Monday 21 February 2022

The Weekend and Last Week at WI

I 'spoke' too soon!!
 On Friday afternoon when I scheduled Saturdays post to appear at 6am as usual the electric was on and it looked as if the village had escaped any cuts, but at 4.30pm as the wind was dropping it went off flicked on and off and off again.. I rang the UK Power Network and got registered for text messages and at first it said Midnight Friday/Saturday then later it said 4pm SUNDAY.(Yikes, that would have been 48 hours!).
 I put on layers, filled a hot water bottle from one of the flasks of hot water and a hot drink from the other, lit several candles and snuggled for the evening. Saturday morning I got the little camping gas stove going but the silly thing would only work on low and slow, so a hot drink eventually!
 Thank goodness the electric came back on Saturday, 24 hours earlier than they said, except the boiler didn't! At least I could use the convector heater and boil the kettle for hot water bottles.
I don't think I like this "everything needs electric" home so much! Next door neighbour said it's the longest he has known it off in the 10 years they have been there.
 
On Sunday morning a surprise phone call from Brother-in-Law saying he would come over and sort the greenhouse glass.....no idea how the huge panes didn't break......... before we got more wind that was forecast. When I told him the boiler hadn't come back on when the electric did and the Low Pressure light was on, he said he would ask a friend who had a combi boiler what needed to be done to reset it (The Owners Instruction Manual said if the Low Pressure light was on it needed resetting - but didn't say how to do it!). And Thank Heavens he sorted both the glass and the boiler- I don't know what I do without him!

 Last week at WI there was birthday cake (96 years for this WI) and sherry (ugh) or orange juice. We've been taking our own mugs due to covid so as I was on kitchen duty I went and made a coffee. "We're not having coffees or teas this week"one  lady in the kitchen said, and when I said I don't like sherry and don't drink orange juice she gave me an odd look and sort of sniffed at me disapprovingly. As it happens a couple of other members joined me in the kitchen to make a tea or coffee.But that is one of the things I don't like about WI - you sometimes feel you have to fit in or else!

After saying I never win anything in the raffle, I won a box of biscuits. If you are on kitchen duty you also take a raffle prize and I'd taken a boxed set with a re-usable cup with lid and matching fold up bag  that I found at a car boot sale sometime so was pleased I didn't have to win it back!

Yum

This WI has it's own Flower and produce show in August and we got the schedule . No classes for vegetables though. Apparently the village once had 3 different Produce shows  organised by the - WI, Over 60's Group and the Community Council.



who all vied with each other to be the best show! which resulted in things getting nasty so that only the WI one continues - for members only. This is different to Bacton, (my other WI village when I eventually get back to going) where they have the big Fayre and Produce/Flower show every year, that I've written about before. I need to look out for information about that one, it will be on the first Saturday in August. The WI show is on normal WI evening in mid August.

We didn't have a speaker for the February meeting but were asked to move round the hall talking about ourselves to people we didn't know - like speed dating someone said! The idea was to get to know different people, but it felt a bit odd.

No meeting here next month as there is a birthday meal out - not something I will do as it means eating late and quite expensive too. So I really must get back to Bacton WI next month.

Back Tomorrow
Sue



29 comments:

  1. You should have Googled 'how to reset a combi boiler'.

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    1. Now you tell me! Actually wouldn't have helped as BiL showed me what to do but one of the little tap things was too stiff for me to turn anyway.

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    2. Necessity is the mother of invention. You'd have done it if you had to.

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    3. If in any doubt about how to do something there will always be somebody who has done it before and posted on You Tube and/or handy hints and information. Always my first port of call. I had to reset my Sky Q after the storm and asked Google how to do it.

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  2. The "speed dating" aspect of the evening sounds very odd. And I'd much prefer a cup of tea to sherry or OJ. At least you got useful biscuits. I'm glad that your electricity was not off for too long. Keep warm and safe, my friend.

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    1. Even odder when there are some ladies who were not mobile enough to move around every 5 minutes.
      I was so thankful the electric came on much earlier than the text message said -t was really getting very cold

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  3. I'm glad the boiler issue was resolved and now you know how to do it.

    I thought I had a camping gas stove but when I searched for it early Friday, could I find it anywhere? I found the spare gas cannister thingies but no stove. So annoying.
    I suppose it got accidentally chucked when I had the big garage sort out last year. I'd better look out for a new one. Hardly ever needed but so useful and a real lifter of worry at times like these.
    xx

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    1. Yes that's two things I now know how to solve on this boiler.

      How annoying about your gas stove. Hope you can find a replacement to go with the cylinder

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  4. So pleased your BinL did your green house etc. It is handy to have him so near.

    I found out I am on the emergency list for electricity in the village not really sure what if means but I do have a gas hob and I have told several people they can come and use it for they are all electric. The wind is still very strong here.

    I have finished at the WI after being so long and did so much at my last WI I could not settle into the new one, I did ask if I could go to the craft group and I was told they were full up, which is not right, we all pay the subscription and they were not very friendly.
    Hazel 🌈🌈

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    1. Very unfair about the craft group. I'm surprised how different WI's are and sometimes people are not as friendly as they are supposed to be.

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  5. Electricity was off for about the same time as yours but we have no mobile phone signal here so feel very cut off. Thank goodness for the log burner for warmth and a hot meal.

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    1. I miss my woodburner at times like this but don't miss the dust and moving wood around

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  6. Your description of the WI reminds me of the Nella Last film with Victoria Wood when she goes for the first time and some of them are really stroppy so she almost doesn't stay. They should be more welcoming to everyone, and as for 'speed dating' type introductions, how mortifying for those who usually like to melt into the background, not everyone is brave or sociable enough to cope with that.

    I was once asked to join the Soroptimists, one meeting was all it took to assure me that it really wasn't my kind of thing.

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    1. The WI has a thing about being available for everyone for as little or as much as they want to get involved but I've found it's sometimes seen as odd not to want to join in everything. I carry on because I like the speakers and the cake and coffee!

      Now going to see what Soroptimists are!

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  7. I had to look up WI. Their history is very interesting. It started out as such an important outreach to rural women. Too bad that it has declined to 'you either fit or you don't', even as they celebrate their 96th birthday.

    The fact that those glass panes did not break still boggles my mind.

    Hurrah for your brother in law.

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    1. Hurrah for Brother in Law indeed. He's always helpful as long as I don't ask too often!

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  8. Too bad about the attitude of some in this particular WI. Some folks seem to never quite get over being mean school girls or feeling as though they 'own' a group (the 'I've been here forever types') and can therefore demand everyone do things their way when it comes to activities and the way things are done. Childish and annoying. Hope you can get back over to the Bacton group soon.

    Bravo BiL for saving the day with the greenhouse and the boiler.

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    1. I'll keep going to WI and not get involved with things I don't want to do!
      Some people just like a little bit of power!

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  9. I was interested to read your comments on W I Sue. For four or five years I was president of our local W I (nobody else wanted to do it). I found it best to ignore all complaints where one group said one thing and the other the exact opposite. Best to try to plough a kind furough somewhere in the middle.

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    1. I'll keep going to the one in the village and rejoin Bacton too as I do enjoy the speakers and the coffee and cakes!
      I bet you were a brilliant President

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  10. Hello Sue
    I feel very sad that the attitude of this village WI is putting you off. I speak as a WI adviser and former federation chairman. My own WI tries to be welcoming to all (we do know it won't suit everyone) and if we have e.g. mulled wine at our December meeting there's always tea/coffee for those that want it. We ask the members their views as much as we can, even to having a ballot box so that those who don't like speaking out can have their say. Hopefully you'll be able to get back to Bacton and feel the WI is still for you.

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    1. It's just the odd person who likes a bit of power and I do enjoy WI but sometimes feel I don't fit in but will keep going to my local one as it's just up the road and round the corner! and rejoin my old WI too as its only a few miles away and I like being a member of both

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  11. We had two very short power cuts so I feel very lucky. Low pressure is very easy to sort, there will be a YouTube video for your boiler. I had to sort mine last year.

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  12. Loss of power is hard, especially in the cold. Your plan to return to the old WI is right on. I would prefer this group too. My feeling is, why spend time with mean spirited, unpleasant people. I once joined a garden club and was surprised when they all hired landscapers. Nobody gardened like you and I and they frowned on my work ethic toward gardening. The club continues without me.

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  13. I'm happy your brother in law could sort the boiler and the glass, especially the latter.

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  14. I'm so happy your BIL was able to help you out. Very nice of him to come over. I LOVE those biscuits. It's another thing I can't get easily over here and when I do buy them they are a little like gold and I have to savour lol.

    I'm glad you went ahead and made the coffee anyway! It's not like you were asking anyone else to make it for you lol

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  15. That is one problem with all-electric houses! I'm glad BIL was able to help you out.

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  16. Our combi boiler has done that before! x

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