MFWI News

October has been a sad month, remembering that a year ago that our Treasurer Viv, who started HTWI, died on the 3rd, and Joan, our President died on the 5th.

This year, on 1st October, we had the very sad news that Sandra Johnson had died of cancer. Sandra, who had an OBE, had been a very funny, active, loved, loyal Secretary of Hayes Town for 13 years.

She was always busy organising parties, many coach outings and often in later years after counting everyone on board, would have to dash back home to look after her elderly parents.

Upon their death four years ago, Sandra had moved to Devon to be nearer her brother and family.

Sandra was an active member of the Middlesex Federation Board of Trustees for about ten years, serving on both Fundraising and Speech & Drama committees, and she organised the catering at many Federation events.

She was a great organiser and team player, always encouraging and enthusiastic to make events fun for members. She is remembered fondly by many in the MFWI family.

Another WI member, Linda Garthwaite, many years with Uxbridge and latterly with Hayes Town also died at the end of September. To start our Thursday meeting, a lighting of a candle a minute’s silence to remember our lovely friends .

In happier news, we welcomed another two new members, now ten in all since reopening in August, and our meeting went on with much hilarity, with five games of bingo and winners taking away chocolate and lottery tickets: they could be millionaires yet!

West Hampstead WI celebrated 10 years at our meeting on 7 October. Prosecco and cake were the order of the day and award-winning local actress Sarah Woodward did the honours cutting our celebration cakes. She had spoken at the meeting about the life of a jobbing actress, the ups and downs and stresses of an uncertain profession.

A vote of thanks to our founder Vicky Brown, who has served as President throughout our first decade, proposed by Membership Secretary Jane May, was greeted with enthusiastic applause.

From small beginnings, our membership has grown to nearly 40. Monthly meetings have included practical crafts and skills ranging from fashioning willow, hat making and creating natural cosmetics to massage techniques and mixing cocktails. We are fortunate we can draw on a plethora of local talent for our guest speakers including actors, authors, historians, academics, garden designers, psychotherapists, vets, and many more.

We have enjoyed talks from actors including Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Edward Petherbridge and Phillida Law,  learned about conservation of paper and musical instruments, heard about creative writing from several novelists, restorative justice, protection from terrorism and food recycling as well as many more esoteric topics.

During the lockdown, we stayed in touch with each other as best we could.  As soon as restrictions eased, members were able to meet outside for coffee mornings at Fortune Green, our local park, and in the summer we resumed our regular monthly programme, enjoying visits to both the Coexistence Exhibition of Elephants in Green Park and the current Frieze Sculpture Exhibition.

As Vicky said, “When we set up the new branch, we had no idea how it might develop. It has been very rewarding, offering local women an opportunity to meet socially. Many of us have made new friends, learnt a variety of new skills and met some wonderfully talented and interesting guest speakers. As part of the wider WI, we have been able to support some important national initiatives including the Show the Love climate change campaign and No More Violence Against Women, still very much an active issue of particular importance to women. Having survived the disruption caused by the Covid-19 lockdown, I look forward to a bright future for West Hampstead WI as we enter our second decade.”

Our first Bedfont Belles trip out this year was a visit to the Tower of London organised by Chris. We all enjoyed a talk by a jolly Beefeater and then went our own ways to explore. Fewer visitors meant no queuing, and the weather was kind.

Our AGM was held once again at the British Legion. Our WI Advisor Carol Sullivan came to oversee the proceedings. The committee was once again voted in with grateful thanks from the members. They surprised us with a Lucky Dip from which each person received a gift. We were warned not to get too excited as some people received toiletries while others received a scourer, sponge and J cloth. Such a sense of humour!

Harlington WI had its third meeting in its new temporary venue, and everyone is getting familiar and comfortable with it now.

The Reverend Mike Talbot came to the meeting to introduce himself, as our normal venue is next door to the Church. He will be leading the prayers on our event on Armistice Day in Harlington.

We have been busy making a poppy-themed knitted and crocheted wreath and a postbox topper is nearly finished for the village post box.

An excellent talk was given by Ali Wade from London Air Ambulance service. It was a fascinating insight into the range of work and volume of cases the service deals with every day. We all felt very grateful that we live in London and have access to this service should we have misfortune to need it. Imagine getting across the M25 in 11.5 minutes: they have done it in nine minutes, weather dependent.

We enjoyed our raffle, quiz and delightful refreshments.