All meetings are held at Claygate Village Hall, typically on the second Thursday of the month.
Our Meeting and Speaker Programme 2025
January 9An Actor’s Life for me – Sue Parker-Nutley
Our New Year will start with actor Sue Parker-Nutley’s ‘One Woman Show’ featuring amusing anecdotes from her acting life – with maybe the odd song or poem thrown in! Afterwards we will crack open the bubbles and toast Claygate Village WI’s good health as we celebrate our 25 year anniversary – come dressed in something silvery. |
March 13A Bride Revisited – Exploring an 18th Century Wedding Ensemble – Grace Evans
Keeper of Costume at Cherstey Museum, Grace Evans, will bring a replica of this ensemble which was worn by Jane Bailey on her marriage to James Wickham in 1780. Items include undergarments and accessories - plus the history of how this beautiful, rare and important outfit found its way to Chertsey Museum. |
June 12Hats off to Millinery - Sophie Fryer
Learning her craft from a top milliner with connections to the Royal Family, Sophie has over 15 years of experience making hats for a wide range of clients, and has also been commissioned to create theatrical hats for the stage. From fascinators and accessories to large hats, she designs and creates bespoke hats for special occasions from weddings to Royal Ascot. Sophie will share with us the history of hats, the making of couture millinery and we will all get to try on the hats that she brings with her to illustrate her talk! |
September 11A Schoolgirl’s War – Mary Smith
This fascinating talk tells the story of school life during WW2 at Maidstone Girls Grammar School. Mary Smith’s involvement came about while she was head teacher and two discoveries were made: the exquisite paintings by the art teacher and the extensive underground tunnels used as classrooms. |
October 9Watching the Detectives – A History of British TV Crime Fighters – Pete Allen
Have you ever wondered why TV viewers so enjoy crime programmes? Peter Allen will unearth the clues that about our fascination with the long arm of the law and will peek into darkened corners to reveal the mystery about why we’ve been so fascinated. |