We welcomed 82 members and 3 guests to the meeting.

We enjoyed a slide show of the recent visit by the Wine Club to the Rioja region of Spain. It looked as though a good time was had by all on the food and the wine front. During the evening, we also heard about the Surrey London WIs Centenary celebrations in Hyde Park, the results of a very successful Plant Sale and our preparations for our stall at Wimbledon Village Fair.

Our main event was a highly interesting and enjoyable talk from Sheila Willis, a former member of the Surrey Police. She gave us an insight into some of the early policewomen, including Edith Smith the first woman on the beat and first to be paid. Sheila also told us about her own experiences in the police force with a bike for transport on her rounds and the need to use public phone boxes to communicate with her station.

18 May 2015

Joanna Cardwell (our President) welcomed 86 members, two guests and two new members to the meeting.

Our main event was Ardella Jones from Chalk the Sun who spoke to us about creative writing. She gave us top tips on starting our own novel and examples of motivation from other writers.

Amongst the other things at the meeting we held a successful fundraising Plant Sale, heard about the forthcoming Centenary Celebrations for Surrey’s London WIs in Hyde Park and the arrangements for our fundraising stall at the Wimbledon Village Fair on 27^th June where we would be selling cakes, preserves etc made by our members. In addition, we voted on matters for the NFWI Centenary Annual Meeting in the Royal Albert Hall on 4^th June.