Hello!
It was great seeing so many of you at the May meeting. It was fascinating to find out how and where English saffron is produced, and learn that Saffron Walden is so called because that was where the precious crocuses were grown and the threads harvested. I’m also pleased to announce two new members joined in May, Gloria and Polly. Welcome to Battersea WI!
June promises to be a lively month. Not only do we have plenty of WI activities planned, including our Spring butterfly walk on 4th June, but also quite a few of you have signed up to come along to the Remaykit fashion show on 15th June. It should be a great event, and is part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe festival. Speaker Ross Barry, co-founder of Reskinned, a company built on over two decades of experience in the recycling industry, will be speaking about the future of textile recycling. He’ll explore the transformative changes happening in circular fashion – and how these shifts are set to revolutionise the way we buy, wear, and think about fashion. London Climate Action week is 21-29 June and we’d love to hear about any activities you are taking part in. There is more information in the Offshoots section of the newsletter: as well as useful information about Wandsworth’s Library of Things and a link to the consultation on Community Safety which runs until 30th June, an invitation has been extended to our WI to join the Friends of Battersea Parish Church outing on a trip to Lydiard Park in Swindon.
Looking further ahead to our annual Summer Outing, the Committee is proposing a visit to Folkestone on the 19th August. We will put an expression of interest out at the next meeting. The Folkestone Triennial will be on, this year’s theme is ‘How Lies the Land.’
NFWI – if you were at our May meeting, I mentioned one of the Resolutions passed at the annual NFWI was Bystander Training. You can do this online and the Red Cross app has very helpful first aid advice. The links to these are included in the NFWI update below.
NFWI is also getting behind the Climate Coalition’s Mass Lobby on 9th July. See p16 of April’s WI Life for more info and register for the event via My WI. More information will follow in forthcoming editions of WI Life.
If you are reading this as a non Member interested in joining Battersea WI, please do not hesitate to get in touch and find out more about us.
I look forward to seeing you all very soon
Jane, President Battersea WI
E: presidentbattersea@surreyfedwi.org.uk
In your June 2025 Newsletter:
- Your BWI Groups
- Coming up:
- Special outing for all members
- Group meet up dates in June
- Forthcoming speakers for 2025
- Offshoots – activities inspired by BWI groups
- Surrey Federation
- NFWI news and information
Your BWI Groups
Keep up with the latest date BWI news via our Instagram feed
Art – lovely sunny morning spent in Battersea Rise cemetery sketching and chatting
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Book Groups – what we’ve been reading
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Battersea Bookends update by Danielle
Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufman, is billed as the untold story of black people living in England in Tudor and Stuart times. There is very little documentation about their lives, so a fair amount of the narrative is supposition based upon information about people in similar employ. What stands out is that England was not the racist society we are accustomed to dealing with nowadays. People were accepted for their skills and abilities irrespective of the colour of their skin. Further, slavery was not known in England, and some slaves headed here to gain their freedom, although they had to convert to Christianity to do so . It was with the growth of the American colony which needed labour to farm the crops, that a need for slave labour arose, the indigenous people having been killed or too hostile. It was fascinating hearing the different occupations of these black Tudors, from trumpeter to deep sea diver to seamstress. The only criticism of the book was that there was sometimes too much historical information which drowned out the very voices the author was trying to enhance. The book highlights that England was even then a multiracial society and black people have been a part of it for many hundreds of years.
Boozy Books update by Amanda
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden is a story told in a dual timeline. In the present day we get Sydney’s tale as she navigates the dating world, a bit naively and dangerously we thought, and tries to get the truth about Tom. In the past we have Tom’s point of view from when he was in school which provides the red flags (and red herrings). Most of us found the story engrossed us from start to finish. As the story progressed and we gained information from Tom’s timeline, we thought we had solved the plot, and then there was a twist that blew our theories.
Chapter One Reading Group update by Jane H
In May we read The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. This is an unusual and original novel – a bit sci-fi, a bit rom-com and a lot of humour. It is told from the point of view of Lauren, a single women who finds that her attic is creating an endless supply of husbands for her. Which one should she keep? What could possibly go wrong? We had a varied discussion covering topics both deep and very shallow – from the situations set up in the book to society in general and our own experiences. The book was thought provoking and gave us a great starting point for chatting.
Coffee Morning update by Vivien
For some time, the Duke of Cambridge had a teapot shortage. They finally bought several new ones and it has been declared that these new pots make a Very Good Cup of Tea!
Film update by Julie
This month film was Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme. A bit of a Marmite choice, but film choices on that particular evening were slim!
It was a typical WesAnderson movie – with the usual dysfunctional family, the quirky and beautifully styled sets and an incredible stellar cast, many of them just playing minor, almost walk on, parts. Although there were quite a few funny bits, out of the six of us who saw it, most found it either confusing, repetitive, or a bit too similar to some of his other movies.
Foodies – update from Amanda
May was a salad celebration with a gorgeous poached salmon and/or coronation chicken accompanied by a rice salad, tomato salad and carrot salad. Dessert was a wonderful tiramisu. Thank you to everyone for contributing to such a delicious meal.
Our Recipe of the Month is Tiramisù – did you know ‘tiramisù’ means ‘pick me up’ in Italian? This is not the version we had at Foodies, but the first tiramisù I made sixteen years ago was from a Delia Smith recipe, following a TV series, you may have done likewise!
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/chocolate-recipes/tiramisu
Knitting & Crochet hosted by Joan
This is our final meeting before the summer break – K&C will resume in September. We had a really fun evening sharing tips and showing our various projects from baby blankets to jumpers and of course our ongoing Poppies for Corsham – see offshoots for more about poppies and how to contribute.
Swimming update by Rosemary
The swimming group has been frequenting the Tooting Bec Lido, the temperature of the water is fabulous. I can’t remember when it was already so warm by the end of May. We have a fabulous photo of Nathalie practising her backward dive. It isn’t just lengths of the 91-metre length pool we swim up and down, but we also get up to some fun and games too. Hand stands in the shallow end are my favourite. We are currently planning some swimming walks over the summer months, visits to other to bathing spots and most definitely to a few seaside beaches.
Walking Group update by Clare
Seven of us and Tiger turned out on a sunny Friday morning for a ten-minute train journey to Streatham Hill. From there we walked back home across Tooting Commons, admiring a newish boardwalk and an ancient fossilised tree as we went. Next we made our way to Springfield Village, an ongoing redevelopment project which integrates new hospital buildings for the NHS into a brand-new community, complete with new housing, its own high street and a 30-acre public park; the old Victorian asylum buildings are also being retained as luxury flats. After admiring the park’s attractive landscaping, we carried on across Wandsworth Common to meet up with Alison S and her dog Riley for coffee and cake at the Skylark Café. We’d walked four miles altogether, agreeing that our route had felt quite surprisingly green and quiet and pleasant, and that we were lucky to be able to find such interesting new places to explore, almost on our doorstep.
Coming up
Our next guest speaker: June 17th Mudlarking – Jason Sandy
Jason has been a mudlark for 14 years and has two published books about Mudlarking . You can read about a typical mudlarker’s day in this recent article in The Londoner and explore his You Tube channel for videos. He regularly takes part in exhibitions and talks, in particular during the Thames Festival To further whet your appetite, the London Museum Docklands currently has an exhibition Secrets of the Thames Mudlarking London’s Lost Treasures which is on until March 2026.
Future speakers for 2025
July 15th Lady Poisoners of Victorian England – David Allen Are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin….. this is one of David’s most popular talks in which he combines his love of history and his skill as a dramatic storyteller. Buckle up as David takes you on a gripping jaunt through the world of plots, deadly poisons and the occasional chopped-up body. This is a series of talks and in each talk David tells one meticulously researched story which is jam-packed with factual details, drawing on contemporaneous newspapers and law reports from the National Archives.
August Outing 19th August, Folkstone
September 16th Fermentation – Clare Heal Would you like to learn how to make delicious and gut-friendly krauts, kimchis, kefir and kombucha. All the Ks basically. Plus other stuff like pickles, preserved lemons, vinegar, mead and natural sodas?Have you made some of those things but want ideas about how to eat them? Are you interested in boosting your gut microbiome, reducing food waste and preserving the seasons? Then this is for you.
October 21st Lighting the Pyre – April Lewis For hundreds of years women were persecuted for witchcraft. Explore the reasons behind the witch craze, interrogation techniques, meet the infamous witch finders and explore the key witch trials in the UK.
November 18th AGM – Get ready to vote for your new committee for 2026. If you wish to stand please talk to our current committee and we can explain what is involved. All are welcome .
December – Christmas Party Bring and share seasonal food
Offshoots:
a round up of members’ activities inspired by Battersea WI groups
Remaykit Fashion Show 15th June
As part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2025, this fashion show will display the diverse talents of the people of Wandsworth who have reimagined and repurposed clothes to give them a second life. The Remaykit fashion show will demonstrate the skill and passion of sewers, knitters and menders who believe in the positive impact that upcycling clothes has on reducing pollution and landfill, while knowing a creative hobby can be good for health and wellbeing.
Beating the Bounds of Battersea by Vivien
It was a blustery start to our Beating the Bounds of Battersea on Sunday 4th May, organised by The Battersea Society and Friends of Wandsworth Common. Willow sticks in hand, we set off from St Mary’s Church, heading east along the Thames Path, past Battersea Power Station and on to Nine Elms, where Jeanne Rathbone gave us a wonderful talk about the history of the area. From there we moved south through Embassy Gardens (marvelling at the Sky Pool, a far cry from the Victorian Nine Elms Baths of yesteryear), to Queenstown Road and Wix Lane, finding quite a few boundary markers en route. After a break at Clapham Common bandstand, we carried on to Wandsworth Common. There Stephen Midlane gave a fascinating talk about the history of beating the bounds. Some markers have nearly disappeared, likely swallowed up by private gardens of big houses. The rest of the route took us past the iconic Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, across St John’s Hill and back down to St Mary’s. Those who completed the walk received special certificates. It was a fantastic day out and a wonderful chance to learn more about the history of Battersea. Huge thanks to the organiserswho made this such a tremendous outing. Roll on next year!
Making poppies for Corsham WI – following a plea which featured in this BBC article we’ve been in touch with Corsham and they shared their pdf pattern for knitting or crocheting poppies. If you’re not already in the knitting/crochet group but want to make some anyway, it would be lovely to collect as many as possible. Drop a line to Elaine to let her know you want to contribute. Poppies will be sent off early August, so plenty of time to get making!
Wandsworth Community Safety Partnership
The Wandsworth Community Safety Partnership brings together Wandsworth Council, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, health partners, the criminal justice system including Probation Services, as well as community and voluntary sector organisations involved with crime reduction and community safety in the borough. Listening to the views and concerns of communities is important so that the Strategy tackles the issues which have the most impact on you and across Wandsworth. The consultation runs until 30th June and is an opportunity for you to give your views on community safety.
The Library of Things – why buy when you can rent? In keeping with our aim to encourage and support sustainability, we encourage members to ‘make do and mend.’ Established in 2014, the Library of Things has been working towards making borrowing better than buying for people & planet – more affordable, convenient, socially-rewarding & kinder to the planet. Our nearest Library is Southside shopping centre.
Surrey Federation
Battersea WI is a member of the WI’s Surrey Federation Their website has all the latest news about events and links to their monthly newsletter. You can also find out more about events and opportunities such as the Edenbridge & Oxted Show and the August visit to Bristol in Talking Points.
National Federation(NFWI)
The WI campaigns on a huge range of issues – from promoting women’s rights and fostering health awareness to encouraging sustainable development and building a fairer society. For more information about Campaigns please visit the My WI section of the NFWI website
Your WI membership includes full access to the resources available on the NFWI site, including the Learning Hub. All online courses are free when you are logged in to your account. One of many great reasons to join the WI. It’s not all jam and Jerusalem!
This newsletter has been edited – the full version is sent out in a monthly mailing to our members. If you would like to join, please get in touch via our contact form.