Yesterday and Today

17th May

I read in the newspaper this morning that there has been some sort of a muddle over the tickets for the special WI Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in June. Apparently the NFWI has misread its own spreadsheet and has issued more tickets than it had actually been allocated.Some members are going to be disappointed and extremely cross if they have already booked their rail tickets and even bought a new outfit.I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am not one of them. Luckily Bucks members are going by private coach so they will not have spent out on travel arrangements.

 

10th May

What do you think of Home Fires, the WI serial on television? I have heard varying opinions, some for and some against. Publicity is always good we are told and it keeps the WI in the public eye in this special year. Some members are saying that people who don't know anything about the WI today may think that the portrayal is still relevant eg the class war and the housewifey attitudes and the small-mindedness of it all.But surely that cannot be so: even the costumes must show that it is a historical account? Mind, some of the issues raised are still relevant today,domestic violence etc and the gap between those with plenty of food and those just managing.  My main gripe is that the indoor scenes are a bit dark and that the storylines are very predictable.The action is set in World War II about the WI members of that time---coping in adversity as they always did and still do. Social history: it certainly isn't Calendar Girls but it will not be long before even that looks dated because the WI moves on.

 

6th May

Once more the local WI had to meet in the local pub because our regular meeting place is still occupied by the builders. It was our meeting to discuss this year's resolution which is going up to the Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall. Our WI has not been fortunate to be able to send one of our own members this time so the delegate from another neighbouring WI was present to hear how we wished to use our vote.It was rather embarrassing that the first item on the agenda was our exhibit for the Bucks County Show and because her WI was also entering the competition we had to push her out of the meeting while we discussed our ideas and plans. Security is tight even on such trivial matters! The resolution about Failing to care---the assessment of need in long-term care was presented to the members.Given some of the added information gained from the resolution selection meeting last month and the notes from NFWI, the members didn't like the resolution. In fact, they threw it out because it was too woolly, wasn't addressed to the right people and didn't express what we were told was the proposer's real concern. Although the points agreed by the Failing to Care Coalition  were quoted in the notes the resolution doesn't mention the deliberations of the organisations most involved with care eg Alzheimer's Society, MS Society, Age UK and Carers UK who would like to see the two systems( NHS Continuing care and the work of the local authorities social care system) integrated.So we voted against the resolution and instructed our delegate accordingly. I think we all know that it will be passed at the AGM because many WIs will not have discussed it at all or will think that it applies just to their generation rather than being applicable to all disabled people over 18 years of age.I suppose it will raise awareness as they say but we have mandates already that show our concerns about carers, young and old and about care in the community.Neither do we like there being just one resolution per year... oh dear, what an awkward bunch we are!