Author: nwlwi

Belly Dancing – 10 April 2024

We were all a bit daunted by the idea of having a go at belly dancing, but we needn’t have worried! Sandrine told us all about the history of belly dancing which has its roots in many cultures and then she gave us a wonderful display of how it is done. The brave ones amongst us then dressed up in the sparkly belts and bras that Sandrine had brought along and then, under her expert tuition were soon shimmying and belly dancing like pros! The rest of us looked on in awe. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all with lots of laughs and giggles along the way!

March 2024

A fascinating visit to the UK Supreme Court, arranged by Rebecca, kicked off our activities for the month. A very informative guide explained the workings of the court and led us on a private tour of the beautiful Grade II* listed building, a haven from the noise and bustle of Parliament Square outside. Some of us even got to sit in the justices’ (very comfortable) chairs!

Monika the mudlark was the brilliant speaker at our March meeting. One of a limited number of licensed mudlarks permitted to operate on the north shore of the Thames, she spoke of her passion for sifting through the mud to find fragments of London’s past. A highlight of the evening was the chance to look at some of the amazing artefacts she has found on the Thames foreshore.

Our March walk was a beautiful, though muddy, route from Dorking to Reigate along part of the Greensand Way, led skilfully as always by Angela. We stopped off at St Michael’s, Betchworth, one of the churches from Four Weddings and a Funeral and enjoyed a well-deserved pub lunch at the Skimmington Castle.

To round of the month, dining club members enjoyed a great evening at Côte brasserie in Hampstead, hosted by Dési.
Lindsay

MUDLARKING – 13 MARCH 2024

Wow! What an amazing evening! Monika Butling-Smith gave a fascinating presentation on her experiences as a mudlarker on the Thames and showed us a wide range of her finds. She explained how all mudlarkers require a permit from the Port of London Authority and whilst there were thousands with a standard permit, she was one of only fifty members of the Society of Thames Mudlarkers. She also described how she preserved and restored her finds as, even though they had been protected by the mud for centuries, once they were out of the water they quickly rusted or disintegrated. We were able to handle some of the finds, and there were audible gasps when some objects that were hundreds of years old were passed around, and Monika brought them to life with her wonderful descriptions. There was also a local angle when she showed us some of her finds from the Welsh Harp reservoir when it had been drained recently and she had been among a number of mudlarkers invited to see what emerged from the mud, including a camera from the beginning of last century that she had carefully restored.

FEBRUARY 2024

The chance to dress up in a sari certainly banished any February blues. Nidhi Uppal, who demonstrates sari wearing at the Design Museum, brought a beautiful array of saris to our monthly meeting. She talked about where in India some of the exquisite fabrics came from and showed us how to tie and drape them to fashion different outfits. Then she let us loose on the dressing-up box!

A trip to the Kiln cinema to watch NT Live: Vanya was another highlight of the month, organised by Ena. Members were treated to a brilliant one-man performance by Andrew Scott in a reworking of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya.

A more active outing for 10 of us – and Ronnie the dog – was a beautiful walk in the Chess Valley from Chorleywood to Chalfont & Latimer, led by Angela. Lots of spring flowers (and mud!), and an excellent pub lunch at the Red Lion at Chenies.

Book group members who met to discuss The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, decided autobiography wasn’t his forte – perhaps we should have opted for his poems!
Lindsay

SARI DRAPING – 21 FEBRUARY 2024

What a wonderful evening we all had! Nidhi gave us a fascinating talk about the history of saris and showed us a fine array of her own collection, most of which had been passed down by her mother and each one telling its own story. She answered a wide variety of questions before she and her sister helped us all to learn how to drape and wear a sari. Even those who were reluctant at first joined in and we were soon transformed into a stunning and colourful display, with lots of smiles and laughter thrown in!

JANUARY 2024

It’s cheering to see drifts of snowdrops appearing amid the January chill, signalling that spring is on its way. Members too braved the freezing weather for our first meeting of the year. We spent a convivial evening playing board games while discussing the WI’s four proposed resolutions for 2024. The champions of Cluedo and Bananagrams etc were not recorded, but a call for the government to improve poor housing conditions won the most votes from members.

Culture club saw Ena leading a fascinating visit to Neasden’s stunning Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir, followed by a buffet lunch in the temple’s restaurant. Indian food was flavour of the month for dining club too, superbly organised by Desi. Instead of haggis, members enjoyed a south Indian Burns Night supper at Vijay, a long-established local favourite. 

A delicious lunch and visit to the beautiful Arts and Crafts chapel at the Watts Gallery near Guildford were highlights of the walk that Penny led on a chilly Saturday along the River Wey and North Downs Way.
Lindsay

Games night & WI resolutions – 10 January 2024

We had another great turnout for our January meeting at St Anne’s, when we enjoyed a selection of board and card games and discussed the four resolutions shortlisted for this year’s NFWI campaign. There was lots of lively chat and discussion and at the end of the evening everyone voted on their preferred resolution. A record seven members had a birthday in January, with both Frances and Penny celebrating a significant birthday (ending in ‘0’!) – many thanks to Michelle who made one of her spectacular cakes which was enjoyed by all.

December 2023

Highlight of the month was undoubtedly our Christmas party, generously hosted by Frances. Twenty-eight of us enjoyed a fabulous bring-and-share supper and a hotly contested game of true or false. A competition for the best decorated festive scarf produced some true creativity and was won by Rebecca’s holly number.

Frances was in hostess mode again for our book group meeting, where we had a great discussion about Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods over wine and cake.

December brought some chilly weather but that didn’t stop us from venturing out. Rebecca led a couple of interesting walks around Kensal Green and Hampstead cemeteries and five of us took the train out to Princes Risborough for a fantastic walk in the Chilterns led by Angela. Muddy and challenging in places, but worth it for the views and pub lunch!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and lots more interesting activities in 2024.
Lindsay