The WI

[Gemini]

Are you a member of the WI? I know Plant is.

I didn't know much at all about the WI, but since I joined and became secretary of my local Library Friends Group I have met several WI members. To be honest they are the mainstay of our group! The WI ladies don't want roles on the committee, but they attends all meeting, are very involved with fundraising, and their group donate a lot of money to us, as a local cause. Six of our committee are WI members.
The cakes they make for sales are amazing. I couldn't be on the WI for that reason alone I'm sure they must make you do a Bake Off type test before they let you join as they are all so good.

The WI ladies I know are all friends, but also to my quiet amusement have little battles of will over things sometimes, mainly where to position things on stalls. I have seen one move things, and another move them back, and so on.
I keep out of it
Seriously though I think the organisation does a lot of good, and must provide activities and friendship for a lot of ladies who would otherwise be lonely.

[Nanto2girls]

I've never been a member Gem. To be honest i don't know much about them.

[Sunshine]

I am a member of my local WI. We meet once a month and have a speaker. We have regular sub groups, a craft club, garden club, skittles group and regular coffee mornings and lunch clubs. We have frequent day trips to various places. Theatre trips and we usually go to see Classical Spectacular at The Royal Alber Hall. We do fundraising for local charities. It is a very active group.

[Enfys]

I’m also a member of the WI, have been for just over a year. We are a very active group, have craft, knitting, gardening, walking, and lunch groups. We meet once a month also have a speaker and have trips out during the year. Tomorrow afternoon I am going to the craft group and then in the evening DH and I are going to a skittles evening, with a meal. We have delicious home made cakes at our meetings but don’t sing “Jerusalem”! I have also just taken over the group scrap book.

It is a very friendly group and I am sure offers friendship and support to various members who are on their own or maybe do not enjoy good health. A very worthwhile organisation.

[Daisy]

I know how much pleasure Sunshine has belonging to her local WI, and remember Enfys joining her group and saying how much she enjoys it.

I was a WI member (even on the committee) many years ago when we lived in Bedfordshire. It was very active, too, with really interesting speakers, lots of sub-groups - I belonged to the Am-Dram group - purely behind the scenes. We also had lovely outings.

I don't think I ever let one of my cakes over the WI threshold though - the competition was sky high. There were also incredibly talented crafters, needleworkers, artists, actors, and organisers.

When we first came to live here I went along one night, intending to join, then virtually the next day I was offered a full-time job at College and knew I wouldn't have time to really enjoy everything. I still keep on thinking I'll join though.

Ours is an evening group, and I really wish it was a day-time one.

[Enfys]

Ours is daytime Daisy, nice not to have to go out at night 🌚

[Gemini]

I'm not sure whether ours meets daytime or evening. I must ask them.
We also have U3A in our village, so lots to keep people busy!

[Daisy]

Enfys - that's lovely. Perhaps when the weather gets a little better I'll think about it again.

Gem - the U3A do lots of different things, don't they? I don't know much about them, but I think there's a group in one of our local towns.

[Plantaholic]

We have two WI groups in our village, one meets in the evening , I belong to the morning group. We only have one sub-group, it is a craft group meeting once a month. We have outings and lunches. Of course apart from speakers we also raise money, provide cakes for the village show etc. a lot of the members have been making pouches to send to Australia for the baby Kangeroos. I am not a long life member, I joined after my OH died.