Fiona welcomed 64 members, 3 new members and 2 guests to our meeting on Monday 15^th April, 2019.

Fiona encouraged everyone to say hello and chat to one another, especially guests and new members.

Eileen has taken over the running of the Facebook page to show what we are doing in our group. There is also a members’ only part of the site to which you can apply and Eileen will enable you to enter the site. News will still come to members by post in hard copy if required.

Lesley spoke to members about the trustees who we voted for last month. Resolutions: – smear tests and bus services were both strongly supported. If accepted these resolutions will become part of the WI campaign. Briefing notes are available on the website. We will vote on the resolutions at the next meeting

Lesley mentioned the initiative which will take place on 26^th June concerning climate change. Organised by the Climate Coalition there will be a mass lobby outside Westminster from 1.00pm to 4.30pm to speak to MPs about protecting the climate and environment. More information on https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/current-campaigns-and-initiatives/Climate-Change

Fiona asked members to be sure to tell the committee if they have any particular activity or outing that they would like us to organise.

Fiona spoke to members about possibly capping our membership at 110. We currently have 100 paid up members (the hall can seat 140 maximum) – following a discussion it was agreed not to cap the membership.

Margaret advised members that beginning on Friday 3^rd May at 2.30pm to approximately 5pm there will be a monthly meeting of ‘Crafty Ladies’ in the upper restaurant at Ely’s Department Store in Wimbledon. Margaret encouraged members to bring along any hand held craft they wish and they will be welcome to come to every meeting or just to attend now and again.

Wendy has advised that the amount raised at the Quiz held at Merton Park Church Hall for our chosen charity, Jigsaw4U, is £972.74.

Book sale/Jigsaw swap – members gave books and bought books and Jigsaws were swapped and a total of £61.70 was raised.

Guest Speaker: Our speaker, Jan Young (Art Expert), gave a fascinating talk about ‘Looking at Art’. Jan told us that studies have shown that on the whole people only look at paintings in Art Galleries for approximately 2 minutes. They tend to spend longer looking at the label beside the paintings than they do actually looking at the work of Art.

Jan tells us that young people today tend to look at moving images more than still images and unless they learn to look and ‘read’ a still image they will eventually lose the ability to do so.

Jan showed us, and explained, how to identify materials, signs, colours, shapes and symbols within paintings that tell us about what we see. Jan explained to us about the juxtaposition of the people in the pictures and how to interpret their dress, their expressions and gestures and what these all tell us about what is happening and what the artist wishes to convey.

Jan mentioned that all of the pictures that she showed us this evening are part of the collection which is hanging in the National Gallery and she encouraged us to go there and see them for ourselves.

Jan took us through discoveries and developments in paint over the years and the gradual improvements in brush manufacture. She also explained about the growth of understanding of colour, the use of colour and the relationships between various colours. Jan is so well informed and she gave us such an entertaining and thought provoking talk that the evening flew by. We all felt that we had learned a lot from Jan in a thoroughly enjoyable way.

Jan ended her talk by inviting members to visit the National Gallery and look at the paintings with her in the week beginning 13^th May 2019. Details will be circulated before then so that members can sign up to this visit.

Fiona advised members that at next month’s meeting we will have a talk from an art teacher from Sutton College who will instruct us all in how to draw a still life picture. Also please bring along any plants/seedlings/spare seed packets etc. for the plant sale. Thank you.

Fiona welcomed 67 members and 3 guests. Before introducing our guest speakers, Fiona mentioned how Jigsaw4u, our charity of the year, is so poignant to her at the moment as it is helping counsel the children of one of her friends who has recently died at only 38 leaving two boys aged 7 and 10.

Fiona informed us of the sad news of the death of Jane Purchase. As well as being a WI member Jane has been associated with scouting for many years, in a number of capacities both at the 4th Wimbledon and the 19th Wimbledon. Most recently she was a member of the Scout Executive Committee, standing down only last year after 29 years. She was also a much loved teacher at Hollymount School. She will be missed.

Dates for diary: Fiona mentioned 2 dates to put in your diaries:
Sunday, 8th September when we will have a stall at the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Open Day – it is never too early to start making preserves etc., and cakes to freeze.
The second date, which is a bit nearer, is our Quiz on 6th April. It is never too late to get tickets – just contact Gillian (details below). Even if you are on your own, come along and join a table of no more than 8 people. There will also be a raffle on the 6th.

Members’ suggestions: Fiona said that we have taken members suggestions for speakers/activities on board and have booked a Tai Chi session for next year. A few members have asked for a craft session so please could we have your ideas of what you would like to make/do etc.

Resolutions: Lesley informed us that there will be two resolutions going forward to the NFWI AGM in June and they are Decline in Local Bus Services and Don’t Fear the Smear.

Royal School of Needlework have sent us their booklet for this year and if enough people are interested we would like to arrange a tour/taster session. Further information will be sent out when we have more information and dates.

Future Events: There are places for the following events.
Quiz, Saturday, 6th April (£14 includes Ploughman’s Supper)
Chiltern Valley Winery, Tuesday 23rd April (£35) https://www.chilternvalley.co.uk/
Covent Garden Walk, Thursday, 16th May (£10)
Wimpole Estate, Cambridge, Wednesday, 26th June (£37) https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

Crafty Ladies: Anyone interested in joining a WI Knatter Group for knitters, crocheters, embroiders etc., please contact Margaret as she is collating a list of people and their preferred days.

Wimbledon WI Facebook Page: A “closed group” has been set up within the Wimbledon WI Facebook page which is only accessible to our WI members. If you would like to join the group please visit https://www.facebook.com/WimbledonWI/
Then click on the sub heading “groups” to request to join. Once you have done this, a message is sent to the moderators of our group and your request will be accepted. We will only accept members of Wimbledon WI so members can message each other or post things of interest without non-members seeing it. You do need to have a Facebook account to do this.

Salvation Army: Our first speaker for the evening was Emma Scott who is an officer with the Mitcham Salvation Army. Emma gave us a potted history of how the Salvation Army was started by William and Catherine Booth in 1865 when they moved to London and were appalled by the conditions people lived in. They aimed to help as many poor people as possible but particularly women who had fallen into prostitution. As The Salvation Army became established women were given leadership responsibilities. Catherine Booth fought to expand the role for women in church and public life, advocating better conditions and pay for women workers and to have the woman’s voice heard. This commitment to equality remains today. Unfortunately domestic abuse is on the increase and in spring 2016 The Salvation Army set up The Link Café (TLC) to help women, who have left their abusive partners, to link to other services in the community. Working with Merton Borough Council and other volunteer agencies, the Salvation Army sought to fill a perceived gap. The Salvation Army have also secured funding to help women who do not qualify for Legal Aid (due to the change in the law if they are named on any house purchase document they are not entitled to it). We asked Emma how we could help. She said due to the lack of storage space they are unable to store items and they have to acquire items as and when they need them, for instance they are in desperate need of a micro wave. The best way is for them to contact us as and when items are needed. At the end of the meeting, Katharine had the brilliant suggestion of all members donating a £1 to buy a microwave and the following is the email we received from Emma.

“Firstly, a huge thank you for allowing me to come and share a little of what we do with you all tonight and for the beautiful surprise that now means we can provide a microwave for someone who needs it. If you would like any further information either about volunteering with us or to donate goods then you can contact me. We are in the process of a new mobile number as the landline isn’t always available. Thank you again and I look forward to the fair in September!”

Paracise: Our next speaker, Alison Kirk, introduced us to Paracise which is a new exercise designed to enhance and enrich your life by a gentle but effective workout that improves mobility, flexibility and balance and maintains or improves quality of life. Lack of fitness, age, injury, physical and mental illness can affect our well-being and staying fit and positive can help us to ease those symptoms. Alison soon had us up and joining in with the gentle and enjoyable exercises. For more information visit the website www.paracise.com

Below is information received from theatre groups:

Kemp’s Jig, Tara Theatre Earlsfield : As part of the week long celebrations of Shakespeare’s birthday at Tara Theatre, a one man show is being produced on 22nd and 23rd April. The show is “Kemp’s Jig” and tells the tale of Shakespeare’s clown, Will Kemp and his Morris Dance from London to Norwich. It’s a fun and irreverent piece, and perfect material for a group outing. We have the support of Greensleeves Morris Men on the Monday and Dacre Morris (a ladies’ side) on the Tuesday so there’ll be lots to see and the added bonus of being relatively local. Full details are on the link below https://www.tara-arts.com/whats-on/kemps-jig

Emilia, Vaudeville Theatre,Strand 8 March to 15 June 2019
Emilia tells the story of the trailblazing Emilia Bassano, one of the first female English poets to be published in 1611. A contemporary of Shakespeare’s, thought to be the ‘dark lady’ of his sonnets, she was herself a talented poet, teacher, mother, writer, wife and lover. Now in a play full of music and song, an all-female company bring Emilia’s story to life and through one woman’s story, celebrate women’s voices across the centuries.
Special Offer: To book a Band A ticket for £30 / £35 (usually £50 / £55 from 22 March) call 0330 333 4814, This offer is valid for Monday to Friday performances at 7.30pm and Wednesday matinees at 2.30pm from 8 March to 18 April, subject to availability.
Complimentary Playtext Group Offer: If you would like to organise a group outing, the 8+ Group Rate is £32.50 (Stalls / Dress Circle) or £25 (Grand Circle) and you will also receive a complimentary play text with each ticket purchased. This rate is valid for Monday to Thursday performances from 8 March to 18 April, subject to availability. Please call 0330 333 4817.

A Christmas Carol, Middle Temple Hall: We have been sent details about Antic Disposition’s much-loved musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens festive classic A Christmas Carol which returns to the spectacular Elizabethan setting of Middle Temple Hall in central London. It will run from Saturday 21 – Monday 30 December 2019 with daily performances at 3pm and 7.30pm (11am and 3pm on 24 December; no performances on 25/26 December). They are able to offer us a 10% discount for groups of 15 or more. With this reduction, reserved seats are £40.50 (normally £45) and unreserved seats are £31.50 (normally £35). This offer is not available on their website. For further details visit http://www.anticdisposition.co.uk/a-christmas-carol-2019.html

Diary Dates:
Saturday, 6th April. Quiz Night
Monday, 15th April Meeting – Jan Young, Art Expert. Book sale/jigsaw swap
Wednesday, 5th June, 2019. NFWI AGM, Bournemouth
July 12-14th Surrey WIs at Denman
Sunday, 8th September, Wimbledon and Putney Commons Open Day
Monday, 7th October. Surrey Federation of WIs Autumn Meeting

Fiona welcomed 70 members and 3 guests.
Subscriptions: These are now overdue. If you have been unable to make the last 2 meetings and still want to join again this year, please notify Wendy. As we have to send all subscriptions in at the end of March, any members who have not paid or made contact by then will, we assume, no longer wish to be a member and will be deleted from our database.

Future Events: There are places for the following events.
The Clink Afternoon Tea, Wednesday, 6th March (£18 includes gratuity)
Quiz, Saturday, 6th April (£14 includes Ploughman’s Supper)
Chiltern Valley Winery, Tuesday 23rd April (£35)
Covent Garden Walk, Thursday, 16th May (£10)
Wimpole Estate, Cambridge, Wednesday, 26th June (£37)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

The 39 Steps: We have been asked by one of our members to inform you that the Sutton Amateur Dramatic Club’s next production will be The 39 Steps. It is being performed from 20th-23rd March at 7.45pm at Adrian Mann Theatre Ewell KT17 3DS. Tickets cost £13. For further details and bookings, please visit http://www.sadc.co.uk/ or https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/sadc

Cygnet Players – Kiss Me Kate: We have been asked by Cygnet Players, an amateur, non-profit theatre group, to inform our members of their next production, Kiss Me Kate. It is to be performed 20th-23rd February at the London Oratory School, Fulham. Tickets are £16 each or for groups of 6+ £10 (for Wednesday and Saturday) or £12 for groups of 6+ (for Thursday and Friday). Box office 07941 448 689
https://www.cygnetplayers.com/shows/current-show/kiss-me-kate

Suggestion Box: Fiona reminded members we have a suggestion box for ideas for speakers/activities etc. The committee try to create a programme which is varied and interesting and appreciate that they can’t please everyone all of the time. They are already planning programme/ideas for next year so if there is anything members would like to be considered, please let the committee know.

Green Hearts: Beautiful things can happen when you make, wear and share a green heart this February. We can protect the places, people and things we love from climate change. The changes needed to protect our world have begun. We can have 100% clean energy within a generation – but it needs us to show our love to make it happen. Together, we want a world powered by clean and secure energy within a generation. So wear your green heart and show people that you care about climate change.

Guest Speaker: Our speaker, Mary Forlenza, gave us a very entertaining and enjoyable talk on Great Lovers. She gave us an insight into some intriguing romances from Romeo and Juliet, Edward VII and Lilly Langtry, Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Crippen and Cora Turner, Mussolini and Claretta, Frankie and Johnny and our very own Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, who despite all her wealth and riches during her marriage to Lord Hamilton, died destitute in Calais. Mary ended on two personal, but nonetheless, fascinating love stories regarding her Italian husband’s acquaintances.
Jigsaw4u Representative: Jenny Harwood gave us an introduction into what Jigsaw4u, our chosen charity, does in the community. Jigsaw4u is a charity that provides a wide variety of services across the London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton. They are not only known for their bereavement counselling but also for Home School Links, support for individuals and families who have experienced domestic violence or offering specialised support for victims of crime aged 11 to 17. They also work with the missing persons unit so that they can conduct a Return Home Interview to gain insight why the young person “went missing”. These are just a few of their projects. For further reading visit https://www.jigsaw4u.org.uk. Jenny finished with a very poignant video of 2 families going through bereavement counselling proving that this is a very worthy charity.

Quiz: Fiona reminded everybody that our Quiz Evening on 6th April at St. Mary’s Church Hall, Church Path, Merton Park will be for the benefit of Jigsaw4u and urged everybody to try and make the evening. It will not only be a fund raiser for our charity but also a fun evening. Tickets are £14 which includes a ploughman’s supper and there will be a paid bar. You can either make up a table of 8 or come on your own and join a table. Everyone welcome. Please contact Gillian if you would like a ticket.

LOST PROPERTY: A grey scarf was left behind at the last meeting. Please let the committee know if it is yours.

Diary Dates:
Monday, 18th March. Surrey Federation of WIs Annual Council Meeting. Dorking.
Monday, 18th March Meeting – Alison Kirk, Paracise
Saturday. 6th April. Quiz Night
Monday, 15th April Meeting – Jan Young, Art Expert. Book sale/jigsaw swap
Wednesday, 5th June, 2019. NFWI AGM, Bournemouth
July 12-14th Surrey WIs at Denman
Monday, 7th October. Surrey Federation of WIs Autumn Meeting

Fiona welcomed 84 members and 3 guests and wished everyone a Happy New Year. Before breaking into small groups to discuss this year’s resolutions, Fiona gave us an interesting presentation on how to “stay safe online”. A majority of us have had menacing emails from unknown sources asking us to send money or to click on a certain “link”. The best advice is to do nothing and Fiona gave us a few tips on how to check if sites are secure. Most emails are not encrypted which means they could potentially be read by others whilst in transit and can sometimes be “hacked” – they appear to come from a person you know and ask you to click on a link which usually contain a virus (free virus protection software is available online). Fiona also mentioned that “Whats App” is encrypted, making it safe. For further information please visit the following sites:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/brandpartnerglobal/leedsvpp/information%20leaflets/ageukig05_avoiding_scams_inf.pdf
For parents/carers and children https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

Subscriptions: Subscriptions for 2019 were due at Monday’s meeting for everyone and are £42 for full membership and £20.50 for dual member (to their second WI). If you were unable to attend Monday’s meeting and want to renew your membership please bring your subscription to February’s meeting or, alternatively, post it to Wendy. If you are not renewing for any reason, please let us know and we will not chase you for payment!

Bring and Buy Sale: Thank you for all the donations for the Bring and Buy Sale – £185.45 was made so well done everyone and thank you to the ladies who manned the stall.

Quiz Night: Fiona mentioned the forthcoming Quiz Night on Saturday, 6th April at 7.30 St. Mary’s Church Hall, Merton Park. This is always a good evening and once again; Agnes’ son has kindly offered to be our quiz master. So do come, either on your own or, if you can, make up a table of 8. Tickets are £14 which includes a Ploughman’s Supper. There will be a cash bar and profits will go to our charity, Jigsaw4u. Please contact Gillian if you would like a ticket.

2019 Resolutions: After some interesting and really thoughtful group discussions on the six shortlisted resolutions, the one Wimbledon WI would most like to go forward for further discussion and final voting at the AGM in Bournemouth is Decline in Local Bus Service.
The result of the voting is as follows:
1 Improving Plant Bio Security 10
2 Trees, Improving the Landscape 6
3 Pelvic Floor 8
4 Suffering in Silence 3
5 Decline in Local Bus Services 39
6 Don’t Fear the Smear. 12

Future Events: The Postal Museum trip in February is now full but there are spaces on the following events:
The Clink Afternoon Tea, Thursday 7th March (£18 includes gratuity)
Quiz Night, Saturday, 6th April (£14)
Chiltern Valley Winery, Tuesday 23rd April (£35)
Covent Garden Walk, Thursday, 16th May (£10)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place

Surrey WI News: From 1st January, Surrey WI News (SWIN) is available on the internet. When the current SWIN financial year ends in May, WIs will then be required to pay for access to it but until then it is free to everyone. Members need to be registered on MyWI to be able to access this online. Visit Surrey Federation of WI’s for more information https://www.thewi.org.uk/become-a-member/structure-of-the-wi/england/surrey/news-and-events/surrey-wi-news

Diary Dates:
Monday, 18th Feb. Wimbledon WI Meeting
Monday, 18th March. Surrey Federation of WIs Annual Council Meeting. Dorking.
Saturday. 6th April. Quiz Night
Wednesday, 5th June, 2019. NFWI AGM, Bournemouth
July 12-14th Surrey WIs at Denman
Monday, 7th October. Surrey Federation of WIs Autumn Meeting

The Committee

Fiona welcomed 74 members and 6 guests and before being entertained by Santa’s Elf aka Tony Harris, a few matters were discussed.

Wimbledon Masterplan Consultation: Eileen hoped everyone had had a chance to read the proposed response from Wimbledon WI regarding the Future Wimbledon Masterplan Consultation to be sent to Stephen Alambritis and a copy to Stephen Hammond. She asked if anyone had any objections or would like to add anything. A show of hands was then taken to see if everyone was in agreement to this letter being sent and the outcome was unanimous.

Future Events: Gillian mentioned that the Postal Museum trip in February is now full but there are spaces on the following events:
Fullers Brewery, Chiswick, Wednesday, 23rd January (£18)
The Clink Afternoon Tea, Thursday 7th March (£18 includes gratuity)
Chiltern Valley Winery, Tuesday 23rd April (£35)
Covent Garden Walk, Thursday, 16th May (£10)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

Mindfulness: Melanie Lewis who gave a very interesting talk on Mindfulness in July has a few places on her course. If anyone is interested in attending please contact.

Surrey WI News: From 1st January, Surrey WI News (SWIN) will be available on the internet. When the current SWIN financial year ends in May, WIs will then be required to pay for access to it but until then it is free to everyone. Visit Surrey Federation of WI’s for more information https://www.thewi.org.uk/become-a-member/structure-of-the-wi/england/surrey/news-and-events/surrey-wi-news

Entertainer for the evening: Tony Harris certainly had us all engaged with his very interesting and comical facts about pantomimes. He has a wide knowledge about how pantomimes came about etc., and has himself played a “panto dame”. This led him into some amusing anecdotes about his acting history. A very light hearted and entertaining evening which set us up nicely for Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2019 – HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING ON 21ST JANUARY.

Fiona welcomed 78 members and 1 guest to our special 10th Anniversary meeting. A few notices were read out before we all had a lovely evening socialising, being entertained by Theo the Magician, partaking of a glass of Prosecco or two, indulging ourselves in a tasteful buffet, completing a celebrity picture quiz and enjoying a slice of Agnes’ wonderful birthday cake.

AGM next month: Lys reminded us that the November meeting will be our AGM and the re-election of committee members. Please let us know if you would be interested in joining the committee. Anyone can join – no experience needed. So if you have the time, we would love to hear from you.

NFWI AGM: Next year this will be held in Bournemouth on Wednesday, 5th June and members can apply for tickets. Please let us know if you are interested in going.

Social Events:
Kew Gardens (Christmas Lights), Thursday, 22nd November 6.00pm (£16.50) – Now full, waiting list only.
Christmas Meal at Taste Restaurant, Tuesday, 4th December (£30) – A few places available.
Fullers Brewery, Chiswick, Wednesday, 23rd January (£18)
Postal Museum, Thursday, 14th February (£13.50)
Afternoon Tea @ The Clink, Thursday, 6th March (£18)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place on any of the above.

Development of Wimbledon Centre: Eileen wanted members to know that Merton council have just published “the Future Wimbledon Masterplan which has been prepared to create a long-term vision for the future of development of Wimbledon town centre.”
It includes, amongst other things, a proposal to change Wimbledon’s designation from a Major Centre to a Metropolitan Centre, like Croydon and to attract large office developments of 14-16 floors in the town centre and eastern end of the Broadway. This, together with changes to road layouts and pedestrian areas means that Wimbledon town centre is likely to have a very different character in the coming years.
There is a very basic Survey which people can complete to register their views of the plan but this “consultation” is only open until December 7th. A decision on the plan will be made in Spring 2019.
The plan can be found here: https://www.merton.gov.uk/planning-and-buildings/regeneration-projects/future-wimbledon
This is the link to the Facebook entry from Friends of Wimbledon Town Centre which gives a good resume and overview of some of their concerns

Christmas Gifts Collection: Lesley said she had been in touch with the Salvation Army and they are thrilled to know that we will be collecting presents for children ranging from small babies to teenagers. Please send in your gifts unwrapped, although rolls of wrapping paper would be appreciated. The suggested price to spend on gifts is £5 but vouchers would also be really appreciated as mothers could then actually buy the present their child wants. Toiletries for the mothers would also be appreciated.

Wimbledon 10th Anniversary:
Lesley read out a lovely letter from Katharine, who couldn’t make Monday’s meeting as she is on holiday. Katharine just wanted to say how much she has enjoyed being a member of Wimbledon WI, the various events, running the Wine Club and making new friends

Sheila, our first President, gave a short speech of how Wimbledon WI came about and how she and Lou worked very hard to get it set up. Sheila mentioned a few of the many speakers, outings and experiences that have happened over the last 10 years and said that Wimbledon WI had gone from strength to strength and wished it all the best for the next 10 years.

Fiona then gave out “SFWI Centenary Mugs” to all the founder members who joined in October 2008 and are still members.

Drukshan, one of our members, shared with us a beautiful, black cocktail dress – similar to the style worn by Marilyn Monroe – she had made to help raise funds for St. Raphael’s Hospice. Thank you Drukshan and we are delighted to say from this £332 was collected.

Remembrance Sunday: Once again, we will be laying a joint wreath with SW19 WI on Sunday, 11th November, at Wimbledon Memorial in Wimbledon Village. It would be lovely if you could join us. We will meet at 10.00 at Belvedere Road, Wimbledon Village when we will process with other community groups.
Bronzefield Bee’s WI are holding a Coffee Morning and Craft Fair on Wednesday 7th November and welcome members to attend. There will also be a raffle.
Their Fair will start at 10 am but could members arrive between 9.15 and 9.45. All visitors will be required to have a biometric (numerical finger print) check and one form of photographic ID (passport or photo driving licence). Because of their security measures each visitor will need to be booked onto the internal system. Please let Dee know by Monday 5th November if you would like to attend.

2019 Charity: We will need to be thinking about our new charity for next year. If members have any nominations for our charity of the year, please let us know as soon as possible. Please note, the charity has to be a local one.

Subscription 2019: The NFWI Board of Trustees has set the membership subscription for 2019 at £42. Dual members will pay £20.50 to their second WI. Payment will be due from members in January 2019.

Festive Treats’ – Saturday, 17 November 2018, 9.30am – 1.00pm: The London Surrey WI Advisors have notified us about this event.
This course is strictly limited to 12 places. For £30 you will have the opportunity make a menu comprising a chocolate log, peppermint “face” sweets, a biscuit mix in a jar (we supply the jar), and a small Christmas pudding (half pint bowl). ALL Ingredients and recipes will be provided. The course will be held at Ark Putney Academy.

Fiona welcomed 63 members back and 5 guests and hoped everyone had a good summer. She opened the meeting with a few notices:

We have had a letter from the Chairman of Surrey Federation thanking us for our contribution to the Pollinator evening at RHS Wisley in June which was a great success.

There is ‘The March of the Women Community Day’ on Saturday, 24th November (10.00 – 4.00) at Surrey History Centre, 130 Goldsworth Road, Woking. Tickets are free but please book online at www.surreycc.gov.uk/heritageevents or phone 01483518737.

London Surrey WI Advisors had a meeting at Sherwood Grange Care Home about how the residents could be involved with local groups. It is felt this could possibly work if the WI could take extra activities to the care home i.e. craft group, coffee morning, games afternoon etc., on a regular basis. Please let us know if you have any ideas or could help in any way.

The 2 summer fairs we were present at i.e. Morden Family Fun Day and Wimbledon and Putney Commons Open Day were both a great success and we raised over £1,100 – we would have raised more at the Open Day but, unfortunately, we ran out of cakes by lunchtime!!! Fiona gave bouquet of flowers to Veronica and Angela for all their hard work.

Next month’s meeting, 15th October, will be our 10th Anniversary when we will be having a social evening including finger food, drinks, birthday cake, entertainment and an auction of a handmade dress.

Once again, we will be laying a joint wreath with SW19 WI on Sunday, 11th November, at Wimbledon Memorial in Wimbledon Village. It would be lovely if you could join us.

The November meeting will be our AGM and re-election of committee members. Please let us know if you would like to stand – it would be lovely to have you.

We will be having Henry VIII back for our December (17th) meeting but this time he will coming as a Christmas Elf so, no doubt, it will be a fun evening.

One of our guests today, Mirella, is a volunteer at the British Red Cross charity shop in Wimbledon Village. They are looking for volunteers to help in the shop. Please let us know if you can help when we will put you in touch with Mirella.

Social Events:
Watts Gallery, Friday, 19th October – PLEASE NOTE THIS TRIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Kew Gardens (Christmas Lights), Thursday, 22nd November 6.00pm (£16.50) – Now full, waiting list only.
Christmas Meal at Taste Restaurant, Tuesday, 4th December (£30) – A few places available.
Fullers Brewery, Chiswick, Wednesday, 23rd January (£18)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place on any of the above.

SW19 WI are holding an Autumn Village Fair on Saturday, 22nd September from 12.00 to 4.00 at Emmanuel Church, 24 Ridgway.

Send Inspired WI – Tea Party Invitation: We have been invited to the next tea party “Once upon a time” at Send Inspired WI, to be held on Friday 2 November. Send Inspired WI is one of our prison WI’s, and if you wish to attend then please contact Dina and please arrive by 1.15pm and have photo ID with you, and £1.00 for the raffle.

London WI Advisors: We have been asked to let you know that on Friday, 30th November 2018, Surrey Federation are planning a trip to Greenwich market, a blue badge guided river cruise to Westminster pier, a coach guided trip round the lights in London and then supper at the Strand Palace Hotel. This costs £49 all included.
This is a fantastic value trip and the London WI Advisors have arranged for members who live in London to meet in Greenwich without having to travel out to the Surrey pick up points i.e. meet the rest of the group in Greenwich and leave them after the Strand Palace Hotel. Please contact us for further details etc.

It has also been suggested that, if enough members can meet at Greenwich beforehand, a local history guide is arranged to show members round for an hour before the Surrey members arrive.

Queen’s Birthday card: An opportunity to design a card for the Queen’s Birthday. The final design should be A5 size and be completed by 1st March 2019. Anyone interested please contact us for further information.

Craft News: Another consignment of dresses, teddies, jumpers, hats etc., will be going out to Kenya in November. So just to let you know, if you have any please bring them to the October meeting. Thank you for those received already.

Book Sale: £19.50 was made at Monday’s booksale. Thank you to everyone who brought in books to sell and to those buying them.

Salvation Army: Eileen and Lesley met with Emma of Mitcham Salvation Arm. They run a cafe every Tuesday morning to support ladies who have left abusive relationships and are making a new start. We discussed how we could offer support. They do require things like kitchenware and bedding etc., but they have limited storage so we agreed that they would contact us when they need items. They also have volunteers who accompany the ladies to court hearings etc., to give support. We also discussed the possibility of donating our Christmas toy and present collection to them this year. They ask for donations and then hold a session where the mothers can choose the presents, wrap them and give them to their children in their name.
As this was an initial meeting, the committee will discuss further and we hope that Emma might be able to come to talk to us about their work in the New Year.
We will give further information when we have it.

2018 Charity: Catriona and Raymond, representatives of our chosen charity, Carers Support Merton, were delighted to receive our cheque for £1440.54 and thanked us all for our efforts and said that some of the money would be spent on outings for the young carers; some of whom are only 5 years old.

William French, speaker for the evening, certainly gave us an entertaining time on Monday with his resume of his life and work. After getting his brother to forge his mother’s signature on his sign up papers, William joined the Royal Navy at 15. He trained as a chef but soon realised he wanted to be “on show” and retrained to become a No.1 steward. He later graduated to personal steward to a senior office at NATO HQ where he saw action in the Falklands aboard HMS Battleaxe and HMS Broadsword. After the conflict he worked as a Leading Steward for a short while before attending a 6 hour interview and subsequently being appointed Royal Class Steward on the Royal Yacht Britannia. This opened up a new world for William as not only was he serving the Queen and Prince Philip, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York, he went on many of the royal tours around the world. Later he moved to Kensington Palace as ‘breakfast butler’ and he was at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on the night of Princess Diana’s tragic accident.
William was also serving on Royal Yacht Brittania on passage to New Zealand for Royal Duty in Jan 1986 when fighting between the Government and rival Marxist factions had broken out in the former British Colony of Aden. With the full agreement of Her Majesty, Britannia proceeded to the Aden area and prepared to evacuate British and Commonwealth nationals. Before she resumed her voyage to New Zealand Britannia had rescued 1,082 people of the overall total of 1,379 of 55 nationalities saved by the British ships.
William went on to work for the Rothschild family, Lord Rothermere in Eton Square, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Sean Connery to name just a few. William also had a few saucy tales to tell us and probably knows a lot more he couldn’t.

We have just heard from William that £158.60 was raised on Monday in donations for Medical Detection. His fee also went to that charity.

Fiona welcomed 70 members and 2 guests. Fiona reported on the lovely evening at the Surrey Centenary evening at Wisley and how amazing the displays of Pollinators were. She also had a slide show of the wonderful creations. One of Linda’s students from Taiwan also attended the event and heard all about what the WI do etc., and it transpired she very generously donated £300 to our WI.

Lullingstone: Fiona also had a few slides of the recent visit to Lullingstone and Gillian mentioned that she has received a letter from Tom Hart Dyke thanking us for the donation in remembrance of his father to go towards the restoration of Lullingstone church.

Bronzefield Bees WI (HMP and Young Offenders Institute) are having a craft fair and afternoon tea on 10th August at 2.30. Please let Wendy know by 1st August if you would like to attend as they need to have a list of full names of those attending prior to the event. An early arrival of 1.30 pm will be necessary to go through ID (passport) and registration etc. There are now a few prisons’ WI’s and studies have shown that those who have become members and attended were less likely to reoffend.

New Resolutions: Lys reported that next year’s AGM of NFWI is to be held on Wednesday, 5th June in Bournemouth and that now is the time to submit any resolutions you may like to put forward to be considered.

Surrey Autumn Federation Meeting will be on Monday 8th October from 10.00 to 4.00 at Dorking Halls. The main speaker is Tricia Stewart, the lady behind the “Calendar Girls”.

10th Anniversary: As you all know, at our October meeting we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary when we will be having a social evening with prosecco, nibbles etc. If anyone knows of a small group of musicians who could play chamber music during the evening, could they please let us know as we thought that would be a lovely addition.

Ecumenical service to celebrate the Centenary of Surrey Federation will be held at Guildford Cathedral at 2.00pm on Saturday 8th September. Everyone welcome to just go along and to the cream tea afterwards (£7).

Red Cross Charity Shop: We have been asked to mention if anyone has a few spare hours a week to help at the Red Cross Charity shop in Wimbledon Village as they are looking for volunteers

Sutton Countryside Walk: Liz has organised a walk for Friday August 3rd at 10.30 am to start from the Oaks Park Car Park. The walk is approximately 5 miles long, so we will be able to get refreshments at the end either in the Mayfield Lavender field or the Oaks Park Cafe. If you are interested in joining the party of walkers, please contact Liz for further details.

Social Events: Gillian mentioned there are still places for Batemans – Home of Rudyard Kipling, Wednesday, 5th September (£29.50), Watts Gallery, Friday, 19th October (£17) and Kew, Thursday, 22nd November, 6.00pm (£16.50) to see the Christmas lights,
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

Charity for 2019: We need to start thinking about our chosen charity for next year so if you have any suggestions can you please let us know. The only criterion is that it has to be local.

Craft Items: Thank you to everyone who has been busy making jumpers, dresses and toys to send out to Kenya. They will all be taken out by the scout leaders in September. There are 52 jumper and hat sets, 24 jumpers, 22 hats, 14 dresses, 2 shorts, 2 baby blankets, 6 bags and over 30 teddies and rabbits. Absolutely fantastic, thank you so much.

WI Campaigns: An interesting clip was shown at the National AGM in Cardiff in June about WI Campaigning and is available to watch on this link https://www.facebook.com/130129976138/posts/10155739192556139/

Guest Speaker, Melanie Lewis gave a very interesting talk on Mindfulness and how it can benefit all our lives. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. It is something we all naturally possess but need to practice on a daily basis for it to be readily available. Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) explains how mindfulness lights up parts of our brains that aren’t normally activated when we’re mindlessly running on autopilot. “Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodelling the physical structure of your brain.

Mindfulness can help you manage your wellbeing and mental health. It can enable you to:

✓ feel less overwhelmed
✓ improve your sleep quality
✓ positively change the way you think and feel about your experiences (especially stressful experiences)
✓ increase your ability to manage difficult situations
✓ make wiser choices
✓ reduce levels of anxiety
✓ reduce levels of depression
✓ reduce levels of stress
✓ reduce the amount you chew things over in your mind
✓ have greater self-compassion

Melanie talked us through a few exercises to experience the feeling of mindfulness which resulted in some positive feedback from members. She also offered other sessions that members could attend if interested. We certainly all went home feeling calmer and more relaxed.

Summer Fairs: Morden Family Funday was a success and a big thank you to everyone who provided produce, helped before the event and on the stall on Sunday, 22nd July. With everyone’s efforts we had a very good result on a very hot day and made over £500. Well done everyone. The Wimbledon and Putney Common Open Day on Sunday 9th September will be held before our next meeting. The same format will apply i.e. cakes etc., to Sacred Heart on Friday, 7th September and preserves etc., to Dulcie. For further information refer to email sent on 31st May or contact Veronica.

We wish you all a very enjoyable summer and look forward to seeing you 17th September when we will be having a booksale and jigsaw swap and our guest speaker will be William French – Butler to Royalty.

Fiona opened the meeting by welcoming 61 members and 2 guests. Thank you to everyone who brought their old and unwanted bras for Zabra and as usual, for all your items for Foodbank

Walking Netball: Fiona mentioned how much she had enjoyed the Walking Netball warm up practice and encouraged a few more to come along next month. She said it was great fun and another way of keeping fit. Wimbledon WI has now signed up to the NFWI Walking Netball Programme and, hopefully, will soon have a team to compete.

Centenary Fair at Barnes: This was a great success and the 14 London WI’s involved made over £3600. Once expenses have been paid, plus hire of the hall and a donation made possibly to The Friendship Fund, the proceeds will be divided between the WIs involved. Fiona thanked Dulcie and Sheila for all their hard work to the lead up to the fair where we ran a Gift Bag Tombola stall.

2019 Diaries: Fiona mentioned that orders for next year diaries have to be in soon. If you would like a diary please contact Wendy Kilgour. The cost of the diaries is £4.70 each.

Social Committee Notices: There are still spaces for the following events
Lullingstone Castle, Wednesday, 4th July (£27.50). Hopefully led by Tom Hart Dyke
Bateman, Wednesday, 5th September (£29.50)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

Summer Fairs: Veronica mentioned the two summer fairs Wimbledon WI will be attending this year. Namely, Morden Family Day on Sunday 22nd July and Wimbledon Stables Day on Sunday 9th September. As collection for cakes etc., will be on the Friday preceding both fairs, it has been asked that there should be no cream or chocolate fillings etc. A letter with further information will be sent out in due course.

My WI: Fiona mentioned it is well worth registering with My WI for all the news etc. and demonstrated how to access the site and login. Quite a few members have not received login details but this is easily rectified by visiting https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/welcome-to-my-wi for all information about registering etc.

The Perfect Pollinator Evening RHS Wisley Thursday 28th June: Fiona reminded everyone about this evening’s event which is happening next week. She also asked if any member had spare seats in their car to give other members a lift. If so, please let us know as soon as possible if you do.

The Surrey Federation has arranged this evening event as a finale to the Centenary celebrations and will be open from 6.30pm to 9.30pm especially for WI members, their families and friends to have a social evening with a picnic. There will be live music from three bands: Blazing Saddles, a Country and Western band; Dr Bone and the Rhythm Boys (a 1920s style quintet) and Surgeons of Swing who play a mixture of swing, jive, jazz, ballroom and Latin music. To order your tickets ring 0203 176 5810 and ask for tickets to “The Perfect Pollinator Evening”. Tickets are RHS members £7 in advance or £8 on the night. Non RHS members £10 in advance and £11 on the night. This looks to be a fun evening so why not take your picnic hamper, Pimms or Prosecco and a chair or rug and enjoy the gardens and evening. Barbeque food and drinks will be available to purchase if you don’t want to take your own.

Eileen later showed members Beatrice the Bee Pollinator made by several members which will be displayed at Wisley so look out for her when you go.

Guest Speaker: Rosie Troughton gave us a very interesting talk on the Wimbledon Ball Boys and Girls (BBGs). She first gave us a potted history about the All England Lawn Tennis Club before telling us all about her time as an Instructor and Trainer of the BBGs. The boys and girls are now chosen from 35 feeder schools throughout south London but between 1946 and 1966 Dr Barnado’s boys would be bused in everyday from their home to do the job. Originally only 4 ball boys were on court and were on for 4 hour shifts unlike today’s 45 minute shifts. In 1996 six ball boys were introduced to the system and in 1977 girls were included. In 1980 mixed teams were set up and in 1985 girls were seen on centre court for the first time. Approximately 250 BBGs from around 700 applicants work at The Championships. The average age is 15. Training is one evening a week for 6 months where they have to learn perfect ball handling skills, self-discipline and obedience. Being a BBG is an arduous task and very competitive not only amongst themselves but amongst the schools taking part as well. The BBGs get a daily allowance but they also get to keep their prestigious uniform designed by Polo Ralph Lauren which can consist of 3 shirts, 2 shorts, tracksuit and trainers and costs several hundreds of pounds. But if the BBGs are not up to scratch they get notification telling them this (nowadays by email but originally by letter) and they are out. Rosie retired a few years ago but says she was very proud of her BBGs for all the 20 years she worked as their Instructor.

Diary Dates:
Thursday, 28th June – SFWI Picnic at RHS Wisley (6.00pm – 9.30pm)
Wednesday, 4th July – Lullingstone Castle
Monday, 16th July – A talk by Melanie Lewis on Mindfulness
Sunday, 22nd July – Morden Family Fun day
Saturday, 4th August – Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace
Sunday, 26th and Monday, 27th August – Edenbridge & Oxted Show
Wednesday, 5th September – Bateman (Home of Rudyard Kipling)
Sunday, 9th September – Wimbledon Stables Day
Monday, 8th October – SFWI Autumn Meeting
Thursday, 4th October to Sunday, 14th October – Wimbledon Bookfest

Fiona opened the meeting by welcoming 72 members and 1 guest. Thank you to everyone who brought in plants to sell at Monday’s meeting – £99.60 was raised for Carers Support Merton, our chosen charity.

Social Committee Notices: There are still spaces for the following events
Turner’s House/Orleans House, 3rd June (£6)
Lullingstone Castle, Wednesday, 4th July (£27.50)
Bateman, Wednesday, 5th September (£29.50)
Please let Gillian know as soon as possible if you would like a place

Bowling Day, Saturday, 28th April: Angela told us how much she, Lesley and Wendy enjoyed the bowling day at Belmont Bowling Club. It was a whole day event which included tuition and various challenges in the morning, followed by a delicious lunch and lovely cakes. In the afternoon a “round robin” competition took place and the Wimbledon WI team got the highest scores and therefore won the cup. The day was such a success there is a possibility it may be held again next year. But in the meantime, Angela mentioned that anyone can go along to the Wimbledon Park Bowls Club on a Saturday until September between 11.00 am – 12.30 pm for coaching/taster sessions. Well done to the 3 winners.

My WI: Fiona mentioned it is well worth registering with My WI for all the news etc.
My WI is the dedicated website for WI members. Here you will find everything you need to get the most from your membership – from essential information and advice, to campaign action packs and special interest projects for you to try. Go to this link for all information about registering https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/welcome-to-my-wi

Summer Fairs: Veronica mentioned that now that the Wimbledon Village Fair is no longer happening, Wimbledon WI will have a stall at the Morden Family Day on Sunday 22nd July and the Wimbledon Stables Day on Sunday, 9th September. A letter will be sent in due course regarding the usual request for cake, preserves and volunteers for these fairs.

4Ocean: With regard to one of the WI previous resolutions “End Plastic Soup”, Fiona wanted to bring to our attention a website called “4Ocean”. It is an organisation whose mission is to help clean up millions of pounds of plastic which enters the ocean every year, creating a dangerous and even deadly environment for marine life. 4Ocean fund their work by selling bracelets made from recycled materials. Every bracelet purchased funds the removal of 1 pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. In less than 2 years, 4Ocean has removed 629,942 pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines. Visit 4ocean.com for further information

The Perfect Pollinator Evening RHS Wisley Thursday 28th June: The Surrey Federation has arranged this evening event as a finale to the Centenary celebrations and will be open from 6.30pm to 9.30pm especially for WI members, their families and friends to have a social evening with a picnic. There will be live music from three bands: Blazing Saddles, a Country and Western band; Dr Bone and the Rhythm Boys (a 1920s style quintet) and Surgeons of Swing who play a mixture of swing, jive, jazz, ballroom and Latin music. To order your tickets ring 0203 176 5810 and ask for tickets to “The Perfect Pollinator Evening”. Tickets are RHS members £7 in advance or £8 on the night. Non RHS members £10 in advance and £11 on the night. This looks to be a fun evening so why not take your picnic hamper, Pimms or Prosecco and a chair or rug and enjoy the gardens and evening. Barbeque food and drinks will be available to purchase if you don’t want to take your own.

SWWI’s Centenary Fair: South West London WIs are delighted to announce that the South West London branches of the Women’s Institutes will be joining forces to hold a fantastic Centenary Fair, to celebrate and showcase all that the WI offers. The Fair promises to be an amazing day with a variety of stalls, a chance to enjoy the fun of the fair with retro games, taster drop in workshops, plenty of food, and of course, a supply of homemade WI cakes! We’re also having a courtyard bar and coffee shop.

Open to all, entry to the Fair is free and it will be held in an idyllic venue in the heart of Barnes, next to the beautiful village pond. The Centenary Fair will be taking place on Saturday, 9 June 2018 from 11.00am – 3.30pm at Barnes Green Centre, Church Road, London, SW13 9HE, which is also known as “The Gingerbread House by the Pond”. Barnes Green Centre is very easy to get to with an abundance of transport links; the nearest rail stations are Barnes or Barnes Bridge (5-10 minute walk away) and the nearest tube station is Hammersmith (with frequent 209 or 283 buses to the ‘Barnes Pond’ stop opposite the Centre). It’s also a short bus ride from Richmond (419 bus) and if you are driving there is ample free parking in the surrounding roads on weekends.

The Fair will be an opportunity for a fantastic family day out; children are welcome and can enjoy face painting and games. There will be workshops, for a small cost, on screenprinting, making biodegrable glitter and various arts and crafts. An array of stalls will offer plants, books (some signed/vintage), jewellery and crafts.
Entertainment on offer will be from the FiSH choir, Petite Performers, demonstrators from Mei Quan Tai Chi and Kew Karate. The Balhamonics have also confirmed and will be on hand to entertain you with their repertoire of rock and pop. Please do spread the word, and come along and help celebrate the 100th birthday!

Used or Unwanted Bras: Lesley mentioned that once again she has been contacted from a charity asking our members to donate their old or unwanted bras. Please can you bring any you may have to the June meeting.

Linden Lodge: Being one of our chosen charities in the past, we were delighted to be invited to the opening of The Isobel Centre which we helped to raise funds for. It is a truly remarkable building with the latest technology and facilities for their visually impaired and multi-disabled visually impaired pupils to use.

Resolutions Result: Members voted that the Resolution to go forward to the final vote at the NFWI Annual Meeting in Cardiff on 6th June is Mental Health Matters.

Flower Arranging Demostration: We certainly had a lovely evening when we tried to copy Jean and Julie’s beautiful flower arrangements. Julie took us through the procedure step by step and when finished there were some amazing creations by our members. At the end of the evening 3 lucky members won the lovely arrangements made by Julie.

Diary Dates:
Thursday, 28th June – SFWI Picnic at RHS Wisley (6.00pm – 9.30pm)
Wednesday, 4th July – Lullingstone Castle
Sunday, 22nd July – Morden Family Fun day
Saturday, 4th August – Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace
Sunday, 26th and Monday, 27th August – Edenbridge & Oxted Show
Sunday, 9th September – Wimbledon Stables Day
Monday, 8th October – SFWI Autumn Meeting
Thursday, 4th October to Sunday, 14th October – Wimbledon Bookfest