Fulham WI

Make time for port at December's FWI meeting

Fulham WI December Meeting, Monday 4th December, 7.30 pm, Novello's

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the festive season. Monday will see the last FWI meeting before Christmas and of 2006, so we will be seeing the year out with a bang with this festive itinerary:

Time for Port

Unlike champagne the ladies of Fulham WI may only have a casual acquaintance with port. Probably owing to its hyper-masculine associations of men in leather armchairs smoking cigars. Or perhaps the myth that many potential port lovers assume, mistakenly, that the wine is obscure, expensive and only meant for special occasions.

With this in mind we decided to ditch the scheduled champagne tasting and opt instead to squash the misconceptions and learn the basics about port from expert and author Godfrey Spence. Naturally, in order to appreciate port you must sample it and that's exactly what we intend to do courtesy of John E Fells & Sons, wholesaler's for Warre's, Dow's and Graham's port companies. We look forward to seeing you there.

Mince Pie Competition

Calling all budding Delia's and Nigella's- come and show us your baking talents by entering the annual Fulham WI mince pie competition....no M&S ones this time girls. J

 

Christmas Pudding Drive Update

For those of you who supported the Fulham WI Christmas Pudding Drive- your very tasty Carved Angel puds will be ready for collection. The Pudding Drive 2006 has raised £186 for Small Steps School.

Big Thank You to Becca for arranging this.

Fulham WI News and Events:

"Party with the Tsars" Fulham WI Christmas Ball

THE event of 2006 in Fulham will be taking place on Saturday 2nd December at Fulham Town Hall. The Ball Committee will give a quick overview on how it went...For those who are going see you all there!!

N1WI Christmas Party
N1 WInter Jam, taking place on 19th December from 8 'til late at the Salmon & Compass, Chapel Market, N1. Tickets are £5. There will be DJs and nibbles homemade by one of the N1 WI members who is also a fabulous caterer. Hurrah! It should be a great evening and all friends, family, etc. are welcome. For tickets contact Katie Best at n1wi@yahoo.co.uk

Subs reminder

All subs are due in January- this year the amount is £26 and includes a copy of WI Life magazine delivered to your door! Please speak to Sarah Cook, Membership Secretary, at the meetings.

See you all there....for those who cannot make it have a:

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Fulham WI Committee xx

WI Life

2007 marks an important change for the WI- for the first time in its 90 year history the yearly subscription will include a new lifestyle publication, 'WI Life' which will enable the organisation to communicate directly with each of its 215,000 members.

WI Life will be published 8 times a year and replaces the well-known 'Home and Country', for which a separate subscription was required.  In keeping with the WI's interest in protecting the environment the magazine will be printed on sustainable paper by printers who have recently won an environmental award. A free audio version will also available to members with impaired vision. Fay Mansell, NFWI Chair said: "WI Life will enable every member to receive information first hand about what is happening within the organisation and will be able to maximise the opportunities that membership offers.

"The WI is modernising and looking to the future. Communicating with all our members is a vital way to ensure we all move forward and continue to attract new members to join our wonderful organisation."

WI Life will feature WI-focused articles including updates on current campaigns and training opportunities at Denman College. Importantly, with the advent of this new magazine comes the opportunity for members to have their say about what they'd like to read. Since the founding of Fulham WI, there has been a flurry of 'modern WI's' springing up and so here's your opportunity to influence WI Life to reflect that!

The introduction of WI Life means that membership fees for 2007 will be £26, and these are now due. If you haven't paid yet, don't forget to bring along a cheque to the next meeting, made payable to 'Fulham WI'.

Exclusive offer for FWI members: £20 off a case of wine from Laithwaites

Laithwaites, the country's leading home delivery wine merchant, has launched the UK's first ever wine Tasting Table on Fenchurch Street.

The Tasting Table is aimed at all wine lovers who work in the City, providing a shop designed purely for tasting and choosing wines, without the need to battle them home through the rush hour! Customers can taste before they buy and Laithwaites will deliver purchases direct to their home or office proving an enjoyable way to source wine for Christmas events or presents as well as corporate gifts. There are over 250 bottles from around the world on display and at least 12 wines are on taste daily with expert Laithwaites staff on hand to advise on choices. The Tasting Table also offers wine courses and themed tastings in the evenings; a perfect prelude to the Christmas party or as a Company team event.

To celebrate the launch of the Tasting Table Laithwaites is offering £20 off your first case (12 bottles) of wine purchased between now and 18th December 2006.To redeem your voucher log on to the Laithwaites website and use the promotional code: WI. Spend your voucher online or visit us on Fenchurch Street and enjoy a tasting or two as you shop. For more information contact the Tasting Table direct on 0207 929 2277 or email winetastingtable@laithwaites.co uk

Small Steps School for Parents Christmas Bazaar

Thursday 23rd November, 7-10pm

19 Daylesford Avenue, Putney, London SW15 5QR  Tel. 020 8876 9029

For map click here

Small Steps School for Parents warmly invite you all to attend their Christmas Bazaar. It will be the perfect opportunity to purchase gifts and Christmas fayre without the stress and hassle of navigating the shops at this hectic time of year, whilst supporting this very worthwhile cause.

Please find attached the PDF form so that you can spread the word of the event to friends and family and don't forget you can also support Small Steps School and Fulham WI by purchasing a delicious Carved Angel Christmas Pudding. Contact Becca Bailey for details.

Download xmas_bazaar.pdf

The End of an Era

Lucy Hutchings

Founder and President of the Fulham WI

June 2003 to November 2006

It is with great sadness that we announce Lucy Hutchings, founder and president of the Fulham Women’s Institute, will be stepping down as president this month (Nov. 06) after being at the helm for over three fantastic years.

The Fulham WI is the brainchild of Lucy Hutchings, for without her pioneering efforts towards a ‘WI renaissance’, endless drive and enthusiasm the Fulham branch of the WI would not exist today.

Lucy was inspired to set-up a WI while working as PA to the Board of Trustees and former National Chairman, the late Barbara Gill, at the National Federation of Women’s Institutes Head office in London. She was impressed by the WIs ability to bring communities of women together in the spirit of solidarity to share and exchange skills, and with its astounding past and present track record in lobbying parliament for social change.

Armed with this enthusiasm Lucy went to a dinner party in June 2003 and over general conversation enlightened a few girlfriends about the ways of the WI and that is how the Fulham WI came into being.

It is without doubt that Lucy has been instrumental in changing the face of the WI by setting up one of the first ‘youth’ WIs, September 2003. The Fulham group is a break away from the stereotype of a typical WI. The average age is 29 years old as opposed to 50 or 60. The ladies meet in the evening on the first Monday of each month in a pub over a glass of wine rather than in the church hall. The members are a far cry from the vicar’s wife, retired headmistress and housewife. Instead they are upwardly mobile young mothers and professionals juggling careers, hobbies, family commitments and busy social lives.

Aside from the main differences Lucy has successfully managed to mix the old with the new, embracing the traditional activities of the WI - jam making, flower arranging and craft sessions often led by stalwarts from other WIs - while introducing the interests of its young members with talks on subjects as diverse as astrology, make-up, beer and chocolate matching, and women in politics. And with activities like trips to the polo and pole dancing classes. Guest speakers have included Sir Bernard Ingham, Edwina Curry, the Puppini Sisters and Lucy’s personal favourite lifestyle guru Carole Caplin.

Lucy can also be credited with introducing ‘Blogging not Baking’ turning the Fulham WI website earlier this year into an interactive blog, allowing all members to freely contribute their thoughts and ideas while bringing the WI into line with modern forms of communication.

As they say the best form of flattery is imitation and following the huge success of the Fulham WI its moved many more people to set-up their own ‘youthful’ WIs both here in London and around the country, proving that the WIs core traditions are true today as they were when it began in 1915. Not only has Lucy been an inspiration to us but also to many others.

From what started over three years ago as a few friends and friends of friends has grown exponentially and now forms the hub of a wide network of ladies who have formed new and solid friendships based on common interests.

Thanks to the WIs commitment to local charities during Lucy’s time the Fulham WI has raised thousands of pounds for: Mulberry House, The Royal Marsden, West London Action for Children, The Royal Hospital of Neuro-Disability and Small Steps School for Parents.

Naturally we cannot list every single achievement Lucy has made with the WI but we hope this gives a flavour of what she has achieved. I’m sure all would agree that Lucy’s warmth and approachability has endeared her to all and on behalf of the Fulham WI we would like to thank Lucy for all the hours she has given and her tireless dedication to the cause. 

Though Lucy will no longer be president of the Fulham WI she will remain on the committee and will continue to be an active member while forging ahead with her newly formed business marmaladya.com and soon-to-be-married life with the only honorary male Fulham WI member, Tom Hunt.

It is definitely an end of an era with Lucy stepping down not to mention Henri Gourlay, treasurer and a founding member, will be leaving the WI to live and work in Singapore in the new year. Helen Johnston, who has been part of the committee this year will also be stepping down to prepare for her forthcoming marriage and her commitments with the HAC.

This leaves us in the capable hands of another founding member Joanna Hackett and Niki Hutchinson who will be joint president for the year ahead.

We wish you all the best of luck for the future.

The Fulham WI Committee

Calling all knitters

If you can knit or fancy a bash at trying then the BBC are starting a campaign of Union Jack Hat Knitting for war veterans from WW2 to present. For more details watch the site and come to the meeting on Monday!