theWI Adderbury & District WI – Christmas Tree Decorations Working Party – Thursday 19th November 2015
Dear Ladies, Our working party tonight at Janet’s home to complete the tree decorations for our WI Christmas tree for the St. Mary’s Church, Adderbury, Christmas tree Festival on 4th, 5th and 6th December went very well indeed and many thanks to Janet for her kind hospitality. Diane came armed with our boxes, ribbons, labels and thin cardboard strips for our paperchains, I brought the WI logo labels and scissors, Rosemary came armed with her preserves for the Adderbury Christmas Market and Janet provided her accommodating kitchen for our handiwork. Well we achieved all we needed to complete and a jolly good evening was enjoyed by all of us and renewed thanks to Janet for a smashing evening. Here’s a reminder of our decorations for last year and our dressed Christmas tree….. Margaret...
Read MoretheWI Adderbury & District WI Meeting – Thursday 5th November 2015 – Christmas Crafts
Thank you to all members for attending our November meeting and what an excellent evening we enjoyed together which I was particularly pleased to Chair, giving Diane the opportunity of bringing her adorable puppy with her on this noisy fireworks night. I enjoyed our interesting business section and delighted to introduce our guest speaker, Anny Sharman, and find out what we were going to make with Anny’s fabulous collection of fabric, ribbons, braids, buttons and sequins. Anny’s film presentation was a tempting introduction to what was on offer. We gathered about her collection and well prepared Christmas tree shapes, making our choices, and soon were happily engaged in producing a colourful Christmas decoration to take home. Here’s a few photos to remind you of Anny’s visit and our endeavours…. And a few trees to take home… My apologies for taking so long to add my reflections on our evening together but I’ve been tidying up my veggie garden… Margaret Halstead...
Read MoretheWI Adderbury & District WI Meeting – Thursday, 5th November, 2015
The Institute, Adderbury, 5 November 2015 7.30 pm President’s welcome and opening remarks Minutes of the meeting held on 1 October to be agreed and signed Matters arising: WI calendar, wildflower areas Correspondence/communications: Denman bursaries Christmas events: Christmas Market (28 November), Christmas Tree Festival (4,5 and 6 December), Christmas meal (3 December) Committee report items not covered elsewhere: Insurance, 400+ Club, cards for members – co-ordinator needed Treasurer’s report Programme and activities: Group meetings in November Any other business Community items After a break for refreshments, our topic will be Christmas crafts with Anny Sharman. Margaret...
Read MoretheWI Adderbury & District WI – Draft Minutes WI Meeting – Thursday, 1st October 2015
Minutes of the meeting held at The Institute, Adderbury, 1 October 2015 7.30 pm Diane, our president, welcomed 23 members and 2 guests. 8 apologies were recorded in the register. The minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2015 were approved and signed by Diane as a correct record. Matters arising: Copies of the WI calendar will be available at the next meeting and at the Christmas Market. Diane described the OFWI celebration at Oxford Cathedral which was very moving, especially when the banners were carried in as the organ played. Adderbury and District WI banner, carried by Margaret and Val, was clearly seen on the TV coverage. Diane thanked Pat Smith for all her work in producing it and explained that more was to be added to it. Diane then thanked all the committee for their hard work in making our own celebration fish and chip supper such a successful evening. Margaret reported developments in the wildflower project, including hopes of new planting areas at the Lakes and on the Lucy Plackett playing field. Correspondence: Diane read extracts from the letters of thanks and appreciation for the celebration supper sent by Stella Oakes and both the President and Treasurer of Banbury WI. Christmas events: Helpers are needed for the Christmas Market on 28 November. A sign-up sheet was available for donating cakes and preserves and for staffing the stall. Produce needs to be attractively presented with a Christmas theme. Two workshops have been arranged for making decorations for the Christmas Tree Festival, one from 7 pm at Caroline’s (Holly House, Manor Road) on Tuesday 6th October and one at Gill’s (Touchwood, Berry Hill Road) on Wednesday 7th October from 2 pm. Caroline and Gill showed more examples of possible decorations. Members were invited to sign up for the Christmas dinner at the Cartwright Arms on 3rd December 7 for 7.30 and to indicate their choices, £10 to be paid at the November meeting. Committee report: It was decided that at each meeting we would acknowledge members with birthdays in the following month. Members were asked to give Gill the information. Anyone who has spare craft items is invited to bring them to the meeting for others to use. There have been difficulties with the tea rota. Frances suggested circulating a sheet for members to choose a date that suited them. It was agreed to do this from January, and to send the sheet round at the November meeting and subsequently as needed. Treasurer’s report: In Chris Shafe’s absence Diane reported a balance of £909. The cost of printing the calendars should be recouped from sales and there should be sufficient funds for subsidising the cost of the Christmas meal. Programme and activities: Sheila Pollard was thanked for organising a very enjoyable walk from Upton House with a pub lunch in Ratley. If possible another walk will be arranged before Christmas. The book group discussed Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch in September and will meet at Wendy Blake’s house on 14 October at 7. 30 to talk about A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar. The needlecraft group will meet on the same evening at Maureen Banks house and November’s Needlecraft meeting will be hosted by Janet Morgan. Maureen Banks will find out more about a possible visit to Fibre Works in Chipping Norton. Community items: The Adderbury Community Food market will take place in the Institute on Thursday 8th October with another opportunity to win a meal for two. FOSMA are holding a wine and cheese tasting evening in Church House on 20 November. Tickets cost £15 and...
Read MoretheWI Adderbury & District WI – Thursday, 1st October 2015
Our Guest Speaker for tonight, Dan Allen, presented a most memorable and fascinating entree into the war-time life and work of the women of World War One with fact, figures and prized photographs which tell their story without a single word. The picture tells it all. His display of factual knowledge was brilliant as was the content and I for one was riveted by his words. We were expecting Women’s Organisatons in WWI but that was not to be, had never been intended. Instead we were presented with a question – “What did you do in the war, Granny?”. Dan’s response was a detailed listing and description of the many types or organisations women of the day managed to find their way into, were encouraged to join or set-up and encouraged other like-minded women to join. Women of all ranks and all walks of life found themselves doing work not encountered before, facing up to the reality of war-time life and getting on with matters as best they knew how to or were instructed to do. “What did you do in the War, Granny?” was the question posed by Dan Allen in his talk on Women’s Organisations of WWI and his very interesting response was a well-documented and researched list of a variety of entities which could be joined by women of all classes, depending on your position in society and life. Almost all voluntary, all unrecognised by the government until about 1918 but all determined to do their bit for the war effort, here is my brief list of those mentioned… WRENS – Women’s Royal Naval Service WRAF – Women’s Royal Air Force Joint British Army Nursing Service of 1881 – before this date, no “official” nursing service, the Corps traced its heritage back to Florence Nightingale. QAIMNS – Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service of 1902 – established by Royal Warrant, which replaced the Army Nursing Service, established in 1881, and which from 1889 provided Sisters for all Army hospitals with at least 100 beds. In 1949 the QAIMNS became a corps in the British Army and was renamed as the queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps The Territorial Army Nursing Service in 1908 British Red Cross and the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade Volunteers VADS – Voluntary Aid Detachments for women and men, later on. Famous VADS – Vera Britten and Agatha Christie The FANY’s – First Aid Nursing Yeomanry – The Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps of 1907. Not part of any official body then, it is still relevant in the 21st century and tackling different types of work for a different need. They came into existence to “nurse soldiers where they fell, men dying without need…being transported to field hospitals”. The Women’s Sick and Wounded Corps (2nd part of the FANY’s) The Women’s Emergency Corps of 1914 Women’s Reserve Scottish Women’s Hospital – Maud Inglis in Serbia and Russia who died of pneumonia the day after her return home in 1917 WAF – Women’s Auxiliary Force of 1915 – an entirely voluntary organisation for part-time workers The Women’s Legion of 1915 – launched by Lady Londonderry – largest entirely voluntary body which supplied workers for many war needs including army cooks, servants etc. from large body of domestic work-force of the day. Later on workers were paid by Londonderry Family private funds. WAAC – Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps of 1917 Women’s Forestry Corps – work done by Lumber Jill’s – with photographic evidence Women’s Forage Corps of 1915 Women also worked as “munitionetts” in munition factories, as police officers, as...
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