I picked up this book from a yard sale last year. Home and Country was the name of the national Women's Institute monthly magazine issued from 1919 right up to 2006 (I think) when it changed it's name to WI Life.
Until Home and Country magazine was set up, WI news had been included in The Landswoman, a magazine for the land army set up in Jan 1918. The National Federation of Women's Institute (NFWI) periodical was established in 1919, initially reporting on the exhibition that had taken place in the Caxton Hall and became the official publication of the NFWI. Its first editor was Miss Alice Williams and Miss Mowbray Laming is business manager. Both resigned in 1920 due to ill health and Mrs Nugent Harris succeeded Miss Williams. The Subcommittee was set up in 1920 to supervise the policy, publishing and management of the paper. The publication was issued on a monthly basis thereafter, gaining most of its funding from subscriptions and purchases in addition to sale of advertising space. |
We get a copy of WI Life - 8 Issues a year- included with our annual subscriptions, but I'm afraid it's not of much interest to me as it's full of adverts for Holidays and everyone featured in it seems to be very wealthy and smart and posh!! I do the Suduko, skim through the pages and then add it to the recycling.
Years ago the magazine was an extra that was paid for separately - a much better idea in my opinion. We also get a much smaller monthly magazine from our regional office - which tells us about things happening in East Suffolk WI's - more interesting and local businesses advertise in it which is of more use to me than Cruise Companies!
The reason I'm writing about it in Photos in Advent is so I can show you this page.............
which starts by saying "there won't be turkey on many Christmas tables this year". It might be the same in 2022 -if what they say on TV and Radio is true - a shortage this time due to Avian Flu. ...IF!
The page above actually comes from a few years after the war ended, rationing and shortages went on for a long time.
The question is will children's eyes "sparkle at simple treats, served gaily" this year!!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I do hope so. We had a children's party last night at our village Chapel, and the three dozen children had enormous fun playing games, doing crafts, and eating hot dogs (parents and toddler siblings had tea, toys and cakes in the back room) The quality of living relationships brings more joy than the size of the gifts
ReplyDeleteI have lovely memories of FOY and Sunday School Christmas parties
DeleteOops. Loving not living!
ReplyDeleteChildren sparkle at the simplest things served/presented with love and a bit of glitter, particularly the younger ones, don't you think? xx
ReplyDeleteI hope so
DeleteI hope that families who are struggling still manage to have a special day, but I know in the poorest families - and the disfunctional ones - that won't be the case.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved to Wales and everything went pear-shaped financially, it was a real struggle to afford Christmas. Thank heavens for Car Boot Sales is all I can say. We had to wait until K's brother sent money for the children to get "boughten" presents for them. Everything that could be made was made - to eat and as gifts - and Christmas was still very special. I will never forget the night I was still up at 1.30 decorating a little bungalow-style doll's house which we had been given by a relative for the girls. (He had made it for his daughters, back in the day).
Christmas was so simple when the children were little - before electronics took over!
DeleteWell as I wrote about recently Avian flu is rife around here, I am living in the midst of the largest area of culling in the country and am in a controlled zone. Many many thousands of turkeys and poultry have been culled.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if more will be imported this year to make up
DeleteChristmas is going to be a very strange affair for many this year, and the pressure is going to be on the food banks. I shall be making a donation to the food hub locally, whether cash for them to buy fresh produce and meat, or half a dozen boxes of mince pies, some tubs of sweets, and other treats. It's a job to know whether to give a sensible donation or a frivolous treats donation. I have already decided against sending Christmas cards, the changes in delivery dates have caught me out, so I shall donate that money to the food locally.
ReplyDeleteAlways difficult to know where to donate to charities at Christmas
DeleteIt is difficult to work out what to donate to food banks. I have started buying mince pies, tins of fruit and tea but I wish they would make a list for donations. I noticed the other day a food bank wanting no more pasta.
ReplyDeleteWe have three food banks, each puts out a list, and all three have different requests. Tinned meats seem to be on all of them. One is saying basics and essentials only, no "treats", to which I say Bah! Humbug!
DeleteNo treats sounds a bit sad
DeleteYou mean you're not 'very wealthy and smart and posh' ... gosh I am SO disappointed!!
ReplyDeleteI should imagine a lot of children's eye will be sparkling at more 'simple treats' this year. It would be nice if because of financial necessity this year, it made people realise that Christmas can quite happily be a much more simple affair. A family time instead of a gift buying and giving extravaganza.
Definitely not smart and no permed hair or make-up - I'm not like many WI members!
DeleteAs a business owner I was once invited to join the Soroptimists in Cumbria ... to say I stood out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. Lovely ladies, but I looked like the poor cousin!
DeleteI do hope simple treats make children's eyes sparkle. Christmas can be wonderful without spending loads of cash.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Lets hope so
DeleteWhen I asked a local butcher about turkey availability he said there was no problem with turkey but they couldn't get any geese or ducks this year
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I miss the smallholding days when we raised our own cockerels - they were so tasty. Later I would rather buy 2 chickens rather than one Turkey
DeleteAbout donating to food banks: our local one puts requests on its website, and includes the list of what they already have too much of, such as pasta. Some items are donated in bulk by supermarkets, too. I usually give money, because they can spend it better than I. Also if you give items, please remember personal toiletries, which are gladly received.
ReplyDeleteI've given up on turkeys for the holiday and prepare a prime rib roast with lots of side dishes and a couple deserts. Having family and friends at the table enjoying a holiday meal makes everybody happy. I love boxing up a surprise present for each friend/family member. There seems to be lots of turkeys in our grocery stores; yet, the bird flu has been in Massachusetts since April 2022. Holiday giving is important to me as well and doing what I can to donate and help others is a priority.
ReplyDeleteWe never have turkey for Christmas as we have just had it for our Thanksgiving in November. I don't have a traditional Christmas dinner - we can have tacos or lasagna or pasta or ham or whatever catches my eye when I am shopping the week before Christmas! It's the getting together that counts, not the food. :)
ReplyDeleteDo you know, I could live without the turkey as long as there was still stuffing, pigs in blankets, and roast potatoes...
ReplyDeleteWI Life is a poor magazine. I could the pages each month and it is about 90% adverts, including WI adverts, plus about 10 flyers of adverts and begging letters.
ReplyDeleteNelliegrace
We are getting a whole ham, smoked the old fashioned way, from a country butcher. I am making a fruitcake from a beloved grandmother's recipe. I will have all three of my children and their spouses, as well as all three of my grandchildren. Personally, I could care less if we were eating a bowl of soup. I'm just so very happy to have them all under one roof. It has been a four years.
ReplyDeleteOur Smallholding Adventure is now on youtube where Tracy is doing a weekly vlog on how she is tackling the cost of living crisis.
ReplyDelete