WI Round-up

CHAZEY

I THINK all our members are looking forward to spring.

Very low temperatures kept some of them at home in the warmth so our numbers for our coffee/lunches were lower than normal.

Our January speaker was Catherine Sampson who gave us a very informative talk on Georgian cookery.

Who knew that the reason tablecloths reached the floor was so that the guests could lift the cloth up to wipe their faces? It was a fascinating talk.

Birthday girls in January were Audrey and Hazel.

Our visit to the Mill at Sonning was enjoyed by all.

We meet at St Andrew’s Church hall in Albert Road, Caversham Heights, on the first Friday in the month from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

We welcome folk to come and have a “taster” to see what the WI is all about.

Carol Briscoe

CLEEVE-BY-GORING

AT our February meeting, we were treated to an introductory session on mindfulness by Andy Taylor, who teaches on the subject.

We all found his advice on how to be “in the moment” and to relax very helpful and some of us only just managed to avoid falling asleep when we closed our eyes and concentrated on our breathing.

We were also delighted to welcome two new potential members to the meeting.

At out next meeting on February 8 we will learn about how Oxfordshire County Council undertakes emergency planning from Carol McKay, head of emergency planning and business continuity.

On February 22 we will be going to see the snowdrops at Welford Park, with lunch at the Four Points in Aldworth.

As always, new members are always welcome. We meet at Storton Lodge, Icknield Way, RG8 0DL on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm. Just turn up on the night or for more information, visit www.genienews.org/enews
letters/calendar-events-planner/calendar

Katrina Cooper

COCKPOLE GREEN

JOINT president Helen Perry welcomed members at Crazies Hill village hall on a very chilly January afternoon.

Following a short business meeting, members took part in a beetle drive.

For those who don’t know, the rules are as follows: play continues in a clockwise direction, with players throwing a dice in turn and drawing body parts of the beetle depending on the number they have thrown.

There are a total of 14 body parts to draw. You must draw the body before anything else, so you can’t start until you throw a six and a five must be thrown for the head before the eyes and antennae can be added.

We played in small groups and had a friendly, gently competitive afternoon with lots of laughter, groans and encouraging comments for those getting frustrated with their progress. The overall winner was Sue Griffiths.

This was followed by a delicious tea, provided by Jean Gimblett and Hilary Kinnersley.

Our next gathering will be lunch at the Bull in Wargrave on February 15 at 12.30pm. Our annual meeting will be on March 15.

We are also hosting a bridge afternoon at Crazies Hill village hall on March 22. All welcome. The cost is £32 per table including afternoon tea and a raffle. Please bring your bridge table, cloth, cards and scorer.

Sheila Brockelbank

GREYS

WE began our meeting on January 20 by discussing this year’s resolutions.

Four resolutions had been chosen and all WI members can vote for their favourite.

These are:

1. Save our Water — every drop matters.

2. Improving the lives of women tea workers.

3. Time for action on online gambling.

4. Ensuring clean rivers for people and wildlife.

We discussed all of these and there was strong support for the importance of clean rivers and against the level of pollution in our rivers today.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust has written to our knit and natter group to thank them for the knitted comforts donated to the hospital.

The group is appealing for donations of DK wool, which can be taken to the Elizabeth room at St Nicholas Church in Rotherfield Greys.

After refreshments, we discussed the future of Greys WI with Janet Kingdon, WI advisor for the Oxfordshire Federation, explaining our options.

Greys WI began on March 16, 1920, and thrived through the Depression of the Thirties, the Second World War (1939-1945), the “Swinging Sixties”, the covid pandemic and through good times and bad times until 2023.

But now our numbers are dwindling, despite all our efforts to attract new members from our village.

Today, Greys WI has only 14 members.

Janet explained our options.

We could carry on but every WI must have a president, secretary and treasure, positions which would be difficult to fill from the current membership.

Another option was to close, in which case all our funds would be sent to Oxfordshire Federation, where they would be ring-fenced for three years.

If a new group of residents wanted to restart a WI group within three years they would have access to this fund. It was pointed out that we have been trying and failing to interest our village in our WI.

The third option was to merge with another WI, which is known as enlargement. All the members, both from Greys WI and the chosen WI, would need to agree with this.

A special meeting will be called in February to vote on this third proposal.

Many thanks to Janet for the clarity of her information and her patience.

Our next meeting will be held at Greys village hall on February 17 from 10.30am to 12.30am when Norman Horsham will entertain us with his beautiful slides. Visitors are welcome.

Merryl Roberts

HARPSDEN

AT our first meeting of 2023 we had quite a good turnout of members, there being 20 out of a total membership of 30.

We welcomed two new members, Mary Jenkins and Pauline Kernick, and hope they will enjoy being WI ladies.

The intended speaker from the Thames Hospice was unable to attend and instead Graham Ham told us about “The history and renovation of the Kennet and Avon Canal”.

At times the talk became quite technical but there were many interesting facts and dates of events divulged.

In 1788 a surveyor was appointed to plan a canal and six years later an Act of Parliament was passed to build a canal, which took 16 years to complete.

In 1852 the Great Western Railway owned the canal. Then in 1947 nationalisation of the railways took place.

By 1952 the Kennet and Avon Canal Association was formed to keep the canal going and restoration began.

It was in 1990 that HM Queen Elizabeth II officially opened one of the 29 locks known as the Caen Hill Locks.

Graham answered many questions and was thanked for coming at such short notice.

Following tea, Suzanna Rose conducted the business of the meeting.

The outing to White Waltham Airfield was very interesting.

The visit to Swindon Railway Museum (and no doubt the adjoining outlet shops) will take place on March 13. The £150 grant from the Oxfordshire Federation will be used for this event.

Suzanna urged members to consider serving on the committee and to put their names forward at the annual meeting in March.

The winner of the competition for a January flower was Pam Hails with a pretty little posy.

The next meeting will be at Harpsden village hall at 2.30pm on February 18.

Marcus Nurton will speak on Lowland Rescue. The competition will be for a winter picture.

Judith Young

HOT(HENLEY-ON-THAMES)

WE were extremely pleased to have Tom Sandars at our first meeting of the year to talk about his role at BBC Radio 4 as a newsreader and continuity announcer.

Many of us are regular listeners to the shipping forecast and had been lulled to sleep listening to him reciting the familiar maritime zones around the UK.

The shipping forecast began on radio in 1924 when the Air Ministry started broadcasting its weather shipping programme, using 13 zones, twice daily on the Home Service.

It was suspended during the Second World War but was relaunched in 1949.

There are now 31 zones, which are given out in strict order, beginning at Viking in the north-east bordering Norway and proceeding in a clockwise direction round the British Isles.

The last broadcast of the shipping forecast each day is traditionally preceded by the playing of Sailing By, a short piece of light music composed by Ronald Binge in 1963.

This is only very rarely omitted, generally when the schedule is running late. Though occasionally played in full, it is common for only a section of the piece to be broadcast, that section being the length required to fill the gap between the previous programme ending and the start of the forecast.

Sailing By serves as an identification tool — it is distinctive and as such assists anyone attempting to tune in.

The forecast is then followed by the National Anthem and the closedown of the station for the day, with the World Service taking over the frequencies after the pips of the Greenwich time signal.

The Shipping Forecast Puzzle Book says: “The forecast gives the wind direction and force, atmospheric pressure, visibility and the state of the sea.

“It is a nightly litany with a rhythm and indefinable poetry that have made it popular with millions of people who never have cause to put to sea and have little idea what it actually means; a reminder that while you’re tucked up safely under the bedclothes, far out over the waves it’s a wilder and more dangerous picture, one that captures the imagination and leads it into uncharted waters while you sleep.

“Dependable, reassuring and never hurried, in these especially uncertain times, the Shipping Forecast is a still small voice of calm across the airwaves.”

Our next meeting on Friday, February 17 will be a creative craft session, “painting without brushes”.

We meet at Sacred Heart hall in Vicarage Road, Henley, every third Friday of the month at 7.30pm. New members and guests are always welcome.

HOT WI also hosts a casual coffee morning for all on the first Saturday of the month at the Chocolate Café in Thames Side.

Nicki Taylor

MILL GREEN, WARGRAVE

FOR our meeting on January 4 we had decided to meet via Zoom.

We welcomed John Vigar who talked to us about English country houses.

John traced the development of country houses from the medieval period to the Victorian age and highlighted the contrasting periods of formality and informality over these 500 years.

Medieval houses comprising a great hall were hardly luxurious but placed an emphasis on keeping warm and safe.

Very few such houses still exist because as families became wealthier they either demolished them and rebuilt or extended them to accommodate a more lavish lifestyle.

By the mid-14th century guest rooms were needed and extra accommodation was built for guests and their servants.

When the fashion for large-scale entertaining declined, houses became smaller and by the beginning of the 17th century the first “modern” houses were built with exterior symmetry being all important.

Long galleries were built for all-weather exercise as well as showpieces for works of art.

About 150 years later exteriors became more impressive and interiors highly decorated.

A main house with impressive accommodation for entertainment and guests might be built with adjacent blocks for family and servants.

By the early 19th century life became less formal and the Georgians enjoyed a level of comfort not known before. Curtains, carpets and soft furnishings were to be found.

With the arrival of Queen Victoria house parties became de rigueur for the upper classes with each house vying for the attendance of the Prince of Wales or other royal personage.

What an interesting afternoon. Thank you, John, for such an informative lecture ranging over 500 years of architecture, interior design and social mores.

Our next meeting was to be held at the Church Centre in Wargrave on February 1 with Jaye Windmill speaking about “Monumental Britain”.

New members will be given a very warm welcome.

Glynis Gothard

PEPPARD

WE started our first gathering of the year happy to see friends again.

We were given an enlightening talk by Keith Appleby on “Women in photography” from the 19th century through to the present day.

Queen Victoria loved photography and collected a large and comprehensive group which included all portraiture depicting those from different professions and walks of life.

Later photography reached out and represented more groups of society and extended from commissions through to general use in all manner of journals and magazines.

The women behind the photography were and still are undervalued. The photographic image resonates today with all of us and is far more readily available and transmittable but those that take the photograph are not always known.

It was a fascinating and thought-provoking talk and the members appreciated the sharing of his knowledge with us all.

Our next meeting will take place at the War Memorial Hall in Peppard on Wednesday, February 8 at 2pm.

We look forward to welcoming David Allan and hearing his talk entitled “Manners please dearest”. Visitors are most welcome.

We take the opportunity to wish you all a healthy, happy and exciting talk and project-filled year ahead.

Stephanie Douglas

REMENHAM

THE January meeting was a busy one.

It commenced with presentations from four members for the four proposed National Federation resolutions. The talks were detailed and informative and raised further points for discussion.

Thanks went to Audrey Curtis, Francis Plowmen, Anne Francis and Margaret Spratley for their background work.

The guest speaker was Susanna Beard, a writer of psychological thrillers.

She spoke with enthusiasm about her own bumpy journey to becoming an author.

She spoke about the ideas for storylines, finding literary agents, the edits and rewrites, all finally leading to the publication of her first novel.

Susanna’s fascinating talk led to many questions and discussion from the floor.

She had brought copies of her books and gave a very brief synopsis of each, after which several copies were bought by members.

Afterwards, members enjoyed a delicious tea during which a literary quiz was distributed.

The raffle was won by Judy Palmer.

The book club met to discuss The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin. This is a fictional account of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the wife of Charles Lindbergh.

Her marriage, life and achievements are all covered in this fascinating read, which was enjoyed by all members.

The next book is The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by Hazel Gaynor.

If you would like to join this active group, please call Daphne on 07919 358979.

Daphne Austen

ROSEHILL

OUR president Arlene opened the meeting by welcoming all members and visitors present.

She started by saying that a copy of the record of the December meeting was available for all to see.

Secretary Ryszarda reminded us of the resolution choices for 2022/23 which should be submitted by February 14.

Members can let Ryszarda know of their choices or submit them directly.

Sue, our treasurer, told us that both the current and deposit accounts are all okay.

Members with January birthdays were given cards.

The book club met at Barbara Wood’s house. Barbara is also keeping a lookout for any suitable films that may be available.

Ladies That Lunch met at Côte.

We were again reminded that the post of secretary is still outstanding and is vital to fill if Rosehill WI is to continue.

We then had a talk by Martin Butler who told us all about the Royal Berkshire Hospital Charity and all the fundraising that goes on behind the scenes.

At the end of the talk Arlene gave a vote of thanks.

We then had a very welcome cup of tea before the raffle was drawn. The next meeting was to be held on Wednesday, February 1 when we were having a microwave demonstration of cakes and puddings.

Jean Hewitt

SHIPLAKE

THE January meeting was opened by our president, Sue Lines, who wished everyone a “Happy New Year” and welcomed one new member and three visitors.

The Friday walk for members was to recommence today (Friday, February 3), meeting at the Corner Shop in Shiplake at 11am and followed by coffee at the Baskerville Arms.

Members were given forms to vote for the resolution to be taken forward to the National Federation.

Members were reminded that payment is due for the various outings which have been arranged for the year.

The next Beechwood Group meeting will be Tuesday, April 25 at 7.30pm and will be hosted by Sonning Common WI.

The Oxfordshire Federation’s annual meeting will be held at Worton Hall on Thursday, March 23.

Sue then introduced the speaker, Nick Brazil, who spoke about his time in Namibia.

This was accompanied by photographs that he had taken and about which he was very enthusiastic.

One very interesting fact was the amazing nests of the sociable weaver birds which were so big they weighed down the branches of the trees.

Nick also described the Fish River Canyon, which is 100 miles long and 17 miles wide.

A very informative afternoon, which was enjoyed by an exceptionally large number of members.

The vote of thanks was given by Banba Dawson.

Our next meeting will be held at Shiplake Memorial Hall on Wednesday, February 15 at 2.30pm.

Judy Rolstone

SONNING COMMON

MEMBERS turned out in sub-zero temperatures for the first meeting of the new year.

Al Sylvester MBE was welcomed and gave a talk entitled “Everest Dreams”, which was appropriate for the weather.

He recounted his experiences of trekking in the Himalayas and showed us stunning images.

Members were taken on a journey from training and preparation to the first breath-taking views of Nepal and the impressive peaks, including Mt Everest.

Al shared the emotions he experienced as he encountered Nepal’s beautiful culture, people and landscape.

A question and answer session followed a fascinating and passionate presentation.

Al’s most recent book, Himalayan Dreams, a landscape picture diary of his experiences when trekking to Mt Everest base camp was available for members to purchase.

Marion Bayliss and the coffee morning team announced that during December donation cheques were delivered to the six charities chosen by the WI members.

They were Wyfold Riding for the Disabled, Springwater Church, the Ways & Means Trust, Launchpad in Reading, Riverside Counselling and the Sonning Common scout and guide hall management committee.

The next meeting will be on February 16 when the speaker will be Alison Gardiner, a designer and illustrator, who is best known for her Christmas and heritage collections.

For more information about Sonning Common WI, please email Carol at sonningcommonwi@
oxfordshire.co.uk

Lesley Davis

STOKE ROW

AFTER all the excitement of Christmas, January can seem a dark and lifeless month to many people but our WI has been active with several impromptu events organised at the last minute as well as our usual monthly activities.

For our first walk of the year the sun shone after days of dreary skies and we enjoyed a lovely walk round English Farm, passing the forge where the blacksmiths invited us in to show us what they were working on. We then had a lovely lunch at the Maker Space.

Later in the month we also had our “mince pie walk”, postponed from December, with a stroll in Stoke Row followed by mulled wine and mince pies on the sunny terrace of our acting president’s house.

At our monthly meeting Denise Standworth had volunteered to speak about the witches of Pendle, a group of poor unfortunates who were accused of witchcraft back in 1612. Of the 12 accused, only one was acquitted.

One died in Lancaster gaol and the rest were executed.

Coming from Burnley, which is close to Pendle Hill and the surrounding modern borough of Pendle, she had been brought up with folklore versions of the witches’ story and was always fascinated with what actually happened.

Members had many questions, some of which she could not answer.

The talk was followed by refreshments and a chance to catch up with friends, peruse the sales table and buy raffle tickets.

Several members have not been well and we send our very best wishes to them.

A few of our members, together with those from other WI groups in the area, enjoyed a night out at the Oxford Playhouse to see a performance of Evita by the Oxford Operatic Society.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening despite being the first for the coach pick- up on the way out and the last drop-off on the way home.

Our next meeting will be on February 21, which will be our birthday meeting with musical entertainment.

There will also be more walking and dining events, skittles, swimming, coffee and chat sessions on Zoom as well as our regular activities of craft and book club.

Why don’t you come along and try one of our meetings? You would be most welcome to visit us. Call our secretary Pam on (01491) 681723 or email srwisecretary@gmail.com

Denise Stanworth

WATLINGTON

AT our January meeting Richard Cullen gave us a fascinating insight into the life of Lucy Toller, who was a Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service nurse in the First World War.

Women had to be a qualified nurse before they could join and come from “good” families.

At the outbreak of war in 1914 there were just under 300 nurses but by the end of the war this total had risen to 10,404.

Lucy went on to work on the hospital trains and later to set up a fully working hospital for which she received a commendation for her work and was mentioned in Despatches, later receiving the Military Medal.

She worked in Belfast as a matron but in 1927 was declared unfit for duty.

She died in 1962, aged 87, after living on a war pension of £100 a year.

Isobel Simpson thanked Richard for his engrossing and informative talk.

The art/craft group meets at Eleanor Holden’s house every Wednesday at 2pm. If you are interested in joining this group, please call Diana Young on (01491) 612926.

At our February 9 meeting Georgiana Sol will give us a talk on “Running a flower shop”.

In March we will have our annual meeting, so it will be a more of a social afternoon. If you are interested in coming to meet us, you would be most welcome. We meet in the West Room at 2.30pm.

For more information, please call Dawn Matthews on (01491) 612023.

Dawn Matthews

WHITCHURCH HILL

WITH three new members joining since November, it is lovely to be able to report that our WI is fit and healthy.

Like all WIs nearing their annual meeting, some time is currently being devoted to planning the coming year’s events as well as encouraging new volunteers for the main committee.

This has not interrupted the flow of routine member activities, however, with our programme of speakers continuing into 2023 with an inspirational talk entitled “3D art”.

Our guide through this topic was Jane Fletcher who uses art in its widest and simplest of forms to evoke memories of past events for her family, friends and community groups.

Using photographs as memory joggers is not uncommon — buttons, jewellery, Tube tickets, ties etc. All artistically presented, of course.

Next month we will be hearing about “Sex, power and politics”.

I can’t help feeling the topic will feel a little familiar but probably conveyed more entertainingly than is possible through our normal news outlets. We all like to hear a good story.

February sees our first knit and natter group meeting. The group is open to those who like to knit and those who just enjoy good company and a cuppa or two.

Should you wish to know more, please call Frances on 0118 984 2162.

Sally Bergmann

WOODCOTE

ANN Larden welcomed the members, visitor and our speaker Towse Harrison and wished everyone a “Happy New Year”.

The birthday girls were Carole Shelley, Allen, Joan Soanes and Louise Heathcote.

We had an outing in January to see Evita at the Oxford Playhouse, which was excellent. Thank you to our coach driver Steve.

The lunch club went to the Highwayman and had a delicious lunch.

In March we will be playing skittles at the Hithercroft sports centre in Wallingford.

Towse spoke on “Before the zip”, a fascinating history of fastenings, textiles, threads and decorations going back 4,000 years.

Who knew you could make thread from nettles?

Towse had bought examples of dyed wool, fleeces and tools, which were very interesting.

We had a delicious tea — thank you to Gillian
Seymour.

The competition for an unusual fastening was won by Judy Williams and the bloom of the month winner was Carole Shelley-Allen with a snowdrop (spring is on the way).

Please come and join us in the village hall on the third Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm. We would love to see you.

Judy Williams