OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S REGISTER
Our evolving relationship with food SPRING 2022
A huge thank you to members for all your submissions! Please keep them coming — group news, travel news, personal journeys, short stories, poems. Submissions from all members are welcomed for our magazine, newsletter and website. For the Autumn edition, please send your contributions to office@nwr.org.uk by 31 August 2022 (copyright of material is transferred to NWR on submission unless otherwise requested). Cover design: Judith Charlton
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S REGISTER
Our evolving relationship with food SPRING 2022
Get in touch with NWR Editor: Judith Charlton General enquiries: office@nwr.org.uk Membership and press enquiries: office@nwr.org.uk Website: https://nwr.org.uk Twitter: @nwruk Facebook: facebook.com/nwr.uk Telephone: 01603 406767 Address: NWR, Unit 31, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AZ Registered charity number 295198
Not a member? Join us! Have you recently moved house? Are you newly retired? Or simply want to meet people and make new friends? Then NWR is for you! Our style is informal and relaxed with local group meetings for women offering conversation, friendship and fun. Find out more at www.nwr.org.uk
Opening up NWR trustee Jan Fuller is looking forward to new opportunities, including the chance to open up our organisation to new members. At the time of writing this article it has just been announced that, with a fair wind, all Covid restrictions could be removed in the next few weeks. I truly hope that, by the time you read this article, it has been possible and NWR has been able to resume all the activities that we have missed so much. Yes, I agree that Zoom has been amazing and yes, it’s been lovely to walk and talk in small groups, but nothing replaces the lively exchanges and friendly gatherings of our face-to-face NWR meetings. I’m very excited at the prospect of area meetings and day conferences resuming, giving us all greater opportunities to meet other members and groups once again. Planning for the national conference in Newcastle is well under way and promises to be an event not to be missed, so make sure you have 2–4 September in your diary. Oh, the pleasure of filling up that calendar again! Speaking of exciting opportunities, at
the end of last year, our Communications Co-ordinator Helen Page was offered her dream job as a trainee landscape gardener, something she had always wanted to do but never thought would happen. Sadly, for us, it meant that Helen left us in November, but not before she’d done a super job of launching our new website. We all wish Helen the very best for the future.
What’s On?
Audio version
Below is a selection of NWR’s online schedule of talks. For more NWR events— national, regional and local—visit the events page of the NWR website at www. nwr.org.uk/events/.
NWR Magazine is available to members in an audio format on our website.
Thursday 28 April: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm (Zoom talk)
Digital version If you would prefer to receive an electronic copy only of this magazine, please let us know.
Printing NWR magazine is This item uses: printed on recycled paper by Greenhouse Graphics, Hampshire. Every effort is made to fact-check NWR magazine, however, we cannot guarantee it is error free. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of NWR. Please accept our apologies if you find an error—and please let the National Office team know. Thank you. 2
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
Marion Molteno will be speaking with Lisa Conway (a member of our Salisbury group) and author of A Strand of Gold, a historical novel set in early 19th-century Singapore. A Strand of Gold highlights the struggles faced by two Chinese women, in search of a better life. The narrative explores attitudes to slavery, prostitution and opium addiction against a backdrop of East India Company bureaucracy and Raffles’ idealism. Thursday 19th May 2022, 9:30am–16:15pm A CELEBRATION OF FOOD Beccles NWR cordially invite you to a day conference at Park Farm Hotel, Norwich Road, Hethersett, Norwich NR9 3DL. More details on page 5. NWR NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022 2–4 September 2022 Save the date for our next national conference, to be held at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne. More details on page 7. Don’t forget that you can still catch up on many of our past talks! Visit our website: www.nwr.org.uk/schedule-of-talks/
OUR EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD: YOUR VIEWS
10 Perspectives on British food Anne Garrick of Leicester South NWR on changing farming methods.
12 Win-win veggies
Image by Divily from Pixabay
Ute O’Meara of Bury St Edmunds NWR looks at our ever-growing consumption of animal products.
13 Our changing relationship with food Margaret K Green of Odiham NWR considers the influences on our attitudes to food over the last century.
14 It’s all about the microbes! Hilary Hiscox of Congresbury NWR on her own personal changing relationship with food.
Photo by Diego San on Unsplash
11. Mad Gnome Gangs 1. Prouder Dishy King Eggs and Yorkshire pudding Gammon 12. Easy Going Name Egg Mayonnaise 13. Smarter Drab Beat 2. Headline Tooth Battered Mars Bar Toad in the Hole 14. Neck In Skull 3. Walker Battle Cullen Skink Bakewell Tart 15. Bashes Grand Man 4. A Sporting Voice Bangers and Mash Victoria Sponge 16. Fat Bull Shark Feelings 5. Finished Mass Full English Breakfast Such Happy 17. Sporty Chains Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas Cornish Pasty 6. Strong Ship 18. Terrible Wash Crack Welsh Rarebit Pork 19. Halo Convince Kid Scratchings Chicken Vindaloo 7. Stays Around 20. Maps Out Too Sunday Roast Tomato Soup 8. Wash Bum Scenic Crude 21. Mock Classless Cucumber Sandwiches Nude 9. Prudent Acids Appeal Cockles and Apple Pie and Custard Mussels 10.Paid Kindest Yankee Steak and Kidney Pie Photo by Sarah Mae on Unsplash
Photo by Laura Seaman on Unsplash
Answers
22. Nuke Bad Squabble Bubble and Squeak
23. Is Not Harlot Cheap Lancashire Hotpot 24. Cake and Faithless Ackee and Saltfish 25. Ultra Tea Oil Ratatouille 26. Bench of Headers Corned Beef Hash 27. Pop Anti Nazi Zeal Neapolitan Pizza 28. Pick Odd Test Spotted Dick 29. I Sew Shirt Irish Stew 30. Debase Muscular Nag Cumberland Sausage
Photo by Craventure Media on Unsplash
FEATURES
one year’s free NWR subscription will be awarded to LO Alyson Elliman. We had several entries correctly answering all 30 food-related anagrams and the winning entry was drawn at random from these. Thank you to everyone who took part.
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the NWR Annual 2022 foodie anagrams competition is... our Online Afternoon Group! This is one of our virtual groups; you can find out more about them on page 6. Congratulations to all! The group has generously decided that the prize of
Photo by Shifaaz Shamoon on Unsplash
17 Local community heroes NWR Central Region Membership Officer Cath Heslop on an exciting project aimed at helping to connect people in rural communities with the digital world.
18 Cycling for Samaritans Val Bassindale of Carlisle NWR cycled the length of the country for charity.
19 Disability awareness Susan Baird of Kilbarchan NWR sheds some light on two hidden disabilities.
20 Missing links Connecting on one of NWR’s Facebook pages led to Jill Lucas of Crewe and District NWR making new connections in her family tree. BIG READ
15 Readers’ reviews From thumbs down to thoroughly recommend!
NEWS Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash
In this issue
Scrambling for a win
Photo by Marc Markstein on Unsplash
On the subject of the website, thank you to everyone involved in loading and continually updating their groups’ latest information. Looking through the site today, it’s full of group pictures and lively, interesting programmes. This is our shop window for attracting new members so we need to keep up the great work. Working with our technology partner, the website will continually evolve. It’s your website, so if you have any ideas for improvements or additions, please do let us know. Take a look at the new resources page—under About Us—which includes information for local organisers and new groups, with more pages to follow. Like many membership organisations during the pandemic, we have seen a dip in the number of members, but we are heartened to still receive enquiries from women interested in joining, with a real spike for independent membership. Spring is finally here; an ideal time for us to encourage new members. Have you spotted the flier on the back cover? Use it to spread the word, and be in with a chance of winning a £15 voucher! Details on page 6. If every member puts their flier in a local shop window, doctors’ surgery, garden centre notice board or anywhere that it might be seen by someone looking for something new, it could make a real difference.
4 Out and about Dereham and District and Kenton Groups have been getting out in their local communities.
5 We need names! Who do you know who deserves your nomination for the Mary Stott Award?
6 New opportunities and a competition Our correspondence magazines and online groups would welcome new members. Plus, a chance to win gift vouchers while spreading the word about our organisation!
7 NWR conference 2022 What’s in store for you in Newcastle?
8 In their own words Leighton Buzzard’s newest members find much to like.
21 Members’ Corner Latest news from local groups. NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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NWR NEWS
NWR goes out and about Kenton makes an exhibition of itself
Socialising in Swaffham In January, Dereham and District NWR took a table at a Social Open Day for Local Organisations and Groups, in the nearby town of Swaffham. Since there are no other NWR groups on this side of Dereham, and Swaffham and its surrounding villages have grown over the years, with many new housing developments, we felt it could be a good opportunity to recruit new members and to spread the word about NWR. The doors opened at 10am and, due to a thriving Saturday market situated right in front of the venue, the event had a steady footfall. Many women showed interest as they had read about the group in the local free magazine, in an article written by one of our members, Lynette.
...they missed the mental, intellectual and social aspects of work A recurring comment was from women who had retired either shortly before or during the pandemic, about how much they missed the mental, intellectual and social aspects of work, especially in a group environment, and they were attracted to the fact that this would be one of the benefits of NWR membership. Encouraged by our experience in Swaffham, we now plan to take part in the Dereham Memorial Day on Saturday 14 May. The organisers had found out about us from the networking app for neighbourhoods, Nextdoor, which we have used with some success for our advertising. It remains to be seen how many new members we recruit! Rosemary Parker Dereham and District NWR
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Headstone Manor in Harrow recently staged an exhibition entitled Opening Out: Women’s Lives in Harrow 1970–2000, and fellow Kenton member Lucille Balkin and I decided to organise a display about NWR. It turned out we were the only nonpolitical, non-protesting group to take part, and one of the few still in existence. Lucille and I were amazed at the strength of women’s groups that were set up in Harrow fighting for equal rights, equal pay, safe houses and welfare centres for women needing refuge, Asian women’s networks, comedy and music performers. The exhibition was free, and ran for several months. The venue, Headstone Manor, is a wonderful 14th-century Headstone Manor House that houses other permanent installations, and has gardens, a moat and a duck pond! Lucille and I both joined Wembley group—as Kenton was then called—in 1978, so we had plenty to talk about
Part of Kenton NWR’s display
in the discussion about NWR that we recorded for the event. Some of it has been included in the video that was made about the exhibition, which you can see on Headstone Manor’s YouTube channel. Below are just a few of our happy memories. Pippa Reid Kenton NWR
Happy days Lucille: The recorder group in the 1970s consisted of beginners and intermediate groups. I was 38 when I learnt the recorder courtesy of NWR. I was diabolical. Penny: I saw a newsletter from 1972 about a day conference with guest panellists controversial jazz man George Melly, and Mrs Mary Whitehouse, who campaigned against social liberalism. I would have loved to have heard their discussion! Whole day cost £1.50. Lucille: Florette Boyson came to talk on life as the wife of MP Rhodes Boyson. He was a workaholic; they couldn’t even plan to go on holiday as he was so dedicated to his job. Penny: And he took us around Parliament and the House of Lords and recognised by name one of our members, who had been a pupil of his when he was a teacher. Penny: Do you remember a speaker years ago saying “One day you’ll all have computers in your homes.” We all laughed! Lucille: We had Maggie Stredder talking about being a member of The
Ladybirds, the female backing group on The Benny Hill Show in the 1970s. Lucille: I particularly remember the Helens evening. It was going to be Helen’s 70th birthday, the oldest member in the group. As she had no family we decided to give her a surprise complete with birthday cake and candles. We advertised the meeting as “Find out about a famous person with your own forename,” but, without telling her, we all did a Helen. There are loads of Helens—Helen of Troy, Helen Mirren, Helen Lederer, Helen Keller and many more. She was thrilled. The cake was good too! Lucille: The group meant everything to me. It was my second family, but I could not have participated so much without a very loving, caring husband and I think that could be said for a good percentage of our married members. It was a lifeline and I had so much fun and found lasting friendship from within the group. Headstone Manor: https://headstonemanor.org/ Watch the whole of the video: https://tinyurl.com/245jzw6d
NWR NEWS
We need names!
this day and age it is more likely to be an Amazon voucher—we are moving with the times! In addition she will receive a free place at the Newcastle conference Is there an unsung hero in your group? Now is the time to along with travel expenses, since we recognise their achievements by nominating them for the would really like her to be able to join us. Mary Stott Award, writes NWR trustee Jennifer Johnson We do however need your nominations! Think about the members of your group It’s that time of year again! As we Fiona Catterson or people you know in the wider NWR look forward to September’s national of Kilbarchan community. Are there unsung heroes out conference in Newcastle we are again NWR received the there who deserve this recognition? Without asking you, the members, for your quaich in 2021 for nominations there can be no award! her work bringing nominations for the prestigious Mary The first step is for you to decide on activities to the Stott Award. elderly in her an appropriate person and obtain her The award was set up in 2003 to honour community, and agreement to being put forward. The next the memory of Guardian Women’s for her success in gaining Eco Church step is to tell us why she is worthy of the Page editor Mary Stott, who published status for her local place of worship award, using the criteria above as a guide. that article way back in 1960 showing Your submission should consist of around young women that they need not Annually the trustees present the award 500 words and focus on what your devote themselves entirely to domestic to an NWR member who has: concerns—there was a world outside Carol Crane, our ■■ made an exceptional contribution to where there were friendly, lively minded 2014 winner, set NWR, the community and/or the wider women who wanted to meet, discuss and up a charity to world; support each other, and have fun! help parents or ■■ made great strides in her own personal guardians who, development; like her, have lost 2009 winner a child. ■■ shown a great commitment to a project. Rita Fowler from The winner will be presented with Deepings NWR a quaich, which is a Scottish cup of nominee has achieved. Nominations must was inspired to establish a school friendship. NWR will have it inscribed be submitted to the NWR office by 30 June in Kenya, after with her name, and she will hold it for 2022, marked for the attention of Jennifer seeing the poverty the year. She will also be presented with Johnson. If you have any queries about endured in slum a book token in recognition of Mary’s the process please contact me through the areas of Mombasa. profession as a journalist, although in office and I will be happy to help.
The conference includes a buffet lunch, refreshments, speakers and one workshop. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Park Farm Hotel is a luxury spa hotel set in 200 acres of idyllic countryside. The conference room is light and airy with doors opening onto the garden, which we are welcome to use. There is plenty of free parking, and all areas of the hotel are easily accessible. Why not take the opportunity to pamper yourself: book a stay and take advantage of the spa and heated pool before or after the conference!
13:45: Workshops, please choose one Flint Vineyard virtual tour, with wine Bollywood Dancing with Jaya Dance Poetry, led by Elizabeth Bracken Sunnyfields Honey, with tasting 15:00: Katherine Rhodes, magician from The Magic Circle Cost: £40 or £45 if selecting Flint Vineyard workshop. Please contact us at becclesnwrbooking@gmail.com for more information
Learn
Read Discover
Laugh
Talk
Friendship
Grow
Walk
Women
11:30: Mrs Cromwell and 17th Century Cooking, Nora Gardner, Ely city guide
Support Celebrate
Park Farm Hotel, Norwich Road, Hethersett, Norwich NR9 3DL
10:00: Food, Health and the Gut Microbiome, Dr Maria Traka from the Quadram Institute
Friendship
Thursday 19 May 2022 9:30am–16:15pm
Women
Share
A celebration of food
Fun
Beccles NWR cordially invite you to a day conference
Give the gift of friendship! Do you know a woman who would enjoy being a part of NWR? Then why not treat them to a gift membership, beautifully packaged with a gift card for your message, and a copy of the latest magazine? Details at www.eventstop.co.uk/ event/3940/nwr_as_a_gift#/
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NWR NEWS
One of the happier spin-offs from the pandemic, NWR’s new online groups have a full and varied programme waiting to welcome you. The afternoon and evening online groups restarted in January for their second term, having got to know each other and beginning to gel as viable groups. They grew out of the open meetings held on Zoom earlier in the pandemic, with the aim of being as much like a local group as possible. Those who attend are a mix of independent members and group members who may or may not also be attending their local group. A highlight for the evening group last term was feeling a little smug after succeeding in the Telephone Treasure Trail, even though we were a very select gathering that evening. Alyson, who joined NWR during the pandemic, leads the afternoon group. Wendy, on the other hand, joined NWR almost 40 years ago, and now leads the evening group. Both have spaces for new members, who could be occasional as well as regular.
(pictured below left) with Singing for Health and Wellbeing practitioner Mary Denn1. We were led through gentle and relaxing body awareness in preparation for using the voice for the songs for which she had previously provided the words. The programme is mapped out for the rest of this term with input from all the members, and includes marking the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, the “other” Welsh poet W H Davies, space travel, worldwide foods, and a discussion about recognizing and finding ways to aid equality and diversity issues.
Evening group
The evening group’s first meeting of 2022 looked back at what we learned through Covid and looked forward to what we hoped for in the new year. Afternoon group Rather predictably we said that we became very much aware that “no man Having is an island” and that we missed the completed 10 interaction with friends and family that sessions of we had perhaps taken for granted. We the afternoon learned to appreciate nature by walking group in more in our local areas. We learned the autumn, that Zoom and WhatsApp groups were where topics ranged from musical invaluable for staying connected with experiences, the American Civil War, an original play on the theme of love, famous people. We learned to get along without hairdressers and without buying new sisters, charities helping improve living clothes. We learned that the whole conditions, and Christmas customs, we world is vulnerable and we learned to be are now enjoying our Spring sessions. cautious about infecting other people. These started with a singing session
Find out more If you are interested in knowing more about the online groups, please contact: Afternoon group alysonelliman@aol.com Evening group wendy.pearson@no3.clara.net A shockwave ran through the group when one member divulged that she had lost her husband to Covid early on in the pandemic. It made our little problems pale into insignificance, and brought us up short. We avoided the word resolution but talked about challenges, and some of us were very organised and determined! Among the things people were hoping to do were singing at the Albert Hall, youth hostelling, entertaining, swimming in the sea, sorting out the garden/shed, creative writing, and revisiting a holiday home from the past. Some thought it was too early to make plans. We challenged ourselves to contact friends more often, to be more punctual, to drink less wine and more water—that one definitely wasn’t me! We were in agreement that we have learned to appreciate small pleasures like tea in the garden with friends, and maybe, like Snoopy the dog, we have realised that perhaps the little things are actually the big things. We look forward to discussing our favourite authors, when we were young and now, learning about Chinese New Year and reading our choice of book from the Big Read over the next few weeks. Alyson Elliman and Wendy Pearson NWR Online Groups 1. https://tuneinwithmary.wixsite.com/ home
Enter our fun competition and help to spread the word about NWR We have a challenge for our members… You’ll have noticed the back page of this issue looks different. It’s our new NWR flier, for you to cut out and put on noticeboards and in shop windows, telling women everywhere about NWR. Post your flier in your local area and send us a photo of it for a chance to win one of a choice of £15 vouchers. Email your photo to me, Cath, at cath.heslop@ nwr.org.uk by 30 April and you’ll be 6
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
entered into the draw, and two lucky members will be selected at random.
Where will you put yours? Here are some suggestions: Community centre, church hall, garden centre, town hall, high street notice boards, coffee shops, supermarket, corner shop, bookshop, doctors’ surgery, local takeaway, chemist, museum, library. There is a white box on the flier providing you with space to write the
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al and Our style is inform group relaxed with local gs for women I have made meetin sation, offering conver so many friends, fun. hip and discussed and friends groups 300 over ng We have explored interesti ide, with each and subjects. nationw programme of events and challenging creating its own spirits in group rs get to talk about It has lifted my es to ensure membe subjects and at activiti balancing serious life’s down periods them, what interests times I have laughed are lighter. that those with till I ached.
name of your group “ and, if you wish, your contact details. Are you looking for more ideas on how to promote your NWR group? The NWR Promotion Guide is full of tried and tested methods. You can find it here, along with many other useful resources: https://nwr.org.uk/ about/resources-for-nwr-volunteers/ Good luck! “
About our online groups
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@ office@nwr.org.u 01603 406767
Your local NWR
www.nwr.org.uk om/nwr.uk www.facebook.c
group is looking
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Estate, Ermine Street, Park Farm Industrial number 295198 Register, Unit 31, Registered Charity National Women’s SG9 9AZ Buntingford, Herts,
NWR NEWS
An all-consuming conference It’s springtime, and once again planning for the national conference is underway, writes Elaine Kilroy. The theme this year is Insatiable Consumption, the location is Newcastle upon Tyne and the dates are 2–4 September. Planning is still in the early stages but we do have a few details with which to tempt you! As well as keynote speakers there will be workshops to complement the main conference on Saturday. One of our speakers will be Lucy Adlington, an author, presenter and clothes historian who likes exploring vintage fairs, flea markets and car boot sales, looking for historical treasures. She writes both history-inspired fiction and fascinating social history books. Want to try making a piece of art from everyday items that we throw away? Or sing songs about ecology or the environment? Take part in a charity clothes fashion show? These are some of the ideas we’re exploring for our workshops. We’re also planning wraparound events to help you get the most from your
weekend, and the local area. Newcastle city centre is compact, but it is bustling, vibrant and full of fascinating history. There’s sure to be something for everyone in this city of theatres, museums, nightlife and two amazing universities—and there’s lots of shopping! Our venue is in the heart of the city centre at Northumbria University. We will be using the facilities offered by the Business and Law Schools. This is a modern, state of the art building within easy walking distance of the city centre, and close to the metro station, which allows easy access to the East Coast Main Line and thence the rest of the UK. Accommodation will be available in purpose-built student flats in New Bridge Street, a twominute walk from the Business and Law Schools. Each flat has between four and seven en-suite bedrooms which share an open
Our own correspondents NWR correspondence magazines are looking for members NWR correspondence magazines have been in existence for many years. They provide an opportunity for members to write to others in a small group. The only commitment is to send a letter every month. It doesn’t have to be written on a computer nor does it have to be very long. It’s more important that you enjoy getting to know the group using the written word. If you would prefer to stay in touch by email there are also groups that send messages in that way. We are looking forward to adding new members to our groups. If you are interested, please contact the office who will put you in touch with me so I can add you to a group. Here’s what two members have to say about the experience: Marion Turner NWR correspondence and e-groups organiser
A friendly and social diary I really enjoy being part of the correspondence magazine: it is so interesting to gradually get to know people you would never otherwise meet—to hear about all their varied interests, join in discussions, receive book recommendations, favourite recipes, friendly advice if I have asked for it. It can be really valuable to gain another opinion, unconnected with your own life, from a friendly and sympathetic person. And, when I look back over past contributions, I find that lots of things I have forgotten come back really vividly—a sort of friendly and social diary. Photo by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash
plan kitchen/living area. There is also a newly refurbished common room in the main reception area. Breakfast will be available in the café in the venue’s foyer, or there are plenty of nearby cafés and restaurants. If you prefer to stay in a hotel, bed and breakfast or Airbnb, there is plenty to choose from in Newcastle city centre, from the luxurious Malmaison on the Quayside to Premier Inns and Travelodges; something to suit everyone. Many are within walking distance of the venue, or close to a metro station. So save the date! Booking information will be with you as soon as we have made final arrangements. Watch this space!
Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash
Lifesaver Since the 70s, when I was deep in childcare with two toddlers and a job, I have been a member of NWR. Due to my circumstances, it was difficult to go to meetings and someone suggested joining a correspondence magazine. That was a lifesaver. Once a month a large envelope would drop in the letterbox with seven or eight letters inside discussing various subjects. Although we did not meet, I came to recognise people by their handwriting. We have lost that a bit as we type our letters now. In the 80s I joined a second magazine of which I am still a member. Confidentiality, also from our husbands, was a big point, so that we could freely discuss our private thoughts on any subject. And as we lived so far apart, we were not likely to meet each other’s friends unless arranged. Now we can connect instantly with people all over the world, but I still find it therapeutic to write in discussion. More considered replies or opinions for the next issue are often ready early. So, I always look out for the large envelope once a month.
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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NWR NEWS
In their own words
Three months in, and completely sold We moved house during Covid time When the rule of six applied Hard to build new friendships When you can’t often meet inside We joined the local croquet club— Well that is out of doors When the Register was mentioned, I had a quick explore Three months in, and completely sold So many things to do Discuss on Zoom, and learn new stuff And learn the area too In summary—NWR Full of activities and games The biggest challenge left to me Is remembering all those names! Gwyn Grout
The National Office team have been busy updating the guides and handbooks for NWR volunteers. Full of tried and tested tips, you can find the Local Organiser’s Handbook, New Group Handbook and NWR Promotion Guide on the “Resources for NWR Volunteers” page at https://nwr. org.uk/about/resources-for-nwrvolunteers/ You’ll also find helpful guides about: ■■ Programme planning; ■■ Ensuring there are enough hosts for meetings; ■■ Keeping meetings to their allotted time; as well as a handy FAQ, and guidance for web editors. 8
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
Karen Cowley
The opportunity to meet like-minded women I moved to Leighton Buzzard just before the Christmas 2020 lockdown kicked in. Initially I got to know parts of the area by taking long solitary walks, which also helped me to keep relatively fit. I had I was met with friendliness hoped to join some local groups but of and warmth course those plans had to be put on hold. Then my daughter-in-law passed on After living in New Zealand for nearly 20 years, in 2020 I made the difficult decision details of the NWR, which she had found online and thought might interest me. I to leave a full life of loving friends, two engrossing volunteer jobs, great weather looked into the Leighton Buzzard branch and was immediately struck by how many and wonderful food and wine, to return of their activities appealed to me. I am to live near my family in the UK. Like so a word person, so the idea of joining many others, my life had been turned book clubs, playing Scrabble etc had me upside down by the pandemic and my hooked. There was even Canasta, a card lifestyle, which had involved lots of trips game I started playing a couple of years backwards and forwards, had to be reassessed. I settled in Leighton Buzzard, an area which, in spite of it being close to my family, I barely knew, and within weeks we moved into full lockdown. Luckily I was in a bubble with my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren aged two and six, but once I’d sorted out my new apartment I realised that I had to do something to bring some balance to my life—difficult when I couldn’t even meet my neighbours. ago, which had been put on the back I remembered NHR, an organisation burner during the various lockdowns and which had provided me with a readymy move. One of the main benefits to me made support group when I left work to have my sons in the late 70s, and I looked was the opportunity to meet like-minded women face to face in a Covid-aware way, it up. The organisation had changed its name, housewives no more, but there was knowing that they are vaccinated and have tested prior to events. For those not a large group in Leighton Buzzard and happy to take these steps, or who don’t they seemed to have cheerfully moved yet feel comfortable in a face to face into the 21st century, embracing email setting, there are Zoom options. communication and Zoom meetings. I So far, I’ve gone out for a delicious was met with friendliness and warmth Turkish lunch, played Canasta and and, as soon as lockdown allowed, a attended a coffee morning. Next on the small social meeting for coffee—the agenda is a Christmas lunch! Everyone first time I’d met anyone new since my I’ve met has been friendly and welcoming move six months earlier. Since then I’ve and I am confident that joining this group joined in the regular discussion groups will help me settle into, and get the most as well as sampling art appreciation and a reading group. I’ve been on outings, to out of, living in Leighton Buzzard. I’m coffee mornings, learned to play Canasta really looking forward to the year ahead! and struggled with the metamorphosis
Sharon Newey
Photo by Crystal Berdion on Unsplash
Resources for NWR volunteers
Image by Kranich17 from Pixabay
of Scrabble. I’ve had recommendations for hairdressers, lawyers and places for the best coffee and met fellow bridge players. In other words, Leighton Buzzard Hear what joining NWR has meant for some of Leighton NWR has helped me settle into a new Buzzard NWR’s newest members. environment by providing help, support, interesting evenings and afternoons, new times was something of a challenge Leighton Buzzard NWR are very acquaintances who are becoming friends and lots of laughs. but, happily, NWR was there to help. fortunate to have gained four new It’s good to see that Maureen Nicol’s members during 2021, three of whom are Here are some of their reflections on the original aim of “a meeting point for lively experience. new to the area. As you may imagine, minded women” has survived over the relocating during these difficult Covid Heather de Lacey, Leighton Buzzard NWR years by adapting to the many changes we’ve all had to deal with.
NWR NEWS
Valerie Dallinger 1957–2021 Valerie joined the Luton and South Beds Villages NWR group in the early 1990s. She was an enthusiastic member of the group, contributing to meetings; serving the group for several years as Local Organiser and then taking on the role of Social Organiser, arranging regular group outings as well as meals at restaurants and dinners in members’ homes, where everyone contributed to the food. She also encouraged new members to join NWR. In addition, Valerie supported NWR by attending local, regional and national events, including many area and national conferences. She was on the organising committees for the 2011 National Conference in Hatfield and the Precious Gems Diamond Anniversary Conference in Birmingham, which unfortunately had
to be postponed due to the pandemic. Valerie was a very keen quizzer; she was always part of the Luton and South Beds team for the annual area quizzes— which incidentally the group won six times—and was instrumental in setting the questions for the three quizzes which were hosted by the Luton and South Beds Villages group. In 2018, NWR was asked to put a team forward for the TV quiz show Eggheads, which meant that Valerie had the opportunity to join with members from groups across the UK to form the Lively Minded Women team. They certainly gave the Eggheads a run for their money, and it subsequently sparked many enquiries about NWR. As part of the Diamond celebrations, Valerie was a co-ordinator for the NWR Scrapbook, organising materials and collecting the pages for groups in the home counties. Valerie will be sadly missed at all levels of NWR. Beth Dallinger and Sue White Luton and South Beds Villages NWR
The final furlong In 2020 Dorking NWR decided to walk the entire Surrey stretch of the Greensand Way, a long-distance footpath which passes through the town, and is 60 miles long. This seemed a good way of celebrating NWR’s Diamond Jubilee.
The walk was divided into 10 sections which were to be done over 10 months. The first stage from Haslemere was started valiantly in February 2020 with several members of other groups joining in on a beautiful crisp winter’s day. The March expedition was literally a wash out with such torrential rain that only a few soggy yet hardy ladies completed it. Then came the pandemic which put a stop to everything. A linear walk inevitably means sharing lifts to get from the finish back to the cars at the start, so it was with some imaginative transport that between lockdowns we were still able to complete two local sections through Dorking, but no more. Eventually in the summer of 2021, as the restrictions were relaxed and people began to feel more confident about sharing lifts, the challenge was restarted. It was decided to keep the group small for Covid safety reasons, sadly without the wider invitation to other groups as was envisaged at the start, except for two determined ladies from Godalming
Art alert! Hats off to Marion Smith of Crosby NWR, who sent in this wonderful watercolour painting in response to our appeal for artwork to brighten up our Buntingford office walls. Marion told us that it is a depiction of “Hat night,” a fun and informative January meeting where members looked at a wide variety of hats and heard the stories behind them. We would love you to add to our gallery! If there are more budding artists out there, do please send us your NWR related paintings or drawings, any medium, anything up to A4 size. Thank you from the office! who joined us for most of the sections. Members walked in all weathers but mostly dry, they enjoyed beautiful scenery and views, great company and especially the lunch in a pub at the end. The final leg of the challenge to the border with Kent was completed in November 2021, with some regret, so a new challenge will now have to be found. Sue Jamieson Dorking NWR
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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Food, glorious food! As might be expected of lively minded women, you have a wide range of opinions on this year’s theme ‘Our Evolving Relationship with Food’! Here are some members’ personal angles on the subject.
Perspectives on our British food: a personal view
constituents grown on cleared rain-forests. The shift towards a more plant-based diet has had a big impact on the global market, where food is a commodity. But at what cost? As an example, 80% of the world’s almonds are produced in California; it is a multi-billion-dollar industry creating an industrial monoculture. According to the University of California San Francisco’s Sustainability Office1 it takes approximately 15 gallons of water to produce 16 almonds. Land has been converted from natural land or farms growing low water crops to supply the booming market for almonds, and the region has a serious drought problem. There is also a problem with pesticide residues, some of which are toxic to honey bees.
Anne Garrick of Leicester South NWR reflects upon the impacts of changing farming methods. A long time ago, I took a BEd (Hons) degree in Nutrition, Human Physiology, Food Science and Microbiology, and entered the teaching profession as a teacher of Home Economics. In our school, every pupil had spent 30 hours in a teaching kitchen by the end of Year 8, so had a basic knowledge of nutrition, food hygiene and cookery. How sad it makes me now to hear of mothers who skip their own meals to feed their children, knowing what a difference it would make if they knew how to use inexpensive, British produced staples. But these are unfashionable, and are not promoted by the supermarkets because they have no added value and low profit margins. Instead, we have all sorts of superfoods, flown in from across the globe, promoted by influencers, and little informed nutritional debate. At the same time, concerns about the role of food production in climate change have led to demands for changes in farming, and an unprecedented demand for foods that are not part of the traditional British diet. The supermarkets now have aisles full of foods that would only have been found in the vegan section of health food shops a decade ago; most of these are grown in other countries, often other continents, and some contain
...the farmer only receives a fraction of the price on the supermarket shelf
Sheep graze on ancient ridge and furrow pasture Photo by Anne Garrick
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Then there is the matter of economic inequality. For example, the cashew nut trade more than doubled between 2000 and 2018, to more than 2.1bn kilos, two thirds of which are grown by African producers, led by Côte d’Ivoire. However, 85% are exported to be deshelled, mainly in India and Vietnam, then processed—roasted, salted and packaged—mostly in Europe or North America. By this time the price is 8.5 times more than that paid to the estimated 3m small-hold farmers in Africa.2 In the UK too, the farmer only receives a fraction of the price on the supermarket shelf. The economic disadvantage of the primary producer will always be a problem when the food industry involves huge sums of money, has complex supply chains and fierce competition at the retail end. The seeds, nuts, soya and other pulses needed to supply plant protein are mainly imported; China, India, the US, Brazil and Argentina are some of the biggest suppliers. Is it wise for us in the UK to be competing in what is a global commodities market against the world’s biggest consumers, when we live in a country that is climatically and geologically suited to rearing animals? Why has British animal husbandry become such a target when there are so many other factors contributing to climate change, not least, the great distances that many foodstuffs travel, and truly appalling levels of waste? Meeting the demand for cheap food is one of the factors in the environmental damage that farming can cause. To produce meat and milk cheaply in industrial quantities requires feeding animals with arable crops which use oil-dependent heavy machinery, inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, which are implicated in damaging soil structure, polluting water courses and destroying biodiversity.
FOOD The animals themselves are bred to be specialists. At an agricultural show a few years ago I was amazed at the size of the prize dairy cattle, far bigger than the traditional Ayrshires I knew, and learned to milk by hand, as a child. Even the beef cattle were much bigger. Traditional, often dual purpose, breeds of cattle used to be reared more slowly, fed on pastures that included a much richer variety of ground plants, and shrubs or trees for browsing. But traditional, mainly small, farms cannot compete in the race to the bottom on price. Unfortunately, not enough differentiation in the debate is made between industrialised farming of the worst kind, such as the stockyards used in the USA, and animals that are predominantly grass fed. Close to where we live in Leicestershire, sheep and beef cattle are grazed at low-intensity stock levels in fields, some bearing the ridge and furrow patterns that have existed for hundreds of years. How much carbon is captured in those pastures, bounded as they are with hedgerows, and enhanced with small copses? Even high tech, large scale agriculture has depended on subsidies to be profitable. James Dyson, despite being one of the largest landowners in England, was unable to make a profit even in a recent year of bumper harvests. The much talked about alternative is to take land out of food production altogether and rewild it, particularly land that is marginally profitable. Indeed, it is one of the grant-aided options available under the government’s new Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMS) that will replace EU subsidies. It could be attractive to investment companies that buy up farmland. But could it undermine farmers who are already working to farm in environmentally friendly ways and improve soil and water quality? An excellent example of this is the Allerton Project3 here in Leicestershire, which has been working for the past 25 years to research and develop ways to improve soil and water quality whilst maintaining profitability for farmers. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has championed “resilience through diversity” by, for example, trialling agroforestry, where arable crops are interplanted with trees. This has many benefits— improving the soil quality, reducing erosion, improving biodiversity, producing two crops from the same land and
I know what I like You asked for my thoughts on food. No, I am definitely not doing vegan or even vegetarian January. I support local farmers and British seasonal produce—and I like meat and fish. I have been using markets rather than supermarkets whenever possible for the last 50+ years since I left home. Clare Bense Peterborough NWR
Cattle near Gumley in Leicestershire Photo by Anne Garrick
diversifying income. Instead of rewilding, marginal grazing land could be enriched with native trees and shrubs, but still remain productive, supplying a top-end market for slowreared, high quality meat from traditional breeds. The future of farming, and the people who know how to farm, is something that should concern us all. Covid-19 has demonstrated our dependence on the transportation of food and how much of it we import—48% and rising.4 In 2021 drought in numerous countries caused widespread crop failure, which is one of the factors in the recent increase in food prices. We live in an increasingly unstable world with the risk that action by hostile states could affect food supplies in the future; in the debate about land use, the UK’s self-sufficiency in food, and the farmers who produce it, should be higher on the agenda. As consumers, we can influence UK food production through our buying choices. We can lobby against marketing practices that disadvantage farmers and encourage food waste. Each year, the supermarkets compete to sell the cheapest Christmas dinner; how much is bought because it costs so little, only to be thrown out when it reaches its sell-by date? How many people know the satisfaction of cutting the bottom off a slightly tired cabbage or stem of broccoli, putting it in an inch or two of cold water outside overnight, somewhere sheltered, and finding it fresh and crisp in the morning?5 And we can read the labels, to find out where food has come from and what is in it, both the ingredients and the nutritional value, particularly with processed foods, or vegan substitutes. What else could we do, to make a difference? Perhaps we should have an exchange of favourite “using up left-overs” recipes; it’s surprising what can go into a sausage casserole! Get creative, and remember those good, cheap old-fashioned British staples: potatoes, good bread, oats, root and green vegetables, peas and beans, and use them well; buy good quality animal products of known, British origin, and most of all, enjoy it. © Anne Garrick 1 University of California San Francisco’s Office of Sustainability UCSF Sustainability 2 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Cashing in on cashews: Africa must add value to its nuts | UNCTAD 3 The Allerton Project | Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (allertontrust.org.uk) 4 Global Food Security UK threat - Global Food Security 5 This can be done with any green vegetable that has a stem. Temperature should be between 5C and 15C; if it is too cold, the vegetable will become flaccid, so avoid frost damage. NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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Win-win veggies Ute O’Meara of Bury St Edmunds NWR shares her thoughts on our ever-growing consumption of animal products.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
When you see those neatly plastic-wrapped meat portions on gleaming supermarket shelves, it’s easy to forget that the meat inside was once part of a living animal—a bird, a cow, a pig, a fish... Nowadays, meat production has become sanitized: we do not see, and maybe don’t want to know, how that meat arrived on those shelves, or in the butcher’s shop. Humans the world over eat a lot more meat and dairy products nowadays and, here in Britain, since the Second World War food prices have gone down relative to our income. Supermarkets exert ever more pressure on meat producers and the supply chain to keep prices down, resulting in intensive farming methods, to the detriment of animal welfare and the environment. The facts are well known, and in the months leading up to COP26 the media have reported a great deal more on the causes of the global climate crisis, biodiversity loss and the impact of agriculture on global greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock farming accounts for around 14% of the world’s total CO2 emissions, roughly the same as the transportation sector. A staggering 75% of agricultural land is used for rearing animals. 80% of deforested land in the Amazon rainforest is used for cattle grazing, and huge soya and maize plantations in many
Maize plantation
parts of the world, often adjacent to grazing land, displace original habitats in order to provide animal feed. Projections are that by 2050 livestock numbers will significantly increase due to a growing world population and an even fastergrowing demand on meat and dairy products. Resulting in ever-increasing intensification of farming methods, evergrowing river and coastal waters pollution with nitrogen and phosphates, ever-growing biodiversity loss, ever-growing CO2 and methane emissions. My short contribution is not meant to scare everyone with figures—we can all check those out ourselves—but to encourage you to join the many people who have already begun to change their shopping and eating habits from full-time carnivore to eating a bit less meat and fish, and replacing dairy products with plant-based ones—if only to benefit their health by avoiding high-cholesterol foods. Chances are that you do this already, but maybe you think you’d like to go a step further by exploring the growing range of vegan foods and recipes that are available now. 12
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And I would say: don’t be shy to chat with your friends about this hugely important topic. They are probably also worried about the frightening news of our threatened planet. We should also reinspect some of the myths and objections that are often raised when discussing the very emotive subject of food, for instance animal welfare. Is the UK really a nation of animal lovers? Not as long as factory farming of animals is allowed. There are cows who never see the light of day, who cannot graze, who have their babies taken away from them so that they produce a neverending stream of milk. Sentient, social animals suffering for years! There are pigs, kept behind iron bars in tiny cages, who try to suckle their piglets through those bars, and who will eventually suffer a horrible death suffocating in carbon dioxide. Live animals are transported to other countries for slaughter, long, stressful journeys which some don’t survive. There is mutilation and castration. Not to mention what happens on salmon farms and to lobsters boiled alive... No, the UK is not a nation of animal lovers as long as we turn a blind eye to all this. But, even if we are not activists, we can do so much now to help animals and to support new sustainable and ethical ways of farming, be it of livestock or crops—by making choices as consumers. We can buy organic, Soil Association certified products, we can eat less meat and fish, and maybe eventually none, and we can cut down our dairy consumption, again, in time, perhaps to zero. A myth that was around when we were young: “We need to eat animals for their protein,” is of course not true. Humans, as omnivores, can live very well on plant proteins, the only proviso being that we then need to supplement our diets with Vitamin B12, since animal-derived foods provide the only reliable natural source of this. And a plant-based diet will provide us with a huge range of micronutrients and fibre, essential for our gut health and well-functioning immune system. Another belief, that we need to consume dairy products to provide us with calcium, is also inaccurate. Many plants such as broccoli are very high in calcium, and don’t have the harmful fats that you find in dairy products. So, whether we want to make a start with one or two vegetarian days a week, or change our diet to a vegan one, it has become much easier now. Every supermarket is selling a fast-increasing range of ready-meals, vegan burgers, sausages or mince, and even vegan cheeses have become very good. Vegan desserts are also available. Try some—you will find foods that you like and, even if you have to make a few compromises, is it not worth it when you know that you are supporting your own good health, whilst helping to give a future to coming generations? It’s a win-win veggie situation! Sources: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/ issues/meat/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200406114352/http:// p3-raw.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/ publications/agriculture/2013/Ecological-Livestock.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935116/ A useful source of information on how to make your choices in the complex world of food and other industries is ethicalconsumer.org
FOOD
Our changing relationship with food War, poverty, affluence, travel, cultural expectations—all these and more have influenced our attitudes to food over the last century, as Margaret K Green of Odiham NWR observes. The maid who waits at table should be neatly dressed in a plain black frock, with a white apron, collar, cuffs and a simple cap. So run the instructions in Florence Jack’s Cookery for Every Household, published in 1919. Then, as now, the buying, preparing and serving of a decent meal occupied a nation’s time. In one hundred years we may have come from ‘making a nourishing soup from scraps and scrag ends’ to YouTube demos of Wagyu steaks, but the principle holds. We all like decent food at a suitable cost to give nourishment and pleasure—in other words, a good supper. Our changing relationship with food mirrors society in so many ways. When in 1919, just after the First World War, serious hunger—food poverty—was still endemic in the UK, in Europe, in Russia and in Turkey, many starved. Although hundreds of tonnes of tinned meat had been sent to the trenches, after the war ended many civilians and returning soldiers faced years of malnourishment. However, as farmlands became productive again and factories returned, the grim dayto-day living of the twenties and thirties bloomed occasionally into cocktails and laughter. People were hungry, literally, for brightness, jazz and excess. The nightlife in Berlin became extravagantly decadent, and a British Pathé newsreel shows crowded restaurants with menus offering wurst, schnitzel and beers. To share food and entertain friends became a symbol of returning confidence and growing prosperity. In our own childhoods, we can probably all remember a birthday, a religious celebration, even a picnic, where the food reflected more than the event. A rich iced fruit cake, a bowl of chicken soup, a cucumber sandwich—the layers of cultural understanding that lift the ordinary into the symbolic—begun by the preparation, the giving, the sharing, and finally the appreciation. So many religions have the sharing of a meal at the heart of their celebration. As children we perhaps learned to follow a recipe, create a dish, share it and be praised—or not—and so to contribute to family wellbeing. To grow from taker to giver, from child to adult. But, and it is a massive but, many of us do not have that easy, celebratory relationship with food. There have always been those who make cultural food choices, eating or not eating certain things. But many are Image by tsauquet from Pixabay
Photo by Carolina Cossío on Unsplash
caught by aspirational bodyperfection, taught by social media and airbrushed supermodels. It is a hard and weary road to survive, and society has much which needs forgiveness for the relentless pressure imposed on its impressionable members. We are what we eat, says the cliché. Or not. Food began to change families. Perhaps we have memories of the first Vesta Beef curry, in a box (1960s)? The first Fray Bentos steak pie, in a tin (1961)? The first pre-packed sandwich (Marks and Spencer, 1980, cost 43p)? The term “convenience food”? We were becoming time-poor, wanting frozen peas, Smash dried potato, little pots of Ski yogurt: “the full of fitness food”. The housewife had to keep her man happy with modern suppers, served on a TV tray, and she had to look alluring too. Because a more affluent society was developing, many of whom remember being abroad when young during the war, foreign travel was taking off as a social expectation. Spain, Italy, France—a week in the sun, with the obligatory Ambre Solaire. We began to experience foreign food: spaghetti not from a Heinz tin, meatballs ditto, croissants, pâtés, pizzas, strange vegetables, puddings other than steamed sponge or tinned fruit. Meals became a yardstick of social achievement: if you knew that spaghetti with sauce could be eaten just with a fork, you’d been to Italy. The examples may be trivial but the Image by Pexels from Pixabay underlying social uplift was seismic. We all have a strange relationship with food. We use it to control, to coerce, to reward, to show love and to withhold treats until deserved. We share socially, religiously or, unkindly, not. Bonobos use sharing food to cement the tribe together, and withhold it from outsiders. Humans may have learned civilised behaviour from the need to feed, with and without others, to succeed in breeding and to ensure the failure of others. But as Florence Jack’s cookery book showed, good soup is good soup, whether in 1920 or 2022. Sainsbury’s now advertises that we should ‘make soup to save the planet, one bowl at a time’. Florence knew a thing or two in her time, too. References: Jacks, F.B., 1919 Cookery for Every Household, TC and E C Jack, Edinburgh. Imperial War Museum, Rationing and Food Shortages accessed 22/1/22. British Pathé News, Fotostrasse, 1930, Berlin, Tofani, P. accessed 22/1/22. NPR, 2020 What’s Mine is Yours, Sort of, Bonobos and the Tricky Roots of Sharing, accessed 22/1/22. NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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Eight years ago I read Gut by Giulia Enders, a brilliant, amusing and informative book and, along with many others, became interested in the foods that feed not just myself but the trillions of good bacteria that live in my gut. Not long afterwards I read The Gut Makeover by Jeannette Hyde and I began to really do something about looking after these teeny tiny microbes that are vital to health in so many ways, from keeping us regular to fighting off infection, and lots more in between. Since then, I have attended a study day on gut health, several workshops on fermentation, read many papers and articles on the subject and have acquired a library of useful books. The following is a little of what I’ve found out. Learning more about how important gut health is to overall wellbeing has been so interesting, and I’ve discovered lots of new and delicious culinary combinations. The most fascinating discovery to me was that not only do we have trillions of these unseen entities snuggling down in our bowel, but we have neurones—yes brain cells—down there as well! When the good gut microbes are well nourished, they work hard to keep their surroundings in a pristine condition, thereby enabling the gut neurones to send vital messages to those in our head, which are working away to control all sorts of things in an attempt to keep us healthy, and happier. Numerous research studies have shown that not only physical health improves when the gut functions as it was designed to, but so does mental health. You may have watched Debbie Lethby’s NWR Zoom talk last April in which she explained her work in this field. So, how was I going to cultivate and nurture a diverse microbiome, the collective term for our internal microbial population, while continuing to enjoy my pescatarian diet? Well, I needed to include more probiotics, those foods that contain the live bacteria our gut needs and the prebiotics to feed them. Prebiotics were key; they are foods that cannot be broken down until they reach the colon, where they would then feed the good bacteria I was adding. Thankfully, like most of us, I was already eating many of these, as a lot of them are staples. The real trick was to get as diverse a population of both as possible, so I added lots of new vegetables and other plant foods to my usual daily intake. I learned that the easiest way to ensure I would get the necessary variety of each, was to ensure that I was eating at least 30 different plant foods a week. That sounded daunting
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Photo by Christine Isakzhanova on Unsplash
A personal experience of a changing relationship with food over the past eight years, by Hilary Hiscox of Congresbury NWR
until I found out that herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and pulses as well as fruit and vegetables all counted towards that total. I was soon up to more than 30! Another way to help the diversity was to choose as many plant foods with different colours and textures as possible at each meal. It looks more vibrant and appetising, too. I liked the slogan ‘Aim to eat a rainbow’ at each meal. I was also warned that an excess of any one food type results in exclusion of the beneficial varied content, so the recommendation is not to overload a plate with too many carbs which can crowd out those pre and probiotics. Think of toast and/or cereal in the morning, sandwiches for lunch followed by pizza or pasta for dinner—that doesn’t leave much room for a wider range and larger portion of vegetables. Yet another way I have achieved a good boost of different probiotics has been by introducing a small amount of fermented food each day. Milk kefir and sauerkraut are my favourites to make cheaply and easily at home, and both are packed with their own beneficial bacteria. Starting with a little and building up, I really noticed an improvement in my IBS symptoms and, once I realised how little time it takes to get a stock of ferments in the fridge, I branched out and have added water kefir, kombucha and kimchi to my repertoire, not to mention the most delicious fermented tomato salsa—so quick and simple to make. Probiotic supplements are inferior and not nearly as much fun. The other things that we know we need to achieve for optimum health are exercise, good restorative sleep and regular relaxation, all of which feature in that interaction between our gut and our brain, known as the gut-brain axis. Another interesting area to explore is when we eat. Known as TimeRestricted Eating, this is still being researched as it’s thought that knowing how long the gut is rested overnight can also be beneficial. I’m sure there is much still to be discovered. You may be interested in the personalised nutrition study currently being rolled out in the US by the ZOE1 organization. Of course, it is also a good idea to keep a check on foods that can destroy the good bugs and damage our microbiome as well as the gut lining itself, leaving it more permeable and therefore allowing unwanted substances to pass into the blood stream rather than where they should be heading. Cutting down on sugars and excess alcohol as well as avoiding processed foods is advised. However, I must finish by saying that, although eating for gut health has now became a way of life for me, I do not have a case of Ortharexia Nervosa—I refer you to number 39 of the 50 Food Facts in NWR’s 2022 Annual! More importantly, I do think that getting my gut in a better condition has allowed me to cope with and enjoy some of the unhealthier treats which used to upset my digestion; I just don’t have them on a regular basis. I was also pleased when I discovered that my microbes benefit from a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate and even a cup of coffee. Cheers! 1 https://joinzoe.com/
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
It’s all about the microbes!
THE BIG READ
Big Read reviews The Big Read 2021 took a look back over the past six decades, and a look forward at some newly published titles. Hamnet Maggie O’Farrell One of our members was lucky enough to hear Maggie O’Farrell talk about Hamnet, which gave us some interesting background. In relation to illness: the author herself was seriously ill as a child; during lockdown, she had to take her child to hospital; and she significantly delayed writing the book until her son had passed the age of eleven. The character of Agnes, at the heart of the story, was inspired by Shakespeare’s use of hawking metaphors, and a reference O’Farrell found where the name Agnes, rather than Ann, is used. She did a great deal of research into 16th-century life, including growing her own medicinal herb garden, and learning to fly a kestrel. As far as information about William Shakespeare is concerned, there are few facts, but among them are that his son Hamnet died, aged eleven, and that he wrote the play Hamlet. At that time, the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable. Therefore, to create the Shakespeare character, the author was able to use her imagination, never using his name but instead referring to him as “the Latin tutor”, “her husband”, “the playwright” and so on. In the novel Hamnet and his twin, Judith, are eleven years old. They have the same face, and love to play tricks by pretending to be the other twin. Their bond is strong. They have an older, responsible sister, Susanna. Agnes, Hamnet’s intuitive mother, has great understanding and insight of others, which can enable her to heal, and can sometimes, but sadly not always, sense what may happen. Early in the story, Hamnet is in great distress, looking everywhere for help. His mother returns from caring for her bees, where she had sensed a change. However, she is not prepared for the scene which confronts her. Judith is ill. We find that the course of the illness in the narrative is sometimes interrupted by the author’s going back in time to give some history of the family. We generally
agreed that this structure works, that it slows down time; even if one of us did skip a chapter to find out what happened! In this way, we learn of the Latin tutor’s first sight of his wife to be—the girl with the hawk— of their love and marriage, and of her support for her husband in his leaving for London. We also learn of the journey of the fatal flea, from monkey in Venice to cloth around glass beads in Stratford, and so to Judith. Eventually, Hamnet, finding his sister so ill, makes a crucial choice: to trick death by visually taking her place. What happens will lie at Agnes’ “very core, for the rest of her life.” While her daughter recovers, she is unable to cure her son. We were very impressed by the novel’s language: O’Farrell never uses words associated with Shakespeare’s time, such as “prithee” and “sirrah”, instead she relies on cadence. We loved her use of metaphor and simile, as in: “He [the grandfather] sits in his chair, hunched: an old, sad toad on a stone”; Judith’s shoes “lie inverted, like a pair of empty pods beside her”; and Agnes’ recognition of her husband’s alchemy “settles on her like a fine covering of rain”. One of us enjoyed this book so much, she reread it! The rights of Hamnet have been sold to the BBC: we hope that in reducing the content of the book, the film retains its essence. Wantage NWR
Hamnet Maggie O’Farrell Weather Jenny Offill Kenton NWR read two of the books on the Big Read list—Hamnet and Weather. Weather, we all agreed, was very disappointing. It was an easy book to read, but it had a disjointed dialogue and the plot was far too fragmented—just a collection of half events, quotes and bad jokes. We found it very superficial with not a lot of characterisation, and we didn’t care for the main character: in fact, no one related to any of the characters at all. Definitely a thumbs down!
Top three Crookes Sheffield NWR had a lively Big Read discussion on Zoom and decided that their top three books were: 1 The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 2 Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 3 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Hamnet, on the other hand, was liked by all. It was well researched, full of interesting historical details and a very moving story of a woman’s grief at losing her son. Shakespeare’s name is not mentioned and nor is Stratford, so all the emphasis is on Agnes. We particularly liked the episodes where the child is alone in the house and frantically looking for help for his twin sister. And we all loved the short passage where we saw the journey of the flea from foreign parts to the small village—very relevant to today. Kenton NWR
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Milan Kundera Responses to this novel include, “Very odd”; “It chopped about too much”; “Emperor’s new clothes”; “...once I was past the first few chapters, it was almost addictive.” So, the unbearable heaviness of being for some, while one or two eventually found a page turner! The Unbearable Lightness of Being is set in Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of 1968. Milan Kundera was born in Czechoslovakia and thus is well able to describe individual and collective repression under a totalitarian regime—the spying, his people’s “concentration camp” submission, their conforming smiles, what happened when one spoke out, the need to escape, and to return. His main characters are Tomáš, a surgeon, and Tereza his wife, a photographer; also, Franz, a lecturer, and Sabina, a painter. Kundera can be seen as the fifth character, as he enters their stories with his reflections. Interestingly, he reminds us they are his creations, his own “unrealised possibilities”. He asks which shall we choose, weight NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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THE BIG READ or lightness? Freedom from burden can make us lighter than air, but can feel only half real—the heavier the burden, the more real our lives feel. Sabina’s drama is not with the burden, but the “unbelievable lightness of being”. Her enemy is not communism but kitsch! Kundera recognises the power of kitsch: it can be a meaningful image, while political kitsch with its ideals and movements can become a destructive force. Relating to this, he expresses vertigo, not as the fear of falling, but as the attraction of falling. He explores this in Franz’s intoxication with the brotherhood of the protest march. On the positive side, the author praises the value of poetic meaning: the lasting charm and influence of beauty in our lives. Tomáš makes a life changing decision. Unable to accept the status quo, he writes a letter to a publication, comparing the position of the Czech people to Oedipus’ guilt on realising what he had done. On publication, it is edited to change its effect. Consequently, Tomáš loses his work—his mission—and he and Tereza leave Prague for Zurich and reduced circumstances, which tests their love for each other. Once engaged in the book, the reader finds the story is well told and the characters well drawn. If humour falls short, this can be seen as understandable. While lack of lightness in tone may cast light on certain negative responses to the novel, importantly, we live in a very different time and place. Wantage NWR
Actress Anne Enright This novel tells the story of a daughter searching for the truth in her mother’s unconventional and ultimately tragic life. Katherine O’Dell, the mother, born in 1928, had been a celebrated actress of stage and screen with the beauty and charisma to go with that career, but it seemed that her whole life had been a performance. Years after her death, her daughter, Norah, is finally driven by the interest of outsiders to try to peel away the layers and understand the person playing the parts. It’s also a story about a love between mother and daughter which endures in spite of everything. Opinions amongst our group varied, as always, but even those who found it hard, initially, to engage with the complex chronology and cast of characters and 16
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the sometimes downbeat themes of the unfolding narrative, admitted, mostly, that they had eventually been drawn in by the convincing and intriguing descriptions of the various relationships presented and by a desire to discover whether Norah unravelled the mysteries she was faced with, not least the identity of her father. The novel may be seen as a tapestry with more strands and patterns revealed the more you look into it. Deception in all its forms and the uncertainties of life and relationships are a continuous theme as well as the power of men over women, particularly in the entertainment world. One comment was that the apparently haphazard arrangement of chapters with no clear time line accurately represents a natural way of writing a memoir, when thinking about one event or person leads on to another memory. The picture builds up in a naturalistic way, but nothing is cut and dried—nor is it in real life. Anne Enright’s style is very engaging. Like many Irish writers she displays a fluency of language which can be deceptively informal and gives life to her characters, but also her beautifully crafted descriptions make the reader feel present in rooms, streets, theatres. Vivid descriptions of Katherine’s childhood in a family of travelling players touring rural Ireland are funny, poignant and point the way to her future. So much is going on in this novel that it is impossible to detail the narrative. It could have been written as a straightforward fictional biography, but wrapping it in the desire of a daughter to establish some sort of certainty in her life gives it depth and a sense of ambivalence about searching out secrets. One thing which is never really in doubt is the bond between mother and daughter. This is a love which is not always expressed conventionally but, for Katherine, mistress of pretence, the one real thing in her life was her daughter Norah. In the final chapters we see how this certainty is passed on into the future through Norah’s love for her own daughter. Finchley/Whetstone NWR
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini This is a wonderful book which can be enjoyed even more in the second reading. Hosseini gives us a gripping story about friendship, division, cruelty, love and atonement; along with insight into the predicament of the people of Afghanistan towards the end of the twentieth century. Written in the first person, we hear about Amir’s boyhood: his bond with Hassan, and its culmination in their success in kite flying. When they are
aged respectively 12 and 11, a particular event on a dramatic winter’s day changes everything, and Amir would look back twenty-six years later to see that it “made me what I am today”. Amir’s first word was “Baba”, Hassan’s was “Amir”—both babies were nursed by the same woman. Amir’s mother died during his birth, and he tries hard to please his father, Baba, hoping to be “pardoned for killing my mother”. Amir and wealthy Baba live in a beautiful house while Hassan and Ali have a mud hut. Amir is a Pashtun, Hassan is a Hazara, and is Amir’s servant. Amir is educated, and aware of the historical persecution of Hazaras. Baba is good to Ali, and to Hassan, who he loves: he pays for an operation to correct Hassan’s hare lip. But Baba is hard on Amir. One particular piece of guidance becomes ironically significant during the story: “When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth.” He confides in his friend that he is disappointed in Amir, who never fights back: “There is something missing in that boy.” Wise Rahim Khan tells him: “Children aren’t colouring books. You don’t get to colour them in with your favourite colours.” We find “something missing” in Amir on that fateful day when, thrilled by success in kite flying, he seeks Hassan and, unseen, witnesses a traumatic event. He hears: “It’s only a Hazara”, and he fails to speak out. Had he done so, his life could have been very different. Due to the Russian invasion, Baba and Amir are forced to make a new life in America, in greatly reduced circumstances. They befriend others in similar situations while adding to their income at a flea market. Amir, now a young man, meets Soraya there, the daughter of a former Afghan general. They marry and, despite sadness, their love grows, and will deepen further following the phone call from Rahim Khan to “Come. There is a way to be good again.” Amir returns to Afghanistan. There are shocking descriptions of Taliban rule: violent, sadistic cruelty and abuse. As a result of this, there are heart rending passages, emotional breakdown, tremendous courage, and great kindness. We experience a dramatic kaleidoscope of feelings as we follow the story to the beauty of its cathartic resolution. We wholly recommend The Kite Runner. Wantage NWR
FEATURES
Local community heroes Cath Heslop, NWR Membership Officer, Central Region, has been finding out about an exciting project aimed at connecting people in rural communities with the digital world. Could you help?
One of CDA’s digital inclusion sessions at Little Hadham village hall, Hertfordshire
Whilst compiling contributions from members about their Covid experience for the NWR 2022 Annual it struck me how, for many, their NWR group played such an important part in keeping their spirits up and as a way of maintaining contact with others. It was a delight to read, and gave me a sense of pride to be part of an organisation where our members are there for one another. It has been well documented how the pandemic led to an upsurge in people wanting to support their local community and I wanted to find out whether this has continued now that we are no longer in lockdown and the government is relaxing Covid restrictions. I spoke to Stuart Izzard, Projects Officer at Community Development Action Herts, about two projects he has been involved with that get right into the heart of volunteering in the local community. CDA Herts supports and develops Hertfordshire’s rural communities and businesses. Stuart told me that with so many pubs, post offices and shops closing in these areas there is less opportunity for people to meet up. Buy a digital copy of the 2022 NWR Annual for £2. https://nwr.org. uk/news/nwrannual-2022-2021-09-30/
Rural support networks Covid has had one positive impact in this respect, spurring people to look out for others and bringing back a sense of community. When the country went into lockdown rural support networks sprang up, comprised of local people who wanted to get together to help members of their community who were in need. Stuart and his colleagues at CDA set out to gather the details of all such groups based in Hertfordshire. He found that the majority of the volunteers were women over the age of 50, they were often formed out of groups such as the village hall committee, church group, parish council and the WI. Stuart told me that at least 50% of the groups are still in regular contact with CDA, 94% of which are still active, with their focus shifted to supporting people to get back to normal. CDA provides support to help the groups keep running and assists with obtaining funding for items such as printing leaflets and volunteer expenses.
Digital inclusion project When Stuart spoke about the digital inclusion project he is running in Little Hadham, Herts, it was clear that this is a topic close to his heart. This project aims to help people get connected to the digital world.
Why get connected? in touch with friends and family ■■ Hear local news ■■ Access to local services and information ■■ Book medical appointments ■■ Save money by searching for the best deals online ■■ Access to cheaper utilities tariffs ■■ Access to banking services ■■ Entertainment – games and hobbies ■■ Reduce reliance on others A classroom set-up had been envisaged for the sessions, but they quickly learned that this was not the best approach. “There was a need for support and advice. People were bringing in their own devices and required one to one support to overcome their particular problem.” While some were complete novices and needed general help to get them set up, the most common issues were what to do if you forget your password, not having an email account, synching devices and transferring photos. CDA were also on hand to help people apply for bus passes, order shopping online, set up Zoom and Facetime sessions and play word games. They have their regulars who come every week. The sessions always end with tea and cake and an opportunity to chat about what they have covered. Stuart estimated that about 60% of the people who attend are women and most are aged over 65. Not in Hertfordshire, but would like some support getting online? AgeUK run the One Digital programme, call AgeUK on 0800 678 1174 to ask for details. Could you be a Digital Champion? Stuart insisted that you don’t need to be an IT expert to help others, his volunteers are normal users who are willing to give up their time to help others. He is looking for help with other groups he is starting in Hertfordshire. AgeUK also have a campaign to recruit Digital Champions nationwide. ■■ Stay
www.cdaherts.org.uk www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/ volunteer/become-an-age-uk-digitalbuddy/ NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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FEATURES
Cycling for Samaritans Looking for a challenge, Val Bassindale of Carlisle NWR decided to cycle the length of the country for charity.
In 2020 both my husband Paul and I turned 60 and we wanted to celebrate the year with a challenge! After considering a number of ideas over a glass of wine or two, we decided to cycle from Land’s End to John o’Groats for Samaritans Carlisle but, due to Covid, we decided to postpone the ride to 2021. We selected Samaritans as our charity, because Paul’s son Steven—my stepson—took his own life several years ago. Mental health issues touch a lot of people’s lives. It is a very complex subject. Despite all the efforts and campaigns by health care providers and charities to raise awareness, and remove the associated stigma, too many people still feel unable to talk about how they are really feeling, and struggle to cope. Eventually, not knowing when lockdown would finally be lifted, we agreed to complete half of the route, from Land’s End to Carlisle, virtually on our smart bike. According to Strava we cycled 532 miles and climbed 33,260 feet! But I wanted to complete the second half of the route, from Carlisle to John o’Groats, in person. Paul being a strong cyclist, rather than him having to keep waiting for me to catch up, he decided to be my support team in Felix, our 18
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
motorhome. This actually made it a lot easier for me, because I didn’t have to carry my clothing etc in panniers and try and find accommodation along the route. Having fresh clothes to wear each day, a good bed to sleep in and a shower was a luxury I had not initially expected! Well, the day arrived and at 10am on Thursday 2 September 2021, I started my solo bike ride outside the Carlisle Samaritans branch. Branch director Phil Gray cycled with me for the first mile and several friends, including my NWR friends, came along to wave me off. On the first day, as I was cycling into Lockerbie town centre to meet Paul for lunch, I discovered I had a puncture, thankfully the only one. Paul speedily repaired it while I had a quick bite to eat. Some days I met up with Paul for lunch and other days I discovered lovely places to stop and eat, like the Community Café in Stonehouse and Skoosh in Drymen. I always had food with me just in case I didn’t find anywhere to eat, but I liked stopping and speaking to people.
mainly following the Sustrans Cycle Routes, which took me through Gretna, Lockerbie, Glasgow, Pitlochry, Aviemore, Inverness, Lairg, Tongue and Thurso to John o’Groats. Never again! During the first seven days I had good weather, at times possibly too hot, but the last three days were awful, with wind, rain and mist! I couldn’t have completed the ride without Paul, my padded cycling shorts, thick socks, comfortable trainers, cycling gloves, waterproof clothes, fluorescent jacket promoting my ride, Avon Skin so
Soft, sun protector with insect repellent, anti chafe cream, smart watch, puncture repair kit and my trusty Sustrans book. We stopped at authorised campsites, which meant some days I had a 20-mile ride in the motorhome at the end of the day, from where I finished my ride to the campsite, and the same journey the next day to return to the point I had stopped at, to ensure continuity. Which made the days very long, but was worth it. You might be wondering what Paul did! I cycled through some beautiful Well in addition to providing excellent countryside, and met some extraordinary people along the way. One cyclist kept me support and keeping me motivated, he did manage to get out for a few runs and company for about 10 miles near Balloch, the odd bike ride. advising me to pick up my bike as we In addition to it being a personal went under a bridge to avoid the glass. On challenge, the purpose was to raise a very hot day, a family in a car stopped awareness of Samaritans and raise funds to check I had enough water, which I did, for the Carlisle Branch, which I am and then took details to donate. Drivers heavily involved with, and I am happy beeped their support, cyclists shouted words of encouragement and I saw several to say that the final figure was a fantastic £3,164. Thank you to everyone who red deer and red squirrels. supported me! At 11.25am on Saturday 11 September 2021, I reached John o’Groats and had the obligatory photos at the landmark Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours sign. It was a very emotional moment a day, 365 days a year on free phone for both of us. It had taken me 10 days number 116 123. https://www.samaritans.org/ to ride 495 miles and climb 24,490 feet,
I met some extraordinary people along the way
FEATURES
Many of Kilbarchan group enjoyed following Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing last year and were keen to A guest speaker from Adoption UK raise deaf awareness. We sourced a free provided us with some thought provoking one-hour session through Eventbrite, run information. by a charity called Deaf Action which Some of the key facts we learned were: is based in the east of Scotland. Some ■■ Care experienced children and young members attended their talks and fed people, along with adopted babies and back to the group. children, could be four times as likely to There were many aspects to the subject have FASD, having been pre-exposed to but for the purposes of this article we alcohol during pregnancy; wanted to focus on how we could better ■■ More children are currently living with communicate with deaf people who are oral. FASD than autism spectrum disorder The speaker, Tomas, outlined the (ASD); number of deaf or deafened (this usually ■■ FASD is the most common refers to someone who became deaf as unrecognised neuro-developmental an adult) people living in the UK. Note condition in the UK; that 10m deaf people in the UK equates ■■ Worldwide, the UK is the fourth to approximately one in seven people worst country for drinking during having some form of deafness. 1 pregnancy—a pretty sobering statistic! One useful tip is to begin your sentence ■■ There is often co-morbidity with with the subject as it helps a lipreader other neurological conditions such as to know right from the start what the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder conversation is going to be about. A great (ADHD) and ASD; deal of lipreading is down to guesswork, ■■ Someone with FASD doesn’t look any relying on body language and facial different from anyone else! expressions. So, asking: “Your holiday, There is no one characteristic that was it good?” is a big improvement on: “I makes it obvious that a young person was wondering, how did you enjoy your has FASD. There used to be a belief that holiday?” certain facial features were the only It was also pointed out how tiring factor but now the condition embraces communication for a deaf person can be. a wider spectrum of factors, including It is hoped that the “Rose effect” will be a smaller head circumference and poor long-lasting and not just temporary. concentration levels, commonly also diagnosed with ADHD. 1 https://www.statista.com/chart/7689/ the-worst-countries-for-drinking-duringOur speaker stressed that expectations of those with FASD should be adjusted to pregnancy/
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
consider their developmental age not their https://www.deafaction.org/
■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■
Get the person’s attention before speaking Be brief Make sure the lighting on your face is good Keep good eye contact and speak directly Place yourself at a comfortable distance Use facial gestures and expressions Speak clearly Write things down if necessary
DO NOT ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■
Shout Be impatient Look down or away Lean too close Cover your mouth Be embarrassed Talk too fast Change the subject without warning Give up
Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash
DO
Wendy Jefferies Ringwood NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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borty on Un
Deaf awareness
I read an anecdote about a lady hunting for her lost mobile phone while using the device’s torch app, and it raised a smile, but I then began thinking of all the items made redundant, thankfully, by my phone. For example: address book, birthday book, magnifying glass, calendar, clock, diary, notebook, compass, street planner, torch, shopping lists, camera, photo album, video, audio (tape recorder), music (transistor radio/Walkman/ boom box), films (portable DVD players), thesaurus, encyclopaedia, calculator, magazine, book… And the many new opportunities it has opened for me: worldwide contact on the go via instant messaging, social media, the editing and sharing of photographs, video, audio, data and files. Face to face virtual contact, fitness and health monitoring, space station orbit tracking. Plant, bird, planet and aircraft identification, language translation, satnav and route planning. Access to skills tutorials from unblocking a drain, servicing a guitar, making jewellery to setting up a home sound system. Banking, shopping, remote control of home electronic devices from entertainment systems to heating. Podcasts, personal security alarm, word processing. PLUS this phenomenal device also allows me to make and receive telephone calls! Thankfully network black spots are fast diminishing. All I need to do in this relationship? Ensure I charge and take it with me! To call this modern miracle a mobile phone would seem to be a gross understatement. Any re-naming suggestions? Alethiometer, Man Friday or maybe mobile life hub?
splash
The mobile phone: one of life’s misnomers?
hul Chakra
Susan Baird of Kilbarchan NWR sheds some light on two hidden disabilities.
chronological age, and it is important we don’t miss the strengths and understand the challenges of an individual with this condition. These children and young people are often very gifted physically, with excellent verbal communication skills—so it wasn’t all doom and gloom!
Photo by Ra
Disability awareness
FEATURES Photo by Emma Gossett on Unsplash
Missing links A happy connection on one of NWR’s Facebook pages helped Jill Lucas of Crewe and District NWR to fill in some of the missing links in her family tree. My Dad, William, and his brother, Horace (always known as Ray), were brought up from the age of five and three respectively in an institution. Although they knew their parents were living they rarely saw them. There has always been a mystery as on their birth certificates their “father” James had been officially crossed off. Both my brother and I had tried to research William and Ray’s family background, but had made no progress. The only detail we were able to trace was their mother’s maiden name. Then lockdown arrived and research definitely came to an end. As a long-standing member of NWR, I use and enjoy our Facebook pages. During lockdown another member, Candice Clarke, asked if anyone needed help with their family history because her husband, Steve, loved researching genealogy. Little did I know what surprises were in store for me and my family! I duly contacted Candice and Steve and our adventure began. Steve had had similar problems to those experienced by my brother and me. Then, almost as a last resort, he thought to try newspaper archives. Bingo! My grandmother, Elsie May, had been involved in two court cases
A blithe ballad
connected with her family. Here is the information he discovered: ■■ Elsie May married her husband Albert James at St Pauls, Foleshill in December 1917. James was born in 1888 in Foleshill, and Elsie May in Beeston in 1893. ■■ They had their first child, Elsie May junior, in 1918. She married and had four children, three of whom are still with us. She died in 1987. ■■ Then, in 1920, along came Alfred James, followed by William (Bill) in 1921 and Jessie May in 1924. ■■ Alfred James, who was a miller, was found dead in the canal at Hatton in 1943. He had been in a mental hospital. ■■ Jessie May married and had three children. Jessie died in 2007. ■■ My grandmother, Elsie May, had another child, Mabel, in 1929 but sadly she died in 1930. As for the court cases, the first one was after Elsie May left Albert James with four children in 1924—there was an issue about desertion and maintenance of the children. Since my Dad was born in 1927 and Ray in 1929, their mother had by that time left Albert James, hence the official crossing out of his name on their birth certificates. On the second occasion, the institution Image by Eukalyptus from Pixabay
The NWR Facebook Chat forum has a new alphabetical challenge. Members post positive comments or images about their hopes and dreams for 2022, using as many words as possible that start with that week’s letter. Banish the Bland and the Boring The Burned out frontline workers Bereavement sans family and friends Let Bankrupt, Busted Businesses and Those Barren supermarket shelves Be committed to our memory as Things that Belong in the past
No more Black moods, induced by restrictions Which Banned us from hugging our friends Those rules Brought folks down, down, so Let me plan with my Beloved family Some day trips to Beautiful Beaches Bring Back Bold coloured Bouncy I want to enjoy Brioche Brimming with castles, Butter See children’s Boundless energy run free In a Bistro with my favourite Buddies Let me Browse for hours in a Bookshop Because that’s a great Balm to my soul Bring on a Better and Brighter 2022! Let’s have Balance in all things we do Hilary Hiscox Not the imbalance we surely felt Congresbury NWR When Barred from mixing with others 20
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
where she and the two boys lived took her to court after she had run away, leaving their care to be paid for by the city of Coventry. The orphanage wanted payment for their upkeep which she reluctantly agreed to, stating that she couldn’t have them with her as she was living in one room and there was no room for them. On the grounds that she would take care of her children at some future time, she was discharged. The unnamed institution was said to be “in danger of becoming a cuckoo’s nest with women absconding and leaving their children to be cared for at the ratepayers’ expense”. So, from being one of two, Dad was actually one of seven! We think we know who Mabel’s father was, but we still can’t put a name to Dad’s or Ray’s. The orphanage in Easenhall where Dad and Uncle Ray ended up trained them to be farm hands, but Uncle Ray didn’t like that so he joined the air force. Dad went on to work on farms for most of his life. As a farm hand he was in a reserved occupation and so wasn’t called up. On Uncle Ray’s return from the forces he met and married Margaret, and they had three boys together. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see the third boy as he was killed in a motorcycle accident when Margaret was eight months pregnant. She wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral on medical grounds but was surprised by a knock on the door afterwards. It was Elsie May! This was the one and only time Margaret ever met her mother-in-law. My Mum also met her only once, when she and Dad took me and my elder brother to see her. She slammed the door in our faces. Since learning all this, I have been in touch with the son of Elsie May and Albert James’ oldest child, the second Elsie May. He has done a lot of work on his family history but was unaware of Dad’s and Ray’s existence.
MEMBERS’ CORNER
Members’ Corner Budding Artists! Four of us from Giffnock NWR had a fun afternoon with a difference in November. We visited Vine and Canvas Painting and Wine Studio in central Glasgow. Heather, our art tutor, guided us through the use of acrylic paint and different brush types. As novice artists we started off hesitantly, but soon moved on to flourishing strokes, enthusiastic dabbing and mixing colours, no doubt due to our creative juices being awakened
Celebrating 35 years!
On a gloriously sunny day in September last year, 10 members of Harwich and Dovercourt NWR set out for Markshall Estate in Essex, to mark the 35th anniversary of the founding of our group. LO Jan asked members to wear something with the colour coral or jade. For many it was our first adventure since the lifting of Covid restrictions in July, and very welcome. On arrival we had a brief refreshment stop and a short welcome talk by a member of staff before joining our volunteer guide Brian for a walking tour of the grounds. An excellent and very informative guide, Brian drove his buggy around which was also available to
Above: Leighton Buzzard NWR, having a little sit down during a lovely walk in Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire. Still young at heart!
by intervening sips of wine. A great afternoon and we each went home with our very own masterpiece of that day’s image.
Below: Carnon Downs and Playing Place NWR enjoy their food, as you can see from the spread they put on for their Spanish evening, which included a Tarte de Santiago. They are also a handy bunch: they used a craft evening to make Christmas cards with scraps of material.
Good lives
Like many groups, Thame NWR had been having the majority of our meetings via Zoom. One of these was an obituaries members should they need a little rest. evening. It sounds a bit serious, but it was When we reached the lake, some of us not grim at all! regretted not having bought fish food We covered Barry Cryer, who gave for the large carp, who were so used to many of us a lifetime of chuckles, and visitors that they headed to the side on Eileen Ash, a cricketer who died in sensing visitors, in the hope of being fed. December aged 110. Fortunately Brian did bring some with him One member wrote an obituary for so we were entertained by the feeding Anne Boleyn and another shared the fish, quite a remarkable sight. obituaries of a couple of academics The arboretum was of special interest with its variety of trees from different parts known to her. Others told us about family members where they learnt more about of the globe, and we were especially their achievements from the obituaries taken with those of the southern than they ever did during their lifetimes. hemisphere (Gondwanaland) such as the It was a good evening, not too onerous monkey puzzle from the dinosaur’s age, on anyone, and worked well on Zoom. the curious ancient Wollemi pines and the Wendy Prestage scented eucalyptus. Later, Brian left us Thame NWR to wander at our leisure on our way back to the Visitor Centre for lunch, taking in the walled garden on the way. After lunch chosen from freshly made sandwiches and a large selection of delicious cakes, there was an opportunity to visit the gift shop and to purchase plants from the garden centre. There was so much to see that a return visit is essential, perhaps at a different season. Jan Dunbar Harwich and Dovercourt NWR
To Wendy!
Above and right: Some of the 12 strong team from Beccles NWR, thoroughly enjoying their TTT evening
In October last year Chandler’s Ford Group D met for a celebratory lunch (above) to remember Wendy Aspden who died in 2018. Wendy was a great member and, at that time, the oldest member. She had so enjoyed being one of us that she left a donation for a group celebratory lunch. Members were able to share some fond and amusing memories of her time with us, as well as enjoy an excellent lunch, which was held at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens Garden Restaurant. Hillier Gardens is a world class arboretum with a variety of walks that are enjoyed by many in the group. It is a place of beauty, for contemplation and peace, and was a fitting place for us to remember Wendy. NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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MEMBERS’ CORNER
Kilbarchan Christmas Capers!
In Memoriam Groups are invited to post members’ obituaries on their group’s page on the NWR website, via their LO or Website Editor. If you need help with this, please log in to the website and go to https://nwr.org.uk/about/ resources-for-nwr-volunteers/. Scroll down to “Guidance for web editors,” where you can download instructions. Sally Barclay In loving memory of Sally Barclay who died in January 2022. Sally joined us in Shrewsbury NWR in 2005 but was a member in Market Drayton NWR for many years before that. We will remember you for your wit and style, Sally. Iris Gillies 1939–2022 In fond memory of Iris, the very epitome of a Lively Minded Woman, who was a member of Nantwich and Audlem NWR for over 40 years. Evelyn Hamilton Giffnock NWR was deeply saddened when our friend and long-standing member Evelyn passed away suddenly in August 2021. A kind person, always quick to offer support when needed, her contributions to meetings will be much missed. Alison Holmes It is with great sadness that Trentham NWR announces the passing of Alison Rosemary Holmes in December 2021, aged 63. Joining in the 1990s, when she was new to the area, Alison was delighted to discover a bunch of kindred spirits. She was a true friend and we will miss her. Ann Kinsella Ann was a member of our Worcester Park Group for many years. Diagnosed with cancer over four years ago, she was always brave and positive. We have treasured memories of a loving, caring friend and a bright and intelligent woman who brought so much to our meetings. Judy Lusty 1939–2021 Newton Abbot NWR are very sad to report the recent loss of our dear friend and long-term member Judy Lusty. Friendly, active and welcoming, she had been an enthusiastic member for around 20 years, serving brilliantly in various roles over the years. She is much missed. Gaynor Malin Over the last 30 years, Godalming NWR benefitted from the sharpness of Gaynor’s mind and memory, but it was her enthusiasm and her attention to detail that was so special and for which she will be dearly remembered. 22
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
Kilbarchan NWR managed to arrange several events during the run up to Christmas, despite the tightening of lockdown restrictions.
Book Club To get us into the Christmas mood our book club met on two different nights—to keep numbers down—to watch the film It’s a Wonderful Life. This was followed up with a Zoom evening to discuss the book which inspired the film: The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern. Unable to find a publisher, in 1943 the author printed Christmas Crackers 200 copies of the short story and sent Hark, glad tidings to the gathered I bring them out as Christmas presents to friends. Eventually it came to the attention of Christmas is upon us, the birth of a King. Season’s greetings, Joy, Hope and Goodwill Frank Capra and the film adaptation It’s a Wonderful Life was made, with James Overindulgence, the Alka Seltzer pill. Stewart in the lead role. We discussed the A time for forgiveness, to be happy and many differences in the two stories, and jolly the main similarity; that we are not always To deck the halls with mistletoe and holly aware of the effect we have on other Another year passed, where has time gone? people’s lives. We look back and wonder at what we have done! Christmas lunch
Carlisle NWR enjoyed their Christmas party—15 members and the obligatory Christmas quiz, plus a Secret Santa and festive fizz. And, to top things off, a seasonal celebration from poet in residence Gill Robinson.
Good times and sad, they’ve all had their place Another year older, you can tell by your face! Coming together, new friends and old For friendship, fun, laughter—worth their weight in gold. Tinsel and fairy lights, cast a festive glow. Turkey, nut roast and trimmings, and alcohol flow! Party hats on heads, feeling quite flushed Dancing on tables, not to be rushed! National Women’s Register, different and diverse How fortunate our paths crossed, it could have been worse! Good friends are a blessing, so we are never alone Our femme fatale females, at the end of a phone.
Luckily the hotel we had booked was able to accommodate the 15 members who attended at tables of three in a separate room, and we were able to enjoy each other’s company while still adhering to the lockdown restrictions, although it did make for a rather noisy gathering!
So my favourite, Christmas crackers, a toast if we are able Pick ourselves up from under the table! Good health, love and happiness, our glass full of cheer A very Merry Christmas and a Guid New Year
For the second year running we held our Christmas party on Zoom, and it would not have been complete without a panto. Jack and the Beanstalk proved great fun yet again—we just love an excuse to get into fancy dress! We also attempted to make an origami Santa which proved very difficult to demonstrate online. Breakout rooms were then used for a short quiz but it was difficult to recall everyone back to the main party once they got chatting! The meeting was beautifully rounded off with a reading of ‘Twas the Night before Christmas leaving us feeling grateful for the friendships our group has provided, especially over the last two years.
Dibden Purlieu NWR enjoyed their Christmas lunch!
Susan Baird Kilbarchan NWR
Christmas party
MEMBERS’ CORNER
Recycling at its best
Left: On a lovely sunny day in May last year Galleywood NWR held their postponed celebration of our 60th Anniversary— better late than never! We enjoyed a delicious champagne afternoon tea at our beautiful local Galleywood Vineyards.
Celebrating Diwali
One of our members Jeannette, and her husband John, had a tree in their garden that needed to be reduced in size. They could have just used the wood for kindling but instead John, who is a keen woodworker, decided to make some wooden Christmas figurines that Jeannette could dress and that they could sell in order to raise money for a charity dear to their hearts: Young Minds. This organisation provides support, advice and information to parents and carers. Two of their grandchildren are adopted and have various mental health issues from birth. Jeannette and John opened up their house, providing mulled wine and German biscuits; a real German market feel. They have raised nearly £900 from all their hard work. What a wonderful outcome, all from reducing the size of a tree! Barbara Richardson Shoreham-by-Sea NWR
Buckhurst Hill and Woodford NWR (Evening) Group had a lively get together in early November to celebrate Diwali. We learnt that Diwali is the five-day Festival of Lights celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains—and some Buddhists—across the world. It represents the triumph of good over evil, the symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over the darkness of ignorance, and is celebrated with rituals such as festive lights, fireworks, sweet delicacies, and family gatherings. The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India. Many Hindus associate the festival with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. In Hindu mythology, it is also the day Lord Rama, his wife and brother returned to their homeland after 14 years in exile. Villagers lit a path for Rama who had defeated the demon king Ravana. People celebrate by wearing their finest clothes—many in our group wore lovely
saris—and houses are decorated with oil lamps and circle patterns. We have several new members, so spent part of the evening introducing ourselves and explaining what had first brought us to NWR. Manjot, our host, ably assisted by husband Raj, served us delicious Indian food and popular sweetmeats such as barfi and gulab jamun. Out in the back garden we held sparklers and were treated to a brilliant display of fireworks by Raj and Chris. It was the climax to a friendly and colourful evening. Oh, we ran out of time and had to miss out the Bhangra dancing, but we’ll save that for another meeting! Angela Ross Buckhurst Hill
A very special day for Matlock NWR In October we celebrated NWR’s 60th anniversary—and 45 years of the Matlock Branch—with our commemorative tree planting, and had a lovely time in the process! The torrential rain had stopped by 11.00
and the sun came out, just in time for the photograph (below left). With help—a lot of help—from spade wielding husbands and friends, we planted three rowan trees on a hilltop site overlooking the town. We had invited Lyn Parkin, the founder of the Matlock Group in 1976, to join us. She had moved away from Matlock to Yorkshire but was really pleased to come and speak about the early days when 15 women joined the inaugural meeting. Judy Scott, one of our current LOs, spoke about the tremendous impact NWR has had on the lives of many local women. For 45 years it has provided an opportunity for lively discussions on a wide variety of topics and has been the starting point for many life-long friendships. Afterwards we retired to the garden to reminisce about the times we had shared together—sometimes sad but mostly joyful. The trees will be a constant reminder of a happy day for Matlock NWR. Matlock NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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