NWR Connect - Winter 2024

NWR Connect Quarterly bulletin for the adsadsadasQGQQood National Women's Register

WINTER 2024

Letter from the Trustees Gill Wignall, Chair of Trustees, looks back at another eventful year for NWR - and ahead to 2025

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t doesn’t seem so long since we launched the first edition of NWR Connect. We had a great response to the magazine, and I’m delighted to be welcoming you to the second edition. Just like your Christmas turkey, it is stuffed full of delicious goodies!

As this is traditionally the season to look back at what has happened over the past year, that is what I would like to do here. I think we have managed to pack a lot in, and there has been something to suit everyone. The Caribbean theme proved popular, providing much to discuss and ample opportunities for sampling different foods and drinks. The Big Read and the online book group encourage us to read books that we might not have otherwise considered, but which proved to be memorable and the basis for stimulating discussions. It is good sometimes to step outside your comfort zone and prepare to be surprised at what you find!

The online conference, last March, was well received by members. The theme of Courage presented the opportunity to explore the diverse ways that courage might be needed to overcome adversity, from dealing with a phobia to flying around the world. There was also an extensive programme of free online talks throughout the year, plus the extremely popular, longer courses in sign language and dance. We hope to include more of these in our online programme for 2025.

Of course, we are not just about online activity, and there were four successful area events throughout the year.

These events are extremely popular, and we would encourage groups to get together and give it a go! It is great fun planning an event and working as a team. I was lucky enough to be involved in the organising committee for the Sheffield conference, Women of Steel. I learnt a lot, and I went way out of my comfort zone, but I survived and made new friends too. It was a win for me and the conference was fantastic, so a win for NWR too! The atmosphere at the conference was wonderful and the hall was alive with the buzz of 220 women talking and having fun. No-one wanted it to end, and if you have never been to a national conference, make sure you go to the next one. You will not regret it!

Other annual events include the NWR Walk, which gives everyone the chance to meet, get out in the fresh air, have a good natter, and send us some great photographs. The Telephone Treasure Trail, with its theme of ‘islands’ was enjoyed by all and won by Leicester South group. The arrangements for the TTT are incredibly complex, and like everything we do, depend on the knowledge of our Office Staff. They always do a fantastic job. The annual award of the Mary Stott Quaich went to Susan Baird of Kilbarchan group in recognition of her work and encouragement within her group and for her promotion and support of diversity.

Looking forward to 2025, our Head of Operations and Development, Claire, has lots of ideas and is working hard to grow our membership. There are several new groups starting in the new year and others in the pipeline.

We would like you all to welcome any new members to your groups and if there is a new group setting up in your area, please offer the hand of friendship. If your group is at capacity, please help us to set up a new group close by.

Now, settle down with your cup of tea or coffee and enjoy reading this edition of NWR Connect. You will find lots of articles and photographs, highlighting everything that our marvellous members have been getting up to over the past few months. I am sure that you will find something to inspire you.

Lastly, may I wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

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The Big Read 2025 is here!

BIG READ

Selected by the NWR National Office Team. All descriptions are taken from Goodreads and all books are widely available in multiple formats.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

FICTION

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder where nothing is as it seems...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb...

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey Six astronauts rotate in their spacecraft above the earth. They are there to collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body.

But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons.

Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction. The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part - or protective - of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc Warm, funny, life-affirming and true, The Best Things is the joyous debut novel from muchloved comedian, writer, actor and presenter Mel Giedroyc.

It's the story of a family who lose everything, only to find themselves, and each other, along the way. Sally and Frank Parker have it all. Then one day, because of Frank, they don't. As the bailiffs move in and the money runs out, Sally realises that she and her children don't have a clue about how to survive. Or do they? The Parkers are about to discover that the best things in life aren't things at all.

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BIG READ The Familiars by Stacey Hall Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

‘Tis the season to settle down with a good book....

Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom.

Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other. Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting?

The Invisible Women’s Club by Helen Paris Ignored. Seventy-something Janet Pimm is invisible. Spending most of her days alone, she tends her beloved allotment with the care and love she doesn't receive from people.

Plants, Janet thinks, are more important than friends.

Overlooked. Janet's neighbour, Bev, has reached the age when a cloak of invisibility threatens to descend. Her friendly advances are rebuffed by Janet, but when the council threatens to close the allotments, Janet must swallow her pride and enlist Bev's help.

But they're about to prove everyone wrong. As the two join forces, Janet realises that she isn't happy to be a wallflower after all. And that maybe there's more to Bev than she thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save Janet's treasured allotment, both women find their voice again. And no one can silence them now...

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright Nell McDaragh never knew her grandfather, the famed Irish poet Phil McDaragh. But his love poems seem to speak directly to her. Restless, twenty-two-year-old Nell leaves her mother Carmel’s home to find her voice as a writer. Carmel, too, knows the magic of her Daddo’s poetry—and the broken promises within its verses. When Phil abandons the family, Carmel struggles to reconcile “the poet” with the man whose desertion scars Carmel, her sister, and their cancer-ridden mother.

The Wren, the Wren brings to life three generations of women who contend with inheritances—of abandonment and of sustaining love that is “more than a strand of DNA, but a rope thrown from the past, a fat twisted rope, full of blood.”

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

by Katherine May

BIOGRAPHY

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job.

Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May’s story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat.

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NON-FICTION

BIG READ

Normal Women: Nine Hundred Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory Most histories have been written by men, about men, relegating women—with the exception of a few queens—to the shadows of time. Now, bestselling author Philippa Gregory reveals the importance of ordinary women, providing a more balanced and truer chronicle that expands and adds rich detail to the story of Great Britain.

‘Tis the season to settle down with a good book....

In Normal Women, Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. She sweeps from the making of the Bayeux tapestry in the eleventh century to the Black Death in 1348— after which women were briefly paid the same wages as men, the last time for seven centuries—to the 1992 ordination of women by the Church of England, when the church accepted, for the first time, that a woman could perform the miracle of the mass. As she makes clear, normal women make history.

Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health

by Casey Means & Calley Means What if depression, anxiety, infertility, insomnia, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, dementia, cancer and many other health conditions that torture and shorten our lives actually have the same root cause?

As Dr Casey Means explains in this groundbreaking book, nearly every health problem we face can be explained by how well the cells in our body create and use energy. To live free from frustrating symptoms and life-threatening disease, we need our cells to be optimally powered so that they can create "good energy," the essential fuel that impacts every aspect of our physical and mental wellbeing. Good Energy offers a new, cutting-edge understanding of the true cause of illness that until now has remained hidden. It will help you optimise your ability to live well and stay well at every age.

The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can't Do Without It by Philip Ball Why have all human cultures - today and throughout history - made music? Why does music excite such rich emotion? And how do we make sense of musical sound? The Music Instinct explores how the latest research in music psychology and brain science is piecing together the puzzle of how our minds understand and respond to music. Philip Ball interweaves philosophy, mathematics, history and neurology to reveal why music moves us in so many ways. The Music Instinct will both deepen your appreciation of the music you love, and open doors to music that once seemed alien, dull or daunting, offering a passionate plea for the importance of music in education and in everyday life.

Wild Hope: Healing Words to Find Light on Dark Days by Donna Ashworth A powerful new collection of wisdom to help us find hope, peace, self-acceptance and inspiration on the days we feel worn down, helpless or sad. Donna reminds us that amidst our daily struggles and constant outpourings of bad news we have so much to hope for, and that every one of us can play a part, big or small, in making the world a better place.

With poems such as 'Surrounded by Treasure', 'That Thing You Do', 'Through the Wringer' and 'Rope Ladder', Donna helps us to remember that most people in this world are good, and that acts of kindness and love within our individual spheres of influence, however small, all contribute to a better future. She also gently guides us, no matter how busy or overburdened we may be, to practice better self-care and self-acceptance.

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MEMBERS’ CORNER The ABC of NWR Liz Timmer of Horsham group shares her A-Z of what the busy women of the NWR have been up to this year

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Image: Sigmund on Unsplash

he ABC National Women’s Register groups around the UK. Here there and everywhere. Where have you been? What have you seen? Have you had fun and a stimulating time? Did you learn something new? Did you enjoy a view? Did you run out of time?

Admont Abbey Library. (Austria).

Art appreciation and art talks. A grand day out in Manchester.

Beverley Minster Roof Top. Bookham’s scrapbook covering 50 years.

Bourne Botanical Gardens. Board Games café. Burns Night. Battersea. Breakfast at Toby Carvery.

Blood Bike Charity. Boats trips. Butterfly creations.

Barbecues.

Benelux slides and quiz. Behind the scenes at the theatre.

Canal trips. City breaks.

Celebrating Chinese New Year. Christmas Lights in London. Crafty crafts. Community Day. Crosby beach. Sefton. Colour with Kaffe. Countdown quizzes. Calligraphy studio visit.

Coffee mornings. Coffee at the museum. Coach trip to Flower Market.

Discussion! Dinosaur golf. Diamond anniversary scrap book. Dressing up for Halloween.

Edward Scissorhands theatre trip.

Exercise groups in the local park. (Health Promotion Trust) Escape Rooms.

Film club. Film night at members’ house. (Girl with a Pearl Earring). Fish and chips on the beach.

French restaurant in town…several times. Family history.

Guided tours of local museum. Golf in Henley. Games.

Scrabble. Bridge. Board games. Go Ape! Gazing at graffiti in London’s West End. Hosting meetings and choosing subject or book.

Holidays to Bourton-on-the Water.

Horizon 22 and The Guildhall. (Highest free viewing platform in London). Helligan Christmas lunch.

Harrogate conference. Horsham Forensic Science Conference Day. Ickworth House.

Japan evening.

Kelsey Park. Kilbarchan…Top marks for being a very lively group.

Kenton for a very colourful newsletter.

Lunch at Chocolate Café. Lunch in Camden. Canasta lunch.

‘Letting off steam’. Lady Leaver Art Gallery. Life in

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China plus a takeaway.

‘Look Club’ (visiting an exhibition or art gallery).

Leighton Buzzard...Wow. Mahjong. Meeting ‘sister’ group for walks and book group. Mighty Mountains. Murder Mystery Evening.

Museums. Mind body and spirit retreat. Mackintosh house in Northampton.

National Trust Trails. National Conference! National theatre live.

‘Next meeting non-members welcome.’ Nursery Rhymes. Past and present.

Origami.

Oldest book on the shelf. Orwell River Cruise. ‘Out of the hat’ (crafts to human rights to film night).

Out and about on the beach.

Pub…meet up for a quiz. Play reading. (Linda Messham).

‘The show must go on.’ Dressing up as characters. Physic Garden in Chelsea.

Painting pots! Parkinson’s Walk. Potato evening.

Quizzes galore. Qatari evening.

Radio 2. Royal Opera House. Viewing live performances.

Reading Museum to see tapestry.

Speakers are often relatives of family or friends.

Second hand book stall. (Community Day.) Sheffield Day Conference.

Speaking French sessions. Short breaks to many places in Europe.

Tea Tasting.

Ted Talks. Top 110 women. The Divas. Themed collage making. Theatre. Talk from library volunteer.

Tai Chi. Towers topic. Treasure Trails.

Ukraine coffee morning. Ukelele session. ‘Underwear’.

Visits to Chawton. Polesden Lacey. Sikh temple. Taking part in a village quiz. Mosque. Many interesting places shown on Facebook from several groups.

Walks. (Many miles!) ‘Three walks a month’.

Snowdrop woodlands. Nine mile walk along the Regents canal in London.

Walk talk along the River Thames. ‘The Line’ public art project that connects Q.E. Olympic Park and the 02.

Weekends away. Wisley. Watching Shakespearian plays.

(Brown Sea Island.) Watt’s Gallery. Woolbeeding glasshouse.

Youth hostelling weekends.

Legacy of history Truro group explored their Cornish connections with a trip to the Kresen Kernow archive

MEMBERS’ CORNER Who’s coming for dinner?

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he Truro group recently visited Kresen Kernow, the home of the Cornish archive of documents and records pertaining to the county. It is housed in the beautifully restored and adapted Redruth Brewery and includes a library and a café which are open to all. Appointments have to be made for viewing specific items. We spent a fascinating two hours with our archivist Tamsin, who told us of the development of the building and showed us around, including the, normally off-limits, giant storeroom with its miles of shelving. There we saw a photograph of the oldest document in the collection from 1140, the original being safely stored away.

We are all intending to visit again on an individual basis as we were so impressed. We would also encourage anyone researching their Cornish connections to pay a visit.

To be a pilgrim Carlisle group followed the journey of the Mayflower in their October meeting

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t our October meeting we had a very informative talk from Carole Feguson and Sheree Clark on The Mayflower. This was the ship that took pilgrims from Plymouth to start a new life in the New World. They also had information on the descendants of these early pilgrims, which was fascinating. Another of our members, Hazel Ley, brought along a ship that her father had made for her. Apparently there had always been a galleon ship on the windowsill on the stairs at home. In her late teens, Hazel returned from working abroad to find that her mother and sister had had a 'clearout' and the galleon was gone. Hazel was very disappointed so her father set about making a replica of The Mayflower as you can see here. A very interesting evening all round.

Warwick and Leamington Spa group speculated on whom they’d most like to have dinner with (if not each other, of course!)

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n Monday 14 October, the topic for our evening meeting was: “Who would you like to invite to dinner?”

This quickly morphed into a dinner party at member Pauline’s house, with a very amusing and lively discussion across the delicious meal she had provided.

We took turns to say who our guest would be and why.

Several members had more than one guest, some guests would have to return from the dead, and there were no duplications, although we didn’t always agree the guests would be to our own personal taste. Many of us would have liked to attend each other’s dinner as we liked the other choices so much, and wanted to share them!

Guests ranged from Jesus to Sir David Attenborough (or Chris Packham if David is busy!), from Michael Mosley to Roger Federer, Mary Berry to Tim Rice, Joanna Lumley and Cat Stevens to Ronnie O’Sullivan and Tiger Woods, Shirley MacLaine to Winston Churchill, and finally to a good friend who lives overseas and has had a fascinating life.

The atmosphere was so relaxed and jolly that, at first, we almost forgot we were actually having a meeting with a proper topic to be discussed! The food and drinks were delicious, with second helpings doggie bags soon being snapped up!

Finally, our grateful thanks to Pauline and her dishwasher for a perfect dinner party.

The perfect dinner guest?

Image: Arthur Osipyan on Unsplash

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Written in a flash

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MEMBERS’ CORNER

At the Creative Writing Workshop at this year’s conference, attendees wrote a piece of flash fiction in twenty minutes. They were all very good and it is tricky to choose just three but space is limited. lash fiction normally has about one to two hundred words plus but can be much shorter - eg ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn.’ It usually has a twist at the end but that was hard to achieve in the amount of time we had. We hope you enjoy their work!

Blue Shirt Blue Shirt hung there, fixed to the line with two pegs. It was a warm day, the sky was sunny and bright and the wind was blowing in gusts, billowing out the shirt, flattening the creases. He took pleasure thinking that there would be no need for the hot, steaming iron running over his crisp, fresh cotton surface. Ready to hang in the waiting wardrobe, on a wooden hanger, he would smell so fresh. Blue Shirt would wait there, ready to be used when needed.

Where and when would the next trip be? Where would he go? With which trousers would he be sharing the suitcase? Which far flung, obscure destination of wonder and excitement would he travel to - on his next adventure with David Attenborough?

Janet Carter - Horbury and District The White Van Man My neighbour at the end of the road has a white van which he cleans thoroughly every Saturday. I like to watch him do this because he has a rather muscular physique and wears a tight shirt with a few buttons open.

The way he reaches into his bucket to fill his sponge with soapy suds, revealing muscular forearms is mesmerising. He covers every part of the van, cleaning away the week’s detritus.

I often ponder on what a silly choice of colour for a van; it’s easily dirtied and never stays white for more than a couple of days.

I think I really must find more time to perfect my graffiti technique so as to cover a greater area. Putting down my binoculars, refilling my bucket with dirt, I lay out my black marker pens.

Lynne Collinson - Southsea The Misadventures of Tabitha I loved Tabitha. She was a clean purry cat but was very clumsy wandering from garden to garden often causing mayhem. Once, she jumped on a picnic table, knocking over a flagon of cold beer, not to mention a glass of red wine, spilling it over someone. And another time she managed - just - not to get run over by a white van. There were several more misses. She wasn’t popular with the neighbours. Mainly, they just didn’t like cats. But she always got a warm welcome from me; a purr or two and she could wind me round her little paws.

Susan Ferguson - Sheffield Crookes

Art appreciation Ann Fox, Trustee and Deepings group member, has a suggestion...

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few years ago the Deepings group set up an Art Appreciation sub-group. This was following some very useful pointers from Heather de Lacey, Leighton Buzzard group, where they had been running a similar sub-group for some while. By no means do all of our 23 members partake, we know art isn't everyone's cup of tea, but there are enough of us that are interested to make each meeting worthwhile.

We meet monthly using Zoom which really helps when sharing photos of the art we're discussing that evening. In fact it's much easier than at a face-to-face meeting where passing round a book or picture proves tricky as not everyone can see at the same time. Topics are suggested by the group, some of which involve all of us, such as 'Public/street art in Liverpool', 'Ceramics', others are presented by anyone who has a particular interest. We've covered lots of subjects, many of which were either new to lots of us or we knew little about which is always fun.

It occurs to me that for those topics where the person has researched a reasonable amount of information it would be good to share that research with other 'arty' members. I put this to the staff who are looking at how we might do this, hopefully finding a way which allows members to share without incurring more work for those at Head Office. So, watch this space...

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HEALTH Unyielding spirit Val Bassindale of Carlisle group made the courageous decision to share her experience of life after a cancer diagnosis

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now feel I'm in the right place to talk openly about the past year, which has been the toughest of my life.

Early in 2004, I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. As you can imagine my world and my husband Paul’s world fell apart. During this period we have experienced a roller-coaster of emotions ranging from fear, anger, sadness and happiness; with a few tears on the way. Though, throughout this time we have both stayed positive.

My life (actually our lives) changed completely. I stopped volunteering as a ‘Listening Samaritan’ and to reduce the risk of infections I was advised to stop swimming and going to the gym; we also stopped socialising in large groups and we cancelled holidays. It was like being in lockdown!

The reason I have decided to write about my experience is to raise awareness of ovarian cancer

Val with her rock (and husband!) Paul

and Ovacome, which is a national charity that provides support and information for anyone affected by ovarian cancer.On average it takes 12 weeks for a woman with symptoms to seek health care. If fast-tracked, you should receive a diagnosis within 31 days of being referred, and then a maximum of 62 days to start treatment. Symptoms of ovarian cancer vary from person to person and smear tests do not detect ovarian cancer.

I did not display the usual symptoms, I had a lump in my groin, which I thought was a pulled muscle due to lifting suitcases on a trip to Canada in September 2023, but when it didn’t ease, I visited my GP who explained it was an enlarged lymph node and there was a small chance it could be cancer. The GP arranged for blood test and an ultrasound. The blood tests did not reveal cancer so I wasn’t worried.

I then started to suffer with severe pain in my groin and my ultrasound appointment was brought forward. During the examination, the radiologist asked me what I thought it was, and I explained I thought it was a pulled muscle, but I was happy it wasn’t cancer because the bloods had come back negative. He must have thought I was mad!

The radiologist was unable to give me the results, but I knew from his voice something was wrong. He told me to contact the GP in a couple of days, which allowed time for the GP surgery to receive the report; and ask for more blood tests, which I did. The next batch of blood tests included a test for CA125. I had never heard of this marker before and now my life is forever linked to it.

The results showed my CA125 marker was very high, indicating ovarian cancer. At this point a different GP took over the management of my case and put me on the ‘Fast Track Scheme’, which was four weeks after my initial GP consultation. This GP would contact me on a regular basis on the telephone (for six months) and both Paul and I would have face-to-face consultations with him to discuss my treatment and our general well-being. He was marvellous.

The reason I am highlighting this aspect of my diagnosis is because ovarian cancer is not easy to identify and GPs do not always recognise the symptoms or even consider it. I believe this is what happened with my first GP. Once I was ‘fast-tracked’ things did start to move, but not as quickly as I had hoped. I underwent several tests over a two month period, because they were unsure whether I had ovarian cancer or blood cancer. Subsequently, the commencement of my treatment took longer than the guidelines state. It is so important to get an early diagnosis to improve your life chances.

Following my diagnosis in January 2024, the treatment I have received has been first class; initially four cycles of chemotherapy starting in February 2024, I then had major surgery in May, followed by another two cycles of chemotherapy, with my last session being on 1 July 2024.

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HEALTH Val’s story continued....

Walking with NWR!!

Nobody knows how they are going to cope with a cancer diagnosis or the treatment, but with the love and support of Paul, our family and friends, including my network of NWR friends, we have got through this. Not forgetting my incredible oncologist (who has now moved on and has been replaced by another remarkable oncologist), the staff at North Carlisle Cancer Hospital and the wonderful surgeons and their teams at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead.

They all gave us hope and restored our trust in the NHS, plus they gave me and Paul our futures back.

Following my surgery in May, the physiotherapist recommended walking three times a day, gradually building up the distance. I was also given a matrix of activities together with time frames. I followed this advice rigidly, not

even lifting a kettle for a week; no hoovering or heavy shopping, washing floors or driving for six weeks. What a bummer, and I still couldn’t garden for 12 weeks! Poor Paul, he had so much to do, but we did find an amazing gardener.

I have always been an active person and I like to set myself personal challenges. In September 2021, I completed a solo bike ride from Carlisle to John O’ Groats raising funds for Samaritans, Carlisle. In May 2023, I completed a three day solo cycle ride for fun! During both challenges, I was supported by Paul in our motorhome.

Whilst I was convalescing I needed a challenge that I could realistically achieve. I had initially thought about cycling, but quickly discarded this. Maybe next year! Instead, for the month of August, I walked a minimum of a mile each day. Raising awareness of ovarian cancer with our Facebook Friends and raising funds for Ovacome, which has provided me with reliable information and good support.

I completed my challenge, walking a total of 46 miles mainly around the beautiful countryside of Cumbria, raising £2,211 plus gift aid for Ovacome. Most days I was either joined by Paul or friends, enjoying a good chat, putting the world to rights, and occasionally having the odd coffee and cake. I also joined our local NWR walking group for an interesting walk around Kirkby Stephen, enjoying a great catch-up at the same time. It felt so normal!

In August I started taking a daily chemotherapy drug, which targets the cancer, killing it or stopping it from growing. Unfortunately, due to a drop in my platelets and red/white blood cells I had a three week break from the tablets before restarting them on a lower dosage. I am closely monitored by my oncologist and cancer nurse, which is very reassuring and everything is looking good. Once my body settles down I will have fewer check-ups.

Life is slowly getting back to a new norm and I certainly can’t do what I did 11 months ago, but I am slowly getting there and I have resumed low level exercise classes at the gym. Occasionally I would join the Book Club on Zoom, but now I attend the NWR meetings and Book Club in person, which has been another step forward. Paul and I often go away for short trips in the UK on our own or with friends and we have started entertaining again at home. Life is good!

I realise I am so lucky to have such a large network of friends, and I couldn't have done this without their love and support or Paul’s. He has been amazing, and despite this being an overused phrase, he has been my rock and I can’t thank him enough.

In addition to raising awareness of ovarian cancer, I have volunteered to assist Ovacome with their Enhancing Patient Experience and Survivors Teaching Students projects. People with ovarian cancer help improve the knowledge of clinical students about the signs/symptoms and provide health professionals with the patient perspective.

I’m sorry if this has been a ramble or appears selfindulgent, but I have found it very therapeutic and I hope it helps you to start a conversation about ovarian cancer with your friends and relatives.

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Ovacome have used an easy to remember aide-memoire BEAT to help recognise the signs of ovarian cancer B is for BLOATING that doesn’t come and go E is for EATING difficulty and feeling full more quickly A is for ABDOMINAL and pelvic pain you feel most days T is for TOILET changes in urination or bowel habits For more information please visit one of the below links: https://www.ovacome.org.uk/ ovarian cancer - nhs (www.nhs.uk) Ovarian cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support

TRAVEL Grand tour of Japan Gill Wignall recounts her recent adventures in Japan

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Have you travelled to The Channel Islands and have a story to share? Submit to office@nwr.org.uk

n 1982, my brother-in-law was fresh out of university, and he accepted a job based in Tokyo. It was a great opportunity to visit this fascinating and innovative country, but we had twin boys, just eight months old, so we couldn’t really stay with Christian in his flat. Instead, we booked a tour to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone, and off we went. The other people on the tour looked rather shocked to be joined by two babies, but by the end of the trip, they all agreed that they had added an interesting dimension! It’s taken us 42 years to make the return trip and see how Japan has changed.

This tour was much more comprehensive, and we visited some out of the way places. We started in Tokyo, a fast - paced city with futuristic technologies, mixed with beautiful gardens and historic temples. We loved that all the restaurants still had ‘models’ of the menu items displayed in their windows, just as we remembered from 1982.

You can see what there is to eat even if you can’t make head nor tail of the menu – just point and smile! Everyone we met was friendly and couldn’t do enough to help. Thank goodness for Google translate! There were even more automatic vending machines selling everything you could think of. We were particularly impressed by the cans of piping hot coffee and tea that you could buy for less than £1, and they were excellent quality too.

A day trip to Hakone gave us a chance to see the famous Mount Fuji from the shores of beautiful Lake Ashi, but of course it was hidden by clouds. A cable car to the top of the volcanic Mount Hakone gave us views, and smells, of the sulphur mines on the upper slopes, and a chance to try the black eggs which had been hard boiled in the sulphurous water. They were said to increase your lifespan by seven years, but I wasn’t sure it was worth it, they smelt disgusting!

From Tokyo we travelled north on the fantastic bullet train, to Nagano to visit the Monkey Park, which is home to a troop of Japanese macaques. We were told that we might not see many, because it was mating season, and they had other things on their minds. However, luckily for us, there were enough of them more interested in languishing in the volcanic hot pools to keep us entertained. On our way to Kyoto, we visited two of the charming old post towns, that still exist along the Nakasendo trail, the route that linked Tokyo to Kyoto during the long-ago Edo period. They show cased some beautiful old Japanese houses, alongside many interesting shops and restaurants selling local specialties. We were the only non-Japanese visitors.

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TRAVEL Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan and is a beautiful city. It is the home of the traditional tea ceremony and although we were shown how to make and serve matcha tea, I don’t think that I could ever be that patient, precise or elegant!

We were entertained over a traditional Japanese lunch by a beautiful young girl, a maiko, who was in her final year of training to be a geisha. Through our Japanese guide, Toshi, we were able to ask her all about her life and training. She was happy to answer our questions, and it was fascinating to hear her stories. In the town we walked through the old streets lined with tea houses, discretely hidden from public gaze, where wealthy businessmen will still pay up to £3,000 for an evening with two or three geishas. Nijo castle, once home to the Shoguns, has pretty gardens and a ‘nightingale floor’ designed to make a noise if enemies approached. Finally, we visited the fabulous Kinkaku-Ji, a temple covered in gold leaf that glints in the sun. It’s polished daily to keep that shine! We were lucky enough to catch a massive parade through Kyoto, called Jidai Matsuri, Festival of the Ages. Participants were dressed in authentic costumes representing various periods and characters of feudal history. Interestingly, the commentary over the speakers was translated into English.

From Kyoto we travelled to Osaka, which has reinvented itself as a foodie capital. There was certainly no shortage of places to eat in its noisy and vibrant downtown area. Queues of Japanese waited patiently to take a selfie against the iconic Glico man. In 1935, this was simply an advertisement for a confectionary company, but now he celebrates the joy of sporting triumphs, cultural continuity and resilience – all from a candy bar! We visited, and had lunch at, a Buddhist temple and later visited an enormous graveyard which was more than 800 years old. Strangely (to us), some of the memorials are now sponsored by companies, in memory of their workers. They are adorned with sculptures representing their businesses, such as a rocket ship or giant coffee cups. We also discovered the popularity of Kit Kats in Japan and spent the rest of our holiday spotting some of the 300 or so varieties available, from milk tea and strawberry cheesecake to wasabi and sake. They also change with the seasons! The name sounds very similar to the Japanese words ‘kitto katsu’ which translates as ‘you will surely succeed, so they are regarded as a good luck charm, which was certainly lucky for Nestle!

Himeji castle was stunning but has been totally rebuilt. It was a long climb to the top – six floors – but on the way we learnt all about the traps incorporated to repel invaders and the view from the top was great. As well as numerous castles, we also visited several gardens from elegant rock gardens to ancient gardens with beautifully landscaped vistas and lakes full of huge, very hungry koi carp. Most gardens featured a mini ‘Mount Fuji’ to climb for the best views. This was the nearest we got to any sighting of this iconic mountain!

Hiroshima was our next stop, first visiting the Itsukushima shrine, with its widely recognized torii gate, which seems to float over the water at high tide. The visit to the Peace Gardens and Museum was a very sobering experience. The images were harrowing, and everyone was silent, just looking and absorbing the horror of it all.

Many were in tears, and no-one was taking photographs. It was a similar experience when we later visited the Peace Park in Nagasaki, but this felt different as it was mostly outdoors. The interest was in the statues that had been donated by many countries in memory of the victims and to promote world peace.

There is a huge movement in Japan, symbolized by multitudes of origami cranes, to ensure that everyone remembers and learns from these horrific events.

In Nagasaki, we also learnt about the role of Dutch traders in opening up Japan to the world in the 17th century. The man-made island of Dejima has been restored and historical warehouse buildings moved there. Later, more foreign merchants settled in the city, including a Scottish merchant, Thomas Glover, who built Glover Gardens This land is now an open-air museum of their relocated mansions, plus Oura church, built in 1864 and thought to be the oldest Christian church in Japan.

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MEMBER’S CORNER Another speedy journey on a bullet train and a night in a traditional ryokan almost marked the end of our journey.

Before we left, we went to the caldera of Mount Asos, which is 25km across and very fertile. One of the largest active volcanoes in the world, it was certainly very steamy up there, but we were kept well away from any activity. We were entertained by a lovely lady in the Volcanic Museum who spoke no English and used balloons and flour to demonstrate different volcanic explosions, usually to school children rather than grown-ups. I think I would have understood much more if she had been my teacher!

Our tour ended in Fukuoka, and after a wonderful farewell dinner, we said goodbye to our travelling companions and embarked on the long flight home. It really was a grand tour, and we enjoyed so many different experiences. However, the outstanding memory must be the toilets! Everywhere we went, the toilets were amazing. As you walked into the cubicle, the lid would lift automatically in greeting. Music or birdsong would begin to play, to cover the noise of one’s ablutions, warm water sprays cleaned ‘back’ and ‘front’, warm air dried you off and finally, most flushed automatically when you stood up. Oh yes, and they all had cozy heated seats......only in Japan!

Coffee shop small talk A short story by Giffnock group member, Robina Fisher The shopping mall is quiet, too early for shoppers.

Only coffee shops were opened, hoping to catch early trade from workers and those impatient to get into the shops as soon as they open. The click, click made by Alana’s high heels on the concrete floor grows as she made her way from the car park to the coffee shop. Perfectly groomed, she would not have looked out of place on a front cover of Vogue magazine. At college, she achieved top grades in Beauty Therapy and now worked as manager of Bliss Beauty. Alana was the perfect listener. The clients trusted her and as she massaged tension from their shoulders and back, they divulged the most intimate details of their lives. She prides herself in being the perfect professional, everything said was in strict confidence. After a day of listening, she felt more like a Psychiatric Therapist.

Alana first met Rose six months previous in the coffee shop. They made small talk about the weather to pass the time while they drank their coffee. Over several weeks, Alana and Rose became friends, regularly meeting for early morning coffee. Alana looked forward to chatting with Rose, who listened with interest and amusement to the tales about her clients. Alana who was normally very discreet felt there was no harm in these conversations as Rose would never meet her clients. She was flattered that Rose a glamorous self-assured fifty something, who ran her own advertising agency was interested in her life.

Rose had already bought the coffees when she arrived.

‘Morning Rose. ‘ ‘Morning Alana, feeling bright and breezy? Ready to work your magic?’

‘I’ll do my best,’ laughed Alana ‘Who is up for transformation today?’ asked Rose with a smile.

‘Rachel, the Princess, she is getting married next month, and is on the verge of hysteria, a nail has broken and all must be perfect for the big day. Some people don’t know what a real problem is.’ said Alana rolling her eyes.

‘Talking about real problems, what about Mrs. Miller? asked Rose. ‘You mentioned her a while back.’

‘By coincidence, she came in yesterday and she needed to relax. Worry had taken its toll. An aromatherapy massage seemed to do the trick.’

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MEMBER’S CORNER ‘I seem to remember that her husband was dying.’ Said Rose ‘Yes, he finally died after a long illness two months ago. Apart from the loss of her husband, money worries are getting her down, not because she is short, in fact the opposite is the problem.’

Rose leaned forward ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, her husband attended to all the finances, leaving Mrs. Miller with no idea of how to deal with bank accounts, shares etc. They never had children so there is no family to help her.’

‘She really needs to find herself an adviser,’ said Rose.

Glancing at her watch Alana said ‘I better get going Rose, didn’t realize the time. The Princess will be waiting.’

‘Alana, before you leave, I just want to say our chats have been really worthwhile. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see you again as I am starting on a new project which will take up my time over the next few months. After that I intend to travel.’

Alana was taken aback by Rose’s sudden announcement.

‘Sorry to hear that Rose, I’ll miss you. Try and keep in touch.’ Alana leaned over the table and gave Rose kiss on the cheek.

‘Bye Rose.’

‘Bye Alana.’

Walking to the salon Alana felt down, something was niggling her, she couldn’t put her finger on it. She had the feeling that something is wrong, but was not sure exactly what. Working with the clients meant she was sensitive to changes in people. There had been a subtle change in Rose after telling her about Mrs. Miller.

The day wore on and Alana couldn’t concentrate, mulling over Rose’s goodbye. She recounted discussing Mrs. Miller, and was sure it was at that point something changed in Rose. She resolved to contact Mrs. Miller in a couple of weeks to ask if she wanted an appointment, and enquire about how she is getting on. *** ‘Mrs Miller returned from the shops, to be greeted by a stranger at her front door.

‘Hello Mrs. Miller? Sorry for your recent loss. I am here from Asteroid Financial. We specialise in helping the recently bereaved by giving them sound financial advice after the loss of a loved one.’ said Rose reaching over and taking Mrs. Miller’s hand, and gently placing the other on her shoulder.

‘Mrs. Miller are you able to spare some time? I can explain how to ease these burdens.’

‘I was thinking of getting professional financial advice,’ said Mrs. Miller as she put the key in the lock. ‘Why don’t you come in and I’ll make some tea and we can have a chat.’

‘Lovely’ said Rose smiling broadly, ‘let me help with your bags.’ **** A few weeks had passed before Alana dialled Mrs. Miller’s number ‘Hi Mrs. Miller, Alana from the Beauty Salon. Just a courtesy call, to check if you would like to make an appointment for a relaxing massage?

‘No thank you Alana, I am much more relaxed now. I am getting help from a Financial Adviser. She is a lovely lady in her fifties, name of Lily.’

Suspicious now, Alana asked ‘Was she recommended?’

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MEMBER’S CORNER ‘‘No, it must have been fate. Two days after my last visit to the salon, I came home from the shops to find Lily waiting for me. She understood straight away my problems. She has taken all the bankbooks and information from my husband’s computer and will sort everything out for me. This has been such a relief.’

‘Ok Mrs. Miller I hope to see you soon at the salon. Bye for now.’

Alana ended the call and made another - to the police.

A few days later she was called to attend the police station to make an official statement, and attend an identify parade, where she had no problem in pointing out Rose or Lily as she was currently calling herself. The police confirmed that several police regions were on the lookout for a professional con artist who posed as a Financial Adviser to vulnerable widows and widowers up and down the country. Alana’s call was the breakthrough they needed to locate and arrest her.

Six months later Alana and Rose sat across from each other again, not in a coffee shop but in court. Rose was given a four-year jail sentence guilty on several counts of fraud. Just before Rose was led away, she looked over to Alana and mockingly mimicked drinking from a cup. The final taunt from Rose in the courtroom meant Alana would pay a high price for coffee shop small talk. Never again would she be able to trust. Rose had claimed another victim.

Quizzing A win win for Hilary Bates and Leighton Buzzard 1 group According to the Oxford English Dictionary the noun “quiz” was first used in the late 1700s to mean “an eccentric or odd person”. Its origin could also lie in the custom around at the time in grammar schools where, at the end of the day, games were played to identify a historical or literary figure. A teacher would ask the question “quis?” which means “who?” in Latin. Less likely, however, is a story about a Dublin theatre manager, James Daly, who in 1791 had a bet with a friend that he could introduce a new word into the English language in a day. He then chalked the word “quiz” on the walls of the city at dead of night. He won his bet when members of the public kept asking, “What does ‘quiz’ mean?”

In the UK, TV quiz shows are enormously popular, with a regular offering across the mainstream channels every day except Sunday. Although scheduling plays a part in viewing figures, the most popular are Countdown, The Chase and new show The 1% Club.

They cover general knowledge, word and number skills, and brain teasers. Pointless has the unusual format of guessing what other people don’t know. Another in the top 5 is University Challenge which, unlike other shows, is seasonal, but has been on our screens for a total of 55 years, beginning in 1962 with a break in the 1980s. Why do we find this quiz show so entertaining, when I suspect the majority of us would be hard-pressed to answer even a quarter of the questions correctly? Is it because we like to pit our wits against the brightest, most knowledgeable young people in the country, and get a rush of satisfaction when we get a question right?

Leighton Buzzard NWR has had a quiz team (a bank of roughly 10 individuals) for a number of years now. We play weekly in a local pub.

Moderately successful, we use our winnings to cover the weekly entrance fee. Our team name is WOW, although we’ve kind of forgotten what our original thought was… Was it Women of Wisdom, Women of Wit, or Women of Whatever?

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Taking part in a quiz can offer many benefits. These include: · opening new doors of discovery · rekindling a spirit of curiosity combined with an element of fun · fostering conversation and connection · keeping isolation and boredom at bay · building self-confidence · helping build community through the sharing of knowledge · improving brain health.

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MEMBERS’ CORNER The past and the future?

Jenny Lee shares how Horsham group got creative with AI

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n a recent Thursday evening, Horsham NWR had a meeting all about AI. We used ChatGPT and I asked the programme to generate a poem about a women's group in the style of Shakespeare.

Using an image generator called DALL-E I also managed to to get the programme to come up with a couple of NWR related images. Here are the results...

The Spring issue of NWR Connect will be out in March.

To submit content for consideration, please email office@nwr.org.uk

Have you joined one of our free online fitness classes or talks yet? Visit www.nwr.org.uk/events to book!

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