Harrods 1909

This month was an 'Open Meeting' with 53 visitors from 8 local WI's and the general public.  Mr Richard Furnival-Jones from London was welcomed by the president, Susan Leng, with his talk entitled "The Palace of Knightsbridge - aka Harrods".

He joined the company when he was 18 years old and retired after 40 years. It was interesting to hear about the history of the department store from the nineteenth century to its present day. He related many fascinating anecdotes to his captive audience. The evening ended with a grand raffle.

December will be a Christmas Party with buffet and no cutlery or glasses will be required this year. Mr Frankie Coulter will entertain with a variety of music played on his keyboard.

Dogs, College & Lifeboats - The Women's Institute October Update

An outing has been arranged for 17 October to Tiptree and lunch at Perrywood Garden Centre. A coffee morning is held every month at the Treble Tile. Next one 25 October at 10.30am.

Canine Partners

We have an open meeting in November when Mr Furnival-Jones will talk about his 40 years at The Palace of Knightsbridge i.e. Harrods. Visitors £2 pay on the door. We shall be welcoming many local WI's.

In September the president, Susan Leng welcomed members who enjoyed a talk from Canine Partners Assistance Dogs, helping people with physical disabilities. The wheelchair bound speaker brought along Guy, his dog, who demonstrated his skills used around the home and when out shopping.

In August five members visited WI Denman College for the day near Oxford and spoke about their impressions during social time.  Squares are being knitted and made up into blankets for the special care baby unit.

West Mersea Lifeboat Station

Mr Rick Boreham was this month's speaker. He is a volunteer with West Mersea RNLI. With the aid of slides members heard about the history of the organization and the many incidents involving the Mersea Lifeboat. He also put on the suit the men wear when going out on a call.

Jubilee Thrones with the WI

President, Susan Leng welcomed guest speaker Barbara Faulkner who celebrated the June Jubilee meeting with members. She began with a quiz of 20 questions about the Queen. No one knew the Queen had nine thrones! The evening continued with a racing game.  Barbara then played music for the members to sing Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia everyone was dressed in red, white and blue.


Following tea, a verse was chosen from the adult village competition and this will be printed together with drawings from the two age groups of children.  The card will be sent to the Queen from the residents of West Bergholt.

WI meetings and outings

The president Susan Leng welcomed members and thanked all who brought cakes as our annual contribution to St Helena Hospice Colchester.

The July outing will visit the Van-Dal factory and shop in Norwich with free time to follow. Contact 01206 240854 to book a place on the coach.

As part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations the W I is organizing a card with verse competition which will be professionally printed and sent to the Queen from the village of West Bergholt. Forms will be available from the Co-op later this month.

Erika Cole presented the completed photograph album recording the W I's 90th birthday celebrations during 2011.

Mrs Paula Short was welcomed with her talk on The Artists who Painted Horses.

Fashion Show at WI

The president Susan Leng welcomed everyone to the Fashion Show staged by Viyella and Country Casuals.  WI's from 6 neighbouring villages had also accepted the invitation as well as local visitors. 10 members volunteered to be models wearing a selection of clothes from casual to formal wear with a commentary giving the audience more details of materials etc.

Members are reminded that the meeting on 4 April is when cakes for St Helena Hospice are required (bought or homemade).

Beetles & Mediums - WI January report

The new president, Susan Leng, welcomed members and several visitors to the January meeting. Following tea members enjoyed a game of Beetle.

Ideas for Social Time can be brought to the next meeting on February 1st where contributions to our new sales table for unwanted gifts etc. would be appreciated to help our funds. Mrs Stephanie Barrows will talk about Psychics and Mediums.

 Members are looking forward to the WI's 91st Birthday Lunch at The Lion Leavenheath on Wednesday 8 February.

Women's Institute - Christmas update

Pat Moran, president, welcomed members to the Christmas meeting.  She was presented with an orchid and grateful thanks from everyone who appreciated her hard work and dedication throughout her 4 years in office.  Susan Leng will take over as president in January. Joint winners of the competitions during 2011 were Nora Bates and Erika Cole.

Subscriptions of £31.50 will be due at the January meeting. A birthday lunch has been organised for 8 February anyone who has not signed the board or paid should ring 01206 240854.

Stone heads & talking news...

... were the topics for the WI's talks after their AGM which Mrs Beecham chaired.  Following the AGM, the current committee remains in place with the exception of the president Pat Moran who will be replaced in January by Susan Leng.

Following tea Jan Lumb gave a fascinating talk on her stone head. It was ploughed up in a Yorkshire field and came south with the family and resided on a rockery in Hertfordshire finally coming to the village location in 1976. Museum historians date it about the beginning of the first century.

Hillary Nugent told members about the talking newspaper which is distributed around Colchester and her involvement as part of a team who selects and reads the articles.

Next month is the Christmas party. Members are asked to bring cutlery and a glass. The meeting will start earlier at 7pm.

Women's Institute - witching update

President, Pat Moran welcomed members to the Halloween Evening. The hall was decorated with creepy crawlies with the committee and members entering into the spirit of Halloween wearing witches hats etc. Barbara Faulkner was welcomed back with her talk entitled "The Witch Report on Halloween". Her audience learnt many interesting facts about Halloween and the history of witches and their extermination in Europe and the UK.  She read a story called "The Witches Institute" during social time.

November 2 is the annual meeting when a new president is voted in.

Members enjoyed a long and short walk followed by lunch at a local garden centre.

Women's Institute - September Update

President Pat Moran welcomed members and visitors to the most recent meeting. The W I is looking forward to entertaining past members as their 90th year is celebrated.

A walk is planned for 19 October followed by lunch at Barn Plants.

The scheduled speaker was unable to attend at the last minute but the president gave a fascinating and enlightening talk on her childhood in a mining valley in South Wales.

Next month Barbara Faulkner makes a welcome return with her talk entitled The 'Witch' Report on Halloween. Everyone is encouraged to wear something appropriate for the occasion. It is an Open Meeting with several other W I's invited to attend.

Women's Institute - Quarter Update

Emmeline Pankhurst in
 less-fashionable
Prison attire

June was an 'Open Meeting' with the president Pat Moran welcoming visitors from other W I's. During the refreshment break everyone was able to view the displays of press cuttings on our 90th birthday celebrations, together with old programmes and minutes.

Ex mayor, Sonia Lewis, talked about her mayoral year and included a typical day. She spent none of the council's money whilst in office and her audience were keen to hear about her various outfits worn for the variety of official duties she carried out. Two walks were organised and members then enjoyed a lunch at Barn Plants.

The July outing was a visit to Perrywoods garden centre where members enjoyed browsing around the extensive area before lunch.

August's meeting was an 'Open Meeting', vice-president, Bea Girkin, welcomed members and visitors. Mrs Louise Reed was introduced as Emmeline Pankhurst. She wore the fashion of the 1920's and gave an in-depth insight into life in prison and the traumas of trying to obtain suffrage for women.

The West Bergholt WI are looking forward to meeting past members on 15th September in the Methodist Hall from 2pm to 4pm to celebrate their 90th year. Invitations will be distributed this month.

Happy Birthday to WI

The village W I was 90 years old on February 2 when they met in the Orpen Memorial Hall and enjoyed hearing memories of past meetings from 3 members. A taster evening of favourite recipes were on hand to sample and the president, Pat Moran read the minutes from the first meeting held in the village school now the local hairdressers.

The Balkerne Restaurant

A Celebration lunch was held at the Balkerne Restaurant, Colchester Institute on February 17th. The students prepared an excellent 3 course meal for everyone. Rene Keates, 90 this year and long standing member Joyce Lucking cut the cake made by the college. Individual pieces were wrapped in cellophane and tied with a red bow which members took home.

A truly memorable day.

Happy Birthday to WI in West Bergholt

1921 Fashion

On 2nd February 1921, 90 years ago, the first W I meeting was held in the village at the old school, now the hairdressers. 134 ladies enrolled. We have just short of 40 at present.

President, Pat Moran read the first minutes from that meeting which took place on the same date as our meeting.  Jan Lumb, Clarice Chittenden and Joyce Lucking spoke about their memories of the early years attending our W I.  Early programmes and minute books were exhibited together with photographs from 1921.

The 'Taster Evening' was well supported with the recipes available to purchase. Our 90th lunch will be celebrated at the Balkerne Restaurant, Colchester Institute.  Rene Keates and Joyce Lucking will cut the cake. The coach leaves the Orpen Memorial Hall at 11.30am.

RHS Garden at Wisley, Woking, Surrey and RHS Hyde Hall Gardens are holding an open day on Friday 4 March with free entry to the public.

Women's Institute - December Report

Members braved the icy conditions to be welcomed by the president Pat Moran to the Christmas party. The supper was prepared by the committee and members were then entertained by Ray Spiller with his musical quiz and CD's from the pop charts interspersed with his anecdotes.

Next month subscriptions of £30 are due also the remaining payment of £7 for our birthday lunch in February. The meeting on 5 January will welcome a speaker from the Salvation Army. The competition will be a pretty cup and saucer.

Women's Institute - October Report

The upcoming 90th anniversary & Wilkin's of Tiptree were key topics for the October meeting.

Pat Moran, president, welcomed members and visitors. The federation sport's quiz will be for sale next month. A secretary for 2011 has to be found by the annual meeting next month when the WI Adviser, Val Stone attends. Next year is our 90th birthday and a luncheon has been arranged in February 2011 at the Balkerne Rooms Colchester Institute. A £5 deposit should be paid in November. A coach will be booked.

The WI 2011 programme is complete and a special 90th cover has been organized.
Wednesday 8 December will be the celebration of Christmas at Chelmsford Cathedral. Times 2.45pm and 7.45pm.

Mr Chris Newenham representing Wilkin's products from Tiptree spoke about the history and future plans. Members were surprised to hear Christmas puddings and boxes of tea are stocked in the shop. A visit to the orchards will form part of our annual outing next year.

Women's Institute - September Report

The president welcomed members and asked for suggestions for committee in 2011 to be brought to the October meeting.

The walks and lunch on 25 August was a great success and Clarice Chittenden thanked Pat Moran for organising the event with 27 people attending the lunch.

The speaker was Liz Mullen (pictured right reporting from a field gun team training exercise), an ex-BBC Essex presenter who now works on '107 Garrison FM' radio. Her talk was entitled Not Just a Game of Soldiers.

Orders can now be made for 2011 calendars £3.25 and diaries £3.45 - member Barbara Buckley has a photo included in the calendar.

Women's Institute - August Report

The president Pat Moran welcomed members and reported a very successful outing in July to Carter's Vineyard. On Wednesday 25 August the John Lampon Hall has been booked from 10am when there will be coffee available followed by a three and a half mile walk and a one mile walk. A ploughman's lunch will be served from 12 noon. Names and £3 to Jan Lumb. Participation in the walks is optional.

Mr John Morgan spoke about his life and times down the mines.

It has been decided not to have a stall at Heathlands School fete in the future as members are involved with many other organisations on that occasion. £37 was donated to the school.

Subscriptions for next year will be £30 with half going to our WI and the other two quarters to Essex Federation and National. A report on the AGM in Cardiff was given by the president.

To celebrate our 90th birthday next year a cake will be served at the January meeting with a Lunch at the Balkerne Rooms in February. A coach will be provided.

Women's Institute - July Report

Members and guests enjoyed the annual outing to Carters Vineyard in Great Horkesley. The history of the vineyard from inception followed by a tour of the wine making process was fascinating. Before lunch a selection of wines were tasted including red, white and sparkling.

The meeting in the Orpen Memorial Hall on Wednesday 4 August at 7.15pm will welcome speaker John Morgan with his talk 'Down the Mines.' Competition A Stone with a Story'.

Women's Institute - June Report

Vice president Bea Girkin took the meeting as the president attended the National Federation AGM in Cardiff. A delegate is required to report on the County Annual Meeting in Clacton later this year, 3 other members may attend at £5 each.

After the committee meeting at the president's home on 29 June a programme planning meeting follows at 11am. Please bring along suggestions for 2011.

Contributions to the stall at the school fayre can be brought at 1pm or taken to the president's home the day before.

Maureen Williams from SAGA spoke about the various services and holidays available from the company.

No meeting next month as annual outing.

Womens Institute - May Report

President Pat Moran welcomed members to the meeting. A letter had been received from St Helena Hospice thanking everyone for their home made cakes.

Letters and phone calls from visiting WI's thanked our W I for the enjoyable Fashion Show.

There will be a stall at the village fete at Heathlands Primary school on Saturday 19 June. Helpers and contributions of cakes and preserves are required.

The resolution for food to be labelled with the country it comes from not where processed was unanimously carried. The president will attend the National AGM in Cardiff to vote for this.

Simon Gallup, a blue badge holder spoke about Flatford and Constable Country. With the aid of two screens his audience could compare Constable's paintings and how in some cases the countryside has changed.

The annual outing on July 7 is to Carter's Vineyard which includes lunch; £15 payable next month. Congratulations to member Marie -Louise Fuell who won the Essex Tea Time Quiz.

June 2 meeting welcomes Mrs Diana Pettit with her talk on the 'History of Jewellery.