Meeting Reports

Tables were set out in readiness for some Bingo games later in the evening but first we began our September meeting with the usual business. We welcomed a visitor from America and also a new member, the Summer Outing had been enjoyed by all those who had attended and two members were presented with bouquets to celebrate their birthdays, Elaine Bean aged 80 and Caroline Meek aged 90 who had been a member of our WI for over 70 years. We had a few moments of silence for one of our members but also for a relative of a member who had both recently passed away. We will be starting a monthly Coffee Morning again, with the first one in October and also next month there is the Group Party as well as the theatre visit to see That’ll be the Day. It was then on to the main part of the evening when we played Bingo organised by Jenny who made a very good job of reading out the numbers in a clear voice and unlike the last time we played Bingo there were no false call outs! With refreshments and a raffle it was a very enjoyable evening. Our meeting in September has a speaker with his talk “A Blue Plaque tour of Gloucestershire” and the competition is an autumn decoration.

August for our WI always means our annual outing, something we have done since our WI began in 1925. Our very first in that year was to Severn Beach and a new Pumping Station but this year it was a visit to the American Museum and a look around Bath. It is back to almost normal in September when we will be having a Fun Evening of Bingo which, judging by the last one, will be very enjoyable. Our speaker in October will be giving us a Blue Plaque Tour of Gloucestershire and there is a competition for an Autumn Decoration.

There are still things to look forward to before the end of the year, one is the Group Party in early October when the theme is a “beach party”, and we have a theatre visit to see That’ll be the Day at the Roses Theatre near the end of October. November always means it’s the AGM and the last meeting of the year in December is a Social Evening and American Supper. There are sure to be more interesting speakers in 2027 and anyone who would like to come along to any of our meetings, either as a visitor or new member will be made very welcome.

It was extremely warm for our July meeting and fans in various forms were flapping throughout the evening. Next month there will be no meeting as it is our annual outing to the American Museum and Bath and hopefully the weather will be cooler in September when we will be having a fun evening of Bingo. The Group Party in October has a beach party theme, something that would have been very welcome for this month!

Our speaker for the evening was Sue Dove with her talk Life and Times of an Adult Tutor. She told us that from the age of 11 she had wanted to be several things including a teacher, vet and song writer and when she grew up she did become a teacher and taught in many different places and to many different people. Adults with special needs, alcoholics and drug addicts and the unemployed all benefitted from her lessons that included drainage, (gained from a previous job) as well as the history of Cheltenham, health equality and diversity, cooking and convincing prisoners that even they had good transferable skills due to their illegal activities! To end her talk she asked for eight volunteers, gave them all a handbell and by pointing at them individually they managed a recognisable rendition of Jerusalem. Another enjoyable talk and our next one in October will be a Blue Plaque tour of Gloucestershire by Andrew Miller. If anyone would like to come along to any of our meetings, either as a visitor or new member they will be made very welcome. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month in Quedgeley Village Hall.

It was a sunny evening for our June meeting and after a rousing rendition of Jerusalem we heard the usual business. Last month’s Resolutions had been passed, the GFWI AGM had been broadcast over Zoom and the trip to Llanthony Priory had been enjoyed by those who went. Details were given for our August outing and we were reminded that the Group Party in early October will have a beach party theme. Our Lunch Club are enjoying meals at various places and we are still taking donations for Quedgeley Pantry.

Our speaker for the evening was Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester. She gave a warning that she could “talk for England” but what she did tell us was very informative and enjoyable. She was born in Hertfordshire and in her family the church was part of her life. She wanted to write children’s books, be a doctor or teacher but she trained as a speech and language therapist at Reading University. She eventually went on to study at a theological college and in 1992 the church voted for women to be ordained as priests and Rachel was ordained in 1994. She worked in deprived areas of London and also with several prisons, progressing to Archdeacon then in 2015 became the first female Bishop of Gloucester with all the work it entails. This includes a seat in the House of Lords and she explained what it was really like and not what people thought it was as the Lords reviews legislation, holds the government accountable and contributes to debates. As Bishops have to retire at 70 it will be a few years before Rachel leaves her very busy post as Bishop of Gloucester. July will be rather different when the speaker will be talking about The Life and Times of an Adult Tutor with the competition being a saucy postcard!

May for WIs means Resolutions when members choose and vote on important issues on which they want the National Federation of Women’s Institutes to campaign. From equal pay to climate change, mental health and violence against women, over the past 100 years the WI have embraced a diverse set of challenges that has brought about a real change. This year there were two Resolutions to discuss, Accessible public toilet facilities to promote dignity, health and social inclusion and Action on women’s homelessness. Members vote and the results are taken to the Annual General Meeting and eventually go on to form the basis of a WI campaign.

We are nearly half way through the year but there are still plenty of things to look forward to, theatre trips, our August outing to Bath and the American Museum and more interesting talks. We have had an invitation to the Group Party which has a beach theme, heard a report on the GFWI AGM and then members voted on the Resolutions. Following all this we had an enjoyable Social Evening, with wine, nibbles and a General Knowledge Quiz. Who knew that the internet was created in the 1960s or that the strongest muscle in the human body is in the jaw?