Hello to all our WI friends and members at our WI meeting last night.    I know so many of you were disappointed that our Speaker, Jennie, did not turn up.   

Jennie has phoned this morning and was beside herself with guilt.   She had booked the date as today, and was turning up this evening (i.e. Wednesday instead of Tuesday).   Jennie was booked a year ago in writing, which she confirmed in writing.  As we do with all our speakers, we made contact again recently to re confirm arrangements and thought all was well.

Thank you all for helping the committee to recover – and make the evening spin along so well.   You are such a diverse and interesting group of people of which I am proud to be part of.

With best wishes and my sincere thanks again.

See you next month’s WI, if not before at one of our WI activities.

Jan Marsden President

 

 

Here we are keeping cool in the water halfway on the 2nd leg of the Centurian Way walk.

 

 

Over two summer evenings our walk group completed the Centurian Way, which follows the line of the disused railway line from Chichester to Lavant – there and back in total 10 miles.    The railway line from Chichester to Midhurst was opened in 1881.  It’s decline started with the withdrawal of passengers in 1935.   The line north of Lavant closed in 1957, however, the section between Lavant and Chichester remained open to transport gravel and sugarbeet until 1991.

The two sections of the walk were different.   The first leg mainly on tarmac between hedgerows opened up into a grassy space – an atmospheric amphitheatre, overlooked by sculpted iron railway workers.   The second leg took us along the Lavant valley with golden fields and a clear stream to refresh our tired feet.    What a delight to be in our countryside on such lovely summer evenings.

for more photos click here

Jan Marsden

July 2014

Sunday 18th May marked the 20th year of Bognor’s largest sporting event – the Bognor 10K Prom Race.  This has always been a real community event, run by the local Rotary Club and with all the money raised going  to local charities.  Although many of the 1800+ runners come from a distance to take part in this fast, flat race (even from the Channel Islands this year!), most runners are local and included our own Jack.  This year Bognor Regis WI committed to running a cake stall at the event and lights must have dimmed throughout Bognor Regis as electric ovens turned out an amazing assortment of the most delicious cakes in huge quantities.

It was simply wonderful to be part  of this local celebration; we had lots of publicity from the Master of Ceremonies and enjoyed the music of the RAFA skiffle group and the rather more energetic aerobic session from the Art of Dance. 

We received lots of lovely feedback from runners and their supporters and raised £100. for the chosen charity of Chestnut Tree House Hospice with a further £100 for our WI funds.  And we have cakes in the freezer ready for the Garden Event in July!

The very hot weather meant that the course record set last year by Ethiopian Tadele Geremew was not broken but local runners took the honours and, together with BRWI, helped to make the 20th Bognor 10K a really memorable event.  Well done to everyone who baked, sliced, sold and helped in any way.

Gina Fitchroy – 21st May 2014

WI’s across West Sussex were invited to design a cross stitch sampler depicting their WI.   Here is our sampler  – showing the pier, with the jumping stage for the Birdman Rally, as a symbol for Bognor Regis and a range of items that reflect the variety of activity groups we have in our WI.   I love the seagull.

Well done Lesley, Angela and Elaine and thank you.   I look forward to seeing it placed in the final display with samplers from other WI’s at the Annual Meeting in October.

Jan Marsden

MIND Tea and Chat Club invited our WI to tell them about the WI.   What a wonderful afternoon.  Their members made us feel very welcome and were interested in what we had to say.

Lesley, Flo and Jan talked about the origins of the WI and then involved them in a homemade jam, chutney and cake tasting – similar to the way we ran the session at the Big Bite Festival last September.  

One of their members told us how she used to pick wild blackberries for Bosham WI for 2 pence (old pence that is – 1p) for 2lb of blackberries, which the WI ladies turned into jam and sold at the Chichester WI market.   I will pass that fact on to Bosham WI.

Jan Marsden

Some of the crafts created by our members went on display in North Street, Chichester, in the window of C and H Fabrics – our nearest high street supplier of fabric.   It was an opportunity to promote the WI in West Sussex, contribute to Save the High Street campaign and share ideas with others about craft.   

As we talked with customers in C and H, we made mug rugs and promoted sales!    Other WI members visited us and we caused quite a hubbub in the store – what a lovely day, chatting with people about the WI and craft.    Thank you Barbara, and all our members for making this happen.

Jan Marsden