Whitley WI is a large and lively group of women. We have a busy programme of meetings and events which are designed to attract and involve the varying ages and interests of all our members.
We are always delighted to greet new members and can assure you of a warm and friendly welcome. Our committee members will introduce you to fellow members and make you feel really at home.
Our meetings are held at 7.30pm in Whitley Village Hall on the first Thursday of every month. Drop in and be sure of a welcome once the coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
To show our support for this campaign we decided to decorate our tree at the Nature Reserve at Raddel Lane. It has certainly become a talking point by those who walk past . Many thanks to Annette for making these lovely green hearts and for putting them in place.
At our monthly meeting on Feb 4th Gill Alcock our Climate Change Ambassador laid out other ways in which Whitley WI could raise public awareness and ask for changes.
Whitley WI hit the ground running with our first monthly meeting of 2021 on Thursday 7th January.
Not to be stopped by Covid, we are now using Zoom rather than meeting at our village hall.
Chris and Melanie informed us of the many and varied events available to our members in the next few months; please see our calendar for details (http://www.whitleywi.org.uk/index.php/events/ ).
We then had a fascinating talk by Jen Quayle titled “Tales from Mongolia”. Jen spends at least one day a week at Knowsley Safari Park and through her work there was given the opportunity to go to Mongolia to help with the wild camel breeding programme in the Gobi desert.
Just getting to the Gobi desert was an adventure in itself; from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, it took a two day drive to reach the Great Gobi A area. Wild camels are the 8th most endangered species and most of us had not even heard of this third type of camel before. They are only to be found in China and Mongolia and number about 1,000 in total.
Christmas deliveries came early to Whitley WI members…Santa Chris and her Elves had been beavering away in their workshops for many weeks, putting together goody bags of lovingly made home-crafted items. 
All were gift-wrapped and delivered in the days before the WI’s Christmas Zoom party.
On the wettest day of the year, Santa and the Elves had to dodge puddles and pot holes, mud… glorious mud, and Sat Navs who thought they knew better than their drivers….deliveries were successful, and the cold and soggy Elves headed back to their homes for dry trousers, and much deserved cups of tea or other beverage.
The Chair-Man proved to be elusive, eventually getting tracked down, and happy to receive Christmas Cheer Beer and a Chocolate-Orange-Special Cake.
Let’s hope we can use his services in the not too distant future.
Party Day dawned, and 40 members rushed to congregate around their lap-tops for the first Zoom Christmas party in our WI’s history….. It was fun but not an experience we would like to repeat in the distant future… finger crossed!
Members got into the spirit, by wearing Christmas Jumpers and Tops, various Santa Hats and Reindeer Horns, and having their own festive fare ( wine and nibbles);to consume at leisure.
Party jokes were fun. Truth or Lie’ flummoxed members…..they must have been good lies to make members think they were truths.
Origami Christmas tree making is a skill that definitely needs practice, and Kim’s Game really tested our lock-down brains.
The final singing of Carols and Auld Lang Syne caused us all to be justly muted. What an abominable chorus….but not unexpected as all our broadband works at different speeds.
So the evening came to a close, members dispersed into mixed chat rooms, to enjoy a last conversation with friends and wish all a very Happy Christmas.
When Boris tells us we can go out for a socially distanced walk, in groups no larger than 6, Whitley WI walking group decided to enjoy such a walk, even though it was December and the weather a bit murky… The news had also said that humans need Vitamin D which is made in our bodies by sunlight, meaning time outside in winter.
The decision challenge of when to go, where to walk (with no thick mud), and where to park had been made in the previous week when lots of us met under the cover of Zoom.
Up for the challenge, one of our group had connections at Grappenhall Cricket Club, which offered safe and off the road parking. Meeting up on a dry Wednesday morning, following a day of exceptionally high rainfall, was appreciated… so off we set, up to and around Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden, along the wide footpaths of Witherwin Avenue, through Cobbs Estate and then along Stockton Lane to get back. Walking along this lane was not without incident… A huge flood (from the previous day’s rain) blocked the way… Taking everything in our stride, scrambling through a hedge, all got back to the Cricket Club, for a well-deserved socially distanced coffee.
It was great to chatter with friends, so much news to discus and plans for the future.
2021 should bring more settled times where we can mix, socialise and enjoy future adventures.
Special Thanks for the year must go to Ann our leader … she’s kept us going with our spirits high when this was most needed. THANK YOU
