January 2012 Report

West Lulworth WI report


January’s WI meeting was a Members night. This has become something of a tradition, having started, several years ago, when a speaker (and some members) were thwarted by adverse winter weather. So in early January about 20 of us could be found happily playing board games in the committee room. In a game involving charades, a couple of ladies valiantly attempted to depict the word ‘reproduction’. They gave it their all, so to speak, amidst much laughter and cries of “Call the Midwife”.

We were asked to bring left over festive food to share. This sounds dull, but actually, other peoples’ festive food is always interesting, and we tucked in to a scrummy buffet.

All in all, it was a fun evening, - in fact it is one of my favourites of the year, because it is so cosy and we have more time to chat.

Our two book clubs are still thriving, as is the Mah Jong group and the Craft Morning. Non members are welcome to call into the Village Hall on the third Saturday of the month for the Craft Morning. There is no fee and no agenda, just bring a craft project or drop in for inspiration.

The new WI logo is, after all, Inspiring Women.

Elaine Knight

400492

November 2011 report

Penny Ruck, a member of our WI, and her husband David, gave a presentation entitled Times Gone By, On display were numerous household items from the 1940’s and 1950’s that Penny has collected. It appeared quite a sizeable collection, but Penny told us, represents only a small fraction of her vast collection of items from times gone by.

Many of the items members recalled having owned or seen in their family home. Among the implements that particularly interested me were the iron powered by gas, and the electric Bakelite hot water bottle. The hand action bellows vacuum cleaner appeared very labour intensive but the darning mushroom, which was backlit for use in the WW2 blackouts was most ingenious.

Penny and David very generously chose to donate their fee to The St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem.

In the business part of the meeting, after coffee, we heard about the fantastic Autumn Council meeting of the Dorset Federation of WIs, where Ann Widdecombe was the main speaker.

It was agreed to celebrate our December meeting with supper at Cromwell House –if members have not yet booked with me, please contact me on 400492 to reserve a place. We are to hold a competition for the best home made Christmas decoration.

The Craft Mornings continue at the Village Hall on the third Saturday of the month, but the monthly walks will not resume until the Spring.

We have entered a team for the local Rotary quiz next week, so I shall report on our success or otherwise next month.
Numerous other events were promoted, and it seemed that member’s felt very fortunate, if not a little overwhelmed, by the number of social occasions from which to choose.

We will not have a speaker at our January meeting, but will instead entertain ourselves playing a variety of board games, and tucking in to festive fare. Do come and join us, - you will be most welcome.

Elaine Knight 400492.

October 2011 Report

Mr Ralph Cree was the speaker at our October WI meeting, but he was not so much a speaker, more a drummer. He has played the drums for 20 years and has been running Magic Drum sessions for groups, since 2004.

He brought with him enough drums- from Africa, Cuba and Brazil, for each member to play. We practised playing several different rhythms, which, being chosen to sound like foodstuffs, made them easy to memorise. So we played three poly rhythms to the beats of – jack-et-pot-a-to, chick-en -kor- ma, and Christ-mas-pud-ding-and-cus-tard. We really got into the “groove” and had great fun. I wished I had taken some photographs as the concentration and sheer joyfulness on the member’s faces, was a sight to behold.
As if this wasn’t enough, we were then given Boomwhackers, - plastic tubes in the C major pentatonic scale. We struck them with a drumstick and Mr Cree conducted us playing. We didn’t quite manage the Tchaikovsky that apparently can be achieved, but we were quite tuneful nonetheless.

In the business part of the meeting, we planned the co-operative entry for the Group competition, and we heard that Jen and Shirley had had a wonderful WI dinghy sailing day at the Olympic Sailing venue in Portland, with the donning of the wetsuits being the most difficult part !

Our other regular monthly activities, of Saturday Craft morning, Organised Walks, Book Clubs and Mah Jong evenings continue to be well supported, and the two skittles teams are currently both doing very well, with every match a winner!

At next months meeting, Penny and David Ruck are to speak on “Times Gone By”

Please feel free to contact me on 400492 if you would like to attend a meeting, or indeed, just turn up at the village Hall at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month, and you will be made most welcome.

Elaine KNight

September 2011 Report

Members and guests were warmly welcomed to our September meeting after the summer break.

Our speaker, Mrs Val Palmer from East Burton WI was our speaker for the evening and she told us about her travels in China. Val was ably assisted by her daughter who did the slide show while Val told us how their trip had started in Beijing, including a visit to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, - a wonderful site indeed.

The trip then took them down to the Terracotta Warriors at Xian, then further south still to Guelin and Yangshuo. This is the part of China famous for it’s rivers, cormorant fishing and pointed limestone kasts. A cookery school day in Yangshuo was a highlight of the tour, with shopping for the necessary ingredients in the local market. Val clearly was a keen photographer, but her tour guide strongly advised her not to visit or take photo’s of the meat market. Another WI member who had travelled independently to Yangshuo, and did visit the meat market knew exactly why she had been deterred !

Shanghai was the last port of call, where Val extended her stay as her son lives there, and he was able to show her some of the areas of the city less frequented by visitors.

The business part of the meeting ensured members were informed of the Group  and County meetings to be held in October, along with the many and varied activities open to members. Indeed two members were to go for a day’s dinghy sailing the following day at the Olympic Sailing village in Portland.

We now have two thriving bookclubs and the monthly walks and craft mornings remain very popular.

If you would like to come to our next meeting on October 5^th, when we will be entertained by Mr Ralph Cree and his Magic Drums, please just turn up at the Village Hall, or call me first if you prefer.

Elaine Knight  400492.

July 2011 Report

Our July meeting began with a minute’s silence in remembrance of Cynthia Fraser who had died a few days earlier. We all had very fond memories of Cynthia, who had been an active member of our WI for several decades and had rarely missed a meeting.

The speaker for this meeting was Mr Terry Heard, and he arrived with, literally, a truck load of wood and tools, in order to explain to us his work as a coppicer.

First he opened up a wonderful display table to allow us to see the life cycle of a coppiced woodland, explaining how and when the hazel is grown and cut.

He then showed us a fantastic array of products that were gained from the coppiced wood, ranging from pea sticks and bean poles, which he claimed were far superior to bamboo ones, through to rolling pins, tent pegs and besom brooms.

He is one of only three besom broom makers in the country, and makes 4000 a year. He demonstrated how he makes them, with birch twigs and a hazel handle and gave us one to raffle, with Penny Ruck being the lucky winner.

He was a very capable and experienced speaker and much enjoyed. Those of us who had read The Woodlanders, by Thomas Hardy, really felt that the industry he so ably described had barely changed.

Arrangements for the Minimarket down at the Cove, on 14^th July were finalised, and I can now report that this was, as usual, a very successful event.

Jen Halsall and Elaine Knight were looking forward to helping in the County WI tea tent when Bestival comes to Lulworth Castle. They had both helped there in previous years and loved the lively atmosphere.

We do not have a meeting in August, but return in September for a talk by Val Palmer on her Travels in China. Visitors and new members would be made most welcome.

June 2011 Report

The June WI meeting has in recent years been held in a member’s garden. This year, Debbie Pool kindly invited us to her garden, where in true WI style, a veritable feast materialised as each member arrived with her contribution to the meal.

It was a cold evening, but Debbie supplied us with blankets and coats, and we braved the elements – at least until supper was finished!

At our July meeting, we will hear about Traditional Woodcrafts from Mr Terry Heard, and as always, guests will be very welcome. 

May 2011 Report

Valerie Stevens, at our May meeting, told us about the work of the ACWW – the Associated Country Women of the World. The Association was founded some 70 years ago and is the only charity that the WI can support.

The ACWW was granted NGO (Non Governmental Organisation ) status in the United Nations in 1947 and works through advocacy and lobbying to persuade governments to give women what they need

Dorset WI recently gave £5000 to ACWW, for a project in Hungary to help poor women establish an organic farmers market.

Following Ms Stevens talk we made plans for an outing to Cerne Abbas Village Open Gardens, and then discussed the national resolutions.

Each year, resolutions of national importance are drawn up. Every WI in he country votes, thus giving the national WI a mandate to lobby the government for change.

The first resolution was regarding support for local libraries, which our WI carried. However, although the second resolution, opposing factory farms, sparked much debate, the majority abstained – concerned by insufficient understanding of a huge subject.

Next month’s meeting is to be held in a member’s garden and promises to be a relaxed evening, with an American supper and good company.

Our craft morning on the third Saturday of each month, in the village hall, is proving popular, and non members are very welcome to join us.