Bolney

The Horticultural Society/Gardening Clubs AGM: will be held in the Rawson Hall on Friday November 25 at 8pm. New members welcome.
Bolney newsBolney news
Bolney news

The Community Cafe: at the Rawson Hall still have a few bookings available for their Christmas meals which are being served on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from November 30 until December 16 (inclusive) Three courses £12. 50. Please book in advance 01444 848667.

Bolney CEP School: are holding their Christmas Fair in the school on Saturday December 3 between 2pm - 4pm. Many stalls.

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Bolney WI: On November 10th the woman of Bolney WI met to hear Ros Black talk about some (other!) amazing women. These were the women of the Temperance Movement.

Joseph Livesey is considered to be the Father of Teetotalism. (In 1833 he stated in a public lecture that ‘there is no nourishment in beer’ contrary to the prevalent idea of the time. However the baton was taken up

by women in this country and abroad. Annie Carlile was a co-founder in 1847 of the Band of Hope which, by 1900 had 10% of all U.K. children attending its meetings. These were held all over the country from Halifax in the north to the Isle of Wight in the deep south.

(We were interested to see a photograph which a visitor had brought of herself crowned as ‘Queen of the Band of Hope’.)

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Sarah Robinson set up the teetotal Soldiers’ Institute in Portsmouth in 1874 and in 1876 Agnes Weston opened a Sailors’ Rest in Portsmouth. Both these ladies were attempting to prevent the men from drinking their accumulated wages before returning to their wives and children.

At a time when alcohol consumption was massive, beer was cheaper than bread and spirits were said to have ‘medicinal benefits’, these ladies faced an uphill struggle.

We heard also of Lady Henry (Isobel) Somerset turning from an unhappy marriage to be President of The British Women’s Temperance Association and founding Duxhurst, an early residential Rehabilitation centre near Reigate for rich and poor alike (although they were accommodated separately!).

This was a fascinating talk and the foregoing does not do it justice. There were links to our part of the world eg the setting up of a coffee house in Bolney for locals to socialise away from the pub.

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The WI year ends with a Christmas lunch early next month and we shall start the New Year on January 12th with a talk by Linda Barker entitled Yewnity to Yamaguchi.

A very happy Christmas and a healthy and fulfilling New Year to one all from Bolney WI!

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