Hordle WI recently held their February meeting
The speaker this month was Jonathan Broomfield, "The Cheeseman". Jonathan sells local British and continental cheese from the family shop, Harveys of Hythe. He has over 18 years' experience selling cheese and has gained a wealth of knowledge travelling the country meeting makers, judging at cheese shows and hosting cheese and wine talks. He is also a certified butter grader. He started his career by studying food technology at college and has worked for Waitrose and is now a UK Ambassador for the International Cheese and Dairy Awards.
He gave a very interesting and informative talk which included samples of Stoney Cross and Leburn cheeses for members to taste. The President gave a vote of thanks and refreshments followed.
Discussion and voting on this year's resolutions took place. The majority voting for "Bystanders can be Lifesavers" (CPR). The next pub lunch will be on the 20th February at the Wheatsheaf. The Angela Rippon initiative "Let's Dance" will take place at Hordle WI Hall on 2nd March. The Craft Fair is to be held on 12th April at the WI Hall and members were asked to volunteer to help on the day. There is still one table available. The Craft group were discussing entries for the next New Forest Show. The Walking group's next meet is on 11th February at Highcliffe Castle. Members were reminded that there are still spaces on the tea and coffee rota. Pennington WI will be holding a quiz and fish supper on 26th April and we are invited to join them. Details of the Summer outing to be held on 20th May will be circulated shortly.
The President announced that unfortunately we no longer had sufficient volunteers to continue coordinating the single let events for parties etc at the WI Hall. She thanked everyone who has supported and hired the hall for one off events over the last 100 plus years, it was very much appreciated.
The hall is almost fully booked by regular hirers, only Wednesday afternoon and Sundays now being available. A new Salsa group on Wednesday evening will be starting on the 9th April.
Jerusalem was sung and the meeting closed. Hordle WI meet on the first Tuesday each month, doors open at 1.30pm for a 2.00pm start. We welcome visitors and new members. Look at the website hordlewi.org.uk for more information.
2025 - Hordle WI recently held their January meeting
The speaker this month was Nick Willoughby who is a Fish Biologist and Zoologist. He has worked on projects around the world, including Nigeria, Malawi, Indonesia, Fiji and Bangladesh advising governments on sustainable fishing. Nick gave an interesting and informative talk which included artefacts collected from many countries he had visited. The biggest being a half skull of an enormous crocodile mounted in a wooden frame. He fondly remembered carvair and vodka parties and eating sturgeon, by far his favourite fish.
Members were able to look at and handle the various artefacts which included coral, clams, shells, sharks teeth, sword fish, wooden model boats, axes and bark beaten into decorative cloth. He concluded with a debate on whether the Loch Ness Monster actually existed or was Nessie just a very large fish.
After a break for refreshments we discussed the success of our Christmas lunch at Barton Golf club, the Carol service at St Thomas' church and the new lighter chairs ordered for the hall. The next pub lunch was to be held at the Smugglers, Milford. Members were reminded about this month;s games afternoon and the walking groups' coffee morning at Otters garden centre. The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem sung.
New members and visitors are always welcome at Hordle WI. We meet on the first Tuesday every month at Hordle WI Hall, 2.00-4.00pm, doors open at 1.30pm. Come and join us. More information can be found on our website hordlewi.org.uk
2024 Hordle WI recently held their November meeting.
The speaker this month was the lovely "Retro Rita" (aka Jo Geraghty) who arrived to entertain us, very much "in period" wearing a pretty 50's style dress, complete with petticoat.
She immediately launched into a selection of 50's and 60's songs, singing through a very retro microphone. She began with 'Memories are Made of This' and segued effortlessly through 30 minutes of 50's nostalgic tunes, culminating with Frank Sinatra's 'Fly me to the Moon'.
Then it was on to the 60's starting of course, with the Beatles, 'I Wanna Hold your Hand', then moving on once again to a lovely selection of 60's songs, Dusty Springfield, The Shirelles, Helen Shapiro, to name a few. We all enjoyed singing along to such wonderful memories. The 60's was concluded with 'See you later Alligator', a fitting end to a most enjoyable and entertaining hour of memories. Retro Rita left the stage with a smile on everyone's face, and hopefully we will welcome her back at a future date to enjoy more of her extensive repertoire.
Last month we had a pub lunch at the Wheatsheaf which was well attended, as always we were well looked after. Then we had our Autumn Quiz which once again was won by Pennington WI. The Saltern Autum ever was successful, tickets were limited and those luck enough to attend were enterained by Charley Dimmock of Ground Force fame.
In December we have our Christmas lunch at Barton Golf Curse and the Saltern WI Group Carol Service at St Thomas' church Lymington which also coincides with the Christmas Tree Festival. The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem was sung.
Vicitors and new members are always welcome at Hordle WI. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month at Hordle WI Hall 2-00-4.00pm doors open at 1.30pm.
For more information look at our website hordlewi.org.uk or telephone Yvonne on 01425 615284.
2024 Hordle WI recently held their October meeting.
The Speaker this month was Jackie Dimmock, The Good the Bad and downright funny (including quilts). Jackie arrived for her third visit to Hordley WI and promptly announced we would be the 'guinea pigs' for her forthcoming revised talk! We were very well entertained with her descriptions and anecdotes from her time serving in the Hampshire Police Force beginning in 1982 when she joined the force, right up until her retirement in 2012. Each Police Divsion in which she served was accompained by some lovely descriptive quilts to give a display of the sometimes amusing incidents that occurred along the way in her interesting career. This included her 'duty handbag', days of old, and also the importance of not getting in front of a fearsome police dog when it is following a scent. Upon leaving the force she was 'spotted' on various occasions across the globe by her formal pupils from her days in the Child Protection Unit, even during a leg waxing session, but less said about that the better, even this event warranted a quilt! I think it was agreed that Jackie Dimmock would be welcomed back at sometime in the future if some more stories are forthcoming.
Our Summer Outing was a trip to Swanage. The day which included a steam train ride nearly ended in disaster when the coach arrived late due to vandals. This meant the coach was late arriving at the station. Luckily staff had very kindly held up the train and all was well. Members and friends had a very enjoyable day, thanks to Sue for organising an excellent day out.
Members were asked to donate items for Ukraine at Christmas. A poster was displayed advertising much needed items. The Monday Craft Group is busy arranging a display of knitted poppies outside the WI Hall for Remembrance Day. The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem sung. New members and visitors are always welcome. We meet on the first Tuesday each month at Hordle WI Hall, Ashley Road 2.00-4.00pm. Doors open 1.30pm come and join us. More information can be found on our website www.hordlewi.org.uk
2024 Hordle WI recently held their September meeting.
The speaker was Alan Saunders giving a detailed and informative talk all about 'The King's Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard' (not to be confused with the Yeoman Wardens at the Tower of London). The Yeoman of the Guard being the oldest British military corps still in existance. It was created by King Henry V11 in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth Field. Alan's time with the Yeoman of the Guard had included many ceremonial occasions for which he brought along an impressive collection of artefacts accumulated over the years. To qualify as a Yeoman of the Guard, Alan had served in the British Army Forces as a Senior Non Commissioned Officer for a minimum of 22 years and had gone through a rigorous selection process to be accepted into the Yeomans of the Guard, he had to retire at 70 years of age.
Our President thanked Alan for a very interesting talk. It was announced there was a fire drill, all members departed the hall in an orderly manner.
Matters arising included quotes for pruning the trees in the Hall gardens and work would commence shortly. Sign up sheets were available for the Christmas lunch which again would be at Barton Golf Club on 4th December. An outing has been arranged for a coach trip to Swanage including a steam train ride on 25th September. We now have sufficient numbers to make it viable. The next pub lunch will be on 19th September at the Smugglers, Milford on Sea.
Items were needed for the Hordle Garage Sale which was taking place on Saturday 21st September.
The Christmas CRAFT FAIR will be held at the WI Hall, Hordle on Saturday 6th November 1000-1600, tables all sold. Entrance and parking is free and refreshments are available. Come along and buy some early Christmas presents. Our star cake maker, Val Altass will be sadly missed and members were asked to ensure we had sufficient cake for refreshments and the sale table. Hordle WI had donated £85 toward a tree in memory of Val Altass. It will be planted in a small orchard by the play park in Everton.
This year Hordle WI will be hosting the Christmas Carol Service on 3rd December at St Thomas' Church, Lymington. Volunteers are needed for this event. The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem sung. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 1st October at 1.30pm. The speaker is a return visit of Jackie Dimmock with her quilting samples and tales of being a Police Officer. We welcome visitors and new members. More information can be found on our website hordlewi.org.uk
2024 Hordle WI recently held their August meeting.
Which was well attended. Members enjoyed a 'Cream Tea' and were entertained by 'Hordle Village Voices'. The sang through the years, most of which we recognised and were able to sing along. Thanks Pat, ladies and gents for entertaining us and singing Jerusalem.
All members entries to the recent New Forest Show were displayed. Congratulationsto to all who entered and special congratulations to Paula, she got a first for her Summer Cordial Concentrate and also Best in Show, for the produce section, well done.
The next Pub lunch will be on 19th September at the Smugglers, Milford. We are also taking part in 'Hordle Garage Sale' on 21st September. We are oversubcribed for the Saltern Group event on 2nd October so there will be a ballot to decide who will get the places available.
The Autumn Quiz and Fish Supper will be held on 31st October and as previously we will be asking Pennington WI to join us.
We are well into the planning stage for our next 'Craft Fayre' which we be held at Hordle WI hall on Saturday 9th November. Most tables are now sold. Put the date in your diaries, we will be raising funds for Hordle WI Hall.
The raffle was drawn and the proceeds given to Village Voices for their charity Oakhaven Hospice.
The meeting closed and our next one is on 3rd September. New members and visitors are always welcome. Come along and see what we do. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month. Doors open at 1:30pm for a 2:00pm start. Our next speaker is Alan Saunders, The Queen's Bodyguard, Yeoman of the Guard.
2024 Hordle WI recently held their July meeting.
The Speaker this month was Jill Bennett and the subject Growing Old Disgracefully. Jill started with a song and ended with a song. She started with Keep Young and Beautiful if you Want to be Loved. Most of our members are of a certain age so could identify with the fact that the trend is reversing, there are more of us oldies than ever before, we are living longer. So now we can buy magazines, birthday cards, mobility aids, cruises all aimed at the elderly.
Jill told us poems, sayings and advice for the elderly. They say laughter is the best medicine and we had plenty of that. A hundred plus man was asked what was the best thing about growing older and he replied ‘no peer pressure’. Grandchildren are God’s reward for growing older. Our brains get slower as we get older because we know so much.
Jill ended with another song. Apparently when Julie Andrews reached her 70th birthday she rewrote My Favourite Things and included Botox, Cataracts, Hearing Aids, Walkers, Handrails, Glasses, Pacemakers, Corn pads and Bunions Joint ache and hip break and eyes that grow dim, then I remember the great life I’ve had, and then I don’t feel so bad. Jill Bennett was thanked for a very enjoyable talk.
After a break for refreshments WI business followed with a report on an enjoyable trip to Bucklers Hard with Lymington Trefoil Guild. Future events include a pub lunch at the Wheatsheaf, New Milton and the Saltern Group Autumn event when the speaker will be Charlie Dimmock of Ground Force fame. The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem sung. Visitors and new members are welcome at Hordle WI. Visit our website hordlewi.org.uk for more information.
2024 - Hordle WI recently held their June Meeting.
The speaker this month was a return visit by Steve Herra. This time his talk was about Coco Chanel, her life, loves and lies. In 1883 Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in France. Her birth name was wrongly registered as Chasnel. Her mother was too ill to attend and her father registered as a traveller. Over the years he had several careers which never mounted to much and were often lies. She was one of six children and when she was 11 her mother died. Her two brothers were sent to be farm workers and she and her sisters were put in an orphanage. It was there that she probably learnt to sew. In later years she would retell her childhood differently and would include more glamorous accounts. On leaving the orphanage she sang in a cafe with her friend Adrienne. Did she get her nickname Coco because it was said she sounded like a crow, or was it that she regularly sung a song called Who is Coco? She also started to make hats for her friends which were very popular. She was founder of the Chanel brand and was a celebrated fashion designer and business woman. Everybody remembers the Chanel logo, interlocking C’s, her little black dress and the perfume Chanel No.5. There are said to be 80 Ingredients in No.5. Now the company is run by the Wertheimers, Alan is the Chairman and owns the company with his brother Gerard. Coco had a very chequered and complicated lovelife, many of whom financed her many enterprises. She never married or had children. She died in 1971 and was buried as Gabrielle Bonheur Chasnel because to correct it legally would reveal she was born in a poorhouse hospice.
Thanks was given to Steve Herra for another enjoyable talk on a fascinating subject.
After to a break for refreshments we continued with WI business.
Once again Hordle came last in the Saltern Group quiz, but an enjoyable time was had. A memorial tea was given for Val, one of our very valued members and was well attended by WI and friends.
The next pub lunch will be on 20th June at the Smugglers.
Members have been asked to join Lymington Trefoil Guild on their trip to Bucklers Hard, and six members will be attending.
The Saltern Summer event will be on 27th June and hosted by Boldre and South Baddesley WI.
Craft group are busy preparing for the New Forest Show. The Walking Group’s next walk will be on 11th June at Sturt Pond, Milford on Sea. The Games Club meets on the second Thursday.
The new Committee was introduced to members. Also members were reminded that next May our President would not be standing for re-election. This is a vital role and Hordle WI cannot survive unless we find one. Come on Ladies, we need a new President.
The raffle was drawn and Jerusalem sung.
New members and visitors are welcome. We meet on the first Tuesday each month. Doors open at 1.30pm for a 2.00pm start. Our Website hordlewi.org.uk gives all the information you need. Come and join us.