News

Hawkinge Acrise & Paddlesworth WI meeting August 2007

We were delighted to welcome our West Kent link WI to the August meeting. The ladies of Shoreham WI arrived at about 12.30pm and were invited to have lunch with some twenty of our ladies. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and started our afternoon off very nicely indeed. Lots of chat and laughter filled the hall.

We were also pleased to be joined by a member’s grand-daughter and her friend, both fourteen years old. They had helped with the setting up of the hall and certainly deserved their lunch.

Once we had eaten and 2pm approached more ladies came for the meeting proper and it was a full house for the rest of the afternoon.

Our President then opened the meeting with the singing of Jerusalem, a wonderful rendition with so many voices filling the air. It was her pleasure to congratulate two of our members who have recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversaries; Joy & Ernie Bruce and Daphne & Roy Sayer, giving each a beautiful arrangement of golden flowers. Birthday greetings were accorded to Mesdames Vine, Whitehouse and Wilson.

The speaker for the afternoon was Lee Ault who took many down memory lane and entertained other younger ladies with her treasure trove of rationed fashion – 1939 to 1945. It was quite wonderful to hear “oh yes I remember those” ringing round the hall but what the two fourteen year olds made of “liberty bodices” “harvest bloomers” and “suspenders and gaiters” I can’t imagine. What a world away from 2007 where we have fashion for all and at very inexpensive prices, certainly not having to try and buy a piece of parachute silk to make our undies!

When Mrs Ault had finished her talk the ladies from Shoreham were taken to St Martin’s at Acrise to see the Flower Festival – the icing on the cake for them I think. What a wonderful afternoon of companionship and new friendships.

We really are a very friendly WI and should you wish to join us you would be made most welcome. We celebrate the formation of our WI at the next meeting on Tuesday 4th September with a Birthday Tea, starting at 2pm in the Village Hall.

Linda Barnes

Committee Member