WI News May 2014
EARDISLEY
EARDISLEY members have enjoyed two very different speakers recently. At the March meeting Mrs. Susan Rice from Brilley told the story with photographs of her family's experiences as Refugees during World War II. An amazing and heartbreaking story which reminds us in these days also of the problems of refugees fleeing for their lives and living as aliens in a foreign country.
In April Alex James from Broadfield Vineyard, Bodenham spoke of her life starting as an actress at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford on Avon then the contrasting life as the wife of a dairy farmer in Herefordshire. Alex kept her audience amused with stories of actors she has known and also with information about the problems met whilst running a vineyard with a café. Broadfield Vineyard was started in 1968 but we learnt that the first vineyards in Britain were planted by the Romans and were then kept going by the monks until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. He then imported wine from the continent which he was able to tax to balance the budget.
BOSBURY
In April Roger Turner told us how he entered a Sunday Times competition to design a "perspective garden" for the Chelsea Flower Show. After submitting detailed plans he was excited to learn he had won and went on to build the garden for the 1983 Show. The competitors had three weeks to complete their gardens and, after much hard work, Roger was awarded a silver gilt medal. The judges were Peter Seabrook and Sir Roy Strong. Roger was thanked by Jane Delahaye.
Members were asked to bring surplus plants to the WI stall at the next Farmers Market on 17th May at the Parish Hall. The craft group will design and make a cushion for the Centenary Baton competition. This is all part of the NFWI centenary celebrations next year when a baton will travel around the country and will be presented to the AGM at the Albert Hall in 2015.
The next meeting will be a talk by Fred Clark on "A Falkland Way of Life" on Thursday, 8th May. There will also be a discussion about the resolution on organ donation. For further information please telephone 01531 640 622. New members are always welcome.
KINGTON
The speaker at the April meeting was Carole Dowding who spoke to us about Christian Dior. She spoke about her time at Dior as a consultant with particular reference to perfumes.
She showed us slides of fabulous outfits.
After answering questions by members she judged our competition "Spring flowers in a wine glass", which was won by Bronwen Goodwin.
BURGHILL AND TILLINGTON
A very interesting evening was held at the Simpson Hall for the Burghill & Tillington WI when we welcomed a representative of "The Fastershire Initiative" to talk to us about using computers and the internet. This organisation has been set up in an attempt to get faster internet access locally but also has funds to encourage people to appreciate the benefit the internet can have in their day to day living. " You're never too old to learn" was a theme of the talk!
After the slide presentation we were given the chance to "have a go" on the lap tops and tablets which had been set up for our use.
As proof of the success of the evening those members who had vowed "never to go near a computer" were seen to be enthralled with the workings and contents of those self same computers. They soon discovered that they did not bite and were not as difficult to use as they had always imagined!
BARTESTREE AND LUGWARDINE
At the April meeting of Bartestree & Lugwardine WI, Colette Gray brought along her collection of items that would have been found on the Victorian dressing table; after she'd spoken about them, members tried on a selection of hats and fascinators which Colette had made - a very enjoyable evening.
BISHOPSWOOD
Twenty-four members attended our May meeting at Bishopswood Village Hall on May 9th. The meeting opened as usual with 'Jerusalem'. This was followed by the business meeting. It was explained that as this meeting was to discuss the WI resolutions there was to be no speaker, but we would be having our annual Quiz. Our president Mrs Ann Jones told us of events that were coming up. Mrs Cicely Symonds then read out the resolution which was that the WI were to encourage everyone to carry a donor card and to support organ donation as 3000 people die every year for want of organ donation. She also explained that Mrs Alison Kinder, one of our members, was a recipient of a new kidney and had given a very good talk and insight into the problems faced by a person with a failing kidney. We then voted on the resolution which was carried with 2 abstentions.
The minutes were confirmed as correct and signed, it was noted therein what a wonderful talk we had last month by our speaker Mr David Emerson on ' A life in professional theatre', many people wanted to know if he had a sequel to the talk so that we were able to book him again.
Tea was served and then we settled down in teams of 4 for the quiz. This was devised by our member Mrs Julia Brain and her husband Malcolm. There followed an extremely good quiz which was challenging without being obscure. There was much rivalry and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants. It was won by 'The laughing Cavaliers', second were 'The Kernels'. Thanks very much once more to the 'Brains'.
The next meeting is on Friday June 13th at 6.30pm. This will be an open meeting and all visitors are asked to attend at 7pm. Cost for visitors will be £2. The subject is 'Hospice Angels', tales of fund raising on motorbikes! It promises to be a very interesting talk and the charity is St Michaels Hospice. All friends, partners are welcome the more the merrier!
The meeting closed at 9.45pm.
SALTMARSHE
Each year W.I. members throughout the whole country put forward issues known as "Resolutions " that they wish their National Federation of W.I.s to campaign on. This year the one issue ahead of all others is that of Organ Donation. This is where an individual makes plain that after their death their body organs may be used to help someone else. There is a shortage of organ donors and three people a day die whilst waiting for an organ to become available. The UK has one of the lowest consent rates in Europe and the region with the lowest percentage is the West Midlands. In 2013, 7,000 people were on a waiting list needing a transplant.
One donor can help transform 9 different people's lives: kidney, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and small bowel can all be used for transplants. Corneas, bone and tissue such as skin, heart valves and tendons can also be reused. In September 2010 a plaque was unveiled in the chapel of Hereford Hospital to pay tribute to those who had given permission for their organs to go on and help transform lives .
To find out more about the whole procedure look at http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
After this somewhat sombre and thought provoking subject it was time for "eyes down" for a frantic game of Bingo; much enjoyed by all.
Next month is our much looked forward to Annual Garden Meeting. This year we're off to Wolferlow House on Wednesday June 11th. Do come along if you'd like to join us: ring Wendy, Janet or Linda for more details on (all) 01885 then 489342 , 488650 and 483072 and ...... just a thought....... bring an umbrella to keep the rain away .
MEANWHILE...............
Sadly the Saltmarshe W.I. meeting clashed with a meeting of The Bromyard & District Local History Society at the Conquest Theatre and as we could not be in two places at once, it was agreed one of our members would go and then report back next month. Why ? Well, the subject for May was an illustrated talk by Vince Williams and Jon Goodson "Women's Institute at War " and very enjoyable and informative it proved to be. This one hour talk covered how the first W.I. came to be formed in 1915 in that famous Welsh place with the incredibly long name :- LlanfairPGgogogoch. Really the idea had been formed initially in Canada and it was very poignant to see photos concerning Adelaide Hoodless nee Turner, who'd been born in Ontario, Canada. She had formed a W.I. in 1897. Later, a pioneering Canadian woman, Madge Watt, came to England in 1913 and her Canadian experience encouraged her to inspire and influence people here to set up the same movement.
From the very beginning, the focus was to be non political and to concentrate on spreading ideas of good nutrition. The talk took us through the many facets of W.I. initiatives which have always been strong through war and conflict. So we heard and saw about pig clubs and patriotic rabbits, amazing plum harvests and collecting cooked bones, traffic of food parcels right up to battling against "Health and Safety Regulations " in the re use of jam jars.
Several local W.I.s were represented in the audience and an appreciative applause rounded off a good evening.
PARKWAY
At the May meeting, Steve Birch gave an informative and humorous talk on the Toastmasters. Steve talked members through various techniques used to improve public speaking and explained the ways in which Toastmasters work together and with the wider community to improve public speaking. At the end of his presentation Steve challenged several members to give an off-the -cuff talk, on a subject chosen by him, for two or three minutes. This caused quite a bit of hilarity.
The next meeting of Parkway WI will be on June 10th in the Baptist Church Rooms, Homend, Ledbury: starting at 2.00pm.
The talk will be given by Andy Offer, on Whylehouse Farm.
Visitors and new members are very welcome. Tea and biscuits are available.
PUTLEY
Putley WI enjoyed a wonderful taster day at Denman where we had a go at 'Drawing for the Terrified' which was inspiring - and then made lovely beaded jewellery. This is outside the college, delighted by a terrific day out.
BROMYARD GROUP MEETING MAY
On entering Saltmarshe Village Hall and finding it decked out in red, white and blue along with flags, bunting and matching flower displays it was clear we were in for a celebratory evening. And so it proved. Members of Saltmarshe & District W.I. ( who hosted the evening ), Bromyard W.I., Much Cowarne W.I. and Pencombe and Little Cowarne W.I. came together for their Annual Group Meeting. Apologies were received from Kathryn Bandfield, the Herefordshire Federation Chairman as she was otherwise engaged attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
A rousing version of Jerusalem began the evening with a lone male voice amongst the three dozen plus ladies. A very brief business section got everyone up to date with plans for the arrival of the Centenary Baton in our area on the 8th September. The Baton is travelling around the country ahead of 2015, which is the one hundred years milestone since the first W.I. was formed in Great Britain. A Classic car, maybe, and a definite appearance of the Town Crier and his Lady are involved. Watch this space nearer the time for more details .
We then turned to the main focus of the evening and our Speaker. ( He of the earlier lone male voice ! ) Mr. Jon Goldswain, a "self confessed Elgar nutcase " who had been totally absorbed with Elgar, the man and his music, since being introduced to the same by an inspirational Music teacher at the age of 12, and now working as a volunteer at the Elgar Birthplace Museum at Broadheath , near Worcester, interspersed his talk with a selection of Elgar's music. The first fragment was from the very stirring "Land of Hope and Glory " and the recording began with the sound of musicians tapping their bows on their music stands to acknowledge the arrival of Elgar himself to conduct them. It allowed us also to hear Elgar himself speaking. We were led from his early beginnings, having piano lessons at 5 and violin lessons at 7 , yet being a somewhat sickly child, through his time of studying musical scores in the shop run by his father and uncle at 10, High Street, Worcester, via him accompanying his father piano tuning in many of the grand Worcestershire houses, like Witley Court, where the Dowager Queen Adelaide was living, until he married at the age of 32. The wedding took place in London in the presence of few people; Elgar's sister & husband, his Uncle and a friend while the bride, Caroline Alice, had only cousins to represent her family. Alice 's father had had a distinguished military career and her choice of groom did not meet with her family's approval: Elgar after all came from "trade". She was to prove the perfect wife and was the true driving force behind his musical output. They moved 26 times in their marriage and she arranged everything each time; she kept him to meeting deadlines in his commissioned work, and she even sold her jewellery in times when funds were low.
Edward Elgar was a complex personality susceptible to many mood swings and was quick to imagine personal slights. In contrast though he was a joker and loved puzzles.
Mr. Goldswain led us right up to Elgar's death one February morning in 1934, fourteen years after his wife had predeceased him. He had become Sir Edward Elgar, 1st Baronet of Broadheath in 1904. In his later years, he spent much time at the races and cricket matches ,both in Worcester,and enjoying the ups and downs of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.
The vote of thanks to Mr. Goldswain was very ably given by a Member of the Bromyard W.I. who called Elgar " the quintessential English composer " and that Alice proved the saying "behind every great man is a wonderful woman ".
Before leaving, Jon judged the competition and pronounced Pencombe in first place with their portrayal of " I'm a lonely petunia in an onion patch " complete with foliage and cat and bird all in the allotted space.
It was time then to partake of a marvellous spread of food of all kinds, savoury and sweet, and catering for gluten-free diets, whilst at the same time tackling a two part quiz: again on a musical theme. This was won by a Bromyard member. Five raffle tickets were drawn out in turn for a mixed choice of prizes. Then it was time to say "Goodnight" to visiting W.I.s and to quickly clear away, deciding that the evening had run been thoroughly entertaining.
WELLINGTON
In April Wellington had a talk about Megan Baker House, and learned about Conductive Education, its origins in the Peto Institute in Hungary, and some of the successes experienced locally with children and adults, as well as the challenges of funding.