8 December Yuletide Tales
Chester House Productions entertained us with a medley of poems, drama and comedy – ranging from Hardy and Dickens to modern day situations and everything in between. This was accompanied by mulled wine, mince pies and other delicious refreshments. Lots of fun and a lovely end to the year.
10 November Annual Meeting and Tai Chi
An interesting Annual Meeting. Our finances are healthy and Bobbi Chilton’s review of the highlights of the year made us realise just how much we have done. Our subgroups are flourishing and varied and we have enjoyed a wide range of speakers, activities and visits. Our committee is in place and we have an exciting programme planned for 2015.
Following the business part of the meeting we relaxed with some Tai Chi. Cherry Collins taught us a variety of moves, many based on animal movements. It was great fun, very enjoyable and the session flew by.
13 October Craft Evening
This was back by popular demand. From the buzz in the hall and the absorbed attention everyone was giving to the task in hand it proved to be another successful evening. The crafts on offer were cross stitch, sugar craft, water colour painting, flower arranging and needle felting. There were also two demonstrations, spinning and wire work jewellery. Having to choose just two activities was difficult!
8 September Nibbles from around the world
We were delighted to welcome Janet Manning and her culinary talents to our meeting in September. Janet demonstrated numerous inspirational and tasty nibbles from around the world, including Savoury Muffins, Seafood Spring Rolls, Bloody Mary Mini Muffins, Tortilla Cubes and Mini Breton Smoked Salmon Flans. Janet was aided by three willing assistants from the audience and members were able to taste and enjoy the final results. It was an evening filled with interest, laughter and good humour; Janet proved to be not only inspirational but also a very warm and amusing presenter. Home entertaining will never be the same again!
14 July Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
David Gilham’s interesting talk gave us an insight into what goes on behind the scenes of the Air Ambulance. Helicopters are fully equipped and even have an operating theatre on board so they can make a significant difference to the outcome of those involved in a medical emergency. It therefore was a surprise to many of us just how little this charity receives from national government. Everyone was very touched when June Phillips presented a cheque for £60, which was money raised from a cake sale by pupils in her tutor group at Tomlinscote School. They had done this in memory of one of their friends who had died despite the efforts of the air ambulance..
9 June The Pride and Pains of Police Leadership
It was a privilege to have Lynne Owens. the Chief Constable for Surrey, at our meeting. Her wide ranging talk covered many aspects of police work and it was especially interesting to have a woman’s perspective; she is one of seven female chief constables in the country. Everyone was enthralled and we gained an insight into the challenges facing the Surrey Constabulary and the difficult decisions she has to make.
12 May Resolutions, and Vegetable and Herb Growing made Easy
Jenny Barker, from Lindum Nurseries in Eversley, returned to give us more of her expert gardening advice – this time on growing herbs and vegetables in containers. As always she made everything look so easy and planted 6 tubs and baskets in the time it would take most people to plant one. It was amazing how many herbs she fitted in one hanging basket!
14 April Morris Dancing
Unusually, the Fleet Morris side is a group of ladies. After a brief talk about Morris Dancing and how their side was formed, they gave a demonstration of some of the dances accompanied by lively music. They made it look easy but it wasn’t – as we found out when it was our turn! Some of our members took to the floor waving and hitting the sticks with great enthusiasm. Those who didn’t dance were well entertained. Keeping up with tradition, we also had a decorated Easter Egg competition. There are some very artistic and talented ladies in our group so well done Margaret for winning the prize!
29 March Quiz Evening
Our first quiz evening was a great success. We had over 70 people with a good mixture of members, their families and friends and also guests from other WIs and community groups. Judy Campbell, our lovely quiz mistress, gave us a good, varied set of questions which were enjoyed by all. We were nourished and fortified for the second half by a delicious and very superior ploughman’s supper. Thank you to everyone for making it all so enjoyable.
10 March A Talk by Ian Laidlaw, Breast Surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital
The hall was packed for this meeting and we were delighted that the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Beverley Harding, and her husband were able to be there. As well as our members and their friends, we had many guests from other WIs, House of Fraser, the U3A and campaigners for a variety of cancer charities. Ian Laidlaw gave an interesting overview of the developments in the treatment of breast cancer over the last 20 year and what they are hoping to achieve in the future. The £800 we raised for the FPH Breast Care Appeal will go towards this. We appreciated the generosity of House of Fraser and other local businesses for their donations to the raffle or the appeal. Of course, it wouldn’t be a WI meeting without cakes and we really excelled ourselves! Well done everyone for making the evening such a success.
10 February A day in Iran as a Housewife
This was the second of Sandra Simmonds fascinating talks about her life in Iran in the 1970s when she was married to an Iranian. She was there during the fall of the Shah, the storming of the American Embassy and the return of Ayatollah Khomeini. We were enthralled by her descriptions of the life both inside and outside the home. She faced many difficulties in adjusting to her new life – traditions, religion, food, dress and the subservient role of women. Needless to say there were lots and lots of questions and the meeting finished late. Sandra’s third talk will be eagerly awaited!
13 January 2014 Colour Me Beautiful
A Fabulously Stylish YOU …… it’s as easy as A B C – Accessories, Body Shape and Capsule Wardrobes! Kerrie Ellis gave a really interesting presentation to a packed hall. It was an enjoyable start to the New Year and she gave us lots of useful tips. During the extended refreshment break there was a long queue of ladies wanting to find out more from Kerrie. We followed this with Debbie and Amanda’s thought provoking briefing on the four Resolutions so the meeting ended much later than usual!