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BADGERS MOUNT WI JUNE REPORT
We plan June meetings as an outing, to visit
and enjoy a beautiful garden and have a cream tea.
Unfortunately the rain upset those plans this year. However,
the afternoon went well with Val Dennett showing us
interesting family slides from her laptop and then an amusing
Beatle Drive. A friendly afternoon with tea and cakes made up
for the poor weather.
The next meeting is on 8th July at 2pm in
the Memorial Hall and will include a fascinating talk and
demonstration on "Exercising the Easy Way - in your chair!"
Visitors and new members are welcome, so come and learn how to
keep mobile, even while watching the TV.
For further
information, please contact 01959 534858 or visit our website
at www.bmra.info/wi
Daphne Thomas
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Links:
West Kent Federation of WI's -
www.westkentwi.org.uk
National Federation of Women's Institutes' -
www.womens-institute.org.uk
The Badgers Mount WI (this site!) -
www.bmra.info/wi
History:
This photo includes the original
founder members which was taken
in 1978 at the Silver Anniversary of the Institute. They are
Eva Edwardes, Gladys Plumb and Dorothea Elwes.
The lady far right is Rita Inwood who was the president then
and was re-elected for the Golden Anniversary year (2003).
The Badgers Mount WI banner designed and made by the president
at the time (1975) Pat West. The banner hangs at every meeting
and was the centre of the 50th celebration decorations.
50 years of Badgers Mount WI
Formed in November 1953 by Dorothea Elwes, Gladys Plumb and
Eva Edwardes with an average of 26 members attending during
the first year. (Sadly none of our founder members are alive
to celebrate our Golden Anniversary).
1957 Letters were written to London Transport to get them to
re-route the 431 bus for the benefit of the local residents.
1966 We raised money for a new water heater for the hall
kitchen.
1969 Members helped with a project to extend the hall by 10
feet to allow the addition of 2 toilets, this was aptly named
the "Waterloo Project".
1970 A weekly rota was formed to help serve teas at Orpington
Hospital's Day Centre. Some members also entertained at the
hospital, local OAP clubs and Age Concern. Saving stamps were
collected for "Single Women and their Dependents" milk bottle
tops for the "Guide Dogs for the Blind Association"
1973 Three of our members were congratulated - Dorothea Elwes
who received
an O.B.E.
Joyce McAughtry who was elected to the Sevenoaks
District Council and Kathleen Sherwood who became Divisional
Guide Commissioner.
1977 Eileen Back & Patricia Cash represented the WI on a local
committee to arrange the celebrations for the Queen's Silver
Jubilee, subsequently the institute provided and served teas to
approximately 60 children. In this special year we also formed
a working party to 'Keep Britain Tidy' armed with plastic
sacks we cleared several roads and slip-ways with good
results.
1980 Darts matches were held between the recently formed'
Badgers Club' for retired and semi retired men from the area
and ourselves.
1989 Four of our members enjoyed a week-end at Denman College
when the West Kent Federation took over the college. This is
our own college set in beautiful surroundings in the
Oxfordshire countryside at Abingdon. A number of our members
have attended the college either by winning a bursary given by
the institute or by paying for a course of their choice.
To celebrate the N.F.W.I's 75th Anniversary some of our
members ran a
'Tombola' stall at the Kent County Show at Detling, Pat West,
Controller of Orpington WI Market and one of our
members, helped with the County Market stall at the show.
1990 Margaret Fox & Patricia Cash attended the 60th Birthday
Lunch of our 'Link' institute at Hernhill in East Kent.
Previously, we had hired a minibus which
our then President had driven, to attend one of Hernhill's
Coffee mornings, stopping for a pub lunch on the return
journey. Over the years, pub lunches have proved to be very
popular and we have tried & tested many in
the Kent countryside.
1991 We were honoured by a visit from the County Chairmen
Elizabeth
Patterson, who guided us through the resolutions for the
National A.G.M.
In the same year, as a result of a talk given by Brian Do on
'Wildlife on the Kent Downs' some members & husbands joined
him on a 'Nature Walk' across the downs in April, this was
most enjoyable as the primrose & cowslips were in full
bloom.
1993 To celebrate West Kent's WI 75th Birthday, Badgers
Mount held a
Victorian Tea-Party in Margaret Fox's lovely garden, out came
the Silverware, lace table linen and Victorian dress & hats. A
delicious tea was served to visitors & guests, which included
our County chairman, members of other institutes in our Polhill District and some from our 'link' institute Hernhill, by
committee members dressed as maidservants. This proved to be a
great success in spite of tree-cutting in a nearby garden and
a bonfire to burn the wood.
During our 50 years we have supported numerous charities, such
us local Hospices, Sevenoaks Hospital and Red Cross Society,
Pegasus Riding for the Disabled and Kent Air Ambulance to name
a few.
2003 Over the years we have had a strong Music & Drama Group in our
District, with a number of our members taking part or
producing, a brief list of which are as
follows:
A Victorian Music Hall, Pantomimes, The Roaring
Twenties, Goin' West, As Time Goes By, The Way We Were and a
few plays as well, but our "Piece de resistance" has to be our offering for the
Millennium
- A Midsummer Night's Millennium Dream, a skit on the Bard's
famous work, cleverly adapted by Wendy Robertson one of our
members. During Millennium year our County Chairman, Brenda
Young visited us for our Birthday party.
Pat Cash. |
February 11th