May has seen us breathing in the heady scent of bluebells in the woods of St Mary Bourne, admiring Ted Heath’s house in Salisbury, feeling the beat of Hairspray at the Mayflower Theatre and serving bacon butties at the Village Plant Sale.
After all this activity though, our May meeting was a more relaxed evening and believe it or not we were talking about Christmas as discussions took place on the format for our December meeting. Although a final decision has yet to be made, it was felt it was time for change. Now where have we heard that expression lately?
Our President, Val Downing, made suggestions as to how as many of our members as possible could participate in the WI-Tri challenge to walk 50 miles, cycle 20 miles and swim 5 miles. Before you get too impressed these are not individual targets, but an accumulative effort.
Now despite the challenge to read all the small print on the labels of our grocery shopping as it is (and yes that print is definitely shrinking), our members still voted in favour of this year’s resolution, which urges HM Government to introduce clear and mandatory country of origin labelling on all meat, poultry and fish products sold in this country. This decision will be conveyed to our delegate who will then vote on our behalf at the National AGM in Cardiff on 02 June.
A very cold over-cast morning was the setting for our ramble around St. Mary Bourne, but the threatened rain did stay away until we had finished and we did enjoy seeing the gloriously colourful bluebells in the woods surrounding the village. The five miles will also count towards the total of 50 miles as part of the WI-Tri challenge already mentioned.
The following Saturday, however, saw much warmer conditions as we enjoyed a visit to the home of the late Sir Ted Heath, with a postcode that most of us can only aspire to – The Close, in Salisbury. Arundells was his home after he had been Prime Minister, and it was obviously a haven for him from all the turmoil at Westminster.
The sun was still shining for the Village Fete Plant Sale, but there were still customers for the bacon butties our members were serving. Those on kitchen duty included Pat Balam, Christine Fell, Sue George and myself, but it was Carol Taylor who stood all morning cooking the bacon, so special thanks to her.
In between those two events, we had also been to the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, where we were entertained by the enthusiastic cast of Hairspray, which included Michael Ball and Les Dennis. These two veterans of the theatre appeared to relish their roles as parents of Tracy Turnblad, a young girl growing up in Baltimore in the early 1960’s, who just wants to dance. A few of us managed to stagger to our feet and join in at the end, but we all came out feeling up-lifted having thoroughly enjoyed the show.
We will be donning our posh frocks and hats for our next meeting, courtesy of the kind generosity of Jane & Julian Benson who have kindly offered to host the meeting in their home and garden.
Diary Dates:
07 June – Danebury Group Quiz
09 June – Coffee Morning
12 June – Walking Group
24 June – The Alternative Garden Party courtesy of Mr & Mrs J Benson
29 June – Reading Group (The Other Side of the Bridge – Mary Lawson)
10 July – Walking Group
13 July – Coffee Morning
29 July – Themed Evening – The 40’s 04 Aug – Outing to Windsor (spaces available – for more information please call Sharon King 01264 335630)
Sharon King
