<< BACK

Morley Women's Institute

For WI Archive click here

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 WOMEN TRAVEL THROUGH HISTORY?

At our recent Group Meeting it was Morley’s turn to entertain other members of the West Ley’s Group. This event happens every three and a half years and you would be amazed how quickly the time passes. Our evening began with Steven Croots of Croots farm shop, and he had some very tasty goodies on show, he told us of the ten year efforts of him and his wife to get to the successful business they have built up, selling mainly locally produced foods.

The production that the ‘girls’ have been working towards during the past months was our version of “The Weakest Link” only we decided to call it the W.I. equivalent “The Dirtiest Sink”. The contestants in this battle of brains began with Eve, Boudica, Ann Boleyn minus her head, Elizabeth 2nd, Nell Gwyn, of the oranges, Victoria of Albert fame. Then followed Florence Nightingale, Mrs Pankhurst, Mrs Thatcher, Amy Winehouse and last but not least Queen Elizabeth 2nd. All lead down through the tricky questions by Ann Robinson of nasty fame! You can tell how difficult the questions were when the ultimate winner turned out to be Amy Winehouse! The only one to be voted off was poor old Anne Robinson; still I’m sure she’ll get her revenge somewhere in the near future.

The production was ably assisted by Jane and Sylvia backstage and the catering squad led by Elsie and Sylvia and the the raffle girls Katherine and Margaret. All in all a very hilarious night!
Barbara.

Pumpkin Competition was won by Audrey (Morley W.I) who had created an amazing Toadstool complete with fairy's and Steven Croots prize was won by Sylvia Booth (Morley W.I) again.

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