Mrs Daphne Howlett - The History of the WI

Pam Cooper – President of Poringland WI opened the February meeting with a

welcome to members and guests.  With the Alberta Creed said and business
dealt with, she introduced our speaker for the evening, Mrs Daphne Howlett
whose subject was ‘The History of the Women's Institute (WI).

The WI was first founded in Canada by Adelaide Hunter Hoodless who had

four children, the youngest of which died at the age of 18 months.
Recognising that a number of children died before the age of five, Adelaide
suspected milk was the cause as it was unpasteurised. The death of her child
led Adelaide to devote her life to better education of new mothers,
stressing the importance of hygiene.

After some time and many meetings, the WI was formed by Adelaide in

February 1897 in Stoney Creek Ontario, with the motto ‘For Home & Country’.
Similar organisations were formed in other countries eventually reaching our
shores.

Mrs Alfred Watt came over from Canada and introduced the WI to the UK. For

three months she addressed women, mainly on large Estates where they dare
not refuse to attend as the estate owners were the employers.   In 1915 the
first WI was formed in Llanfaiar PG on the Isle of Anglesea and by 1917
there were 137 Institutes.  Queen Mary invited Mrs Watt to address a meeting
at Sandringham and the Sandringham institute was then formed on 6th March
1917 with Queen Mary their first President, followed by the Queen Mother and
then our present Queen.

We are the only women’s organisation to own our own college and Denman was

purchased in 1948 after the WIs successfully raised funds to do so. In 1952,
£4,000 was raised by Norfolk's WIs to purchase our own building, which we
still own.  At present there are approximately 300 WIs in Norfolk alone with
about 10,000 members.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries,

please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders,
Secretary on 01508 492155.

Joan Fountain.

Charlie Haylock - History of Surnames.

Wednesday 14th January 2015

Our first meeting of the new year was certainly entertaining. The wonderful Charlie Haylock regaled the group with the history of surnames, beginning with a history of language and how surnames came about. He then explained the meaning behind some of the surnames of people in the meeting, which brought about much interest for many. The English language is made up of Roman, Saxon and Viking languages/pronunciations, which is why our language is so complex. Surnames were given after place names, jobs, or activities. It is unbelievable how many variations of ‘son of’ there are!

Charlie presented this information in an interesting and often amusing way and I for one was fascinated by the reasons behind the way some words are pronounced. By the amount of group members asking extra questions at the end, I think the evening was certainly enjoyed by all!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 11th March 2015, starting at the usual time of 1930hrs. Frank Lambert will be talking about Gardens of East Anglia and the competition is a floral photo – taken by yourself of course.

DON’T FORGET!  This meeting will be held in the Nightingale Centre!!!

DATES FOR THE FUTURE

Our jumble sale will be on Saturday March 14th 2015 at the Community Centre, starting at 1030hrs til 12 noon. Any jumble and tombola items greatly received. Entry fee as usual will be 20p. Hope to see you all there. Please deliver any jumble to the hall before 1000hrs or phone one of the numbers below if you have any items you would like collecting.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Samantha Mosedale

Rachel Duffield with her interpretation of Marie Lloyd.

Wednesday 10th December 2014

Our last meeting of 2014 was certainly a night to remember! Rachel Duffield entertained a large audience with her interpretation of Marie Lloyd – Queen of the Music Halls. We had many friends attend from other WI’s, and they seemed to enjoy the evening immensely. Rachel had dressed in a homemade replica of one of Marie Lloyd’s dresses and really looked the part. She gave us a portrayal of Marie Lloyd’s biography interspersed with music. She played the part magnificently and sang very well – with the aid of an ipad and speakers. 

Marie Lloyd was certainly a colourful character who pushed the boundaries of what was and wasn’t politically correct. She was very controversial with her songs, coming close to inappropriate on many occasions, not just on stage, but in her private life. If around these days, she probably would have been on the front pages of the newspapers regularly with yet another scandalous story.

Rachel provided wonderful entertainment for our Christmas meeting and was enjoyed by all who attended. The evening ended with a lovely buffet, so thank you to all who contributed to this.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday February 11th2015 at 1930hrs at the Community Centre. Our speaker is Daphne Howlett talking about the History of the WI from 1897 to today. Hopefully this will be an informative meeting, especially of interest in our centenary year. The exhibition is of WI memorabilia.

DON’T FORGET THE JUMBLE SALE!

Our jumble sale will be on Saturday March 14th 2015 at the Community Centre, starting at 1030hrs til 12 noon. Any jumble and tombola items greatly received. Entry fee as usual will be 20p. Hope to see you all there. Please deliver any jumble to the hall before 1000hrs or phone one of the numbers below if you have any items you would like collecting.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Our meeting on March 11th 2015 unfortunately cannot be held at our usual venue. This meeting will therefore be held at the usual time at THE NIGHTINGALE CENTRE in Poringland.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Samantha Mosedale

Annual Meetimg 2014

Wednesday November 12th 2014

This, as usual, was our annual meeting where committee members are voted for for the next year. After many years of loyal and devoted service, Jean W has decided to step down from the committee for a well deserved break. Sue S was voted on in her place. Our congratulations go to Sue and we hope she enjoys her time on the committee. Our thanks and appreciation go to Jean for all her hard work on behalf of our group.

The Arts and Crafts exhibition was wonderful, with many contributions. Our Members are certainly a talented group, with many strings to their bows. The Craft section consisted of crocheted dolls, snowflakes, embroidery and home knits – all of superb quality. This section was won by Sue F with her wonderful sampler. She was awarded the lovely painting. The Art section was won by Diana D and she collected the vase.

JUST A REMINDER

Our meeting in January promises to be a great start to the new year. On Wednesday 14th January 2015, we have Charlie Haylock coming to talk to us about the History of Norfolk and Suffolk surnames. I’m sure that this will be an informative and hopefully amusing evening. 

I would like to end this with a Christmas and New Year wish for happiness and health to all our Members and their loved ones. I hope the festive season brings much time for relaxation and family. I look forward to seeing you all in 2015.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Sam Mosedale

Ruth Smith - A Life with Nanny

Wednesday October 8th
Our meeting on this night included a talk by Ruth Smith on “A Life with Nanny – 1940s”. Initially, we had assumed that this would be about being brought up in a rich household by an employed nanny. How wrong we were! It was a talk about Ruth’s early life being raised by her grandmother and two great aunts. It gave a wonderful insight into her life. Ruth was taken to her Nanny as a very young child, and was abandoned there by her parents. Despite this, she recalls a happy and secure childhood with these three old ladies who obviously doted on her. There were some hilarious anecdotes of what life was like with these three strong characters – from “She’s gouun dear” (gone), which is how her Nanny referred to someone who had died, to the wonderful story of going to the pantomime where she realised how lucky she was to live with people who loved and adored her. Ruth has an amazing narrative style and was able to talk in such a way as to make the listeners guffaw out loud! It was a fantastic evening, with a lovely exhibition of toys and books from your childhood.

JUST A REMINDER

Our December meeting will certainly be a night to remember!On Wednesday 10th December we will have the amazing Rachel Duffield coming to entertain us with her talk on Marie Lloyd – Queen of the Music Halls. I have personally never seen Rachel perform one of her talks but am reliably informed that it is a sight to behold! As this is our Christmas meeting,our competition will be a Christmas table decoration. Please bring a plate of food for the buffet.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings. If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Sam Mosedale

Change of venue to a Quiz or Beetle drive

Wednesday 10th September 2014

Tonight’s meeting unfortunately had to be changed at the last minute as the arranged speaker, Charlotte Philcox had to cancel. But never fear – Lesley to the rescue! We had the choice of a quiz or a beetle drive (which I had never heard of !). A quiz was chosen. The quiz was a geography quiz with a vicious twist. The clues needed lateral thinking. My personal favourite was “a happy dog”. It took a while to figure out that the answer was America (A-meri-curr). The winners were Hilary, Bridget, Gail and myself (honestly, not a fix!), who only got one wrong. A big thanks to Lesley for saving the night and also to  Nina for making a lovely cake for us.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 12th November 2014, 19-30hrs start as usual. This is our annual meeting where we will vote for our committee for 2015. I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown! The exhibition is Art and Craft and the tea ladies will be Maureen and Bridget. I look forward to seeing you all there

Our Christmas meeting is on Wednesday 10th December at 7.30pm in the Community Centre.  Mrs R Duffield - Marie Lloyd-Queen of the Music Halls will be coming to entertaining us. We will have our usual buffet supper. Everything for an enjoyable time.  Do come if you can.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings. If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Garden party and Jumble Sale

Wednesday 13th August 2014

The month of August heralded our wonderful garden party, which was held in the garden of Pam Lack. Pam’s garden naturally, looked beautiful and our thanks go out to her and her husband for allowing us to set up camp there at such short notice. The gazebo’s looked great with their bunting and thankfully the rain stayed away! Scones and cakes were available in abundance and were washed down with tea. We had several guests from other WI’s in the area, who bought lots of raffle tickets. Many thanks to everyone who took time to organise and/or provide raffle prizes and cakes.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday October 8th 2014 when Ruth Smith will be talking about A Life with Nanny in the 1940’s. This promises to be a fascinating evening. The exhibition is a toy/book from your childhood. I’m looking forward to seeing the collection.

DON’T FORGET THE JUMBLE SALE

Our jumble sale will be on Saturday October 11th 2014 at the Community Centre, starting at 1030hrs until 12 noon. Any jumble and tombola items gratefully received. Entry fee as usual will be 20p. Hope to see you all there.  Please deliver any jumble to the hall before 10am or phone one of the numbers below if you have any items you would like collecting

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings. If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President, on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Sam Mosedale

Kay Jeffords talks on Women who made unusual changes in their lives

She then spoke about the lives of British women joining their husbands in India - Honoria Lawrence went in 1827 and spent 7 years there, then in 1839 living in a mud hut near the Afghanistan border.  She then went to Simla, in India  which had a beautiful climate but unfortunately due to the Indian  uprising of the 16,000 there, only a few survived!

She then told us tales about the tr

Kay Jefford came and gave us a very interesting talk about women who have decided to make an unusual change in their lives.

Mary KIngsley twice went on a Big Adventure to West Africa in 1890 - she collected and conserved fish.  Very often she was on her own except for a porter.

Kay then spoke about Gladys Aylward who in 1936 went as Inspector of Feet in China and whose story was told in the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness - she trekked for 27 days with children when she was banned from China.  She returned after 17 years and died in Taiwan in 1970.

ansportation of British convicts to Australia,and  the assisted passage for £10 scheme which took place between 1945 and 1982.  It was far from a "milk and honey" life when they arrived for many of them

She finished with tales of the European trekking for 2,000 miles in North America in 1843 - the Indian people where friendly at first!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 10 September at 7.30pm in the Community Centre when Charlotte Philcox will come and speak about remedies and beauty treatment - should be interesting.

JUMBLE SALE

Our next Jumble Sale will be on Saturday 11 October in the Community Centre between 10.30am and 12.30pm. Lots of bargains and the usual Tombola and books.  Hope to see you there.

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Shirley Shackshaft

Written by Samantha Mosedale, Committee member of Poringland WI

When my friend suggested joining the Women's Institute I laughed it off. I mean, the WI is for old middle class women who are retired who knit and crochet, make cakes and calendars. Its not for someone like me - a middle aged working class women, who works full time and is bringing up a child. But, being a good and supportive friend, I decided to attend  a meeting at the Poringland WI with her. I thought one or two visits, then I would politely tell her that it wasn't for me and I wouldn't need to go again.  My friend appeared keen on having me stay though, and even offered to pay my subscription for a year. However, on my first meeting I met lots of women who were thrilled at younger women showing an interest. (I may be presumptions with the younger part as I am almost 40! But in comparison to some of the members, I'm a spring chicken!)

After visiting for a couple months with some very interesting and informative speakers, I found myself paying for a subscription and looking forward to the monthly meeting,. I even enjoyed singing Jerusalem at the beginning.

Each member is treated as an individual and there is almost a neighbourhood watch situation, if a member is ill, some one would check on them and keep the WI updated on them. The November meeting is when the members vote on a new committee. I was very surprised when many members approached me to ask if I minded if they voted for me. I was flatted to be voted onto the committee less then a year after joining.

Since being on the committee I have felt more involved in all aspects of the WI, from organizing the traditional jumble sale, to helping with the organising and arranging of the whole programme for next year, including speakers, competitions and exhibitions.

The WI began in 1896 to give women a voice, both politically and educationally. In those days it  was not commonplace for women to have access to much education so it was to empower women to realise their potential, but also realising the strengths of many women in home skills - cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting etc. In the 1945's Denham college was developed to continue encouraging women to further their knowledge and skills. Denham is still gong strong and offers  over 500 2-4 day courses for a reasonable fee (which includes all meals  and accommodation).

Poringland WI is 95 years old now. Speaking to some of the older members, there is a real concern of this particular branch literally dying out if younger members do not join. I have been desperately  trying to think of way to attract women of my own age to join, to dispel the assumptions that it is for old people. So, let me bullet point some advantages to joining  the Women's Institute.  

    *  The WI introduces you to a new range of friends and acquaintances.

    *   It helps women to have a voice, both politically and intellectually.

    *   It proves that some traditions  are worth keeping, but it is not averse to change and  
         modernisation.           

    *   It is a charitable organisation.

    *   It may help you to discover new interests and new places (outings to various places 
are


         arranged on a regular basis.  You do not have to to go every one!)       

     *  It is all-inclusive, and does not care about race, colour, experiences, situations.

     *  The members all care about each other, and are almost like another family.  

     *  The competitions and exhibitions are voluntary, but you gain points for entering.

There are many other advantages, but, like anything you get out what you put in.

In conclusion, the WI may be full of crotchety old women but that should be a testament to the institution that is the WI, as many of these women joined in their 30's. They are simply waiting for the baton to be taken up by the next generation, who will maintain  the tradition but also help to  make it more attractive to younger women. So, if you want to be a pioneer, just like our  predecessors and champion the Women's Institute, look up your nearest meeting on the WI website. (www.thewi.org.uk)

Samantha Mosedale

Aged: almost 40! 

   

Jackie Aldous - Flower Arrangements.

Jackie Aldous came to our June Meeting.  She started by making an arrangement with an amazing variety of foliage and then added flowers.  When she had finished, she then produced two copies of the same arrangement but on a much smaller scale.

While producing two further beautiful arrangements, she told us about how she came to train as a florist.  She was also invited to produce a 9 foot high free flowering pedestal arrangement with the theme of a tribute to the Virgin Mary at Westminster Abbey - she said she felt immensely honoured to be invited.

All of the 5 arrangements went into the raffle and there were some delighted members who carefully carried their arrangements back home.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 13 August at 2.00pm at the home of Pam Lack, Hill Crest, Bungay Road, NR14 7WD.  Our garden meetings are always enjoyed.   Entry fee is £2.50  which includes tea and cake.  There will also be  a raffle and a Bring and Buy stall with produce and plants for sale.  All friends are welcome.

If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Annual Birthday Meeting

 

We held our Annual Birthday Meeting in May which was very enjoyable.  We heard from two of our members.  Diana about her trip to our Denman College after winning our all expenses paid Bursary - she thoroughly enjoyed herself.  She had picked the course on the Ashmolean Museums and the Bodlian Library in Oxford. Quite a lot of walking though!

 

Sam, one of our newer members,  went as our delegate to the Norfolk Federation's Annual Meeting held in St Andrews Hall.  Over 700 ladies attended.  There were various talks but her favourite was by Mary Kemp, a Norfolk farmer's wife, which she found inspiring.

 

We then listened to Maggie Gallop, the Federation's Denman College representative telling us the history of the College.  It is a grand Georgian House in spacious grounds and was purchased in 1948 for £30,000. by the W.I.  Apparently every Institute in the country contributed £10 - a big sum in those days!

 

We finished with a delightful buffet produced by our committee members.

 

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 July at 7.30pm in the Community Centre when Kay Jefford  will be talking about new beginnings in her life - her talk is entitled "No Going Back" - should be interesting.

 

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

David Reeve talk on Royal Security

We welcomed David Reeve whose talk was on Royal Security.  What a fascinating subject it proved to be.  David had been a serving officer in the Norfolk Police and one day, much to his surprise, he was asked if he would like to go and be responsible for security at the Queen's Royal Sandringham House and Estate and anyone who was staying there.  He accepted and  together with his team had to make contingency plans for all sorts of eventualities.   It involved 12-14 hour shifts.  All visits that Royalty made within the County were his responsibility as well,  including the Maundy Thursday ceremony at Norwich Cathedral she attended which took place a few years ago.  On that occasion it involved 7 days constant surveillance and every nook and cranny in the Cathedral searched

He has been invited to lunch with the Queen and Prince Philip on several occasions.  He was always very nervous about going as he is quite fussy about certain vegetables.  He also found it a bit disconcerting as at these lunches, the Queen insisted he walked in front of her because he was her guest!  Apparently the Royal Family always eat very small portions of food - how to keep your figure!

He worked in all 14 years in this job and was awarded the MVO and MBE.  Although retired, he still hears from the Queen.

Funnily enough, he was born in Rockland St Mary and went to Framingham Earl Secondary School.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 11 June at 7.30pm in the Community Centre when Mrs Jackie Aldous will be delighting us with her skills at flower arranging. 

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Mrs Kate Smith who came and talked about a boat called Rogue

PORINGLAND WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

We welcomed Mrs Kate Smith who came and talked about a boat called Rogue which is a much loved sailing vessel owned by her and her husband.

She talked about how the Broads have changed with rivers flooding and receding over the centuries, Burgh Castle and Caistor St Edmund being prime examples of rivers receding and the Dove Valley between us and Brooke would have been a river.  Hard to imagine isn't it?

Kate and her husband lived in the Midlands for many years but on returning to Norfolk, wanted a project.

She said at the start of the War all boats anchored on the Broads were commandeered by the Government and joined at intervals across the rivers and Broads to make things difficult for possible river invasion by the Germans.  The embargo was lifted in July 1943.

Her husband always had fond memories of sailing on the Broads with a young school friend and his parents pre-war.  He made enquiries from his friend only to find it had been sold many years previously and they had no idea of its whereabouts.  They kept looking on the internet and catalogues and at long last in 1989 it came up for sale.  They went to see it and what a pitiful sight met their eyes - just a rotting hulk!  After much thought, they decided to purchase it and brought it back to Norfolk.  They and their family and friends set to,  to restore it and after 4 years, it was fit for sailing - they still had the old sails thankfully. The original owners from Norwich were invited to see her at the launch - they were overjoyed to see her again.   They went on to win different Broads Racing Trophies in 1998 and 1999. Over the years, they have sailed up and down all the Broads and rivers and we saw lovely slides of their travels.

It was amazing to see the slides of the wreck that she was and what she was like after restoration -  I wonder how many people would undertake such a project!

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 14 May at 7.30pm in the Community Centre.  This will be our Birthday Meeting so after discussing the Resolutions, we will enjoy a nice buffet  and then chatting and a Quiz ,  if time permits. 

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

Shirley Shackshaft

House of Lachasse leading Couture Houses London

 

We welcomed Kathleen Dentten to our February meeting to talk about her experience of working for the House of Lachasse, one of the leading couture houses in London famous for its classic styles.  It was situated just round the corner off Berkeley Square. 

 

She was always interested in dressmaking and embroidery at secondary school.  After leaving school, she applied to several fashion houses but was accepted at Lachasse for a 5 year apprenticeship in 1967.  She started in the tailoring department and just did sleeves at first under strict supervision.  Customers had three fittings before completion of a garment   Over the years she went on to make complete garments.  She also managed to gain experience on the dressmaking side as well - dresses etc.  She made a pink jacket for Barbara Cartland, who liked her clothes very tight.  They held a Fashion Show twice a year at which 72 outfits were shown!

 

She left them when she married a man in the Forces and travelled all over the world.

 

In the latter years, she set up her own very successful dressmaking business including making theatre costumes in Norfolk which she sold two years ago.

 

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 9 April at 7.30pm when David Reeve will be coming and talking about Royal Security.

 

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.

The Royal Geographical Society

 

We welcomed a young man called Daniel Evans who gave us an enthralling talk about his journey into Alaska, Canada and  the USA in September 2012.

 

He is a scholar at The Royal Geographical Society and when he was 18 years old he won a scholarship grant of £4,000 for four months.  Extra funding from relatives and friends was also needed. Approximately  5,000 people applied but only 14 were successful.  He decided on the above countries and spent half of that time in Alaska.  He travelled by Greyhound coaches and stayed in Youth Hostels.  He researched for a year beforehand getting a sense of what he would see.

 

His remit was to study peoples movements from one place to another, advancing geography and geographical learning.  He said people travel so much faster nowadays and don't  appreciate life around them at times.  A change of scenery anywhere is to be relished and enjoyed using all our senses.

 

He showed some lovely slides of Alaska through autumn and winter including the Northern Lights, down the West Coast of Canada and USA to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.  He remarked on everything being on a large scale with California having six lane highways.

 

At the end of his trip he had  to present his findings with a lecture to an invited audience. He  certainly passed on his enthusiasm for geography and the need to enjoy life around us.

 

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 12 March at 7.30pm in the Community Centre. Mrs Kate Smith will come and talk about her travels with her boat called Rogue.

 

 

REMINDER - 8 MARCH - JUMBLE SALE

 

As I mentioned last month, our Jumble Sale will be at the Community Centre from 11.00am.  Everyone welcome.

 

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.  If there are any queries, please contact Pam Cooper, President on 01508 491674 or Lesley Sanders, Secretary on 01508 492155.