Oh, pants! The speaker we had booked for April had to cancel, so we have a change of plans. You might say that she gave us the slip.
“The Knickers Lady” (as the committee has been calling her) was going to join us on Zoom to talk about the history of underwear.
No worries, though. We won’t be getting in a twist!
We are now meeting in person at the Church Hall for a laid-back social evening. We will have tea and cake, the tote bags and decorations from the March meeting, and each other.
After all, a good WI is like a great bra: close to your heart, gives you a lift, and has your back covered too!
See you soon!
PS: Shout out to these cakes from last month 🤤
→ What To Bring To The Meeting
- Please bring your tote bag back if you want to continue decorating it (if you didn’t get a bag last month, we have more!);
- A mug;
- Membership fees (if you haven’t paid yet);
- A pen or pencil;
- Correct cash for refreshments (50p for drinks, £1 for cake);
- Name badge.
For those who want to go to the Supper Club this month, the restaurant has requested a £5 deposit. You can bring this to pay at the meeting on Wednesday.
→ Volunteers Needed
- Three members to help set up the meeting at 19:00;
- Two members to volunteer in the kitchen from 19:10 to make the tea.
Please email if you can help 🙂
→ Next Three Meetings
- May: Resolutions and activities
- June: Morris Dancing with The Lady Bay Revellers
- July: Tea-tasting with cream tea
Click here for our 2022 Calendar.
→ Subgroup Calendar
- Saturday 16, 14:00: Crafternoon
- Wednesday 20, 19:00: Supper Club at The Circle Eatery
- Wednesday 27, 14:00: Cafe Society at The Circle Eatery
- Thursday 28, 19:00: Book Club (Zoom): Before and After by Alison Wilson
- Sunday 30, 10:00: Walk ‘n’ Talk
→ Email Roundup
The Hive WI Crafters
What you’ve made this month
Talk about talent! 😮
I’d love to have a go at the mug painting. Joanne did a seriously good job with her simple and colourful design.
Check out this bit of pottery from Sarah (before and after firing):
It was fired in a process known as Raku. fans of The Great Pottery Showdown might recogise the style.
These embroidery pieces from Louise (who says she is ”new” to the craft) are definitely worth a closer look:
The craft group meets on the third Saturday of the month at 14:00.
I will be asking them again next month for their pictures. I am just 😮 Teach me know to knit jumpers and hats, please!
Book of the Month
Before and After by Alison Wilson
Synopsis:
Aged nineteen, Alison McKelvie was a self-confessed romantic, immersed in books and poetry, and dreaming of beauty, truth, and love. In 1940, whilst working as a secretary at MI6, Alison met Alexander Wilson. Thirty years her senior, Alexander was worldly and charismatic. An intense affair quickly led to marriage and two children. But the Wilsons’ lives then spiraled into the depths of poverty. Alexander was sacked, imprisoned twice, and then declared bankrupt. His lack of reliability was a hefty emotional burden for Alison to bear. Nevertheless, she loved her husband unreservedly and stuck by him through thick and thin. In 1963, Alexander died suddenly of a heart attack. Alison’s world imploded when she discovered that their life together had been built upon layer after layer of deception. Who was Alexander Wilson? How well had Alison really known him? Slowly the lies were unraveled: Alexander had been a novelist, spy, and, devastatingly, a bigamist. Alison was the third of four wives, her children two of seven. The inspiration for the critically-acclaimed drama Mrs. Wilson, Before & After is the powerful and poignant memoir of Alison Wilson. ‘Before’ peels back the complex layers of a marriage steeped in lies, and the shattering heartbreak which followed. ‘After’ tells of an intensely-felt redemption through religion. Before & After is, first and foremost, a love story, but it is also an account of one extraordinarily strong woman’s deep, unwavering faith.
The book was turned into a BBC drama, with the role of Alison Wilson being played by her granddaughter Ruth Wilson:
What the book club is saying so far:
Sarah: “I’m looking forward to reading the book as I found the TV adaptation fascinating, and am intrigued by the level of lies and effort it takes for a man to have multiple simultaneous wives and families.”
Rosa: “I haven’t seen the TV series, so I am going to watch it before the book club meets to compare. The book is much more about her Catholic faith than the synopsis suggests. It is primarily about Wilson’s religious experiences than about her husband’s secret life.”
Wendy: “I enjoyed the TV series. I only read the book introduction and two pages this morning. It seems fairly good language reading. I agree with Sarah. Follow the intrigue!”
Last month the group read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
Morag: “Most of us enjoyed the book and were interested to find that it was intended as an allegory for homelessness. We thought that the plot had plenty of action and was rather like a steampunk Alice in Wonderland. We were all inspired by it to read more Neil Gaiman books.”
The series Mrs. Wilson is still on iPlayer. You can watch or read the story – whichever you prefer – and join the book club to talk about it on Zoom on Thursday the 28th of April, at 19:00.
The Cafe Society and Supper Club
The Circle Eatery
The Cafe Society and The Supper Club are meeting at The Circle Eatery in Beeston this month.
You can check out their website and menu here or check out their Instagram to tempt your appetite before you, ahem, go round.
Sally’s “Annual Report Poem”
The Hive WI 2021
Our Annual Meeting last year was sadly On Zoom
As once again we couldn’t be in the same room.
This was to continue for a long five months more,
With a regular attendance of about twenty-four.
We considered the signs of modern-day slavery
And those who need resilience and bravery.
Can we raise awareness of ovarian cancer,
Hoping one day scientists will find a new answer?
Quietly we learnt of the work of Forever Stars
Who supports those coping with infant-loss scars.
There are now rooms where families have peace
And a garden to walk in to help the pain ease.
This charity was chosen by those who love walking,
A virtual length of the country, filled with talking.
In twelve months they finished their target of miles
Raising double the cash with very huge smiles.
Our Michelle showed us how to keep our plants green
With loving care so they don’t become a has-been!
Good compost, misting and not too much water
Straight from the tap is something we shouldn’t ought-ta!
As the vaccine rollout proceeded at pace
Cafe, Supper and Craft met face to face.
A warm July evening was enjoyed on the grass
Smiling faces with blanket, picnic, and a wine glass.
The making of jam means no fruit goes to waste
But listening on Zoom there was no chance to taste.
But at last the time came to be back in our Hall
As the days got shorter at the start of the Fall.
Lucy showed us where free plants could be found
In bushes high up and down on the ground.
But be careful when foraging beneath a tree
As it’s just the place where my dog stops to pee!
Secrets of Belton House, behind such big gates.
How can Colin remember so many past dates?
The Alexander Technique tested our strength
While learning to breathe and stay at arms-length.
WI members read, throughout the nation,
Of how our Rosa changed her life from hibernation.
Social media was the key to outside contact,
Making new friends through her podcast The Jam Pact.
Our amazing members brought in gifts galore
For the women of Broxtowe who we helped before;
And also mental health patients at Highbury
Sending clothes, books and games for their library.
In December a quiz with songs and chip supper
But this time without the famous loud buzzer.
Sadly in January Covid was on the rise
So our plans to make sugar roses we had to revise.
But we sat in the Hall with pencils at the ready
And surprised ourselves with our drawings in February.
Now as we start a new year it’s time to pay fees
Then work together in this Hive of busy bees
💖
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