The following report was prepared and present by Gill who attended as Horsham Normandy WI representative.
On 22nd October 2015 six of us attended the 96th Annual meeting of the West Sussex Federation at the Assembly Halls in Worthing. This was my first large WI meeting and it was amazing to see Worthing assembly Hall full to capacity and moving to hear a mass rendition of “Jerusalem”.
The welcome was given by Janice Langley (in the outfit she wore to meet the Queen). She spoke of the ups and downs of a busy centenary year. Flowers in the West Sussex colours were presented to her by June Moran.
Michael Donin, Mayor of Worthing welcomed us all to Worthing and spoke of his admiration for the WI.
The treasurer, Janet Melvin, reported that that finances are sound and her report included details of the development of North Lodge, which is good repair, some of the legacy money being used for the development of the heritage room which has replaced the shop which is now closed.
The Chairman’s report and address was given by June Moran who had attended the National Council meeting of federation chairmen and secretaries, where Denman Hall, its deficits and future, were discussed. It was very worrying to hear about the financial difficulties besetting Denman Hall – the year 2014-15 showed a deficit of £150,000. We heard about the possibilities of its sale with the money being used for education in centres across the country. However bookings are good for this year and there is hope for the future.
Centenary celebrations. It has been an amazing year. The samplers have been on display in the Heritage Room at North Lodge. The baton passed through West Sussex with much celebration ably assisted from East Sussex to Hampshire by Yvonne Price. The “Picnic in the Park” at Arundel was an enjoyable event and carried on regardless of the rain due to the indomitable spirit of the ladies of the WI. The garden party at Buckingham Palace was enjoyed by all who attended. The flower festival had fewer entries than expected but the standard was high and it may become an annual event – possibly Horsham next time. A group will need to be formed – contact North Lodge if you are interested!
2017 is the centenary of the Sussex Federation and 2019 of the West Sussex Federation – so many more celebrations could be in the pipeline!
The first speaker was astronaut Helen Sharman who entitled her talk “from Mars to the stars” since she started her working life as a chemist working for Mars on the development of the Mars bar ice cream. In 1989, she heard an advertisement for the Anglo-Soviet space program – “Astronaut wanted” and applied. Training lasted 18months, both in the classroom (including learning Russian) and in simulators, her favourite bit being the weightlessness training in the “vomit comet”. It was fascinating to hear about the launch day traditions (if Gagarin did it then …), the launch experience, the physiological , survival and practical problems of life in the space station such as maintaining air circulation but preventing people circulation (using anchored sleeping bags) and looking out of the space station window to “stars and sunrise”.
On her return, since it was a commercial mission, she returned to instant redundancy but her advice was to make the decision, take a chance and seize the moment. Good advice for all women, whatever age or background.
The afternoon speaker was Julie Summers, author of “Jambusters”, which was televised as “Home Fires”. She opened by saying she was pleased to be speaking in Lady Denman’s backyard and quoted a description of the great lady as “a fine stride in walking and an expert in tree felling”.
She told of her own family’s wartime experiences, of the issues between returning men and their wives, of returning evacuees who had been changed by months and years away from their parents. She continued on the war time role of the Quaker rooted, pacifist, WI in supporting women and families, busting bureaucratic log jams, preserving food in jams and cans to help feed the nation, funding ambulances and x-rays, collecting herbs for the making of medicines – and by knitting over 22million garments, many for the MoD.
She finished by stating that the extraordinary work of women during the war is alive in the WI today. I am sure we were all left feeling proud to be members of such an organisation.
After the raffle draws and the “Denman dip” (can it be a WI meeting without a raffle?) the meeting closed with the singing of the National Anthem.
Horsham Normandy W.I. 