September Meeting - What to do when your Bramley runs away!

Over forty members and visitors attended the September meeting to hear Peter Collett give a comprehensive talk on the history of the British apple from its origins in the Fertile Arc of the east (about 8000 BC) to the present day. Paul Barnet's accompanying display illustrated the huge variety of apples which are still found today.

Members' questions covered rampant Bramleys, bareroot planting and stepover trees.

A fantastic collection of apple based cakes, chutneys, meringues and biscuits was provided by members and enjoyed by all.

Don't forget the Apple Affair at West Dean on 3 rd /4 th October between 10.30 and 5.00pm.

Grace's dress was made by her aunt in medieval style, trimmed with purple, which was the colour theme of the wedding. The church flowers were natural arrangements in purple jars decorated with raffia, with trailing ivy. The theme was continued at the reception in the beautifully decorated tepee style marquee.

During a spell of uncertain weather, we had blue skies and sunshine for our cruise on Chichester Canal in the ‘ Richmond '.

Tea was provided by members and served by Canal Trust volunteers. Visits to the upper deck enabled us to enjoy the wildlife on the water and canal banks. Our skipper pointed out items of interest and even allowed one member to take the tiller.

In the spirit of the nautical theme some members wore striped jerseys and pirate hats, while our president sported a complete pirate's costume which included a parrot and cutlass.

A short stop at Hunston to enjoy the famous view of the cathedral, painted by Turner, provided a good photo opportunity, before returning to the canal basin.

How well do we know our local area?

Our speaker at the June meeting was Judy Darley, who gave an enthralling talk about the function of the Chichester Harbour Conservancy, illustrated by beautiful slides. A local girl, whose enthusiasm for her work was infectious, she clearly felt she was so fortunate to be ‘working' in such a beautiful location. She outlined the functions of the Trust and the problems associated with meeting the needs of leisure activities and planning whilst preserving the unique environment of the area.

Thames Cruise from Windsor - May 2009

Our May meeting provided the opportunity for members to discuss the resolution “SOS for Honey Bees” which will be debated at National Conference at the Albert Hall in June. As part of the preparation for the debate several members attended a briefing session at North Mundham earlier this year.

Although the Government has now said that money will be forthcoming for research covering bees and other pollinating insects, the WI is actively putting pressure on to drive initiatives forward so that the plight of the honey bee in the local environment is recognised as a very real threat to the food production of this country.
The resolution was carried unanimously.

April meeting report

“Flora Thompson – Beyond Candleford”

John Smith gave a really fascinating talk about Flora Thompson's life and writings. As a local historian in the Hindhead area he discovered that Flora Thompson had been sent to train a young girl in the use of the telegraph machine in the Grayshott office. Using her own writings, and anecdotes about the people she met, he painted a picture of a remarkable woman who achieved literary recognition in spite of her humble beginnings.

The exhibition, organised by Janet Dummer, showed a variety of photographs, crafts and pictures from the early part of the twentieth century which were contributed by members.

Report on March meeting - “The Changing Face of Britain”

“The Changing Face of Britain” resulted in a huge response from members who contributed an eclectic mixture of photographs and pictures for the exhibition.

Of particular interest was the Millenium Book of Photographs, compiled by villagers, recording most of the properties and their occupants in 2000. So much has changed even in nine years.

The theme of change was reflected in the talk given by Grahame Sergeant whose photographs from the early 20th century were contrasted with similar photographs from more recent times.

His conclusion that life is more complicated and perhaps less enjoyable, met with a mixed reception from members: some particularly enjoyed his nostalgic glimpse of life in the past, whilst others appreciated the comforts and opportunities of modern life.

  "A Soldier's Story” (originally billed as “Flesh on the Bones”) Diana Beck

  Starting with one photograph of her grandfather who was killed on Christmas Day 1916, Diana Beck retold the fascinating story of how she pieced together the story of William Larkin, his life and death and how this had an impact on his family and descendants.

Making good use of the internet and other research tools, Diana was able to find out a great deal about her family which had previously been unknown to her. It was a moving and engrossing talk, presented in a lively and accessible way.

The start of it all…

January 2009 Meeting report
A Tale of Two Houses – The story of Swallowfield

A chance meeting in a graveyard began a voyage of discovery researching history of the Biggs family in West Sussex and Australia .

Infant deaths, mystery illnesses in India , consumption, and bad luck all formed part of an intriguing account of this Victorian family who lived on the Swallowfield estate just outside Horsham in the nineteenth century. Many details of family and Victorian life were recorded by Augusta in her diary, later continued by her daughter, also Augusta.

Tony Turner regularly visits the Swallowfield estate in Australia as well as keeping up to date with the present owners of the original house.