At our September meeting we welcomed musician Sophie Fishwick for a Body Percussion session. She taught us to make musical sounds without an instrument in sight! We started with an imaginary wander through a tropical
rainforest (we called it the Beeston Jungle) – a self made sound bath if you will – making sounds of a slight breeze
rustling through the trees to it whipping up (running palms together slowly then faster), then small rain drops by
slow clicking, then heavier rain with faster clicking, then a downpour slapping our legs, then thunder by stomping with our feet before bringing it slowly back down by doing the reverse. We started doing it all together but then did it in a round so one person started then the next joined in etc. there were some suspicious monkey/parrot noises thrown in for good measure.

Next some of us tried Stand up percussion, starting with either side steps and back (all ladies were meant to be
going in the same direction but there were soon people going in EVERY direction…cue lots of confusion and
laughter). Then some of us had a go at beat boxing. Apparently all it takes to become a beat boxer is to say “boots and cats and boots and cats” over and over whilst also stomping and clapping!! Sophie had us making mouth noises—raspberries, lip buzzes, cheek pops— Wendy then (stupidly) whispered to Jenny that she could do an imitation of the bagpipes, so of course Jenny ratted her out and she performed to the circle’s amazement and laughter.

We then tackled complex body percussion, stomping and clapping contrasting beats that descended into glorious chaos until we finally nailed it for 20 rounds….and just when we thought Wendy would close us out with her bagpipes she didn’t! So we requested an encore from Wendy (which was filmed and sent globally only to reveal that her distant relatives share the exact same talent). See the video on our Hive members’ Facebook page, it’s a real talent! We wrapped up with the “Beeston Jungle sound bath” with many more noises this time – and we’re pretty sure we heard a whale!

The whole session was a great exercise in teamwork and concentration and it definitely challenged the old grey
matter…Imagine an hour of trying to pat your head and rub your tummy. You go great until someone throws in
another instruction. It was relaxing (yet exhausting), enjoyable, playful and hilarious in equal measures, often with fits of infectious giggles spontaneously breaking out around the circle.

At the meeting we had a visitor and a new member in attendance, and 15ish members, the majority of whom were wearing elements of purple for the 111th WI anniversary. Hopefully we made a good impression with our fresh, warm cakes. Delicious! We were also grateful for Ruth sharing her bounty of pears, and to Chris who told us about her amazing wing walk (see page 3 for a writeup about her adventure).

We had a lovely evening at the Commercial in Beeston for a meal and some drinks with lots of our wonderful members in attendance!

With the sky clear and the air HOT, we also eagerly anticipated the partial eclipse. Thanks to our well-prepared members, Sue and Morag, we had some ingenious homemade contraptions to safely gaze at this celestial event. I’m glad you saved our eyes from melting or spontaneously combusting, or whatever could have happened.
Amazing though…..who knew that the whole sun would fit through a pinhole!
We capped off the night with a lively game that combined a dash of luck and a sprinkle of strategy. Huge thanks to Sally for organizing such a hit, and to Jenny for booking the table. Here’s to more memorable nights and cherished connections.

At our latest monthly meeting, we welcomed the dynamic gardening duo Elaine and Julia (AKA The Potty Plotters). They swept in from Derby with armfuls of humour, down‑to‑earth gardening wisdom, and plenty of cheeky energy which had us laughing, and there were a few “potty‑mouthed” moments too.

Their stories from allotment life were as entertaining as they were relatable, proving that growing your own fruit, veg, and flowers doesn’t need to be complicated. Whether you’ve got a sprawling garden or just a sunny windowsill, they showed that delicious homegrown food is within everyone’s reach. Following this ethos of making gardening for everyone, The Potty Plotters’ speaker’s fee will go towards their charity to support other gardeners. The Plotters were especially proud of their legendary loofahs (which, as they gleefully reminded us, even Monty Don can’t grow for toffee!). In fact, The Potty Plotters were so proud of their loofahs that they handed out seeds for everyone to plant in March; encouraging us to grow them for use in naughty party games, as gifts, or slice them up and use as fully compostable dish scourers.

It was educational, hilarious, and refreshingly different from some of our usual sessions. A massive thank you to Elaine and Julia for reminding us all to find joy in the garden—mishaps and all.

Catch more of their advice on The Potty Plotters “Plotcast” on BBC Radio Derby, every Sunday between 11:30am and 12:30pm, or recorded episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Our June meeting was a delightfully witty affair as we welcomed the fabulous Baroness Bolsover for an unforgettable interactive talk, spilling the tea in an afternoon tea etiquette masterclass. The Baroness looked spectacular in her Victorian finery, as did some of our group who also wore hats for the occasion. While teaching us the exact way to hold a teacup, the proper 6-to-12 o’clock spoon stir, and the ultimate sin of biscuit dunking, the Baroness had us in stitches!

Who knew there was SO much we’d all been doing wrong in the way we sit at a table and how we make, stir and
drink our tea – even down to how we hold our dainty teacups and saucers for all these years?! Thank goodness for our wonderful teacher steering us in the right direction.

Following the Baroness’ delightful demonstration, we put our impeccable new etiquette skills straight to the test over a wonderful spread of traditional scones, clotted cream, and jam….and who knew Lidl scones would win out over Mozza’s! It was a thoroughly joyful evening filled with yummy food, laughter, learning, and the company of a fabulously diverse group of brilliant women.

Who knew good manners could involve so much laughter?! It was truly the crème de la crème of WI evenings.

In May we welcomed back Catherine Chivers from Manor Arts, who introduced us to ‘FitSteps’; a
fun and effective work out for all ages and abilities based on a mixture of ballroom and Latin dance
steps such as tango, salsa, jive and Charleston. Catherine’s infectious energy and enthusiasm meant that we all had great fun with lots of laughs but also had a good workout too!

22 members attended and we welcomed 2 visitors