April 2024 Newsletter

Our April activity was Walking Netball, led by Shirley Ellis who is a member of Hadlow WI. Shirley is passionate about walking netball, having played netball all her life until hampered by hip replacements. She placed the emphasis on fun, exercise and safety. She led us through a walking warm-up and some exercises with an inflatable ball, firstly throwing while shouting our own name and then doing so while shouting the name of the person that we were throwing to – the latter being quite a challenge for some of us! She told us of the three main rules of walking netball: no running, no jumping and remaining a meter from our opponents. All difficult to achieve if you have played netball previously. We then formed into teams and had two short games of walking netball, modified to take account of no nets. All who took part enjoyed it.

Shirley leads WI Walking Netball sessions at the following venues:

Saturday mornings 10.30-11.30 Hadlow Rural Community School, TN11 0HX

Thursday mornings 10.00-11.00 Angel Centre Tonbridge

Wednesday mornings 11.30–12.30 Tonbridge School Sports Centre

shirleyellishost@yahoo.com

Shirley is undertaking a tandem sky dive to raise money for the charity Stand by Me on 25^th May. All donations will go towards the work of Stand by Me around the world who rescue children from terrible circumstances and do whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention they need to thrive. Through homes, schools and care centres, Stand by Me is helping children to know they are loved and enabling them to reach their full potential.

www.standby.me/appeals/shirley-s-skydive

Subscriptions: The annual subscriptions was due from 1^st April. This year the cost is £48. If you have not paid by our May meeting you will not be eligible to join or vote for the committee or for the resolution. There are three ways to pay

1. By Cash at our meeting
2. By Cheque payable to Pembury Evening WI, at our meeting or drop into the Treasurer’s home
3. Pay by BACS to Lloyds Bank. Our account details are as follows… Account name – Pembury Evening Womens Institute (Treasurers Account) Sort Code – 30-98-77 Account No – 02056162.

Matfield WI has invited members and their friends to a Burlesque evening on 25^th April. Please let Gillian know if you wish to go.

Jane reported back on the Federation AGM held in Tunbridge Wells on 25^th March, including an amusing account of the same burlesque act there.

Diary date events

Pembury Evening WI

April 8^th – Monday – Coffee morning at the Pavilion

April 15^th – Monday – Craft meeting – crocheting – at Helen Beck’s house

May 3^rd – Friday – our AGM – Hazel to speak on the resolution

June 8^th – Saturday – cake sale

August 2^nd – Friday – August meeting (with business, as October meeting will be a social)

Federation Diary Dates (see W Kent News for more information)

April 17^th – Wednesday – Lifestyle Annual Day – Ditton

April 19^th – Friday – Auditions Day – Rymarsh

April 29^th – Monday – Women Walk the World

May 14^th – Tuesday – PALS Afternoon Tea – Hadlow

May 16^th – 18^th Thursday – Saturday – Stained Glass Mosaics – Orpington

June 5^th – Wednesday – NFWI Annual Meeting – Albert Hall

June 10^th – Water Sports – Mote Park – part of Great Big Green Week

June 12^th – Green Team Walk – Tonbridge “

March 2024 Newsletter

Our speaker in March, Margot Clarkson-Bennett gave hints and tips about making the most of our aging complexions. She described her career journey inspired by the desire to make women feel good about themselves, with make-up doing so more quickly than psychotherapy! She gave examples of clients that she had worked with and the difference that make-up had made.

Margot got us engaged by encouraging us to describe what we see when we look in the mirror and that highlighted the areas of the face that we would potentially want to change. In summary, facial features move downwards with age. Margot emphasised the importance of shaping the eyebrows so that they did not follow that downward trajectory.

She gave a demonstration with Tam as her model. She applied serum, moisturiser and then primer, explaining that the serum and primer help to lengthen the time that the moisturiser is effective. She applied foundation mixed with tinted moisturiser followed by bronzer. For the eyes she applied mascara and for the lips, lipliner and lipstick. Margot uses the Look Fabulous Forever products but emphasised that there are many other suitable products on the market.

Margot finished by thanking Tam and reminding us:’ Face-work before housework’! I think we all agreed that Tam looked really good.

Claire reported that there were two proposals for the Charity Donation from the money raised at the Christmas Craft Fair, the Alzeimer’s Society and DAVSS (the Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Service in Tunbridge Wells). Those charities will each receive £300.

As the date for the 2024 Christmas Fair has been set as 30^th November, the date of the November WI meeting with be 29^th November.

Jane recommended the Federation events – details at the end of this newsletter.

Subscriptions: The annual subscriptions will be due from 1^st April. This year the cost is £48. Please pay as soon as possible after the due date, if you have not paid by our May meeting you will not be eligible to join or vote for the committee or for the resolution. Ways to pay on the next page:

There are three ways to pay

1. By Cash at our meeting
2. By Cheque payable to Pembury Evening WI, at our meeting or drop into the Treasurer’s home
3. Pay by BACS to Lloyds Bank. Our account details are as follows… Account name – Pembury Evening Womens Institute (Treasurers Account) Sort Code – 30-98-77 Account No – 02056162.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

March 11^th – Monday – Coffee Morning at the Pavilion 10am

March 18^th – Monday – Craft meeting – Spirelli craft

March 23^rd – Saturday – Pembury Gardeners’ Show

April 5^th – Friday – our meeting

30^th May – Thursday – TWODS – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

March 25th – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

April 17th – Wednesday – Lifestyle Annual Day, Ditton (closing date 13^th March)

April 29^th – Monday – Women Walk the World

May, 16^th , 17^th or 18^th – Stained Glass Mosaic Workshop (closing date 5^th April)

Sept 26th – Thursday – Art & Craft Annual Day, Ditton

February 2024 Newsletter

In February our speaker, Delia Taylor, gave an interesting and, to some of us, unexpected picture of Coco Chanel’s journey from Pauper to Millionaire. She described how Coco Chanel, born as Gabrielle in a charity hospital in 1883. As a child she was deposited at an orphanage where nuns taught her to sew. At 18 she became a seamstress who danced and sang in a burlesque club. It is thought that the name Coco came from her singing Ko ko ri ko. Using her rich and famous lovers and friends she developed a millinery business and then moved on to design clothes which became fashionable as they were comfortable and practical. She opened shops in Deauville, Biarritz and Paris as she moved into fashion, jewelry and perfume. She became a patron of dance and knew Stravinsky, Salvador Dali and Picasso. The Chanel No 5 perfume was developed with a Russian perfumier, Ernest Wertheimer and launched in 1922. Some of us were surprised to discover that she was recruited to spy for Germany in the Second World War. By 1953 she was back in Paris and around that time the Chanel suit and handbag were designed. She died in 1971, worth $100 million.

The Christmas Craft Fair raised £1743.38. Claire asked for suggestions for charities to which the branch would donate £300.00 each from that fantastic outcome.

We all agreed that the date of the December 2024 meeting could be moved to Friday, 29^th November if necessary to accommodate the Christmas Fair moving to 30^th November 2024 to avoid clashes with other local Christmas fairs.

Gill advised that the annual subscription for 2024-25 will be £48.00.

Margaret was awarded the Pembury Competition Cup for accumulating the most points in the monthly competitions in the last year.

There will be another opportunity to bring donations for the collection at the Federation Annual General Meeting for St Marks Community Larder in Tunbridge Wells at the March meeting. As a WI we would like to make up one bag of items, so if you wish to donate an item please bring it to our March meeting.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Feb 12th – Monday – Coffee Morning at the Pavilion 10am

Feb 19^th – Monday – Craft meeting

March 1^st – Friday – our meeting

29^th May – 1^st June – TWODS – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

March 25th – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

April 17th – Wednesday – Lifestyle Annual Day, Ditton

Sept 26th – Thursday – Art & Craft Annual Day, Ditton

January 2024 Newsletter

In January we welcomed Katie Brumley who spoke to us about Organising and Decluttering. She began her own business https://organisetothrive.co.uk/ three years ago when during Lockdown she found time to reassess her life and surroundings. Katie realised she had too much “stuff” and so started sorting it room by room and she thoroughly enjoyed the process. She then helped her parents when they downsized their home and then her sister asked for help. She realised the difference it made to them and as she enjoyed it as well, took the step to form her own business and go full time. Katie gave us various reasons why we hold on to items including sentimental, guilt, our hopes that one day we really WILL fit into the jeans when we had as a 20 year old! We also are sometimes overwhelmed by all our items that we don’t know where to start so shut the door to it and hope it will go away by itself (it doesn’t!)

She gave us a very helpful handout about The Process of Decluttering & Organising, which I can send you if you would like to have one. Katie then went on to give us ideas of what to do with the discarded items if they are too good for the rubbish bin. Charity Shops are popular but if you think they may have value and you have time, why not try to sell them. Old Spectacles can go to SpecSavers or Boots, Make-up to Superdrug and Medicines to your chemist.

Once decluttered organise the remainder so everything has a home and you are then, fingers crossed, more likely to keep it tidy.

Katie mentioned two books she has found very helpful – Start with Your Sock Drawer: The Simple Guide to Living a Less Cluttered Life by Vicky Silverthorn and The Folding Lady by Sophie Liard

Resolutions – At the end of last year we were sent the resolution shortlist for the 2024 Annual Meeting. Resolutions had been submitted and various representatives of the WI met in October to make the shortlist. From this shortlist we had to select the resolution we would like to be discussed at the NFWI Annual Meeting in June. There were four to choose from and the number of votes for each resolution have now been sent to Federation who collate them with all the other results from the WI’s in the Federation before forwarding them to National. Our results were as follows:

• Dental Health Matters – 12 votes
• Impacts of Poor Housing Conditions – 5 votes
• Say “No” to Gambling Advertising – 7 votes
• Improving Outcomes for Women in the Criminal Justice System – 3 votes

Resolutions have been a part of the WI since the first one was passed in 1918 and over the last few years we have had resolutions about Clean Rivers for People and Animals as well as Ovarian Cancer but back in 1975 there was a resolution passed that urged the Government to set up clinics where any woman could be screened for Breast Cancer. It took until 1988 before the NHS Breast Screening Programme began for women aged 50 to 65 with the upper age limit now being 70.

I mention this because over the last couple of months several friends and Avon customers have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Luckily theirs have been caught in the early stages thanks mainly to the screening process or because they noticed changes to their breast. As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast cancer screening every 3 years. Women over the age of 70 are also entitled to screening and can arrange an appointment through their GP or local screening unit. In our area the The Peggy Wood breast care unit in Maidstone Hospital is the place to ring on tel no. 01622 710185. This is the experience of one person

“My message to everyone over the age of 70 (and under) would be to continue to have mammograms, it means for ladies of my age to ring and make appts ourselves every 3 years as before, as we don’t get automatically recalled.

I had no symptoms, it was a routine mammogram at one of the mobile units in Tonbridge. Within 2 weeks I had the result of a stage 2 lump, after a series of tests like ultrasounds, MRI and biopsies, I had the Lumpectomy 4 weeks later, my next stage of treatment is probably radiotherapy, daily medication for 5 years  and yearly mammograms for 5 years. 

The care of the McMillan nurses attached to the unit was amazing, they were a great support initially to get over the shock of diagnosis, there is no need for anyone to be afraid of the treatment, as they explain everything are supportive in being with you at doctors appts, and are contactable at any time. The stage of my cancer is treatable, if I had not had the mammogram, it would have become a totally different outcome in time.

I have already helped a few ladies who have said it’s prompted them to get their mammograms”

More information about Breast Cancer can be found on the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer/

Finally I would like to mention the Federation Annual Meeting which is being held in March. At the meeting Federation will be collecting for St Mark’s Community Larder in Tunbridge Wells and would be grateful for any non perishable donations. As a WI we would like to make up one bag of items, so if you wish to donate an item please bring it to our February or March meeting. If we receive too many items for the bag, the excess will be donated to The Pembury Food Larder.

Federation are also collecting Jewellery, Watches, Currency and Stamps for ACWW (Associated Country Women of the World) an association the WI are affiliated to.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Jan 15^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

Feb 2^nd – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Pembury Village Hall

Feb 13^th – Monday – Coffee Morning at the Pavilion 10am

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

March 23^rd – Saturday – Introduction to Quilling, Orpington closing date 2^nd February

March 25^th – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

April 17^th – Wednesday – Lifestyle Annual Day, Ditton

Sept 26^th – Thursday – Art & Craft Annual Day, Ditton

December 2023 Newsletter

In December we had a slight change to the programme as Marilyn & Andy were unable to attend. However they had arranged for their friends Beverley & John whose stage name is “Tilsmore” to attend in their place. They started with mainly country songs including John Denver, Dusty Springfield and also some Elvis. Beverley then mentioned that in 1968 she applied to Opportunity Knocks and was short listed, which meant that if the female singer lost she would take her place. Unfortunately the female she was hoping to lose was Mary Hopkins who went on to win! But to show she had no hard feelings toward Mary, she sang one of her songs! The duo then went on to sing Christmas Carols including Rocking round the tree, Santa Claus is coming to town and my own favourite Mary did you know.

I was introduced to this by a friend about 4 years ago and it was sung by an acapella group called Pentatonix. The video accompanying it was filmed in caves with candles for lighting and was very atmospheric. It was in fact written back in 1984 by Mark Lowry but has not had much radio time until it was recorder by various artists last year. If you google the song you can find both Mark’s & Pentatonix’s versions plus many more. I have listened to both and it is interesting to hear how different they are.

Our Christmas Craft Fair was held on the Saturday after our meeting and during our meeting members made paper chains to decorate the Hall Meeting Room where the Children’s activities would be as well as the corridor towards it. We used our new bunting to decorate the Hall and with the Village Hall Christmas Tree it looked festive.

The Fair went very well and was well attended. The Stallholders I spoke to were very happy with how it had gone. At the time of writing we are in the process of working out what our profit will be after expenses have been taken off but it is looking very good. A massive thank you to everyone who was involved in making it a success.

Craft to help Others. I continue to collect craft to help others. The Knitted Breasts are used to help new Mum’s with feeding issues. Twiddle Mitts were for people with Dementia and are used when they need comfort, I recently gave about 20 to the South East Ambulance Service for their patients. The Blankets and Hats are for the Premature babies in the Neonatal department at Pembury. If anyone would like patterns for these or have ideas of who our knitters could help, then let me know.

West Kent News I send this out each month to everyone on email and to those who pay I give a printed copy. There is lots of information in it, ideas for future speakers or fundraising ideas. It also includes news of Federation. .

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Dec 11^th – Monday – Coffee Morning at the Pavilion 10am with Christmas Raffle

Jan 5^th – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Pembury Baptist Church

Jan 15^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

March 23^rd – Saturday – Introduction to Quilling, Orpington closing date 2^nd February

March 25^th – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

On behalf of the Pembury Evening WI Committee, I would like to wish you all

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

November 2023 Newsletter

In November we welcomed Suza Goodwin who talked about ways to wrap presents. She arrived from Germany in 1997 to work, met her future husband and stayed. She enjoys doing craft as a hobby as it is relaxing. When she first arrived she found the way we did things different from Germany, but gradually learnt our ways! When she gives presents she likes to disguise them, so books will be put in a box, large items will be made as small as possible, all to make the gift hard to identify before opening. Also if she gave vouchers she would also add a related item. So if she was giving a cinema voucher, she would also add popcorn and possibly a drink.

Plain boxes can be decorated with ribbon, tinsel or decoupage when for example a pretty napkin is glued to the box. Suza also showed us the McPack ribbon stripper which enables you to cut one length of ribbon into many, thereby making the ribbon more attractive and decorative. It was a fascinating demonstration and hopefully we will be using some of the ideas when we wrap our Christmas gifts this year.

Sales Stall There will be NO stall in December or January.

Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 2^nd December at the Village Hall between 2 and 5pm. We have 13 stallholders booked and paid for, as well as our stalls which are Craft, Gin & Preserves, Cakes, Raffle, Tombola and Refreshments. We are also using the Meeting Room as an area for Children’s activities. Father Christmas will be attending. Please bring items to our December meeting.

We have some amazing Raffle prizes donated including a Hamper from Tesco, a £25 voucher from Cook, Pembury Players Panto tickets, Avon Hamper, Hamper by the WI, 2 x £30 Amazon vouchers from MaxIT Solutions, dried flowers, prints, candles and much more. Tickets are only available on the day and will be costing £1each. The draw will be at about 4.45pm.

West Kent News I send this out each month to everyone on email and to those who pay I give a printed copy. There is lots of information in it, ideas for future speakers or fundraising ideas. It also includes news of Federation. In November they had all the information about the Annual General Meeting being held at The Assembly Hall on Monday 25^th March 2024. There will be two speakers and Entertainment as well as the necessary business. If you wish to attend let me know by our January meeting, the cost is only £13.50. If you wish to apply for an individual bursary of £200 please let me know, again by our January meeting. The WKN will tell you what the criteria for using them are.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Nov 13^th – Monday – Coffee at The Pavilion 10am

Nov 20^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

Dec 1^st – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Village Hall

Dec 2^nd – Saturday – Christmas Craft Fair 2 – 5pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

Please note the ticketing booking process has changed, and from September 29^th all Annual days will be booked via online booking. More information about this is in the July WKN p4. If you wish to attend any Annual Day please let me know and I will do the booking

March 25^th 2024 – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

NATIONAL DIARY DATES

June 5^th 2024 – Wednesday – Annual Meeting at Royal Albert Hall

October 2023 Newsletter

In October we welcomed Mollie Docksey, who many had met when she had a stall at our 2022 Christmas Craft Fair. Mollie has been working as a holistic therapist since May 2019 using aromatherapy and massage to help reduce stress, tension and make you feel like a new person. However when Covid came, she was unable to continue with the massages, so she diversified and started to make Bath Bombs, soaps etc which she could sell. At the meeting she showed how to make bath bombs and we all had the opportunity to smell the various Essential Oils, from the sweet Ylang Ylang to the relaxing Lavender, from the refreshing Lemon to the bitter Clary Sage. Many of these are blended with other oils in Mollie’s products as on there own they are not ideal. She sometimes also adds dried flowers / botanicals which give the product texture and an exfoliating element. Colour was added using Mica Powder which comes in a range of colours from Arctic White to Black Sparkle and everything in between. The bombs were very quick to make, although they then take about 24 hours to dry completely.

For more information about Mollie’s work or to buy her products visit her website

https://www.mollieflorenceholistics.co.uk

Sales Stall In November the Sales Stall will be having a Christmas theme, so bring along your Christmas items and lets get in the festive mood early! There will be NO stall in December or January.

Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 2^nd December at the Village Hall between 2 and 5pm. We have 12 stallholders booked and paid for, with one outstanding, as well as our stalls which are Craft, Gin & Preserves, Cakes, Raffle, Tombola and Refreshments. We are also using the Meeting Room as an area for Children’s activities. Please start providing tins, Jars, Bottles etc for our Tombola and consider whether you will be helping on the day. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to help on the day, the boards will be available again at our November meeting.

Village Trough If you live in Pembury or drive through along the High Street, I am sure you will have noticed the Trough on the Village Green and the wonderful flower display in it. But did you realise it is our WI that pay and maintain it? Here is some history about it.

It was a former Drinking Trough that was erected over 110 years ago in 1909 and according to a Kent & Sussex Courier entry on 30th July 1909 it had cost between £40 & £50 which had been raised by voluntary subscription. It served three purposes first it was for horses and cattle to drink from, second below the main trough was a smaller one for dogs and thirdly there was a basin at the side with a cup attached to a chain for the humans.

In the 1960’s the trough was hit by a motor vehicle and had to be repaired. Since then it has held soil & flowers. When the trough was first planted it was looked after by members of Pembury Afternoon WI until they could no longer do it. Then we took over it with three members – Rosemary Hanes, Brenda Penfold & Angela Saunders – planting it twice a year and keeping it watered and free of weeds, dead heading as necessary. However Brenda left several years ago and Angela can no longer help so for the past few years it has been left to Rosemary to do an amazing job. A few other members help very occasionally to water it when Rosemary is away. Notcutts originally paid for the plants but as they no longer do so it, we pay for them. The plants continue to be changed twice a year.

Although Rosemary does a fabulous job and is very happy to continue doing it, it would be really helpful if there were more members involved and helping her, even if it was purely to cover the watering when Rosemary is unable to do this. If you think you could do this, please let me know.

Birthday Posies: If you are like me, you will enjoy receiving the birthday posies given out at our meetings. Elizabeth and Rosemary do a brilliant job of preparing them, but in October they were both away so Helen & Carol took the job on and the posies looked lovely. However we do need more volunteers, and not just members of the committee, to help prepare them. If you are interested then let me know or speak to Elizabeth or Rosemary in November to see what it involves. You would not be expected to do it every month, perhaps two or three times a year.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Oct 17^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

Oct 27^th Monday – Coffee at The Pavilion 10am

Nov 3rd – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Village Hall

December 2^nd – Saturday – Christmas Craft Fair 2 – 5pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

Please note the ticketing booking process has changed, and from September 29^th all Annual days will be booked via online booking. More information about this is in the July WKN p4. If you wish to attend any Annual Day please let me know and I will do the booking.

November 17^th – Friday – Science Day Ryash closing date 1^st November. Please let me know if you wish to attend

November 25^th – Saturday – Entertainment Day St Mary’s Platt. Open to family & friends. Closing date 31^st October. Please let me know if you wish to attend

March 25^th 2024 – Monday – Federation AGM, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

NATIONAL DIARY DATES

June 5^th 2024 – Wednesday – Annual Meeting at Royal Albert Hall

September 2023 Newsletter

I hope you have had a enjoyable Summer and are now enjoying the autumn sunshine. This newsletter covers both the August social and the September meeting so lets start with August, when 21 members visited Downderry Nursery for a fascinating tour of the grounds

Downderry Nursery started in 1981 in Ditton in an ordinary 8 x 10 foot greenhouse. In 1997 they moved to Downderry, part of a walled garden that was overgrown. Currently there are over 45 different species of lavender with over 450 varieties. More lavender species/varieties have yet to be classified. At the nursery there were lavenders that were tall with a good smell but not good for gardens, compact ones, ones best for their oil, ones popular with bees and there was also one that smelt not of lavender but of Lemon Sherbet!

We saw the still where the oil and lavender water are produced. One mature plant produces at best just one teaspoon of oil. The oil is bottled, left in the cold for six months before being decanted. Our evening ended with a refreshments while looking over the Lavender beds.

In September,at our normal monthly meeting, we welcomed Melanie Gibson-Barton whose talk was entitled “And so to Ted” and was in fact a history of Teddies and other Bears. We had been asked to bring our Teddies with us and so they also enjoyed the talk.

Melanie showed us that Teddy Bears have been woven into our culture since the beginning of the 20th Century from the association of Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt’s bear in 1902 and the coincidental development of an upright jointed bear manufacture by Margarete Steiff’s company in Germany in 1903. British companies also produced bears including Merrythought that began making bears in 1930 and still continues to do so, however the first British bear is believed to be made by a company called J.K Farnell in 1906.

Teddy bears are seen as lifelong friends by both men and women and are said to know the innermost secrets of their owners, often after being presented with their first bears as babies. 51% adults still have their childhood bear. The very early bears were from today’s standards very unsafe and unhygienic with straw as a filling, eyes that could be swallowed and ears that could fall off! However the notable historic bears can achieve thousands at auctions.

Teddies have been used in literature, entertainment, advertising, television and films and there are now computer controlled and virtual reality bears, and although Melanie asked us not to name any bears she mentioned, I am sure you can think of several very easily.

Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 2^nd December at the Village Hall between 2 and 5pm. We have 13 stallholders provisionally booked as well as our stalls which are Craft, Gin & Preserves, Cakes, Raffle, Tombola and Refreshments. We are also using the Meeting Room as an area for Children’s activities. Please start providing tins, Jars, Bottles etc for our Tombola and consider whether you will be helping on the day as the sign up boards will be available from our October meeting.

Craft to help Others. Thank you to everyone who has knitted to help others including Blankets & Hats for the Neo Natal department, Breasts which help support mums on the postnatal ward and in community and Twiddlemitts for Dementia patients. However due to a choking incident Twiddlemitts are no longer being taken at the hospital so I am no longer collecting these.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

Sept 18^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

Sept – 25^th Monday – Coffee at The Pavilion 10am

Oct 6^th – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Village Hall

December 2^nd – Saturday – Christmas Craft Fair 2 – 5pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

Please note the ticketing booking process has changed, and from September 29^th all Annual days will be booked via online booking. More information about this is in the July WKN p4. If you wish to attend any Annual Day please let me know and I will do the booking.

November 17^th – Friday – Science Day Ryash closing date 1^st November. Please let me know if you wish to attend

November – Various days and dates – English Paper Piecing closing date 29^th September

November 25^th – Saturday – Entertainment Day St Mary’s Platt. Open to family & friends. Closing date 31^st October. Please let me know if you wish to attend

NATIONAL DIARY DATES

June 5^th 2024 – Wednesday – Annual Meeting at Royal Albert Hall

July 2023 Newsletter

In July, 5 of our members showed the rest of us how to crochet. For some it was their first time of crocheting, for others it was a skill they had not used in many years, but soon came back to them. There was a lovely atmosphere in the hall, with lots of chatting and a few members getting frustrated with their work, however no one got so frustrated that balls of wool were flung around the room!!

The day after our meeting we held a cake sale on the Village Green, despite there being loads of cake, we sold out and packed up before the finish time. We raised an astonishing amount of approx £400, so well done to everyone involved from baking to pricing, setting up and selling.

Now that the cake sale is over the committee are turning their thought to the Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 2^nd December at the Village Hall between 2 and 5pm. We already have several stallholders signed up and would like some members to help Hazel think of ideas for Children’s activities which will be in the meeting room. If you would like to join Hazel on a sub committee please let me know.

Bunting material required. We are hoping to make some bunting in the WI colours of Pink, Fuchsia and Dark Green. If anyone has some material in those colours lying around that is no longer needed, please can we have first refusal. The material can be patterned so long as it is not overpowering.

Craft to help Others. Thank you to everyone who knits to help others including Twiddle Mitts for Dementia patients and Blankets & Hats for the Neo Natal department.

I am also collecting knitted poppies for the Pembury Remembrance Display.

Our August meeting is always a social for members only and this year we are visiting Downderry Nurseries, near Hadlow where they grown and distil Lavender and its oil.

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

July 17^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

July 19^th – Wednesday – Annual General Meeting of the Village Hall Management Committee. Village Hall Meeting Room 8pm All welcome

July 24^th – Monday – Coffee at The Pavilion 10am

August 4^th – Friday – Our meeting Members only

Sept. 1^st – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Village Hall

December 2^nd – Saturday – Christmas Craft Fair 2 – 5pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

Please note the ticketing booking process has changed, and from September 29^th all Annual days will be booked via online booking. More information about this is in the July WKN p4. If you wish to attend any Annual Day please let me know and I will do the booking.

Sept various days and dates – Watercolour Painting closing date 28^th July

Sept 20^th & 21^st – Art & Craft Annual Day Ditton closing date 28^th July

Sept 28^th Thursday – Hand Bell Introduction Hope Hill closing date 1^st August

October 17^th – Tuesday – Lifestyle Annual Day Ditton closing date 17^th September

November 17^th – Friday – Science Day Ryash

November – Various days and dates – English Paper Piecing

November 25^th – Saturday Entertainment Day Hildenborough

There will be no Newsletter in August. Have a lovely Summer.

June 2023 Newsletter

In June Helen Kendall-Tobias came and spoke to us about Packing for Holiday. She began by recommending we choose a colour scheme and select clothes solely from a small range of colours because then all the clothes could be mixed and matched in many combinations. She then demonstrated packing for holiday next week, four days with family and friends in Aberystwyth. She took two pairs of trousers, one skirt, 4 t-shirts, about 4 blouses, one posh dress, one pullover, one jacket, one pair of high heeled shoes and an evening bag. She showed us how all these clothes could work together in many roles. Her advice was don’t take unnecessary stuff such as an alarm clock if you have an alarm on your phone. She recommended we rolled t-shirts but packed blouses flat. All these items were fitted into a small pull along suitcase and she had even found room for her hairdryer! Sun hat on her head and she was ready to travel.

Since our May meeting, the National Annual Meeting has been held, where the resolution we voted on has been discussed. National have informed us that the Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife resolution passed with a 84% majority They are urging all members to get involved in the campaign to clean up our rivers. For more information about how see their website – https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/key-and-current-campaigns/clean-rivers-for-people-and-wildlife

And following our May committee meeting, Gill Jennings has agreed to be our Treasurer, please allow her time to learn the ropes before asking her any complicated questions! Helen Beck is now our Vice President and Tam Boyd has taken over responsibility of the Sales Stall.

Sales Stall: This is the new name for the produce stall, which had become a bit of a misnomer as sometimes none of the items for sale were produce! So as a reminder the Sales Stall can sell any item you wish to sell, be it clothes, books or even produce! The list is endless. We ask that you price up the items before giving them to Tam and if sold you will receive 90% of the sale price. The remaining 10% is kept by the WI for our funds. Over the year it is surprising how much the stall gives our Treasurer, as mentioned at the June meeting, £20 had just be passed to her.

Craft to help Others. Thank you to everyone who knits to help others including Twiddle Mitts for Dementia patients and Blankets & Hats for the Neo Natal department.

I am also collecting knitted poppies for the Pembury Remembrance Display.

Trinity Theatre Group. I have been approached by Christina Blaney, a committee member of Trinity Theatre Group, wondering if there are any keen sewers / costume experts amongst us who would like to be involved in some of their productions. If you think this might be for you, please contact Christina directly on 07969 295311, christina@neweraltd.co.uk

Diary Date Events

PEMBURY EVENING DIARY DATES

June 19^th – Monday – Craft meeting 2-4pm

June 26^th – Monday – Coffee at The Pavilion 10am

July 7^th – Friday – Our meeting 7.45pm Pembury Village Hall

July 8^th – Saturday – Cake Sale Village Green 10am to Noon

December 2^nd – Saturday – Christmas Craft Fair 2 – 5pm

FEDERATION DIARY DATES (see WKN for more info)

Sept various days and dates – Watercolour Painting closing date 28^th July

Sept 20^th & 21^st – Art & Craft Annual Day Ditton closing date 28^th July

Sept 28^th Thursday – Hand Bell Introduction Hope Hill closing date 1^st August

October 17^th – Tuesday – Lifestyle Annual Day Ditton

November 17^th – Friday – Science Day Ryash

November 25^th – Saturday Entertainment Day Hildenborough