Shiplake WI
Shiplake WI welcomes new members.
Our President Sue Lines welcomes you to Shiplake WI. If you would like to make new friends, please join our friendly and welcoming WI. We meet at 2:30pm on the third Wednesday of every month except August in Shiplake Memorial Hall. We usually have a talk by an invited speaker and this is always followed by a magnificent Afternoon Tea prepared by our members - the best in Oxfordshire! Apart from our Monthly Meetings, we also arrange a variety of outings including visits to the theatre, gardens, museums and wineries.
You can ‘Try Before You Buy’ - so please come along and give us a try.
For more information please contact our Secretary Audrey Simpson 01491 410256.
WI Help Out
Shiplak'e WI's contribution to the Big Help Out was to tidy up the area round Shiplake's Memorial Hall.
Article created / last edited: 18 May 2023
Shiplake WI September Meeting
Before the start of the meeting members gathered outside to plant the Platinum Jubilee tree, a Rowan. The ladies took turns to each put in a spadeful of compost.
President Sue Lines opened the meeting welcoming two prospective new members and also thanked the staff at Toad Hall garden centre who had been so helpful with advice on the purchase of the tree.
A recipe book is being compiled by Chris Bickerton and she asked for contributions of family recipes.
Members were reminded that the Christmas lunch will be at Badgemore Golf Club on Monday 12th December and also given the date of upcoming outings.
Joan Jolley gave an update on the Poppy Postbox Topper. The base has been crocheted by Helen Robinson and ladies have knitted the poppies with Rickie Knights crocheting the black centres.
Susan Partridge has requested photos, from members, of events to be included in the scrap book. Rosemary Appleby will lay a wreath at the War Memorial on behalf of Shiplake WI on Sunday 13th November at 12.00pm.
The Beechwood meeting was hosted by Shiplake WI and Sue thanked everyone who had helped to make it a success.
Sue then introduced our speaker, Jane Sampson, who spoke about Star City and Space Travel. Jane won a competition 20 years ago to train with cosmonauts at the Yuri Gagarin Centre in Star City, Moscow and to experience weightlessness. They were taken into a plane which was stripped bare except for mattresses on the floor. During the flight the plane did various manouvres which caused parabolas until eventually the passengers were floating around. Jane showed a video which explained the whole experience. It was interesting to see that one of the passengers was a very young Elon Musk. It was a fascinating talk which we all enjoyed.
After tea, the meeting concluded with the results of the various competitions.
Our next meeting at Shiplake Memorial Hall will be 16th November at 2.30. Visitors are always welcome.
Article created / last edited: 29 October 2022
Shiplake WI Special Jubilee Lunch
After a wonderful summer of celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, the committee of Shiplake WI decided to mark this special occasion with a lunch on August 31st. It was an excellent decision and sixty ladies arrived at Shiplake Memorial Hall to find it beautifully decorated with bunting, flags and balloons. There was also some original hand drawn and coloured bunting that had been made by the members at the July meeting.
The tables were set with white tablecloths and red, white and blue flower decorations created by Ursula Davies. The ladies had been asked to dress in red, white and blue so the Hall was a kaleidoscope of Jubilee colours.
President Sue Lines welcomed everyone and the proceedings began with the National Anthem and a toast to the Queen. The lunch was an excellent buffet of poached salmon, coronation chicken and quiches. The Jubilee puddings - lemon sponge trifles, with lots of fruit and cream – were brought to the tables for the ladies to share.
Two stunning cakes decorated with fruit to resemble the Union Flag had been made by Susan Partridge. These were cut and served with coffee and were declared to be very tasty.
After lunch some ladies volunteered to tell anecdotes of the various times that they had met the Queen - at official events or just by luck when walking in Windsor. There were also accounts of Buckingham Palace garden parties and Maundy Thursday services.
Sue then thanked everyone who had made the afternoon such a success - Ursula and Susan for their contributions, the committee for setting up the tables and the decorations and the ladies from StephanieEmmaCatering for the wonderful lunch.
It had been a very enjoyable event and sixty ladies went home happy to have celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee in such a splendid way.
Article created / last edited: 8 September 2022
Post Box Topper
Members of Shiplake WI made this post box topper to celebrate the Platinum Jubillee.
Click photo to enlarge
Article created / last edited: 2 June 2022
National Federation of Women's Institutes
Shiplake Women's Institute is part of the National Federation of Women's Institutes which is the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK. The National federation has approximately 230,000 members in around 7,000 WIs throughout the British Isles with broad aims to educate women and to enable them to provide an effective role in the community, to expand their horizons and to develop and pass on important skills.
Article created / last edited: 4 January 2014