Happy New Year! And a happy birthday, Hive!
Our January meeting falls on our second birthday and the beginning of our third year as a WI.
To celebrate, we have sent invitations to WIs around Nottingham to join us to dance the evening away (more on the dancing below!). We’re also being treated to a second birthday cake from Carol’s Nicely Iced. You may have to steer me away from having too many slices as her cakes are very nice, indeed.
Onto the news!
January Meeting
“Bhangra Birthday Party”
Let’s start 2020 with a “bhang”!
Bhangra is an energetic folk dance of India, specifically from the Punjab. It is known for its raucous drumming and infectious beat, popularised by Bollywood cinema.
The dance is as lively as you’d expect for a spring festival with lots of kicking, leaping, and twisting of the body, but bhangra dance and music has come a long way from its roots as a celebration of the spring harvest. For instance, it was featured in the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012 and has made its way into the music of rap artists like Jay Z and Missy Elliot.
Another way in which bhangra has evolved is that it is a dance that was traditionally danced by men. These days bhangra is danced by both men and women and takes inspiration from its historical folk roots, modern urban life, as well as the fusion between East and West.
Our dance session will be beginner-friendly and members are encouraged to feel free to join in as much or as little as they want. If you don’t feel able to join in yourself but would rather watch from the side, then please do! We don’t want anyone to do anything that would aggravate any medical conditions.
As well as wearing comfortable clothing that is easy to move in, we’ve been advised to add a few twinkles to our “PE kits” this time: bangles that jangle, silk scarves that shimmer, and lots and lots of bright, happy colours!
You’ll want to sparkle like a firework!
On the Tables
Media swap, Just for Fun, and prizes
- Media swap: our media swap features anything you’d find in a modern library. This includes books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, and good quality magazines. If something catches your eye but you don’t have anything to swap, you can put some change in the donation jar instead;
- We’ll be giving away prizes in a raffle this month so please bring some change if you want to take part;
- That’s it for this month!
Don’t Forget!
What to bring to the next meeting
Usual things:
- A mug (we will provide mugs if you forget);
- Your name badge if you have one;
- Alcohol if you want some;
- As it is our birthday, tea and cake are free this month!
Special items for January:
- Bangles and silk scares for bhangra dancing;
- Money for membership renewals (£43 for the year);
- Change for the raffle if you want to take part.
Other News
If You Wanna Be In Our Gang, Our Gang
Membership 2020
The WI subscription fee for the year is set at £43 pounds from January to December.
You can pay by cash on the night or by making a Bacs transfer online.
The details you will need to make a Bacs transfer will be available on the night of our January meeting. Please make sure you include your last name when entering your details to make your Bacs payment so we know who you are.
Just in case you can’t get too much of a good thing and you want to join not one but two WIs, you pay £43.00 to your first Wi and £21.10 to the second. Jammy!
We’re All MAD* Here
*Making A Difference
From January onward, those of you in our Facebook group will see a new reminder popping up in your newsfeeds: The Hive WI committee meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month between 18:30-20:30. Hive members are welcome to come along to see how the committee works and to see whether or not they’d like to be part of it.
We have never posted reminders for the committee before but we hope that they will make it more open and accessible to anyone interested in joining.
At the main meeting in January we will also be looking for volunteers to bake cakes, help with sign-ins, and talk to new members and guests. A sign-up sheet will be circulating throughout the evening. Please put your name down if you can help as it really does make all the difference!
New Year, New Programme!
Happy New Year!
I’m sure you are keen to find out what we’ve got lined up for 2020! Special thanks to Hayley and the members who joined her programming subcommittee for setting it in motion:
- 8 January: The Hive Turns Two!: Bhangra Dance Party
- 12 February: Colour Therapy
- 11 March: Annual Meeting and Singing
- Voting in the president and Hive committee
- 8 April: Creative Craft Evening
- Fundraising: Guess the number of mini eggs in a jar
- Just For Fun: Decorate a hard boiled egg
- 13 May: Make Your Mark
- Fundraising: Plant swap
- Just For Fun: “All About Bees”
- 10 June: Samba Drumming Workshop
- 8 July: Just the (Gin and) Tonic
- Fundraising: Raffle
- Just For Fun: “Sea Creatures”
- 12 August: TBC
- 9 September: September Stories
- Just For Fun: “Recycled”
- 14 October: Step into Strictly
- Fundraising: Raffle
- 11 November: The Canary Girls of Chilwell
- Fundraising: Quiz: Local Dilects
- Just For Fun: Decorated Bookmarks
- 9 December: Festive Fun
- Just For Fun: “Tartan”
As well as the main events listed above, our Supper Club leader Sandra is looking into booking us in for another Christmas dinner, and, if members approve, we will host a second Bee Crafty for Christmas after the success of the first.
We will also have subgroups on eight days of the month! They don’t called us The Hive-of-Activity WI for nothing, you know. Happy 2020!
New Subgroup!
“Community and Campaigns”
Campaigns in the WI seem to be as numerous as tea and cake. Sometimes it feels as though we have just finished discussing and voting on one set of issues when the next ones come around.
Looking at and acting on these campaigns is the focus for a new subgroup that has been proposed called (for now!) Community and Campaigns.
Using the WI campaign calendar as inspiration, the Community and Campaigns group will discuss what issues interest them the most and how they can best make an impact.
There are 100 years of campaigns to choose from (!) with key campaigns including ones focusing on climate change, reducing plastic pollution, mental health, alleviating loneliness, food poverty and food waste, and saving honeybees.
The group will also look at causes The Hive WI has already been supporting for the last two years such as organising more regular food bank donations, raising money, or organising a skill swap to learn how to knit the bonnets and cardigans that we donate to the neonatal unit.
Unlike other subgroups you won’t have to attend in person to take part as some activities may be doable from home or at the monthly meetings.
Depending on interest, there may also be one-off activities like litter picking or volunteering at a soup kitchen.
The first meeting will be sometime in February after getting feedback from members about dates and times.
If you would like to volunteer to run a subgroup, please get in touch with us and we can help you make it happen.
The Times They Are A-Changing
Rearranging the calendar for 2020
Three of our subgroups have changed their times or days for 2020, including the Wednesday Craft ‘n’ Chat, Cafe Society, and Thursday Book Club.
After feedback from members, the Wednesday Craft ‘n’ Chat is moving from the evening of the first Wednesday of the month to the afternoon of that same day (13:00-15:00).
As that Wednesday was the Cafe Society’s slot, the Cafe Society has now been moved to the last Wednesday of the month. All regulars were contacted and consulted about this change in advance.
The Thursday book club is now starting at 18:45 instead of 19:30. Attendance dropped over the winter so a new time was chosen by a poll on our Facebook group to encourage new members to join.
The club is in the process of choosing what books to read for the year which makes it an excellent time to join and get your suggestions in!
Their January read is Where Women are Kings by Christie Watson, although it isn’t necessary to have read the book to come along. Friends welcome.
Spring Craft Ideas
Get your thinking bonnets on
We’re looking for some simple but effective craft ideas for our spring-time member’s meeting.
If anybunny knows of any good ones that are spring-themed and accessible for beginners, please let us know!
Fixers Are Doing It For Themselves
Your stories
Morag joined the WI last year and leads the Thursday Book Group. She is also a member of Nottingham Fixers’s Repair Cafe. She wrote in to tell us about it below:
I’ve always been into recycling and hated waste. I first went to a Repair Cafe when I had a favourite bracelet that was broken and went and got it fixed. While I was there I thought, “Well I’m not an expert but I can do simple sewing and darning so perhaps I could try volunteering.”
I do hand sewing and darning repairs at each Repair Cafe. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the first one. It’s so satisfying to take a piece of clothing that’s not being worn and bring it back into use. I also enjoy the camaraderie with the other sewing fixers and the general friendly enthusiastic atmosphere. And most importantly there’s lots of tea and cake!
One of the most satisfying fixes I did was teaching someone how to darn socks. They had 6 pairs of a special type that they’d got from America that were now developing holes. We darned one pair between us and they went off all enthused about going home and doing the other 5.
The next one is 1st Feb 2-5pm Sherwood Methodist Church, Mansfield Road. If you want to help you need to contact Nottingham Fixers first. You can just show up on the day if you have something you want fixed. Usually we have fixers who can do electrical things, clothing and textiles, jewellery, basketwork, furniture, bikes and pushchairs and clocks.
They always need general helpers and people to make cakes too!
If you are involved in a project in Nottingham or Beeston that you think members of The Hive WI would be interested in, please post about it on our Facebook group or send us a message.
Regular Information
This Month’s Volunteers
Busy bees
Our star baker this month is Carol’s Nicely Iced. Carol made the cake for our birthday party last year and we’re excited to have her back again!
Sarah C and Michela D will be helping out in the kitchen.
Sue C and Jane M will be helping set up and clear up in the kitchen.
Thank you so much to our January team!
Refreshments
Drinks, cake, conversation
Tea and cake is free this month as it is our birthday party.
If you’d like refreshments before we start, please come for around 19:15.
We will break for refreshments again later in the evening.
Bring your own cups if you can to save on washing up (though cups will be provided in case you forget), and wine if you would like it.
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).
Parking and Transport
There is parking just outside the church hall as well as across the road next to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Beeston’s transport interchange is excellent for regular trams and buses.
The interchange is just by Tesco and a four-minute walk from where we meet.
Non-Members and Guests
We’d love to meet you!
Guests are very welcome but you must reserve your place before coming.
There is an optional visitors donation of £5 to our charity.
Guests can come to up to three monthly meetings each year as a guest before being asked to join officially.
Guests can also come our subgroups as a plus one, or visit each subgroup up to three times as a visitor.
The Hive’s January Calendar
What’s on when
Cancelled for New Year – Wednesday Craft ‘n’ Chat
- Thursday 2, 21:00 – Pub Quiz at The Crown (50p)
- Saturday4, 14:00 – Walk ‘n’ Talk
- Wednesday 8, 19:30 – Main Meeting: The Hive Turns Two!: Bhangra Birthday Party
- Wednesday 15, 19:30 – Supper Club: Sachwan
- Saturday 18, 14:00 – Saturday Crafternoon
- Tuesday 21, 20:00 – Book Club: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
- Wednesday 22, 18:30 – Committee Meeting
- Wednesday 29, 14:00 – Cafe Society: Christine’s Delights
- Thursday 30, 18:45 – Book Club: Where Women Are Kings by Christie Watson
Recurring Events
Your shortcut to the subgroups
- Craft ‘n’ Chat: Every first Wednesday, 13:00-15:00
- Pub Quiz: Every first Thursday, 20:00
- Walk ‘n’ Talk: Every first weekend of the month on alternating Saturdays and Sundays – times vary
- Main Meeting: Every second Wednesday, 19:30-21:30
- Tuesday Book Club: Every third Tuesday, 20:00
- Crafternoon: Every third Saturday, 14:00-16:00
- Supper Club: Every third Wednesday, 19:30
- Committee Meeting: Every fourth Wednesday, 18:30
- Cafe Society: Every last Wednesday, 14:00
- Thursday Book Club: Every last Thursday, 18:45
Please get in touch if you would like to lead a subgroup.
For a list of the reading lists for our book groups, please go to our website or check the reminders on our Facebook group.
Walks for the Walk ‘n’ Talk will be listed on our website as soon as they have been planned.
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 