This newsletter has been edited for our website – 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.
Hello!
It was agreat turnout for the Summer Outing to Folkestone. With so many different facets of the town to explore, there was something for everyone and lots of lovely memories. We’re sharing a selection of photos from the day in the Groups section below. The Triennial is on until the 19th October, so if you get a chance to visit, we’d thoroughly recommend it.
Sustainable September is here!
Wandsworth Council’s Sustainable September events pages are packed with things to do, from talks to walks to creative activities. Last month I set our subgroups the challenge to come up with a sustainable activity for September. To get the ball rolling, our Chapter One book group lead Jane H shares an article about sustainable reading habits in the Book Groups section below. We’ll hear more about what our groups did in next month’s newsletter. If you live under the flightpath to Heathrow, on 18th Sept there’s a discussion by HACAN at St Mary’s Battersea about the pros and cons of the 3rd runway. Offshoots has an update from our Climate Ambassador as well as information about other related events you may find of interest, including the opportunity to contribute to St Mary’s floral display for Open House Festival. Meanwhile, our monthly talk in September continues the theme as it’s all about fermentation, pickling and preserving. If you are getting involved in local activities related to Sustainable September and would like to contribute an article to the newsletter, please contact Elaine.
Looking ahead to our AGM you should all have received the email last week about the current Committee’s intention to step down. The WI relies on its volunteers – not just for the main ‘offices’ of President, Secretary and Treasurer, but Group Leads and members helping out at meetings, all of whom contribute their valuable time and effort to making our BWI the vibrant, fun place it is. As a Committee we are hugely grateful to everyone for their support and the hours of effort they have put in, from setting up at meetings, to organising activities, outings and speakers, we couldn’t have done it without you. To find out more about standing for the Committee, contact me or any member of the current Committee (contact details below) or grab us for a chat at a meeting or outing.
Surrey Federation had its own marquee this year at the annual Edenbridge & Oxted Show. Battersea WI entered 6 items across 3 categories, winning two First Prizes and one Fourth. Congratulations to our winners! Articles about the show and their forthcoming workshops are in the September edition of the SFWI newsletter – see our SFWI section below for more information.
110 Years of the WI – time to celebrate On the 16th (which coincides with our monthly meeting), there will be a webinar to celebrate WI Day 2025 by looking at the history of the organisation and showcasing its legacy – see our NFWI section below. We will celebrate by treating you all to a slice of celebration cake made by our member Julie, as well as a glass of bubbles to toast the WI’s birthday!
Scam alert reminder ...the scam I mentioned in the last newsletter about texts messages telling people to sign up for winter fuel allowance is still doing the rounds, so be vigilant. You can read more in this article The DWP will never send you texts or emails asking for your bank details for winter fuel payment purposes. Keep up to date via the Action Fraud website.
I look forward to seeing you all very soon
Jane, President Battersea WI
E: presidentbattersea@surreyfedwi.org.uk
Contents
- Your BWI Groups
- Forthcoming speakers for 2025
- Offshoots – activities inspired by BWI groups and Campaigns
- Surrey Federation
- NFWI news and information
Your BWI Groups
 Keep up with the latest date BWI news via our Instagram feed |
Art Group – update by Marie
Jennie and Marie joined ‘Drawing Escapes’ for an afternoon of drawing on the Southbank. There was music and festive crowds on the riverside outside the Royal Festival Hall but they found a peaceful green oasis on the roof! The garden there, with deckchairs, coffee tent and loos, would make a great venue for a future Art group session. There is even a view of St Paul’s!
Book Groups – what we’ve been reading
Battersea Bookends update by Danielle
This month we read The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. This tale of an Island, Cyprus, divided by hatred and war, yet united by history and traditions is easy to read. It touches on how immigrants deal with the loss of their homeland, trauma and ecology all wrapped up in wonderful descriptions of the landscape, traditions and food. On the whole we all enjoyed this book although one plot device was a bit Marmite for some of us. It would make a good film.
Boozy Books update by Amanda
Boozy Books loved this one. It is a sharp, stylish and stunning murder mystery and unputdownable. The mix of wicked fun and being exceptionally clever makes it a book we would thoroughly recommend. It ties up all the loose ends at its finish in a very satisfying manner. This is a book of glamorous suspense and terrifying black feathers from a true storyteller.
Chapter One Reading Group update by Jane H
As many members of the group are busy during August doing summer based activities, we did not have a book choice for August. A few of us met for an Italian meal to catch up about life in general. For Sustainable September the Group will be thinking about eco-friendly solutions to reading more books without having to purchase paper copies every time, taking on board some of the suggestions from this article about sustainable reading habits.
Coffee Morning – update by Clare GH
Bernadette kindly took over hosting duties on our first August coffee meeting as I was not well. There was a good crowd and everyone seemed to enjoy sitting outside. Thank you Bernadette.
****New Group***
Cribbage update by Derinda
♣️ Cribbage is a card game most commonly played between two players. The game is scored at a number of stages and by moving pegs around the cribbage board. The first to score 121 points is the winner!
♦️ A cribbage group will form from September with the intention of meeting once a month. All comers are welcome – beginners will be buddied with experienced players.
♥️ If you would like to join please contact me stating whether you have played before or will be a newbie.
♠️ A WhatsApp group will be established for members and venue with date will be confirmed once numbers are assessed.
Film update by Clare G
Five of us met up at Clapham Picturehouse on Bank Holiday Monday and enjoyed a drink and a chat outside in the evening sunshine ahead of our August film choice: the Thursday Murder Club. That’s based of course on Richard Osman’s wildly successful detective story, previously tackled by two out of our three Book Groups. The film’s a big-budget production with a very starry line-up of British acting talent but was showing in a few cinemas and for a few days only, because it was made by Netflix. It’ll be off-screen but available for streaming by the time you read this. Overall we found it amiable enough and enjoyable enough, a pleasant treat to round off our holiday weekends. Helen Mirren (Elizabeth), Pierce Brosnan (Ron), Ben Kingsley (Ibrahim) and Celia Imrie (Joyce) have lots of fun playing the four elderly sleuths, with Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Richard E Grant and various other familiar faces in support. The locations (an improbably grand country house as the retirement home, plus some chocolate-box Home Counties villages) look good, and the script includes a few nice dry one-liners and in-jokes. Justdon’t expect too much in the way of dramatic tension, or character development, or even a plot. The film’s lost most of the book’s depths and complexities, leaving the end result a bit fluffy, and a bit bland —we even compared it afterwards to the improbably large and elaborate but not especially tasty-looking cakesforever being offered by Joyce to the other characters! Three out of five.
Foodies – update by Amanda
In August, Foodies celebrated all things French, feasting on a pissaladière, chicken in tarragon and mushroom sauce, tomato and cheese tart, Provençal potato salad and a Salade Niçoise followed by clafoutis and a tarte tatin.
Recipe of the month: a book to acquire is French Provincial Cookery by Elizabeth David. Try her aligot cheesy potato dish.
Knitting & Crochet – update by Joan
Apart from the recent poppies collaboration, as K&C Group has been on a summer break we’ve not been doing any joint project, For Sustainable September I’ve been using up leftovers of wool for this blanket. We next meet on 24th September, details in Coming Up later on in the newsletter.
Swimming & Walking – update by Rosemary
6 of us and 3 dogs went on an 11.5 mile walk from Berwick to Seaford. It was a bright day with a gentle breeze, perfect for a jolly walk and a swim. The walk started with a visit to Berwick church, famous for a series of 20th century Second World War murals, painted by the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa and Quentin Bell. When we arrived, there was congregation collecting with all the anticipated excitement of a wedding about to take place. We were quick with our visit and photos, and enjoyed the happy atmosphere, which made viewing the colourful murals all the more enjoyable. What a lovely chapel to get married in on a sunny day! After that we set off across the fields down through the lovely village of Alfriston, over the river below the downs, and walked through the valley. We picnicked at Cuckmere Haven, enjoyed spectacular views of the Seven Sisters and then walked over to Seaford for a refreshing swim, followed by tea and ice-creams and then the train home. A fully packed exhilarating and really wonderful day.
For Sustainable September, Swimming Group is joining forces with the Foraging Group by attending one of the Battersea Beach Clean dates.
Walking Group update by Clare
Eleven members and two dogs turned out for our Friday morning walk along the upper reaches of the River Hogsmill, catching the train down from Clapham Junction to Ewell West and walking through to Malden Manor. It’s a green and pretty 4.5 mile route, taking you through several nature reserves and past the spots which inspired Holman Hunt’s Hireling Shepherd and Light of the World and Millais’ Ophelia,(during their painting holiday together in 1851, staying at a nearby farmhouse). We enjoyed spotting a Little Egret along the way, as well as lots of blackberries, wild plums and sloes. At the end we relaxed with coffees, ice creams, pastries and other tasty treats in the garden of Hooky Street, the pleasant café next to Malden Manor station. We’ll check out the rest of the Hogsmill on our September walk, following it down from Malden Manor to join the Thames at Kingston.
WI Annual Outing update by Jane C
We had a guided tour of some of the installations along the seafront and up to the Martello Tower, ending with an interactive (and delicious) ‘Triennial Lolly’ specially created with Herbert’s ice cream shop with artist Emeka Ogboh
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Guest Speaker for September
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. You can read more about it in Clare’s blog
Forthcoming speakers for 2025
(subject to change if the speaker cancels or rearranges):
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
If you have any suggestions for future speakers and/or activities, please contact the Committee.
Offshoots – a round up of members’ activities inspired by the WI
Climate Ambassador’s update by Elaine
The NFWI is a founding member of the Climate Coalition, working to ‘urge policymakers to take decisive action to tackle climate change, and to encourage community networks to come together on climate action projects in their local area.’ The latest NFWI campaign, Fairer Greener Future focuses on the fact that climate change does not affect everyone equally. In particular, women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds bear the brunt of climate impacts and are left out of the decisions meant to support them. Meanwhile, some voices are seeking to divide the public climate debate, putting our crucial progress at risk.
Lobby Week 13-20 September is Lobby Week. I will be joining with other Battersea constituents to speak to our MP about local issues such as clean air. You can read about some of Battersea’s climate change issues such as clean air, in the Local Intelligence hub.
Climate Change Challenge Another date for your diary is the Climate Change challenge WI Week of River Action 29 September to 5 October (nb you need to log in to My WI to access)
Celebrating Wandsworth London Borough of Culture: Self guided walks in Battersea
Clare has completed a series of 6 free downloadable online self-guided walks through local open spaces for the Battersea Society to mark Wandsworth’s London Borough of Culture year. Most recent walks added are: Walk 5 Thames Path East takes you from the Isle of Effra beside Vauxhall Bridge through to Battersea Park, and Walk 6 Thames Path West, from Chelsea Bridge to Wandsworth Bridge.
Photography Competition – Community and Connection
The Battersea Society’s annual photography competition closes on 14th September, so you still have 2 more weeks to get your entries in. The theme is ‘Community and Connection.’ They are looking for a single image or photo story that communicates the idea of community and connections in Battersea.
Sustainable September at the Scrapstore update by Gloria
The Work and Play Scrapstore is hosting an Open Day on 10th September. Based in Tooting, SW London, they collect clean reuseable surplus art, craft, design and play materials from local industries and make them available to members as an educational and environmentally friendly resource. The Open Day is an opportunity for non members to visit and see what they have to offer.
Surrey Federation
Newsletter
Battersea WI is a member of the Surrey Federation of WIs. The Surrey Federation website has all the latest news about events and links to their monthly newsletter. You should also be receiving the newsletter by email to your inbox, so if you’ve not received it, check the junk folder. September’s newsletter includes articles about E&O as well as the Bristol Weekend which Elaine went to, plus a piece about the Remaykit show with our very own upcycled fashion maven, Jane in the Sustainable September section.
Events and Workshops
SFWI runs various events and workshops, from literary lunches with authors to group visits to the theatre (Kinky Boots next March) to pastry making and glass fusing, as well as Christmas Crafting workshops. You have to pay for workshops and outings but prices are kept as low as possible and are good value. Don’t forget the random member bursary – each month someone will be selected to attend the workshop/event/course of their choice! To book, visit their events page
National Federation of WIs
The NFWI campaigns on a wide range of issues from Climate Change to ADHD in Women and Girls. Read all the latest news on the Campaigns page
110 years of the WI As part of the celebrations, WIs and Federations are encouraged to join in the celebrations through activities, from tree planting and having a ‘party in the Park.’ On the 16th (which coincides with our monthly meeting), there will be a webinar to celebrate WI Day 2025 by looking at the history of the organisation and showcasing its legacy, thinking about it has transformed the lives of women over the last century. The session will be recorded and you will be able to locate it under the Access Anytime course list to watch it in your own time for the following 7 days.
NFWI has partnered with Emma Bridgewater to create this lovely celebratory mug – £3 from every sale goes to the NFWI.To read more about the various ways you can celebrate, click here If uploading any pictures/videos to your own social media accounts, don’t forget to use the hashtag #WI110years.
WI Learning Hub Feed your brain at the Learning Hub. Your WI membership includes full access to the resources available on the NFWI site, including the Learning Hub. We’d love to hear your recommendations. Online courses are free when you are logged in to your account. There is such a wide range of subjects from talks on history and travel, to art and crafts and chair pilates. You can sign up for the newsletter for weekly updates about what’s on.
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.