Photograph by Abigail Riddihough

A wet and wonky welcome

A wet and windy start for the inaugural meeting of the Wonky WI – but if you thought this may have been a damp squib then think again. Nearly 70 interesting, engaging, intelligent and feisty women turned out to sign up for this amazing new group for women of St Leonards and Hastings writes Beth Davies.

The symbol of the Wonky WI designed by Aardvark

The WI first arrived in Britain in 1915 in Anglesey North Wales and has since blossomed all over the British Isles inviting women in to gain skills, take part in extraordinarily diverse activities and join together to lobby for community, national and international issues – they are indeed a force to be reckoned with!

The number of women who attended on Tuesday 6 September was so spectacular that East Sussex WI Advisor, Heather Hyrapiet, remarked ‘I’ve never seen anything like it!’

Having lived in Hastings for three years I knew already what an interesting group we locals are but was thrilled to meet such great people with differing interests and skills to share.

Lesley Greening Lassoff, the group’s President, now has the enviable ‘problem’ of finding a much bigger venue to hold the monthly meetings as The Arts Forum, although lovely, cannot accommodate this lively bunch! When the group was first advertised on Facebook the response was astounding and since then new members are joining the ‘Facebook Page’ by the minute leading one member to suggest that maybe Wembley Stadium may be a more appropriate venue, I think she may have a point.

A big thank you for the refreshments which were donated by neighbours Helen Truman from ‘Plenty Provisions’ and the lovely lads from ‘The Post Office Tea Rooms” they were gratefully received.

So ladies of our delightful environs don your pinnies, wave a banner (home-made naturally) and get yourselves along to the next meeting. A wonderfully warm welcome awaits you at our Wonky WI. Join the Facebook page to keep up dated on venues and times. And as Lorna Hamilton-Brown, group secretary, said ‘You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!’

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