Elaine Barker, Vice-President, welcomed members and speaker, Jeremy Holmes, to the April meeting. She also said it was great to see Jayne, President, back in our midst.

The Beechwood Group Spring meeting will be hosted by Hyde Heath at 7.15 for 7.30pm on 27 April when Alison Bailey from the Amersham Museum will be the speaker. Volunteers from those attending from Hyde Heath were asked if they could help on the evening and also bring tray bake cakes, for which costs would be refunded.

Gillian reported on a fascinating and informative time in Aylesbury on 15 March at the BFWI Investigation & Discovery day to which four members attended. There were four eminent speakers whose subjects were as always, very varied and informative.

Well done our team of Avril, Anne Underwood and Mary Collins who came 6th in the BFWI Inter-County Quiz!

On 29 April Ann Crooke will lead a walk/stroll from Dobbies carpark, Wendover, meeting at 10.15 for a 10.30 start, followed by refreshments at Dobbies on return.

Margaret Dunn reminded members about the Village Fete on 14 May when we provide drink and cakes from the Cricket Pavilion. A few more volunteers to help and provide cakes would be much appreciated.

The visit to our Charity, Lindengate, will be on 15 June at 4.30pm, after the "Gardeners" have left. There will be a tour around and a chance to buy a variety of handmade articles.

Elaine asked if anyone would like to be a delegate for the BFWI Annual Council meeting in Aylesbury on 17 May.

Elaine wished everyone a very Happy Easter and invited members to choose a Viola pot plant and take their Easter card. She thanked Gillian for getting the plants and Mary for writing the cards.

Jeremy, who was a Trustee of the UK Carnegie Fund, gave a most interesting and entertaining talk about the life of Andrew Carnegie who was born in Dunfermline in poverty, emigrated to America with his family at the age of twelve and by using his wit, enterprise and memory, became the richest man in the world! He was the first philanthropist (long before Bill Gates) and because of his lack of education, sponsored the construction of about 2,000 libraries around the globe.

After the opening in 1891 of his Carnegie Hall, New York, the inaugural concert in 1881 was conducted by Tchaikovski. His legacy is still funding a large number of Trusts in a variety of countries.

One of his ventures was to fund WI markets in the 1930's!

The next meeting on Resolutions will be on 12 May at 8pm in the Village Hall.

Elaine, Vice President, welcomed all members on a warm evening and Jeff Roselaar, who entertained us with an amusing and interesting talk about “An Actors Life”.

As a boy he wanted to be a jockey, but that was not possible as by the age of 14 he was 6’ tall so later went on to university to study History. Whilst there a girlfriend persuaded him to take part in a Gilbert & Sullivan performance, which he surprisingly enjoyed, even the singing, although more probably because of being with the girlfriend!

However, whilst later teaching he organised and wrote plays for the students and took part in amateur dramatics. He is registered with a London agency doing a variety of “bit parts” which earns him some extra money.

In Jeff’s “retirement”, he entertains groups on land and on cruise ships, including the QEII. He gave us several recognisable renditions of well-known actors just by changing his headgear and accent.

After Jeff’s very enjoyable talk Elaine continued with the meeting.

No information of amounts raised had yet been received from the Village Fete organisers but £60 had been retained from the approximately £500 the WI teas had raised, to reimburse £3 each to the cake makers.

It was suggested that if members did not wish to claim this, they might like to donate it to the Lindengate charity.

Thanks were given to Margaret Dunn for organising the teas and to Sylvia Childs, who produced a beautiful flower arrangement on behalf of the Institute in St Andrew’s Church Flower Festival. Gillian provided a photograph of this, which included the Line Dancing Group display, which she did. Elaine also congratulated the various members who had produced such wonderful and original displays in the St John the Baptist Patronal Flower Festival in June in recognition of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

.

16 members enjoyed a talk and tour at Lindengate, which has been our charity since just before the Covid lockdown, and unanimously agreed it was a very successful visit, thanks to Elaine for organising it.

Elaine gave a resume of her 2-day visit in June to the NFWI Annual meeting in Liverpool, chaired by Ann Jones, Chairman, which she attended as our Link Delegate together with 3,000 ladies from WI’s all over the country. She had produced a detailed Report which was available to read but gave some important and specific details of some of the discussions and talks. The Resolution to Support Women and Girls who have symptoms of ASD and ADHD was passed by 96.5% after passionate presentations by several speakers.

Ann announced that more than 26,000 new members joined the WI during Lockdown and that producing the News Letters digitally was saving £50,000 per year.

Mary Rose had sent a Questionnaire to all members by email and asked if each person would complete and return it no later than 27 July to Linda Nicholls by email or post, details on the form.

It was agreed that a poster for the campaign “See the Signs - Ovarian Cancer” would be displayed in the cubicles of the toilets in the hall.

Wendover WI are holding a Race Night on 1 October and a poster with details was displayed. They will be hosting the Beechwood Spring Group Meeting on 25 April 2023 in St Anne’s Hall. The Autumn Group Meeting will be on 4 October at Ballinger.

The next meeting will be at 8pm on 11 August. In the past a BBQ has been organised but this year we will have a get together in the hall for a longer time for “tea and chat”.

Elaine, Vice President, welcomed all members on a warm evening and Jeff Roselaar, who entertained us with an amusing and interesting talk about “An Actors Life”.

As a boy he wanted to be a jockey, but that was not possible as by the age of 14 he was 6’ tall so later went on to university to study History. Whilst there a girlfriend persuaded him to take part in a Gilbert & Sullivan performance, which he surprisingly enjoyed, even the singing, although more probably because of being with the girlfriend!

However, whilst later teaching he organised and wrote plays for the students and took part in amateur dramatics. He is registered with a London agency doing a variety of “bit parts” which earns him some extra money. In Jeff’s “retirement”, he entertains groups on land and on cruise ships, including the QEII. He gave us several recognisable renditions of well-known actors just by changing his headgear and accent.

After Jeff’s very enjoyable talk Elaine continued with the meeting.

No information of amounts raised had yet been received from the Village Fete organisers but £60 had been retained from the approximately £500 the WI teas had raised, to reimburse £3 each to the cake makers. It was suggested that if members did not wish to claim this, they might like to donate it to the Lindengate charity.

Thanks were given to Margaret Dunn for organising the teas and to Sylvia Childs, who produced a beautiful flower arrangement on behalf of the Institute in St Andrew’s Church Flower Festival.

Gillian provided a photograph of this, which included the Line Dancing Group display, which she did. Elaine also congratulated the various members who had produced such wonderful and original displays in the St John the Baptist Patronal Flower Festival in June in recognition of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

16 members enjoyed a talk and tour at Lindengate, which has been our charity since just before the Covid lockdown, and unanimously agreed it was a very successful visit, thanks to Elaine for organising it.

Elaine gave a resume of her 2-day visit in June to the NFWI Annual meeting in Liverpool, chaired by Ann Jones, Chairman, which she attended as our Link Delegate together with 3,000 ladies from WI’s all over the country.

She had produced a detailed Report which was available to read but gave some important and specific details of some of the discussions and talks. The Resolution to Support Women and Girls who have symptoms of ASD and ADHD was passed by 96.5% after passionate presentations by several speakers.

Ann announced that more than 26,000 new members joined the WI during Lockdown and that producing the News Letters digitally was saving £50,000 per year.

Mary Rose had sent a Questionnaire to all members by email and asked if each person would complete and return it no later than 27 July to Linda Nicholls by email or post, details on the form.

It was agreed that a poster for the campaign “See the Signs - Ovarian Cancer” would be displayed in the cubicles of the toilets in the hall.

Wendover WI are holding a Race Night on 1 October and a poster with details was displayed. They will be hosting the Beechwood Spring Group Meeting on 25 April 2023 in St Anne’s Hall. The Autumn Group Meeting will be on 4 October at Ballinger.

The next meeting will be at 8pm on 11 August. In the past a BBQ has been organised but this year we will have a get together in the hall for a longer time for “tea and chat”.

Instead of the BBQ which is normally held in August, Elaine welcomed everyone to a relaxed chat and quiz evening.

Members were reminded that this was the last opportunity to reclaim £3 for making a cake for the village fete in May or contribute it to the Lindengate charity.

There was a poster advertising Wendover WI’s charity “Race Night and Hog Roast” on 1st October with a list to sign for anyone wishing to attend.

The Autumn 2022 Group meeting at 7.45pm on 4 October costs £5. The speaker is from Map Action with special emphasis on their work in Ukraine. Wendover will hold the Spring 2023 Group Meeting on 25 April.

As the names on the WI Recipe Book were now out of date, it was decided to offer copies to any member interested.

In the Buckinghamshire News, Walking with Alpacas at Aston Abbotts was advertised on 20 September, cost £37 to include tea/coffee and cake and also a 2 hour tour on the Grand Union Canal in a narrowboat on 25 August costing £22 including a cream tea.

We then had our brains tested by a fun Quiz that Elaine had prepared before enjoying a chance to have a longer chat and refreshments.

The next meeting will be on 8 September at 8pm when Ruriko Kojima will talk and demonstrate Ikebana – The Art of Japanese Flower Arrangement.