WI News

Nearly Christmas! So the WI says ‘Seasons Greetings’ and best wishes for the new year.

A young woman recently asked a WI member ‘what is the WI?’ It seems incredible that anyone would not know, but perhaps that is why there are not a large number of younger members. Perhaps everyone has heard of ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ but the movement is so much more. The Women’s Institute was started in 1915 in England and Wales, with the first meeting at Llanfair PG. The objective originally was ‘to educate, inform and socialise rural women’. This has now been changed so that WIs can be formed in towns and cities. It should be thought of as mainly, but not entirely, women’s interests; which are many and varied. Yes, some members can make jam, or cakes, or do dressmaking, crochet, paint, or write; the list is endless.

The most important thing for most potential new members is an introduction to other women in the area in which they live, and who may become friends. At the WIs’ monthly meetings there is usually a speaker who informs and hopefully entertains. Most members learn something they did not know before. There are sometimes visits to places near and far. Members discuss controversial issues both national and international.

There are now new WIs in towns, in fire stations, or offices — basically anywhere at any time that suits the members. Recently a WI in Hampshire was asked to exchange jam-making skills for help with modern technology, computers and I-phones; this worked very well. Members can all learn from each other. Anyway to all women of any age — why not give the WI a try?

In October the members of Abbotts Ann WI had the opportunity to create some family heirlooms. Louise Simmonds was so patient with them at the craft day in 2013 that they asked her to return, this time to give tuition in wirework jewellery. It was truly amazing to see what a wide variety of necklaces, bracelets and earrings that can be created from the range of colourful beads that Louise brought with her.

Sue Farr, an Abbotts Ann WI member, had also kindly offered to show how to give a second life to all those lovely greeting cards received, but not thrown away. Up-cycling is something the WI is always keen to encourage, and members learnt how to create some lovely boxes, in which gifts can be placed and given to friends and family.

If this wasn't enough Sally Miller from Hampshire Gardens Trust spoke about the trust’s work in making sure that all the historic gardens in the county are researched and publicly recorded. Hampshire is fortunate to have some important sites. For instance there are several examples of Capability Brown's landscaping, some of which are open to the public and some in private ownership. Sally also had slides of sites where the trust had been involved, either in restoration or re-creation, such as the medieval garden just outside the Great Hall in Winchester, designed by Dr Sylvia Landsberg, and named after Queen Eleanor of Provence and her daughter-in-law Queen Eleanor of Castile.

There was an element of jeopardy for the November meeting; would the replacement speaker turn up or not? All concerns were immediately dispelled when Andy Rhind-Tutt, not only arrived on time, with his wife, but also turned out to be one of the WI’s best speakers ever. He is a very busy man and is passionate about the history of his beloved country and his hometown of Amesbury. He had always wondered why Stonehenge was located where it was. No one had really been able to answer this, but it was during his term of office as Mayor of Amesbury in 2011/2012 that answers started appearing. Acting upon a hunch, David Jacques extended his excavations in the area and dug some new trenches in the grounds of Amesbury Abbey on the site of the Blick Mead spring. This is a spring that keeps on giving a record number of flints, tools and animal bones (including frogs legs!) dating back, in some instances, to more than 7,000 BC. Andy was kind enough to bring along several exhibits and members were fortunate to have the opportunity to literally touch history — including a slice of the bluestone used at Stonehenge. He could have entertained his audience all evening; he told an amusing story as to how he eventually met the Queen in 2012 — after writing several letters to Buckingham Palace detailing the progress being made and the incredible finds being uncovered. Amesbury Abbey was also, incidentally, the final home of Eleanor of Provence, the 20 times great-grandmother of Her Majesty the Queen — but that is a completely different story in itself!

Unfortunately, the weather put paid any plans to walk, but instead the eager walkers (or should that be talkers?) held an impromptu coffee morning, followed by lunch at the garden centre. The supper club turned Italian and went to The Woodfire at Stockbridge. It was pizzas all round — but that was probably because they came, on that evening, with a free glass of delicious house wine.

The speaker at the November meeting of Upper Clatford WI was Mrs C Greenland Jones from Hart Wildlife Rescue. With the help of her slides she gave an interesting talk on her work with wild life. Enormous lengths are gone to help and protect the wildlife that is all around. The majority of her work seemed to be taken up with hedgehogs, but also rabbits, foxes, hares, squirrels and birds of every description. Hedgehog numbers have dropped considerably over the last few years and member learnt how vulnerable they are to so many dangers. There was a good question and answer session with members telling of their own experiences with wildlife.

The main business part of the meeting was to finalise arrangements for the Christmas coffee morning in December, the proceeds of which will be going towards a defibrillator, which the WI is planning to purchase for installation at the village hall.

Members are very much looking forward to the WI’s Christmas lunch at Esseborne Manor.

The speaker at the November meeting of Shipton Bellinger WI was Col Christopher Newbold CBE. He gave a very interesting talk, explaining the work of the War Graves Commission, which was not only factual but also emotional. Each of the gravestones has a story. There were twins who were born and died within minutes of each other, and a doctor who was awarded two Victoria Crosses for going out into the trenches to help the injured soldiers. Some members may be considering joining one of his tours to the war grave sites in Belgium or France.

At the end of the month four members cleaned the war memorial in the village.

In December the WI will hold its Christmas meeting with guests the Shiraz Harmony Quartet, which will be an evening of ‘a capella’ music with poems. Mince pies and mulled wine will be served.

Inclement weather did not deter attendance at Charlton WI’s November meeting and the president welcomed all including three visitors. Several members had visited the ‘Remembrance Poppies’ installation at the Tower of London in October.

The WI’s autumn lunch took place in St Thomas’ Church, at the end of October when members supplied and served soup and rolls. The WI also supplied cake and refreshments for the Christmas Fayre in November. Members who have been supporting the Friends of Andover War Memorial Hospital Barn Dance were thanked. A new member informed everyone about Silver Surfers in Union Street, which is an excellent computing facility for mature people, funded by Test Valley Borough Council.

The speaker in November was Neil Stewart who, courtesy of some spectacular slides and traveller’s tales, took members on a colourful journey to Nepal, Darjeeling and Delhi. The first stop was Nepal and the ancient temples of Kathmandu, which date from the 5th and 12th centuries. His talk was packed with interesting facts on Nepal’s economy, its daily life and its religions as well as stunning photographs of temples topped with larger-than-life carvings of Buddha.

He then took the audience to Darjeeling with its steam train that travels in the centre of the road, and then on to Delhi with more fascinating shots of temples, together with information on its local history and culture. He was also fortunate enough to visit the Glenburn Tea Estate where he enjoyed a luxurious stay and met the plantation workers.

The WI is planning a Christmas shopping day in Bath before the Christmas activities begin.

In November the members of Andover Afternoon WI were taken on a tour of Iceland, for a ‘Ring Tour’, organised by Jona of Jona Tours, by member Carol Grimston and her husband, Derek, complete with a PowerPoint display.

The first stop on the tour was the ‘Blue Lagoon’ which is a large pool created from natural thermally heated water. They toured all round the island, on the ‘Ring Road’, hence the title of the tour, and saw some wonderful things, including waterfalls, such as Dettifoss and Godafoss, glaciers, some stranded icebergs, many puffins, and the effects of the volcanic eruption of Eyjafallajokull and its ash.

There are three huge smelters on the island turning imported bauxite into aluminium, using hydroelectric power. Among the more unusual sites visited was Petra’s Stone Collection, in which thousands of stones of various sizes and from many different places are displayed in her garden, and, further along the coast, a small harbour with 32 eggs on concrete blocks, which represent different breeds of seabirds.

Smyrlabjorg on the coast was the place for the icebergs. They have come from one of the glaciers and are stranded in a lake until they melt enough to get under the road bridge and out to sea. Gullfoss, another waterfall, in the south of the island was visited. The area around was sold for a dam for a hydroelectric plant, but the daughter of one of the developers took legal action against the development. She lost, but everyone was so against the project that it was never built, and the whole area was given to Iceland as a National Park.

Carol and Derek visited the site of the first parliament in the world at the volcanic site of Thingvellir, where it is possible to walk down a rift valley, to see the effects of the land being pulled apart by the actions of tectonic plates moving apart.

Before heading for Reykjavik they stopped at Geysir and its geysers, which give the name to other waterspouts around the world. In Reykjavik they visited Hallgrimmskirkja church, built to look as if it is made of the basalt columns seen all around the island. At the end of holiday Jona said farewell to her visitors at the Pearl Restaurant, with its wonderful views and which is housed on the top of six huge water storage tanks, in which is stored hot water that has been pumped from the ‘Blue Lagoon’ area to heat the city.

It had been a very enjoyable and busy holiday.

Andover Evening WI held its last formal meeting of 2014 in November at which they discussed various WI matters and future events. The highlight of the evening was a ‘Mummers’ Play’, with dialogue. The characters were well cast, and appropriately dressed. They featured King John, Slasher, the Turban Knight, the Doctor, Father Christmas and Twing Twang. In addition there was an ‘extra’ who called himself Little Mo. The play was obviously much enjoyed by both the performers and their audience. Will there be a revival of the WI’s drama group? These actors would certainly be up to it.

To complete the evening seasonal refreshments were served. The members are looking forward to the rest of their Christmas programme of shopping, a Christmas meal and a pantomime.

The first meeting of 2015 will give everyone the opportunity to display the crafts they enjoy making, and at that meeting they will make an air-dried brooch or key-chain.