Review of the year 2019

Thanks to all our members for supporting your WI this year!

It's December again, and as we have no formal meetings this year it's time to review what we've been up to in 2019.

At our monthly meetings we've had a wide variety of topics, including dancing, quizzing, craft sessions, tea tasting and talks on the arts and science.

Meanwhile at our craft club we've tried sewing, knitting and papercrafts in a variety of techniques.

Outside of the regular meetings we've been to previews of exhibitions at the British Museum including Edvard Munch, Manga, Inspired by the East and Troy,  and had our first attempt at a (very soggy) summer picnic. 

We've also sold cakes at Queens Square and Phoenix Gardens fairs, so thanks to all who baked, sold and bought goodies!

And not forgetting, our 2018 committee became the face of the NFWI's latest membership drive!

Our last event of the year is Thursday 19th December at St George's for carols and mince pies. For those we don't see there, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

lots of love,
London West End WI 

LWEWI crafting and Royalty!

On 11th December the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) were honoured and delighted to welcome ACWW member Her Majesty Queen Azizah of Malaysia as part of her first official state visit to the UK. 

Her Majesty has been involved with the ACWW over a long period, and is a keen crafter. A number of WI Federations attended and showed off crafts made by their members, as she had expressed an interest to see WI crafts. Thank you to our former LWEWI member and ACWW Chief Executive Officer Tish Collins, who invited LWEWI's Craft Club to provide crafts for the Middlesex Federation display.

Craft Club organiser Jane represented LWEWI, and took along some of the Craft Club makes.

LWEWI crafts on the Middlesex table

Lorraine Reed from Middlesex Federation, Queen Azizah, and Her Majesty's sister in law

LWEWI crafts on the Middlesex table

November Review of the Month

The nights are starting to draw in, and in November our craft club turned their sights to Christmas, with some papercrafting of Christmas decorations, led by Nicky. There's no December craft club, but we'll be back in January with quilling on the 7th at Atlantis books.

Our main meeting in Novemer was a fascinating talk on singing cultures and 200 years of African classical music by Bilkis Malik of TransculturalVisions.

Bilkis sent through some links to the choir singing the pieces. We tried to play them in the hall but the sound wasn't great - so here are some videos of two of the songs created from the poems she wrote following talks in the sessions.

 

Also in November, some of our members attended the community preview of Troy at the British Museum, which was fantastic - there's an evening view on 11 January if you haven't seen it yet.