Reepham WI

WI members learn about the ‘forgotten bees’

Post date: Monday, April 24, 2023 - 20:36

This month Reepham WI was left buzzing with ideas on how to help our “forgotten bees”, given that lesser-known “wild bees” are in critical decline, brought home in a presentation by Hawk Honey, who is associated with Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Hawk started his talk by telling us how he came to volunteer at Lackford Lakes. While the lakes are a wildlife oasis, his main focus has developed around insects, especially bees and wasps, which come under the collective name of Hymenoptera.

There are more than 250 species of bees in the UK, including honey bees that normally live in managed hives.

Other species, such as bumblebees and solitary bees (i.e., mason, mining, leaf-cutter and others) live in the wild and differ significantly in colour and size, some as small as ants.

There are even cuckoo bees with similar behavioural traits to their feathered friends.

Shockingly, 17 species have already become extinct in East Anglia, 25 are threatened and 31 are of conservation concern. Of course, this affects us all, given that bees are vital to agriculture.

A recent World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) study estimates that one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat exists because of pollinators – crops such as apples, peas, courgettes, pumpkins, tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries.

The value in monetary terms is worth a staggering £690 million a year to the UK economy.

Hawk explained that the most obvious reasons for the decline in the “forgotten bee” population are climate change, the removal of hedges and the use of pesticides.

Wildflowers, the staple food of a number of bees, only thrive in impoverished soil. Another factor that surprised us is the huge consequence of an increase in managed hives in recent years – honey bees are “thugs” who drive out other species to get to the pollen first.

One hive has an average of 40,000–60,000 bees, each bee foraging in a 1–3 mile radius.

Honey bees must gather nectar from two million flowers to make one pound of honey, with the average bee only making around a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.

I could “drone on” for hours about this fascinating subject but had better end with sharing what we can do to help give our precious “forgotten bees” a chance:

  • Try leaving patches of lawn unmown and rewild verges and hedges.
  • Plant bee-friendly plants, such as hollyhocks, cosmos, buddleia and lavender.
  • Create a bee “hotel” in a sunny spot.
     

Dee Taylor, Reepham WI

Men of Reepham, beware!

Post date: Monday, March 20, 2023 - 21:25

This month Reepham WI hosted Susan Dawson, who hails from Great Yarmouth and before her retirement was known as “Miss Whiplash”. She has featured in the national press on numerous occasions.

 

Susan Dawson “Miss Whiplash” (second from right) pictured with Reepham WI members (from left): Gill Long, Merilyn Meads and Helen Bailey. Photo: Reepham WI

 

Susan moved to Norfolk in the 1980s with her husband, having decided to open up a bed and breakfast establishment. This was a successful business with the summer tourist trade but struggled during the winter months.

To make ends meet, Susan, by accident, started to provide a discreet, safe haven for transvestites, where they could dress up in private.

As well as helping with styling, make-up, wigs and so forth, Susan scoured charity shops for plus-size dresses, larger-size shoes and other accessories.

Some clients brought their own garments. One, a rather scary skinhead, turned up with a stupendous Edwardian wedding dress.

The portfolio of her clients’ “transformations“ was impressive, and it was not long before one or two of her clients requested “extra services”.

Obviously reluctant at first, she consulted her husband who said: “You are excellent at being bossy and telling people what to do, so go for it.” She did and never looked back.

Susan had many highly humorous anecdotes to share, a few about her “slaves” which left us wondering how we might be able to “punish” our men folk by getting them to do our housework and getting them to pay us for the privilege.

However, I suspect my husband might draw the line at being whipped into submission while wearing a maid’s outfit.

In all an eye-opening evening, full of laughter. Susan’s parting shot that “tying up men was money for old rope” left us all pondering the possibilities.

Reepham WI meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm in St Michael’s, Reepham.

Dee Taylor

WI members have their say

Post date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - 20:45

This month Reepham WI held its annual general meeting where, as well as re-electing their president and new members of the committee, members were given the opportunity to voice suggestions on how to improve and expand an already vibrant group. Attracting younger women, who may bring a fresh perspective, is a priority.

Members are keen to explore the possibility of more outings to exhibitions, theatres, gardens and lunches, while continuing with an informative and entertaining speaker programme.

Further developing interaction with the wider Reepham community is also vital.

The walking and craft groups, which meet on a regular basis, are well attended, as is the lively book club.

On a more serious note, it was agreed that this year Reepham WI will support a national resolution to recommend tougher action regarding online gambling.

Photo: Flower Folk

After coffee and cake, the committee gifted those present with pretty pots of Tête-à-tête supplied by Flower Folk – spring is on its way!

Reepham WI meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm in St Michael’s, Reepham. Do come along and see what we have to offer – there really is something for everyone.

Dee Taylor, Reepham WI

Twelfth birthday celebrations

Post date: Thursday, October 6, 2022 - 17:09

Reepham WI, in its current format, will be celebrating its 12th birthday at its next meeting on Thursday 20 October.

Members will welcome Steve Burns (Dr Vinyl) from BBC Radio Norfolk, who will be playing music to enjoy, and they will be invited to sing along and perhaps dance.

The celebration will be held in St Michael’s Reepham and will start at 7.30 pm, with doors open from just after 7 pm.

Reepham WI welcomes women of all ages and interests: anyone interested in joining can come along as a visitor for a couple of months to get to know the members.

Members had hoped to celebrate their 10th birthday in 2020, but the Covid pandemic made it impossible to do so face to face.

Many WI groups in the UK struggled to maintain membership during the pandemic and have since closed.

Reepham WI, however, has bucked that trend: meetings during Covid were held on Zoom and the membership has since grown, now that a full programme can be experienced again.

Members enjoy monthly meetings with speakers, as well as a craft club, walking groups and a book club.

The current vibrant membership is an eclectic mix of ages, backgrounds and interests, and there is a genuine sense of friendship and mutual support.

Reepham WI meets on the third Thursday of the month in St Michael’s at 7.30 pm.

WI welcomes Rotary club to open meeting

Post date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - 18:16

Reepham WI’s August meeting took the form of an afternoon open meeting in the Bircham Centre garden to which family and friends were invited to join members for a fun quiz and refreshments.

Photos: John Tym

A special invitation was extended to members of the Reepham & District Rotary Club and funds raised on the day, through a raffle and tombola, were donated to Reepham Rotary’s campaign to support Rotary clubs in Ukraine.

The quiz part of the afternoon was led by Rotarian Richard Cooke, who posed questions about Norfolk, ranging from the birthplace of Nelson (Burnham Thorpe) to the name of the original manufacturer of chocolate in Norwich (Caleys).

Reepham Rotary president Jim Fraser gave a report about the need for humanitarian support in Ukraine, summarising the events so far in the war with Russia.

Kyiv’s Rotary club has played a key role in providing both medical supplies and volunteers, as well as supporting those who are attempting to return to their communities.

Reepham WI president Helen Bailey thanked everyone for attending and supporting the fundraising and looked forward to further collaboration between the WI and the Rotary in the future.

Reepham WI meets on the first Thursday of the month at St Michael’s, Reepham, at 7.30 pm.

The September meeting will be on Thursday 15 September, when a representative of the East Anglian Air Ambulance will give a one-hour training session covering the signs of cardiac arrest, how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use a defibrillator.

Women of all ages and interests are welcome to attend as visitors.

Hidden treasures of Norfolk’s secret sea

Post date: Monday, November 15, 2021 - 16:22

Reepham WI met in St Michael’s on Thursday 21 October and members were delighted to welcome Rob Spray, who came to talk about “The Hidden Treasures of Norfolk’s Secret Sea”.

Rob provided an entertaining and engaging talk about the marine wildlife to be found off the Norfolk coast, and his experience of diving for Seasearch – a project for recreational divers who collect and submit data, helping to audit marine wildlife and aid conservation.

Photo: Rob Spray

There was an interactive photo quiz of some exotic-looking creatures that might be expected to inhabit warm, clear tropical waters, but in fact are at home in the murkier, cold North Sea around Sheringham and Cromer.

Whether colourful anemones, frilly sea slugs, sunburst star fish or the aptly named “sea squirts”, Rob had an interesting story to tell.

His enthusiasm for the work he and colleagues do to help preserve these special creatures was very evident – Reepham WI attendees now have a greater awareness and appreciation of the fascinating biodiversity of our local coast.

Reepham WI meets on the third Thursday of every month in St Michael’s, Reepham. Meetings currently start at 7.15 pm. Visitors and potential new members are welcome to attend.

Collections for local food banks

Post date: Saturday, December 5, 2020 - 11:20

 

On 19 November, 22 members of Reepham WI enjoyed an inspirational presentation by Tim Morton, Project Manager for Cromer & District Food Bank. It was the first such meeting via Zoom and proved to be a resounding success.

Tim explained that the food bank, which comes under the umbrella of the Trussell Trust, covers an area of 200 square miles, from Stalham to Wells-next-the-Sea, with seven distribution centres.

The focus is to meet the immediate needs of people experiencing food poverty, as well as working in tandem with government agencies, for example social services, to ensure no one falls through the net and, ultimately, to help steer struggling families towards self-sufficiency.

A startling statistic is that in the year to October they have helped 4,000 people, an increase of 45% on the same period in 2019.

Thankfully, donations to date, from individuals as well as supermarkets, independent traders and church groups, are up 60%.

Another interesting detail that members were not aware of is that the food bank also helps with “fuel poverty”, which can have a wide-ranging, devastating effect on those without heating or even hot water. This initiative is funded separately by monetary donations.

With Christmas fast approaching, Tim tabled a “wish list” of items they are hoping to include in food parcels during December to give a little festive cheer to their clients.

Reepham WI members certainly listened to what Tim had to say and what he is hoping to achieve, and subsequently organised a collection that exceeded all expectations, so it was decided to share a third of the items with Mid Norfolk Foodbank Food Bank in Dereham.

Thank you to all WI members and residents who so kindly donated – both Cromer and Dereham food banks are hugely appreciative.

For anyone wishing to donate to the food banks, the Reepham benefice’s permanent collection point was relocated from St Mary’s to Diane’s Pantry in Reepham Market Place at the beginning of the pandemic.

The newly opened Co-op on Station Road also has a collection box by the exit.

Dee Taylor

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