WI News May

Some of his tips were very technical but the WI members hope they have learnt from him, and will use some of his tips for better pictures.

The WI has a new venture — a darts team! This has meant that they have had the chance to practice with the members from Middle Wallop at a local pub. They were a lovely friendly group, and they also joined them for tea and cakes to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. The darts team now has permission to practice at the village social club. The members of the social club are very kind and helpful, and the WI is very grateful.

Seven members have done a village litter pick up in a ‘Clean for the Queen — an effort in which many WIs are taking part. There will be another before the village fete, but the members hope that people will try not to drop rubbish! This will make the environment nicer for everyone to enjoy. The WI will be in charge of the cake and Pimms stalls at the fete in June.

May is the month when most of the Hampshire WIs hold their annual meetings, at which new committees and presidents are elected. These elections are held every year, but often it is the same members who are elected to the committee and to be president. Some, such as Charlton WI begin their meetings with the singing of Jerusalem.

The WIs also discuss and vote on resolutions to be discussed at the National Federation of Women’s Institutes’ annual meeting to be held in Brighton in June. The results of the individual WIs’ voting will be passed to the various delegates who will be representing them at this meeting, and they will vote as instructed.

These resolutions read: ‘The WI calls on all supermarkets to sign up to a voluntary agreement to avoid food waste, thereby passing surplus food on to charities, this helping to address the increasing food poverty in the UK.’ The other reads: ‘We call upon HM Government and the NHS to provide facilities to enable carers to stay with people who have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia that have been admitted to hospital.’ Some WIs spend their whole meetings on the business of their elections and the discussions on the resolutions, but others complete it quickly and then enjoy some social time, which can include food and often wine or soft drinks, a speaker or other activity. For example, Goodworth Clatford WI combined business with drinks and savoury snacks. They are planning outings for the summer months. The members from Charlton WI enjoyed a cake made by one of their members.

These annual meetings give the WI treasurers the opportunity to put the WIs’ financial states to their members. The secretaries, in their reports, usually review the monthly meetings of the WI and the various speakers and activities of the WI.

The presidents’ reports thank the WIs’ committees for all their hard work, and often with a special mention of the secretary and treasurer, without whom the WIs could not function.

Charlton WI members gave a special thank you to the late Brian Terry for his much valued practical help given to the WI for some years.

Andover Evening WI planned as many outings as possible during the WI’s year. They visited Houghton Lodge Gardens, where some of the WI’s members are volunteer gardeners, Sherborne for Christmas shopping and the Otterbourne Players’ pantomime, 'Goldilocks' in January, which is much loved by those who go to see these pantomimes every year, and several others. On the Queen’s 90th birthday some members returned to the Tea Cosy Café in Hurstbourne Tarrant for a toast to Her Majesty. The year was rounded off with an enjoyable skittles evening at the Crook and Shears in Upper Clatford. They have also enjoyed several games of crazy golf.

The members of Abbotts Ann WI thought that their May meeting should have been sponsored by a major supplier of pens as there were so many sign-up sheets available for the various things which are being planned for the coming months. These are: a canal trip, a summer outing to Syon House, lunch and supper clubs, hosting of WI coffee mornings, skittles and helping at some of the events celebrating the Tercentenary of St Mary's Church over the weekend of 23 and 24 July.

The monthly meetings are only the tip of the iceberg; once a woman is a WI member there is no excuse to be bored. The WI has several new members this year, including two in May, which is good news.

During the month the assorted groups have enjoyed a walk and lunch in Wherwell, the supper club travelled to the re-opened ‘Plough’ at Grateley and the lunch club went to the ‘Chestnut’ at the top of the Weyhill Road in Andover, followed by coffee at a member’s home. This was a lovely way to finish off the afternoon, especially as three of those who lunched had been serving refreshments at the fete committee's plant sale in the morning.

The Anton / Danebury Group played its round of the Hampshire County Federation of Women’s Institute’s annual quiz towards the end of May at the Fairground Hall Weyhill. The winning team was from Goodworth Clatford WI, and they will go on to the final to be played in Winchester in September.

The runners-up were the team from Andover Afternoon WI who came second with Longstock and Leckford WI in third place. Ten teams took part in a very friendly competition, which was quite challenging in places and which was much enjoyed.

‘Didn't we have a loverly time the day we went to Weymouth?’ This could have been the theme song of 13 members of Andover Afternoon WI, their friends and one husband, who travelled on the Andover Community bus to Weymouth at the end of May.

Everyone dispersed and enjoyed the day in their own way exploring Weymouth, having lunch, and doing some essential retail therapy, as was evidenced by the various bags on the bus on the return to Andover. All agreed that it had been a relaxing day sauntering along the promenade in the sunshine or just sitting watching the sea. One member and her husband took the opportunity to spend some time with his sister, chatting all day, and going for lunch to a pub at the tip of Portland Bill, where they could enjoy the view over the English Channel.

On the return journey the traffic going towards the West Country was continuous so everyone was very glad they were travelling east. Driving past Salisbury they could see traces of water on the road, and then puddles, and then they drove into the rain and by the time they were in the outskirts of Andover it was torrential rain. Everyone was very glad it had not reached Weymouth while they were there.