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Morley Women's Institute

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The Movement
The movement was formed in Canada 90 years ago as a democratic vehicle to support women in isolated communities, to educate and pass on knowledge about childcare, catering and household skills. The W.I. has led the fight for a cleaner fairer world, from global warming to health and social issues and the W.I. is still campaigning locally and nationally over issues that affect us all. This year we are throwing out weight behind the plight of our honey bees.

Morley Group
Morley Women's Institute was formed in 1950. Membership then was mostly local farmers' wives, and non-working housewives/mums. How different today! Members follow various careers, or are retired professionals, and farmers' wives are still there, maintaining links to agriculture. Members take part in village life in various ways, including the Parish Council, St. Matthew's Church, the Evergreens and the school.

The WI and You
Morley W.I. offers a friendly welcome to women from Morley and from surrounding areas who are welcome to come along, either as members or visitors. We enjoy talks, demonstrations, arts, drama, visits, fund-raising and events together. Morley W.I. is a vibrant, healthy organisation that is an asset to the village of Morley.
Meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the village school on the A608 at Morley Smithy.

If you would like to know more, phone President Margaret Parish on 01332 781509. New members are always welcome.

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April Meeting

Having played hosts to Breadsall W.I in March for our Annual Quiz, where we managed to retain the Cup for another year April saw us back to our usual meeting format. We congratulated Barbara Daykin on her wonderful effort in swimming 32 lengths of the pool at Chatsworth, as part of the W.I. sponsored Channel swim for charity. The event was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. And everyone enjoyed the Bacon Butties afterwards. Proceeds are still being counted and totals raised will be published later.

We have 3 contestants in the Reading Aloud Competition at W.I headquarters in Derby.

Coffee Morning 20/04/2010 at Jane's contact 07971216994 for details.

Theatre Trip Planned for November to see Chess in Nottingham.

Craft entries for County and Bakewell Shows are progressing well.

Walking Group's next walk is the 27/04/2010 walking to Stanley Village with a Pub Lunch.

Chrissie Hall spoke about her recent visit to W.I.H.Q in London regarding the current campaign about Domestic Violence, and how impressed she was with the surroundings and the welcome she received, she felt very proud of the amazing work, professionalism and expertise being done on the campaigns.

We were then treated to a Flower Arranging demonstration and talk from Linda Jones our own member, who showed us how do arrangements in different containers, using lots of flowers from our own gardens and surrounding countryside, giving us lots of hints and tips. The arrangements were then raffled and 5 lucky members took home 5 beautiful arrangements.

May Meeting (Desert Island Disc's)

At the May meeting we were entertained to several members choice of music for the Desert Island and their books and luxury items, although we all thought that Beryl's choice of a bath tub as a luxury item wasn't quite the thing as she could have sailed away it certainly caused a lot of laughter.


June Meeting ( Behind The Scenes at Chatworth)

Very entertaining evening where we learned what goes on behind the scenes at Chatsworth when the House is closed for Cleaning,and also how the House was transformed for filming of The Duchess etc.


Kedleston Walk
Several members arrived on a lovely sunny morning to take The Fishing Tour, which they said was very interesting. They had an excellent lunch in the restaurant and where joined by other members of W.I. after which we toured the house which again was very informative.

MORLEY WOMEN'S INSTITUTE CELEBRATE 60 YEARS
A DIAMOND EVENING

30 members celebrated the Institute’s Diamond Jubilee on February 23rd 2010 at Smalley Church Hall.

A lovely meal, good company and lots of memories, we were reminded of members past with a display of Scrap Books covering many years and activities.

Our special guest for the evening was the County Chairman Nancy Hawkesworth. Entertainment was provided by the ladies of Heanor Operatic Society singing many popular songs interspersed with humorous poetry.

FEBRUARY MEETING 2010

Our February meeting was filled with plans for the future, summer outings and various other exciting and challenging things to do, including one ‘idiot’ who is swimming the channel!  

Our next meeting holds the promise of a good ‘scrap’ in the annual joust between Morley and Breadsall in the quiz, held annually between the villages. Morley won last year and will this year too! This event is hosted and chaired by Mr and Mrs N. Sharpe otherwise known to one and all as Mary and Nev. So if you would like to participate in a stimulating evening do come and join us and so much the better if you’re clever! (Only joking).

Tonight’s meeting was also stimulating but in a very different way, very thought provoking. The speaker was from the Tree Tops Hospice, and she told us of the work done by Tree Tops. Hospices where thought to begin in the 4th century nursing the returning crusaders after battle; now they are concerned with caring and supporting those who are dying and their families. Tree Tops have just brought into their caring umbrella, a counsellor who works with the children of bereaved families, a very difficult but much needed part of their work.

Later this month we have our Diamond celebration meal at Smalley, it’s all go, and we have all got to wear diamonds for this event, so I’ll close now and pop off down to the bank to retrieve the family heirlooms including great, great grand mama’s coronet, the one she wore at the coronation of the ‘Old’ Queen. Need to know more or would like to join us just give me, Barbara, a ring on 01332 80180 or come along to Morley Primary School, second Tuesday in the month and be sure of a warm and friendly welcome.

JANUARY MEETING 2010

Morley W.I held its first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday 12th Jan, we were encouraged to sponsor Barbara and Audrey in their brave attempt to 'swim the channel' in the pool at Edensor in Chatsworth to raise money for clean water in India. Also members were invited to take part in the Reading Aloud competition at Headquarters and get together 2 teams for a quiz in Heanor with a Pie and Pea Supper 8 members agreed to take part. Members were made aware of the menu choices for our 60th Anniversary Dinner in February. And the outing in August to Renishaw Hall followed by tea. We then had a very informative talk and slide show about Denman Collage and all it can offer.

This was followed by a very enthusiastic Auction to raise money for our group making £77+ for funds.

Morley W.I.

Our annual meeting last night Tues 10th November saw a new member of the committee, Sue Bestwick and the President after her first successful year is happy to carry on with the job, one reason given was that “you’re such a nice group of girls”. Hear, Hear !

Getting ready for Christmas! Margaret Brown came to our November meeting with lots of goodies to prepare, of an edible kind. And if my husband would eat pasta for Christmas Dinner life would be much easier! Smoked Salmon, Prawns Christmas Pudding, one member enquired as to the purchase of Smoked Salmon in little pieces, can’t afford it then? No she always buys hers on a whole side! By the way I thought the assistant cook was exceptional, who? Me. At the end of the evening Margaret made Australian Christmas Pudding! And gave us 3 to raffle luck winners got to take these delicious puds home.

One proposal to mark the celebration of our Diamond Anniversary is a practical one, and that is for members to gather information about the natural world around us. The first swallow, are plants coming into flower earlier, weather conditions, bird observations all to be collected for the year and hopefully bound in to a book. We hope that this will be of use to not only ourselves but to future generations. Non-W.I. members are welcome to join us in this work which it is hoped will cover Morley, Oakwood and the surrounding areas. Very simply just jot down your observation, with dates and forward onto me Barbara Daykin, The Croft, Morley. 01332 880180.

Next month more celebrations a good old ‘knees up’ with more food and you are most warmly invited to join us more information from Barbara on the number above.
Barbara Daykin

Anniversary Year 2010

See Morley W.I. Undertaking several activities to mark this event one being Barbara Daykin’s Nature Watch the other, being Bags depicting landmarks around Morley,  bearing  the W.I. Logo in this environmentally conscious society we live in the cloth bags are excellent and only £5, I'm reliably informed that 2 bags have turned up in Australia. So if you are looking for a different sort of Christmas present contact Beryl Toms 01332 880107