Subscription £37.50
Visitors £3.50
Further enquiries please contact Irene Ranner: 01366 328325
Unfortunately all meetings until further notice have been postponed.
New members are always welcome and even if you are not thinking of joining the WI but are interested in one of our talks then please come along on the first Thursday of each month, when we restart the meetings, at Beachamwell Village Hall, 7.30pm. There is a small charge of £3.50 per visitor (refreshments are included).
Any enquiries, please contact Maggie on 01366 327023 or Helen on 01366 328589.
On March 5th our speaker will be Simon White giving a presentation on the Gardens of East Anglia. April 2nd sees Brenda Packman of the Associated Country Women of the World talking about how the organisation supports urban and rural communities around the world.
New members are always welcome but even if you are not thinking of joining the WI but are interested in one of our talks then please come along on the first Thursday of each month at Beachamwell Village Hall starting at 7.30pm. There is a small charge of £3.50 per visitor (refreshments are included).
Any enquires, please contact Maggie on 01366 327023 or Helen on 01366 328589.
On February 6th our speaker will be Michael Willett who will be giving a talk and demonstration on the Magic of Making and Playing Period Musical Instruments. March 5th sees Simon White giving a presentation on the Gardens of East Anglia.
If you are thinking about joining the WI, do come along on the first Thursday of each month at Beachamwell Village Hall starting at 7.30pm and try us out for free. Other visitors are always warmly welcome. There is a small charge of £3.50 per visitor (refreshments are included).
Any enquires, please contact Maggie 01366 327023 or Helen 01366 328589.
Our next meeting, December 5th is a Christmas Party. Visitors and /or prospective new members are very welcome to join us but need to be ready for party games, festive food and a bit of fizz!!!!
On January 2nd we will have our usual Resolutions meeting, when we discuss proposals put forward by WI members nationally. These are always interesting evenings.
Sadly after December, we are saying goodbye to Leah and Carole who have both moved out of the village, but we hope to welcome some brand new members in January. We have a varied programme planned for the coming year, with speakers on East Anglian gardens, making musical instruments and travels in China to name but a few.
Visitors are always welcome to join us for a charge of £3.50, but prospective new members can come for no charge to look us over. We pride ourselves on being a friendly and informal group. For further information, call Helen on 01366 328589 or Maggie 01366 327023.
Our November meeting is always our Annual Meeting, but before the business meeting this year we will be having a “Show and Tell” session to share some of our favourite craft pieces. Visitors are welcome to join us for the first half of the evening.
This year, we will be holding our Christmas Fair on November 23rd, from 11.30 to 2pm in the village hall. There will be refreshments (mulled wine, soup, filled rolls, sausage rolls and cakes), so why not come and join us for lunch? As usual, there will be unique hand crafted items and our “Good as new” stall. Bargains galore!
In August, we also organise an extra garden meeting, which this year will involve a trip out to West Acre Gardens. I think there may be cake!!! At September’s meeting, our speaker, Jeanette Moser will tell us of her extraordinary life story, to illustrate that “There’s a book in everyone”. As usual, visitors are welcome to come and join us, as are any prospective new members who want to look us over in which case the visitor’s fee of £3.50 is waived.
In complete contrast, our August speaker is a forensic scientist, Brian Heard, whose talk is entitled “In search of the smoking gun”. Visitors, those who are not thinking of joining our WI, are most welcome to join us in Beachamwell Village Hall at 7.30pm on August 1st at a charge of £3.50. Prospective new members are always welcome to come along to one meeting and look us over, free of charge. Just turn up on the night or contact Helen (01366 328589).
Did you know.........The Women's Institute (WI) was formed in 1915 to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then the organisation's aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK. The WI celebrated its centenary in 2015 and currently has almost 220,000 members in approximately 6,300 WIs.The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.The WI is based on the ideals of fellowship, truth, tolerance and justice. The organisation is non-sectarian and non-party political. WIs are charitable and everything they do must be consistent with that special legal status.
And now for something completely different - our meeting on Thursday July is very topical ‘The life and times of a transsexual poet and lesbian, rolled into one’ with Poppy Rose. Why not join us for the evening and discover that the WI is not all Jam & Jerusalem? Visitors £3.50.
Because of elections, May’s meeting will be at Barton Bendish village hall. On May 2nd, our speaker will be Diana Mullis, who specialises in storytelling. It promises to be another entertaining evening. As always, visitors are very welcome to come along.
Enquiries to Helen Ranger 01366 328589
At a time of dark nights and dull days, the evening gave us a lovely, timely reminder of what a beautiful country we live in. We were delighted to welcome a number of visitors, and we hope they enjoyed the evening as much as the members did.
Next month, on April 4th, Susi Hancock will give us a talk about how to keep fit and supple, with easy exercise ideas. Looking ahead, our May meeting which is a Storytelling session with Diana Mullis will be held in Barton Bendish village hall, because of local elections. As always, prospective new members and visitors are very welcome to join us.
Enquiries to Leah 01366 328536 or Helen 01366 328589
On March 7th, our speaker will be local writer, Jackie Bennett, talking about gardens featured in her latest book – “Britain’s Island Gardens”. Visitors, even if you are not thinking of joining our WI, are most welcome to join us at a charge of £3.50.
We meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7.30 in Beachamwell Village Hall. The group is friendly and informal. Prospective new members are always welcome to come along to one meeting and look us over, free of charge. Just turn up on the night or contact Leah (01366 328536) or Helen (01366 328589).
We started the New Tear, as usual, with its Resolutions Evening where we discussed the proposals for this year’s national WI campaign focus. In this year’s shortlist, three of the proposals concerned women’s health issues; “Ending the taboo around menstrual health”, “Pelvic floor education” and “Don’t fear the smear”. Two proposals had an environmental theme; “Improving plant biosecurity” and “Trees – improving the natural landscape”. Lastly, there was “A call against the decline in local bus services”. Lively and frank discussions ensued and members will now vote for the resolution they wish to be taken forward at a national level. The evening finished with a quiz.
At February’s meeting there will be a talk by Penelope Watkins on “Know your shape, enjoy your assets.” It promises to be an uplifting evening! In March, local writer, Jackie Bennett will give us an illustrated talk on the subject of her latest book, “Britain’s Island Gardens”.
Beachamwell WI meets at 7.30 on the first Thursday evening of each month in Beachamwell Village Hall. The group is friendly and informal. Prospective new members and visitors are very welcome to join us. Just turn up on the night or phone Leah Spencer (01366 328536) or Helen Ranger (01366 328589)
November is also the month of our annual meeting. A new committee was elected, with Leah Spencer as our new President. The annual Ruth Rix craft prize was awarded by popular vote to Cathy Friend for a lovely Christmas themed quilt.
Our annual Christmas Fayre will be held this year on Saturday, 1st December. The doors will be open at 11.30 for cakes, crafts, decorations and “upcycled” items. There will also be a pop-up café with tasty soup, filled rolls, mulled wine and much more.
At December’s meeting, we will welcome the “West End Waiters”, a group of seasoned entertainers, who perform a music and comedy routine to raise money for Motor Neurone research. There will be refreshments too. Visitors are most welcome to join us for this evening.
In November, we have our Annual Meeting, but it will not be all business, as first there will be a talk from Tina Burdett about the East Anglian Children’s Hospice.
Looking ahead, we are hoping that more visitors will join us for a Christmas special event on 6th December, as we will be entertained by the music and comedy of the “West End Waiters”. More details next month.
The WI’s popular Christmas Fayre will be held this year on Saturday, 1st December, at Beachamwell Village Hall, at the new times of 11.30 - 2.00. As usual, there will be our pop up café, with soups, rolls and mulled wine, plus many items on sale: hand crafted gifts, decorations, cakes and preserves.
Visitors are always welcome to come along to WI meetings. Any enquiries to Maggie Mackenzie 01366 327023 or Helen Ranger 01366 328589
The speaker for the meeting was Sue Pennell, who gave a very interesting presentation with the intriguing title, ‘The World of Fairy Rings and Witches’ Butter’. Far from introducing us to the worlds of magic jewellery and dairy products, this was a fascinating insight into the world of fungi and some of the stories surrounding them. Sue has a deep knowledge of our local area and most of the examples she showed us were photographed from footpaths in nearby woods. Some fungi are tiny and inconspicuous, others are impressively large and colourful; some are delicious, while others are poisonous. Her talk made us all realise just how much there is to see, if we only take the time to look more closely at our natural surroundings, especially at this wonderful time of the year.
The talk was followed by social time, a chance to talk, laugh and share refreshments provided by members.
Our next meeting will be held in Beachamwell Village Hall on Thursday 4 October 7.30pm and will celebrate 100 years of Votes for Women. Visitors are always welcome, so why not join us? Telephone: Maggie Mackenzie 01366 327023 or Helen Richardson 01366328589
September is the month when the Committee step down from their duties and the members take over, as a thank you. Our speaker will be Sue Pennell, who will talk about “Fungi”, illustrated by her own photos. Previously we have all enjoyed Sue’s talks on wild flowers and butterflies; she is a real expert on our Breckland natural history and her photos are exquisite. In October, we will celebrate 100 years of Votes for Women with a special presentation written and performed by our members.
If you like the sound of what we do at Beachamwell WI, you are very welcome to come and join us for a visit. Telephone: Maggie 01366 327023 or Helen 01366 328589
In total contrast, in August we will have a demonstration of knife and tool sharpening from “Mr Norfolk Sharp” on our usual meeting night and later in the month, a bonus afternoon tea in Carole’s lovely garden on 16th August at 2.30, weather permitting. This WILL involve jam – and scones but not Jerusalem!!!
As always, visitors are very welcome to join us.
In July, Beachamwell WI goes to Bollywood. We will dress up in saris, learn some dance moves and eat Indian food. Visitors who are happy to join in the fun are very welcome to come along. The more the merrier! In August, we have a traditional knife sharpening demonstration. No one can say that our programme is not varied!
In June, our group will enjoy an evening out - dinner at Strattons. In July, there is a real contrast planned with a Bollywood evening, where we will try the saris, eat Indian food and learn some moves. “The more the merrier” for that event, so visitors, as always, are very welcome to join us.
Enquiries to Helen 01366 328589 or Maggie 01366 327023
May’s talk will be a very different one, about Woodland Burials. As always, visi-tors or prospective new members are very welcome to come along.
Enquiries: 01366 328589 or 01366 327023
We are looking forward to better weather for our next meeting on Thursday 5th April. Penelope Watkins will talk on the subject 'Know your shape, enjoy your assets'. Intrigued by the title? Why not come and find out more? Visitors and prospective members are very welcome as always. The meeting takes place in the Village Hall at 7.30.
Enquiries: 01366 328589 or 01366 327023
The count is in for our choice of resolution for 2018, debated at our January meeting and there was a clear majority in favour of a WI campaign for better mental health provision. Our votes will go forward to help the national organisation make its choice.
At the meeting on March Ist the theme is an arty one, with an illustrated talk by Genista Davidson on “Art Deco: Architecture to Earrings”. As always, visitors or prospective new members are very welcome to come along.
Enquiries: 01366 327023 or 01366 328589
We are all looking forward, too, to February’s meeting when David Mason will be showing some of his wonderful photographs on “Arizona to Alaska”, which should be a real treat. Visitors and prospective members are, as always, very welcome. We meet on the first Thursday of every month and pride ourselves on being a relaxed, friendly and informal group.
Awards were presented to
Maggie Mackenzie – the Ruth Rix Crystal Vase for Craft Work
Helen Ranger – the Ann Bercham Vase for Flowers
Cathy Friend – the Silver Plate for Competitions
Officers for 2018 are President Maggie Mackenzie, Secretary Helen Ranger, Treasurer Cathy Friend, Vice President Vesna Hudson, Carole Wilson and Anita Horgan.
Next Meeting will be on December 7th “A Christmas Evening with Leah Spencer and Friends” an evening not to be missed. Visitors will be most welcome to come and join us.
Next month, we will be back in our usual home in Beachamwell Village Hall for a demonstration of Holly Wreath making by Simon White, followed by our Annual Meeting. As always, visitors are very welcome to join us.
On Saturday 2nd December there will a warm welcome for all visitors to our CHRISTMAS FAYRE. The doors of Beachamwell Village Hall will be open from 12 till 3pm for the sale of delicious cakes and jams, “nearly new” items, decorations and unique hand crafted gifts. We also have our very own pop-up café, with a range of refreshments. Last year the soup, sausage rolls and mulled wine went down a storm! So why not come for lunch?
The works on display ranged from photographs of much loved family members and pets, through landscapes, family souvenirs, framed needlework, pen and ink drawings, prints and original art works in prints, watercolours and oils. And why had they been chosen? They reminded the owners of important occasions in their life e.g. birth and marriage; important places in their lives; people who had made the picture or for whom they had made the picture; the happiness that the picture gave them. It was very interesting to hear people talk about their pictures, we learned a lot and had a lovely evening. Members had provided a delicious spread in typical WI style. We are already looking forward to next month’s talk by Liz Nally on Antique Quilts. If you would like to come along, contact the secretary on 01366 328589. Leah Spencer.
September is always our “members’ meeting” when the committee step down from their duties and are entertained by the members. This year’s theme was “Every Picture tells a story”: all members brought along a picture from home that has a special meaning for them and took it turns to tell the story. The pictures and their stories were fascinating and varied. Members also brought along a tasty buffet for all to enjoy.
August was a busy month for us with a trip to Blickling Hall, a lovely afternoon tea in Carole’s beautiful garden and an evening trip to Sculthorpe Hawk and Owl Trust on August 24th where we were joined by interested visitors from the village.
Next month, Liz Nally will be coming along to talk about “Antique Quilts and their Stories”. If the building work is still going on in the village hall, we will be at Barton Bendish for the evening.
Visitors are very welcome to join us. Contact: Marie Mackenzie 01366 327023 or Helen Ranner 01366 328589
An outing is being arranged to visit Blickling on August 3rd and we look forward to finding the paintings. It was a most enjoyable evening. If any Member would like to go on the outing please let a Committee Member know, also if they need transport.
Unfortunately our Speaker had to cancel at the very last minute due to ill health but Leah entertained us brilliantly with a talk on one of her hobbies Creative Writing and Prose, we all thoroughly enjoyed it and thank you Leah for stepping in at the very last minute. We had already discussed the Resolutions for this year back in January but we now had to vote formally on the chosen ones which are “Alleviating Loneliness” and Plastic Soup, keep microplastic fibres out of our oceans”.
Our Regional Delegate Terri Bowman was at the meeting to take note of our decision. The June meeting will be our Birthday Supper to be held at Bedingfield Arms, we made our choices from the delicious menu provided. We always welcome new members. Call Maggie on 01366327023
Our monthly craft evenings have resumed on the third Tuesday of each month. We are happy to see non-members, including beginners, at any of these meetings to share a wide range of textile crafts.
Next month's WI meeting is on Thursday May 4th at 7.30 pm. It will be at Barton Bendish Village Hall because Beachamwell's hall will be used as a polling station on that day. Our speaker will be John Newmeir telling us about 'Unusual experiences of a Paramedic'. You are welcome to join us.
More details: Helen 01366 328589 or Maggie 01366 327023
Next month’s speaker will be Neil Chadwick, who is a warden for the Hawk and Owl Trust at Sculthorpe. He will be presenting an illustrated talk about the work of the Trust and the birds that can be seen at Sculthorpe. This meeting is on Thursday, April 6th at 7:30 pm. As always, prospective new members and visitors are very welcome to come along.
Contacts: Helen 01366 328589 or Maggie 01366 327023
Over refreshments, members puzzled over a Wild West Quiz and got nostalgic about the TV westerns we used to watch. It was amazing how many could remember Davy Crockett’s hat! Leah Spencer ended the evening with a reminder of the work of the Associated Country Women of the World, a charity that supports women-led groups to improve quality of life for rural women and communities. We support this charity with small change collection boxes and regular sales tables. We were pleased to welcome three visitors and hope that they enjoyed the evening.
Our March speaker, Louise Gayton will be speaking about “Life as a magistrate”, and in April, we will welcome Neil Chadwick, a warden from the Hawk and Owl Trust who will give us an illustrated talk about the work of the Trust and the birds that visit and breed at Sculthorpe.
Visitors and new members are always very welcome. Contact Helen 01366 328589 or Maggie 01366 327023, or just come along.
A table sale of unwanted Christmas presents raised £18 for the Associated Country Women of the World.
Beachamwell WI always welcomes new members. We meet in the Village Hall on the first Thursday of each month at 7.30. The varied programme for 2017 includes speakers on the Hawk and Owl Trust, on Being a Magistrate, the Blickling Belles and Historical quilts. There are also occasional trips and outings and a regular craft evening for those who are interested.
Becoming a member of the WI is a really good way to get to know people and to make new friends. If you are perhaps interested in joining us, why not come along for an evening to see what goes on. Call Maggie Mackenzie 01366 327023 or Helen Ranger 01366 328589 and we can arrange for one of our members to pick you up or meet you if you would rather not come alone.
Next month’s meeting, on February 2nd, features an illustrated talk about a road trip through the scenic national parks of Western USA.
The 2017 programme is now being planned and includes items on America’s National Parks, the Hawk and Owl Trust, the Blickling Belles and Heritage Quilts. Watch this space for more information soon.
Well done Kathy for winning the Ruth Rix Vase, the annual award for Craft. Your fabric picture was brilliant.
The Memorial Hall Committee thanked Members for their fantastic effort in baking cakes and organising and manning the Refreshments at the recent Fete. It was certainly a busy afternoon and we were proud to have raised in excess of £700.
Next Meeting is our Annual Meeting with Cheese and Wine too. Nominations for Committee should be sent to President Irene.
The Speaker for the evening was Pippa Pease of Personal Creations. Pippa gave a very interesting talk and demonstration on Dressmaking. We all now know how to insert an invisible zip into a garment. This followed a fashion show by members of her class of the clothes they had made with her and the garments all looked so professional. WI Members also modelled their garments. I think Pippa may have more join her class soon. Vesna presented the Committee with small gifts and thanked them very much for their hard work.
We all enjoyed the delicious buffet prepared by the Members. Members were thanked for their contributions to the Purfleet Trust for homeless women. Helen will deliver them as soon as possible.
Irene thanked the Members for a very enjoyable evening.
Pat won the flower of the month with her amazing Dahlia and she also won the raffle. Next meeting will be the Members Meeting and will be held at Barton Bendish Village Hall. Time for the Committee to have a well earned rest. Thought for the month: Try to do unto others as you would have them do to you and do not be discouraged if they fail sometimes. It is much better that they should fail than you should - Dickens. Carole Wilson
The afternoon Strawberry Cream Tea, which was held on August 15th at the Old Rectory, was delightful – very relaxing. The weather was perfect; the garden was brilliant as usual and the tea scrumptious. It was a pity that not all members could attend but we did have several visitors including the guests who were staying at the Rectory, including a lady from New Zealand and six Beachamwell residents. Thanks and ‘well done’ to Maggie and Carole who organised this extra event.
Our next meeting, 4th August is "Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside". The Craft evenings held on the third Tuesday of the month, are continuing to be very popular.
If you would like to find out more just call Irene Ranner on 01366 328325
The July meeting is entitled ‘Howard Carter and Tutankhamen’. It is an Open Meeting so do come along and join us – you will be more than welcome. The Craft evenings are continuing to be very popular.
Irene reminded us about next meeting which is our Birthday Supper and the outing to Narborough Hall for afternoon tea.
The book has been a sell out as 5,000 books were published at a cost of £20 per book, the price of one hours Marie Curie nursing care, resulting in £100,000 being presented to Marie Curie who are funding a special nursing post in Norfolk with the money. Vanessa is an excellent speaker, passionate about local produce and we enjoyed her talk very much.
The title of her book Everything Stops for Tea fitted in very nicely with our refreshment break as we were celebrating a Member’s Diamond Wedding, Betty and Ian Phillpot had celebrate their Anniversary during the week and we enjoyed delicious cake that her daughter had organised for us. Thank you Betty and many congratulations to you both. Irene, President, reminded us that next meeting will be held at Barton Bendish, due to our hall being used for voting, speaker will be Mr. Philip Shipp “A Shepherd’s Year”
Thought for the day “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away”
During the business part of the evening we were joined by Ed who is Cathy Friend’s cat. He paraded in front of the Top Table, moved behind the WI cloth and proceeded to entertain us with a ‘shadow show’ walking one way then walking another…….. the photograph shows him relaxing after his performance. Thought for the month: ‘Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured’. Mark Twain
If you would like to join us you will be more than welcome just call 01366 328325
She kept everyone enthralled, eager to learn more and determined to visit the places where we can see them for ourselves. Thank you once again for all your hard work Sue, it was very much appreciated.
As always, we enjoyed the social side of the evening. The business was covered admirably by Irene in spite of her not feeling too good and Maggie. The very popular ‘Craft Evenings’ are starting again this month on Tuesday, March 15th at 7.30. Non WI members are welcome to join us. You will find more details on the notice elsewhere in the magazine.
The thought for the month is ‘One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted…….do it now!’
1. Ban the microbead.
2. British Fruit – reviving our heritage.
3. Free sanitary protection for homeless women.
4. Prevention of sudden cardiac death in young adults in the UK.
5. First aid saves lives.
6. Mind or body – equal funding for care.
7. Avoid food waste, address food poverty.
8. Appropriate care in hospitals for people with dementia.
After exploring the eight resolutions thoroughly our individual choices were given to Helen who will pass them onto Federation. The final Norfolk Federation choice will be forwarded to the 2016 Annual Meeting.
Thought for the month ‘Know where you're going in life, you may already be there! Many times in life, money is not everything’.
Seasonable refreshments were prepared by the members and enjoyed by members, cast and the guests who had joined us for the evening. As it was our Christmas meeting we took a gift from the Bran Tub to be opened on Christmas Day. Our new Treasurer Maggie McKenzie announced that when expenses had been paid we will have made in excess of £800 for the recent Christmas Fayre. What a triumph.
Thought for the month ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'
Members brought their craft work to be judged for the Ruth Rix Vase and Pat ’Donnell was delighted to take the lovely vase home for her beautiful cross stitch picture.
Our next meeting is Thursday December 3rd, our Christmas Meeting. Three’s Company will be performing ‘Momentous Times’. This is a dramatic presentation of the extraordinary experiences of five women in Europe during World War I. Stories from their personal diaries and journals, tell us about their lives from 1914 – 1918; falling in love, fleeing from the front, meeting death for the first time, growing up … knitting socks for soldiers is referred to, but these women were far too busy for such homely war efforts.
Why not join us you will be most welcome.
Sue Nulty was the Tutor for the evening. October is the month for Craft and our Workshop was to make a Christmas decoration from ribbons. Sue is an excellent and patient teacher and we all went home delighted with our finished decoration.
Remember that November is the Annual Meeting, nominations for Committee were welcome. Kathy won the Competition, the Raffle was won by Helen and Joan won the Flower of the Month. Heidi, Irene and Ann have Birthdays in October and they chose a gift from the Birthday Basket. A most enjoyable evening
The Beachamwell WI Christmas Fayre 2015 will be held in the Memorial Hall, on Saturday, 28th November from 12 till 3pm. There will a variety of goods on sale; craft items, Christmas table decorations, cakes, jams and preserves, festive
foods and much more. Refreshments, including hot soup and sandwiches will also be available, so why not come along for lunch?
Maggie Mackenzie
All in all it was an excellent evening, so once again, many thanks to the members for organising it and for the lovely lavender bags they gave to the committee as a thank you for work they have done throughout the year! Leah Spencer gave the thought for the month – ‘Blessings come from care, troubles from carelessness’.
The usual business side of things took place after refreshments and members were told of the next meeting on August 6th which will be our annual Garden Meeting and will be held at Maggie McKenzie’s garden at 2pm. At this meeting we will be discussing the Programme for 2016 and possible outings and workshops. We welcome new members and for more information contact our Secretary Jenny Gabrielsen on 01366328297
Our President Irene Ranner presented us all with a Centenary Photograph taken by Allan Hale last month. A copy is to be placed in our Village Photo Album.
Next Meeting will be a Yoga Session taken by one of our Members Ann Lewing. New Members are always welcome.
It was also the last meeting for Marie Rich. Marie joined Beachamwell W.I. in 1997. She was President for four years and a Committee member for many years. We all enjoyed a farewell tea party with Marie and ended the meeting with Jerusalem which I am sure everybody in Barton Bendish heard. Marie loves to sing and was a member of the Church choir until recently. We will miss you Marie, enjoy your new Bungalow and being with your family in Staffordshire.
Next Meeting in June will be our Centenary Supper at The Kings Arms, Shouldham.
At the next meeting in May we will go to Barton Bendish because our Memorial Hall is being used for voting. At this meeting the Centenary Photo will take place. Thank you Allan Hale for organising this. We will also discuss this year’s Resolution and take the opportunity to discuss and organise the Programme for 2016. Helen and Maggie have organised lots of outings and craft workshops so watch for posters in the village. Irene won the raffle which was a bowl of pansies.
Our next meeting is “Magic and Witchcraft in the Brecklands”. It is an Open Meeting on April 2nd and everyone is very welcome to come. When this talk was give at The Breckland Society it was a great success so now you have the opportunity to hear it for yourself…..
The thought for the month was:- A husband read an article to his wife about how many words wom-en use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men... The husband then turned to his wife and asked, 'What?'
Thought for the month is ‘Never ignore a person who loves you, cares for you and misses you because one day you might wake up and realize you lost the moon while counting the stars…’
A delicious buffet prepared by the members followed and was much enjoyed. President Irene informed us that the recent Christmas Fayre made an amazing amount of £600 plus (before expenses were deducted), she thanked everybody most sincerely for their hard work and enthusiasm. Joan Forster won the Ruth Rix Craft Vase this year for her excellent padded box which she made at Maurice’s Box Workshop.
We have welcomed new members this year and pleased that old members have returned. We have an excellent Programme for 2015 which you can see posted in the Memorial Hall. Why not join us you will not be disappointed.
Thought for the month provided by Eileen was “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money but you cant get more time.”
The new Committee will be Irene Ranner (President), Jenny Gabrielsen (Secretary), Heidi Hale (Treasurer), Carole Wilson, Eileen Powell, Maggie McKenzie and Helen Ranger. Vesna Hudson stood down and we would like to thank her very much for being an excellent President these last two years.
The thought of the month provided by Eileen “No relationship is ever a waste of time. If it didn’t bring you what you want, it taught you what you don’t want”.
Next meeting will be Thursday December 4th, come and join us for our Christmas meeting. New Members are always welcome.
The Box Workshop which Eileen organised was a great success. Ten members and two visitors came with a “Fat Quarter” and went home with a wonderful box. Thanks to Maurice for being such a patient teacher.
We were reminded that next meeting on November 6th will be the Annual Meeting and nominations are required for Committee. The usual Halloween Supper will be served by the Committee so remember your “tools”.
Another reminder was to keep knitting, sewing and cooking for the Christmas Fayre on November 29th. We hope everybody will come and support us. New Members are always welcome.
The Committee members were each presented with a plant to thank them for their work throughout the year.
There will be a workshop in October ‘Making a Fabric Box’. Visitors are always welcome to the meetings.
The August Meeting is traditionally a Garden Meeting and this year it was held at The Old Rectory. The weather was fantastic and we enjoyed an afternoon of warm sunshine. Lots of business was discussed including which products are to be made for the Fete. Ann talked about the recent Crochet afternoon and plans were made for another session. Next years Programme was discussed at great length and hopefully an interesting Programme for 2015 will be prepared. After wine and savouries Members had two Competitions on offer. ‘A Cartoon Quiz’ and ‘Name the Tree’. Members who chose the ‘Name the Tree’ had the opportunity to walk around the Old Rectory Garden (as immaculate as ever) and match the tree to the number hanging on it, not an easy task as some of the trees were most unusual. Maggie won the Tree Competition and Joan the Cartoon Quiz. Next up was Tea and Cake. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon together. Anybody wishing to join us would be most welcome.
Thought for the month was ‘Worry is a total waste of time. It doesn’t change anything. All it does is steal your joy and keep you very busy doing nothing’.
The Speaker for the evening was Claire Dunne, owner of Ceres Bookshop, who gave a most interesting talk about her involvement as a Rotarian. She told us that the movement was founded in 1905 in Chicago and there are 1.2 million members throughout the World. In Swaffham a Rotary Club was formed in 1969 with 27 Members. Their aim is to have fun, make friends and raise money for local and international organisations. Claire gave a very interesting and emotional account of her involvement in the Immunisation Project against Polio in 2006 which took place in India. We were all very moved with what she told us. Claire is an excellent Speaker and we enjoyed the talk very much.
There were two Birthdays to celebrate Brenda and Anita. Flower of the Month was won by Vesna, Competition Jenny and the Raffle by Brenda our lucky visitor.
Eileen gave the Thought for the Month ‘Every day is wonderful if only you could see how the threads are woven on the looms of destiny. Some day you will understand how time is working out – a plan and purpose for your own good. Believe and never doubt……
Next Meeting is August 7th and will be held in the Old Rectory Garden at 2 pm. New Members would be most welcome.
Irene, acting President, dealt with the business side of things, including the arrangements for our Birthday Supper which will be held at 20 Church Wardens this year. Ann showed us some lovely craft ideas she had made for the Village Fete and Christmas Fayre. Val has become totally “hooked” on crochet following the recent Crochet Workshop and she showed us her efforts which were brilliant considering she could not crochet before the Workshop.
Refreshments were served by Brenda and Margaret. We finished a very interesting and useful meeting by suggesting ideas for next years Programme. Thanks to Leah for organising this.
We welcomed Pauline Bennell, who has moved into the village, to the meeting and hope she enjoyed the evening enough to join us.
Thanks to Eileen for providing us with the Thought for the Month – “The only people who think there is a time limit for grief have never lost a piece of their heart. Take all the time you need”.
As always, after the speaker we had time to socialise and then we continued with the business part of the evening. Final arrangements were made for the forthcoming outing to Dents Restaurant at Hilgay and catering for the Walking Weekend on the Sunday. Five of the members provided excellent and well presented refreshments for the returning walkers and visitors to the exhibition.
Nine of the members enjoyed a workshop, lead by Gilly Spencer, on how to crochet. She is such a super teacher it is impossible not to enjoy and learn whilst with her. Remember, you will be very welcome to join us at the next event, so think about it.
We hosted the Nar Valley Group meeting with Leziate WI on March 12th - another successful event so thanks to all concerned. Don’t forget, you will be very welcome to join us at the next event, so think about it.
Brenda came first in the competition with Joan a close second. Val won the flower of the month. Jill and Vesna won a raffle prize each – lovely hyacinths.
The next meeting on 6th March is an OPEN MEETING so guests are very welcome as always. Our speaker will be Richard Wright with a talk entitled ‘From Pigs to Oil Lamps’
Two new members, Leah Spencer and Anita Horgan, have joined. We wish them many happy times with Beachamwell WI.
Eileen gave the Thought for the Month: "Of course you meant to do it We wouldn't call your bluff; But good intentions, as you know Are really not enough. You'll drop a note, you'll lift the phone As soon as things allow. You're going to help and cheer a friend So why not do it now.
We all took a parcel from the Bran Tub and I hope nobody opened it until Christmas Day! Heidi informed us that the Christmas Fayre raised a fantastic sum of £450+ so thanks to everybody who came and spent some money. We had good feed back and we hope to repeat the event in 2014.
The new Committee was announced:- President Vesna Hudson, Vice President Irene Ranner, Treasurer Heidi Hale, Secretary Jenny Gabrielsen, Committee Eileen Powell and Carole Wilson. Val Sidey had a lucky evening because she won the raffle, flower of the month and the competition.
Eileen gave the Thought for the Month: “Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don’t. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”
New Members are always welcome.
The election of the new committee took place and the results were Jenny Gabrielsen, Heidi Hale, Vesna Hudson, Eileen Powell, Irene Ranner and Carole Wilson. Vesna was prepared to stand as President next year so was duly elected. Marie Rich and Val Sidey have stepped down. Special thanks to Marie who has been a Committee Member for many years but now feels it is the time to have a rest. We have really enjoyed having our committee meetings at your house Marie around your lovely big table. Ann Lewing thanked the Committee for a wonderful year of friendship. Awards were presented to Brenda Branch for highest marks in the Competitions. Joan Forster won the Ann Berchem vase for flower of the month and I was absolutely delighted to receive the Ruth Rix vase for Craft Work. My mohair cardigan seemed to impress the judge.
Members were reminded to get knitting, sewing and baking for the annual Christmas Fayre on December 1st and we hope all readers will come and support us. See you at Beachamwell Memorial Hall 12-3pm, free mulled wine and lots of goodies to buy and eat.
New Members always welcome.
Members were reminded about the Christmas Fair on Sunday December 1st from 2-5pm. The refreshments provided by the Members were delicious and Marie thanked them all very much for the gifts they gave the Committee and for providing such an interesting and most enjoyable evening.
Vesna welcomed three visitors to the meeting, Leah Spencer, Victoria Lee and Maureen Buck. We enjoyed the “What’s in a Sock” game and for the competition we made a floral table decoration from materials brought from home. Brenda’s display was decided to be the best and won the competition. Vesna won the raffle and we all enjoyed delicious refreshments made by the committee washed down with cool white wine or fruit juice. A lovely way to spend a summer afternoon. Special thanks to Ann for allowing us to enjoy her garden. Eileen gave the vote of thanks and presented Ann with a charming pot plant.
It was good to welcome Vesna back from Croatia looking tanned and healthy. The Competition was won by Irene, who also won the raffle so she had a most successful evening, Vesna won the flower of the month. Next meeting is our Garden Meeting held at Ann Lewings Ravens House, Eastmoor at 2pm on August 1st. New Members always welcome.
The thought for the month was given by Eileen.
Smiling is infectious
You catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too.
If you feel a smile begin
Don’t leave it undetected.
Let’s start an epidemic quick
And get the whole world infected.
Then we were treated to poems by Gilly Spencer really funny and life analysing poems that touched us all, I am sure Gilly won’t mind being compared to Pam Ayres.
Thank you to all those who helped by weighing inwith clearing up, Carole lending cutlery and making flower arrangements, Alan for putting up the tables so that we could all sit together. It all pulled together to make a memorable evening.
The main part of the meeting was to discuss the Resolution which this year involved using our local shops or loose them. It was obvious that everybody voted for the Resolution. The Windmill Handbell Ringers were our Speakers/Entertainment for the evening. The three ladies who came were very skilled at handbell ringing and obviously really enjoyed playing them. They told us many interesting facts about the bells and played different songs which we could hum along too. It was really relaxing and enjoyable.
Val won flower of the month, Heidi the competition and Maggie the raffle. Irene and Carole were on refreshments. Thought for the month was given by Eileen:-
As each new dawn is breaking
As each new day unfolds,
Take strength and hope and courage
From the promise that it holds
It was wonderful to welcome Jill Mason back for the evening as a guest. Next Meeting will be our Birthday Supper to be held on the Memorial Hall.
Flower of the month Competition Val. Brenda and Carole won the raffle. Vesna reminded us that the next meeting will be held at Barton Bendish due to our hall being used for voting. May 2nd Resolutions and Hand Bell Ringing. New Members always welcome.
Thought for the month
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle
With shades of dark and light,
And it is up to us to make
The pieces fit in right.
For into every life must fall
Deep shadows of despair,
But if we search we’ll find the sun
To chase away our care.
Hopefully the weather will improve soon and Margaret Webster will be able to join us again. Quite a few members were unable to attend this time but those who made it had a very enjoyable evening.
The flower of the month was won by Brenda who also came first in the competition. Raffle prizes were won by Maggie and Val. Vesna read the thought for the month which had been provided by Eileen.
Don’t let the mistakes of days gone by
Ruin the joys of today.
Bury the past and let it lie
In peace as you go on your way.
Life is too precious to waste in regret,
Time is too fleeting and swift
So live for the present, forgive and forget
And accept each new day as a gift.
Next WI meeting: 4th April, ‘How the WI came to Sandringham’ with Mrs. Maureen Rispin. Visitors most welcome.
Mr de Roeck is a professional pilot and specialises in aviation and travel, photography and photo journalism. His photographs were stunning and his informative talk was littered with humorous comments.
Margaret Brooks was unfortunately unable to be there but she sent in a beautiful flower arrangement for the table. Sadly Margaret Webster was unable to join us – we wish her well. Maggie Mackenzie, who is new to Beachamwell has become our latest member, we too wish her well.
All in all it was a most enjoyable evening.
Come and join the largest Women’s Organisation. We would love to see you and you will be very welcome.
Vesna then thanked the members so much for making our 1st Christmas Fayre such a success. Many people commented on how enjoyable it was to see this type of event in the Memorial Hall and how much they enjoyed browsing the home-made produce on display and chatting to other local residents whilst tucking into the delicious mince pies and sipping their free glass of mulled wine. We hope to have raised £375.00.
The proposed Resolutions for 2013 were included on the Monthly Presidents Newsletter as were the aims and objectives for 2013.
Speaker for the evening was Mrs. A. Furness who demonstrated “Christmas Chocolates”. We all enjoyed the samples and agreed they should be included in the 2013 Christmas Fayre. Irene gave the vote of thanks, Joan won the flower of the month and the raffle and Brenda won the competition.
Vesna wished all members a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
Maureen gave the 2013 programme which certainly looks interesting.
Awards were presented to various members. The Ruth Rix Vase for Members Craftwork was presented for the first time. John Rix thought it would be an excellent way for members to remember his Mother and we were all delighted with the idea. His Partner, Susie, looked very carefully through the many items to view and in the end decided on the lovely cardigan designed and knitted by Vesna. She was absolutely delighted to be the first to receive the lovely vase and also a bottle of bubbly from Suzie. Members thank John for providing this vase,
The table flowers were presented to Margaret Webster who has been unwell recently but is now well on the way to recovery. Members were reminded of the Christmas Fayre to be held in the Memorial Hall on December 1st 12-3pm.
Next Meeting December 6th (Homemade Chocolates) If you are interested in belonging to the Largest Women’s Organisation in GB then come and join us, you will be most welcome.
Thanks must go to Val Sidey who was acting president. It was the first time she had done this and her friendly, enthusiastic manner was much appreciated.
The Organisation also works with families in Asia who rely on their donkeys for work, they are given advice from vets on donkey hygiene and health so they are able to work the long hours expected of them. Members were invited to knit a woolly donkey or a donkey cap and these can be sold in their shops. Anybody reading this can also help by knitting a donkey too, contact a Committee Member. Everybody really enjoyed the talk. More information can be obtained from their website.
The flower of the month and competition were won by Joan. Raffle won by Ann. Sheila gave the Vote of Thanks to the Members. We welcomed Karen a visitor who has since expressed a wish to join us. Carole Wilson Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be at this meeting but I must thank the members for organising what I understand was a superb evening and much appreciated. The hand made gift tags made by Brenda were terrific.
On a Wet Summer
O damp marquees where I have sat and sat,
O grandstands where it gurgles down the drain,
Why did I buy this garden party hat?
At the school sports I saw a water-rat;
At prize giving I put it on in vain;
O damp marquees where I have sat and sat!
At Lord’s they never even touched a bat,
At Wimbledon came flooding in the main;
Why did I buy this garden party hat?
At Ascot ? don’t remind me now of that ?
I suffered from acute rheumatic pain;
O damp marquees where I have sat and sat!
The vicarage flower-beds were all laid flat,
At Henley everyone was drenched again;
Why did I buy this garden party hat?
It cost ten guineas (all right, laugh, you cat!) ?
I might have known that it would pour with rain.
O damp marquees where I have sat and sat,
Why did I buy this garden party hat?
She reminded us of the Village Jubilee Fete and asked for goodies to sell on our stall. This is one of our main fundraising events so everybody is asked to bake or make as much as possible.
Another event will be a talk by Ian Berchem on October 17th, more details later. An outing to Denver Windmill and a possible Craft Day are also being organised. Heidi won the raffle, Brenda the flower of the month and Ann the competition. There were two quizzes, ‘What’s in the Sock’ won by Jackie and ‘Name the Trees’ won by Jill. Excellent refreshments were provided by the Committee. A lovely afternoon was enjoyed by 17 members.
As Carole wrote the above report she obviously couldn’t praise her own garden. Needless to say, it was as immaculate as ever - always a joy to visit. Carole, Brian and Jim are to be congratulated on the outstanding work they do – well done. On behalf of the WI, I would like to thank Carole for hosting the garden meeting. A lot of thought and work had gone into this and was much appreciated. Eileen Powell
Heidi won the competition, Vesna the flower of the month and Irene and Jill won the raffle. Brenda and Jackie have a birthday this month. Next month’s meeting will be held in The Old Rectory at 2.00pm where new members would be made most welcome.
It was with great sadness that the family informed us that Peggy Sutton had recently died. Peggy was a very long standing member of the W.I. We will remember her fondly for her great knitting skills. The slippers she knitted from recycled wool helped to raise funds for the W.I. We will certainly miss her.
Members discussed the possibility of a Craft Day.
A trip to Stody Gardens has been organised and on 21st June a tour around Aviva in Norwich. The show Madam Butterfly is the theme for the Flower Festival in July. Next Meeting is the Birthday Supper to be held at George and Dragon, Newton by Castle Acre. New Members are always welcome.
Thought for the Month
It’s a heap of satisfaction
When a helping hand I lend
Just to know someone’s happier
Because I paused to be a friend
Provided by Sheila Smith and taken from ‘A Day of Grace’
The speaker was Ann Etheridge from Diss who came with her husband and was entitled "A Passion for Plants". Ann certainly did have a passion for plants and her talk was most interesting and informative. She showed us a selection of the plants she had brought with her and described the care and attention needed. We were able to purchase our favourites too. It was a most enjoyable talk. Competition was won by Heidi, Raffle by Jill and Flower of the month by Val. Margaret Brookes had a birthday this month.
The raffle was won by Pat and the Flower of the month by Maureen
Thought for the Month
Each new day is full of promise,
Each dawn is filled with hope,
So if today you find life weary
And feel you cannot cope,
Remember that tomorrow may
Turn out to be a happier day
Maureen Buck gave an update on the outings which are proposed for the current year.
Everyone was pleased to learn that Vesna Hudson has been co-opted onto the Committee. Flower of the month was won by Vesna, competition by Marie and raffle by Pat.
Janet Walker, Community Librarian at Downham Market, gave a most interesting talk on the library and all the courses that were on offer absolutely free. There were also courses for children. Janet encouraged us to use the library and what was on offer.
The Speaker for the evening was Bryan Reynolds who gave us a most humorous and interesting talk on "A Career in Farming". He spent some of his time at Barton Bendish. Brenda Branch and Margaret Brookes were hostesses for the evening, flower was won by Jackie, raffle by Val and the competition by Brenda. Members were reminded to return their Resolution Slips to Jenny.
It was so interesting, he told us that 1.5million visitors arrive in Thetford forest each year, it covers 20,000acres and there are of course many deer including 18,000 muntjac (not so good for the gardens) His coloured slides included many visitors attractions in the forest, trees, wildflowers, butterflies and insects. High Lodge is certainly a good place to visit with the family for the day, cycles can be hired too.
The raffle was won by Margaret Brookes, flower of the month by Val Sidey and the competition by Betty Phillpot who also gave the Vote of Thanks.
Awards were presented to:-
Maureen Buck received the Ann Berchem vase for Flowers and the Full Attendance
Award.
Joan Forster won the Competition Plate.
Brenda Branch won the Accumulated Points.
A new award will be created for next year. John Rix has very kindly donated an award in memory of his mother Ruth. Members have yet to decide how the award will be set up so watch this space. I was on holiday for the October meeting and I understand from members that they all really enjoyed the Christmas Card Workshop taken by Sheila Smith. Sheila provided the materials and showed everybody what to do. It turned into quite a hilarious evening as some got very stuck up and made a few mistakes. However everybody went home with a Christmas card or two that they could proudly send. Thank you Sheila for your patience and for providing a really enjoyable and productive evening.
The October meeting will be a Craft Evening and Sheila will be showing us how to make Christmas Cards, please bring scissors, prit-stick and £1.00. Maureen Buck thanked the Committee for the evening and Brenda Branch gave the thought for the month. "Our world is full of wonder, there is beauty everywhere, if only we would take the time to stop and stand and stare."
It was a most interesting talk with slides and everybody enjoyed listening to Lou and learning more about this Charity. She told us the best dogs to be trained to help deaf people were Labradors, Spaniels, Poodles and Yorkies. Sheila won the raffle, Betty the competition. Next meeting is our Garden Meeting and will be held at Ann Lewings, Raven House, Eastmoor.
Sheila read the Thought for the Month.
If you would plant for days, plant flowers.
If you would plant for years, plant trees.
If you would plant for eternity, plant ideas
Next Meeting is July 7th and the topic is ‘Talking Dogs for the Deaf’.
Betty won the Raffle, Maureen submitted the most beautiful Peony and Joan won the competition - A Norfolk Recipe.
The ‘Thought for the Month’ was given by Eileen:
Grumbling gets you nowhere
It makes other people mad
So think before you grumble
Is your life so very bad?
Remember there is always
Someone who endures
Troubles which are often
Twice as bad as yours
She showed us slides from start to finish of her work which was outstanding. It was most interesting. Prue also works at Gooderstone Water Gardens.
Maureen won the flower of the month and the competition ‘An Easter Bonnet’, and Carole won the raffle.
We were delighted to welcome new member, Vesna Hudson, who joined that evening.
Thought for the Month (Quote from Benjamin Franklin provided by Sheila
Smith)
Be civil to all
Sociable to many
Familiar with few
Friend to one
Enemy to none
Flower of the Month: Brenda Branch.
Competition:1st Joan Foster, 2nd Mary Cross, 3rd Maureen Buck. We were delighted to welcome new member, Marija Njegomir, who joined that evening.
Thought for the Month was given by Jill Mason
The past is history, the future is a mystery, Today is a gift which is why it is called the present.
At the end of the meeting Jenny, our new President, welcomed Janet as Minute Secretary onto the Committee also Pat. The January Meeting was held in the afternoon and was a Workshop on Blackwork Tapestry. The meeting was "open" and was very well attended by villagers and visitors. All Saints Way was very well attended with residents Jane, Vera, Verina and Alma as well as members, Eileen, Jenny, Heidi and Marie. Visitors were from Barton Bendish, Swaffham and a friend of Ann's from Sussex. After an introduction from tutor Gilly Spencer, everybody decided on their design and tried the new skill of Blackwork, at times there was silence in the village hall as everybody concentrated on their work (very unusual at W.I. events) Margaret gave the vote of thanks and described the afternoon as most challenging and enjoyable, everybody agreed with this comment.
The raffle and the competition was won by Pat and the flower of the month by Marie. Heidi and Betty produced delicious refreshments.
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
Let us be large in thought, word and deed
Let us be done with fault finding & leave off self seeking
May we put aside all pretence and meet each other face to face, without self pity and without prejudice
May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous in thought
Teach us to put into action our better impulses straightforward and unafraid
Let us take time for all things, make us grow calm, serene, gentle
Grant that we may realise that it is the little things that create differences; that in the big things in life we are one
May we strive to touch and know the great woman’s heart common to us all;
Oh Lord God, let us not forget to be kind