Our Chairman’s Message – November 2021

Firstly ladies this message and Newsletter may be a little later than usual due to Nancy having tested positive for Covid and having to undergo a period of ten days isolation just when she would have been putting the Newsletter together and posting it out to WIs.
Well, what a Council Meeting we had on Saturday 2 October. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the RGS and our afternoon speaker, Lesley Smith, was as marvellous as ever and enjoyed by everyone present. Thank you too for all the good luck messages I received before taking my first meeting as Chairman and then the messages of congratulations afterwards. It was lovely to read all of your messages.
Classes are now gaining momentum at Cresswell House so please keep your eyes peeled for events that appeal to you and get your applications into the Office. The recent quiz heats were great fun and by the time you read this our final will have taken place and this year’s champion quiz team announced. My thanks here to all the WIs who provided refreshments and manned the raffles at the four venues and of course huge thanks to Sue Malloy for once again setting a great quiz and for putting all the sheets, joker cards etc together for each venue’s quiz masters.
It also gives me enormous pride and pleasure as Chairman of Northumberland Federation to tell you that the National 2021 Huxley Cup was won by Hexham Town WI and they will be presented with the cup at next year’s Annual Meeting in Liverpool. Congratulations ladies, what a terrific achievement.
Alnmouth ladies also made it into WI Life (page 17) with the details of the work they had done during lockdown commemorating the Centenary of their War Memorial. Long may the efforts of all WIs continue to flourish and be recognised at National level.
Sadly I have to announce the death of Kathleen Jones who passed away on Saturday 2 October. Kathleen was a stalwart of the WI and had held many positions during her lifetime. She had been Federation Chairman of Shropshire and, here in Northumberland, was a WI Adviser, a member of our Board of Trustees and an active member of Corbridge WI. She will certainly be remembered for her judging at WI events and at local shows and will be missed and remembered with fondness by us all. A message of condolence was sent to her family.
During the past few weeks I have attended Cramlington WI who were celebrating their 90th birthday and it was so lovely to see members face to face at such a lovely event. I was also invited to attend a special evening at Gosforth Central WI. They had been awarded a Community Grant from Asda Supermarket in Gosforth. All their members, guests and visitors were entertained to drumming by The Banshees and a table magician (I still am baffled by trying to find that pesky lady). To all of those WIs and to others that I have visited as an Adviser or to do demonstrations, thank you so much for your generous hospitality.
I know we are not out of the woods yet but we are certainly beginning to see a return to normality at last.
Please stay safe and well. I really hope to see as many of you as possible in the coming weeks and especially at the Christmas Celebration at Newcastle Cathedral on 2 December.
Marj x