Autumn arrived in spectacular fashion for the Swallowtail WI, as we welcomed a gaggle of witches to our October meeting. As ever, our committee embraced the chance to warm to a theme - and got decked out in their Halloween finery to mark the occasion.
We were treated to a brilliant talk by local journalist and author Ian White, who wrote the book Witchcraft & Black Magic in British Cult Cinema. He kicked off the evening by explaining that in times gone by, a group of women meeting as we do every month would be flagged as deeply suspicious and would likely be targeted by those looking for witches amongst their local communities. As he used to be an actor, Ian was an incredibly engaging and entertaining speaker. He took us through the history of witchcraft, explaining how the persecution of women and nefarious politics condemned so many people to death. It was truly heartbreaking to hear stories of women singled out and murdered on the flimsiest of evidence, and the suffering metered out by the ‘Witchfinders’, in particular the infamous Matthew Hopkins. After Ian’s talk, we enjoyed Halloween treats on the buffet table and the Swallowtails book group met to discuss ‘The Night Manager’ and ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ - with the latter book enjoying rave reviews from all readers. The evening ended with a fond farewell to one of our founding members. Roisin, our beloved VP, is moving to London so we took the chance to thank her for all her hard work over the years, and to wish her every success in the future. We are delighted that Roisin will remain a Swallowtail, and pop in to see us when she’s back in Norfolk. She’s a shining example of all the best things about joining the WI: finding friendship, giving back to the community and having fun.
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Generally WI’s keep to themselves but this August the Swallowtail WI joined with Spixworth WI for a special meeting. It was the perfect opportunity to bring together an established WI with our new one. We’re coming up to our second birthday and Spixworth will be seventy next year.
Our membership is diverse but that didn’t stop us having a lively evening. We started with a game of Get to Know You Bingo and then enjoyed a Pot Luck supper, with members bringing dishes to share. The Swallowtails were tasked with dessert and baked up a storm of delicious cakes and desserts. It was a fantastic evening, full of conversation and laughter. We shared our experiences of the WI and realised how much we had in common. We joined because we wanted fun and friendship and that’s exactly what we got. Join the Swallowtail WI for a night of dancing, music and laughter as we throw our debut Ceilidh.
Take your partners by the hand on Saturday 14th October at the Sprowston Sports & Social Club as the acclaimed folk band Fezziwig strike all the right notes. We’re so excited to have Fezziwig playing on this special fundraising night, as they’ve got a stellar reputation in East Anglia and guarantee to get you on your feet. Don’t be shy if you’ve never danced a Ceilidh before - learning from scratch is great fun. We’ll be guided by professionals, and if you really do prefer to sit on the side lines, there’s plenty of musical entertainment to enjoy. The evening promises to be lots of fun, and you’ll be able to enjoy alcoholic and soft drinks at bargain prices, as well as nibbling on bar snacks. We’ll be providing some light snacks on the evening, so make sure you have a meal beforehand so you’re ready to dance the night away. Our Ceilidh is open to everyone, not just Swallowtail WI members, so be sure to tell your family and friends that it’s going to be a night to remember. Better still, this fantastic evening will cost you just £7.50 per person. To book your tickets, simply email us at [email protected] and we’ll send you the payment details. It’s not every day that you get to see a crystal healer at work, so the Swallowtails were delighted to get a live demonstration from practitioner Sadie Huxford.
Sadie is one of our members, and we’ve been excited to see her in work mode ever since she agreed to lead our July meeting. Fortunately for us, the lovely Roisin was happy to step in and be Sadie’s guinea pig for the evening, as she gave us an insight into how crystal healing works. During her talk, Sadie showed us the various crystals she uses and explained why they have such powerful energy and healing properties. As she worked on Roisin, she explained about the seven chakras and how she works to heal any blocks or gaps in the body’s energy field by using specific crystals. Throughout the treatment, Roisin was calm and relaxed, and we were worried she might have nodded off thanks to Sadie’s soothing voice. Once the demonstration was over, many Swallowtails went over to speak to Sadie with questions about crystal healing. As someone who is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about their work, it was wonderful to get an insight into an alternative therapy that few of us had tried. Following Sadie’s talk, there was some Swallowtail WI business to attend to, not least a vote on whether the programme the committee had devised for 2018. With activities and talks on subjects including vegan cookery, bee keeping, conflict resolution and vintage fashion, we tried to ensure it was a diverse mix. Happily, the vote was unanimous and the next year of Swallowtail meetings look set to be interesting and informative. Now we just have the rest of 2017 to enjoy! This month the Swallowtail WI had a meeting about personal safety, it seemed like perfect timing with everything that has happened in the world recently. Police Community Support Officer Steven Downs came to talk to us about ways to protect ourselves. He is part of the local policing team for Sprowston and he shared ideas on ways to stay safe, not just when we’re out and about but also when we’re at home.
A lot of the suggestions were simple common sense, like always locking your front door when you get home and not leaving your handbag on the floor by the door. For anyone worried about unexplained noises at night he said to take your mobile phone to bed with you and call the police if you’re worried that someone has broken in. The members shared their experiences and we discussed everything from cyclists on footpaths to precautions when using the internet. The main advice was to be aware at all times. I had just come back from a weekend in London and after all the news reports I was very aware of everyone around me. I was nervous at first but the thing I became most aware of was the kindness of strangers. I have ME and use a wheelchair to get about and people couldn’t have been kinder. From the taxi drivers, to the hotel and restaurant staff and the ushers at the theatre, they all went out of their way to help. I was worried before I travelled how the tragedies would have affected London, but the sense of community and strength I associate with Britain was out in force. It reminded me that there are lots of amazing people and it gave me hope that there is more good in the world than bad. You just have to be aware and you’ll see it all around you. WI events are like buses and I’ve been busy. First with the Lonely Bouquet Project at the beginning of May. The WI collaborated with the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies to spread a little joy. They encouraged members to make small bouquets of flowers and leave them for random strangers to find. I made a few small posies and had fun leaving them on the top of post boxes and by bus stops for people to discover and hopefully cheer them up. They were tagged with details of the Swallowtail WI so we might even get some new members. I was invited to a Presidents Reception at Federation Office, one of a number of events this year to bring together the presidents of the hundred and sixty six WIs in Norfolk. I went to a cheese and wine tasting evening and it was great to meet other presidents and discuss the trials and challenges we and our WIs face. I was amazed at just how many things we had in common, from the older established WIs to the newer ones like the Swallowtails, no matter how large or small our memberships , we all had similar experiences. It helped to realise that you weren’t alone and to get tips from people who had “been there and done that”. I was reminded that we all have far more in common than we realise. I enjoyed the evening immensely and hope it will become a regular feature. Out of ten teams the Swallowtails came third and fourth. My team didn’t do so well. Our jigsaw of a horse rider going over a jump had so many shades of green that my eyes started to blur. Some people gave up after two hours but I refused to leave until our jigsaw was finished. In true WI spirit lots of other teams came to help and I triumphantly put the last piece in place, just half an hour over time.
EDP WI Week for 27th May 2017 - Claire Wade The WI has a wonderful reputation for being a hub of crafting, cooking and creativity, but it also has serious political clout. Over the years, our members have campaigned for all manner of different causes – from saving the bees to ‘Keeping Britain Tidy’. This year, we’ve been asked to vote on two issues that may be taken forward as the official WI resolutions for 2017. They are ‘Alleviating Loneliness’ and ‘Plastic Soup: Keep microplastic fibres out of our ocean’.
What’s interesting is that loneliness is still seen by many as something primarily affecting the elderly. But the truth is that people of all ages can face loneliness, even if they are in perfect physical health and full employed. The Swallowtails had a good debate about the issue of loneliness, and we were keen to explore ways we could help younger people dealing with it and finding life tough. After our vote found the members unanimously in favour of the resolution, it looks as though we’ll be busy doing our bit to help alleviate loneliness in our community shortly. The second resolution also found favour with our members. Many of us wear synthetic clothing, and it was shocking to hear details of how washing those clothes contributed to the microplastic contamination of our oceans. It was interesting to hear the views of our members on the subject, especially when we considered whether it should be the role of government to tackle this problem or that of the manufacturers of washing machines or the retailers who make and sell synthetic clothes. We won’t find out whether one, both or either of the resolutions will be carried forward by the WI until the votes are announced at the National Federation meeting in Liverpool later this summer. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the membership feels about these complex subjects. After the serious business was over, we got stuck into some serious crafting. The challenge was for us to all decorate a triangle of bunting to showcase the eclectic talents of our group. There were some magnificent pieces made, and it’ll be awesome to see them joined up and accompanied by our name in the finished bunting. Now we just need to throw a fabulous garden party to display it! At our May meeting we’re going to be voting on this year’s proposed resolutions, one of which is alleviating loneliness. The resolution calls on WI members to work alongside health and social care providers and our local community to raise awareness of the causes and impacts of loneliness. The aim is to better identify lonely people and offer them assistance and support. I think that joining a WI is a great first step for any women who feel lonely. It gives you something to look forward to every month and many WIs have groups and activities between each meeting. I have something WI related nearly every week and it has filled my social calendar and helped me make friends. I’m not isolated anymore and I’m definitely much happier.
I love flower arranging and find it really relaxing, so I can’t wait for the Swallowtails to get involved. I and some of the other members are going to be putting together a few small posies to leave locally - so keep an eye out for them. Hopefully they will cheer people up and maybe even encourage some new women to join the WI. Last month Kate and I attended the Federation Annual Meeting. It was my second meeting and I was again overwhelmed by how many members of the WI filled St Andrews Hall. Women from across the county came to hear three amazing female speakers including Jane Whitbread from Schoolreaders, Sarah Cross from the Jon Egging Trust and Felicity Aston MBE an Antarctic scientist and polar explorer.
As a writer and avid reader I was particularly interested in Schoolreaders, a national organisation that arranges for volunteers to go into local schools to hear children read. It’s so important for children to get support and encouragement as they are learning to read. Many don’t have an adult who is able to take the time to sit with them, so Schoolreaders provides an invaluable service. I was shocked that one in ten households in Britain don’t own a single book. I can’t imagine my life without books. Some of my favourite memories are being read to as a child or escaping to my room to get lost in a Nancy Drew or Famous Five novel. The WI supports Schoolreaders and they are keen to get more volunteers. It’s very accessible, the organisation matches you with a local school and you let them know the day and time that’s best for you. You only need to volunteer for an hour or two a week and they understand if you need time off to go away on holiday. It’s something I would love to get involved with and I heard a number of women expressing an interest. You can find more details on the Schoolreaders website. In the afternoon we were surprised to discover that the Swallowtail WI had won an Adviser’s Accolade in the New Institute Category. It is a huge honour and one that I and the other Swallowtails are very proud of. We were commended for our enjoyable monthly meetings, interesting programme, community involvement and friendly members. These are all qualities we aim for within our WI and it is wonderful to be recognised by the advisers. EDP WI Week for 1st April 2017 - Claire Wade If there’s one thing the members of the Swallowtail WI love as much as cake, it’s cheese! So, imagine how excited we were to welcome the fabulous team from Norton’s Dairy as our speakers at April’s meeting.
The talk that night was given by Teresa Norton, whose family have run Norton’s Dairy since 1946. She gave us a wonderful insight into how the business works and told us all about the star members of the team – their herd of 55 Brown Swiss dairy cows. This isn’t just a way to put food on the table for the Norton family, it’s a true passion – and Teresa joked that her dad considers the cows to be his children too. It was fascinating to hear how Norton’s Dairy products are made, and heartening to know that the milk, cheese and cream farmed come from blissfully happy cows. Teresa explained about their high-tech milking process allows the cows to wander in and be milked when they fancy it, before wandering off to hang out in lush green fields and laze about. It sounds like quite a life! She also explained how hard the dairy farm works to be sustainable, and what the impact of low milk prices have on a small business like theirs. After Teresa’s excellent talk, it was time to eat cheese. Accompanied by her boyfriend Will, Teresa had arrived armed with four types of delicious soft cheese for us to taste: the Nortons soft cheese, soft cheese with lavender, soft cheese with apricots and soft cheese with chilli. We also had the opportunity to take their incredible yoghurt, and buy some gorgeous double cream. It didn’t take long for us to get stuck on, and we were delighted that we’d invited our WI advisor Margaret Collingwood along to such a tasty meeting. The evening was extra special for us as we were able to announce that the Swallowtail WI had been presented with a special award at the recent Norfolk Federation Annual Meeting. We were crowned Best New WI by the Federation, and our president Claire got up on stage to collect our certificate. The news was greeted with delight by our members, which is brilliant as they are what make the Swallowtail WI so special. Cheese and prizes? What more could you want from a WI night out? |
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