Gosport WI

Welcome to the Gosport WI web page

About Gosport WI

Gosport WI has a membership of 50 of varying ages with extensive interests.  We meet at Christchurch Hall, Stoke Road  every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.30 pm (doors open at 7 pm).  We invite a wide range of speakers throughout the year to inform and entertain us.

Gosport WI have the following groups: Reading,  Mahjong, Singing for Fun, Salty Sewer’s and Scrapbooking.

We also have friendship circle to help members in their hour of need.

We are part of the Peninsula Group and have links with 6 other WI’s in the area with contact to local, county and national venues and form part of the Hampshire Federation.

Officers: Elayne – President, Sue –  Secretary,  Carole, officer.

Gosport WI 2018 Charity is Gosport and Fareham Women’s Refuge

MEETING PROGRAMME AND DIARY DATES:

• 3rd December – Peninsula Group Christmas Celebration, 2 pm at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rowner.
• 11th December Christmas sing-a-long with Keith Venn.  Competition: Its Christmas.  Raffle for Gosport & Fareham Women’s refuges.
• From January 2019 Gosport WI meetings will move to the 4th Wednesday of the month.
• 23rd January 2019 Subs/WI Resolutions/Charity Nominations/Social Evening.  Competition:’A piece of Jewellery’.
• 27th February ‘Going Out’ – Wendy Redman.  Competition: Anything used on a night out.  Sales Table.
• 26th March – HCFWI Spring Council Meeting, Portsmouth Guildhall.  Afternoon speaker Pam Ayres. Ticket event.
• 27th March – ‘Extreme Things’ Professor Mike Tipton MBE, PhD, MSc, Fphys’.  Competition: Recyle a plastic bottle (any size).
• 24th April – ‘Hula Hooping for fun and fitness’ Hannah Murphy.  Competition: Something from the garden’.
• May – Peninsula Group Meeting – The Jervis Gallery, St Vincents.  Speaker Chris Lubbe. Organised and hosted by Stoke Road Sisters WI.
• 22nd May – AGM & Social Evening.  Competition: ‘Bursting with Colour’. Silent Auction.
• 5th June – NFWI Annual Meeting – The BIC, Bournemouth.
• 26th June – Birthday meeting. ‘Its a Balloon World after all’ Rovert Driscoll. Competition: Happy Birthday.
• 24th July – ‘Stories of Gosport’s ‘Canary Girls’ and Priddy’s Hard. Gareth Brettal.  Competition: Crystal.  Sales Table.
• August – no meeting.
• 25th September ‘One person cannot change the world but we can change the world for one person’ Mel Richardson.  Competition: China. Sales Table.
• 22nd October – HCFWI Autumn Council Meeting – The Anvil, Basingstoke.
• 23rd October – ‘The World of Frederick’s Chocolates’ Jan Bennett. Competition: Poppies.
• 27th November – ‘Christmas Flowers’ Maree Ann Dicker.  Competition: Flowers.  Sales Table.
• 18th December ‘Indulging in an ethical Christmas’ Tiffany Francis.  Competition: Make something for Christmas.

The ladies at Gosport WI were treated to a very informative demonstration entitled “Macaron Masterclass”. We watched as Debbie Towlson talked us through all the steps to perfect macarons.  And yes we did get to sample them – absolutely delicious!

“Throughout 2018 members of Gosport WI supported two local womens’ refuges. Funds were raised from a car boot sale, silent auctions, regular sales tables at our monthly meetings, a Christmas raffle and sales of larger items, including furniture, on Facebook.

We were able to give sets of new bedding for women and children, along with donations of toys and books.

We also provided ‘kitchen starter packs’ to families leaving refuge and moving on. Included were kettles, toasters, crockery, cutlery, saucepans, etc., plus a supply of everyday household products.

For the women who were in the refuges over the Christmas period we made up boxes of toiletries and small luxury items as a more personal gift.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members who have so generously supported this project to help women and children seeking refuge from domestic abuse.

“Gosport WI Sewing Group have been very busy over the past year or so creating a wonderful Sea Scene Quilt. Each member of the group designed and made four or more appliqué pictures which have been sewn  together with borders. None of the group had done anything like this before so it was a learning experience that kept us busy. Plenty of chat, laughter, tea and biscuits along the way kept us all going. The Quilt is currently hanging in Gosport Discovery Centre for November. It will be raffled off at our monthly meetings in the New Year and proceeds will be donated to charity. Of course we all want to win it!

Members  from Gosport WI attended the HCFWI event at Hillier Gardens 04.08.18

A very good evening was had by all who attended the Hampshire Federation WI event at Hillier Gardens last night. A great way to spend a hot, balmy, evening with good music, dancing and picnic. Thanks to everyone who came, all the organisers and Solent Evening WI for letting us share their coach. Such fun!

Gosport WI – An outing to the Downton Cuckoo Fair

On Saturday 5^th May we set off for the Downton Cuckoo Fair, located in Downton village south of Salisbury. Fifteen of us altogether that included four husbands.  The start of the day promised to be bright and sunny and it was. Stopping for coffee and cake at the Cadnam Wyevale Garden Centre we realised it was going to be a scorcher.
On Saturday 5^th May we set off for the Downton Cuckoo Fair, located in Downton village south of Salisbury. Fifteen of us altogether that included four husbands.  The start of the day promised to be bright and sunny and it was. Stopping for coffee and cake at the Cadnam Wyevale Garden Centre we realised it was going to be a scorcher.  Downton Cuckoo Fair started out as a village May Day event.  However over the years it has grown to the sizeable affair it is now.

Members of the Gosport WI Scrapbooking Group enjoy a friendly natter and drink whilst they embellish and decorate their photos and memorabilia of special occasions and life events. They meet once a month at the home of one of the members and help each other to decide on backgrounds and colours to show off their photos to the best. As the months pass by so their scrapbooks get filled with new pages for their family and friends to look back upon and delight in the memories.

Gosport WI presented a cheque for £200 to Fur & Feathers at their February meeting. Joy Hammond was pleased to accept the cheque on behalf of the charity. pic: left to right Joy Hammond, Jill Storey, Gosport WI President & Maggie Gavin, member.

On Thursday 8th December Gosport WI organised and hosted an evening of seasonal songs and stories at Gosport Methodist Church, Stoke Road, Gosport.

 On 4th September Gosport WI members and members from local WI’s visited an exhibition ‘Fashioning A Reign’ at Buckingham Palace. This exhibition marked the 90th Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen through a display of fashionable dress, spanning the period from The Queen’s childhood in the 1930s to the present day.  The day was enjoyed by all.

pic 1: Carolyn Kilbey, Gosport WI, Jill Storey, Gosport WI President & Yvonne Brookfield WIA

pic 2: Carole Rudin & Ann Smith, Peninsula Group Secretary & Chairwomen

The Peninsula Group started its life in style with an evening of song and laughter.
130 members from Gosport, Solent Evening, Holbrook, Alverstoke & Stokes Bay WI’s filled the Gosport Masonic hall for the first group meeting.
The group were delighted to welcome Maureen Levenson the Hampshire Federation Chairman, Yvonne Brookfield a WI adviser and 5 members from Village People WI.
Entertainment started with funny lady Judy Theobold, former journalist and comic writer who amused and entertained us with her many funny stories about families, life in general, husbands and WI meetings. Indeed her anecdotes were received from the hall with much laughter and applause, a truly funny lady who gave the whole meeting a wonderful happy atmosphere, relaxed and enjoyable, much merriment had by all.
The evening followed with Katie Rogers a Hampshire jazz and vintage singer. Katie is passionate about music and song, and has a particular love of Billie Holiday singing the blues and the swing music of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Katie’s first song was a favourite by Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly me to the Moon’, this preceded a melodic and enjoyable set of songs with our members joining in the chorus.
A big thank you to Gosport WI for organising and hosting the event and making everyone feel welcome.
The next group meeting is planned for 28th October at St Marys Church, Alverstoke. An evening of entertainment with Portsmouth Military Wife’s Choir, the Volunteer band of HMS Collingwood and the Thorngate Players.
Tickets will be on sale to Peninsula Group members shortly.

Jill Storey, Gosport WI’s new President presents Carolyn Kilbey (retiring President) with a WI Rose at Gosport WI AGM on 10th May 2016

Ladies from Gosport WI made beautiful hat greeting cards at their 2nd February 2016 craft meeting.  They were joined by 3 members from  Alverstoke WI.

Gosport WI was delighted to present a cheque for £803.62 to Gosport Voluntary Action’s (GVA) Peter d’Agostino on 12th January at Christchurch hall, Gosport.  Peter is the course organiser and mentor for Gosport Voluntary Action’s Supported Volunteered project group which aims to get vulnerable adults with mental issues for example, back into society through volunteered involvement in the community.

This charity was nominated by Lisa Freeman, a member of Gosport WI, to be the chosen charity that Gosport WI would focus its fund raising efforts on during 2015. The fundraising included coffee mornings, bring and buy stalls, sales from members’ home-made produce and a sponsored slim by one of the members.

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A newly formed subgroup, ‘Singing for Fun’ led by pianist Jill Storey rounded off a thoroughly entertaining Christmassy December meeting by singing a medley of carols and Christmas songs. The main entertainment of the evening was provided by Judy Theobald, a retired journalist and police woman giving us a hilarious talk entitled ‘Christmas and Other problems’

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Maureen Levenson our HCFWI chair, was invited to speak to our members at our November’s institute meeting.

Maureen is a passionate supporter and deeply involved with the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW). This was the topic of her talk which certainly raised awareness as to all aspects of the ACWW and how the WI and in particular the HCFWI are involved. Maureen gave some moving and heart rending accounts of her personal experiences with this organisation and highlighted the plight of our less fortunate fellow women. It has certainly encouraged us to do more in raising funds for ACWW.

Ladies from Gosport WI along with friends from Alverstoke, Holbrook, Solent Evening, Morning Tide, Stubbington Village, Titchfield, Village People and Stokes Bay WI’s enjoyed a lovely Denman Taster Day.  Thank you to the college for making us feel very welcome and special thanks to Marilyn one of our guides.

As part of the WI’s centenary celebrations, Gosport WI held a cream tea at St Mary’s Parish centre, Alverstoke on Saturday 27th June.  As well as guests attending from the Haven group, we were also delighted to welcome Maureen Levenson our new Hampshire county chair, Mavis Jones our WIA and Rosemary Mitchell, the Haven group chair. It was a lovely summer afternoon and we all enjoyed a sumptuous tea accompanied by the musical entertainment of Kai Choi, the violinist.

A concert was given by The Elson Youth Orchestra at the Methodist Church on Saturday 6th June which raised almost £600!  Gosport WI  supported this event by providing home made cakes and refreshments which they served to the audience and orchestra in the interval.

‘All dressed up and somewhere to go! Mary Bagley and Trish Hall
attended the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the
WI’s centenary on 2nd June. A very windy day but luckily no rain in London!’

Dabble Day – ‘Members from the craft, knit and natter group and others from our membership held a ‘Dabble Day’ on Saturday 16th May. The purpose of this event was to show and demonstrate various crafting techniques to other members from Gosport and surrounding WI’s who were also invited to attend and a have ‘dabble’.  The crafts that were being demonstrated were knitting, paper crafting including card making, box making, iris folding, card embroidery and  flower arranging. Although this was not a fund raising event, we collected over £40 from sales and door entrance.’

Gosport WI members and 1 husband were made very welcome at the Gurdwara Nanaksar Sikh Temple in Portswood, Southampton. The Gurdwara organizes and encourages many visits to the Gurdwara every year by local schools and other organizations. The aim of the visits is to give a wider understanding of the basic tenets and practices of Sikhism. During the visit everyone was required to cover their head, although some handkerchiefs/ scarves are provided it is a good idea to take your own.

A short talk took place by the Education Welfare Officer in the main Diwan hall, followed by an opportunity for questions. The visit was concluded with a small vegetarian meal in the langar hall.

This was from the Haven Centenary Baton lunch on Friday 16th January 2015 at Titchield community centre. The Baton is touring around the UK and was in Hampshire for 4 days in January. At this lunch which was hosted by representatives from all WI’s in the Haven group, the Baton was received  from the Farefield group by the Haven group and then passed onto ladies of the Hamble Valley group.

The President of Gosport WI, Carolyn Kilbey, was delighted to present a cheque for £515.70 to Richard Boland, the Musical Director, of the Elson Youth Orchestra (EYO) on Tuesday 13th January at Gosport WI’s monthly institute meeting. Some of the children who are members of the orchestra and teachers gave a recital to the WI members and parents at this meeting.

Gosport WI chose The Elson Youth Orchestra as their local charity to support throughout 2014 with fundraising events, raffle and sales from homemade items and cakes.

The EYO concept was started in 2008 by giving children free weekly violin lessons.  The Orchestra was fully established in 2010 and at present has 28 school children from a variety of the local schools who are members of the orchestra.

The money raised by Ladies of Gosport WI will help with the annual running costs of the orchestra and the purchase of musical instruments

Gosport WI sponsored a Christmas tree at the ever popular Alverstoke Christmas Tree festival 2014. The tree was decorated with over 200 re-made and recycled toothpaste and medicine boxes made by our craft group and members from our WI.

A group of Gosport WI members donned hard hats and high viz jackets for a guided tour of both the recycling and the incinerating facilities at the Veolia Environmental site in Portsmouth at their open day on Monday 27^th October. Veolia are responsible for the whole of Hampshire’s energy recovery from our waste and have been in operation since 1996. We saw how our recycled waste is sorted into paper and plastic, and  how the remaining household waste is incinerated, producing electricity for the national grid. This was a fascinating and thoroughly interesting morning making us all realise just how much household waste we produce more importantly how it is dealt with.

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* Members and friends visited Chichester Cathedral  Festival of Flowers.  The theme for 2014 was ‘The Music Makers’. The cathedral came to life with a dazzling profusion of blooming colour, imaginative and beautiful flower designs, interpreting twelve centuries of music from pop toplainsong, classics to jazz, and sacred to secular.

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Gosport WI Craft Club enjoy an afternoon Barge Art Workshop

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February 2014:  Members of Gosport WI enjoyed a night out at one of our local restaurants, Hardy’s located next to Haslar marina. An excellent meal and service was provided for us, and it gave members a chance to get to know one and other in very pleasant and  relaxed surroundings.

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Gosport WI presented their chosen local charity, Shore Leave Haslar a cheque for £441.25 at their institute meeting on Tuesday 14th January. This money has been raised by the member through  fundraising events such as a tea party in the memorial gardens at Haslar, Christmas raffle and selling homemade items and produce at their meetings during 2013. Shore Leave Haslar is a charity of volunteer gardeners that maintain the Royal Haslar Hospital memorial gardens in which retired service veterans may convalesce.Picture left to right: Carolyn Kilbey, Gosport WI President, Chris Robson, Chairman Shore Leave Haslar, Roy Taylor, Shore Leave Haslar & Carole Rudin Gosport WI Committee Member.