To celebrate our 10th birthday in 2022, we invited ten members – one member a month – to share their favourite or standout Lee Green WI memory with us. The first member to do this was Liz Murphy at our February meeting. Check out Liz’s memory below, and watch this space for more memories throughout the year.
FEBRUARY MEETING – Liz Murphy
I was honoured to be invited to attend the garden party held at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the WI. It truly was a priviledge to represent Lee Green WI, together with one of our current presidents Caroline, as well as a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk through, unchallenged, those familiar gates on the right of the palace, and through the stone archway where on TV we have seen so many dazzling horse-drawn coaches enter, into the courtyard where royal brides in gorgeous glittering gowns have alighted from their carriages after their fairytale wedding ceremonies.
The queue to get in was massive and I’m ashamed to say that we sneaked in behind a group from Wales by pretending to be with their party! Once inside the palace, the hallways and rooms we walked through were of course vast and splendid – I remember a lot of cabinets filled to the brim with crockery! – and led us to the back of the palace and onto the lawns, where there were hundreds of our fellow WI members from all over the country- I’ve never seen as many fascinators gathered in one place!
We had a stroll around the huge garden, where there was music from a small orchestra and a line of tea tents run with military precision, dispensing small but perfectly delicious cakes.
Caroline and I were surprised and delighted to be selected to be presented to Princess Alexandra, who as many of you know is a first cousin to the Queen, and an ardent WI-er. We each managed a pretty good curtsey, and Princess Alexandra was warm and chatty and very interested in us and our WI, and of course Caroline invited her to attend one of our meetings, an invitation she hasn’t yet taken up but perhaps one day…
But wonderful and exciting as all of that was, it’s not the prime reason this day sticks in my memory. I remember it most of all because of the wonderful women that I met there and the stories they told – Mary who’s president of her tiny WI in Wales, a group that was started by her great aunt, of which her mother was also president, and which she’s desperately trying to keep going despite falling numbers, in honour of her relatives and because she knows how important it is for the elderly women who currently attend. Without it they’d have very little social contact.
‘Women feeling and showing loyalty to others; women using their strength and encouraging courage in other women. To me THAT is the importance of the WI, and the memories of those women will stay with me always.’
Then there was Gillian, who told us about her terrible first marriage, where she suffered emotional bullying at the hands of her husband, lost self-esteem and the ability to see how she could go on. She told us it was the support of the friends she met through the WI that helped her to see she deserved and could have a happier life, and that gave her the courage to leave that toxic relationship, and rebuild her life, and she’s now happily remarried.
It was hearing those stories, and more, that changed my view of what the WI is. Not just cakes and Jerusalem, not resolutions and campaigns, but women being great friends to other women;
Women feeling and showing loyalty to others; women using their strength and encouraging courage in other women. To me THAT is the importance of the WI, and the memories of those women will stay with me always.
Thank you for allowing me to share my memory with you.
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MARCH MEETING – Kay Hart
…. happened on Tuesday 14th April 2020.
To set the scene. I joined the WI shortly after I retired, at Ann’s suggestion. I had mentioned to her that I wanted to do more locally and get to know more people in the area. I went to my first meeting with Ann to hold my hand, was made to feel very welcome as you would expect and then continued over the next couple of years, going to meetings, having a stint on the coffee rota, baking a cake or two, enjoying the talks.
Fast forward to April 2020. Lockdown 1 had been announced on Monday 23rd March and our inboxes and diaries were chock a block with cancellations. Scheduled for shortly before the start of Lockdown, our March meeting had also been cancelled. I think we were all probably feeling very worried and scared at that time, concerned for the health of our friends and loved ones, for our own health and well-being. Like many of you, I had elderly and vulnerable parents as well as a daughter working on the frontline for the NHS. No one knew how long it would all go on for, but I don’t think any of us anticipated that it would go on for quite so long …
Then on Tuesday 14th April a somewhat familiar email popped into our inbox… it looked pretty similar to previous ones but it had a very different message and it was getting this particular email that is my highlight.
‘April meeting on zoom’ it said in the subject line! You have to remember that three weeks into Lockdown 1, zoom was new to all of us. (Little did we know how much many of us would come to rely on it!)
‘April meeting on zoom’ it said in the subject line! You have to remember that three weeks into Lockdown 1, zoom was new to all of us. (Little did we know how much many of us would come to rely on it!) Anyway, back to the email. First of all, it confirmed we would have a meeting in April. The only thing we had to do was join a rehearsal to practice our zoom skills. So, that evening I and many others duly clicked the link …. And there was Alison, Caroline and Kay 1 enthusiastically telling us where to click, what the buttons meant, introducing us to the dreaded mute button, juggling the various asides of ‘I can’t see you’, ‘can you hear me? I can’t hear you!’ We saw each other upside down and met each other’s pets, glimpsed each other’s homes behind our backs, learned each other’s names and most importantly of all, we laughed… I kept a lockdown diary and wrote ‘Great rehearsal with the WI last night. Makes such a difference to see people and share laughter again. A real lift. Good to see Ruth – must try mum on zoom. Looking forward to next week’s talk.’
And the rest as they say, is history. We learned, we tasted, we sang, we quizzed, we got better at muting ourselves! Zoom gets a lot of flak and it obviously isn’t the same as meeting people face to face. But for me, joining those meetings in the early days of lockdown was a bit of a life saver at a really difficult time and really helped alleviate my anxiety and distract me from my worries.
Back to that email. The second little nugget in the same email was the opening of the WI Make Do and Mend WhatsApp group. Like many of you, I joined the group for the first time at that point. And apart from sharing little gems like Carolyn’s wine recommendations, our local wild life, our garden successes, there’s just one personal thing I’d like to mention for which I’ll always be grateful. My daughter’s wedding had been postponed twice but eventually, last year, we could go ahead with a small civil ceremony with nearest and dearest in our garden. I had spent a small fortune on the emergency purchase of a very large number of seedlings to provide some much needed colour in the garden … only trouble was they arrived as very small pluglets which needed to be potted on quickly to give them any chance of survival. POTS!! Within a couple of hours of putting out my tale of woe (a request for unwanted flowerpots) on the WhatsApp group, I had toured the neighbourhood collecting pot donations at the same time as being able to share a quick cuppa, admire your gardens and save the planet by recycling unwanted pots! The WI saved the day or rather the plants and my WI garden, as I introduced it in response to the many compliments I received, was full of colourful, living plants for Gen’s wedding, and the WI a part of a very special day for us all.
So, back to that email on the 14th April. It changed my world at an incredibly difficult time for me and I think it was probably from that point that I truly ‘got’ the WI and what it was about – the amazing support it gives in so many unseen ways. So thank you … to those on the Committee who sent that email and kept us going on zoom, to those of you on those online meetings who made me laugh at a time when I mainly wanted to cry, and for those of you who gave me the pots to save the plants and the planet. (By the way, the pots then went on to new homes again mainly to one of our neighbours who has an allotment and also to my dad.)
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APRIL MEETING – Mary Petty
Mary’s Maritime Memory
‘My special memory was our visit to the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre open day. We went one Saturday morning in the autumn of 2019, just before the pandemic, and it really was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been to.
Our visit didn’t get off to the best of starts, because when we got off the bus at Kidbrooke we got lost! We’d been given conflicting directions and the centre is so well tucked away, we couldn’t find it. To make matters worse, the staff at the centre were watching us on their CCTV and having a right laugh at us stumbling around trying to find them!
Inside was such a wonderful collection of maritime objects, clothing and paintings, some of which went back to Nelson’s time.
We did eventually get on the right track, and I was just amazed to see this place – a modern building plus a collection of old nissan huts left over from the Second World War – tucked into a mini glade between two motorways, with cars whizzing past on both sides, yet virtually out of sight.
It was even more special for me because the centre is on the site of the old RAF Kidbrooke where my mother-in-law flew barrage balloons in World War 2, so I had a family connection to it.
Inside was such a wonderful collection of maritime objects, clothing and paintings, some of which went back to Nelson’s time. My favourite area was the conservation section, where we saw a painting and some naval uniforms being conserved. That was so interesting.
I also loved this little sailor doll (above left), which stood about 6 inches tall, which sailors used to send to their loved ones back home, and a domino set (above right) , about 12 inches long, which had been made from bone by POWs. Each piece fitted together so intricately. It was all just magical.
And as I think about it now, I loved it so much not just because it was a museum filled with interesting things, but because of its hidden setting, and the passion of the people who work there. It’s not often in today’s society that you come across something that’s so special, and I’d urge anyone who hasn’t been to spend the £12 entry fee and visit it…if you can find it!!’
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MAY MEETING – Dee Bunnage
I think I am supposed to share one memorable moment. Hard , because every meeting is enjoyable and memorable in its own right. I haven’t told Caroline but as it is the 10 year anniversary of the Lee Green WI, I thought I would share approximately 10 memories I promise you they are all brief.
I never saw myself in a WI, I can’t cook, I can’t bake, I can’t sew and I’m not creative so how on earth did I end up here this evening.
In November 2018 with Janice and Helen we decided to visit the Lee Green open studios and wandered along to Manor House Library. There was a very handsome looking stall displaying some beautiful and very tempting cakes. There were also several temptresses encouraging us to go and sample their wares You know who you are Jan! (Mr.Kipling)
So after a couple of drinks and maybe one or two pieces of cake Jan persuaded us that we might like to attend the next WI meeting, This just happened to be Jane Beedle from Bake Off who was decorating a cake with hazelnut ganache and Maltesers which we were able to share when she had created her masterpiece. (Maltesers)
WI members at this meeting were very welcoming and that is the night we became WI members. Seduced by cake, how shallow! Incidentally I am on catering duties next month and for the first time ever I promise I will bake a cake.
In January 2019 the WI had a ukulele evening. I had played the ukulele previously, it had been a retirement project, but I hadn’t played since breaking my arm. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and it has made me play again. I have even bought it with me this evening but you will be relieved to hear that we haven’t got time for me to play or sing to you. (ukulele)
In July 2019 I tried my hand at another creative skill which was completing a hand tied flower bouquet. Donna and her able assistants were very patient and I was very proud of my of my completed creation. In true Blue Peter style I have one with me tonight that I prepared earlier. Please don’t look too closely. (Flowers in a vase)
In November 2019 there was a large group of Lee Green WI members who visited the City View restaurant near Shooters Hill. The food cooked and served by the students was fantastic. The company wasn’t bad either! This was the start of the WI supper club, perhaps now we have returned to going out we can try another eating experience.
Sorry, I do like a visual aid, but I couldn’t manage to get a three course meal with wine out of my bag!
I never saw myself in a WI, I can’t cook, I can’t bake, I can’t sew and I’m not creative so how on earth did I end up here this evening.
March 2020…meeting cancelled. Start of lockdown! Lee Green WI undeterred launched Zoom WI in April.
Although it was hard not seeing people in person, virtual meetings brought their own rewards and we got to meet several WI cats. Our Nelson quite misses Zoom. Make do and mend became make do and meet. I am an infrequent commenter , but an avid reader. Like a lot of people I look forward to Carolyn’s monthly shopping tips!
This is a clue to one of most memorable Zoom experiences! On-line facial spa.who would have thought there was such a thing!
Great fun and many WI ‘ers’ dressed the part. (Rubber duck)
December 2020, there was a little knock on the front door. A Christmas elf , Kay, with a Christmas tipple was on the doorstop. We live out of the Lee Green area and were very touched that Kay had made that journey. Kind of sums up WI really. (Mini bottle of Prosecco)
It’s great to be back in the flesh, so to speak and what good fun to have a good look around the Rangers House. I’ve been meaning to do that for years. Thanks Kay and Gail.
Raising a glass every now and again is a feature of the WI. I would like to raise a glass to thank all members of Lee Green WI for their warmth, hospitality and friendship. In particular I would like to thank the committee members for all their hard work making all this possible . Finally, good luck to the Lee Green WI for the next 10 years. Cheers! (Small bottle of wine wrapped in WI tea towel)
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JUNE MEETING – Gail Treves Brown
Support and friendship
When I first moved to this area, I knew no one local at all.
A year or two later, it was Julie Pannell-Rae who told me about the Lee WI. I thought of WI as old ladies like my granny, making jam and chutney, and so I knew it wasn’t for me. But then I reasoned that Julie isn’t like that, so I decided to give it a try.
I don’t want to talk about one stand-out event, but about people, about support and friendship. Because this has been the most memorable part of the WI experience for me.
My experience the first time I came, and my on-going experience, has been of being welcomed. I’ve never experienced cliquiness. I came on my own the first time, and I was nervous, but whenever I have sat down at a table there has always been a welcome and a friendly chat.
I joined the book group and spent happy evenings discussing books and getting to know Monika, Louise, Jane and others. (And I want to say that it’s lovely to have Monika back with us again.)
A few years on, I suffered from depression, mainly because of a very stressful work situation. I managed to make it to a WI meeting and spoke to one of the others at my table, who shared her experience. It was such a life-affirming conversation for me to talk to someone who understood my symptoms. If I had to pick a stand-out moment, it would be that. Being alongside each other in the worst of times.
… whenever I have sat down at a table there has always been a welcome and a friendly chat.
I dance with Dacre Morris and one evening we came as a team to lead the WI meeting. Some of the other dancers had lead meetings at a couple of other WIs and said that everyone just sat and watched, wouldn’t have a go. I was sure that you would be different, and I was right. Calling the Upton Hanky dance with all of you on the floor taking part is one of my happy memories. And your positive attitude worked, because Mel and Bernadette, who were already friends from dancing, were so impressed that they joined our WI.
One evening in December 2020, when we couldn’t meet in person, our doorbell rang – which is rare – and I found Caroline outside, delivering a bag with a bottle of bubbly. If you haven’t got directions, then our flat is very hard to find in the daylight. So I want to give a shout-out for Caroline’s dedication in turning up unannounced in the dark.
The last memory I want to share is from a recent meeting when I didn’t enjoy the speaker. And as I walked home, thinking of all my criticisms of it, I realised, “But I’ve still had a nice evening.” And that was because I’d had nice conversations with friendly, supportive women.
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SEPTEMBER MEETING – Ruth Gayfer
“I was asked by Caroline Powell at the beginning of the year if I would talk for about 5 minutes on the lecture I have most enjoyed since joining Lee Green WI several years ago.
This has been a very difficult choice to make since there have been so many varied and really interesting, rewarding and instructive subjects.
But I have to admit a great favourite was the evening we all learnt how to play the ukulele.
It was such fun to see everyone having a go – and to find that I was such a duffer at coordinating my brain and fingers. But the final sound and laughter all around was so very all embracing that I think that is my favourite memory. I wonder how many of you were there for the ukulele evening? And I do hope that those of you who were there will agree with me!
The other evening that I really enjoyed was the trip to listen and look for the bats in Manor House Gardens. I had no idea that there was all this natural life going on in Manor House Gardens. Maybe I should have realised they are usually flying around water in the evenings….. but it was amazing to hear and see them flitting about and a real treat for a midsummer’s evening”.
As Ruth’s talk was in the week after the Queen’s death in September 2022, Ruth then spoke about her memories of 1952 when the Queen’s father George VI had died – she brought along her diary from that year and read out her entry for 15th February when King George was buried. She was working at The Royal Opera House in 1952 and told us about the changing of the royal insignia on the famous red velvet curtains from GR VI to ER II.
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OCTOBER MEETING – Bernadette Newman
I was motivated to join Lee Green WI because of the splendidly warm welcome Dacre Morris received when we came to dance at a meeting in April 2018.
This was clearly a group of enthusiastic, friendly women who did a range of interesting things and I wanted to be part of it.
Membership has encouraged me to try new things that I thought I would not be very good at, such as glasswork on our lovely weekend at Denman, and also to visit those places one intends to go to but somehow never get round to, such as the Ranger’s House in Greenwich Park where Gail gave us a fascinating tour of the collection or the hidden gem of 2 Temple Place, where I later ended up working as a film extra in a scene for the upcoming series of The Crown, and where it was really useful to know the layout of the building.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a classic example of a place one just knows is there, and one sees the pensioners at ceremonial events or even in the street if one ever makes it to the smart streets of Chelsea, but without the WI I would probably not have had the impetus to arrange to go on a visit. In July 2018 it was the first WI outing I went on and it was fascinating.
Charles II founded the Hospital in 1682, in imitation of Les Invalides in Paris, which had been founded by Louis XIV. The institution was founded as an almshouse, which is the ancient sense of the word ‘hospital’. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and took in the first pensioners in 1692. Its website says “Since 1692 we have offered care and comradeship for veterans in recognition of their loyal service to the nation. The Hospital offers excellent accommodation, comradeship and the highest standards of care to any former soldier of the British Army over the age of 66 who is facing spending their advanced years alone”. Three hundred army veterans live at the Hospital and in 2009 Dorothy Hughes, Winifred Phillips and Marjorie Cole were the first women to join their ranks.
We were shown round on our private tour by a dapper elderly gentleman who was clearly immensely proud of the institution and the camaraderie it provides for former service men and women. He regaled us with tales of events at the Hospital, including the annual Flower Show and also Founder’s Day, which is celebrated every year on a date close to 29 May, which was both Charles II’s birthday and the date of his restoration to the throne in 1660. Our guide was delighted to tell us that he had obtained special permission for us to sing Jerusalem in the Hospital chapel. None of us had the heart to disappoint him by telling him that our particular WI sings Jerusalem only once a year and are possibly not the most confident at doing so. But, womanfully, we all made our best effort to do justice to the historic setting and, led by our tuneful president, we did manage a respectable rendition of the hymn.
In the spirit of so many WI events, we went on to have a very tasty lunch where we could continue our chat and where I had the opportunity to get to know more members of this lovely group.
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NOVEMBER MEETING – Melanie Lewis
Just like Bernadette, who shared her favourite WI memory last month, I joined Lee Green WI after our Morris dancing side came along to dance at the meeting in April 2018, organised by Gail who belongs to both groups. Dacre Morris had already run workshops for other local WIs but there was something quite different about the Lee Green meeting.
There was a lovely, vibrant atmosphere and everyone was so friendly and enthusiastic.
As a result of that experience, Bernadette and I decided to go along to the next meeting. I can’t remember anything about it now, except that I enjoyed it and decided to join up. It’s been a delight and a pleasure to have been a member of this fun and very caring group of women ever since.
The first outing I went on was to see the restoration of the painted ceiling in The Painted Hall of The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich from very close up. The hall was originally designed by Christopher Wren as a dining hall for Greenwich pensioners who lived at the Royal Hospital and was completed in 1707. The entire hall then took 19 years to paint and seeing the ceiling up close it’s no wonder why.
After recovering from an initial degree of vertigo, due to being so high up and tilting my head to look at the detail in the painting, I was absolutely amazed, if not gobsmacked, being so close to it. It looked totally unrecognisable, compared to what you see when staring up at it from ground level. The colour, clarity and richness of the restored painting has really brought it to life again. The difference between the colours on the cleaned parts of the ceiling compared to those bits yet to be cleaned was staggering. This isn’t surprising after 300 years of candle, pipe and cigarette smoke rising up towards it.
I just marvelled at the skill of the artist who accomplished such an amazing piece of artwork and the physical strain it must have put on him. There are 200 figures in this painting so it’s little surprise that it took 19 years to complete. It centres around King William III and Mary II, and George I, and depicts Peace and Liberty triumphing over Tyranny, which is still so pertinent in the modern world.
James Thornhill, who was the responsible for the painting of the hall and its magnificent ceiling, was paid the equivalent of £1.4 million for the job and became the first artist ever to be knighted. He was awarded this accolade by George I in 1720.
The recent restoration took two years from 2016-18 and cost £8.5m with £3.1m of that money coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund. There were 80,000 visitors who saw the restoration in progress during this time including our privileged WI group. I had been intending to see the painted ceiling close up while it was open to the public but hadn’t got round to it. When the WI offered a visit, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a unique experience and one that I’ll never forget, thanks to the WI.
It now costs £12.50 to visit the Painted Hall but this includes unlimited entry for a year – a bargain!
The fact that our WI committee, and other members, organise such diverse experiences and talks at meetings, and seek out so many different places to visit, is something I really appreciate. Also, the friendship and support of everyone is what makes Lee Green WI such a wonderful group to belong to.
A Ditty for the WI
Getting together on the third Thursday each month,
It’s a meeting of the WI,
A joyous occasion full of cake and laughs,
And let me tell you why.
The speakers and facilitators come from far and wide,
Sharing enthusiasm for the activities they do,
These may require us to listen, move, drink, play,
Or even cut and paste with glue.
Every meeting is different and fun,
And here’s the main reason why,
It’s down to the fantastic members and dedicated, caring committee,
Of the Lee Green WI.
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DECEMBER MEETING – Open Mic Night!
Our final memories to celebrate our 10 year anniversay were recounted at our December meeting. This time we invited anyone who fancied it the chance to jump up and share their favourite moment from Lee Green WI. Maybe it was the effect of the wine we tasted or the warm supportive atmosphere in the room but there were many takers on the night. Those we can remember, before the wine took hold, include:
Past President Deborah Benady who particularly enjoyed our Christmas meetings, notably making a wreath and a table decoration.
Member Frances Migniuola who loved the visit to see the Painted Hall ceiling at such close quarters as part of a guided tour.
Member Cairis Grant-Hickey who found the WI invaluable during lockdown, especially meeting up on Zoom when she was pregnant and not able to see others. Cairis felt part of a community when she needed it most.
Committee Member Jan Ford whose highlight was our trip up St Stephen’s tower as guests of our then MP, Heidi Alexander, to see and hear Big Ben – amazing.
Committee Member Lucy Anne Bishop who has found the WI a supportive community to be a part of and was delighted to find that she had unknowingly been able to support a fellow member.
And finally, current Presidents Alison Hooper and Caroline Powell. Alison confessed to the delight she feels when faced with an array of home made cakes made by our talented baking members, and Caroline just loves an impromptu WI meeting in the aisles at Sainsbury. Maximum number so far is seven in one shopping outing, maybe this can be beaten in 2023!
Thank you all for sharing your highlights of Lee Green WI, we have absolutely loved hearing them.