DO YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE?

Yes ,we all do, and so must the ladies of Maidstone because a new WI has been opened called Maidstone Chocolate WI - which meets upstairs in Bar Chocolate in Market Buildings. the Third Monday of the month at 7.pm it is a small WI looking for new members!

At West Kent's Annual Meeting in Tunbridge Wells this month we were told that in the last -financial year 9 new WI's had opened, plus another 5 since then. - In fact West Kent had opened more WI's than any other County Federation in the UK. Welcome to all these new WI's - there must be one to suit everyone's taste (even chocolate) as we are all slightly different.

We also learned about the opportunities - courses-days out-holidays etc , open to us all. There were goodies to buy and competitions to enter- and old friends to meet up with. In fact one of Hollingbourne's members won a course at the WI Training centre , Denman College in Oxfordshire. Hollingbourne's prowess in winning the County Triathlon was also advised to all and we felt very proud.

Ours speakers were so interesting, starting with ANGELA PURLL who had become blind at the age of 8. This had not curtailed her life though, she became an organ scolar gaining degrees and masters certificates , and now teaches music to sighted children, plays the organ in two churches, and played us pieces on the piano accordian, flute and oboe - what an example of an inspiring woman.

Our final personality was DAME ANTONIA FRAZER the well known biographer and author. It took the form of an interview with a Journalist who asked candid questions about her life, career and marriage to Harold Pinter. She again was inspiring, has made time to write while having 6 children, and has not thought of putting her pen down yet - and she still uses a pen (not computer) and loves to see the words on paper.


It was a great day, with some of our members acting as stewards and the Assembly Rooms filled to overflowing. If you get the chance to go next year take it, you will not be disappointed