Happy New Year to anyone who reads my blog! What do you think of the new picture heading? It is another gateway or door meant to signify an entrance into all the activities which the WI has to offer its members. OK. I admit it's a bit loose this time and one could be forgiven for thinking the path leads into a black hole but that wasn't my intended interpretation.
What with the weather and the Christmas festivities, it seems a long break from WI events but last week things picked up again.Did you pick up that article in the national press about the appointment of a male Federation Secretary in Gloucestershire? It gave the impression that this was unheard of but Bucks had a very popular gentleman employed as book-keeper for many years and not so long ago either. Also there was a really amusing item in one of the publicity hand-outs from Waitrose about a reporter who had taken part in a Keep Fit Boot Camp at Denman College under the direction of an ex-Army instructor.One of her comments was "There was no way if you were undertaking an activity with the WI you could quit".
13th January
The meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee took place today.We spent some time reviewing the Alternative Christmas lunch which had successfully enabled BFWI to reach the target for fund-raising for the ACWW project which it had adopted for 2009-2010.The WI collects Pennies for Friendship every year for ACWW (The Associated Countrywomen of the World), an organisation to which the WI is affiliated. The project which we have just completed was for a women's self-help agricultural group in Kenya.We know that members prefer to raise money for specific ends rather than just pay over to a general fund so we will enquire into what projects are available and choose one for the next two years.If any WI wanted a speaker about ACWW there is always someone available in BFWI who can do this.
As a committee in December we had learned how to use our new laptop and projector and would be putting this knowledge to the test at our Trees for Life event in March. We have some excellent speakers booked for this so hope we will get a good take-up there. It was pleasant to be planning summer events which has to be done well in advance. It was also good news to hear that the new County website is almost ready for launching.
12th January
The local WI always delays its first meeting of the year by one week to avoid clashing with the New Year bank holiday. Our speaker was also local in order to avoid possible bad weather. His subject was The Churches of Buckinghamshire so we were able to view in comfort the architectural treasures of our county, all bathed in warm sunshine in contrast to the weather outside.There were a lot of reports of events before Christmas which had been enjoyed and the new committee swung into action for the coming year. We welcomed 5 new members and 2 visitors which augurs well for 2011. The WI has now completed one year in its new venue so the President conducted a plus and minus debate on the change. There are always some members resistant to change but the majority realised that economically and in practice it had been the right thing to do. Although the meeting place in the town centre had been refurbished, it was not big enough for our membership if we wanted to use tables for displays, the raffle and the spread of information to which we have become accustomed. We need the space for people to feel they can circulate and not just sit throughout the evening. Our next meeting is a hands-on session with pottery clay---imagine that with no elbow room! We completed arrangements for a tour followed by a matinee at the new theatre in Aylesbury. The votes for our choice of resolution for the AGM at Liverpool this year were also collected up for forwarding to NFWI.There is also going to be a WI presence at the local meeting about the possible closure of the branch library in the town.
11th January
We started the New Year locally with a meeting of our WI Book Group. Of course we had all received books for Christmas so there was a deal of exchanging them as well as talk about The Interpretaion of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld which was our set book for the past month.This novel did lead to a long discussion as it was a complicated plot and very long novel too.We felt that sometimes it was too long because the author wanted to do an awful lot within the story. He is obviously very interested in the history of the birth of psychological analysis so he ties the action in with Freud and Jung's visit to America for a lecture tour in 1909. He also wants the reader to appreciate the growth of the city of New York not just physically but also as a business centre in the world.We learned a lot about the building of the Manhattan Bridge for instance. The murders were very gruesome and we came away from the book feeling a bit depressed as the whole of society, except the detective and one young psychologist, was corruptible for money or sex. Are we being naive in thinking things have changed? Anyway, it kept us talking and was successful in blending true events and characters with the fictional.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Monday, 13 December 2010
2010 comes to an end
9th December
One of the Bucks Federation's sub-committees met today for an IT surgery to learn about the new technology which it has bought so that its members will be able to wire up speakers in a blase fashion and without undue nervous tension.Everyone should be able to see the advantage of this training at future events.It was a successful and enjoyable session. We went on to explore the NFWI website with its Moodle (training scheme), our own Bucks Federation website which is heralded for release soon and then on to the National Chairman's blog and Twitter site. We came away screen-blind but very confident; so watch out you non-users of computers we are coming to get you involved too !
This will probably be my last entry on the blog for 2010. May I wish my readers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year with many enjoyable experiences shared in your WIs.How about a resolution for the new year to make a comment on this blog or to drop in on the WI websites at National, at Stuart Lodge and the numerous others across the county? I promise you wont feel a thing except a bit smug and deservedly so!
8th December
The discussion group members shook the snow from their boots and enjoyed a cosy evening talking about old wives tales and sayings.This was pretty light-hearted stuff after last month's talk of Care not Custody. Probably the most interesting part was the regional differences to the same saying. We almost strayed into a reprise of talk on superstitions and we came to realise that in the days before Health and Safety regulations the old wives were warning of the dangers around us in another way. What a lot were gloomy forecasts of disasters and evil designs in inanimate objects! We touched on the possible closure of our library and agreed to talk about that at our next meeting.
7th December
The book group met this afternoon and of course there was quite a bit of discussion about the possible closure of the local branch library. It would certainly be a great miss for our group as we depend on the Library Service for our multiple copies of books to read.We do sometimes buy in bulk when titles are on offer but on the whole we rely on the library. The book we had all read was The House at Riverton by Kate Morton which suffered slightly from its resemblance to Downton Abbey recently covered on ITV. Actually it had similarities with those kind of family sagas such as the Forsyte Saga and Upstairs, Downstairs: not surprisingly as we recognised that authors were using the same sources for the background of their stories. One of the references in Riverton was a book written by a maid from Gayhurst House near Tyrringham which is local to us. I tried to find it in the library stock but there isn't a copy available now.The book also had echoes of Rebecca and the Nancy Mitford books which are all treating the same period but it was well constructed, keeping its secret until the end and making everyone finish the book.
6th December
Some of our local WI members went out for a Christmas Dinner together tonight. We invite partners to these events as they are not a bona fide part of the membership and not every member wants to attend. It is a way of saying thank you for all the phone calls our partners answer, the chair-moving and the provision of a shoulder to weep on when everything WI seems in danger of going pear-shaped.These parties are always very noisy affairs and good fun. The food was excellent again this year and we hire the community bus so that no one need worry about being found driving under the influence of drink which would be very embarrassing and give the local press a gleeful opportunity for a really damaging headline.
One of the Bucks Federation's sub-committees met today for an IT surgery to learn about the new technology which it has bought so that its members will be able to wire up speakers in a blase fashion and without undue nervous tension.Everyone should be able to see the advantage of this training at future events.It was a successful and enjoyable session. We went on to explore the NFWI website with its Moodle (training scheme), our own Bucks Federation website which is heralded for release soon and then on to the National Chairman's blog and Twitter site. We came away screen-blind but very confident; so watch out you non-users of computers we are coming to get you involved too !
This will probably be my last entry on the blog for 2010. May I wish my readers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year with many enjoyable experiences shared in your WIs.How about a resolution for the new year to make a comment on this blog or to drop in on the WI websites at National, at Stuart Lodge and the numerous others across the county? I promise you wont feel a thing except a bit smug and deservedly so!
8th December
The discussion group members shook the snow from their boots and enjoyed a cosy evening talking about old wives tales and sayings.This was pretty light-hearted stuff after last month's talk of Care not Custody. Probably the most interesting part was the regional differences to the same saying. We almost strayed into a reprise of talk on superstitions and we came to realise that in the days before Health and Safety regulations the old wives were warning of the dangers around us in another way. What a lot were gloomy forecasts of disasters and evil designs in inanimate objects! We touched on the possible closure of our library and agreed to talk about that at our next meeting.
7th December
The book group met this afternoon and of course there was quite a bit of discussion about the possible closure of the local branch library. It would certainly be a great miss for our group as we depend on the Library Service for our multiple copies of books to read.We do sometimes buy in bulk when titles are on offer but on the whole we rely on the library. The book we had all read was The House at Riverton by Kate Morton which suffered slightly from its resemblance to Downton Abbey recently covered on ITV. Actually it had similarities with those kind of family sagas such as the Forsyte Saga and Upstairs, Downstairs: not surprisingly as we recognised that authors were using the same sources for the background of their stories. One of the references in Riverton was a book written by a maid from Gayhurst House near Tyrringham which is local to us. I tried to find it in the library stock but there isn't a copy available now.The book also had echoes of Rebecca and the Nancy Mitford books which are all treating the same period but it was well constructed, keeping its secret until the end and making everyone finish the book.
6th December
Some of our local WI members went out for a Christmas Dinner together tonight. We invite partners to these events as they are not a bona fide part of the membership and not every member wants to attend. It is a way of saying thank you for all the phone calls our partners answer, the chair-moving and the provision of a shoulder to weep on when everything WI seems in danger of going pear-shaped.These parties are always very noisy affairs and good fun. The food was excellent again this year and we hire the community bus so that no one need worry about being found driving under the influence of drink which would be very embarrassing and give the local press a gleeful opportunity for a really damaging headline.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Music to our ears
3rd December
The final event of the BFWI 90th anniversary took place at Haddenham this evening when a Christmas Concert was held in the local church.The BFWI certainly knows how to choose dramatic weather for its events. We will never forget the rain at Stowe and, not now, the cold at Haddenham. The walk across to the floodlit church over crunchy snow beside the frozen pond really set a Christmas feeling to the evening. The Aylesbury Concert Band played seasonal music and accompanied the singing.The playing of the Haddenham Handbell Ringers was so clear and silvery and sounded lovely in the church.How the players in the band managed to play the right notes with icy fingers I don't know: the temperature was just above freezing because the tower under scaffolding for repairs was open to the four winds and at least two were blowing cold air through the building. Luckily the music was great, especially the duets by Jacqueline and Susan, and the readings were amusing so we began to forget about the cold. It was so good to hear some WI produced music which has been missing recently in WI events.It was only as we headed into a snow storm on the way home that I realised I was warm enough to feel my toes!
It was also very heartening to hear in the concert interval that it is possible that following the promotional activities at the "Calendar Girls" we may be about to witness the birth of a new WI in Aylesbury itself. Did you realise that there have been at least two new WIs formed in Bucks last year? How come I didn't know about all these developments? Did I miss the announcement in the WI Newsletter? We should be shouting this sort of thing from the rooftops to encourage the others. After all this growth in membership is a national trend and it looks as though we are on the bandwagon.
1st December
I visited one of the smaller WIs in the County this morning for its Annual Meeting. It was feared that the members were not going to be able to find the 3 officers because most of them had already served their turn and wanted a break. Same old problem you might say but we managed to re-arrange things a bit and I am sure they will be fine for another year. Some small WIs are a lesson to those larger than themselves and here was further evidence that small is beautiful.The members had taken part in nearly every BFWI event even though transport is often a problem. They had participated in WI holidays, entered competitions, helped in the setting up of a new WI in close proximity to their own in spite of the imagined threat to themselves and done sterling work in the village community. I was told the average age could be 75 but they had been cavorting about on a float in the village fete parade---don't tell Elfin Safety! A lesson to us all.
It was the local WI Christmas meeting tonight. In spite of the snow there was a good turn-out and once indoors the warmth was there for all to feel.We voted on the split for the profit from our Murder Mystery Evening between the WI and the refurbishment of the meeting place on the Market Square. The new appointments for next year were announced and mention was made of the threat of closure for our local branch library. This tied in well with the exhortation to have our voting forms ready next meeting for the resolutions to go up to the NFWI AGM in June. Also the date was given for our extra group craft activity in June which is being funded from our money-raising events so that everyone can reap the reward for their hard work. And then.....we degenerated into a very noisy game of beetle and some pretty unfortunate carol singing! The fact we needed a little glass to keep out the cold on the way home may have had something to do with this. It was a lovely evening and now let Christmas begin.
The final event of the BFWI 90th anniversary took place at Haddenham this evening when a Christmas Concert was held in the local church.The BFWI certainly knows how to choose dramatic weather for its events. We will never forget the rain at Stowe and, not now, the cold at Haddenham. The walk across to the floodlit church over crunchy snow beside the frozen pond really set a Christmas feeling to the evening. The Aylesbury Concert Band played seasonal music and accompanied the singing.The playing of the Haddenham Handbell Ringers was so clear and silvery and sounded lovely in the church.How the players in the band managed to play the right notes with icy fingers I don't know: the temperature was just above freezing because the tower under scaffolding for repairs was open to the four winds and at least two were blowing cold air through the building. Luckily the music was great, especially the duets by Jacqueline and Susan, and the readings were amusing so we began to forget about the cold. It was so good to hear some WI produced music which has been missing recently in WI events.It was only as we headed into a snow storm on the way home that I realised I was warm enough to feel my toes!
It was also very heartening to hear in the concert interval that it is possible that following the promotional activities at the "Calendar Girls" we may be about to witness the birth of a new WI in Aylesbury itself. Did you realise that there have been at least two new WIs formed in Bucks last year? How come I didn't know about all these developments? Did I miss the announcement in the WI Newsletter? We should be shouting this sort of thing from the rooftops to encourage the others. After all this growth in membership is a national trend and it looks as though we are on the bandwagon.
1st December
I visited one of the smaller WIs in the County this morning for its Annual Meeting. It was feared that the members were not going to be able to find the 3 officers because most of them had already served their turn and wanted a break. Same old problem you might say but we managed to re-arrange things a bit and I am sure they will be fine for another year. Some small WIs are a lesson to those larger than themselves and here was further evidence that small is beautiful.The members had taken part in nearly every BFWI event even though transport is often a problem. They had participated in WI holidays, entered competitions, helped in the setting up of a new WI in close proximity to their own in spite of the imagined threat to themselves and done sterling work in the village community. I was told the average age could be 75 but they had been cavorting about on a float in the village fete parade---don't tell Elfin Safety! A lesson to us all.
It was the local WI Christmas meeting tonight. In spite of the snow there was a good turn-out and once indoors the warmth was there for all to feel.We voted on the split for the profit from our Murder Mystery Evening between the WI and the refurbishment of the meeting place on the Market Square. The new appointments for next year were announced and mention was made of the threat of closure for our local branch library. This tied in well with the exhortation to have our voting forms ready next meeting for the resolutions to go up to the NFWI AGM in June. Also the date was given for our extra group craft activity in June which is being funded from our money-raising events so that everyone can reap the reward for their hard work. And then.....we degenerated into a very noisy game of beetle and some pretty unfortunate carol singing! The fact we needed a little glass to keep out the cold on the way home may have had something to do with this. It was a lovely evening and now let Christmas begin.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Differing needs
20th November
At Lacey Green Memorial Hall today BFWI held a fund-raising lunch for ACWW (Associated Country Women of the World), the organisation to which the WI is affiliated.This is where the Pennies for Friendship collections which the WIs make, go every year. It is a shame that many members know nothing about the work that this worldwide organisation does for rural women wherever they live.Recently BFWI has been collecting for a self-help scheme in Kenya and has raised over £3000 for this group. The money raised today was the conclusion of this particular appeal so we will need to choose another one for the next year. Margaret Mackay who is the UK member of ACWW in charge of projects spoke today about the set-up of the ACWW and described the different kinds of good projects it carries out and then finished with pictures from our adopted scheme. We saw the women planting seeds for fruit and vegetables, setting up irrigation networks and harvesting their crops for home consumption and for sale.We enjoyed listening to Liz Eaton from Oxfordshire Federation of WIs talking about her sponsored cycle ride around Mount Kenya to raise funds for an orphanage for girls near Nairobi.Presently it is caring for 32 girls but wants to expand to hold another 80.This is an on-going project because girls are not valued in Kenya and therefore abandoned at the roadside when they are orphaned: their parents are often victims of HIV/Aids. The boys are more likely to be looked after by grandparents as future workers to bring money into the family.Both speakers made us feel privileged to be where we are with our families well-fed and healthy, living under a roof and able to go to school. If you want to know more about ACWW or become a member go to www.acww.org.uk and about the orphanage visit Liz Eaton's website. Liz will also speak at meetings within a reasonable distance of Oxford.
25th November
It was quite entertaining to be asked to promote the WI at the matinee performance of Calendar Girls at the new theatre in Aylesbury. Actually most of the audience were already members, some from as far afield as Hertfordshire and Cambridge so it was really a case of chatting to friends while waving a great big yellow sunflower in one's hand.I think the evening audiences would be more promising for recruitment purposes. Can you imagine that 4 women I spoke to didn't even know the connection between the calendar and the WI!
In the evening I went along to the meeting about the possible closure of 14 libraries in Bucks. Poor old Andrew Carnegie must be turning in his grave! I think the WIs ought to take this issue to heart and see what the members can do to help. It is no use saying it must not be considered as the savings have to be made. We must make the best job of it that we can and bring positive ideas to the next stage of these public consultation meetings.
At Lacey Green Memorial Hall today BFWI held a fund-raising lunch for ACWW (Associated Country Women of the World), the organisation to which the WI is affiliated.This is where the Pennies for Friendship collections which the WIs make, go every year. It is a shame that many members know nothing about the work that this worldwide organisation does for rural women wherever they live.Recently BFWI has been collecting for a self-help scheme in Kenya and has raised over £3000 for this group. The money raised today was the conclusion of this particular appeal so we will need to choose another one for the next year. Margaret Mackay who is the UK member of ACWW in charge of projects spoke today about the set-up of the ACWW and described the different kinds of good projects it carries out and then finished with pictures from our adopted scheme. We saw the women planting seeds for fruit and vegetables, setting up irrigation networks and harvesting their crops for home consumption and for sale.We enjoyed listening to Liz Eaton from Oxfordshire Federation of WIs talking about her sponsored cycle ride around Mount Kenya to raise funds for an orphanage for girls near Nairobi.Presently it is caring for 32 girls but wants to expand to hold another 80.This is an on-going project because girls are not valued in Kenya and therefore abandoned at the roadside when they are orphaned: their parents are often victims of HIV/Aids. The boys are more likely to be looked after by grandparents as future workers to bring money into the family.Both speakers made us feel privileged to be where we are with our families well-fed and healthy, living under a roof and able to go to school. If you want to know more about ACWW or become a member go to www.acww.org.uk and about the orphanage visit Liz Eaton's website. Liz will also speak at meetings within a reasonable distance of Oxford.
25th November
It was quite entertaining to be asked to promote the WI at the matinee performance of Calendar Girls at the new theatre in Aylesbury. Actually most of the audience were already members, some from as far afield as Hertfordshire and Cambridge so it was really a case of chatting to friends while waving a great big yellow sunflower in one's hand.I think the evening audiences would be more promising for recruitment purposes. Can you imagine that 4 women I spoke to didn't even know the connection between the calendar and the WI!
In the evening I went along to the meeting about the possible closure of 14 libraries in Bucks. Poor old Andrew Carnegie must be turning in his grave! I think the WIs ought to take this issue to heart and see what the members can do to help. It is no use saying it must not be considered as the savings have to be made. We must make the best job of it that we can and bring positive ideas to the next stage of these public consultation meetings.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Fighting talk
15th November
There's no doubt about it. The WI is hitting the headlines these days... and all for the right reasons.Today there is a snippet about how the WI is joining once more with the National Farmers' Union to renew the fight for the dairy farmers. You remember the Great Milk Debate events a couple of years back. Perhaps we will have to organise some more meetings in areas different to those where past meetings were held.This time Sainsburys is voicing its concern that the price of milk to the farmer is so low that 3 dairy farmers go out of business every day.If the WI is continuing to promote local produce, it must support this industry.
Still on food-- what about the coverage of the Jam Festival at Denman College? We had a half page spread on that in the national Sunday papers written by William Langley which was excellent publicity for the WI as it is today. The sub-title expressed his admiration for the WI which he says has "a knack for preserving tradition while moving with the times".We can forgive the puns, if he delivers the message. I wonder how many members from Bucks entered the competition. At least they wouldn't have had the difficulties in getting their entry to Abingdon that those from the outposts would have suffered. Just how does one wrap a jar of jam to go through the post?
Earlier in the week there was a reported spat between a Shropshire WI and the Elfin Safety people working for Network Rail. Apparently WI members had been maintaining a station platform garden for years and had suddenly been stopped in case one of their number fell on the line. Naturally the members were outraged but it turns out that Network Rail does in fact encourage WIs to undertake these activities and has been known even to pay the insurance for the members, provided they follow their safety guidelines but some of these Shropshire lassies were over 90 years old! Age-ism raises its nasty head again. Gardening obviously keeps one fit.
10th November
The local WI discussion group met tonight.We discussed the WI campaign Care not Custody as well as we could with no real expertise amongst us.We are thinking of inviting a magistrate or someone familiar with the Courts to come along to talk informally with us.Obviously one must be in favour of improving the system so that the unstable criminal gets treatment rather than become lost in a prison, for everyone's sake. But how can this be done now that the psychiatric institutions have been closed and the sufferers are released into community care? And how can the WI alter this situation?
The latest issue of WI Life contains the resolutions for selection for the AGM in 2011 and the voting form for the WI members. We must think when we vote which resolution we can best promote and stand a chance of making a difference. Sometimes just writing to MPs is not enough because what we are asking for is too huge even for them; it is a lifetime's mission. I think the care for the mentally ill who have committed a criminal act, for whatever motive, falls into that category.
Something outside the resolution list which we could all get our teeth into is the proposed closure of public libraries or the idea of making them in to community-run volunteer establishments. Watch out for consultation meetings in your area and keep your eye on this local issue--as well as the high speed train, of course!
There's no doubt about it. The WI is hitting the headlines these days... and all for the right reasons.Today there is a snippet about how the WI is joining once more with the National Farmers' Union to renew the fight for the dairy farmers. You remember the Great Milk Debate events a couple of years back. Perhaps we will have to organise some more meetings in areas different to those where past meetings were held.This time Sainsburys is voicing its concern that the price of milk to the farmer is so low that 3 dairy farmers go out of business every day.If the WI is continuing to promote local produce, it must support this industry.
Still on food-- what about the coverage of the Jam Festival at Denman College? We had a half page spread on that in the national Sunday papers written by William Langley which was excellent publicity for the WI as it is today. The sub-title expressed his admiration for the WI which he says has "a knack for preserving tradition while moving with the times".We can forgive the puns, if he delivers the message. I wonder how many members from Bucks entered the competition. At least they wouldn't have had the difficulties in getting their entry to Abingdon that those from the outposts would have suffered. Just how does one wrap a jar of jam to go through the post?
Earlier in the week there was a reported spat between a Shropshire WI and the Elfin Safety people working for Network Rail. Apparently WI members had been maintaining a station platform garden for years and had suddenly been stopped in case one of their number fell on the line. Naturally the members were outraged but it turns out that Network Rail does in fact encourage WIs to undertake these activities and has been known even to pay the insurance for the members, provided they follow their safety guidelines but some of these Shropshire lassies were over 90 years old! Age-ism raises its nasty head again. Gardening obviously keeps one fit.
10th November
The local WI discussion group met tonight.We discussed the WI campaign Care not Custody as well as we could with no real expertise amongst us.We are thinking of inviting a magistrate or someone familiar with the Courts to come along to talk informally with us.Obviously one must be in favour of improving the system so that the unstable criminal gets treatment rather than become lost in a prison, for everyone's sake. But how can this be done now that the psychiatric institutions have been closed and the sufferers are released into community care? And how can the WI alter this situation?
The latest issue of WI Life contains the resolutions for selection for the AGM in 2011 and the voting form for the WI members. We must think when we vote which resolution we can best promote and stand a chance of making a difference. Sometimes just writing to MPs is not enough because what we are asking for is too huge even for them; it is a lifetime's mission. I think the care for the mentally ill who have committed a criminal act, for whatever motive, falls into that category.
Something outside the resolution list which we could all get our teeth into is the proposed closure of public libraries or the idea of making them in to community-run volunteer establishments. Watch out for consultation meetings in your area and keep your eye on this local issue--as well as the high speed train, of course!
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Plans and more plans
4th November
At the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee today we spent most of the time completing arrangements for the coming ACWW event in Lacey Green. The trouble with the WI is that one has always to plan so far ahead so there were plans made for events in March, May and July 2011 which makes one feel halfway into the new year already. Every month the NFWI publishes its NFWI News in the same way as the county federations present theirs and it is part of this committee's remit to keep up with the campaigns on which NFWI is working.This means sifting through information so that we can encourage our WI members to become involved on such issues and mandates which have been passed at AGMs.It may be the survey on re-cycling facilities or Care not Custody or labelling of food with the real country of origin.It is all interesting stuff but it is quite a struggle to find opportunities to engage the Bucks members in these activities: we seem to be always lagging behind but usually manage to get there in the end.
2nd November
Local WI book group today when we were discussing "Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. We had enjoyed her novel "The Poisonwood Bible" set in what used to be the Belgian Congo but this time she was writing about Mexico and the USA between the 1920s and the Cold War. No wonder it takes 10 years between novels because the author researches her stories so thoroughly.To weave the exile of Trotsky in Mexico with the works of the great muralist Diego Rivera into the stories of her fictional characters takes some doing.Not everyone enjoyed this book but I think even those who didn't finish learned a lot about the history of Russia after the revolution and Lenin's death and about the dreadful period of MacCarthyism in America which is not so long ago.The scenery in Mexico was wonderfully described.There was humour too and some memorable cameo portraits among the characters. I really enjoyed this novel although its length was a bit of a challenge which took over from all domestic duties until finished.
30th October
It was a triumph but the local WI members are absolutely exhausted after hosting a Murder Mystery evening for 147 people.We served a 3 course supper and the tickets were sold out a fortnight beforehand.Every year we have a big fund-raiser which we hope will attract people from outside the WI as well as members from other WIs in neighbouring villages. We have built up a reputation for good events and the townspeople support us. Some of this goodwill comes from the fact that we pass a proportion of the profits back into a community project: this year it will be towards the re-furbishment of the little meeting hall in the town centre, last year it was the surgery.Anyway the players were excellent, having written a play especially for us. The food was good, the kitchen members worked their socks off and the front of house waitresses were speedy. It was nice to receive messages of thanks and appreciation from the audience but not a good time to suggest that we repeat the event as soon as possible!
At the meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub-committee today we spent most of the time completing arrangements for the coming ACWW event in Lacey Green. The trouble with the WI is that one has always to plan so far ahead so there were plans made for events in March, May and July 2011 which makes one feel halfway into the new year already. Every month the NFWI publishes its NFWI News in the same way as the county federations present theirs and it is part of this committee's remit to keep up with the campaigns on which NFWI is working.This means sifting through information so that we can encourage our WI members to become involved on such issues and mandates which have been passed at AGMs.It may be the survey on re-cycling facilities or Care not Custody or labelling of food with the real country of origin.It is all interesting stuff but it is quite a struggle to find opportunities to engage the Bucks members in these activities: we seem to be always lagging behind but usually manage to get there in the end.
2nd November
Local WI book group today when we were discussing "Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. We had enjoyed her novel "The Poisonwood Bible" set in what used to be the Belgian Congo but this time she was writing about Mexico and the USA between the 1920s and the Cold War. No wonder it takes 10 years between novels because the author researches her stories so thoroughly.To weave the exile of Trotsky in Mexico with the works of the great muralist Diego Rivera into the stories of her fictional characters takes some doing.Not everyone enjoyed this book but I think even those who didn't finish learned a lot about the history of Russia after the revolution and Lenin's death and about the dreadful period of MacCarthyism in America which is not so long ago.The scenery in Mexico was wonderfully described.There was humour too and some memorable cameo portraits among the characters. I really enjoyed this novel although its length was a bit of a challenge which took over from all domestic duties until finished.
30th October
It was a triumph but the local WI members are absolutely exhausted after hosting a Murder Mystery evening for 147 people.We served a 3 course supper and the tickets were sold out a fortnight beforehand.Every year we have a big fund-raiser which we hope will attract people from outside the WI as well as members from other WIs in neighbouring villages. We have built up a reputation for good events and the townspeople support us. Some of this goodwill comes from the fact that we pass a proportion of the profits back into a community project: this year it will be towards the re-furbishment of the little meeting hall in the town centre, last year it was the surgery.Anyway the players were excellent, having written a play especially for us. The food was good, the kitchen members worked their socks off and the front of house waitresses were speedy. It was nice to receive messages of thanks and appreciation from the audience but not a good time to suggest that we repeat the event as soon as possible!
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Putting on a performance
22nd October
The WI is in the news again because a former member of Yarmouth WI on the Isle of Wight made a dying wish that as many people as possible might see a film in which she had appeared. Way back in the 1950s and 1960s, Pamela Green had been known as the Queen of Curves because of her roles on rather risque postcards and magazine shots, so perhaps the Calendar Girls were not as ground-breaking as we all originally thought.
20th October
It was good to hear that the Bucks WI members who had travelled to Canada had returned safely and thoroughly enjoyed their holiday. This tour was organised especially for WI members so they took in Stoney Creek where the WI movement started. They found it quite moving to think that they had been standing in the little room beside the very table on which the original constitution had been signed. The bulk of the party came from the Avon and the Worcestershire Federations but in true WI fashion our members made friends quickly and didn't feel overwhelmed by the larger party.There were some brave husbands there as well.
I should imagine I was not alone in being surprised to read in the national press that our WI Headquarters had lost the list of members who had attended the AGM in Cardiff in June. It was claimed that this was delaying the issue of the CD for the Christmas markets because the delegates' singing of Jerusalem at the meeting had been recorded and permission had to be given for our voices to be heard.How ridiculous is that! We were all told that the recording was being made so those who didn't want their voices to be heard along with 4000 others, didn't have to sing. Anyway, NFWI hadn't lost the list and if it had, the federation secretaries hadn't so a blanket permission could be given in a matter of moments. So girls, if you hear yourself issue a duff note, you cannot withdraw it now!
19th October
Our local WI group enjoyed a first class meeting tonight when a dwarf actor came to tell us about his experiences in the film world. He was very entertaining and obviously delighted in sharing his stories with us all. The refreshments were fantastic and the news of what had been happening in the various WIs was very interesting. One of the WIs in our group is forever writing up to the WI Headquarters in New Kings Road about concerns in every day life. Fine, but they always get a dig in about the rise in subscriptions for those on a fixed income. This year the rise is all of 50p. as you all know but off they all go on outings and on trips to the theatre without a thought of needing to save 50p on the costs of the weekly food shop. On the way home ---too late, as usual--- I thought of a good reply: it was the cost of replying to all those letters that probably necessitated the rise in subscriptions. No, to be fair, the reason for this year's letter was the proposed abolition of cheques. There I agreed with them. I'm going to keep a track of how often I cannot NOT use a cheque both in private life and in WI matters.I don't see why we should all have to have a credit card or internet bank accounts either. Getting back to the rise in subs I heard of a local member who took a holiday with one of the coach firms advertised in that little book of tokens we receive when we renew our membership. The firm offered a 5% discount which was more than the whole subscription she paid earlier in the year!
18th October
Those who missed the Autumn Federation Event at the Town Hall in High Wycombe missed a treat. It was unusual in being an afternoon event which precluded those members in the workplace but for the rest of us it was very convenient. Lucy Worsley, the Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces spoke about past life in Kensington Palace and she used our Bucks Federation new laptop and projector which had been purchased with a grant from AVDC. What a good speaker she was---so enthusiastic, such a vibrant little person whom most of us thought, when we first saw her, was someone's 13 year old daughter! There was so much information given in such an entertaining manner that many couldn't resist buying her book in which she writes the history of the staff and courtiers in Queen Charlotte's employ.
This talk was followed by a conversation piece about some of the experiences of three former members of our own Executive while they set up the big events of recent Bucks WI history. That was good too, and amusing---some experiences probably better in remembrance when at the time when actually struggling against deadlines and ghastly weather conditions.I wonder whether we could persuade them to repeat this at WI meetings.
Next a delightful musical interlude by Lisa Nelson and Eleanor Turner on flute and harp in which they delighted us with music by Mozart and Eric Scott the Jazz composer. It really was a super afternoon's entertainment and all credit to those who organised the programme.
The WI is in the news again because a former member of Yarmouth WI on the Isle of Wight made a dying wish that as many people as possible might see a film in which she had appeared. Way back in the 1950s and 1960s, Pamela Green had been known as the Queen of Curves because of her roles on rather risque postcards and magazine shots, so perhaps the Calendar Girls were not as ground-breaking as we all originally thought.
20th October
It was good to hear that the Bucks WI members who had travelled to Canada had returned safely and thoroughly enjoyed their holiday. This tour was organised especially for WI members so they took in Stoney Creek where the WI movement started. They found it quite moving to think that they had been standing in the little room beside the very table on which the original constitution had been signed. The bulk of the party came from the Avon and the Worcestershire Federations but in true WI fashion our members made friends quickly and didn't feel overwhelmed by the larger party.There were some brave husbands there as well.
I should imagine I was not alone in being surprised to read in the national press that our WI Headquarters had lost the list of members who had attended the AGM in Cardiff in June. It was claimed that this was delaying the issue of the CD for the Christmas markets because the delegates' singing of Jerusalem at the meeting had been recorded and permission had to be given for our voices to be heard.How ridiculous is that! We were all told that the recording was being made so those who didn't want their voices to be heard along with 4000 others, didn't have to sing. Anyway, NFWI hadn't lost the list and if it had, the federation secretaries hadn't so a blanket permission could be given in a matter of moments. So girls, if you hear yourself issue a duff note, you cannot withdraw it now!
19th October
Our local WI group enjoyed a first class meeting tonight when a dwarf actor came to tell us about his experiences in the film world. He was very entertaining and obviously delighted in sharing his stories with us all. The refreshments were fantastic and the news of what had been happening in the various WIs was very interesting. One of the WIs in our group is forever writing up to the WI Headquarters in New Kings Road about concerns in every day life. Fine, but they always get a dig in about the rise in subscriptions for those on a fixed income. This year the rise is all of 50p. as you all know but off they all go on outings and on trips to the theatre without a thought of needing to save 50p on the costs of the weekly food shop. On the way home ---too late, as usual--- I thought of a good reply: it was the cost of replying to all those letters that probably necessitated the rise in subscriptions. No, to be fair, the reason for this year's letter was the proposed abolition of cheques. There I agreed with them. I'm going to keep a track of how often I cannot NOT use a cheque both in private life and in WI matters.I don't see why we should all have to have a credit card or internet bank accounts either. Getting back to the rise in subs I heard of a local member who took a holiday with one of the coach firms advertised in that little book of tokens we receive when we renew our membership. The firm offered a 5% discount which was more than the whole subscription she paid earlier in the year!
18th October
Those who missed the Autumn Federation Event at the Town Hall in High Wycombe missed a treat. It was unusual in being an afternoon event which precluded those members in the workplace but for the rest of us it was very convenient. Lucy Worsley, the Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces spoke about past life in Kensington Palace and she used our Bucks Federation new laptop and projector which had been purchased with a grant from AVDC. What a good speaker she was---so enthusiastic, such a vibrant little person whom most of us thought, when we first saw her, was someone's 13 year old daughter! There was so much information given in such an entertaining manner that many couldn't resist buying her book in which she writes the history of the staff and courtiers in Queen Charlotte's employ.
This talk was followed by a conversation piece about some of the experiences of three former members of our own Executive while they set up the big events of recent Bucks WI history. That was good too, and amusing---some experiences probably better in remembrance when at the time when actually struggling against deadlines and ghastly weather conditions.I wonder whether we could persuade them to repeat this at WI meetings.
Next a delightful musical interlude by Lisa Nelson and Eleanor Turner on flute and harp in which they delighted us with music by Mozart and Eric Scott the Jazz composer. It really was a super afternoon's entertainment and all credit to those who organised the programme.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
