Welcome to Thorney Hill and Bransgore WI. We meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 2.15p.m. at Bransgore Village Hall, Burley Road, Bransgore BH23 8DR. We are a friendly group of ladies who enjoy a varied list of speakers, a cup of tea and of course, a good chat.
Between our meetings we arrange various activities on a monthly basis, these include Morning Coffee and Cake or Afternoon Teas, a Book Club, Lunch Club and Knit and Natter. We also organise walks, weather permitting, and the occasional Shopping Excursion. Other trips organised are on an ad hoc basis and during 2018 we visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and The Mary Rose, Winchester Flower Festival and joining another WI for a visit to Prince Charles’ garden at Tetbury. In 2019 Thorney Hill and Bransgore WI will reach our 100th Birthday and we hope to arrange some special events to celebrate this milestone.
We also join with Hampshire WI group events, including the Spring and Autumn Council Meeting, WI Quiz and Skittles events, WI Fest, Bootleg Beatles at Hillier Gardens, Romsey and of course our entries to the WI tent at the New Forest Show.
If you think what we do might be of interest to you we would love to welcome you to one of our monthly meetings as a guest and maybe a new member if you decide that you like us. If you would like more information please contact Doreen on 01425 672662.
2019 Programme
January 2019
- 8th January – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 9th January – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Pageantry, Pride & Nostalgia, Speaker – Bruce Worthy
- 24th January Craft, Knit, Natter and whatever is your thing afternoon, 2.30p.m. 12 St Marys Close, Bransgore
February 2019
- 6th February – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – The History of Bransgore, Speaker – Mr D Patterson
- 12th February – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 21st February – Coffee and Cake, 10.30a.m. Stewarts Garden Centre, Lyndhurst Road, Christchurch
March 2019
- 1st March – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
- 6th March – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – The Titanic Story, Speaker – Jack Wilson
- 12th March – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 14th March – Coffee and Cake, 10.30a.m. Cliff Hanger Restaurant, Highcliffe
- 18th March – Day Trip to Denman College, Oxford
- 26th March – HCFWI Spring Council Meeting, Guildhall, Portsmouth Ticket £15.75 plus bus fare
April 2019
- 3rd April – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – The Hat Lady, Speaker – Penny Muddell
- 5th April – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
- 9th April – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 11th April – Ringwood Group Spring Meeting, Speaker – Angela Turner, 2.00-4.00p.m. Greyfriars, Ringwood Ticket £5
May 2019
- 1st May -Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Annual Meeting
- 6th May – Bransgore Village Fun Day, 1.30p.m. Come and see us on our Bottle Stall and try your luck in our Bottle Tombola
- 10th May – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
- 14th May – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 23rd May – Coffee and Cake, 10.30a.m Stewarts Garden Centre, Lyndhurst Road, Christchurch
- 25/26th May – Burley WI 100th Birthday Celebration – Pop Up Cake Shop, 10.00a.m. Burley – Old Post Office
June 2019
- 5th June – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – Spinning a Yarn, Speaker – Rosemary Lycett
- 6th June – Celebration of 75th Anniversary of D-Day, 2.–p.m. The Regent Centre, Christchurch
- 11th June – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- 17th June – Tea and Cake, 2.30p.m. Bashley Manor Tea Rooms, Sammy Miller Museum
- 19th June – Synagogue Visit, Southampton
- 21st June – WI Ringwood Group Quiz, team entered
- 28th June – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
July 2019
- 3rd July – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Summer Party
- 8th July – Coffee, Highcliffe Castle Tea Rooms
- 9th July – WI Lunch, 12.30p.m. Carpenters Arms Burley Road, Bransgore
- TBC – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
- 30th, 31st July, 1 August – New Forest Show
August 2019
- No Meeting
- 15th August – Tea and Cake, 2.30p.m. TBC
September 2019
- 4th September – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – It’s Showtime on Ice, Speaker – Judy Fenyvesi
- 12th September – 12.30p.m. Afternoon Tea, The Cider Pantry, Burley
- 27th September – Book Club, 2.30p.m. The Crown, Bransgore
October 2019
- 2nd October – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Talk – Taxi Driver Poet, Speak – John Haddow
- 3rd October – Ringwood Group Autumn Meeting
- 22nd October – HCFWI Autumn Council Meeting, The Anvil, Basingstoke
November 2019
- 6th November – 12.30p.m. Monthly Meeting, 100 Year Birthday Celebration Lunch at Highcliffe Castle Golf Club followed by a talk by Patricia Godwin.
December 2019
- 4th December – Monthly Meeting, 2.15p.m. Bransgore Village Hall
- Christmas Party with entertainment by The Diamond Divas
Our Year 2019
This year in November we will be celebrating our 100th Birthday, as our monthly meeting falls on the actual birthday of our WI we are going to Highcliffe Golf Club for our meeting. We will enjoy a Birthday meal followed by a talk by Patricia Godwin.
In March a few of us joined a trip to visit Denman College, we had an early start to meet pick up the coach in Ringwood but had an uneventful journey to Denman in Marcham, Abingdon. On arrival we enjoyed coffee and a shortbread biscuit before we were shown in to a lecture room where we enjoyed a cookery demonstration of Meringue Kisses, Spiced Nuts, Honeycomb and Buttermilk and Blueberry Scones. Having smelt all the delicious aromas we were ready for our lunch which we enjoyed in the Dining Room. After lunch we went on a guided tour of the accommodation at Denman and the teaching facilities. Sadly, we didn’t have time to see the extensive grounds as we were returned to the dining room where we had a cup of tea and a cream tea.
Our April meeting saw an entertaining and informative visit from Pip Muddell, The Hat Lady. Pip is a trained milliner and she brought along a wonderful display of hats, most of which she had made, and told us about the history of the various styles and how they evolved. We had great fun passing the hats round and trying some of them on .
Our Year 2018
In November we celebrated our 99th Birthday with a delicious meal and entertainment and a sing-a-long with Simon.
Henry VIII and the Mary Rose
A few of our members visiting Henry VIII and his ship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. At least they kept their heads!!
Hindu Temple
We enjoyed a visit to a Hindu Temple in Southampton where we were made most welcome. We listened to a very informative talk about their beliefs and customs. On the way home we stopped for lunch at garden centre where some of us couldn’t resist taking home a plant of two.
WI Fest
Our stall at WI Fest was a Bottle Tombola. It wasn’t long before visitors were wandering around carrying a green or purple bag with their winning bottle inside. A very successful day enjoyed by all.
Bootleg Beatles at Hillier Gardens
To celebrate the 100th Birthday of the formation of the WI Hampshire Federation organised an evening at Hillier’s Gardens in Romsey. The Bootleg Beatles performed a variety of numbers which allowed us all to travel down memory lane. It was a lovely warm evening and we took along a picnic to enjoy as we reminisced. Finishing off the evening with an amazing firework display.
Winchester Cathedral Flower Exhibition
A few of our members travelled to Winchester to see the flowers in the Cathedral. As it was also the centenary of the ending of WW1 a lot of the displays represented Remembrance.
