Broom WI

Broom Women's Institute meet on the first Thursday of the month at the village hall at 7.30pm.

We are a small group who enjoy the different venues arranged for the whole year. In the past we have had interesting and original speakers who have entertain and made our evenings enjoyable.

The WI opens up many opportunities to visit different venues within the Warwickshire Federation. Recently some of us have attended the science evening sessions which have included Saturn Lord of the Rings, Geology Rocks and the latest one Stem Cell Research, also subjects like Vegetable Surprise (which was a day event given by Hillers Farm), a Poetry morning and sewing for pleasure. So as you can see a very mixed variety which could suit many different people.

We also arrange for our little group evenings out to the theatre, meals and meeting other groups within Warwickshire for skittles, darts etc, and organise our transport with one another to attend.

Brenda our President or Helen our Secretary would be only too pleased to answer any queries you may have. We would love to hear from you.

This friendly group end the evenings socially with refreshments that are always provided, so we get to know one another comfortably therefore expanding friendships.

Reports from various meetings

April 2012

On Thursday 5th April we had Lucy Headley as our Speaker who explained the workings of the Aloe Vera plant and what can be produced with it fantastic properties. She gave one of our members a mini facial and then let each one of us sample the different creams she applied. If it says what it does on the packet, I’m all for it. Our next meeting is discussing and voting for the resolution to be heard at our AGM, so there will not be a speaker, but on the 7th June at 7.30pm at Broom Village Hall we will be having a demonstration of different crafts provided by Bee Crafty. This should prove to be a very interesting and enjoyable evening so we will look forward to seeing most welcomed visitors and don’t forget we always have delightful refreshments after.

January 2012

Our meeting on Thursday the 5th January went very well as our speaker gave an excellent eye opener talk on being selected for jury service. As most people know names are chosen from the Electoral Register selecting 15 potential jurors. The clerk randomly selects 12 names of the people who are to form the jury. Once the trial begins and even when the trial is over, nothing must be discussed about the case other than in the deliberation room. Not even with family members. It must be really difficult to do this especially if someone talks in their sleep!

December 2011

We had other good turnout of visitors on Thursday 1st December when Brenda gave us a choice on making either a table or hanging Christmas decoration. She had brought many different materials for us to work with and we were all served a glass of Mulled Wine to help us succeed in developing a good result. There were many laughs at the different productions we were trying to create but it all worked out well in the end with us taking home a very proud work of art. I don't know how the others felt but it reminded me of being back at school and taking home my (beautiful) creation for the family to see. The evening ended with our usual table filled with all sorts of delicious bites to eat and enjoy.

October 2011

Our speaker, Judith Layhe-Cook, on Thursday 6th October made us spellbound with her enthusiastic knowledge and demonstration of the use of the fan during Tai Chi movements. She had brought a collection of fans with her for us to inspect and get the feel of. She is such a passionate and inspiring person and this became apparent by the way she managed to get all of the audience participating and performing Tai Chi steps using the fans. Although there was a lot of giggling and fear we were not doing it correctly as it is quite difficult to get the fans to make the movements look graceful as well as giving a resounding noise, with the fan, at certain times, most of us got the swing of it by the end of the evening. This is not to say we looked anything like the beautiful way Judith did, when she performed. I think after this form of exercise we were all ready to sit down and enjoy the refreshments provided.

September 2011

Our meeting on Thursday 1st September went very well with a good attendance of many welcomed visitors. Both Cathy and Steve Harris gave a good insight of some of the Massai tribes in Kenya, with film and a video (which they had taken when visiting a particular family) of the different way they celebrate certain festivals. They welcomed their guests with a feast of a roast goat, after which the tribal women collected their plates and then had their meal from the leftovers. I think it would be a good idea if the Massai women started their own WI! Having to live between game parks their homes get invaded at times with dangerous animals, such as Elephants tramping all over their corn fields and other crops as well as the threat of lions. They have learnt to adapt to a different way of living without losing their tribal ways and traditions. This talk was well expressed and delivered, which showed by the reception and response they got from the audience.

July 2011

Our meeting on the 7th July was held in one of our member's beautiful garden. She was very kind in opening her garden to us to celebrate our last meeting before resuming again in September. We all brought a plate of goodies which her husband judged for us. The winner was our Secretary Helen Powell, who received a selection of vegetables grown from the garden. Then after the usual chatter we always have, our hostess opened a bottle and we tuck into the delightful spread which we had all contributed. We were then ready for the WI business to be discussed.

January 2011

As it was our first meeting of the year we decided to make it a social evening. One of our members kindly invited us all to her home. It was agreed we all bring a plate of goodies to eat while we sat together to tell one another all the gossip of our individual Christmas. We also managed to arrange all our speakers for the year and put together different outings to different venues, one to the theatre and a stately home also a few different lectures arranged within the Warwickshire WI group. As usual all our meeting are on the first Thursday of each month at Broom village hall. On the 3rd February our speaker will be Mark Preston talking about Cacti so if you wish to know more about them and how to look after and take cuttings from them, then do come along. He is an interesting speaker who may be able to tell you why your Christmas Cacti does not always survive another year. It should be an interesting and fun evening ending with the usual refreshments, so why not join us.

September 2010

Nina Knapman our speaker explained how she got involved with Fair Trading for her local town Alcester. She felt supporting this pretty town would enhance trade and help Fair Trading in other countries. She and a few others managed to hold a Fair Trading day in the town which was well supported and successful. She is passionate about supporting our local industries, farmers and shops. She also explained how this system works in other countries by monitoring their conditions and how helping them is allowing them to help themselves by providing schools, water and even a pension scheme for the tea pickers. We ended up having a supper provided by the committee to celebrate our Harvest meeting. Our next meeting is on the 7th October when our speaker will be Judith Layhe-Cook, the subject being Gemmology. If you want to know about your jewellery, then this meeting is for you. Same place Broom village hall at 7.30pm.

July 2010

Our meeting on the 1st July was held in one of our member's garden. I really should not say meeting because it is usually like a get-together. Luck was with us because it had been forecast rain late evening and we didn't have a drop. Carol very bravely allowed us to congregate there disrupting her family's peace and quiet. We all made a decorated plate of food to take which her husband, Les, had agreed to judge. The different themes created by each one, was amazing. The thought and artistic effort made the table look very attractive. I'm sure Les had an extremely difficult time with the judging. We had to leave the exhibition table so as not to be tempted to bribe him. Carol had done us proud having table and chairs for us to enjoy our feast after the judging. While making ourselves comfortable awaiting his decision, Shirley won with her plate of different cup cakes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla on a bed of Alchemilla Mollie leaves with sprays of the plant's flowers. We did not have the usual tea to accompany our meal but enjoyed (non alcoholic we were assured) elderberry wine. After fighting off the fruit fly, who must have announced what we were drinking allowing all his family and friends to join him, we soon learnt to protect our full glasses. We certainly enjoyed the rest of the evening until the light faded and we realized it was time to go home thanking Carol for her hospitality. Months after booking to see Calendar Girls, ten of us went to Birmingham Hippodrome on the following Saturday to enjoy the most heart warming, funny and of course sometimes sad performance. I can recommend WI women who have not yet seen the show to try to arrange to do so. It is certainly worth seeing and enjoying. The buzz from the audience was proof.

June 2010

Our meeting on Thursday went very well with Mo Emmans as our speaker for the night. What an extraordinary person she is. She gave a very informative and humorous sight of life as a peddler selling her wares travelling through different villages between the years 1100 to 1700. Her outfit was of that time and made entirely by herself in woven wool. The different vegetables she used to dye her garments were numerous, giving the correct colour and authenticity. When she described other methods she had her audience quite amazed but laughing. The history of why this country changed its religion was an insight none of us quite expected as it gave us an awareness not emphasised in history books. Her knowledge of this time and even of her own family background held us all spellbound. Her philosophy is our lives have not really changed. We still pay taxes, some of the same laws are still enforced, we still have wars which are costly in both lives and money which we pay for and only the wealthy can afford designer clothes without saving for them so in her eyes nothing has changed. Her description of the wealthy in that time enlightened us on how men had their women as show pieces to display their status. Not a very interesting life for them, in fact almost boring as they were not even allowed to dress themselves or, as she put it, make themselves a cup of tea when they felt like one because a servant had to be called to do this for them. People depended on peddlers passing on different gossip and news from the many parts of the country they had visited therefore a network of different information was spread to all. Next month's meeting is being held in one of our member's garden. Our next formal meeting is not until September 2nd when our speaker will be Elizabeth Davy. More information on this will be given nearer the date.

May 2010

Because of the General Election and we usually use the main hall, our meeting on 7th May had to be held in the small back room. This did not put us off as any excuse to get together for tea, biscuits or cakes and a chat is just the job. We did have to discuss the AGM resolutions and vote, but once that was over it was down the serious business of looking at all the different dates to make a note of. There is such a good selection to chose from in the Warwickshire Federation's diary. Some of us have decided on the Skittles evening in June and also our group have arranged a trip to Birmingham to see the show Calendar Girls. Many of our meeting are really social evenings when we can mix with one another and chat away as women do. It is such a fun and relaxing time that give us women time for ourselves. Our speaker on the 3rd June at Broom village hall is Mo Emmans who is an artist and will come dressed as a travelling peddler talking about life during the years 1100 to 1700 and show some of her work with ink, water colours and other mediums. We look forward to seeing and meeting you.

April 2010

What an interesting and informative speaker Alan Godrey from the Alcester Heritage Centre, was. Alcester is our nearest town and he made us look at it in a different light. The vast area the Romans occupied starting from the Waitrose car park (ever wondered what the painted red lines meant?), Evesham Street, Newport Drive, Chantry Crescent, Bleachfield Street (where Birch Abbey is hidden behind the school), Malt Mill Lane and of course the High Street. Also not forgetting Primrose Hill which became their fortress.