It’s our birthday and AGM this month and we will be joined by Sarah from the Middlesex Federation.  Although we cannot be together to share cake and a glass of something, we will be reviewing the past year, hearing our treasurer’s report and electing the committee and president.  If you would like to stand to be on the committee do email us and let us know.  You need to be able to commit to a separate committee meeting each month, to get involved in all our current projects and to take an active role in taking De Beauvoir WI forward for the next year.

We will also be talking about the resolution for 2022, A Call To Increase Awareness Of The Subtle Signs Of Ovarian Cancer. Voting for the resolution this year will be cast via an online form although alternatives will be made available if you are not able to vote digitally. All votes need to be cast by 9th July 2021.

Book Group

The book group are meeting on 20^th April and are reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Outing!

Many of us  have been on various guided history walks with Lesley over the last year or so, since she qualified as a Clerkenwell and Islington guide. As the pandemic restrictions are eased, guides are now able to run restricted number walks – max 6 people – with social distancing. Lesley would like to offer WI members a new walk which continues to explore the border between Hackney and Islington, from the Rosemary Branch to Old Street. Some of us will have enjoyed a previous walk from Dalston to the canal, weaving either side of the borough border, and this new walk carries on the theme into the old parishes of Finsbury and Shoreditch. This time, we will hear of livery companies, canal history, ironworks, lost hospitals, a music hall, an 18th century swimming pool, the furniture trade and more…

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Dates and times: Saturday 8th May, 14.00-16.00 and Sunday 9th May, 11.00-13.00

Starts on the canal bridge at the southern end of Southgate Road, ends near Old Street Station (2miles approx.)

Cost: £5 per person – a special De Beauvoir WI rate (Lesley’s public walks now cost £15 in light of the very limited numbers she can safely guide). Pre-booking is essential, again due to the small numbers.

If you are interested, please email both walk@lesleythompson.co.uk and debeauvoirwi@gmail.com with your preferred date. We will then send an Eventbrite link for payment to confirm your place.

If you cannot make those dates and/or are interested in other walks, check out Lesley’s website here   where she is previewing some future public walks from late May onwards.

Below are some photos from a wonderful walk with Lesley around Clerkenwell that we managed to squeeze in between lockdowns last year

Spring Trail

After the huge success of the De Beauvoir Christmas Trail we are working towards a De Beauvoir Spring Trail on May 16th.  We have a stall at 34, Northchurch Road, and will be selling marmalades, jams, bakes and craft goods.  De Beauvoir WI has a fantastic reputation for its bakes and cakes and I have really missed the opportunity to bake for others.  We are looking for our amazing bakers to dust off their recipes and get baking for our stall.  We are looking for cakes to be sold whole, biscuits, scones, smaller bakes, savouries, whatever you fancy.

If you are interested in baking something for the stall do let us know.  If you batch bake then we will reimburse expenses. 

We have a load of marmalade already but as this is so hugely popular always want more, or if you want to turn your hand to chutney, pickles or jams we completely sold out of all stock at Christmas and there is nothing nicer than opening a jar of home-made produce and spreading it on your toast.  If you need jars we have some, just get in touch.

Anyone with a crafting bent, get your needles out and let us know what you are planning.

If you would rather help out on the day, again get in touch. We need sisters to help on the stall and to marshal the trail, giving out maps and letting people know what’s going on and how to get there.

We are hoping to raise some money to donate to Solace Women’s Aid and to add to our fund for a party for us all when we can meet together in person. stall.  Let us know what you have planned by emailing us at the usual address.

Save The Date

Our walking group is desperate to get going and walk together.  At this point we would be able to start up our summer walking group when restrictions are more fully lifted so we are hoping to start again on Friday 25^th June.

Hackney Heroes Update

De Beauvoir WI member, Lynn and her team have now delivered over 1200 goody bags to the Homerton Hospital, St Joseph’s Hospice, vaccination centres and to GP surgeries in Hackney.  We have loved being able to contribute to this project and it has been fantastic to see the levels of creativity in our sisterhood.  Huge congratulations to Lynn and her husband John and a big thanks to all our sisters who gave their time and energy to this project.