job promoting the WI. What an easy way it is to travel to Europe by Eurostar! I don't think I shall fly again.We arrived home tired but happy to find our local coach waiting to deliver us across the county.
From messages received on our return everyone seems well content with her short break: the hotel was good and the travel firm that took us had thought of everything to ensure that we enjoyed ourselves---even the weather.
Today the local WI entertained itself with another session of playreading. We read two short plays which were quite enjoyable and not too dated in spite of being sets which were physically pretty old. We are now going to explore the idea of using the Bucks County Library playsets (if they still exist) as it would be expensive to buy sets unless we were seriously thinking of putting on a production.Our WI used to be very strong on drama but besides winning the South East Region WI competition about 10 years ago we have avoided the stage since.Most of that original cast are still members but they are all short of spare time for the commitment to rehearsals and evening presentations.
16th-19th April in Paris
We will all remember the date of the volcanic ash alert because that was the weekend Bucks WI members travelled to Paris by Eurostar to celebrate in style the 90th anniversary of the Bucks Federation of WIs.Thirty of us left St Pancras International on the Friday morning, arrived in Paris at 2.30pm local time and stopped the traffic as we crossed to our coach outside the Gare du Nord. Our guide said it had never been done before but we explained we always did that at the Albert Hall! We enjoyed a three hour tour of the city in gorgeous sunshine with our lovely guide. We checked in to the hotel and then walked to a nearby restaurant for a celebratory dinner. You can imagine the level of noise and chatter in there but we did stop for a few minutes to drink a toast to BFWI.We got lost on the way home ---the wine may have had something to do with that! It certainly seemed farther and we had to ask for directions quite often.
Next morning 14 of us went with Elizabeth, our guide to Versailles. We travelled on the RER public transport system and our fare seemed to get smaller by the minute as Elizabeth did deals with the ticket office. We had great adventures with the closing doors on the train but all arrived safely if slightly bruised at the palace. And the sunshine was wonderful, lighting up all the gold on the gates and in the rooms inside. After a lunch sitting outside on the pavement of a good restaurant, we explored the palace gardens and wandered about in the sunshine. Our guide took some members back to the hotel while two of us attempted to go up the Eifel Tower. Actually we just looked at the queue and found out it would be a 2 hour wait for a lift, so decided to find another cafe outside in the sun instead.
While we were away the others had explored museums, art galleries and visited the Galeries Lafayette for le shopping.
Next day sun still shining, 20 of us boarded a bateau mouche and glided down the Seine listening to a commentary in 7 different languages. After that everyone went off in different directions to view the Louvre collection, the gardens or the Impressionist paintings at the Musee d'Orsay.
The travellers tended to gather together in the hotel garden in the evening to plan further forays or to talk over what they had done. People were sitting out until 10pm like starlings gathering before bedtime.Other guests were stranded trying to get coaches and trains home. One party from Finland left to endure a 30 hour coach journey; we never found out how some girls from the Balkans were going to make it.
Next day we had until 3.30pm before joining the coach to return to the station which was packed with people trying to board trains as their flights had been cancelled.People were queuing to get in to the station never mind get a ticket. Thank Goodness BFWI didn't decide to go by air! A young Irish couple helped us with our luggage on and off the train and several of the party thought they were Eurostar staff.I overheard one of the party doing a grand job promoting the WI. What an easy way it is to travel to Europe by Eurostar! I don't think I shall fly again.We arrived home tired but happy to find our local coach waiting to deliver us across the county.
From messages received on our return everyone seems well content with her short break: the hotel was good and the travel firm that took us had thought of everything to ensure that we enjoyed ourselves---even the weather.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
31st March
A busy WI day today because the 90th Anniversary of Bucks WI Federation Celebration Lunch took place in Newton Longville. The hall was full to capacity and everyone had been allocated to a table so that there was no scramble for places. The meal was excellent, good portions and well cooked and leisurely.After the official toast there was continual chatter and the projector was showing the celebratory samplers which the WIs had submitted last year. It was a good occasion to show them off. After lunch Lyndsey Haubner talked about her experiences as an extra for films and TV which was an interesting insight into behind the scenes life in the theatrical world.
In the evening it was down town to watch Winslow WI's Fashion Parade. Again the hall was full to overflowing and the set-up was highly professional with a catwalk, musical accompaniment and a spotlight. The models were from our own WI plus a couple of young daughters drafted in and I don't think they will mind me saying that they were of all shapes and sizes and ages, real life people not these twiglike creatures seen parading in the fashion houses.There were stalls around the hall and the wine flowed. The clothes were from GreenHouse and they looked good and felt good too as several of the models bought outfits but left some for the rest of us! The commentary was excellent and the models really entered into the swing of the thing. It was good fun and attracted a lot of non-members from the town which is what we aim to do when holding a fund-raising event. I am told that the rehearsal in the afternoon was dire which just goes to show the truth of the saying that that presages a successful event.It was a resounding success and I think Winslow WI should be proud of itself.
30th March
The Book Group met this afternoon. We were slightly reduced in numbers because of illness but a good turn out really.The novel under discussion was "The Alchemist's Daughter" by Katherine MacMahon which was considered better than "The Rose of Sebastopol" which we had read the month before. People preferred the more definite ending to this book and enjoyed the historical setting. We talked about the theme of nature v. nurture and whether one could possibly in these times bring up a child in such isolation from the outside world even if one went along with home education. Also we wondered whether the heroine, when she showed the baby round her laboratory, was going to repeat her father's experiment with her education with the new child or whether the "we" has meaning herself and the local priest. So maybe the ending wasn't as straightforward as we at first believed. We learned quite a bit of physics too with this book! We are going to give this author a rest for a while and our next book is Alice Munro's "View from Castle Rock" and probably "Once a Landgirl" by Angela Huth.
A busy WI day today because the 90th Anniversary of Bucks WI Federation Celebration Lunch took place in Newton Longville. The hall was full to capacity and everyone had been allocated to a table so that there was no scramble for places. The meal was excellent, good portions and well cooked and leisurely.After the official toast there was continual chatter and the projector was showing the celebratory samplers which the WIs had submitted last year. It was a good occasion to show them off. After lunch Lyndsey Haubner talked about her experiences as an extra for films and TV which was an interesting insight into behind the scenes life in the theatrical world.
In the evening it was down town to watch Winslow WI's Fashion Parade. Again the hall was full to overflowing and the set-up was highly professional with a catwalk, musical accompaniment and a spotlight. The models were from our own WI plus a couple of young daughters drafted in and I don't think they will mind me saying that they were of all shapes and sizes and ages, real life people not these twiglike creatures seen parading in the fashion houses.There were stalls around the hall and the wine flowed. The clothes were from GreenHouse and they looked good and felt good too as several of the models bought outfits but left some for the rest of us! The commentary was excellent and the models really entered into the swing of the thing. It was good fun and attracted a lot of non-members from the town which is what we aim to do when holding a fund-raising event. I am told that the rehearsal in the afternoon was dire which just goes to show the truth of the saying that that presages a successful event.It was a resounding success and I think Winslow WI should be proud of itself.
30th March
The Book Group met this afternoon. We were slightly reduced in numbers because of illness but a good turn out really.The novel under discussion was "The Alchemist's Daughter" by Katherine MacMahon which was considered better than "The Rose of Sebastopol" which we had read the month before. People preferred the more definite ending to this book and enjoyed the historical setting. We talked about the theme of nature v. nurture and whether one could possibly in these times bring up a child in such isolation from the outside world even if one went along with home education. Also we wondered whether the heroine, when she showed the baby round her laboratory, was going to repeat her father's experiment with her education with the new child or whether the "we" has meaning herself and the local priest. So maybe the ending wasn't as straightforward as we at first believed. We learned quite a bit of physics too with this book! We are going to give this author a rest for a while and our next book is Alice Munro's "View from Castle Rock" and probably "Once a Landgirl" by Angela Huth.
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