Susan Hunter (President) welcomed members to the first meeting in 2014 of Old Buckenham Women’s Institute. The speakers were John and Jane Richardson from Dereham. These “Grey Nomads” entertained everyone with a wonderful talk on the eight months they spent touring the USA, Australia and Malaysia. This was not a hurried dash from country to country. These mature travellers wanted to shop, cook and understand the people and communities they met with during their journeys.
They used many forms of transport and undertook two great train journeys; 23 hours on the Californian Zephyr across America and the jungle railway through the centre of Malaysia to the Islamic state of Kelentan on the Thai border. They encountered bears and wolves in Yellowstone Park and experienced Queensland’s worst ever floods. Their talk was accompanied with slides of stunning scenery.
Each year Old Buckenham WI award prizes to the members with the most points achieved in the two monthly competitions. This year’s recipient of both prizes was Kathy Fleckney who was presented with M&S vouchers. Congratulations Kathy!
Two members (Alison Frank and Betty Stacey) are looking forward to their forthcoming visit to Denman College in Oxfordshire. Alison will be studying the Treasures of the Ashmolean and Betty will be learning the intricacies of buying and selling on eBay. This demonstrates the diversity of the courses offered at Denman, the WI’s own college, and members will be looking forward to hearing their reports at the next meeting.
Next year is the centenary of the WI in this country and there was much discussion on how this milestone should be celebrated. The WI has its roots in Canada and the first WI was set up in Llanfair PG on the island of Anglesey in September 1915. Thence it rapidly spread throughout England and Wales and the first WI in Norfolk was formed in 1917. Sandringham WI was among the first to be formed in Norfolk and it was avidly supported by Queen Mary and the then Princess Royal (Princess Mary).
The talk at the meeting on Thursday 27 February will be on the Ladies’ Tractor Run and will be given by Annie Chapman. The monthly competition is for an item to fit the title ‘Think Pink’.
Old Buckenham WI are holding a Coffee Morning in the Church Rooms on Saturday 15 March and are looking forward to welcoming villagers and friends that morning between 10am and 12 noon.
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