Meeting Reports - 2012

13th Nov 2012

Our speaker at our November meeting was a very glamorous French lady by the name of Marie-Noelle Witty, who had come to speak to us about how the French eat, and the fact that although we Brits might say the French are obsessed with their food, she prefers to say that the French have a love affair with it.

She described to us how meals are taken, how long they go on for, and what was interesting was that they don’t have everything piled up together on the plate like we do, instead preferring to eat the meat and vegetables separately with a quite simple dessert at the end of the meal, usually involving fruit. Fish features quite a lot on menus as France is predominantly a Roman Catholic country.

What amazed me is that although portion sizes are not massive, if you have guests for dinner, for example, seven courses is apparently the norm.

Oh and don’t forget that if you are invited for dinner to a French household, dress up in your finest clothes, and don’t be surprised if your hostess dresses down. You are after all the guest and it would be rude of her to overshadow you! Fascinating.

The tea hostesses outdid themselves and had gone to a lot of trouble to pick several authentic French cheeses from various regions of France, along with a rather yummy selection of sweet biscuits and cakes.

Thank you ladies!

Our December meeting will be on Tuesday 11th starting at 7.30pm. Our speaker will be Chloe Lees, who many of you will have heard before. She’s always entertaining and I’m sure will be equally as good this time around.

Don’t forget that all our meetings take place on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Southmoor Village Hall, and do check out our very own website (www.bagpuizewi.co.uk) which gives details of all our future meetings, photographs of visits we’ve been on, details about the WI’s own Denman College (just down the road in Marcham), and links to the NFWI website, amongst others. You can also follow what we get up to on Facebook.

Mel Gulliford

09th Oct 2012

The October meeting was the WI Members' Meeting and a very delightful and amusing evening was enjoyed by all. We were entertained by Margaret Auty, a WI member from Minster Lovell who brought along a selection of Edwardian and Victorian gowns and accessories from her extensive wardrobe. Margaret wore for the occasion a beautifully designed Victorian suit made out of curtain material and hat to match. She enlightened us on where she purchased the garments and how she managed to transform them into beautiful costumes, to be worn at various functions. Some of the WI members were enticed into wearing some of the delightful gowns and accessories and promenaded around the hall to enable the other members to see them in all their glorious finery.

Everyone is welcome to come along to any of our meetings we only charge visitors £2 this includes very good refreshments. The next meeting will held on Tuesday 13 November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall when our speaker will be Marie- Noelle Witty, a French lady living in the UK, to talk about “How the French Eat”.

You never know there maybe a few samples for us to try!

Jayne Russell

11th Sep 2012

Our September speaker was a retired Customs Officer, and he was talking to us about his 40 year career in Customs, starting off on ships and then progressing to Heathrow Airport. He enlightened us about what actually goes on and how you’re recorded on camera when you come through the Green Channel at an airport, what strange things he’s seen coming through Customs, including a kitchen sink! Apparently it was a birthday present for the man’s wife… bet that didn’t go down too well with her!

Our speaker on Tuesday 9th October will Marie-Noelle Witty, a French lady now living in the UK, who will be talking to us about ‘How the French Eat‘. She may even bring along a few samples for us to try if we‘re lucky! If you haven’t yet tried the WI, we charge £2 for visitors, and we have very good refreshments during the interval.

Don’t forget that all our meetings take place on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Southmoor Village Hall, and don’t forget to check out our very own website (www.bagpuizewi.co.uk) which gives lots of details of all our future meetings, photographs of visits we’ve been on, details about the WI’s own Denman College (just down the road in Marcham), and links to the NFWI website, amongst others. You can also follow what we get up to on Facebook.

Mel Gulliford

Unfortunately there was no report for 14th August The Grand Canal of China ~ Liam D'Arcy Brown

10th July 2012

Our July meeting was an evening visit to Manor Farm Herbs, at Fringford nr Bicester. The coach left promptly at 6.30pm from the Village Hall returning by around 10pm. The evening brought us a rather cold evening with spasmodic rain showers, the heaviest whilst we were under cover listening to the fascinating talk given by our hostess and owner of Manor Farm Herbs. After the talk had ended we found the rain had stopped and we were able to wander, gaining rather wet feet, amongst the potted herbs, looking for those we had intentions of purchasing. After gathering our goods together we made our way to a light supper and very welcome warm drinks, provided by our hostess and her daughter.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the visit and hopefully we will return again someday in the not too distant future.

My herbs are flourishing, and I now use the thyme that Mary Berry likes, because it the easiest thyme to remove the leaves from.

Jill Muir

12th June 2012

Our June meeting is on Tuesday 12th, and our speaker will be Owen Jenkins, who will be giving us a talk all about ‘An Introduction to Acupuncture‘. I hope he won’t be needing ‘volunteers’ to stick needles into!

Mel Gulliford

08th May 2012

Our speaker at this meeting, Carol Hunt, came to give us a talk about ‘Reinventing your Wardrobe’. She’d brought lots of examples along from her own wardrobe of clothes that she’d reinvented, for example a waistcoat she was wearing, that in a former life had been a rather smart Liberty jacket. She told us how she’d worked for Anna Belinda in Oxford, buying materials for them at Liberty’s in London, and how, when her wrists started playing up, she’d started her own dressmaking and alterations business. She certainly gave us food for thought when it came to reinventing our own wardrobes - I think the charity shops in the local area are going be raided for buttons and pieces of lace for the foreseeable future!

Mel Gulliford

10th April 2012

Members enjoyed a talk on ‘Spies, Sleuths, and ASBO’s’ which was very informative, and gave members lots of ideas to start with when researching their own family trees.

I recently attended the Annual Council Meeting of the Oxfordshire Federation of WI’s at the Town Hall in Oxford. It was quite an experience to hear 500+ women all singing ‘Jerusalem’ at the tops of their voices… it sent shivers down my spine, and we were all in tune! It was good to hear from Ruth Bond too, who is our National Chairman. She explained a little bit about the plans the National Federation have over the next few years for the WI, nationally, and locally. We really try to encourage younger women to join; as I’ve said before we’re NOT just Jam and Jerusalem (despite what I‘ve just said!); we do try to vary our activities as widely as possible to suit all ages.

If you have been thinking about joining your local WI, why not take the plunge this year? What have you got to lose? You’ll get a very warm welcome from us, excellent value for money from our speakers and some yummy refreshments at our monthly meetings, plus the chance to go on courses at Denman College, some of which are free days. So…..don’t be shy, come and join our WI…!

Mel Gulliford

13th March 2012

Our Annual Meeting was held at the beginning of March. A new Committee was elected and Jean Warr was duly elected as our new President. We’ve all promised to help ease her into her new role gently! She says that she’s looking forward to all the challenges that being President entails. We wish Jean success in this new venture.

Our April meeting will be on Tuesday the 10th, and the speaker will be talking about ‘Sleuths, Spies and ASBO’s’… should be interesting! Do come along and join us, if you’d like to. You will have a very warm welcome.

Mel Gulliford

14th Feb 2012

Our speaker at our February meeting proved to be a real find! Julie Summers' grandfather was in charge of the POW camp and prisoners who were responsible for building 'The Bridge over the River Kwai', and it was totally riveting.... around 60 people, including some husbands, came along, and I think it was one of our most successful meetings.

As I mentioned last month, our Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th March at 7.30pm. Five of our Committee members are standing down this time, and we really need more members to step up to form a new Committee.... we can't run a successful WI without a successful Committee, so I would appeal directly to members through the News to think about standing for Committee or speak to someone who you think might like to stand, and get their permission to put their name forward for nomination. Its really important....!!

Mel Gulliford

10th Jan 2012

Our 2011 programme ended on a bit of high (literally!), when Ray Dance and Judith Sharp entertained us at our Christmas party with ‘Songs from the Shows’. We enjoyed an excellent buffet laid on by the Committee as well.

Our 2012/13 programme is well underway - watch this space for further details! Its certainly going to be varied, and we think there will be something to suit everyone’s tastes. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 14th February, starting at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Julie Summers and she’s going to be giving a talk about the true story of the ‘Bridge over the River Kwai‘.

Our Annual Meeting will be on Tuesday 13th March. I’m mentioning it now because five of our Committee members are standing down this time, and we are going to need members to form a new Committee. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a member really, because you will be given plenty of help along the way. Personally speaking, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Committee, two years on it as Secretary.

Don’t forget that all our meetings take place on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Southmoor Village Hall, and don’t forget to check out our very own website - www.bagpuizewi.co.uk that gives lots of details of all our future meetings, photographs of visits we’ve been on, details about the WI’s own Denman College (just down the road in Marcham), and links to the NFWI website, amongst others. You can also follow what we get up to on Facebook.(Facebook Links bottom of menu)

Mel Gulliford