April 4th 2013 – Cherwell Meeting
A most enjoyable evening where we were hosts to the Cherwell Group of WIs for their Annual Meeting. Peter Lien of Denman College joined us and gave a very interesting talk about his life and cookery. The evening was rounded off with cheese and wine followed by tea and coffee. ...
Read MoreAGM
In February we held our AGM, the conclusion of our second successful year. Sadly our founding President, Pauline Brown, stepped down to allow new blood to take the reins. She has been a very popular president and done an amazing job over the past two years, tirelessly working on our behalf both behind the scenes and “front of house”. Fortunately, she is staying on as a committee member and has been persuaded to take up the role of Treasurer. Wendy Tiernan, our vice president and temporary Treasurer has also stepped down. We will really miss her and the valuable contribution she makes to the work of the committee. I am happy to report that Caroline Rathbone was elected to succeed Pauline as our new President and also that Bernice Mansell has joined the committee. ...
Read MoreDecember 2012
A really good year for the WI was rounded off very nicely last Thursday (December 6th) when we all came together for our Christmas party in a festively bedecked Institute. The Catering Committee ladies had excelled themselves putting on a real feast, very much enjoyed and appreciated by all our members. Before sitting down to our meal we were treated to a demonstration in Christmas cake decorating. This included techniques for modelling marzipan characters. My favourite was definitely the little Father Christmas! At the end of the evening, though, a not so little Father Christmas arrived, bringing with him his usual cheer and jokes and a gift for each of us! Many thanks to everyone involved for making it such an enjoyable...
Read MoreFirst Aid in the Home – November 2012
In November, David Wright of the St. John’s Ambulance Service, gave us an extremely useful First Aid talk, occasionally borrowing members for demonstration purposes!!! It is reassuring to know that we all now have at least a basic knowledge of what to do in emergencies such as choking, strokes and heart attacks. Let’s hope we will never need to put this into practice!
Read MoreThe Mitford Girls by Gillian Cane – October 2012
In October we were pleased to welcome back Gillian Cane who this time gave us a very interesting and lively talk about the Mitford girls. This then actually prompted our reading group to read Nancy Mitford’s Love in a Cold Climate and our walkers to walk around the Swinbrook area, finishing up, of course, at the Swan for lunch!
Read MoreSummer 2012
Summer 2012 saw a very active few weeks for Adderbury WI. Below are some short summaries of the things we got up to! Ditchley Park Firstly, a group of our members visited Ditchley Park for a most informative and thoroughly enjoyable guided tour. Ditchley Park, built in the 18th century, was donated to The Ditchley Foundation in the 1950s by Sir David Wills. Over the years Ditchley has expanded to become a major centre for informal meetings of key movers and shakers on the international stage. It is described as one of southern England’s finest country houses and we were certainly not disappointed. This magnificent house, completely hidden from the main road, greets you on its approach through beautiful parkland. You enter up a wide flight of steps with urns on the balustrade and then through formidably large double doors. Every room is so beautifully maintained and furnished – many still with their original features. Lord Leyster Hospital In August members visited the medieval architectural gem of Lord Leyster Hospital in Warwick following the very inspirational talk from the Master earlier this year. For over 400 years Lord Leyster Hospital has been home to a small community of retired ex-servicemen called the ‘brethren,’ with the ‘Master’ in charge. It is entirely self-funded from ticket sales and tours, and nowadays they also have a wedding licence. When the foundation was set up by Robert Dudley, in 1571, the residents slept in a dormitory in the old Guildhall. These days they each have their own self-contained flat. Every weekday morning the Master conducts a short service in the chapel to which the brethren are expected to attend. Behind the buildings are some beautiful tranquil gardens. It is hard to believe it is surrounded by a busy modern commercial centre. It is highly recommended as a place to visit and even has a café to provide refreshments for visitors. Oxford Magistrates Court Towards the end of August, eight of us spent an interesting morning at Oxford Magistrates Court. We were met by a Magistrate who explained the workings of the courts. He then accompanied us during the morning as we watched a number of varied cases. At the end of the morning the Magistrate debriefed us and answered questions related to the morning’s sessions. This was a fascinating visit and a real insight to the complicated but fair workings of a Magistrate Court. Country walks We have also managed to keep up our walking too! Walks around the local area as well the famous ‘Larksrise to Candleford’ walk have all been very well supported. These walks have been at various times and often included a pub lunch or supper. We will be continuing these walks throughout the year so please do come and join us, the more the merrier and it is a great way of meeting and making new friends. If you have a favourite walk and would like to show this to others we are always looking for new ideas and for other members to ‘lead’ the walk, please do get in...
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