Hannington W.I.
www.hanningtonladieswi.weebly.com
Contact: Mrs Pat Wythe 01635 297609
WI Ladies 1958
WI members & guests 2008
We would love some more Hannington ladies to join in with us at our interesting meetings. Yes, we do have some mature ladies, who are young at heart, but we really need some new and maybe younger blood to join us for more ideas to take us on through this new millennium.
We are fairly informal; we do not sing Jerusalem at the opening of the meetings, we have theatre and cinema visits, go walking, ending in a pub lunch; enter competitions with other local WI’s such as skittles and quizzes. We also band together and help each other out if needed and you also have an immediate new group of friends.
Why not come and give us a try, we don’t bite!
You would be most welcome.
Contact: Pat Wythe on 01635 297609
Programme 2009
5th November
A.G.M.
3rd December Christmas Celebration
We believe in being active and that a good walk deserves…
A small group of us
on the
Nuthanger walk
Ecchinswell
in April 2009
…Lunch and a drink at a pub
And then
enjoying lunch
and a
drink afterwards
Jack the Ripper Walk
with David Padwick as our guide
(Maggie Hughes son)
Reginald "Reggie and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were twins and were organised crime leaders dominating London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s and were involved in protection rackets, arson, torture, armed robberies and also the murder of Jack "the hat" McVitie and implicated in Frank Mitchell’s death. As night club owners they mixed with celebrities such as Barbara Windsor, Diana Dors, even Frank Sinatra, and became celebrities in their own right in television interviews. Arrested in 1968, convicted to life imprisonment in 1969, Ronnie in Broadmore where he died in 1995, Reggie was released on compassionate grounds in 2000, a month before he died of cancer.
There was a strange incident while we were in the pub; some of us used the men’s toilet! As there was only one ladies toilet and nine ladies, and all having had a drink and a two hour walk ahead of us, it would have taken a long time for everyone to visit the loo, so David very kindly offered to guard the door to the men's so that Ollie, Maggie, Pauline and myself could use it.
We then set off for our Ripper walk with David giving us very good information on the local sights, as he started his police career in Whitechapel and knows the area well. David believes that “Jack the Ripper” was only responsible for five murders, Mary Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catharine Eddowes and Mary Kelly. We visited each place that these murders occurred and David gave us all the gruesome details of the victims, the people who discovered them and the police action at the time.
On the walk we visited the Ten Bells, a victorian public house in Spitalfields that is notable for its association with two victims of Jack the Ripper; Annie Chapman and Mary Kelly, to see the copies of the ripper articles from the London Illustrated News that were on the walls of the staircase leading to the toilets in the cellar
We then walked down Brick Lane to the Clifton restaurant for a delicious curry which we all enjoyed and discovered that the Clifton is a regular haunt of Ken Livingstone, the ex mayor of London.
Barbara Macmurchy
Hannington W.I. Report for October 2009
October was a busy month for members. We entered The W.I. Group Competition in Basingstoke, which involved producing four different desserts using apples, and also the Group Skittles competition. On October 15th, nine members enjoyed a fascinating evening in Whitechapel, London, on a Jack the Ripper Tour. Our guide was David Padwick, Maggie Hughes son.
If you think you might be interested in being a member of The W.I. Do come along to one of our meetings, you can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome. We meet at Hannington Village Hall on the first Thursday of every month.
Pat Wythe
Hannington W.I. Report for September 2009
Judith Emtwiste treated us to a very informative presentation about the Jubillee Trust, an organisation which provides working holidays for able and disabled people, on the Lord Nelson, a tall ship. Happy hour is the time they clean the decks and the heads; clambering up the masts to stow the sails was the fun time, so it all sounded rather onerous.
We are involved in numerous interesting activities, for example trips to the Isle of Wight and "Jack the Rippers" London, also a visit to the "Watermill Theatre" and a local cinema.
If this is the sort of thing you like to do why not join us. The next meeting is on October 1st at 7.45pm in Hannington Village Hall, when Patricia Collins is talking to us about "Spinning".
Elisabeth Cubbin
Hannington W.I. Report for August 2009
He gave us great insight into the history of Medieval Bishops and their promiscuity, to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Poll Tax. He surprised us when telling of the origin of Nursery Rhymes such as when fair maidens put chalk on their faces, they were said to be ‘Goosed’ – hence the wording of the rhyme ‘Goosey, Goosey Gander’! Another example being Mary Tudor’s background, which gave rise to the rhyme ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary’. In his own inimitable way, the Speaker brought us up to date history wise, ending with a reference to the Ravens – when Blue Peter named one ‘Ronald Raven’!
Pauline Baldwin
Summer Walk on the Isle of Wight
After lunch we set off via the Afton Marsh nature reserve to Freshwater Bay where we sat on the seafront and watched a lone wind surfer fighting the rollers and coming off worse. Although the wind was strong, the sun was very warm. Catching the hopper bus and sitting in the open air on the top, we passed the Needles and Alum Bay and alighted at Totland for a walk down to the sea. As the tide was in, we could not go for a swim, a great pity, so walked along the prom and had refreshing ice creams while watching out for the sea spray coming over the wall. We returned to Yarmouth via the bus and caught the ferry and train back to Basingstoke. Arriving back in Hannington, we found that we had been very lucky to have missed all the rain that had fallen during the day here.
Barbara Macmurchy
Hannington W.I. Report for July 2009
Blithe Spirit remained the longest running comedy in the history of the British theatre for three decades.
Our July meeting saw pairs of members walking around Kingclere trying to answer clues in a quiz walk. It was a very hot evening which everyone just about managed to cope with, especially with the thought of refreshments at the end. Although no one got all the questions correct, everyone enjoyed it and now has a different view of Kingsclere.
After finishing, everyone returned to Hannington Village hall where they were greeted with a glass of Pimm’s and a buffet of hams, cheeses, pâté, salad, bread and strawberries and cream.
Barbara Macmurchy
Hannington W.I. Report for June 2009
However, whilst our group may well be reluctant to take off our clothes for charity, we are nevertheless involved in numerous interesting activities, for example trips to the Isle of Wight and "Jack the Rippers" London, also a visit to the "Watermill Theatre" and a local cinema. If this is the sort of thing you like to do why not join us on July 2nd at 7 pm outside the "Crown Pub" in Kingsclere for a summer quiz walk around the village, followed by a ploughman’s lunch in Hannington Village Hall.
Elisabeth Cubbin
Hannington W.I. Report for May 2009
Marion Hughes
WI Walk
On a lovely sunny spring morning, a few members met and set off to do the Nuthanger walk in Ecchinswell. It was a most enjoyable walk with wonderful views of Watership Down, lots of new lambs and swathes of bluebells in the woods. We stopped at the Royal Oak for coffee before returning to the Vine in Hannington for lunch. Later in the month we visited the Hexagon theatre in Reading to see the Sainsbury singers present an amateur production of Blitz! Set in the East End of London in 1940 amid the bombing, it told of the life around Mrs Blitztein, her family and neighbours, through many situations, many humorous, some tragic. It featured many hit songs including The Day after Tomorrow and Mums and Dads. The musical director of the Orchestra was Tony Wythe of Hannington Silver Band and also there playing with the band was WI member Shelagh Wythe.
Barbara Macmurchy
About the WI
The WI movement began at Stoney Creek in Canada in 1897 when Adelaide Hoodless addressed a meeting for the wives of members of the Farmers' Institute. The first British WI meeting took place on 16 September 1915 at Llanfairpwll on Anglesey in North Wales. The WI was originally set up in the UK to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War.
Since then the aims have broadened and is now the largest women’s organisation in the UK. The WI celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2005 and currently have 205,000 members in 6,500 WIs.
The WI has close international links through affiliation to the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), and through this has links with several million women in 70 countries.
All kinds of opportunities for all kinds of women
The WI is as relevant today as it was when it was launched in 1915. And it's just as radical. The WI is here to enable women like you to 'make a difference' - to the life you lead, to the community you're a part of and to the world you live in.
The WI is a diverse and multifaceted organisation. Its concerns range from climate change to cooking, from crafts to community projects, from healthy eating to fairtrade fortnights, from traditional values to new friendships.
Membership of the WI offers a whole range of benefits including:
• Membership of your local WI and access to county and national federation activities
• Eight issues a year of the WI membership magazine WI Life
(In keeping with our eco-friendly philosophy, the magazine is printed on 100 per cent recycled paper, using vegetable, rather than chemical-based, inks. The magazine wrapping is completely biodegradable.)
• The chance to attend a wide range of courses at Denman College, the WI residential college near Oxford
• having your voice heard: making a real impact on local, national and international issues
• The opportunity to learn, develop and pass on new skills
• Belonging to something special: making friends, working as a team, having fun.
WI History in Campaigns
Over the years we have campaigned on a wide range of issues that matter to women and their communities, including Equal Pay in 1942, Breast Cancer Screening in 1975, Aids in 1986 and the introduction of new legislation EU to reduce the threat of hazardous chemicals in everyday products in 2006. Today our campaigns range from climate change and food waste to ending violence against women.
Every year WI members have the chance to put forward issues or ‘resolutions’ that they would like the national body to campaign on. These resolutions go through a year long debating and consultation process by the membership. Once the resolutions have been short-listed by the membership a select number are chosen for discussion at the AGM in June. If passed, these then become mandates and form the basis of campaigning activities in the years ahead. This process ensures that our campaigns have been through a democratic process involving all members and come from the grassroots of the organisation.
Current Campaigns and Projects
No More Violence Against Women Campaign
The WI is part of the End Violence Against Women campaigning coalition which aims to create a world in which women and girls are afforded their basic human rights and can live free from violence and its threat.
Love Food Champions Project
The WI's Love Food Champions are working in their communities to help individuals reduce food waste.
Women Reaching Women Project
The NFWI is bringing global poverty back to the top of its agenda. Together with Oxfam GB and the Everyone Foundation the NFWI is running a three-year project on the links between development, women and climate change.
Climate Change Campaign
Climate change is already having an adverse impact on women across the world. Find out how you can take action to secure a clean, green future for everyone.
Other Campaigning Issues
Community Hospitals
At our 2007 AGM, the WI passed a resolution calling on the Government to stop the closure of community hospitals. WI members are calling for measures to protect these services and support our local communities.
Renewable Energy
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has joined with the NFWI to offer WI members support on all aspects of domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Hannington W.I.
Jam and Jerusalem?
Contrary to what some believe, we do not sing Jerusalem at our
meetings, but we could…If you wanted to
We do not teach you to make jam at our meetings, but we could…If you wanted it
We have not posed naked for a charity calendar yet, but we could…We do have game ladies
We believe in being active and that a good walk deserves…Lunch and a drink at a pub
We believe we should keep up-to-date with the world of film…We visit the cinema monthly
We believe in laughing by entering competitions…Such as skittles and quizzes
We believe in being entertained…By having interesting speakers at meetings
We enjoy days out…having dinners…garden parties…and having fun
Would you like to see if you would enjoy our company…go on…give us a try…we don’t bite

