W.I Celebrate 100 years !

Audlem WI July Centenary Celebration Meeting

Summer is the time when we shed our tensions, alongside our clothes, and turn our thoughts to the wilder sides of life – yes, it's nearly time for our July Centenary Celebration Meeting!

The Flower Divas, Dominique Noonan and Sam Burdon, will be giving a talk combined with a demonstration on '100 Years of Flower Arranging' in that versatile haven of intellectual stimulation – the Guide and Scout Hall!

Showing their usual generosity of spirit, Audlem WI Ladies have thrown open their doors to the general public and with our unique bargaining power of free drinks and other goodies, we have swelled the WI ranks in one fell swoop in anticipation of a hearty rendition of Jerusalem!

The exciting news is that our tickets are now all sold out, and at great personal sacrifice, our dedicated tea ladies will be staggering under the weight of huge trays of brimming glasses of Pimm's and suitable nibbles with their usual tenacity to fortify the desires of the gathered masses.

When used separately, women and alcohol can be a lot of fun. It's only when you mix the two you realize that drink makes other people's conversations seem amazingly funny and interesting, so if you hear gales of uncontrollable laughter emitting from our meeting on Thursday July 2nd at 7.30 pm, just ignore it!

Personally, I certainly don't drink all the time, as I have to sleep occasionally, but I do my best.

Now we all know that money is a powerful aphrodisiac but flowers work almost as well – that's if you are not a suspicious wife – and we are looking forward to learning how flower arranging has changed over the last century whilst hopefully amassing a few handy tips in readiness for the day when it is our turn to provide the table flowers for the President's table!

I always think that children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires, however I am sure 'The Flower Divas' will have complete control of their arrangements and to add extra excitement at the end of the evening the arrangements will be raffled off!

Also, whilst you ladies are sunning your bikini bodies in your well-tended gardens, don't forget to whip out your cameras for this month's competition – a photo of a flower. Even I can manage that!

As you may well remember, our beautifully designed Centenary Banner and Bunting is now, as I write, on display at The Cheshire Show.

Sophie, The Countess of Wessex, visited the WI Marquee at The Cheshire Show and spent time looking at all the exhibits and displays and talking to members and visitors. I have scanned all the photos with my eagle eyes, but seem unable to spot our amazing creations. Having come to the decision that it is probably displayed somewhere on 'Top Table', due to superiority of design, I have included some photos to give you further examples of the banners and bunting from other WI's.

I'm glad to see that our Cheshire Federation Chairman, Frances Woollam, is not afraid to be a modern woman by being bang up to date, matching her hair to her jacket – a woman after my own heart!

See you all next Thursday.

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