Talk of Centuries

Great news in the WI Life magasine and on the BFWI website about the special Garden Party at Buckingham Palace for the Centenary Year Celebrations! This sounds very exciting and I think if we were unlucky in the ballot to go to the Annual General Meeting in the Albert Hall, it must be worth having a shot at this ballot. Our WI secretaries have all the information for our next monthly meetings so good luck to all those who want to attend.

 

In the BFWI newsletter it was announced which resolution had been voted onto the agenda for discussion at the AGM. Bucks had chosen the assessment for care which was the same decision as the National one.I think our WI went for Food Waste with the Caring resolution second so obviously that was a popular choice. We can always discuss the other resolutions locally if we feel strongly about them and action them through our WIs.

 

24th February

This month's book under consideration by the local WI Book Group was "Dissolution" by Sansom, the first of his series featuring the lawyer cum detective Matthew Shardlake.It was a very topical choice as everyone seems to be watching "Wolf Hall" on the television and as a group we had read the Mantel novels. "Dissolution" is set in 1537so comparisons were unavoidable. The most striking difference was in the portrayal of Cromwell. The plot is complicated with several murders to solve in a monastery awaiting the axe. It gives a vivid picture of the poverty and dirt of London but the lasting memory is of the cold  and the constant fears of everyone living under a police state in Tudor England.The majority of readers enjoyed the novel so we will try to obtain sets of the following books in the series.

23rd February

Local WI members regularly help to serve refreshments when the Blood Donor mobile unit visits the town. This is a way in which members can contribute a little something  to the community. The team provide all the refreshments and all we have to do is serve them out and chat while the donors recover from their donation. It is not very onerous and quite a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours about twice a year. There is sure to be someone among the donors whom one knows and can enjoy talking to. The nurses very much appreciate our help and it frees them up to do more important things.

16th February

The craft group welcomed some visiting members who were not regular attenders to the afternoon session to learn how to do hardanger embroidery.We were issued with little kits of materials by our member tutor and started to produce a motif. One needs good eyesight for this work because it is all about counting threads and accuracy. We were given homework to do before the next meeting when we will be expected to cut holes in our work. Some of us turned pale at the thought especially as we were warned that any inaccuracy at stage one would result in uncontolled "holes"  and a complete unravelling of everything we had done! Wish us luck!