Christmas meetings!

For our last meeting of the year we thought we would share some good wine, some party snacks and some Christmassy songs. The amazing Lyn Gerald will be leading us in some traditional Christmas and gospel singing to warm our wintry chestnuts and lift our hearts.We will also have a raffle with (we hope) a range of prizes. We are also collecting gifts again for U-Turn Women's Centre. What we ask is that you buy an extra present that would be suitable for a female friend or family member, wrap it up and bring it along to the meeting. It doesn't have to cost very much but it is just for us to show that someone is thinking of the women who use the centre. We know that the presents we collect not only have a massive impact on the service users but it also takes some pressure off the charity itself. They distribute the presents at their Christmas meal. EEWI has been supporting U-Turn in this way since we began in 2007. Representatives from U-Turn will come along to the meeting to pick up the  gifts from us.

So we look forward to seeing you on the 16th December, 7pm onwards at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL. The hall is situated at the back of the Gallery Cafe in St Margaret's House which you access by going through the black gates to the left of the cafe, follow the path round to the right and you should see the hall on the other side of the garden. There will be alcoholic and non alcoholic refreshments and a bit of Christmas baking BUT we are always up for additions and contributions towards this so if you fancy your hand at some mince pies or some Christmas savouries or you wanted to bring along a tipple, no one is going to have a problem with that.

As has become traditional for us, we are going to the Geffrye Museum for our December coffee morning and to visit their free annual exhibition, Christmas Past.  Join us at 10.30am on 19th December. All welcome - you don't have to be a member. For more info about the Geffrye Museum and how to get there click here. Entry is free.

it's our fabulous EEWI Christmas Market

november meetings: death matters

It has been tricky to work out quite how to market our November event but ultimately we wanted to curate an evening where we could discuss topics around death, dying and bereavement. We recognise that, as these subjects are often taboo, many of our questions about end of life issues are left unanswered. So, on the 18th we have invited a female undertaker, a founder of the UK Death Cafe movement, a celebrant and two legal professionals who will be discussing wills and will writing. Each of them will be telling us a bit about themselves what they do and then will answer your questions.We are also lucky enough to have been offered will writing services to three people in return for a donation to Will Aid. More details on that on the night. We hope that it will be an informative and uplifting evening so bring along your questions and queries.

Tuesday November 18th 7 for a 7.30pm start. As usual the meeting is free to members and £4 to visitors. The hall is around the back of St Margaret's House which you can access by going through the black gates on the left of the Gallery Cafe and following the path round the garden to the right. Tea, coffee, wine and snacks will be available. Baking is always welcomed as are donations towards refreshments.

For our November coffee morning on Friday 21st November we will be visiting Husk Coffee  at 649 - 651 Commercial Road, London E14 7LW as recommended by one of our members. We will be there from 10.30am. Everyone is welcome - you don't have to be a member. More info about the cafe as well as where it is can be found here. We hope to see you there for a cuppa and a chat.

And finally, well done everyone who came along to the Great British Bioscience Festival over the weekend. Fantastic venue, wonderful people and, so we're told, the best cakes in town. Of course.

what's on in october

Our evening meeting this month will mark our contribution to commemorating the centenary of the First World War with Peter Parker, author of 'The Last Veteran: Harry Patch and the Legacy of War.' The 'Great War' was fought not by a professional army but by ordinary civilians like Harry Patch, the last British veteran to see active service. Peter will explore with us the meaning of the war to those tho fought it and the generations that have followed.

For more info on his book and the wonderful reviews it has received click here.

Also at this meeting we will have a short presentation from a member of Street Child UK who are currently looking at the desperate plight of people in West Africa who are living in a state of National Emergency due to the Ebola Crisis.

The meeting is on Tuesday 21st October 7pm for a 7.30pm start, St Margaret's House Old Ford Road. Access to the hall is through the black gates to the left of the Gallery Cafe then follow the path round the garden to the hall. The evening is free to members and £4 for visitors. (Membership is currently £33.50 per year ). Tea, coffee, wine and snacks will be available, baking welcomed as are small donations towards the goodies.

Coffee morning this month is on at 11am on  Friday 24th October and will be at the Hubbub Cafe on Westferry Road on the Isle of Dogs. The cafe is served by the D3, D7 and 135 and Mudchute seems to be the nearest DLR. The cafe doesn't open until 11am so it's a slightly later start than usual. We hope to see you there for a cuppa and a chat.

Our next Afternoon Tea gathering is on Monday 3rd November at 3,30pm. Just like out coffee morning, all women are welcome - you don't have to be a member. Check the side bar for details of venue a little nearer the date. And don't forget to make a note of our next meeting on 18th November. It's going to be interesting...

july meeting: life beyond stress

Ever felt that you need to find a bit of peace and quiet in the tangle of everyday life? We have. So this month we are offering an introduction to meditation. Teacher Divya Rengaraian will join us to explain the impact stress can have on us and provide a perspective on how meditation can be an effective tool to maintain physical, emotional and mental stability. The session will include a 20 minute breathing technique to improve memory (yes, please!), enhance cognitive ability and problem solving capabilities. You don't need any prior experience or yoga or meditation - you can just sit on chairs or on the floor as you prefer.

Our meeting will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, so there's plenty of time to have a natter and some refreshment before and after the session. As usual we are at St Margaret's House, next to the Gallery Cafe on Old Ford Road (through the gates and follow the path to the hall at the back). Visitors are welcome - we ask for £4 to cover costs, but don't forget if you have one of our flyers you can get in half price for your first visit. Tea and coffee provided, and wine on offer too, though please feel free to bring along something to share if you wish.


We have lots of other events this month too, starting off with our afternoon tea this afternoon at 3.30pm. Meet by the Pavilion Cafe (north side) because before we stop for tea we'll be doing the Victoria Park tree walk.

Our July coffee morning is on Friday 18th July, 10.30am at a new venue for us, Doppio at 80 Hanbury Street, E1 5JL. Further Details of all our activities, including the events where we will be selling tea and cakes, are in the side bar.

Hope to see you soon.

midsummer meeting

We will be celebrating Midsummer  at our next meeting on Tuesday 17th June, very apt as it has been a glorious sunny weeather. In Great Britain from the 13th century, Midsummer was celebrated on Midsummer Eve (St. John's Eve, June 23) and St. Peter's Eve (June 28) with the lighting of bonfires, maypole dancing, feasting and merrymaking.

We won't be lighting any bonfires but what we thought everyone could do was bring along some food to share - perhaps you have a favourite summery recipe that others might enjoy, or you may want to try out a new one. Anything you like really and we will have a Midsummer feast. We hope to be partaking in some crafting and will also be having a food and plants swap again, so if you have any home made goodies, seedlings or produce you would like to swap please do bring it along. 

We will also be having a mini-speaker from the forthcoming Roman Road Festival, an event taking place in, yes you guessed it, Roman Road! www.romanroadlondon.com/festival

Our evening opens at 7pm, the hall at the back of St Margaret's House,  21 Old Ford Rd, E2 9PL. Free for members and £4 donation for non members. Tea, coffee and wine will be available for a small donation and hopefully there wil be plenty of scrumptious food.

Our coffee morning on Friday 20th June will be at the Gallery Cafe in Old Ford Road, next to St Margaret's House. Gather from 10.30am onwards.

For our Afternoon Tea on 7th July, we'll be doing something a little different - one of the Victoria Park Tree Walks ( ou can download the leaflet if you google Victoria Park Tree Walk 2). The circular walk takes around 50 minutes, is not at all arduous and takes us around some of the more interesting and exotic trees in the west side of the park. Gather on the north side of the Pavilion Cafe at 3.30pm. We'll stop for a cuppa at the end! at a local cafe at the end of the walk. 

Fingers crossed for more sunshine.

coffee, tea and a good book

If you haven't seen the exhibition of East London Artists at The Nunnery Gallery, Bow Road, we'd recommend it. We popped in after our last coffee morning at the Carmelite Cafe and it is absolutely charming. And you'll recognise at least one or two of the locations. There are some associated events too, including a walk around some of the locations - find out more here.

We also had a very chatty afternoon tea on Monday- with a bit of letting off steam among like-minded people at the Arts Cafe in Roman Road. Very friendly staff, your own pot of tea, and decent coffee and cake. What more can you ask?

And we rounded off with a thinking woman's discussion of Gerbrandt Bakker's "The Detour" at our book club. There may have been something stronger than tea and coffee on the table....

Keep an eye on our Diary Dates in the side-bar for info on all of our meetings this month and beyond.

...and a hello

Hello there. I just wanted to say how excited I am to be taking over the presidency from Colleen Bowen who has stepped down after an amazing few years. As some of you know I have been involved with EEWI since our beginnings although in recent years have been focussing on other projects, personal and community focussed. Now, however, I'm really looking forward to taking the EEWI reins although I have pretty big shoes to fill!

For those of you who don't already know me I live in Stepney with my grown up son, Jake, and my even more grown up cat, Chewy, and spend my free time cycling, keeping fit (or trying to), working at festivals, playing music and, let's not shy away from it, drinking scrumpy. I'm passionate about EEWI which has in the past been a massive part of my life and I hope it will be for the next year and beyond.

What we need to do is continue to find fun, thought-provoking and unusual people and activities for our monthly meetings as well as spreading the EEWI word to ensure we keep our membership strong. Any thoughts or ideas you might have about how we can do this are greatly appreciated  and don't forget there is always room on the committee for you!

Anyway if you want to contact me about the above or in fact anything EEWI related please do email me on niki.stevens@btinternet.com and I look forward to seeing you at one of our meetings or events over the next few months.

Niki Stevens

President EEWI

parting words

A few quick words to say what an interesting AGM it was!  A goodbye from me as President and Elizabeth as Secretary, and a welcome back to Niki who takes over the hot seat. And what a lovely time we had sharing our advice to a future generation with Emily and Alicia from The What I See Project. Here's mine. And there's lots more words of wisdom from our lovely EEWI ladies on The What I See WI Campaign site. Do pay it a visit and be surprised.

We're truly delighted that we were invited to participate in such a fabulous project giving a voice to women from all walks of life. The project would love to hear from other WIs who might be interested in joining in. We'd be happy to pass on their contact details.

Knit & Natter 29 May

It's Knit & Natter time! Bring along your unfinished knitting projects, your tapestries and your paper-craft - or anything else you have on the go. It's March ... a great time for spring cleaning of old projects, finishing up WIPs (or PHDs as Janet calls them!) so pop along for a chat and bring a project. 

We'll be meeting this Thursday 29th of May from 6.30 – 8.30pm. 

We're meeting at The Coborn Arms, 8 Coborn Road, Mile End, London E3 2DA. Click here for a map.

This EEWI-inspired group is open to anyone who feels like popping in with a project - knitting or otherwise. It will be a casual meeting, and everyone is invited – not only knitters. Bring along your stitching or paper crafts, or simply join us for a few drinks and a good catch-up. New knitters are welcome too.

Happy stitching!

may meetings - yes, it's the AGM

It's raining outside as I write this. Again. But it's going to get warmer by the end of the week and, if we're lucky, it may actually be fine for our next evening meeting on 20th May, 7 for 7.30, St Margaret's House. Yes, it's our AGM this time round, so there's some serious business to get on with - elections and a brief look back at 2013/ 14, and an opportunity for mandating our link delegate to the NFWI AGM in June on this year's resolution on organ donation. Detailed notes on the resolution are available here.

Following the talk from Hestia in March, we'll also be collecting small new/nearly new toys for children (0-14) which may be suitable for the Tower Hamlets Hestia refuge.

Plenty of time too for socialising - a bit of natter, a drink, a snack or two, and sharing some wisdom. Our guest speaker comes from the What I See Project who will be collecting your advice and words of wisdom for future generations of women. What would you like to whisper in the ear of your sixteen year old self? What have you learnt that you want to share with the next generation of women? Why not think about it now? All women welcome (though non-members will not be able to vote). We just ask visitors for a donation of £4 towards costs.

Also on the schedule this month - coffee morning on 23rd May, Knit and Natter 29th May. Then in early June we'll have afternoon tea 2nd June; Book Club 5th June. You'll find details of times and locations in the sidebar on the blog.

And here are some virtual bouquets of gratitude to Joy for hosting a great discussion of Anne Bronte's Tenant of Wildfell Hall at our EEWI bookclub discussion; to our modest troupe of helpers and bakers who cooked up a sweet cake stall at the Museum of Childhood on St George's Day; to Elizabeth and Natasha who helped the LBTH over 50's tea dance go with a swing with a decent cup of tea. And, of course, to everyone who gives their time to EEWI so generously and graciously to keep the whole show on the road behind the scenes.

Mwah.


 Picture above from a free exhibition of Quentin Blake's paintings at Hall Place in Bexley, open until 29th Aug. 2014

what's on in april

Spring has definitely arrived. The clocks have gone forwards, swans are nesting on the canal and we're getting ready for sunny days to come. This month we meet on April 15th and we're thinking about women, wisdom and water in a couple of separate activities that you can join in. We'll also have a mini spring share-and-swap session of seeds, plants or produce you've grown or made (this includes cakes!!!).

Our lovely Sarah Butler will be leading a session on women and wisdom. This offers a few moments where women connect in a supportive circle and claim some space to explore their thoughtm feeling and to find a few moments of peace. Sounds perfect.

Separately, artist Amy Sharrocks will be collecting water and stories for the Museum of Water, an invitation to ponder our precious liquid and the different ways we access and enjoy it. To participate, just bring along the water you have collected and be ready to share your story - but please use a bottle you are prepared to hand over. The water and stories that Amy collects will find its way into her forthcoming installation at Somerset House later this year, so its an opportunity to share your water story more widely.

For our spring share-and-swap all you need to do is bring in any excess plants/ seeds or produce you're prepared to share or swap and get bartering.

As usual we'll be at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2  9PL, 15th April, 7 for 7.30pm start, refreshments available, guests welcome (£4 donation requested for non-members). There will be plenty of time to have a drink, a chat and if we're lucky and somebody does a bit of baking, nibble at something sweet.

Our April tea is from 3.30pm this afternoon at Foxcroft and Ginger 68 Mile End Road - all welcome, just buy your own drink. To avoid the Good Friday holiday, we have moved our coffee morning to Friday 25th April. Gather at 10.30am in the cafe of Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road where there's also an opportunity to find out more about writer Jacqueline Wilson's and visit her teenage bedroom.

So a lot to choose from there, ladies - plus more in the diary dates. Hope to see you next week or at another event. And bring a friend too - we'd love to meet them.

Knit & Natter 27 March

It's Knit & Natter time! Bring along your unfinished knitting projects, your tapestries and your paper-craft - or anything else you have on the go. It's March ... a great time for spring cleaning of old projects, finishing up WIPs (or PHDs as Janet calls them!) so pop along for a chat and bring a project. 

We'll be meeting this Thursday 27th of March from 6.30 – 8.30pm. 

We're meeting at The Coborn Arms, 8 Coborn Road, Mile End, London E3 2DA. Click here for a map.

This EEWI-inspired group is open to anyone who feels like popping in with a project - knitting or otherwise. It will be a casual meeting, and everyone is invited – not only knitters. Bring along your stitching or paper crafts, or simply join us for a few drinks and a good catch-up. New knitters are welcome too.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

what's on in march

Did you have time to sew up your happiness heart or was there too much going on with a fab outing to new coffee shop Muxima, the Genesis Cinema for tea, a lively book club meeting and a quiet knit and natter. Now here we are already preparing for an EEWI meeting tomorrow - yes, tomorrow 18th March (eek!). We're focusing this month on women, and our main speaker photographer Trupti Patel who will tell us about her passion for Giving Women a Voice. We also have a speaker from charity Hestia which helps women who have been victims of domestic violence. As usual there will be time to have a drink, a chat and if we're lucky and somebody does a bit of baking, something sweet  - I'm still thinking of Emily's fabulous cake last month. As usual we're at St Margaret's House, 7 for 7.30pm start, refreshments available, guests welcome - £4 donation requested.

Our coffee morning is from 10.30pm Friday 21st March when we'll meet at new cafe "The Coffee Room" at 6 a Grove Road E3 (there's no sign yet, but it's painted grey and is opposite the bus terminus, so easy to get to)  All women welcome, all you have to do is buy your own coffee and join in the banter. 

Some more dates for your diary: 

Knit and Natter - Coborn Arms, Coborn Road E3, 6.30 - 8pm, Thurs 27th March.

Afternoon Tea - 3.30pm, Monday 7th April, venue to be confirmed. Let us know if there is somewhere you would like to go in particular.

Book Club -  7pm Wednesday 30th April, Anne Bronte's "Tenant of Wildfell Hall, contact us for venue if you want to join us.

Hope to see you tomorrow thoug if you are on honeymoon we'll let you off.

Knit & Natter: Thursday 27th

It's Knit & Natter time! Bring along your unfinished knitting projects, your tapestries and your paper-craft - or anything else you have on the go. It's February... a great time for starting a new skill, learning the basics, or just meeting up for a chat.

We'll be meeting this Thursday 27th of February from 6.30 – 8.30pm. 

We're meeting at The Coborn Arms, 8 Coborn Road, Mile End, London E3 2DA. Click here for a map.

This EEWI-inspired group is open to anyone who feels like popping in with a project - knitting or otherwise. It will be a casual meeting, and everyone is invited – not only knitters. Bring along your stitching or paper crafts, or simply join us for a few drinks and a good catch-up. New knitters are welcome too.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

quick change for tea and coffee this month

Just to let you know that coffee morning tomorrow 21st February will be at Muxima, 618 Roman Road, E3 2RW.  Gather from 10.30. Thanks to Carolyn for recommending. We've also had to postpone afternoon tea until 3rd March, 3.30pm Genesis Cinema. See sidebar for details.

it's all about love and happiness

If it's true that to be happy you must be neither solitary nor idle, then a coffee morning with EEWI offers one path to joy. Coffee and croissants from Look Mum No Hands in Hackney (give it a try). And yarn courtesy of lovely EEWI ladies. Quite a good recipe.

Happiness all round too for Sarah and Anna who were successful in being chosen to receive our  £50 EEWI bursary. We look forward to hearing what course you have chosen and maybe sharing some new skills with us. And congratulations too to young Heather who won our £30 voucher for a class at Fabrications. Let us know how you all get on!

So after such a long, wet winter, we'll be talking this month about how to be happy. We'll share some ideas and we'd like to hear what makes you happy too. We're meeting as usual at St Margaret's House, 7pm for 7.30pm, on Tuesday 18th February. Newcomers and visitors welcome (£4 donation). We'll have refreshments, but we'd also love it if you want to share some love and happiness themed food or drink with us too whatever that might be. And if you can't get along to our meeting, then why not come to one of our other free, open activities - details in the sidebar.

So shake off the wind and wet weather. Find the joy. Come and say hello.


With many thanks to photographer Mike English for the lovely photo of Stacey and Elizabeth.

Knit & Natter: Thursday 29th

It's Knit & Natter time! Bring along your unfinished knitting projects, your tapestries and your paper-craft - or anything else you have on the go. It's January... a great time for stash-busting and starting new projects.

We'll be meeting this Thursday 30th of January from 6.30 – 8.30pm. 

We're meeting at The Coborn Arms, 8 Coborn Road, Mile End, London E3 2DA. Click here for a map.

This EEWI-inspired group is open to anyone who feels like popping in with a project - knitting or otherwise. It will be a casual meeting, and everyone is invited – not only knitters. Bring along your stitching or paper crafts, or simply join us for a few drinks and a good catch-up. New knitters are welcome too.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

new year, new resolutions, new ideas

If you're enjoying the respite in grey skies, wind and rain, you might be thinking about the good things that the year holds, as well as the things that you might want to change. We'll have a chance to explore some resolutions and new ideas at our next meeting on Tuesday 21st January at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road E2, 7pm for 7.30 start. So, were going to start off with a quick look at contenders for WI's conference resolutions. Then our speaker, Sarah Henderson, will be telling us about the Economy of Hours, a new project promoting bartering. And for members, we'll be picking out the names of two lucky ladies who will receive a £50 bursary to spend towards a course of their choice from any provider *.  There'll also be an opportunity to win a £30 voucher for a half day class at one of Barley Massey's workshops at Fabrications.

We're very much  looking forward to welcoming both current members and women who want to visit to see what we're about (we just ask for a £4 donation to cover costs).  Refreshments available, including delicious cake and, if it takes your fancy, a glass of wine.

Our coffee morning will be on Friday 24th January, getting together at 10.30am. We've a couple of venues in mind, one of which we want to recce first, so we'll confirm soon.

More dates for your diary:

•  EEWI book club: Wednesday 15th January, 7pm - discussing Doris Lessing's Golden Notebook (please email for venue).
• Knit and Natter:  Thursday 30th January, 6.30 - 8.30pm at the Coborn Pub, Coborn Road E3.

Hope to see you at one of our events soon. And if it's not too late...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

* This replaces our Denman Bursary, so you can spend it where you want.