Doveside WI

As we go into the third millennium, Doveside starts on its second decade and we can look back with pride on our achievements and with the hope that we can still be functioning for a long time to come with a voice raised in support of women’s interests and cares.

It hardly seems possible that ten years have elapsed since we first formed our branch in an upstairs room at the Scout Headquarters with just 24 members, but as our membership increased we were obliged to move our meetings into the main hall and we can now boast a very creditable 61.

Looking back, we seem to have covered every topic imaginable with speakers who have entertained us at our meetings from wonderful travel talks such as a trip on the Orient Express, Canada Coast-to-Coast by trans canadian train and the magic and mystery of Venice at carnival time - all very fascinating and illustrated by delightful slides to whet the appetite for seeing those far away places.

We have had cookery demonstrations, painting, decoupage, flower arranging, aromatherapy, gentle exercise, skin care and fashion hints . One of the most surprising was the lady who demonstrated that there was more than one way to tie a scarf, very many different effects can be obtained by a casual knot or twist. We have enjoyed slide shows on beautiful gardens, stately homes, old churches with their history and on a much lower level, close-ups of the noisome creatures that inhabit neglected buildings. Wild life, birds, hedgehogs and badgers have been popular subjects too.

Our scope of activities has widened and we now have a belle-plate ringing team which is much in demand for entertaining other WIs as well as old people’s clubs and handicapped people’s day centres - all very of our music especially at Christmas when the carols seem to suit the sound of the bells very nicely. We also have scrabble sessions and indoor bowls and our charity work includes our "Pennies for St Giles" and knitting squares to be made into blankets for needy people in the third world.

We have enjoyed some splendid outings including trips to Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court, also theatre trips - many to our local Brewhouse where we have seen some lively musical productions, and who can forget the visits to Birmingham to see "The Nutcracker" in all its glory and Torvill and Dean at the NEC.

We have had some enjoyable visits to factory shops including that of Thorntons’s Chocolate Factory as well as Crown Derby and Bird’s Bakery with the massive machines where we saw the raw materials entering at one end and the whole loaf appeared at the other end in no time at all.

Our members have excelled at various shows in the county and have gained numerous awards for their skills in cake making, arts and crafts and flower arranging.

It has been a very gratifying ten years and we hope that our second decade will continue with our very enjoyable meetings and the friendship and fun that we have together on the third Friday of the month at the scout HQ at 9.45am.

May Anderson (on behalf of all our members)

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