Otterden and Stalisfield WI

20/10/2025

Jan Napper from Simply Chocolate visited our W.I. Group at the beginning of October. She brought all her equipment required to show us how to make chocolate from cacao chips purchased online. Jan went through the tempering process, obtaining the required consistency to produce chocolates in moulds or as a slab that can be broken into random shards. Decorating the chocolates using edible transfers and various sprinkles were also demonstrated. Jan is a fellow W.I. Member from Tankerton who conveyed her subject in a conversational manner. We then came to the part we had all been waiting for - tasting the end results, which were lovely!

Our Craft Fair on 18th October was incredibly successful with 20 tables taken providing a wide variety of produce and crafts for people to purchase, many ideal for Christmas presents. This is a fundraiser to enable our Group to keep functioning and provide a variety of good quality Speakers each month for our Members.

Several of our Members will be attending the Lifestyle Annual Day at Ditton Community Centre on 22nd October, which will feature a variety of three Speakers covering very different topics, with Country Market and Independant Stalls at which to shop. W.I. Members from all over the Kent area attend so it is a good day at which to socialise and swap ideas for forthcoming events and meetings.

Wednesday 5th November at 7.30 p.m. is our next Meeting at Stalisfield Village Hall, featuring 'Having a go at Painting on Silk' with Elitta Fell. Guests are always welcome, so please contact Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Ellie Cameron on 07775649337 if you would like to join us.

13/09/2025

Otterden & Stalisfield W.I. welcomed Andy Thomas who came along to talk to us on the subject of 'Lewes Bonfire Night Capital of the World'. He is an excellent, professional Speaker outlining interesting facts on the town of Lewes, surrounded by hills built into the slopes either side of the Ouse Valley. An ancient, beautiful area, it includes Anne of Cleves House, the Castle and Barbican House Museum to name but a couple of places worth visiting. The main part of the talk covered the annual Bonfire on 5th November. There are 7 Societies involved, attracting large crowds each year as it is such a spectacular event, started in 1863 and televised every year. Andy illustrated the evening with his wonderful slides that he had taken over a number of years. It certainly motivated some of us to visit the area.

The outing for September was to Lenham, with a short walking tour by historian Henny Shotter, who visited us at the end of 2024. Henny supplied facts of Lenham, buildings that we just walk past when shopping. It was fascinating to hear that there were 3 Saxon Warriors, 2 men and a woman with sword and shield, buried under the Pharmacy, hence its name. The mounting steps outside the church are a listed building and the remnant of the Workhouse Mortuary can still be located just off The Square on Faversham Road, amongst many other interesting facts.

On the 18th October we are holding our Craft Fair at Stalisfield Village Hall from 13.30 to 16.00. It is free admission with a hall full of crafts and produce to purchase, particularly with Christmas approaching. Of course there will be refreshments provided by our W.I. Group as well.

Going into October, the Meeting on Wednesday 1st, we will be hosting Jan Napper from Simply Chocolate, Whitsable, who will be giving us a demonstration with tasters! Please join us at Stalisfield Village Hall, ME13 0HY at 7.30 p.m. Guests are always welcome at a cost of £5 including homemade refreshments. Contact our President Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.

19/08/2025

19/08/2025

August's 'Meeting' of Otterden & Stalisfield W.I. was a 'Fare to Share' theme. The majority of the Membership attended for some varied food supplied by us all, making the evening a lovely summer social occasion.

The outing for August was to Belmont House for a Meet the Head Gardener Tour. Alisa has stepped into the shoes of retired Gardener, Graeme, and conducted us on a 2 1/2 tour of the Gardens which date from the 1790's. Much work was undertaken by Graeme over the 25 years the Garden was in his charge and now Alisa has more plans to redesign and develop various areas. Despite the wall having collapsed in the Walled Garden, we were able to still view this area together with the Pinetum, Nuttery, formal and kitchen gardens. Alisa certainly knows the subject of horticulture and was an excellent guide. We are planning to visit the gardens at a different season next year and tour the House at a later date. We finished the Tour with a visit to the Tea Room where we were supplied with Tea and a lovely lunch.

Our W.I. Group is serving the Refreshments at Stalisfield Village Hall at the annual Fete on 23rd August from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Our produce is alway popular for attendees and helps to raise much needed funds for the running of the Village Hall and our Group. Please bring contribution cakes or savouries to the Hall on Saturday morning. Help during the day would be gratefully received. Please contact Helen or Ellie if you can come along.

We will have a Speaker at our next Meeting on Wednesday 3rd September commencing at 7.30 p.m. at Stalisfield Village Hall. The subject is 'Lewes Bonfire Night Capital of the World' given by Andy Thomas who has made numerous radio and TV appearances on The One Show, Richard & Judy and other programmes for the BBC, The History Channel and The National Geographic Channel. Andy takes us to his birth town of Lewes , renowned for its huge Bonfire Night Festivities, giving insights to this place of mystery, controversy, folklore and tradition.

Guests are very welcome at a small donation of £5 to cover refreshments. If you would like to join our Group, please contact Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.

17/07/2025

Otterden & Stalisfield W.I. had the pleasure of another visit from Katherine Hook, who is a natural speaker chatting about her passion in life other than Sloe Gin Chocolates - Motorbikes. Katherine showed us photos of the various bikes she has owned over her lifetime and shared with us the rides that she has attempted and completed. lthough not a mechanic, she rebuilds her own collectable bikes that she has purchased and then delegates the fitting of the mechanical parts to one that is qualified. She started working in a Motorbike shop in Tunbridge Wells, then eventually married the owner and had a family. They still work together at the shop in the months the weather is favourable for riding out and then in the winter, Katherine makes her Sloe Gin Chocolates to sell at various Craft Fairs and W.I. events (she brought some along for us too!)

The outing in July was to South Foreland Lighthouse, Dover, to which we car shared to make it more sociable and environmentally friendly - there is not much parking either. Our Member Sylvia Beck and her husband Steve are volunteer guides at this National Trust Property. They very kindly gave up their day to show us this wonderful Lighthouse with a dual guided tour taking a couple of hours. This brought to life the talk that Steve presented to our Group at the March Meeting. Steve spent many hours at Trinity House collating the information to enable him to give an extremely informative and enjoyable Tour. We all managed the steps to the top to enjoy the spectacular far reaching views over the Channel and the internal workings of the Lighthouse. The Tour was preceded by Tea on arrival and then concluded with a Cream Tea at the Tea Rooms. We would highly recommend a trip to this National Trust site.

The next Meeting will be held on Wednesday 6th August at Stalisfield Village Hall commencing at 7.30 p.m. It will be more of a social occasion to give us all a chance to chat and bring 'fare to share'. We will then be able to formulate future outings as well.

Guests are very welcome at a small donation of £5 to cover refreshments. If you would like to join our Group, please contact Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.

13/06/2025

Now that summer has officially arrived, Otterden & Stalifield W.I. are geting out and about. The beginning of June saw a group of us visit Little Buds Peony Farm near Maidstone. Although it was quite a journey along narrow lanes up the North Downs there were a surprising number of people visiting the venue as the car park was pretty full. The field was absolutely breathtaking with numerous varieties of peonies in the most gorgeous colours. Plants and picked peonies were for sale to take home. Definately worth a visit.

The next trip planned is organised for July to South Foreland Lighthouse, Dover, with our W.I. Member Sylvia Beck giving us a private guided tour. I'm not sure how many of us will make it to the top though!

June's Meeting was professional Speaker Jo Livingston explaning to us how we could write our Life Story. This could seem a bit daunting but Jo told us it did not have to be from birth to current day. It can be pictorial, limiting it to certain highlights with short text explanations, or perhaps just covering a certain period of time that was memorable. A scrapbook theme is also a possibility using various tickets and programmes collected over the years, or a particular theme such as a hobby. Jo also gave us a flyer listing life story resources and places to visit, such as museums, as an aid for research.

Katherine Hook is returning to speak to us at July's Meeting. Katherine has previously visited us to explain about her Sloe Gin and chocolate production. However, this time it will be to tell us about her other passion - 'Over four decades on Two Wheels'.. Another good Speaker so it should be a good evening.

If you would like to join us, we meet th first Wednesday of each month at 7.30 p.m. at Stalisfield Village hall, ME13 0HY. Guests are very welcome for a small donation of £5 to cover refreshments. If you would like to join our Group please contact our President Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.

13/06/2025

Otterden & Stalisfield's visit to Little Buds Peony Farm, near Maidstone in June 2025.

15/05/2025

The AGM of Otterden & Stalisfield W.I. at the beginning of May was well attended and we have attracted new members too.

After the business was finished we discussed outings to The Marlowe Theatre at which Helen Brooks has reserved seats to a number of varied productions over the coming months.

Sylvia and Steven Beck will kindly be giving just our W.I. Group a tour of South Foreland Lighthouse, Dover on 15th July. As to be expected, there are steps to be negotiated so participants will have to be relatively fit. We will then round off the afternoon with tea and a picnic.

At the next Meeting at Stalisfield Village Hall on 4th June at 7.30 p.m. we have invited Jo Livingston along to talk to us about 'Writing your Life Story'. Jo was a Chartered Librarian and then worked as an IT Lecturer, but is now retired. She is best known for raising awareness of Face Blindness for which she was diagnosed in 2006. A couple of us have been to Jo's lecture on this topic in the past and were very impressed so we booked her to talk to our Group. Guests are very welcome at a small donation of £5 to cover refreshments. If you would like to join our Group please contact our President Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.

13/04/2025

The West Kent Federation of the W.I. held their AGM at Gravesend, which a few of our Group attended. After the required business was completed we were treated to a couple of good Speakers. The first was Janine Ramsay who was very entertaining, but the Speaker we were looking forward to was Adam Frost from Gardeners World fame - he did not disappoint. Adam is just the same as he appears on television, a natural speaker, informative and entertaining. He interrupted his current tour to join us from Durham and was accompanied by his daughter, so he had to behave himself!

April's Meeting was the Mature Driving Course. Kent County Council supply these free Courses to any interested group and our Speaker was Jack Winslade. Although it was only his second time delivering this Course, he was very good at conveying the information to us all. There was excellent attendance, from both the W.I. Group and local villagers of a certain age. The evening highlighted areas that would be of interest to our age group and various rules & regulations that have evolved over time. We were all supplied with an information pack at the end of the evening which included the latest Highway Code which has changed considerably since most of us took their Driving Tests. Definitely worth a read for everyone to update our knowledge.

The Meeting on 7th May will be the AGM, so once the business is finished we will be having a social evening with beverages and cake of course. We meet the first Wednesday of each month at Stalisfield Village Hall. Guests are very welcome at a small donation of £5 to cover refreshments. If you would like to join our Group please contact our President Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Ellie Cameron on 01795 892016.

12/03/2025

Steven Beck, as a volunteer of the South Foreland Lighthouse at Dover, kindly gave the Otterden & Stalisfield W.I. Group a wonderful, detailed talk with a slide show on this National Trust property. (With a little help from his wife, Sylvia!) The Lighthouse ensures that shipping is alerted to the presence of the Goodwin Sands, a 10 mile sandbank. Quite apart from the history of the building, it was interesting to hear of the personal details of the Knott family, of whom 5 successive generations with 8 family members were involved in the lighthouse keeping. It is thought by historians that during the period 1730 to 1910 that the Knott family had probably been the longest serving family of lighthouse keepers in history. We had a good turnout for this popular speaker and we will be visiting the Lighthouse later in the year for a tour conducted by Steven.

At our Meeting on the 2nd April, a Member of the Road Safety Team from K.C.C. will be giving a presentation on Road Safety for Mature Drivers. Two short video presentations will cover motorway driving, motorway breakdowns, Smart motorways and eco driving, as well as topics specific to the over 65's, such as decline in peripheral vision, reduced mobility and impairment through prescribed drugs. All are welcome to attend, but we do need to know numbers, as there will be road safety packs given out at the end of the evening, so contact either of the telephone numbers listed below please. W.I. Members are free, Guests are welcome at a cost of £5 to include refreshments. The evening will commence at 7.30 p.m. at Stalisfield Village Hall, so do come earlier to ensure seating.

Any ladies wishing to join our Group, please contact either our President Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Secretary Ellie Cameron on 01795 892016. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month at Stalisfield Village Hall from 7.30 p.m.

24/02/2025

Simon Clark from Kent, Sussex & Surrey Air Ambulance gave a very informative and interesting talk regarding the Charity to our February Meeting. He was a natural speaker on the subject as he has been involved with KSSAA for some years. They have 3 helicopters at their disposal with an operating theatre on board each of them, which can be relocated into another situation e.g. someone's bedroom if required. The filmed interviews with the highly medically trained staff and recipients of their care on board these mobile hospitals was quite humbling and moving to hear. They do receive a donation of a mere 10% from the NHS towards the cost of running the service. The rest has to come from donations from corporations and individuals such as ourselves. Our small group was able to donate £250.

The next Meeting for our Group will be Wednesday the 5th March when one of our Members husband Stephen Beck, will be coming along to talk to us about the National Trust property, the South Foreland Lighthouse at Dover. We plan to make a visit to the Lighthouse later in the year when the weather improves.

The programme for the coming years Meetings has been finalised and will shortly be posted on the Notice Board outside the Village Hall.

20/01/2025

KENT, SUSSEX & SURREY AIR AMBULANCE are sending their Speaker Tim Hockney to talk to our Group, explaining the work of this very worthwhile charity. The helicopters respond to an average of 9 emergency calls every day of the year. There are a number of people in the locality who have benefitted from their service, so it would be wonderful if our residents would join us on Wednesday the 5th February at 7.30 p.m. at Stalisfield Village Hall, ME13 0HY to help raise more funds. Guests' admission charge is £5 including refreshments. ALL money from the evening raised will be donated to the Charity.

Our Group did not have a Meeting in January, but a number of us met up at Longbrook Garden Centre in Ashford for lunch. The food was lovely and very reasonable, which was borne out by the popularity of the restaurant. We all had a good chat and time for shopping afterwards.

March's Meeting also has an interesting Speaker - Stephen Beck will be coming along to talk to us about a National Trust property, the South Foreland Lighthouse at Dover. This lighthouse protects shipping from becoming grounded on the Goodwin Sands.

Any queries or applications regarding our WI Group, please contact Helen Brooks on 07477580727 or Ellie Cameron on 07775649337.