Hello, O Christmas bees! Are you feeling festive?
Before kicking off the newsletter proper, it feels important to say that we know that Christmas can be a lonely time for a lot of people so please don’t hesitate to come to one of our subgroups even if you have never been before. You can also invite a friend or neighbour who you think will appreciate the cheer or company at this time of year. Alleviating loneliness is a key campaign of the WI and, even though we don’t often talk about it, it is perhaps the campaign in which we at The Hive WI has focused the most in what we do and how we run.
Also, on the 15 December two of our members have organised a trip to the Christmas market in Nottingham. There’s even an ice-skating rink! Join them at 16:00 and check our message board for more details.
Onto the news!
December Bonus Meeting
“Amores”
Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas dinner!
As many of you know, WI membership entitles you to 11 main meetings throughout the year. Committees officially have one month off, which means that WIs can either have one month off entirely with no meeting, or to have an unofficial or bonus meeting once a year.
We at The Hive WI tend to favour the unoffical or “bonus” meeting, and this year it will be – as voted for by members – this month’s Christmas dinner.
Ordinarily members would not be expected to pay extra for a meeting because you have already paid for your membership, but because this is a bonus meeting you must have already booked your place and paid up in order to come.
In 2018 – which was our first year as a WI – members voted at the start of the year to have August as our month off due to the summer holidays. We organised a picnic in the park on Dovecote Lane and spent an evening under the trees and sky.
At last month’s meeting in November, we voted again to decide which month will have our unofficial meeting. Maybe alternating seasons off will become Hive tradition because you voted for summer 2020 to be our “bonus” meeting month. That said, Sandra, who runs our Supper Club, has suggested that if we book a restaurant early enough we can have a both a members meeting and a Christmas meal at a restaurant next year in December. Lucky us! Summer plans are still pending.
The restaurant that will be hosting us this week is Amores on Station Road in Beeston (NG9 2AZ). There’ll be about 30 of us going. Get your crazy jumpers and silly earrings on and we’ll see you there!
On the Tables
Media swap, Just for Fun, and prizes
- As we will be meeting at Amores for Christmas dinner, there will be none of our usual table activities this month.
- Feel free to dress up in something suitably silly and festive for an unofficial “Just for Fun” activity!
Don’t Forget!
What to bring to the next meeting
- Please bring some money for drinks and a tip!
- Don’t forget that we won’t be meeting at our usual venue this month.
- The restaurant to go to is Amores on Station Road in Beeston (NG9 2AZ). You can phone the restaurant on 0115 9224224.
- Please also remember that this is a bonus meeting rather than one of our usual members’ meeting. Only those who have booked a table and paid their deposits will be able to join.
Other News
We Did It!
Creative communities
Bee Crafty for Christmas raised an amazing £522.39! The event, not just the money, is an achievement to be proud of.
Many non-WI members commented on how we busted stereotypes of the WI, and several asked if they could sign up for membership (yes!). Attendees also commented that they were pleased to see us being active in the community and, of course, that the atmosphere was “buzzing”!
We will vote at the January meeting about whether you would like Bee Crafty for Christmas to be an annual Hive event.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in the day, with an extra special thanks to those who donated handmade items to our stall. Your sales raised £226! All the money from the stall will go into the craft subgroup, as well as 25% of the rest of the profit as agreed by members. The other 75% will go towards funding The Hive WI as a whole.
Thank you also to the subcommittee who did an amazing job in making this happen. Bravo!
Shimmy, Shake, and Shine
Our bhangra birthday bash
January’s meeting will mark our second birthday. To celebrate, we will be taught how to dance bangra!
We’ve been given early instructions to wear silk scarves, bangles, and bindis on the night. We will be providing some of these but to make sure everyone has something to wear we wanted to give you ample warning to look out for them at charity shops or in the January sales.
Fancy Another Slice?
Rejoin for more from The Hive WI in 2020
WIs renew their memberships at the start of each new year and The Hive WI is no different.
Membership costs £43 for full membership, and £21.50 for duel membership.
Although plans aren’t yet final for 2020, we can give you a sneak peek of what’s coming up…
All the events on the programme were suggested and voted for by our members:
- The most popular suggestion was for a soap making demonstration which will be led by one of our very own Lily of Green Fig Soap Studio;
- We also have a samba drumming session;
- Dancing;
- Gin tasting (also led by an expert member, Jen, of Culpeper Tonics);
- A talk about local history and the Canary Girls of Chilwell;
- More dancing;
- A craft evening;
- And that’s not to mention the subgroups.
Besides our main meetings, 2019 saw us learn martial arts; hang a display of handmade hearts in the window of a local cafe; launch a walking group; plan and host two community events; create and collect dozens of hand knitted items for premature babies and their mums; make our way through the cafes and restaurants in Beeston; join forces with other WIs in Nottingham to raise over £500 for the Sharewear clothes bank; and more.
The most common reason Hive members cite for joining The Hive WI is to try new things and meet new people. It seems to me that the more time goes on, the better we know each other and the better we get.
Bring on 2020!
Regular Information
Time and Location
Our main monthly meeting is every second Wednesday of the month at 19:30 to 21:30 in the church hall on Foster Avenue, Beeston (opposite the library).
This particular meeting will be held at Amores restaurant in Beeston on Station Road (NG9 2AZ).
Non-Members and Guests
Only members who have booked a place at Amores restaurant and paid their deposits are legible to come to this meeting.
Guests and plus ones will be very welcome to join us again in the New Year!
The Hive’s December Calendar
- Sunday 1st December, 10:00 – Walk ‘n’ Talk
- Wednesday 4, 14:00 – Cafe Society at Thistle Tea House
- Wednesday 4, 19:00 – Craft ‘n’ Chat
- Thursday 5, 21:00 – Pub Quiz at The Crown
- Wednesday 11, 19:30 – Bonus Meeting: Christmas Meal at Amores
- Tuesday 17, 20:00 – Tuesday Book Club: One Day in December by Josie Silver
- Supper Club is cancelled this month
- Thursday 19, 19:30 – Thursday Book Club: Transcription by Kate Atkinson
- Saturday 21, 14:00 – Crafternoon
Recurring Events
- Walk ‘n’ Talk: Every first weekend of the month
- Craft ‘n’ Chat: Every first Wednesday, 19:00-21:00 at the Methodist Church in Beeston
- Cafe Society: Every first Wednesday, 14:00 (various locations)
- PubQuiz: Every first Thursday from September at The Crown Inn, 20:00
- Main Meeting: Every second Wednesday, 19:30-21:30
- Tuesday Night Book Club: Every third Tuesday, 20:00 at The Star Inn in Beeston
- Saturday Crafternoon: Every third Saturday, 14:00-16:00 at the Methodist Church in Beeston
- Supper Club: Every third Wednesday, 19:30 (various locations)
- Thursday Evening Book Club: Every last Thursday, 19:30 at The Star Inn in Beeston
Find Us Online
- Email: thehivewi@gmail.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/thehivewi
- Facebook group (members only): facebook.com/groups/thehivewi
- Twitter: twitter.com/thehivewi
- Website: thehivewi.com
- You can also search for us on Google Calendar using our email address.
The Hive WI 