Shop local

Cheltenham was looking really lovely yesterday and there was plenty of parking, as you can see. The shops were virtually deserted and many of the cafes and coffee shops still closed. This must surely be the case elsewhere in the county as the events of the last few weeks continue to have devastating effects.

Time, if there ever was one to shop local and support our local businesses, don't you think?

Thinking of everyone

Listening to the news today, it's clear that many of our members and those in neighbouring Federations are dealing with difficult situations as a result of the heavy rain on Friday. I hear that as well as many flooded homes, a huge area of our county could well be without mains water shortly and likely to be so for several days.

Hard to know what to say, except that you and your families are all in my thoughts. A cancelled garden party suddenly seems somewhat unimportant on the grand scale of things, don't you agree?

Causing a stir

It was shown whilst I was still away on holiday but I realise that the first BBC documentary about the WI has provoked a fair bit of opinion both within the organisation and beyond. Liz kindly put a news clipping on my desk from (I think) the Daily Mail which features the same group of ladies and I have to say, reading it left me with a better understanding of why so many people have wanted to talk about the programme.

I felt uncomfortable reading some of the statements expressed in the article, particularly those which suggest that no-one else in the WI has fun, that everyone wears polyester and has grey hair. (Hmm. We'll skim over that last one!) Sorry, before I accept criticism on behalf of this bunch of WI members, the facts have to be correct. And anyway, who cares whether we wear thongs or directoire knickers?

The great strength of the WI is that it can cater for everyone, regardless of age or interests. Each WI is free to put together their own programme, to formulate their meetings in a way to suit themselves and the constitution is flexible enough to accommodate women of all types. Here in Gloucestershire, we have WIs of all shapes and sizes, old ones, young ones, traditionalists and non-confomists. There is room for all.

So, when I read about a WI in an article such as this, I wonder why the challenges are being laid down? How can someone who has "appointed" herself set out to show such a deeply democratic organisation how it should be done?

What do you think?

Action Women - the travelling exhibition

Yesterday, my good friend Diana sent me a leaflet advertising the travelling "Action Women" exhibition, currently on at the Newport Museum. I had heard of the exhibition of course, but hadn't really thought of going along, especially when at last year's National Council we were warned that it was small and, to be truthful, not really worthy of a special journey or day out. However, we had no plans for today, Saturday, and I felt interested enough to suggest we go along and take a look for ourselves and make up our own minds about it. Not only that, but I had a long-felt need to go and have a closer look at the Transporter Bridge!

Hmmm. What can I say? I realise, of course, that I am not a "typical member", being so closely involved in the organisation, so perhaps I'm not the best person to view the exhibition objectively. It was certainly very interesting to see exhibits and read information relating to events and activities of which I have only sketchy knowledge, but I found the exhibition as a whole to be rather lifeless. We'd arrived fairly early on a Saturday morning and appeared to be the only visitors in the whole museum - maybe a few more souls browsing would have enlivened our experience.

A series of these beautifully produced information banners, together with some interesting displays from the Gwent and Glamorgan Federations formed the basis of the exhibition and though we thought the whole thing was well put together, we could understand why some comments have been made.

I don't know what could have been done differently in such a travelling exhibition where the security of our real treasures just can't be risked. Perhaps having a couple of WI members around, able to explain and clarify things to visitors would have added a little life to the show? Surely it wouldn't have been too difficult to include a looped video or slideshow? All I can say is that, for me, the buzz and magic I feel when I see some of our archive material on show or read the stories of the early days simply wasn't there.

I don't want to discourage you from visiting the exhibition at all. Far from it. What didn't work for me might well fascinate you and anyway, I encourage you to see for yourself so that you can form your own opinion! Entry to the exhibition is free, there is a (admittedly, rather grim) multistorey car park adjacent to the Museum and some lively shopping nearby.

And just down the road, there is this fantastic piece of Edwardian engineering!

WI Life - what do you think?

I got my copy at last this morning, having heard about it arriving here and there since last week. My Mum got hers last Friday and couldn't wait to ring and tell me that she thinks it's great and has found it an interesting read; she didn't take Home and Country, so also felt that it was a bonus to receive it without paying extra. Having had a quick look through myself, I think it's a pretty good first issue. I especially like the book group page and think that the photography and production of the magazine overall are of an extremely high quality.


I'm looking forward to sitting down with it for a longer read later - not always something I did with my H & C!

Nice to see GFWI mentions, by the way - Margaret's piece about The Shires and Winchcombe's knitting project featured, too. Don't forget to send anything of interest to WI Life as soon as you can, so that the editor can keep the magazine topical and up to date!

Doing something about all that packaging

Remember the packaging campaign? I came across a YouTube video today with the Japanese answer - furoshiki.

Have a look at this short video and get some great ideas for present wrapping!


Lots more ideas here and here

Jam and Jerusalem - on TV

Well. What did you think?

Setting the record straight

On the way to the fantastic group meeting at Dumbleton last night (their 40th birthday party) I stopped to pick up a copy of the Echo, since I'd had a message from a member to say that there was an article about GFWI in there.

The piece contains several inaccuracies which anyone familiar with Gloucestershire Federation will pick up immediately, as had the member who emailed me. For a more accurate view of what's going on in the WI in Gloucestershire, read on to the next blog entry where I'll tell all about the last two WI activities I've been involved in - a WI class and a Group meeting. Nothing unusual - two routine events which are happening week in week out in the county but which explain why I think members have no intention of leaving the WI. They are having far too much fun!