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Let's Stay Connected
Welcome to this new page. Through it we hope you will indeed feel connected to each other and that you will share some of the thoughts/ideas that other members have sent in and possibly want to send in something yourself that you are finding helpful/inspiring /funny at this difficult time.
To take part you should send to this address: ashteadwi@gmail.com and Sue the Webmaster will be waiting to receive your contributions. Looking forward to hearing from you. Any photos, please send as a jpg.
Exercise
Lesley doing what she does best! Showing us the way!
Ps: Lesley has pointed out she is not leading a cookery lesson but sharing out prawns for her neighbours!!
Blanche has suggested members might like to consider keeping a journal of these heady days and how all of our lives have been disrupted. Day to day stuff and the effects on you and your immediate family. History of a sort, in the making. Something in writing to be passed on down the generations to grand children, great grandchildren etc. A family history so those looking back in 100 years, might say "was it really like that".
This need not be for public consumption unless the writer or writers decide they would like to publish.
Saturday was a sad day for me as I said goodbye to my allotment of 25 years. It’s now vegetables in pots! I shall be busy for a while now as you can see. I’ve also attached a photo taken by a friend a couple of weeks ago to make you laugh. Janet
You may be interested to know that The National Theatre is going to stream a free play every Thursday night. This is normally done direct to cinemas but there are, of course, no cinemas in operation at present. From 2 April they are switching transmission to their YouTube channel under the banner of ‘National Theatre at Home’. A new play will be released at 7pm every Thursday, free to watch for one week, which sounds like a fantastic opportunity to virtually share the experience with each other.
This info was kindly passed on by Jackie
For the week commencing Thursday 21st May the National is streaming: ‘A Street Car named Desire' by Tennessee Williams
Cartoon courtsey of Fiona
Rainbow photo from Lillian
An extract from a letter received from Northampton General Hospital
Dear members of Ashtead Wl,
On behalf of all the staff, mothers and babies in the Maternity wards we would like to say a special thank you for the beautiful knitted hats which you have kindly made for all our newborns.
It is due to the kindness and thoughtfulness of caring people like you that makes a new mother and their baby feel special. lt is endearing to see that there is such thoughtfulness.
Denise displaying one of her many talents.
A family tradition, an Easter Tree by Carole
The Chinese people have many proverbs and sayings. One of which is "The longest journey begins with a single step".
Marilyn thought this an appropriate saying at this surreal time in our lives.
My efforts of the isolation. Dolls clothes for my 2 Great Grand Daughters. Keep well and knitting. See you soon I hope. Beryl W.
Janet sent 3 photos to cheer us all up and encourage us. The lovely Kingcups match the daffodil bulbs we had from the WI meeting a few weeks ago. Why do we wait all year for the trees to blossom then get a glorious display that only last about 2 weeks?
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Rosemary submitted the following:
Subject: WOMEN’S INSTITUTE EMAIL - Imagine JOYCE GRENFELL saying this...
By Richard Banks
Mobberly WI have issued the following guidance for isolation.
Right ladies, Judith Bickerstaffe has kindly emailed the crochet patterns for the face masks and matching underwear sets. Anyone who runs out of wool should message Delia who will leave fresh supplies in a vacuum sealed sandwich bag on your doorstep. She will knock the theme tune to Miami Vice on your door so you know it's her, you'll have to take pot luck on colours, but I do know there is a particularly lovely shade of burnt copper.
Mavis has drawn up a rota for the Haz Mat suit and WW2 Gas Mask, it is one size fits all so please don't specify size requirements. If any of our less able members need provisions such as bread, milk, wine, Gin or pickled walnuts please contact Cynthia, who will pop to the shops for you providing her moped isn't being used by her grandson for pizza deliveries.
Laura will go ahead with her useful and inspirational talk on Christmas and other gifts made from j-cloths via Skype.
Currently we will have to abandon our collection of soft toys made from used hosiery, particularly after that unfortunate incident when Derek Malmsbury was found doing unspeakable things to the elephant made by his wife, Nora. I'm sure we all support Nora at this upsetting time. Apparently they WERE Derek's fishnets, which is why he was confused and why he wanted them back. Still that should never be done to a child's soft toy.
Connie is finishing off the template for making an emergency face mask and draft excluder from a spare bra. I know some members have raised concern that as Connie is a 46GG she has more material to work with than most, but she assures me her template will be scalable from 32 A upwards.
Audrey wants to apologize for the mix-up with the medication run, but please be rest assured Joan suffered no side effects from taking Marjorie Butterworth's husband Viagra and haliborange. And likewise Marjorie's husband seems to have responded really well to the HRT. Marjorie says they even agreed on the pattern for their new curtains.
Sad news because of the Government announcement, the trip to Leeds and 'Miss Fifi's Private Dungeon and Macrame club' has been postponed and at this moment we don't have a rescheduled date.
Great news: we have already started collecting prizes for the summer fayre raffle. It looks like the star prize this year may well be a pack of 9 Andrex Quilted Aloe Vera toilet rolls. Shortly followed by a complete set of knitted Nolan Sisters toilet roll covers. Mavis says any resemblance between Colleen and Anne Widdecombe is purely coincidental.
Right Ladies I must dash, I hear Springitts has just had a fresh delivery of tinned prunes.
Our thanks to Richard Banks for writing this and to Mobberley WI.
Living as we do, close to an area of outstanding natural beauty, the picture says it all!
Courtesy of Marilyn
An amusing cartoon provided by one of the Rosemary's, courtesy of a WI friend.
Sandra V's examples of her latest projects. How she is keeping herself occupied, at this surreal time.
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Linda W wondered if the following would appeal to those knitters amongst us. Here is a pattern to sew hearts in the round, two at a time.
This has come down the facebook chain to Linda. I'm not sure where it originated but our link has made its way from Wigan Hospital. If there is a demand for these locally, knitters may wish to 'knit' for our hospital.
Hello everyone
I was wondering if any knitters can help us! My ward at Wigan hospital are unfortunately looking after extremely poorly Covid positive pts. At the moment no visitors are allowed on the ward as it is obviously extremely high risk. It is devastating for us to watch someone suffer without their relatives around them - although they do have us and we try our best to hold their hand and provide the best support that we can we are looking to trial an idea whereby we give our patients a knitted heart and send a matching knitted heart to their relative/next of kin.
We are looking for people who can knit that have ideally been self isolating and had no contact with anyone who could possibly be infected to send pairs of knitted hearts to us and we can then distribute them to our patients and their loving relatives who cannot be with them. I really do believe it would be so comforting to our patients and their relatives in such sad times and I’m hoping that we can facilitate this with your help. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and please please share this to anyone you think could help.
Here is the pattern
Knitting two at a time you can knock out identical pairs pretty quick!
Carole provided this rhyme. It first appeared in the Daily Mail, supplied by Pauline Relf
Carole also provided this. She received it via her computer club.
I hope everyone is weathering our unfortunate situation! I have been trying to keep busy & have just finished my first hospital doll.
I must admit not being a natural knitter I have struggled with it & the concentration needed was a surprise, but 4 days later I got there & feel pleased with the outcome.
Trish
Lyn E has taken up her paint brushes once again. Though she did comment her fingers aren't as willing as they used to be.
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Lyn A has turned her hands to making scrub caps.
A carpet of bluebells and a spring scene provided by Marilyn
