August Newsletter 2020

Dear all,  Another month has passed and we would normally be looking forward to our annual garden party, unfortunately like many other events this year we had to cancel.  Hopefully the weather will be kind and you can all take a chair  and a drink if you would like one and meet behind the Community Centre on the grass on Wed 12 August 2/2:30pm for a chat.  If raining then it is suggested you try again on August  19th same place, same time.  Remember our tablecloth, which is on display at every meeting?  Several members helped to embroider the WI coat of arms for our 70th Anniversary, and Joan Fountain has spent some of her lockdown time adding our WI name and date for the Centenary. Thank you Joan it is looking good.

POPPY APPEAL

Jean Waters has informed me that NO HOUSE TO HOUSE collecting will take place this year due to Covid 19  this decision has been taken to protect the collectors.

Take care and hopefully you will be lucky to meet up on the 12th. 

Regards

Pam.

Birthdays this month 

Nina on the first, Judith Finn and Joan Porter on 31st

Sorry we missed yours Nina, but Happy Birthday to you all

September Meeting

We were hoping to be able to tell you about our September meeting, but we are still trying to work out if/when we can meet.  If we can meet, it will probably not be on our usual evening, as currently the Community Centre is only open for daytime events.  Each event uses half the hall to allow social distancing and there are one way signs for entry and exit.

The speaker, Andrew Brogen of the Henstead Exotic Garden is prepared to change to an afternoon, but I have yet to hear back from the clerk regarding which afternoon we could use the hall.

We will let you know when we hear anything so that you have the opportunity to attend if you feel you can.

Of course this all depends on no further restrictions being put in place.

Denman College

Those of you who have attended courses at Denman and become fans will be sad to hear that unfortunately National  Executive have decided to sell the college.  It has been struggling for a number of years, and we have made donations to help keep it going, so this is purely down to lack of numbers attending and COVID has been the final blow.

The college has never received any money out of our subscriptions, since it was purchased in 1948.  Members at that time collected in their own WIs to pay for the college, so it really does belong to us and the money from the sale will be ring fenced for education.  Hopefully this will mean more accessible courses for everone. 

 I hope you have been making use of the Denman Zoom talks – I have seen a couple and they were very good, I know some of you have seen more and even tried cookery by zoom.

Norfolk Federation Office All Saints Green

COVID secure procedures have been put in place, and we can only visit by appointment  Mon – Thurs 10.30 to 3pm and enter by the back door, leaving by the front.  There will be hand sanitiser and social distancing etc.  Phone 01603 624580 for an appointment.  Also phone if you wish to use the car park when shopping in Norwich.  There will be no one in the office on Friday as no one is to be in the office alone - Louise as the only full time staff member will work from home.  So there will be no parking on Fridays. 

Veggie baking

For those not on email, I have printed the following, otherwise it was in the emailed monthly mailing - Carol and Heather of the board of Trustees are starting a monthly flyer featuring baking.  Different theme each month and this month it is vegetable cakes.  Veg used include beetroot, parsnip, mashed potato and courgette.  So if you have a glut of any of these maybe you can give one of the recipes a try.

The 500 club There was also a form to complete if you want to join.  But you do not need a form .  Just send £5 per share with a note to Vanessa at the office. Postal  address:  Evelyn Suffield House, 45 All Saints Green, Norwich NR1 3LY.  3 Monthly prizes.      

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The pleasures and perks Growing old- some quotes

One good thing about being old and having a failing memory is that you can enjoy endless repeats of detective programmes like Midsummer Murders, Poirot, Morse & Lewis, because you never remember whodunit!

The older you get, the better you get – unless you are a banana!

One compensation of old age is that it excuses you from picnics.

One consolation of ageing is realising that while you have been growing old, your friends haven’t been standing still in the matter either.

When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things, not the great occasions that in retrospect give us the greatest pleasure.

This month a little quiz about the WI and this Newsletter- what do you remember?

When was Denman College purchased? How was it paid for? Where is the Norfolk Federation Office? What year was Norfolk Fed Centenary? What year was National Fed Centenary?

6. Who do you apply to for 500 club tickets? 7. How do you enter the Fed office now if you visit? 8. Which day is there no parking at the office? 9. What days/times can you visit? 10. Who should be our speaker in September?

Answers to last month’s number quiz

Squares on a chess board?  64 Old pennies in a pound?  240 Years between Battle of Hastings and Spanish Armada? 1588-1066= 522 years Yards in a mile?  1760 Number of days in a week from the number of weeks in a year? 52-7= 45 An old Half crown was how many new pence?  Was 2 shillings and 6pence= 12½ In the song how many swans were aswimming?  7  (there are in my version) How many yards in a chain?  22 How many years after man landed on the moon did Elvis die?  1977-1969 = 8 years The Beatles sang about When I’m what age?  Will you still need me will you still feed me when I’m 64. What is the boiling point of water in the Fahrenheit scale?  212°

12. How many of his 6 wives did Henry VIII decapitate?  2 - Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Remember divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded survived. 13. By the end of the song how many gold rings would I have?  that’s  5 each round starting at 5th day so 8x5 =40 14. How many piersin Norfolk? 5 and a bit if you count Hunstanton’s.  G Yarmouth has 4 – 2 at the river mouth.  15. How many wings on a dragonfly? 4 16. How many reindeer did Santa have? 9 I am not listing them!  You try singing the song. 17. How many years has Elizabeth II reigned longer than Victoria? 68 – 64=  4 years 18. How many degrees in the angle between South and East on the compass?  90° 19. How many loaves to feed the multitude?  5   20. How many ounces in a stone?  16x14 = 224

Newsletter May 2020

Remember this lovely garden party at Pam Lack’s?

It was 2012 would you believe?

Did anyone have a socially distanced street party on Friday for VE day?

Hadden Close had a party with lots of bunting and everyone social distancing along the pavement with their cakes and their favourite tipple.  Tim had the old time music on and I had them all singing songs like ‘We’ll meet again’ of course!

Dear members.

           

Wednesday May 6th was a great milestone for our committee, we held our meeting Via Zoom, It was a great success apart from a couple of hiccups, we were very pleased with ourselves.

I am sure you must all be as disappointed as the committee are that our Centenary party has had to be cancelled, unfortunately the committee has also decided after much deliberation, to cancel the catering for the special garden party that was planned for August as it will be very hard to keep to social distancing.

As nobody can foresee when larger gatherings will be allowed, the meetings have been cancelled for June and July. Before September hopefully we will have more information on how we can go forward for the rest of the year.

I am delighted to inform you that we have received a letter of congratulations from the Queen on our Centenary, I was told via a phone call from Buckingham Palace that the Queen only send cards to people who are 100years old however we could have an anniversary letter from her, a lovely memory for us and something for the archives that some form of life continued during the Covid 19 virus.

Regards  Pam.

Hopefully we have all survived another month of lockdown, and Boris announced some lifting of the restrictions this weekend.  ‘Stay alert’ is the new buzz phrase not sure what that means! I have managed to keep upright and do a little light gardening and my back has not protested!  Still doing the exercises and going for daily walks, and I hope you are all keeping active too.

Update about Liz Bussey, after being hit by the van in January she was told no bones broken.  However the Doctors have finally reviewed her xrays as she was still complaining of a great deal of pain and surprise surprise the decision is that she has a cracked hip socket which is not healing properly and a hip replacement is recommended.  We wish her well and hope that finally she can be on the way to recovery.

I forgot to mention 2 birthdays last month

Joan Fountain and Ann Thompson

Belated birthday greetings to you.

Birthdays this month

 Liz Bussey, Christine Wise, Jean Gowing and Susie Hinsley.

Happy Birthday to you all.

Newsletter June 2020

Poringland WI Newsletter June 2020

Unfortunately still no news or hope of resuming our

 monthly WI meetings.  The community Centre has contacted all the groups who hire rooms for their activities for information of when we would be likely to restart meetings, they had listed 4 groups, unfortunately due to the average age of our members we would be in group 4 who will be the last to go back maybe November/December but no one really knows.

Thank goodness for the wonderful weather, any one lucky enough to have a garden has been able to enjoy it, also lovely walks if you are able, the worst thing has been not having contact with your family.  It is now love

Dear All

Do hope you have all kept well over the last few weeks, Michael and myself enrolled with Kings College working with St Thomas Hospital London to research Covid 19, at the beginning of the lockdown.  We have to fill in questions from them every morning, today we were asked if we would be willing to do the test, we replied yes so will have to wait and see.

ly for anyone able to meet up outside with their families although at a distance but of course there are many of our members like me that live too far apart for a quick drive to meet halfway so must continue with face time etc.

I have not done much baking since my children finished university as we ate it too quickly however this week I thought I would make a banana loaf and other cakes, bought all ingredients via on line shopping then looked for scales and loaf tins and remembered that second week into lockdown I sorted that cupboard out and threw most cooking equipment out and thought I would buy it all new, of course no shops opened.  I improvised with tin foil tins and guessed the ingredients, nowhere near perfect but edible.  Thank goodness for online shopping all new cook ware should arrive this week, must say the internet has been a blessing for me as we have celebrated our granddaughter's birthday and our daughter’s birthday in the last month so cards ordered and presents all delivered to their door.

Continue to take care and stay safe for as long as it takes.

Regards Pam.

Birthdays this month

Maureen Scott, Rosemary Wain, Diana Davey and Jenny Herne.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you........

The Council has now launched an anti-scamming campaign during Covid 19.  Let them know if you receive any scams.  Some examples are emails regarding TV Licensing, texts re Cervical screening, or calls supposed to be from Amazon or Police Officers.  A new email going around says ‘You missed a call from .....’.Do not open it or the attached recording as it is a hacking device that could damage your laptop etc.

Stay alert, stay safe on line!

As I type this, I should be in the Albert Hall with Hilary, Pam, and 5,000 other members singing Jerusalem.  Make do with singing along when it turns up on Classic ~FM.  National have been putting craft projects and information on MyWI website, and they have now sent out an email detailing a virtual festival on Saturday 27 June –they would like members to send in their favourite song – one that makes you happy, and they will put together a playlist on Youtube on that day.  They would also like anyone to send in a clip of themselves/their partner/dog etc dancing along to a favourite tune!  They will then compile a video for social media/My WI.  Is anyone brave enough to try that????

Poems from a little book of Best Loved poems

To see a World in a Grain of sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand 

And Eternity in an hour.

                                       William Blake

I wish I loved the human race

I wish I loved its silly face;

I wish I liked the way it walks;

I wish I liked the way it talks;

And when I’m introduced to one

I wish I thought What Jolly Fun!

                                        Walter Raleigh

( Wouldn’t you like to knock some heads together sometimes?)

We have certainly had time for contemplating nature this year.

My front garden is looking absolutely fabulous.  Despite being on a bank and bone dry these plants obviously love it.  Californian poppies, osteospermum, Canterbury bells and annual poppies beginning to open.  Somewhere in there are sedum, verbena and eryngium waiting their turn to shin.  Not sure if the rudbeckia made it this year, but I have more to plant out once we get some rain.

Have you been spending time in your garden?  Even a tiny plot can make you feel better, to get out in some fresh air and look around at greenery, birds, butterflies, if you cannot go any further.

We have been outside rather than doing the jobs indoors that probably should have taken priority!  The front garden more or less has to look after itself, apart from occasional sorties to get rid of the weeds.  It has been too hot to spend long out there, the back garden is a bit cooler offering some shade.  Richard has redone the pond outside the kitchen window for nature, now the fish have been rehomed with Joan.  We have resident newts, watersnails, various little creepy things (which the newts probably eat) and the damsel flies have been laying eggs on the pond plants.  These consist of a waterlily, mint and an iris all rescued from the old pond.  We shall have to watch the iris as it had completely taken over the old pond and came out in a pond shaped lump after a struggle, where Richard fell over onto the wheelbarrow.

I have also sown all the seeds that we had, including tomatoes and cucumber now filling the greenhouse.  The runners are climbing the poles, and the courgettes are flowering.  Meg gave us some broadbean, cauliflower and cabbage plants which she got before lockdown, not sure how successful they will be on our soil.  Some of the flower seeds were from last year or even the year before, but in a fit of enthusiasm I shot them all into trays.  Quite a lot of them came up, so I have to nurture them until we get rain and I can plant them out.  As it is now June we expect rain soon – hopefully as we only have half a barrel of water left out of 10 waterbuts!  We did have to use some to fill the new pond, but that is less than one barrel full.  Happy gardening.

Week 11 of lockdown and unless you are shielding, .we can now meet family again.

Hurrah if you live near enough to meet.


 

Quiz this month on a gardening theme - these are all flowers.

1. Hurry up, pussy’s in it
2. Smart fellow with a majestic animal
3. Father’s advice to daughter.
4. Lady on a bicycle made for two
5. Boy with an old fashioned pen
6. Great city’s self esteem
7. Necessary for a kiss
8. Lucky Scottish lady
9. Birds and a happy cat
10. Pleasant veg found in a whistle got up
11. got up
12. a cold fall
13. Darling Bill
14. Two girls
15. Remember me
16. Adam’s bloomer
17. Best Policy
18. Source of light and bread
19. Drinking vessel for spreading on bread 
20. Vulgar Big Ben

Answers to last month’s quiz  Name the Country.

1. Popular bird for Christmas - Turkey
2. In need of a good meal  - Hungary
3. Where they have a lot of coffee  Brazil
4. Like the weather in winter - Chile
5. Hurry the lady - Russia
6. Not out darling - India
7. I did not walk - Iran
8. Mournful sound - Wales
9. Between 79 and 81 - Haiti
10. Not old twenty one shillings - New Guinea
11. Suitable hat for hot weather - Panama
12. the island of the Egyptian kings - Faroes
13. Freezing place - Iceland
14. A shop where the bull shouldn’t go - China
15. Makes a nasty mark on your clothes - Greece
16. Prosecute little Daniel -  Sudan
17. Where male neckwear originates - Thailand
18. Don’t cry for me - Argentina 
19. Where the melody is - Tunisia
20. Country underneath-  Netherland
    
    
     

Poringland's 100th Birthday.

Poringland WI 1920 - 2020

On May 13th Poringland WI celebrated its Centenary very differently to the plans the committee had been planning. Our local Radio station was contacted and gave us a nice mention. We also received a letter from the Queen; it appears the Queen does not send cards to organisations, only people, for special occasions. There was also a small keepsake of a special printed chocolate square.

Unfortunately the party with a cooked meal for all members and a Jazz band for the evening's entertainment had to be cancelled. Instead several members got together to make a toast to the WI going forward to the next hundred years via Zoom.

I wonder what new technology will be in place by then and how the WI will celebrate it. Thanks to the Norfolk WI News being sent vial email and many of our members contacting each other by phone, we have managed to keep in contact with our members while we have not been able to have official meetings. Congratulations to all other WIs who have anniversaries this year. Lets hope we can all be together soon but until then ‘Stay Safe’

Pam Cooper

Update during Covid

The last few months have seen Poringland WI change their way of how to keep in touch with members when the meetings had to start being cancelled.

It was agreed all members especially those who live on their own received phone calls from committee members as everyone appreciated a friendly chat. Birthday flowers have been replaced by delivering Birthday cards.

Poringland is also lucky to have 25 of its members on line which has enabled us to forward the Norfolk WI News directly to them along with our monthly newsletters, other  members have received printed copies. This method has been repeated with all the correspondence received from the office especially information on scams, our magazine editor also included a quiz one month with answers provided in the next months newsletter.

Our February meeting  was a craft evening and members designed Triangles for bunting to be used at our 100 year celebrations on May 13th. Unfortunately the party was cancelled, however the day has some nice memories; early in the morning the local radio congratulated us on our centenary, every member received a commemorative chocolate and we received a letter of congratulations from the Queen.

In the afternoon several members proved they are ready to keep up with  technology  and we joined up via Zoom for a toast and sang Jerusalem. Several people singing together proved to be a challenge as the singing was not in sync.
The committee has now held a meeting/chat by Zoom several times.

Other activities that have been taking place are making laundry bags for nurses and
adding additional embroidery to our top table cloth marking our Centenary Year along with stitching the bunting together on the tape ready for nexts year's delayed celebrations.
Pam Cooper.

WI GET TOGETHER AUGUST 12TH @ 2PM.

August 12th meet outside on grass behind the Community Centre weather permitting (only cancelled if raining) please bring your own chairs. Time from 2pm. Unfortunately there will be no toilet facilities in use at centre, also car sharing/lifts for members will have to be arranged by themselves as WI cannot be reasonable for lifts taking place.

Wymondham Walk January 2020

Several WI members enjoyed a walk around Wymondham and the Abbey, we finished with a very enjoyable meal at the Station Restaurant.


   

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Whitlingham Walk.2019