February Meeting

Last Wednesday's meeting was well-attended, and members enjoyed a very interesting talk by Mrs Margaret Rogers entitled "From the Isles of Scilly to Lindisfarne".  Her slides brilliantly illustrated the journey from the Isles of Scilly (favourite holiday place of the late Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, and his wife Mary) through Cornwall and Devon, then diagonally through the Midlands to Northumberland and Lindisfarne (Holy Island).  A cascade of pictures of castles, gardens and stately homes passed before our eyes, whilst we were given a word-perfect commentary by Mrs Rogers.  It was altogether one of the best talks we have had for a long time.  Pat Stone gave the vote of thanks.

After the tea interval, Mrs Rogers judged the competition which was for a UK holiday postcard.  Amongst the many entries, Dot Spriggs's card from the Isle of Man with a map of the island enclosed within the shape of a Manx cat was judged the winner (pictured above).

Like all Institutes in the country, Harlow WI had been asked to send hand-made items for the Country Crafts stall at the ACWW (Associated County Women of the World) 28th Triennial World Conference which is being held at the University of Warwick in August.  The last time the Conference was held in the UK was in 1939.  Brigitte Garnett had been acting as co-ordinator for the collection of the various offerings and she thanked members for their donations.  The picture below shows the number and variety of these.

When the 2015 Cobbin Group Meeting was held (at Roydon Village WI) last October, members were asked to arrive dressed in any of the fashions or styles of the hundred years since the WI's inception.  Quite a few members did so and paraded round the room to display their costumes.  Jean Wright from Harlow WI went a step further.  Dressed as a poor farm worker's wife, she talked about what her life might have been like in 1918/19.  On Wednesday, she was duly presented with the competition rose bowl for her contribution to the spirit of the meeting (picture below).