NWR Magazine Spring 2023

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 2023 (copyright of material is transferred to NWR on submission unless otherwise requested)

What’s On?

You can find all upcoming events—national, regional and local— on our website at https://nwr.org.uk/events/

Spring/summer

26 April

Our World—The Future, South-East Area Event, The Living Planet Centre, Woking (Sold out)

17 May

Glasgow Area Lunch at the Boarding House, Howwood.Speaker: Corinne Hutton. In 2019 she was the first Scottish double hand transplant recipient after having hands and feet amputated following pneumonia and sepsis. Her charity is Finding Your Feet.

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

Instagram: @the_nwr

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

Audio version

NWR Magazine is available to members in an audio format on our website.

Digital version

If you would prefer to read a digital version only of this magazine, please let us know.

Printing

NWR magazine is printed on FSC paper by Greenhouse Graphics, Hampshire.

This item uses: 117.9GRAMS

Cost: £28, which includes a speaker, three course lunch and a drink on arrival. Contact Jenifer Pitchers rjpitchers@ntlworld.com for details.

June

Pride Picnic—it’s Pride month, so let’s get together to celebrate and show our support. More details on p5.

16 June

Central Region Quiz, Hitchin. See below.

24 June–14 July

NWR Walk—walk and talk. Join our second annual walk. Find out more on p5

20 September, save the date!

Going Wild: North East Area Event (Harrogate)

Northern Wilderness Revisited, details to be announced.

Central Region Quiz

Hitchin NWR is pleased to announce that we are hosting our area quiz this year and would like as many local groups as possible to join us.

When? Friday 16 June 2023 starting promptly at 7.30pm and finishing by 10pm

Where? St John’s Community Centre, St Johns Road, Hitchin SG4 9JP

Cost £20.00 per team (maximum six per team)

Please check your diaries and let us know as soon as possible if you would like to come along for an evening of fun.

Further information including booking details will be sent later but we would appreciate it if you are able to let us know if you would like to send one or more teams as soon as possible.

If you have any queries or require further information please contact Hitchin group by email: hitchinnwr@hotmail.com

If you would like to join us but are unable to form a team please contact our group using our email address as shown above and we will try to help.

And you can still catch up on many of our past talks! Visit our website: www.nwr.org.uk/schedule-of-talks/

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.

herbsDrugs,medicineand

Cover design: Judith Charlton

In this issue

DRUGS, HERBS AND MEDICINE

10 Keep it legal?

Professor David Nutt shares his views on drugs and alcohol strategies.

12 More than just a job Hospital governor and nurse

Michelle Beaver on her life in the NHS.

FEATURES

20 So there I was in a ballroom with complete strangers...

Barbara Richardson of Shoreham by Sea NWR revisits the place where she was born.

THE BIG READ

16 Food for thought Your reviews of our 2022 Big Read list.

NEWS

4 We believe having a chat can brighten your day

NWR Membership Manager Cath Heslop visits the Chatty Café Scheme.

5 Coming up

Catch up with personnel changes, and read about some of the events we have in store.

6–7 We need you!

There will be a vacancy for a new trustee in September.

MEMBERS’ CORNER

22 Zip wire: check!

One member achieves a bucket list ambition, plus all the news from NWR groups around the country.

14 Weed or wonder drug?

Herbalist Hannah Sylvester asks us to think again about the humble dandelion.

15 No such word as can’t Addictions counsellor Anna Elston on her journey back from alcoholism.

21 Unexpected joys

Hazel Morgan of Dorchester NWR writes about life with her Down’s syndrome son.

Talks, walks and trustees

Gill Wignall

19 Bookworms: get your teeth into these NWR has two groups for book lovers, explains Co-ordinator Catharine Woodliffe.

As I write this, the online conference will be starting in a couple of weeks. The programme that Vicky has put together looks really interesting and fits in well with our annual themes. I am looking forward to hearing the speakers and also to seeing the music video montage of members, put together to celebrate International Women’s Day. I hope they enjoyed being a part of it as much as we enjoyed recording our efforts for the Christmas greeting!

Could it be you? Plus, it’s time to nominate the next Mary Stott Award winner.

8 Let’s push our boundaries

National Organiser Vicky Wooldridge shares some of her hopes for NWR.

9 Paddleboarding patron

Paddleboarding, beach cleaning, writing—just some of the enthusiasms of our new patron Jo Moseley. Find out more.

I know that the NWR staff are working hard to source more fascinating speakers for future online talks, and although face to face contact remains the mainstay of our ethos, these online talks are an exciting addition to our member benefits and I, for one, really appreciate them.

We will be embracing the big outdoors with the second NWR Walk in July as well as Pride Picnic, which is a new event for NWR. Both will be an opportunity to meet with other NWR members and groups. More details on page 5.

In September, Jennifer Johnson will have completed her maximum of two four-year terms as an NWR trustee, so of the five seats on the board, one will become vacant. We have benefited greatly from Jennifer’s input and expertise, not to mention her involvement with the Mary Stott Award, but all good things must come to an end and now we are looking for another NWR member who is interested in becoming a trustee. Find out more on page 6.

Just some of the things members will be focussing on in the coming months, writes Chair of Trustees

Photo: Charlotte Graham Photography

Photo by Michaela from Pixabay

We

a chat can brighten your day

Splashed in big letters across the Chatty Café’s website is “We believe having a chat can brighten your day”. This struck a chord with National Organiser Vicky Wooldridge and she decided to find out more. Along with Vicky, I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny Bimpson, Volunteer Manager at Chatty Café. She explained that the Chatty Café Scheme is a non-profit organisation tackling loneliness in the UK and was happy to answer our questions about the scheme.

the idea for Chatty Café whilst in a supermarket café with her four month old son. She “looked round the café and saw an elderly lady who looked just as down as me, and on another table sat a young guy with additional needs and his support worker, both looking like they had run out of conversation!” She thought what a wonderful idea it would be if they could all be sitting around a table together.

Less well known are the virtual and telephone services that the Chatty Café Scheme runs. Virtual sessions are held on Zoom three days a week for 30 minutes at 1pm. Anyone over the age of 18 can join to chat, there is no agenda and you don’t have to book.

Jenny told us about the success of the Telephone Friendship Service that they run for those experiencing loneliness and/ or social isolation. Beneficiaries of the

scheme are referred by a Social Prescriber and paired with a volunteer who calls them at the same time every week for 30 minutes for 12 consecutive weeks. The service is oversubscribed and they are keen to recruit new volunteers—reliable folk who enjoy chatting to new people and are good at listening. Full training is provided. Is that something you could do? Find out more via their website

www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk

Cath Heslop NWR Membership Manager

You may well have seen the unmissable yellow table signs in coffee shops, pubs and other venues which are taking part in the scheme by offering a Chatter and Natter table. The idea is to have a table where customers can get together and chat, led by a volunteer who is there to kick-start conversations, be a friendly face at the table and promote the table within their local community.

Founder Alex Hoskyn came up with

Are you looking for new ideas for activities and discussion topics for your group? Have a question about what you can and can’t do with member details? Want ideas of how to promote your group to bring in new members? Then look no further than the new Member Resource area on the NWR website for this and more! Find it at www.nwr.org.uk/member-resources/

Updated NWR member resources available now!

believe having

“I speak to my volunteer every week, and enjoy the calls as I am home a lot. We chat about anything, and she is lovely. She asks how I am feeling, and we talk about TV shows too.

It is nice to have a friendly voice on the end of the phone checking in on me”

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

“I am a single dad, and I don’t get out much at all. It makes a nice change to talk to another adult to be honest. I find the calls interesting, and I like that it is always the same person who calls me every week.”

The final edit

As this will be Judith’s last issue as editor of the NWR magazine staff and trustees wanted to say a few words of thanks

Judith took over as editor in 2017. A designer and editor by trade (and NWR member), it is through Judith’s stewardship that the magazine became more colourful and appealing. In addition, her efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the production and delivery of the magazine and keep costs down is commended by trustees and staff at NWR. Whilst always being a pleasure to

Why the long face?

Much as I am looking forward to retirement, I will nevertheless miss my involvement with this magazine, for the simple reason that it has been terrific fun—and that is all down to you, the NWR members.

As someone who can honestly say they have read every single word of every single issue for the last six years, I never cease to be astonished by the things you get up to—from using a handbag to bale out a canoe in alligator infested mangrove swamps to cycling the length of the country for charity, travelling solo in North Korea or competing in Eggheads on national TV, not to mention the inspirational achievements of Mary Stott Award winners, initiating projects such as schools and hospices in other countries, or supporting bereaved parents at the same time as dealing with their own grief at the loss of a child.

Cath goes national!

Having previously focussed her efforts on working with groups and starting new ones in the Central Region, Cath’s role of Membership Manager has now grown to encompass a national focus. She will continue to nurture the groups in Biggleswade and Welwyn that she has started whilst assisting individuals who have expressed an interest in starting groups across the country.

work with, Judith has applied her skills as editor into transforming the articles sent by staff into eye catching pieces that draw in the reader. Judith’s contributions and dedication over the years have had a positive impact in moving the magazine forward and helped to make it a more engaging and interesting read.

Judith’s knowledge of NWR also helped in anticipating which items need to be included in an issue and the staff have appreciated the occasional nudge to remind them! Judith has excelled at managing deadlines, which is not easy with multiple contributors to work with. Her tact and professionalism is much appreciated.

We wish Judith a very happy retirement!

Planning ahead Walk and talk!

Last year Cath had the wonderful idea of bringing members together for

I also had the privilege of sharing your lockdown experiences; some of them funny, some tragic, others humdrum but oh so important back then—remember when mastering a zoom call with one’s family or booking a supermarket delivery felt like winning the lottery? But all of them demonstrated the candour and supportiveness that NWR members offer each other.

So, please, keep it coming!

Judith Charlton

a National Event that was accessible to all members, regardless of their location. And so, the first NWR National Walk was born. She said “It was wonderful receiving all the photos and descriptions of the walks that members had been on across the country, opening up my emails was like going on a big walking holiday with NWR members without venturing outdoors!” She is looking forward to the second NWR Walk, due to take place in the first two weeks of July.

Cath will be working closely with Area Organisers, supporting them in their role as well as working with the National Organiser and other team members to deliver events and improve member experiences throughout the UK.

Join the NWR walk, 24 June–14 July

It is back! The second NWR Walk will be taking place this summer, so pencil in some time to go out walking with your fellow NWR members. This year we’ll be tracking how many areas of the country the walks are taking place in and we will again be providing regular updates, sharing the details of your walks, what you have seen and where you have been.

What is the NWR Walk?

Simply put, members are encouraged to go on walks together between 24 June and 14 July 2023. Regular communications are sent from the NWR office throughout the first two weeks in July describing where members have walked and what they have seen. There is no prescribed route or distance for the walks and non-members of NWR are welcome to join in.

Why?

It’s a great excuse to get together with other members, explore our local areas and enjoy the benefits of walking.

The only rule…

There must be at least two NWR members on each walk.

https://nwr.org.uk/planning-guide-forthe-nwr-walk-2023/

Picnic with pride!

We are asking members to come together in the month of June to enjoy a Pride Picnic. June is Pride Month and is dedicated to celebrating and showing support to the LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

As a national organisation, we understand how important it is to be proactive in promoting acceptance and equality and we hope lots of our members will enjoy taking part in this wonderful new event.

https://nwr.org.uk/nwr-pride-picnicplanning-pack/

Image by Egonetix_xyz from Pixabay

Looking forward to spending more time with friends...

We need you!

In September there will be a space on the board of NWR trustees. Could you fill it? Chair of trustees Gill Wignall explains what is involved.

Being a trustee offers many challenges, but it is an interesting job and there is a lot of support from the other trustees, our experienced staff, and various professional bodies. Because we have a small number of staff who must deal with every aspect of running a membership organisation, NWR trustees may be asked to take on extra tasks, when needed. We help each other to try to find the best ways forward for all members of NWR, and even if you think that you have no specific skills, believe me, you will have much to contribute.

When I applied to become a trustee in 2018, I was quite surprised to find myself on the board as I didn’t think that I had any relevant qualifications and had never worked in the charity sector. However, I was an enthusiastic, long-term member of NWR and, as an independent member, I was keen to try and improve their member benefits. It has certainly been a steep learning curve, but there has been lots of support and training along the way, as well as much fun and laughter. I was honorary treasurer for two years and now I somehow find myself chair of

trustees—how did that happen? Although I may sometimes wonder what I’m doing, I do enjoy it and I really believe that it’s good to take yourself out of your comfort zone and take on new challenges. There

A glimpse of life as a trustee

What’s it like to be a trustee and why do it? These are questions you might ask if you are considering putting yourself forward in response to Gill’s message. There will be an empty post in September as I will be standing down at the AGM.

is, of course, the added benefit of meeting so many interesting people and making new friends along the way. You can read retiring trustee Jennifer Johnson’s thoughts on her experiences on the right.

You may not always agree with the decisions we have made, so now is the time to step up, join us as a trustee, and make a difference.

If you are interested and would like to discuss the role, please contact any of the trustees, via the NWR Office: office@nwr.org.uk.

What is the role of an NWR Trustee?

The Board of Trustees are jointly responsible for:

■ Ensuring NWR is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit

This includes ensuring that its activities are consistent with those set out in its governing document, planning what NWR will do and what it will achieve and understanding how NWR benefits the public.

■ Compliance with NWR’s governing document and the law

■ Acting in NWR’s best interests

Managing NWR’s resources responsibly

Trustees must ensure that NWR’s assets are only used to support or carry out its stated purposes, no inappropriate financial risks are

taken and that it complies with any restrictions on spending funds.

■ Acting with reasonable care and skill Being accountable

This covers statutory accounting and recording requirements as well as being able to demonstrate to members that NWR is complying with the law, well run and effective. Four trustee meetings are held each year, taking place via Zoom and in person. Trustees also attend regular finance meetings. They have the opportunity to become involved in additional projects and activities; however, the day to day operations of NWR are the responsibility of the National Organiser, who is supported by other staff members.

So why did I become a trustee in 2016? I had recently retired and returned to the UK after working in China, and I wanted to keep busy. I saw the call for a new trustee and thought it would be a good idea to keep me out of mischief, and it has! I had been an NWR member since 1975 and it was a brilliant source of friends who welcomed me into their groups in many parts of the country as we moved around. I even found a group in Hong Kong where we lived for many years. I was now interested to see how NWR worked and to get the National perspective on this organisation that had given me so much.

I had enjoyed going to some Regional and National events, but had not ventured too far from my local group. I realised that I had taken for granted everything that had been provided for all of us by this mysterious National Office, where I now know that we have a group of highly professional staff who do so much to keep us all going. My motivation throughout has been to “pay something back” and also to learn.

My time as a trustee certainly has been one of learning. One of the key lessons has been how to use Teams and Zoom but I guess that was the same for many of us. I have also enjoyed meeting people from the different groups and working closely with some of them. It has been interesting being part of the process of moving NWR forward in an increasingly digital world. Being a trustee is an opportunity to bring your expertise from whatever field it is in and to share it, making our organisation stronger and healthier, and keeping it moving forward.

Jennifer Johnson Trustee

The Mary Stott Award is here again

Yes it is time for you, our brilliant NWR members, to put on your thinking caps and make your nominations for the Mary Stott Award 2023, writes trustee Jennifer Johnson

The award is named in memory of Mary Stott who was a journalist and editor of the Guardian’s women’s page in the 1960s. At that time women often followed their husband’s job moves and ended up isolated with no way to connect to other women for stimulating discussion and friendship. An article on this subject touched a raw nerve and the women’s page was inundated with women wanting to be connected with others in the same situation. This groundswell lead to the founding of the National Housewives’ Register, which subsequently developed into the National Women’s Register.

Mary Stott was a stalwart supporter of

NWR to the end. She died aged 95 in 2002. The trustees decided to found an award in her name and it was first presented in 2003.

We would like you to nominate a fellow NWR member for the award. Somebody who has done something exceptional. We have developed the following criteria to help you. The person being nominated should have achieved highly in one or more of the following areas:

Talking of trustees...

Recent recruit Marion Watts tells us about herself

I was first introduced to NWR in 1996 when a job relocation took us to Beccles. I shook with nerves until my turn to describe a favourite painting was over and I could observe fellow members. And what an interesting, talkative and welcoming bunch they were! The group continues to embody the strapline that NWR members can talk about anything and everything, and my confidence within it has grown enough so that I no longer shake when it’s my turn to speak. In such a supportive environment I was able to take on the role of Area Organiser and am now delighted to be joining the trustees.

My working life was varied and included teaching EFL at home and abroad, selling Red House books and being a teaching assistant. Now that I’m retired and my four children have grown up I’m rediscovering hobbies and interests. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, and am an avid on-line word gamer. Having restarted keyboard lessons a few years ago I am trying to get to grips with Bach, although others in the house prefer me to use my headphones!

Spending time with NWR friends has been particularly important, especially through the pandemic, and we have supported each other through the good and bad times. My husband and I are keen theatre and baroque concert enthusiasts, and we also like to spend time in our caravan on the north Norfolk coast. Looking after my daughter’s dog has got me walking and he considers himself an honorary NWR member.

Being a trustee is not entirely new to me as, for six years, I was involved with Clinks Care Farm, a local farm for those with various mental health issues. I also wrote their quarterly newsletter. I hope to bring some of the things I’ve learnt to my new role within NWR.

I’m looking forward to being part of a strong team, and taking on the many challenges ahead as NWR continues to evolve and change with the times.

■ Made an exceptional contribution to NWR, the community and/or the wider world

■ Made great strides in their own personal development

■ Shown a great commitment to a project. To nominate the person you must firstly get their agreement and then write 500 words explaining why you chose them.

The winner will be presented with a quaich—a Scottish cup of friendship— which she will hold for a year. She will also receive a book token or voucher in acknowledgement of Mary’s profession of journalism. As you know we are not having a physical conference this year so we will be giving a ticket to the next online conference instead and a free membership subscription for 2024. We will endeavour to present the award to the winner in some interesting and inventive way that has not been decided upon as yet!

I look forward to your nominations which should be submitted to the NWR Office by 30 June 2023.

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.nwr.org.uk/ network/nwr-gift-membership/

Let’s push our boundaries

exploring ways for NWR to appeal to the next generation of women.

How have you found your first few months at NWR?

I am very fortunate to be working with a truly enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking team. There is a lot to learn, that’s for sure, but I am thoroughly enjoying my new role. I have had the opportunity to attend some of my local group meetings which I found invaluable. To see NWR groups in action is fantastic and really helps me to understand the values and ethos of the organisation. I found myself getting rather involved in the discussions too! I’m looking forward to attending some more group meetings this year and joining Hitchin NWR’s regional quiz in June.

What did you do before joining us?

I started my own company repairing small electronics in 2013. We repaired mobile phones, tablets, computers and many other small devices. I was entirely self-taught and really enjoyed being able to repair things by myself. The sense of achievement was almost addictive. I opened two high street shops in my first year and both were always bustling. Alongside the repair service, I began to offer tech help and support to my more mature customers. Technology is evolving very quickly these days which many of my customers found difficult to keep up with.

One of my sons has autism which made home-schooling particularly difficult during the pandemic. His entire life was turned upside down and his new routine bore no resemblance to the consistent, structured school timetable he’d grown to love and rely upon. Keeping him engaged, safe and happy while trying to home school my other children was hard. Keeping my business afloat as well— impossible. The pressure took its toll which began to affect my mental health. After countless sleepless nights, I made the difficult decision to close the business. I was sad to lock the door for the last time but the relief was overwhelming. After two years of quality time spent with my children and rediscovering the world beyond VAT returns and opening hours, I was ready to emerge—older and wiser and carrying two or three extra pounds— but happier than I have ever been!

What do you do when you’re not working for NWR?

I would like to see more local and regional events taking place; events that would also appeal to some of the younger generations of women. Providing training opportunities to our members is something that I would like to see integrated into NWR. We are an organisation of lively minded, intelligent women, so why shouldn’t we push our boundaries occasionally?

As my business grew, I took on repair contracts with local schools and some large national companies. With increasing demand for our services, I began to look for a third shop premises. And then COVID-19 arrived. The impact was devastating. 95% of the work ground to a halt but rent and bills still had to be paid. Although the government grants were helpful, they simply didn’t cover costs.

In my down time, I really love being outdoors. I absolutely love paddleboarding and you’ll often find me gliding my way up and down the River Lea, even in winter! I play the piano to reset my mind after a busy day and I consider myself a professional shower-singer! My three wonderful children keep me very busy. There is always a football match or a guitar lesson to get to. My daughter is 19, so I’m beginning to see a little less of her these days. The big wide world has superseded me so I look forward to our fortnightly digest, usually over sushi, our favourite. We enjoy our family walks together with our two sausage dogs, Sizzles and Dotty, who always keep us entertained.

What do you think NWR should do to appeal to a wider age range?

Maintaining the current local group model which so many of our members enjoy is crucial. However, I am actively

NWR was born in 1960 when the roles and expectations of women were quite different. Society has changed and women have evolved and our capabilities are often captioned as being “endless”. But some things have stayed the same. Women of all ages and generations still come together, give hope and support to one another and have a precious camaraderie among their circle of friends. A sisterhood. The ethos of our organisation is still relevant in 2023 and I want more women of all ages to know about NWR.

This year, we are planning an event to celebrate Pride month; something that I am really excited to bring to NWR. It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community and highlight the importance of being proud of who you are. Creating more online content is another crucial step for the growth and development of NWR. If you haven’t logged on to the website recently, please do! We’ve had some absolutely fantastic online talks recently; many of which were recorded and are still available to watch. We are also producing more content on social media which will soon reach a targeted audience. The more followers and interactions we have, the more prominent NWR will become. The NWR Facebook page is a great way to see our latest news, reminders, updates and information and is often a lot of fun. So please do consider following us!

In this interview, National Organiser Vicky Wooldridge shares some of her hopes for NWR, and tells us about life before she joined us.

...an opportunity to highlight the importance of being proud of who you are!

Women of all ages still come together, and give hope and support to one another

Paddleboarding patron

her own terms, rather than as a wife and mother, and she had become quite insular.

Looking back, Jo can see that an outlet like NWR could have made a big difference in this respect, and this is one of the things that attracts her to our organisation. It is a space where women can talk to each other with confidence and in their own right, and not feel alone with their difficulties. She loves not just that we are continually learning, but also the fact that we are active participants in that learning.

A passion for paddleboarding and beach cleaning, a successful first book, speaking engagements aplenty— new NWR patron Jo Moseley could be poster girl for the fulfilled, fifty-something female, but 10 years ago things were a little different. Judith Charlton finds out more.

When Jo took her first paddleboarding lesson seven years ago, it wasn’t her first experience of water sports. She had been a keen swimmer, scuba diver and snorkeller when she was younger and, after studying social anthropology at university, successfully applied for places on a number of trips to far flung places—the Phillipines, Alaska, even leading an expedition to Tanzania. Then, as now, it was a question of looking for opportunities, and taking them.

Next came marriage and children. Working for her husband’s business alongside raising two boys left Jo with little time for adventures until the day in 2013 when “I found myself sobbing in the biscuit aisle of Tesco’s, looking at the chocolate Hobnobs and wondering how my life had come to this.” The stresses and strains of divorce and two parents undergoing chemotherapy at the same time were taking their toll. At this point, a friend lent Jo an old rowing machine, suggesting that exercise might be helpful. It was, and things started to turn around.

The next year, a rowing challenge in memory of her mum raised £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Living in rural Yorkshire, she was able to pursue the outdoor life that she loved, and finally take that paddleboarding lesson.

But how did Jo get from there to here, I wondered, making the transition from

paddleboarding as a hobby to part of her career? Step by step, was the answer. In 2019, she became the first woman to stand up paddleboard coast to coast, 162 miles from Liverpool to Goole. Along the way she picked up litter and raised funds for The Wave Project and 2MinuteBeachClean Foundation. She made a film about it and then in lockdown, as well as starting a podcast, she started on her book. The book did well, speaking engagements followed, as did an idea for her next book. There was no grand plan, just the question “What can I do next?”

Finding herself a single mum also provided impetus. Her divorce had left her feeling quite broken, and she had to think of what she could do to bring joy and restore confidence.

Marriage, and the fact that she also worked with her husband, had left her few opportunities to go out and meet people on

One of Jo’s other big enthusiasms is for the environment, something her hobbies make her keenly aware of, and she is an ambassador for the 2MinuteBeachClean Foundation. Her guiding motto is that “I can’t change the whole world but I can change the little bit around me.” For her, the focus is on her daily litter picks and reducing the single use plastic in her life, for others it may be eating less meat, giving up flying or not buying new clothes. The important thing is to do the things you can do, and to share the message—it could be the nudge that someone else has been waiting for.

Asked which of her achievements she is most proud of, Jo’s response was that, apart from being a mum, it was her book. She is well aware that it is no easy matter to get a book published in the first place, and this book is already on its first reprint, sales having far exceeded expectation. It has also given her the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for the natural world and her paddleboarding hobby.

Jo’s next book will be on paddleboarding in the Lake District, so please come forward if you are a paddleboarding local, now is your chance to be immortalised in print! Or take it up—it is easier than you might imagine and very good for core and balance. Age is no bar, and women are generally good at it. Jo would love to hear from you!

https://www.jomoseley.com/ Instagram @jomoseley

Facebook Jo Moseley

Find out more about Jo’s book: https://tinyurl.com/3xcfpejp

Photo: Charlotte Graham Photography

The results of a beach clean!

Keep it legal?

Professor David Nutt asks whether it is time to rethink policies on alcohol and other drugs

If you ask most people “what is a drug?” it is likely they will reply with examples like cannabis or heroin or cocaine. Rarely will they say alcohol or tobacco or coffee. Why is this? Well, one reason is that the concept of a drug has become deeply entangled with the concept of illegality. If it’s legal then it can’t be a drug.

To some extent the drivers of our beliefs are embedded in our own experience. The drugs that are not considered drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, are legal and widely used, so most people have either personal or family experience of their use. The most popular “illegal” drug is cannabis with up to 10% of the population having used it, a much lower percentage than the legal drugs, with alcohol being used by up to 80% of adults. Perhaps familiarity breeds contempt? Or do we turn a blind eye to alcohol because we enjoy its effects?

The truth is more complex, representing a mixture of historical misrepresentation, political machinations and moral perversity. On top of all this there is the awful failure of drug policies to do what they were supposed to do—reduce harm—and in many cases they have undoubtedly caused more harm than good.

Over the past decade a number of international expert groups have reviewed the harms of many commonly used drugs and all have come to the same conclusion—in western societies alcohol is the most harmful drug overall. The first of these studies is shown in the figure below. The overall height of each bar represents the harm that each drug produces. Alcohol scores highest largely because of the size of the red bar. This represents the relative harms that each drug does to other people, ie society. The size of each blue bar represents relative harms of each drug to the user. So, alcohol isn’t the most harmful drug to users—heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine score higher than alcohol. But because

alcohol is so widely used the societal impact pushes it to the top of the harms list. There can be very few families in the UK that have not had a member harmed by alcohol—either from abusing it themselves or being harmed by someone under the influence, such as a drunk driver. Also, the huge health care costs of alcohol fall on all taxpayers.

It is obvious from the position of drugs in the chart that there is no relationship between the harms of drugs and whether they are legal or not. Why is this and does it matter? Drug laws have emerged over the past century in response to concerns about harms, with the most obvious being the banning of alcohol in the USA in the early 1920s due to pressure from religious temperance movements. This turned out to be a disastrous move as it led to the rise of organised crime and the corruption of local policemen by the underground speakeasies. To counteract this abrupt rise in criminality a new un-corruptible squad was created: The Untouchables. When in 1933 the Senate voted to repeal alcohol prohibition, this army of over 30,000 men was faced with redundancy, so their leader Harry Anslinger came up with a solution—find another enemy. He chose to target cannabis, referring to it as marijuana to associate it with Mexicans, and so the war on drugs started, waged by the newly created Federal Bureau of Narcotics, predecessor of today’s Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA. It continues to this day in the USA and most of the rest of the world including the UK. Even in the USA cannabis is still illegal under Federal law though legal for recreational as well as medical use in many US States.

Although the war on drugs was initiated to maintain employment in the DEA, it then got a massive expansion under the Nixon presidency for political reasons—it was a covert way of targeting the antiwar movement and the black community. The US being highly influential in both the UN and the WHO, the international

Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash

community, including the UK, fell into line. And, once a drug has been made illegal, undoing this decision has proved almost impossible. In fact, no drug made illegal under the UN Conventions has ever had that status undone.

You might say does it matter? Banning a substance can’t really do any extra harm can it? And if they were made legal wouldn’t use then grow? The first point is easily refuted using alcohol prohibition as an example—banning alcohol in the US led to much greater, albeit different, harms. Hence it was repealed. Strangely, that lesson of history has yet to be learned in relation to other drugs. Politicians still claim that prohibition of cannabis is necessary to protect the public, with recent calls from the Home Secretary to make it a Class A drug. In truth, cannabis prohibition in the UK has failed spectacularly, leading to the rise of more harmful versions such as skunk and spice. Over 20 other countries have now made recreational cannabis legal and have not seen major problems such as increased use or harms. What they have seen is useful tax revenue and much easier access to medical cannabis for patients.

As well as the obvious health harm costs from the failures of drug policy, there are significant hidden costs such as the vast expense of policing these policies and the international damage they cause. On top of this there is a major hidden cost of prohibition that is usually overlooked: the lost opportunities for clinical treatment and research with banned drugs. Psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin were revolutionising the treatment of mood disorders and addiction until recreational use led to their being banned. This happened more than 50 years ago and has still not been rescinded. MDMA, aka ecstasy, was being widely used for mood and stress disorders such as PTSD before it was banned 30 years ago. Medical cannabis was legal in the UK for over a century until being banned for racial and political reasons in 1971 and, though this was overturned in 2018, there are almost no prescriptions on the NHS. Many other illegal drugs—some cathinones, amphetamines, and ketamine analogues—also have considerable untapped potential as medicines which will never be realised until the bans are overturned.

The above should make us all take stock of our attitudes to drugs and drug policy. We need to establish what we are trying to achieve and then develop policies that maximise these goals. The starting point, I think, should be to agree on a what is the purpose of the policy.

For me and many others it will be to reduce the overall harms of drug use while, where possible, taking into account benefits as well. Some of you might want to take a moral position—stick with the current legal status quo on the principle that the law is sacrosanct. Others might rely on a religious perspective and ban alcohol along with cannabis, as under Islam.

Even if we can cope with the paradox of the most harmful drug, alcohol, being legal while other less harmful ones such as cannabis and magic mushrooms are illegal, there is still the issue of how we can reduce alcohol harms. History tells us that prohibition isn’t the answer, so what is? Taxation can reduce intake as has been shown by the Scottish minimum unit price initiative. One reason for the massive increase in alcohol harms over the past 50 years is that in real terms the cost of alcohol has fallen to third of what it was in the 1950s.

Another approach is to find less harmful alternatives to alcohol. This is something I have been developing with new botanical functional herbal drinks. This is designed to replicate the pro-sociability effects of alcohol by targeting the main calming neurotransmitter in the brain—the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system—without the other unwanted effects of alcohol that lead to dependence and hangover. In principle, safer alternatives to many other recreational drugs could be developed that, if they were made available in regulated outlets such as pharmacies, could reduce drug harms overall. Whether the current political parties would allow such a rational development is an open question—one which I am sure your organisation will have opinions on!

David Nutt is Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College, London and the founder of the charity Drug Science. He set up the company GABA Labs to develop less harmful alternatives to alcohol—find out more here: https://sentiaspirits.com. He has written many books, three of which are relevant to this article: Drink?, Cannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke), and Drugs: Without the Hot Air.

Top: Labour unions at an anti-prohibition meeting in 1920s Chicago

Above: Liquor being poured into a sewer during the height of prohibition

Photo by Dima Solomin on Unsplash

More than just a job

Liverpool hospital governor and nurse

Michelle Beaver looks back with pride at her life and times in the in the NHS

I’ll never forget my parents’ reaction when, at 16, I told them I had applied to nursing school. My mum cried, and my dad laughed! My mum’s father, who died a few months before I was born, had always wanted a nurse in the family. I’m named after him.

Most nursing schools had a minimum height restriction of five feet two inches. Having been accepted into a nursing school at South Sefton, I needed to pass my medical. Being young, I was pretty fit and healthy, but they checked everything including my height, which I had put as five feet. “I’m sorry Miss, you’re four feet ten and three-quarters!” Thankfully, they overlooked my small stature.

Nursing school began on 2 October 1989. I was 17-and-a-half years old, the youngest age the NHS would accept. Off I went, to start the first day of the rest of my life. I was even going to be paid to train, which doesn’t happen anymore. My first year’s wage was £5,150.

Training

My first patient experience was a medical ward in Walton hospital, with people who had suffered heart attacks and were attached to cardiac monitors. Then, I didn’t dare look at the squiggly lines as I hadn’t a clue what they meant, although now I’ve worked in that speciality for 28 years. Patients were kept on bed rest for five days before being allowed to sit out of bed for the next two, and then slowly mobilising. Nowadays, they are straight into a catheter lab from the ambulance, blocked artery opened and secured by a stent, and home within three days.

I spent three years training, in three different hospitals, working on orthopaedics wards, elderly, surgical, medical, maternity and labour, and children’s cystic fibrosis and diabetes. I have so many stories that stick in my mind. The maternity ward wasn’t for me, but the labour ward was amazing! When I saw my first baby born by caesarean section, I thought the mother was haemorrhaging, until my nurse mentor told me that the fluid gushing out was normal to protect the baby in the womb. Hurrying home to tell my family about the amazing experience of seeing twins being born, I found Mum cooking liver for our dinner. It looked like a placenta, and that was the last time I ate liver!

Some days were hard and stressful, others were amazing. Experiencing a cardiac arrest is a massive contrast to seeing lives saved, and patients able to go home. I was still only 20 when I finished training. People ask me if that was too young. I had very little life experience but I was soaking up knowledge day by day, and looking up to my peers. And there was

illness in my home life, which I feel helped me become a more empathic nurse as I could better understand the feelings of the patients and families.

I had a variety of mentors, some of whom were themselves struggling with depression, alcohol addiction and anorexia. In my first year, a third year student noticed I was having a bad day. She called me into the sluice and said “What I do now, I want you to copy,” then took a cup and threw it down so that it smashed in pieces! As I looked at her in shock she said “I don’t know about you, but I feel great!” We laughed, cleaned up, and got back to work. She had real skills, and would go on to be a fantastic nurse. Nowadays we would probably have been charged for that cup! I won’t incriminate myself by saying whether or not I copied her.

One of my saddest times during training was working in the children’s hospital. I learned a lot about diabetes and cystic fibrosis. I found myself showing young children how to inject themselves with insulin. My mentor was explaining to the children how to work the syringe, and she then passed it to me to show them how to lift a bit of fat around my arm and shove the needle in. How naive was I? I just did it! The oldest children on this ward were 18, and I was only about that age myself.

On this same ward, a young girl with cystic fibrosis was becoming very ill. She was a massive fan of an actor from Brookside. He visited her, and it made her day, possibly her life. She passed away soon after. Nowadays these children are reaching adulthood and living healthier lives due to advances in research and treatment in the NHS.

During my time on the neurology ward, my dad had a kidney transplant. I saw the work of the NHS from two sides, trying to be a professional student nurse by day, and a strong but worried daughter by night. Before this my dad had needed kidney dialysis for a year, connected up for four hours three times a week. Nearly every time I would sit with him and play board games and card games, saving up up our 1p pieces for our stake per game! On a good night I would win 8p.

Qualified

In December 1992, aged 20, I qualified as a Registered General Nurse. I actually did it! This was when real life began. My first job was a three month contract on a Medical Admissions Unit set up due to winter pressures. It was a night shift, in a hospital I had never worked in, with different paperwork. This would never happen now, as every newly qualified nurse has a mentor and a period of time to settle in to a new job. At 1am that night I phoned my mum, in tears because I didn’t feel confident. She

It looked like a placenta, and that was the last time I ate liver!

said she would come and collect me, but I told her she mustn’t as I am an adult now! Luckily, the job improved after that.

My next stop was 10 months in gastroenterology, followed by the coronary care unit where I stayed for 22 years, during which time I married, had children, and was promoted to a sister. I also saw a massive change in the care and treatment of these patients. At first, so many patients would be critically ill, or die, from a heart attack, angina or heart failure. Over the years the immediate treatment improved their chances of life, the monitoring systems and medication improved, as did the chance of having and surviving surgery. In time the acutely ill patients went straight to the specialised hospital in the ambulance and more patients with chronic heart conditions were admitted to us—possibly those saved years earlier.

As the NHS started to struggle, staff morale was sinking to an all time low. I have always felt that, if you don’t enjoy your job, move on. I was also facing a lot of family illness. My husband was involved in a motorbike crash. My auntie, grandma, and step-father all died. My sister received a kidney transplant, and my mum was about to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was dealing with hospitals, hospices and care homes, and my mind wasn’t on the job. I had to reassess and think how could I improve as a nurse.

I took a post as a staff nurse: a demotion, but I wanted to learn about new conditions and treatments. I chose a hospital that is leading in advances in cardiology. It was exciting, and it helped with the return of my “mojo”.

When my mum passed away two months later, I took six weeks off to gather my thoughts and decide whether I wanted to continue working in the NHS. Management was very supportive—it’s nice to know a workplace provides help when needed. On my return I had decided to hand in my notice but, before I had the chance to, I looked after a patient recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her family needed a shoulder to cry on and a person to talk to. It made me realise that, even though it’s hard and can be emotional, nursing is my life and I wasn’t going to quit. Soon afterwards I sat with a dying patient, hoping the family would arrive in time. It was extremely difficult, as the last person I did this for was my mum, but I was able to honestly tell that family that their loved one did not die alone. To me that was the most important thing they needed to know. My colleagues were so supportive that shift.

Nobody goes into the nursing profession for the money. You have to want to do the job, and love it. Nurses take on so many roles. When I come home after a bad day and the family ask “how was today?” they have no idea what we see, hear and what sights stay in a nurse’s memory for life. I always take 10 minutes after every shift to change back to becoming a mum or wife again.

I am so proud to work and belong in the NHS, and so pleased to have chosen this career from an early age. There is so much more that I could write, especially after Covid. I really hope the NHS continues forever, and can get past its recent struggles.

Michelle Beaver is a hospital governor and nurse at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. In 2022 she celebrated her 50th birthday by undertaking a series of fitness challenges to raise money for Marie Curie and we are confident that, by the time you read this, she will have completed her 2023 challenge by cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia in five days. https://justgiving.com/fundraising/mbeaver5

I always take 10 minutes after every shift to change back to becoming a mum or wife again

Covid ready! But just moments before this photo I was in tears for fear of what the pandemic might bring.

Local artist Sean Webster painted this mural as a tribute to nursing staff during Covid

Weed or wonder drug?

If you spot a dandelion in your carefully tended herbacious border, please think twice before you reach for the garden fork, writes medical herbalist Hannah

Sylvester

When you see a bright yellow dandelion flower, sticking up from the ground, what do you think? Weed or wildflower? Opinion is usually mixed about these vibrant rays of floral sun poking up from soil and between paving slabs. After all, a weed is just a plant growing where it’s not wanted. But reader: I hope to sway your opinion towards viewing these, and much of our other wild flora, more favourably, and with new eyes. You see, all it takes is a little change of the narrative.

The dandelion was a rare but welcome feature in the suburban garden that was my childhood playground. Sadly, weed-killer played a regular part in keeping the lawn green and “tidy”. Yet, when the wild was permitted to flourish, there was glee at the opportunity of blowing dandelion clocks for wishes and making enormous daisy chains. My time in that garden sowed strong seeds of a love of wild plant life; these so-called weeds took hold, and laid deep tap roots. What flourished was a passion for working with plants as medicine and sharing the stories of our native wild plant life, how they have weaved in and out of our lives through the centuries and, in many cases, play a vital role in the health of the climate, locally and beyond.

As a member of the Asteraceae family—the daisy family—the dandelion has composite flowers meaning that, rather than being just one flower at the end of a stalk, it is comprised of multiple simple flowers, in this case, hundreds. This makes the dandelion vital for our early pollinators, who can feed on these multiple pollen sources across just one flower. It’s common

for gardeners to pull them up at first sight but, this year, consider what more you can do for your local pollinators. Try leaving the dandelions as an easy food source. Then, enjoy watching the bees and other wildlife feeding from the small food crop you’ve left for them. With wildflower meadows in the UK having declined by 97% since the 1930s, and pollinator populations declining by over 30%, there has never been a more important time to embrace and actively cultivate wild flowers.

The dandelion is steeped in story and wild tales. The name itself derives from the French, dent de lion, meaning tooth of the lion, named after the tooth-like appearance of the edge of the leaves, with the golden florets of petals like a lion’s mane. Many remember stories from their childhood, recalling it being called “wet the bed” and that if you picked it, you would do just that. Of course, that’s just a tall tale, but as with all tales, there’s usually a place where the story starts.

In herbal practice, we know that dandelion leaf is a valuable diuretic and, unlike many of its pharmaceutical counterparts, doesn’t deplete the body of potassium—in fact, it actually contains potassium. As both a science and something of an art, modern-day herbal practice combines the scientific knowledge and understanding of plants with a herbalist’s medical and therapeutic understanding of the human body. Following an in-depth consultation, a herbal prescription of usually a number of different plant extracts are combined together in a medicine for each individual patient. As such, given its benefits as a diuretic, we sometimes use the leaves of dandelion as part of our prescriptions for those with high blood pressure, and also to support the function of the urinary system—but it does take

Photo by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

Hannah at work amongst wild flowers

a good extract of the whole herb to do this, not just picking the plant as the old tales tell!

In the dandelion, as with much of the plant world, different parts contain different plant chemicals and qualities, and so exert differing effects on the human body. The root of dandelion is bitter, and is used to support the digestion, especially the liver, before or after eating. Bitters stimulate the taste buds, resulting in more saliva and readying the digestion for receiving food, as well as digesting it better. Combination recipes of alcoholic bitters have been commercially available and used for centuries, across Europe and beyond, as an aid to the digestive process. There are similar stories throughout history, whereby plants once played a much wider part in our day to day lives, and they can still be part of modern life, we just need to reconnect with this once common knowledge.

Curiously, nature and philosophy proffer further insights into plants and their potential connection with the human body. Historically, for example, there was the notion of the “Doctrine of Signatures”, a theory whereby the appearance of a plant was said to resemble the part of the body or illness that the plant could be helpful for. Whilst now having the benefit of many hundreds of years of anecdotal, written, and now modern research to understand how plants can be used for health, many of these old ways of seeing plants still stand up today. The yellow dandelion could be seen as one such example of this, one of the many yellow-coloured medicinal plants that have an action on bile flow; bile, which is of a yellowish hue.

Dandelions thrive so well in our gardens and urban areas partly thanks to their long tap roots that reach down to draw up moisture and nutrients from the soil below. They are survivors.

With medicinal plants such as these carrying many benefits for humans, that can sit so well alongside allopathic medication, in addition to the benefits for our local wildlife, if we will just allow them to grow more freely alongside more common garden plants and in wild local spaces, we would do well to view the dandelion and its wild counterparts more favourably. They can be providers of health and strength for us, and the wider nature with which we share this planet.

Engage with more curiosity with your local wild plants, let the wild flowers—and weeds—grow, and let’s re-ignite our knowledge and understanding of wild medicinal flora. For, surely, it will benefit people and planet alike.

Hannah Sylvester is a professional medical herbalist and nature educator, practising in Lincolnshire.

https://thedistrictherbalist. co.uk/

No such word as can’t

Anna Elston tells us how she turned her life around from alchoholic mother to successful and happy addictions counsellor

When I left residential rehab for substance misuse, I was under no illusion about the fact that I needed to remain abstinent to have a chance at getting my three children out of foster care. It was a Sisyphean task, to put it lightly: just seven weeks before, I had attempted to take my own life and had been on life support in intensive care. My toxic marriage was broken, I was due in court for being drunk in charge of my vehicle, and my soon to be ex-husband was about to stop paying the mortgage. I had no job; I had left my last teaching post due to post-natal depression and I was heavily pregnant when we moved counties. Three months later, I was pregnant again with my third child, who was still in intensive care himself, due to me going into labour 15 weeks early. I had no social worker looking out for me and no care manager in charge of my treatment, because it was means tested and I didn’t meet the threshold.

It quickly became apparent to me that, when a mother’s children are in the care of the local authority, if the children are safe and well, the mother’s needs generally fall by the wayside. I can’t even begin to describe my emotionally fragile state: I felt isolated, alone, and frightened. It is little wonder that a very miniscule percentage of mothers successfully get into recovery and get their children back from care. The timescales laid down by the law are stacked against vulnerable mothers—which is why I count myself extremely lucky.

I discovered I have immense resourcefulness in times of adversity. I just needed to learn how to access it, and that takes time and unflinching self-reflection. After three years of abstinence and adjusting to being at home together with all three children, I learnt to feel confident in my capabilities as a single parent. I had to build an entirely new support network and I became passionate about helping other mums get into recovery. I discovered that there weren’t many women in treatment, in recovery and in fellowship meetings, and was curious to know why so few parents with addiction issues were successfully reunited with their children. My own experience fuelled my ambition to retrain as an addictions counsellor, and my university thesis was on this very topic. I was thrilled to obtain a first class honours degree. As a single mum of three young children, and with a full-time job during my third year,

Photo by Hannah Sylvester

It is little wonder that a very miniscule percentage of mothers successfully get into recovery and get their children back from care

it was one of my proudest achievements. I didn’t even try to hide that fact during my speech in front of the Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of Action on Addiction (now Forward Trust).

I progressed my career in a variety of roles: from addictions counsellor in treatment centres to co-ordinating the Amy Winehouse Foundation Resilience Programme in the South West, returning to addictions counselling in another treatment centre, and then Head of Service for a carer organisation.

Food for thought

It’s Big Read review time! Find out what members thought about the 2022 list, with its themes of food and the USA

Becoming Michelle Obama

All those of us who read this book enjoyed it immensely, particularly one of us. Here is her review:

I read Becoming earlier this year for my book group. I am not generally a fan of biographies and autobiographies, which I tend to treat with a large pinch of salt. However, I absolutely loved this book.

If getting into recovery has taught me anything, it’s that it’s never too late to start again, and that the next biggest barrier to a successful life isn’t just the addiction but overcoming the shame and stigma that surrounds it, particularly for women. It awakened my courage, taught me to take calculated risks, and to not be afraid of the outcome. As women, we are still told we can’t. That is rubbish. I always thought that 50 was too old to start something new, but I jumped at the chance to take voluntary redundancy and start my own business, and I’m pleased to say, I’m loving every moment of it. I’m working online as a psychotherapist with clients all over the world, helping them get well. I’m also working face-to-face as an addictions counsellor in treatment centres, and I’m speaking about my experiences to help others find their own courage to face their demons.

I am unflinching in owning my own lived experience to help others. In the post-truth world that we now find ourselves in, I have discovered that people value and respond to living authentically. Fear has left me—for today, at least. Those days have added up to over 15 years in continuous recovery from active alcoholism. My three young boys have grown into the most amazing young men, and I’ve been able to enjoy every minute of that time (mostly!)—because I’ve been sober.

Anna Elston is an Addictions Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Public Speaker. www.annaelston.com

I liked what I had seen of Michelle Obama when she was First Lady, although I didn’t know much about her, and her book confirmed my admiration. I was expecting it to be about her time at the White House, but to learn about her whole life was inspiring. Beautifully written in a warm and honest style, it tells about her family and the deep affection they all have for each other; how her own parents encouraged their children and made sacrifices to enable them to have a decent education; and her father’s determination not to let his MS prevent him from working and enjoying personal life. Michelle never saw herself as disadvantaged—her determination to succeed as a black woman in a white world was strong and she did her best in everything she attempted, and with great success.

By her own admission, she didn’t really like politics and wasn’t at all keen to see her husband becoming president.

But once in a position of influence, she devoted a lot of time and energy to helping the more vulnerable ethnic groups, particularly black communities. She comes across as a warm, caring but strong-willed person who found her own ways to start worthwhile projects: from her allotment on the South Lawn to helping to feed the needy, and the campaign to fight child obesity. She valued her children and family life above all, and worried about the negative effect that living in the White House would have on her two young daughters. However, she found ways around those concerns: for example, the housekeepers were told to let the girls make their own beds and tidy up their rooms. New rules were agreed with the Secret Service agents so that, as the girls grew up, they could each lead as normal a life as possible and avoid ideas of grandeur.

Above all, Michelle Obama greatly loved and admired her husband and made sure her own projects neither clashed nor interfered with the affairs of state, while giving him the support he needed.

Readers are also given insight into the little things that happen inside the White House. I particularly liked hearing that she and Barack regularly enjoyed “date nights”. And I admired her honesty when she admitted that she didn’t like the Trumps, though convention demanded that they invite them to the White House just before Trump took over as president.

Wantage NWR

Pomegranate Soup Marsha Mehran

The reviews at the start of this book describe it as charming, delightful and wonderful, but they make no reference to the reasons why the main characters, three sisters, left Iran and then London in the 1980s to set up the Babylon Café in a small town in County Mayo, or to their ongoing struggles with memories of trauma, which form the background to their new lives. Like the sisters, Marsha Mehran had fled war-torn Iran to finally settle in Western Ireland. Although this is a story of good against evil, it flows in a light, bright manner with plenty of humour, and includes the author’s homage to the splendour of Persian heritage, especially its storytelling, family values and—cookery!

As women, we are still told we can’t. That is rubbish.

Each chapter is named after a recipe which is relevant to it, and begins with a list of ingredients; readers can find the recipes themselves at the end of the book.

The story opens with the contrasting positive energy of the newcomers to Ballinacroagh and the negative prejudice of embittered locals, who want the incomers to leave. As the sisters busy themselves preparing to open their café, to “provide ambrosial food and neat cosy rooms,” their neighbour and drink baron Thomas McGuire is enchanted by “sensuous wafts of cardamon, cinnamon and rosewater” which he considers “pure witchcraft”! Supported by his deplorable son Tom Junior, he greedily wants to acquire the property and add a nightclub—Polyester Paddy’s—to his empire of pubs. Along the road, malicious gossip Dervla spies on the sisters. Neither realise how the sisters will work their magic on the community. Luckily, lively Italian widow, Estelle Delmonico already supports her tenants’ wonderful transformation of the bakery, which she formerly ran with her husband.

The eldest sister Marjan, 27, is protective, compassionate and loves growing things, especially herbs. She notices that the differences between her sisters are marked in how they each roll dolmehs (stuffed vine leaves). Sensitive, anxious Bahar, 24, is briskly successful, whereas optimistic Layla, 15, with her “hopeful aura”, is carefree—and faulty— though hers always carry her “signature scent of rosewater and cinnamon”.

On the second day of opening the Babylon Cafe, Marjan welcomes their first visitor, merry Father Mahoney, who finds their wall tapestry “extraordinary”, and has never tasted anything as “divine” as abgusht stew! He is enchanted and consequently, the café is soon a success. Layla in turn is enchanted by Malachy McGuire, as different to his father and brother as chalk to cheese—devoted to astronomy and Layla. They take the leading roles in a play to be performed alongside the festivities accompanying the annual July pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick in honour of Saint Patrick, the “saviour of the heathen Irish”.

However, following the various successes, the threatening elements of the story culminate in crises, which bring out the best and the worst in the characters.

Our group found the concluding chapters somewhat unsatisfying concerning the resolution of Tom Junior’s character—an occasional lack of credibility during the story seemed

to come to a head here. Future readers might consider the influence of Persian storytelling upon the author!

Nevertheless, Pomegranate Soup is an enjoyable page-turner, which celebrates the sisters’ individual abilities to adjust to their new lives and to integrate well. Significantly, to Iranians the pomegranate is traditionally the fruit of hope. The story has the feel-good factor!

Wantage NWR

Wilding Isabella Tree

Our Wantage bookseller was so taken by this book that she visited Knepp, in Sussex, to see for herself. Our group was also impressed, and gained so much understanding of the great importance of such a Noah’s Arks of biodiversity.

Along with other open spaces where nature has free rein, the soil at Knepp is healthy, as are the grazing animals, the meat which is produced, and the abundance of wildlife. It is an example of how 3,500 acres can be positively transformed in a few years: a beacon of hope, compared with which much of Britain “seems a desert”. Since the first world war, a vast amount of meadows, forests and hedges have been lost, along with natural habitats, and crops have been sprayed with artificial fertilisers, weed killers, fungicides, insecticides and growth hormones, which have further decreased wildlife.

In 1987, when Isabella’s husband Charlie Burrell inherited Knepp, it made no profit. He farmed intensively, installing a centralized milking and feeding area that could be run by two men, and produced ice cream and yoghurts. However,

eventually Charlie was forced to make great changes. In 2000, facing a £1.5m overdraft, they sold their stock and farm machinery, and sought advice. Particularly helpful were soil and tree specialist Ted Green of Windsor Great Park, and Frans Vera, a Dutch ecologist who has written about the positive effects of grazing.

Called in to advise on the Knepp oaks, Ted Green saw that they were suffering due to disturbed and depleted soil; years of ploughing and spraying with artificial chemicals had destroyed natural nutrients, crucially mycorrhizae. These form a web like communication system which attaches itself to roots, extending, hydrating and protecting them. Also important is their contribution to the storage of carbon, preventing its rise into the atmosphere. Charlie and Isabella decided to rewild Knepp. Frans Vera’s influence led to their introduction of grazing animals—fallow deer, longhorn cows, Exmoor ponies and Tamworth pigs, in gradually increasing numbers.

In 2002, Charlie wrote a letter of intent to Natural England. He would establish a biodiverse wilderness; it would be a 25-year experiment. The project now has Countryside Stewardship funding together with support from conservationists, ecologists, naturalists and landowners.

Even by the third year, there was a tremendous transformation—we feel Isabella’s delight! Artificial chemicals are leaving the soil; natural growth is richer; there is an abundance of wild flowers and insects. Prickly shrubs proliferate, providing habitats and protection for saplings. Birds and bats increase; cows suckle calves as long as they need to. “As the land relaxed, so did we.” Meanwhile, local farmers were affronted. Here in picture postcard Sussex, the pride and joy of the Burrell family was turning into wasteland; it “looked like the farmer had died”!

On a lighter note, animals left to themselves can be “hilariously destructive”! Enter Duncan, the Exmoor colt, who would challenge riders on the estate and gallop through spectators onto the polo field to investigate “his strange cousins chasing a ball”. Then there were the two Tamworth pigs which could “spot a marquee a mile away”. Avoiding electric fencing, they swam across the pond to hoover down two sacks of ice cream powder and two trays of onion bhajis!

Isabella Tree sees the project as a focal point in relation to today’s pressing problems of climate change, soil regeneration, food quality, crop pollination, animal welfare and human health. Knepp now has a visitor centre so that people can see the results of rewilding for themselves, and the farm shop sells Knepp Wild Range meat.

During our discussion, we learned that one of us used to farm with her husband, so had considerable insight into the business of farming. She, and all of us, wondered about lack of income for Charlie and Isabella, despite funding, as they embarked upon this project. We acknowledged that far too much food is wasted; and we value the choice of local organic, free-range meat, fruit and vegetables that we have. However, since Wilding was published, thousands of houses have been added to this area— what an impact on the wildlife, and what a reminder of the need for more biodiverse areas.

Wantage NWR

Five Quarters of the Orange

Joanne Harris

Chandlers Ford D NWR decided to read this book as a whole group. Overall, we enjoyed it, although one or two were less keen. We did agree that it was very well written and a bit of a page turner. Below is my personal review.

I read this in June while in the French mountains and, as the story is set in occupied France in the small town of Les Laveuses in the Loire region, I could identify with the French way of life and felt immersed in the story. I found no evidence that this village exists and the name is likely derived from the oil painting of washerwomen by Daubigny.

As for the title, I think the five quarters (a mathematical impossibility) refers to the missing Tomas, or perhaps it’s to do with children’s logic, illustrating their ability to blend fact with fiction.

The author’s novels all seem to have a link to food which I think is her way of giving a sensual experience. It works well—we all have links with food! Even the three Dartigen children have fruity names. Framboise is the main character and the book switches in time between the present day when she returns anonymously to the village from which she was banished in WW2, and her life there as a child. In this story, thanks to the writer’s skill in creating a scene that you feel a part of, this time travelling, so common and often confusing in books, works well.

I felt there were some parallels with To Kill a Mocking Bird, but the book is essentially original and at times both tragic and hilarious. Framboise soon realises that we cannot separate ourselves from the past and eventually it rears up to get her. I found her character very appealing, especially as the very determined child trying to catch the mother pike. She would not give up, though her eventual success was the start of her downfall. The innocence and naivety of youth are portrayed so well.

Mirabelle, the migraine suffering mother is, at times, cruel and neglectful, but also loving. It is only when Framboise tries to recreate her mother’s recipes from an old handwritten recipe book that she starts to learn about the secrets hidden in code between the words. Her childhood crush on the German soldier feels tragic against the suggested relationship between her mother and this same man. Tomas himself is a tragic figure of an innocent soldier with conflicted loyalties, just wanting to befriend the children and have a bit of fun.

The other character who deserves a mention is the apparent simpleton who remains a loyal friend to Framboise all her life and, in fact, turns out to be a welcome observer of the truth. His love for her is life affirming.

There is so much in this book: coming of age, mental health, love, family ties, betrayal and divided loyalties. I had not wanted to read it—I know not why—but I’m glad I did, and it has remained with me.

Sally Child Chandlers Ford D NWR

The Edible Woman Margaret Atwood

Of the 13 of Deepings Group members who met to discuss this book, six had read it all, two had not read it and five had read part of it but had given up through lack of interest. The initial majority view was that it was perplexing and disappointing. Where was the strong characterisation, intriguing plot and inspiring writing of the Margaret Atwood

we associate with her later work? Most of those who had read all or part of it gave it between 4/10 and 6.5/10, while one person gave it an eight or nine. Would our familiar, lively book review discussions lead to new insights and a change of view?

The main character, Marian, is stuck in a boring job where health and safety is nonexistent—a young female sent out alone into the homes of complete strangers to get their views as consumers? It wouldn’t happen now. Think Suzy Lamplugh. Her unlikely housemate Ainsley is obsessed with becoming a single mother at any cost. What was that all about? Marian’s boyfriend Peter is a more recognisable stereotype of a young, dominant, American male, whose fond memories of hunting down game in his youth appeared to segue into his relationship with the bright but needy Marian. We found these three main characters hardly believable and the rest of the cast even less so, particularly the grotesque Duncan and his weird mates. We agreed we had failed to like the characters or care about them very much, which is never a recipe for a page-turner.

The high score for the book came from a member who had read it when she was 20; the rest of us, mostly in our late 60s and early 70s, did not connect with it in the same way. We felt it was a book of its time, written by 24 year old Atwood in 1965 and her first book, and that it reflected a consumerist Canadian culture. Society, attitudes and life for women has changed a great deal, we felt, and it was difficult to relate to much of the content. Had we all needed to be the girlfriend of a chap of some sort in our late teens/early 20s, afraid of being “left on the shelf”? Maybe we had all

Bookworms:

get your teeth into these!

NWR has two groups for book lovers, the Postal Book Group and the Online Book Group. If you fall into this category, as a great many of us do, why not join? Book Groups co-ordinator Catharine Woodliffe explains how they work.

Postal Book Group

This has been going for nearly 40 years, and I have been running it since 2012. Sadly, membership is dropping but it has such a lot to offer, it would be a pity to see such a long-established group fold.

How does the Postal Book Group work?

The Postal Book Group year starts at the beginning of April. Members choose a book, of any genre, which they think others would enjoy. I send out a circle of names with an arrow pointing to the person you are to post your book to each month. Send the book together with an A6 notebook for members to write their comments, putting your name address in both book and notebook just in case they go missing in the post, which does not happen very often. The only advice I give is to choose a book which is still in print and which uses a good size of text, for those of us who are getting older!

When you receive your book, write any comments you have in the notebook which comes with it. On the 1st of each month, post both book and notebook on to the next person. This will continue until you receive your own

book back at the end of the reading year. If all goes to plan, you will have read 12 books over the year!

At the end of the year I circulate a list of the books which you have read and ask you to rank your top three. I then allocate three marks for first choice, two marks for second and one mark for third, and then inform the members of the overall winners.

Online Book Group

The second group we offer is the Online Book Group, which started in August 2021, and we have just started our fifth series. We meet on the fourth Monday of the month from 2.30pm to 4pm. As well as discussing the set book for the month, we recommend other books which we have read.

At our last meeting, we chose our books until November. If you would like to join us, look out for details in the Your NWR Week Ahead newsletter, or go to www.eventstop.co.uk and search for NWR Online Book Group. You can then book your place for the discussions you would like to take part in. There are 12 places per meeting, including me. I send out the link to the meeting a week in advance, and a reminder the day before or the morning of the meeting. Please consider joining, we would love to welcome you to one of our reading families!

If you feel you would be interested, please email me at postalbookgroup. nwr@gmail.com with your address and telephone number, and I will send you more detailed instructions. If you are not on email, then please contact the office, who will pass on your details to me. If postage is required, I can ask for three stamped addressed envelopes per year for communications to be sent out to you. Occasionally I will ask for a voluntary contribution to help towards my printing costs.

To join the Postal Book Group, email postalbookgroup.nwr@gmail.com

May to July bookings for the Online Book Group can be found here: https://www.eventstop.co.uk/ event/5338/onlinebgmaytojuly#/ or go to www.eventstop.co.uk and enter NWR Online Book Group to find later dates.

Below: Some of the Online Book Group choices still to come in 2023

travelled too far from our teenage selves to recall just what it was like? Atwood herself, in her introduction to the book, refers to its “self-indulgent grotesqueries being attributable to her own youth” which perhaps partly explains why we failed to like it.

In our group, it is unusual for so many to give up on a book. Those who had, said they found it boring and uninspiring with unbelievable characters, “boring as heck food obsessions”, and that it was a kind of “chick-lit”—a teenage book.

On the positive side, the book did inspire some interesting discussions, for instance about contraception in the 60s and how it was then very new, and how much it eventually changed life for women. We also noted how, as a conflicted young woman, Marian’s eating disorder was her inner self sabotaging her marriage plans—the panic attacks and fight or flight conundrums were pretty convincing—and how much less mollycoddled we were back then. We reflected that society conditioned women

to feel they had little choice. In 1980, Margaret Atwood said that in the early 1960s the options for young women were “a career going nowhere or marriage as an exit from it” and we felt that the book did reflect that very well. We agreed that there were “odd bits that showed promise”! Thank goodness Margaret went on to do much better.

Jillian Sage Deepings NWR

It’s like having a birthday present every month

So there I was in a ballroom with complete strangers...

I have always known where I was born. My parents were Londoners and I should have been born at the City of London Maternity Hospital but it had been blitzed, three times, early on in the war. The Government requisitioned a stately home in Hertfordshire which served as a maternity hospital from 1939 to 1949, and during that time 8,338 babies were born there. I had never thought much about it until 2020 when for some reason I googled Brocket Hall and discovered I was a “Brocket Baby”! There is a website, of which I am now a member, devoted to finding these babies. Many of the members live all over the world now and come from a huge variety of backgrounds.

Brocket Hall is one of England’s finest stately homes, set in over 500 acres of parkland. It has a long history. The Brocket Hall I was born in—there had been two predecessors—was built in 1760 by James Paine for the owner Sir Matthew Lamb. His son became the first Lord Melbourne, and his wife was the mistress of the Prince Regent, later George IV, who was a frequent visitor to the house. The second Lord Melbourne became Prime Minister to Queen Victoria, who also stayed there. When the second Lord Melbourne died, Brocket Hall passed on

to his sister. She married Lord Palmerston, who also became Prime Minister. He, allegedly, died on a billiard table whilst in the embrace of a chambermaid.

The present Lord Brocket, Charlie Brocket, is rather infamous—a likeable rogue, winner of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and a fraudster! When he inherited Brocket Hall it was in a bad state of repair so, to raise money, he cut up and buried several of his classic cars and lodged a fraudulent insurance claim.

somehow I had missed the publicity. The pandemic put an end to these, and I thought I might never see inside—by this time my curiosity was in full swing. But then, I received a notification that there was to be a reunion on 7 December last year, and was overjoyed to learn that I would be able to visit my place of birth. We were only allowed four hours, from noon until 4pm. With my husband as my guest, we entered the imposing hallway with its magnificent staircase and a huge Christmas tree, and then gathered for mulled wine and nibbles in the morning room. After this we were led into the ballroom which was laid out for lunch in splendid fashion.

Unfortunately for him, his estranged wife passed this information on to the police, and Lord Brocket served several years in prison. He decided to let out Brocket Hall on a 60-year lease and it is now run as an up-market wedding venue and golf club. It is impossible to visit there unless you belong to the golf club, are attending a wedding, or you are a Brocket Baby! Apparently there had been reunions of the Brocket Babies for many years but

So, there I was in a ballroom with complete strangers but we all had one thing in common. Each table seated ten people and all the people on my table had such interesting stories. The lady next to me had been born at Brocket Hall and immediately adopted. I had learned that unmarried mothers such as hers were called “brownies” as they wore a brown uniform and worked downstairs doing the laundry and all sorts of menial tasks. When it came to their confinement, they were allowed upstairs to give birth and then the baby would be taken away. Very, very sad: it certainly was “upstairs and downstairs”, but that’s how it was in those days.

Once the meal was over we were allowed to go anywhere in the house and I couldn’t wait. Brocket Hall has thirty bedrooms, all with large en suite bathrooms. Many of the rooms have gold coloured plaques on the doors with the names of Lord Melbourne, Lord Palmerston, Lord Brocket, the Queen Victoria room, and other famous names of the times. The paintings on the walls

Photo: Christine Matthews

..but we all had one thing in common. Barbara Richardson of Shoreham by Sea NWR explains.

Unmarried mothers were called “brownies” as they wore a brown uniform and worked downstairs doing the laundry and all sorts of menial tasks

Below: The main facade of Brocket Hall Below right: The staircase

Unexpected joys

are wonderful, although we were told they were all copies, the real paintings are stored away safely somewhere. In spite of the size of the house, it felt homely. We saw the birthing and recovery rooms, still with the same wallpaper! During the course of the afternoon local school children stood on the impressive hallway stairs and sang us Christmas carols. It was a joy to behold!

It was fascinating talking to the other Brocket Babies and hearing what their mothers had told them about it. My mother died a very long time ago, and I felt quite emotional standing in the grounds, by the lake, thinking that my mother would have seen the same view. I was able to tell my father about my being a Brocket Baby but he died, two days away from 101 years old, before I was able to tell him about the reunion. He did, however, tell me that my mother was at Brocket Hall for seven weeks as she had complications, and he used to visit every weekend, on his bike, a fifty mile round trip!

A post-script to this story is that, while a young man was joining the library where I work, I noticed his birthday was very close to my youngest son’s, so I asked him if he’d been born in the local hospital. He told me no, he’d been born in Brighton, although he’d never lived there. I said I too had been born somewhere I had never lived, Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire. As soon as he had left, a lady who had been nearby asked me, had I mentioned Brocket Hall? It turned out that when she first got married her husband was a silver service waiter there, and she worked downstairs in the kitchen washing up. I told her of the impending visit and she told me what a marvellous house it is with wonderful paintings, and she is absolutely right. What a coincidence!

It may be that one of you reading this story was also born in Brocket Hall but do not know about the Brocket Baby organisation. You can get in touch with them at www.brocketbabies.org.uk

Sometimes our lives take an unexpected turn. The birth in 1977 of our younger son, who had Down’s syndrome and additional needs, was one such moment. It opened my eyes to a world where, back then, people with learning disabilities often lived segregated lives and found it hard to be part of the community. In my first book about his childhood, Through Peter’s Eyes, I tried to show his life as I thought he might see it—he did not use words—and to reflect on society’s response.

If we fast forward to the pandemic, when so many of us had the time to try something out, I rediscovered the text for another memoir I had written a few years after Pete’s death. I was looking back on his teenage years and all that he achieved in the 18 years of his life. Could this be a second book?

good time for a meal? We decided on the latter and Pete was very pleased with himself, as we settled at a table by the wall, ordered food and ate a leisurely meal together.

Of course, there were challenges for Pete and for us as a family, but I wanted readers to know how one young man with profound learning disabilities enriched the lives of those around him.

I took advice from the writer, Sally Bayley. Using the early draft as a starting point I gradually competed a second memoir focusing on Pete’s life from the age of eleven, looking at his schooling, his love of music, of food, his friendships, his holidays. He loved Whitby. It had all the components of a good day out: fish and chips, cafes, the beach, amusements, activities like trampolining and occasionally music.

Late one Sunday afternoon, after listening to the music at the bandstand, we were making our way along the quayside. At the end of a group of buildings was a café. Very quickly Pete dived in. Should we say “No Pete; not today” or should we agree it was a

Later in my own life I left teaching and became a co-director of the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, another unexpected turn! There has been progress in supporting people with learning disabilities to be part of their communities, but there is still a long way to go.

Now in retirement I continue to learn more as a trustee of learning disability charity People First Dorset, where friendships are so valued by the members. I struggled to find a title for my book. In the end, The Joy of Knowing Pete came from a phrase used by one of his teachers, and the subtitle, Much was said, yet no words spoken from a poem written by one of his teaching assistants. In the photo on the cover, Pete shares his favourite catalogues with his older brother.

I really appreciated that some friends from Dorchester NWR supported me as we launched the book in a café in the town in July 2022.

https://www. youcaxton.co.uk/ pete/

Brocket Hall as a maternity home, 1942

Hazel Morgan of Dorchester NWR on life with her Down’s syndrome son, Pete, and how she came to write a book about him.

There has been progress in supporting people with learning disabilities to be part of their communities, but there is still a long way to go.

Photo by Joana Godinho on Unsplash

Members’ Corner

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!

One of our Leighton Buzzard members, Avis Fowler, had this on her bucket list and decided her 70th year was a good time to do it. She writes:

This was the at the world’s fastest zipline, Velocity 2 in North Wales. We had a practice run at first in case people wanted to back out, reaching speeds of around 45 mph. Having completed this they then took us up the mountain for the main run where we reached speeds of 100 mph. It was excellent. It was something I wanted to do in my 70th year so I can tick that off now! I can thoroughly recommend it. Demonstrating nicely that NWR women are... bonkers!

Heather de Lacey

Leighton Buzzard NWR

Celebrating 50 years!

Where did all those years go? This year I celebrated 50 years as an NWR member.

My very first get together was a picnic by the Thames with my three-week-old son, Christopher. He was 50 in July!

A neighbour had recommended NHR, as it was then, and it appealed because, with a two-year-old daughter as well, I really needed some mental stimulation. The Ashford NHR programme for the lively minded woman looked good and the picnic was their summer outing. I pushed the pram from our house in Laleham with my neighbour and her children and joined!

It was good to get away from domesticity and to meet others and make friends, as my husband, with his job move from Cheshire, was working hard in the city.

After three years we moved to Knowle and I joined the Dorridge NHR. My attendance wasn’t so regular here, since by then I was working part time as well as

doing an OU degree, and the children’s many activities seemed to take over! Memorably though, we organised a day conference at the sixth form college and Mary Stott was one of our speakers—she was very inspiring.

In the early 90s we moved again with my husband’s job, to Newcastle-underLyme. It was in this NHR that we formed a book group, rather ahead of ourselves as book groups weren’t really in vogue then in the way they are now.

The next move was to Hatton and I joined Warwick & Leamington NWR. I left four years ago when we downsized from our old house and came back to live in Knowle, where I’m now a member of the Solihull group. It was lovely to see some familiar faces from my previous group at the area Angela Walker quiz earlier this year.

NWR has been a lifeline over the years. Moving to a totally new area— five times!—can be a huge adjustment. It was good to know a friendly group was available for discussions, speakers, outings and events.

Each group has basically been similar, each with the same ethos, but with slightly different ways of organising itself, including various sub groups. The age has increased over the years, too, from young mums initially, to the (mostly) retired these days! NWR has been part of my life, with so many memories and I’m really pleased I became a member 50 years ago!

Linda Burke Solihull NWR

These boots...

Following the success of the NWR walk last October, Mold NWR decided to set up a regular monthly walking group. Our inaugural outing took us through the grounds of Hawarden Castle followed by lunch at the Glynne Arms. A cold but beautifully sunny day!

Potting on

A dozen of us from four very local groups—Woodley, Earley, Wokingham Forest and Yateley—had an enjoyable morning pottery painting. The venue, Mad Hatters, is situated in a garden centre so we all had lunch in the café afterwards. A very enjoyable morning and good to meet up with members from the other groups.

Lynda (on the left) with some of her Solihull NWR group

Crowning glory

Luton and South Bedfordshire Villages

NWR entered the Christmas Tree Festival at St Nicholas Church, BartonLe-Clay, and thought crowns would be an appropriate theme for 2022. Over two convivial evenings group members met to create and decorate crowns from templates and toilet roll tubes. Lots of jewels, sequins, shiny Quality Street wrappers and glitter were applied. More is more, we decided. The tree was put up, decorated, lights added and topped with a large crown. We won Best Community Group and promoted NWR too!

November nicht at Janice hoose

Invited round to Janice hoose and fit a nicht we had Mony folk were gathered there and maist were tartan clad The bartender was affa guid

And wine there was a’plenty

The stovies were a great delight—a truly Scottish food

Pickles, oatcakes, cheeses too—they really were quite good

Food a’plenty, lots to eat and that was just the start

Shortbreed, mallows, tablet—all sweet treats close to my heart Scottish ‘toons’ played awa, the pianist did his job

We didnae even think to tip him half a bob

The merriment continued with poems, songs and mair

The chatter and the laughter made my sides quite sair Janice wis the perfect host, the event was sic a treat

On cold dark nichts it’s great to have an NWR meet

A poem for Crieff NWR’s St Andrews Day celebration, by member Eilleen Tory

In Memoriam

In future, owing to space constraints, obituaries in the magazine will be limited to a member’s name, dates, and a brief tribute.

Carolyn Hempenstall

Carolyn was a member of Horrabridge NWR and was both a Local and Area Organiser for more than 30 years. She had wonderful organisational skills and used these to arrange theatre visits, lunches, meetings and conference days, at which we discussed many topics – she always had a beautifully gentle way of getting things off the ground and steering things along, always with a sense of humour.

She had many friends, and built networks amongst a number of different groups of people through her wide range of interests and skills—she helped at pre-school, meals on wheels, and she enjoyed walking and Scottish Dancing, as well as travelling.

Carolyn had a deep and certain Christian faith, giving her great compassion and comfort, and fortitude during her years with Parkinson’s Disease. Her legacy lives on, in interests she stimulated and especially in friendships she helped to forge and her example of kindness and caring for others.

A huge gap has been left in our lives but, knowing Carolyn, I don’t think she would want us to be sad—she would wish us to remember all the happy times we shared together.

Lizzie MacKinlay 1943–2023

Kilbarchan NWR were very sorry to lose Lizzie, a much loved and respected member, in early January after a short illness. Since joining our group seven years ago Lizzie had contributed considerably, especially with her artistic design skills. Always extremely modest about her many achievements, Lizzie had been a costume designer with STV and had worked in continuity on film shoots for shows such as Taggart. She had studied seamanship and held an inshore boatmasters’ licence. Having her own catering business, Lizzie was always keen to host. Pictured here with her yellow teapot, this was one of the first occasions we were able to meet— outside—as a group during lockdown.

Gill Owen-John

It is with sadness that Bramhall NWR announce the death of Gill Owen-John after a long illness. A valuable member of our group, she was quiet, gentle, warm and fun. She will be missed by us all.

Christine Percival 1946–2022

Croydon NWR are sad to announce the death of Christine Percival who died very suddenly in November. She will be sadly missed for her sense of fun and her fantastic crafting abilities, which she was glad to share in the Christmas workshops she ran for us. She will be greatly missed by all of us and by her large and loving family.

Photo by Hannah S on Unsplash