On June 22nd we received the very sad news of the death of one of our members, Pat MacArthur. Pat died peacefully at home in her sleep after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer about six months ago. She faced her treatment with the same grace, dignity, strength, and philosophy that was so typical of her. Until very recently she was an active member of our group attending meetings, often hosting Book Club, and regularly working on her beautiful needlework at Craft Club. Her trademark homemade ice cream delighted us at picnics, and her lovely Husky dog Lola often became the centre of attention at Pat’s house. She truly was an ‘Inspiring Woman’ and we will miss her presence in our group deeply. Her son Nic put it in a nutshell, saying “Mum was an extraordinarily strong woman. The family could not have survived without her constant support, care and love…..I’ve never met anyone who has had to deal with even half the challenges Pat experienced. Truly an exemplar.”

There was much hilarity (and just a little confusion) at our May meeting when we were expertly guided through the basics of English country dancing. After a fascinating talk by our speaker/caller Louise Siddons about a collection of dances transcribed in late 18C Chippenham, we attempted some of the dances ourselves accompanied by fiddler Linda Game. A less energetic but very sociable contrast was our June meeting when we decorated jam jars with pressed flowers to be used as summer garden lanterns.

Dining Club took the form of a guided tour of Middle Temple followed by a buffet lunch in their magnificent Tudor Hall, and in June Book Club discussed ‘The Light Years’ by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Our Short Walks enjoyed both the sculptures of Henry Moore at Kew Gardens, and the new Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, whilst the Walking Club harvested elderflowers (for cordial) on a walk near Bexley in May, followed by a walk in the scenic Chess Valley in June. Doubles Tennis continues to play in all weathers – even the sweltering heatwave did not deter us.

Other highlights in June included a thoroughly enjoyable Culture Club outing to see ‘War Horse’ at the National Theatre, and a visit to the Wellcome Collection to see their ‘The Coming of Age’ exhibition.

The professional life of a seasoned stuntwoman was the topic of our March meeting with an entertaining presentation from Lucy Allen. In April, after enjoying our drinks on the terrace on a balmy evening, we heard about the medical detection dogs who use their incredible sense of smell to help detect serious illnesses. Short Walks took us to Kensal Green Cemetery and the Grand Union canal, and the longer Walking Club walks explored the Lee Valley Country Park in March, and then the stretch of the Thames from Canada Water to Greenwich in April.

Book Club discussed ‘All Passion Spent’ by Vita Sackville-West and Dining Club saw us making a return visit to the student-led Vincent Rooms. Craft Club has been paused for the summer, but Doubles Tennis is thriving. 

We also launched our new involvement with Brent Foodbank with a group of us volunteering on a weekly basis at their warehouse in Willesden. 

The shortest month of the year flew by! 

We started with a private tour of the Foreign Office where highlights included the Grand Staircase, the Durbar Court, and being able to peek through a gate directly opposite the front door of Number 10.

At our meeting we enjoyed a very informative talk about the history of Kensal Green Cemetery and the efforts of the volunteer Friends group to maintain and conserve this remarkable local landmark right on our new venue’s doorstep. 

Following the success of holding both afternoon and evening Book Club sessions we continued this in February with an increased number being able to attend, provoking lively discussions of The Land in Winter (Andrew Miller) at both.

A muddy but very enjoyable Walking Club outing rounded off the month, with temperatures even mild enough for a picnic rather than a pub lunch. This time we tackled section 16 of the London LOOP walking from High Barnet to Elstree & Borehamwood. It’s wonderful to find so many green spaces within easy reach by public transport.

New Year – New Venue! 

Our January meeting was the first in our new venue at Elders Voice, when we had a fascinating talk from the cinematographer of the Wolf Hall series.

At Craft Club, the focus was on learning to darn, while Book Club met on two separate occasions to discuss Precipice by Robert Harris, helping to accommodate our growing numbers.

Tennis was snowed/rained off for three of the four weeks but that didn’t stop us from meeting in the café at our usual time for coffee and cake. 

Walking Club had better luck with the weather; the short walk explored Hampstead Cemetery, while our longer walk covered another section of the London Loop, following the canal from Harefield West to Uxbridge.

The month was rounded off with a very lively Dining Club evening at Mr. Fish in Queen’s Park where thirteen of us thoroughly enjoyed our fish & chips. 

We enjoyed record attendance at our Annual Meeting & Quiz in November, when we also welcomed our 50th member – a significant milestone representing membership growth of over 40% in the past three years. It was a good occasion to announce our decision to move to a larger venue in the New Year; the hall owned by Elders Voice in Kensal Green.

Our December meeting took the form of a Bring & Share Christmas supper, very kindly hosted by Frances in her home. The evening included games and a competition for the best-decorated Christmas bracelet. Instead of a Secret Santa this year, members were asked to bring at least one dental hygiene item to donate to the Brent Food Bank, supporting the WI campaign to raise awareness of dental health.

Dining Club members were treated to a fantastic selection of Sri Lankan curries, all made and served by Nilly in her wonderful shop, Nilly’s Flowers, in Harlesden. Later in December, Culture Club enjoyed the new musical ‘Coven’ at the Kiln Theatre. Our outings included a visit to the ‘Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World’ exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and Catherine once again led a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament.

Although there have been no Walking Club walks lately (train cancellations &/or bad weather to blame), we did enjoy a good walk in West Heath and Golders Hill Park at the beginning of December. Doubles Tennis has been more fortunate, with only one session cancelled due to rain.

The standout event of the past two months was definitely Queen’s Park Day in September. Everyone pulled together to present a dynamic stall which meant we sold a record amount of home baking, jams, chutneys, cordials and houseplants before the rain eventually scared people away. It was a great opportunity to meet local women who might be interested in joining us and the event remains one of the highlights of our year.

September’s Walking Club followed the river Brent from its mouth at the Thames along to Hanwell with a stop to test the water quality as part of the Great UK WaterBlitz and in support of the NFWI campaign for clean rivers (see here). October’s walk from Twickenham to Feltham followed another river, the Crane, and also included the opportunity to climb to the top of the Shot Tower at the old Hounslow Gunpowder Mills. 

Outings took us on fascinating visits to the Royal Society where we were treated to a private tour, and also to Marlborough House; formerly the home of royals and now the Commonwealth Headquarters.

Our monthly short walks were around Kensington Gardens (September) and a return to Paddington Old Cemetery (October). Dining Club visited ‘Pizza Pilgrims’, Book Club read ‘Tell Me Everything’ by Elizabeth Strout, and Culture Club paid a visit to the Kiln Theatre to see ‘Reunion’.

Unfortunately the drumming evening we had planned for September had to be postponed due to an injury suffered by the instructor, but October’s meeting of a cheese and wine tasting provided a very sociable evening.

This was another month of a wide variety of activities starting with a sunny walk in Holland Park and culminating in a record turnout for the fascinating MI5 exhibition at the Kew Archives. 

In between we discussed ‘James’ by Percival Everrett (the Huckleberry Finn story told from the perspective of Jim) and enjoyed a great night out at Sadler’s Wells with Rambert’s dance production of ‘Peaky Blinders’. Walking Club did a circular walk from Berkhamsted, starting at Berkhamsted Castle – site of the handover of the English crown after the Battle of Hastings – with plenty of opportunities for bramble-picking along the way.

But the highlight of the month was definitely the Natural Elements London workshop, making scented wax air fresheners decorated with pressed flowers. They smell divine and even the most craftophobic of us was happily surprised with the results.

This month’s meeting took the form of our annual summer picnic – once again generously hosted by Jan in her lovely garden. As with all our social events, there was no shortage of delicious food and despite the date coinciding with ‘flying ant day’ we all had a delightful evening.

The early heatwave meant there were only a few intrepid walkers on the Gladstone Park walk, but numbers picked up later in the month for a perfect Walking Club outing from Otford to Eynsford in Kent. Our route followed a shady river, passed fields of lavender, and included a stop at the remains of a Roman villa – a truly scenic and varied walk. That historical thread continued with a day trip to St. Albans, where Frances led a small group on a fascinating tour. Highlights included the Clock Tower, St. Michael’s Church, the Verulamium Museum, and, after a hearty pub lunch, a visit to the cathedral – offering insights into Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and medieval history all in one day.

Meanwhile, our weekly Double Tennis sessions are in full swing. The courts around us are now filled with children on their summer holidays, enthusiastically learning the game – and often putting our skills to shame! It’s a lively contrast to the quieter winter months when we have the space to ourselves.

An afternoon spent at a Pick Your Own farm recently provided enough fruit/veg for some sizeable batches of raspberry jam, strawberry jam, and beetroot chutney – all with our stall at Queen’s Park Day on 14th September in mind!

We had outdoor tables both for Craft Club (in Caroline’s garden) and for Dining Club when we had flavoursome Burmese cuisine at ‘Laphet’ in Covent Garden. Desi had organised a set menu ‘feast’ allowing us to sample a wide array of outstanding dishes in great company.

We’ve been making the most of the sunshine and outdoors lately with walks, dancing, and alfresco dining! 

After a very energetic evening grasping the somewhat complicated basics of Morris dancing at our May meeting, we took advantage of the long summer evenings to have an excellent guided walk (or ‘watery ramble’) around the redeveloped Kings Cross area for our meeting in June.

Our Short Walks took us to Kew Gardens in May, and then Kensal Green Cemetery in June where we were given VIP treatment in the form of tea and delicious cake and an opportunity to visit the Crypt in the Dissenters’ Chapel.

Selfridges’ rooftop restaurant ‘Alto by San Carlo’ was the destination for Dining Club in May and we had a gloriously golden evening to socialise and enjoy the Italian tapas.

We went eastwards for both of our Walking Club walks; a Brentwood circular in May, and to Suffolk to walk in Constable’s footsteps on a baking midsummer’s day in June.

There was another visit to the Houses of Parliament with our very own Treasurer as guide again – such a privilege to have an insider. Also in May a small number enjoyed a trip to Eltham Palace (a mediaeval/Art Deco treasure) which included a picnic beforehand and fantastic ice cream afterwards.

In all of this we’ve had unbroken sunshine and beautiful weather and although the heat has been a bit too much at times it’s been so good to be outdoors. Even Craft Group was out in the garden this month. 

The discussion at Book Group centred on Edna O’Brien’s book ‘The Country Girls’ and was pretty nearly in the garden – we were technically inside but the doors were opened fully. Of course Doubles Tennis is always outdoors and lately the challenge has been the heat, but swapping coffee for ice lollies afterwards seems to do the trick.