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BADGERS MOUNT WI APRIL REPORT
This month's meeting started on a sad note;
our President told us of the death of a well respected friend
and long serving member of the WI. Pat West was a member of
our WI for 35 years. She served on the committee for 30 years,
was our President twice, treasurer for 10 years and the art
and craft representative. A gifted needlewoman, she made the
Badgers Mount WI Banner complete with a badger. Her skills
included WI Market Controller and later their Chair person.
Her cakes were delicious, especially the famous madeleines.
Pat moved a short time ago to be near her daughter and hoped
to join another WI, but sadly this was not to be. We held a
one minute silence in her memory and our thoughts are with her
husband Tom and her daughter.
We were pleased to welcome a guest to the meeting and hope she
will join the WI in the near future. Reports on the 90th
anniversary of the Annual Council Meeting at Tunbridge Wells,
the District Home Economies Day and the District Art and Craft
Meeting were read and all proved to be very enjoyable and
instructive. An invitation was received from Sevenoaks WI to
join them for their May meeting, and a luncheon outing has
been arranged for our institute and friends in early May.
Our Speaker was Chris. McCooey, a freelance writer, and his
talk was based on one of his books entitled 'Wacky, Weird and
Wonderful'. Chris always writes about true events and real
people, and the characters in this book are all associated
with the County of Kent. Some are national figures and some
hardly known generally in the County, but all lead
interesting, different and, memorable lives. Dr Dorrit
Waterfield, the first practicing lady GP in the area of
Lamberhirst and Pembury was a character whose unconventional
methods, great compassion for the physically and mentally
unwell and, who was never off-duty, made her a very memorable
and popular GP. Denys Bower, another character in the book
bought Chiddingstone Castle in 1956, and the weird and
wonderful things that happened before and after that event
were fascinating. We also learned about Quex House near
Birchington which is one of the most eclectic museums to be
seen in this country. It was founded by Percy Powell-Cotton, a
life long hunter and collector who had the animals he shot
stuffed and put in the museum. It also houses craft items from
far countries and weaponry from China and Japan. In his own
amusing and dramatic fashion Chris brought these people and
others to life. We are looking forward to reading his book and
learning more about all the 'Wacky, Weird and Wonderful'
Kentish characters.
The next meeting is on Wednesday 14th May at 2pm in the
Memorial Hall. This will be the Resolutions Meeting. We will
also have a quiz and a 'flower arrangement in a cup'
competition. Guests and new members are always welcome.
Contact telephone number for any
information is 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. |
January 9th