August 2017
BOSBURY
For our July meeting we visited The Newent Garden Centre which recently moved to a site just outside Ledbury. The Centre specialises in Heuchera, a semi-evergreen perennial which are perfect for growing in pots on the patio or at the front of a border. They also grow a wide variety of other flowers, trees, and shrubs, some of which will be going on their stand at the Shrewsbury Flower Show and the Malvern Autumn Show.
After an enjoyable tour around the Nursery we had a delicious tea in the adjoining cafe.
The next meeting will be on Thursday, 14th September at 7.30 pm in the Parish Hall when Wendy Greensmith will be demonstrating Christmas Decorations. The craft evenings are on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in the Parish Hall. For further information please phone Helen Poulton on 01531 640337. New members and visitors are always welcome.
PETERSTOW
Peterstow hosted the group quiz, in July, for another year. This event has been organised by Jenny Holmes for 13 years and once again voted a total success. A team from Bishopswood WI was for a further time pronounced the winner.
Our speaker for August was Celia Hargrave, a magistrate for 20 years in Gloucestershire. She gave an interesting and informative talk and insight into the work of a JP.
Celia explained how women were only allowed to take on this role from 1919 after World War One, when a shortage of men permitted this to happen. She described the format for sentencing with help from the attending legal advisor. Due to Celia’s experience, she can sit in different courts, her choice being The Family Court.
Members left the meeting having been thoroughly enlightened and intrigued with the work of a magistrate.
LEDBURY
Ledbury WI’s August meeting was our annual celebration of summer.
We enjoyed a fun afternoon beginning with our speaker /entertainer David Wornham of “Tuneful Tunes?” . David brought along his amazing collection of blowing musical instruments and could play them all, with varying results – hence his title has a question mark after it!
After his most enjoyable presentation, we chatted and socialized over an excellent afternoon tea – a perfect opportunity to get to know fellow members.
Next month’s meeting is at 7.30 pm, Wednesday 13 September at the Parish Room of the Catholic Church New Street Ledbury HR8 2EE. Our speaker will be Nick Wilkes telling us about his ‘Life in the Theatre’.
You are very welcome to join us and can be sure of a warm welcome.
STOKE PRIOR
Members of Stoke Prior & District WI were enthralled recently at their August meeting by a talk, together with a powerpoint presentation by Penny Platt on the subject of Tracks of Africa. Her knowledge of the subjects she presents never cease to amaze us. She has already been booked for 2018!
SALTMARSHE & DISTRICT
Our August meeting was a happy time of recalling some members visit to the Group Meeting down in Pencombe, where Saltmarshe ladies had a go at belly dancing with Tina Webster. After delicious refreshments, Saltmarshe & District WI was awarded the cup for the winning limerick entitled "A Village Fete" which had been set as the competition.
We also heard about the holiday based in Davos, Switzerland which had been enjoyed by JJ and Marion. We could tell they're now looking forward to future WI travels.
Linda, our President for the evening, introduced our speaker, Mr. Stuart Strickland, who, together with his wife, Joanne, are partners in Strickland Wealth Management. Stuart is a Bromyardian born and bred and several members could recall his early working life in the offices of D.L. Davies in the town in 1983. Now, 34 years later, he and Jo are well qualified financial advisers only too pleased to help clients with money matters. http://www.stricklandwealthmanagement.co.uk/
Finance and money are complex areas of life and Stuart talked us through the main points to consider. Have you made a will? What about Powers of attorney? How's the best ways of protecting and handling your money and investments? Did you know that as soon as a grandchild is born you can set up a pension for them - what a great legacy to leave behind you.
Wendy thanked Stuart for giving us much food for thought and the literature brought along for us was soon snapped up.
On Wednesday September 13th we'll be enjoying the Confessions of a Wine Taster : Mr. David Barrie. We'll be hearing about our visit to Croome Court and our competition will be a paperweight. Do feel welcome to come and join us in Saltmarshe & District Hall for a 7.30pm start.
STAUNTON ON ARROW
Staunton on Arrow celebrated their 70th anniversary in fine style with a wonderful evening with old friends and live music to entertain. Nancy Owens who has been a member of the institute for nearly sixty years cut the cake with the President Claire Burton.
WYE WOMEN
During July Wye Women's Walking Group enjoyed a very pleasant walk in the countryside around Woolhope, followed by a welcome lunch at a local hostelry!
For our July meeting we spent a very informative and enjoyable evening at the Hereford Cider Museum where we learnt about the history of cider making, how the apples were milled and pressed and how the manufacturing process has evolved over the years.
Following a cider tasting we enjoyed refreshments including a delicious cake made by one of our members to celebrate her birthday !
Our Sewing Club met to continue with our latest project - to make Scottie dog pillows out of squares which will go to the Children's Ward at the County.
Our August meeting saw us walking again - this time locally, through St George's Playing Fields and concluded with a very welcome drink at De Koffee Pot at the Left Bank.
We are now busy finalising our programme for 2018.
BISHOPSWOOD
23 members and friends met at 6.30pm on Friday, 5th August, 2017 at Goodrich Village Hall as
our usual hall was closed for maintenance. After a short business meeting and tea, Jane
introduced our speaker, Sally James, who was to tell us about The Three Viscounts of Lydney
Park Estate, where she had worked for over thirty years.
Lydney Park has been owned by the Bathurst family since the 1719 and Sally gave us a humorous
insight into her work in the Estate office. The first Viscount Bledisloe was the Governor General of
New Zealand but her first boss was the second Viscount, Ben, who created the Woodland garden
and who was known to the staff as ‘My Lord’, succeeded by Christopher, ‘Mr. Christopher’ and
then by the and Viscount known as Rupert -times change.
Sally had many interesting stories about the estate and the changes which have taken place. She
has retired already aged 65, then at 70 and now at 75 is wondering if its time to ‘retire again.
Traditions are still there, there is still an estate supper for the staff and tenants, but nowadays it is
held at the pub.
WEOBLEY
The rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm of members and guests at Weobley WI's Pimms & Puddings social evening in August. They set up their garden party in the village hall, with pot plants, umbrellas, deck chairs, bunting and even a bright shining sun (painted of course). A wonderful fun evening was had by all.
BRAMPTON BRYAN
Our President Gill Harnett informed those present of Maureen Waterson having passed away the previous Sunday and shared a few memories as Maureen had been a member since 1990. Maureen was a keen gardener and made wonderful arrangements. Her and her husband had a wonderful marriage as he would do the cooking, whilst she gardened. Maureen was fantastic with a paint brush and at the Co-operative Competition lots of fun was had. She always kept herself up to date and enjoyed nothing better than an interesting discussion, especially with differing views. A one minute silence was held in memory of Maureen.
Speaker - Our guest speakers this month Libby Dolloway and Lesley Fleming from The Samaritans were introduced by Gill H.
The ladies introduced themselves followed swiftly by a brief history of how the Samaritans inadvertently began back in 1953 in London by Chad Varah.
Varah began to understand the problems facing the suicidal when he was taking a funeral as an assistant curate in 1935, his first church service, for a fourteen-year-old girl who had committed suicide because she had begun to menstruate. He later said "Little girl, I didn't know you, but you have changed the rest of my life for good." He vowed at that time to encourage sex education, and to help people who were contemplating suicide and had nowhere to turn.
The Samaritans was founded with the stated aim that it would be an organisation "to befriend the suicidal and despairing." He soon realised that whilst people were in the waiting area they began to chat to the ladies there serving tea and biscuits and that others could indeed help. This developed further to include a phone line and the number of calls increased substantially after publicity in the Daily Mirror in the December 1953.
The Samaritans were rebranded in 2004 and became an emotional support rather than emergency line. Nowadays they also receive texts and emails. There are over 200 branches nationwide with over 12,000 volunteers and they are also established international although not as The Samaritans.
The whole emphasis is based upon having someone to talk to. There are c.100 volunteers from the branch in Hereford, taking 2000 calls per months, in addition to emails and sms; there are not many face to face callers into the office nowadays. Whilst the service is 24/7 not all branches are the calls are shared.
The phone number was changed to be Freephone a year ago, previously being a ring back service. There is no way to trace the call, the control is therefore always with the caller. Everyone is treated anonymously. Full training is given and all volunteers are buddied up, with a supervisor to escalate areas of concern to; in the case of children for instance.
The ladies talked over their training and gave a role play depicting two friends meeting up and one obviously in some distress over family issues; with the other, whilst asking questions was too eager to talk over the answers about good news happening within her family. Followed by another with the same scenario where the friend listened, empathised and acknowledged.
This illustrated how the Samaritans work, by focusing on the caller; never telling them to do anything, not offering advice, not being limited to time and often using the only tools that they have available to them being their voice and silence. Sometimes the caller feels more able to deal with life once they have verbalised what they feel. The volunteers are mainly retired ladies, although in some areas there are some younger. A rough split is 75/25 female to male volunteers.
They are completely self-funding, no government assistance and funds are raised by each branch individually. Having outreach programmes such as the partnership with Network Rail; the first time last year suicide rates on the rail network went down; through training of the staff to notice those in distress.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Gill Sumner, who remembered her parents talking about the phone line as she was in her teens. Gill said that it has been most interesting to be brought up to date. The talk served as a salutary reminder to us all to listen more and that it can be just as useful to come away from a conversation without saying much and without actually giving any advice.