NWR Magazine (Spring 2021)

SPRING 2021

ER V E R O F E R A S D N O DIAM in lockdown t s e r e v E g in nd u Climb la is h is r equality t o t f o c g S in a k r m o o r w f Poetr y ya u Women n e K in id v o C Coping with ch more! u m d n A u s iew Big Read rev

Get in touch Editor: Judith Charlton General enquiries: office@nwr.org.uk Membership and press enquiries: office@nwr.org.uk Website: https://nwr.org.uk Twitter: @nwruk Facebook: facebook.com/nwr.uk Telephone: 01603 406767 Address: NWR, Unit 31, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, SG9 9AZ Registered charity number 295198 If you would prefer to receive an electronic copy only of this magazine, please let us know.

Everest in lockdown u Climbing equality a Scottish island working for Poetry from u Women Covid in Kenya Coping with more! u And much Big Read reviews

Below is our new online programme. To book, log in to the members’ area of the website and follow the booking link, or contact the NWR office for more details at office@nwr.org.uk or 01603 406767.

Food, Poverty and Children Marion Molteno and Anna Taylor l 22 April, 6pm Food of the gods — when chocolate was worth more than silver Sandy Leong l 6 May, 7pm Artists and the Theatre Jo Mabbutt l 13 May, 7pm A talk with Dr Sophie Ward 20 May, 7pm Rembrandt’s vision: Dutch history painting in the 17th century Dr Sophie Ooesterwijk l 27 May, 7pm All for the love of sugar Sandy Leong l 3rd June, 7pm

SPRING 2021

EVER S ARE FOR DIAMOND

What’s On?

Cover design: Judith Charlton

A huge thank you for all your submissions!

Please keep them coming — group news, travel news, personal journeys, short stories, poems. If we can’t fit them in the magazine, look out on the website. For the next edition, a Summer special issue, please send your contributions to office@nwr.org. uk by 30 April 2021 (copyright of material is transferred to NWR on submission unless otherwise requested).

Not a member?

NWR could be for you!

Have you moved to a new area? Have your children just left home? Have you experienced some other big life change? Come and meet other women to share and explore thoughts, ideas and experiences. Enjoy lively, stimulating conversation, broaden your horizons and make new friends. We offer a range of activities, from book clubs to walking groups. Join us!

01603 406767 office@nwr.org.uk https://nwr.org.uk

Audio version NWR Magazine is available in an audio version. Please contact the office or find it in the members’ area of our website.

Printing

Reducing Inequalities with Dr Wanda Wyporsk 10 June, 7pm Questioning Marion Marion Molteno l 17 June, 7pm The Archers in Lockdown - A talk with Sunny Ormonde 24 June, 7pm Spicing up our lives Sandy Leong l 1 July, 7pm STAYING CONNECTED — NWR’S SECOND ONLINE CONFERENCE 19–30 April Tickets for individual talks are £2.50 each for NWR members and £5 each for nonmembers. Members can choose to book the whole conference for £20.

Non-members who are interested in joining NWR can take advantage of our special offer of the full conference plus a year’s membership for just £40!

Tracing the Tudors: The Real London of Wolf Hall Mark Rowland l 19 April, 7pm How Black Lives Matter makes Black Culture Matter Michael I Ohajuru l 20 April, 6pm UTIs, Bacteria and Lablit Dr Jennifer Rohn l 21 April, 1.30pm Shakespeare’s Lost Women Jeremy Holmes l 22 April, 1.30pm Bingo 23 April, 7pm Charles Booth’s Victorian Clerkenwell Sean Patterson l 26 April, 1.30pm Gut health and the brain Debbie Lethby l 27 April, 7pm Spanish Art Fantasy Comes from the Ghosts; Gaudi and other Catalan Architects Dr Jacqueline Cockburn l 28 April, 1.30pm

NWR magazine is printed on Cocoon Silk recycled paper by Greenhouse Graphics, Hampshire.

Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution and the Science of Life Dr Kat Arney l 29 April, 6pm

This item uses:

End of conference quiz 30 April, 7pm 10–12 September 2021 DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY NATIONAL CONFERENCE, BIRMINGHAM This has been rescheduled to the dates above.

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NWR Magazine Spring 2021

A year like no other

In this issue FEATURES

Chair of trustees Josephine Burt takes a look back and 10 Writing a new chapter finds that, in spite of everything, there is much to celebrate.

Pauline Prior-Pitt tells us Well, what an anniversary year! Who could have predicted the unbelievable, game-changing twelve months that we have experienced?

We started 2020 full of anticipation for all the anniversary celebrations. Sixtieth themed walks, tea parties, area meetings throughout the year were all organised by enthusiastic volunteers. A wonderful programme of speakers and activities was scheduled for our Diamond Conference and the bookings from members were rolling in.

And then….!

So, what have we achieved? Incredibly, quite a lot, during a challenging year.

We were so lucky to celebrate the Diamond Anniversary on 26th February with the wonderful interview with NWR’s instigator Maureen Nicol (available to view at https://tinyurl.com/3dw3hd8d).

This highlight reminded us of how NWR came into being, and was streamed to eleven area events around the country with over 1,100 members participating. We featured on Woman’s Hour when trustee Jo Thomson and National Organiser Natalie Punter were interviewed by Jenni Murray, and there was also an article in The Guardian. As we had hoped, all of this raised our profile and enquiries for membership came flooding in.

How things changed in March! No more physical meetings, just stay at home and stay safe. But within a month of lockdown, Natalie had organised a series of national talks and quizzes over the video conferencing platform Zoom.

Numbers attending weekly gradually rose throughout the year, so the Zoom licence was extended to 500 guests. This year the demand for bookings is such that we have increased it to 1,000 guests.

This reflects the huge popularity of Zoom among members. Many members would never have considered a digital interface in normal times but are now Zooming away most days. 73% of groups quickly moved their programmes online, including discussions, book reviews and social meetings.

about starting a new life as a poet and artist.

Left: Headland, one of Pauline’s paintings

12 Carrying on through Covid Mary Stott Award winners on the challenges faced by their projects around the world.

16 Absent from the history lessons Another first was the Online Conference and AGM in September. Two weeks of daily talks and quizzes followed a very well received AGM. The range of topics that we have covered this year is amazing.

There has been something for everyone and lots to widen our knowledge and inspire us.

The trustees made three key decisions last year. First, to replace the database and website, and this involved a huge amount of work for our small team and our partners. By the summer, all the technology and new website will be in place, offering more self-service to members and quick and easy joining for new members. Secondly, we decided to relocate to Buntingford, Herts and lastly, we recruited new staff. All these changes will support our membership activities, enabling greater benefits and offering better value during the coming years.

So, having been agile, resilient and creative in 2020, what is in store for us in 2021? Of course, everyone hopes that normal group meetings will resume for friendships and discussion, and that groups will initiate area meetings to increase connections. In the meantime, Natalie has arranged more free online talks and quizzes to entertain and stimulate you.

Another Online Conference is organised for April and we sincerely hope that our Diamond Conference will go ahead in September – a case of third time lucky!

More details on page 5.

But who knows what might happen.

After last year we know we can respond and are ready for the new normal – whatever it might be!

Over 50 years on from the Equal Pay Act, the struggle for women’s rights is far from over.

NWR IN LOCKDOWN

7 Keeping going Seeking solace in nature, a poem, and how one family and their animals circumnavigated the globe, without ever leaving home.

BIG READ

18 Big Read reviews Members share their opinions on our 2020 book list.

GREEN SPACE

15 Flushing away forests How much do we think about the ecological consequences of this everyday commodity?

NEWS

4-5 New staff, new themes, new events Meet the latest additions to the NWR team, and get the latest news about conferences and themes for 2021.

6 Member survey

Results of our 2020 survey.

7 Remarkable women

Marion Molteno’s Creative Women interview series, plus how to nominate a special member for the Mary Stott Award.

21 Members’ Corner

Latest news from local groups.

NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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NWR NEWS

New faces The new year has seen two new faces join the NWR office team: Sharon Gibson, NWR’s Membership Assistant, and Helen Page, our new Communications Coordinator.

want to challenge myself. Technology has moved on so much in recent years and I am looking forward to learning how to update our members through the website and social media, and also helping those who are less confident with how to get the best out of NWR and the information we have to offer.

And proximity. I wanted to work close to home and our new office is within walking distance!

What most appeals to you about the role?

For many years I worked for M&S supporting their Secondment and Community Involvement programme.

I really enjoyed helping those who’d decided to challenge themselves to experience a new role or develop a new skill in a charity setting, and I especially enjoyed delivering their annual conference.

My NWR role gives me a similar opportunity to deliver excellent customer service, and bring people together.

Hi Sharon, what brings you to NWR? Hi Judith. Unfortunately, due to Covid, my last role of 17 years was made redundant in the middle of last year. I wanted to use this as a positive opportunity to find a job I felt was really worthwhile as I love helping people, and I believe I have found this at NWR. I really wanted to get involved with an organisation that supports its community.

I can transfer the administrative skills that I have gained throughout my career and draw upon previous experience, but I still

Have you ever challenged yourself to do something new or challenging?

Yes, I have! Last year I decided to use my downtime to challenge myself to improve upon my GCSE grade in Maths, something I have wanted to do since school. I took an intensive study course and met some really nice people — all on Zoom! After a lot of homework and a tough exam, I’m the very proud holder of a much improved grade!

Hello Helen, the same question to you please, what brings you to NWR? Hi Judith. Well, I was coming to the end of a career break. I had taken some time to spend with my son, travel, catch-up with friends and return to hobbies I’d

A diamond necklace could be yours!

Tickets are selling fast for our Diamond Draw, with its amazing diamond-themed prizes, including a diamond necklace and diamond earrings.

A new initiative, all proceeds from the Diamond Draw will be allocated to ensuring NWR and its benefits remain available to generations of women now and into our next sixty years.

Other prizes include diamondthemed homewares from Oliver Bonas, a Dartington crystal vase

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NWR Magazine Spring 2021

and a history of Hatton Garden from distinguished author, Rachel Lichtenstein (who will be appearing in our next series of online talks).

The winning tickets will be drawn following our AGM on 7 June.

Diamond Draw tickets can be purchased for £5.00 per ticket at our EventStop page, where you can find a full list of prizes and T&Cs: https:// www.eventstop.co.uk/event/4056/ nwr_diamond_draw#/ Good luck!

side-lined while commuting and working very long hours. When I saw the ad, I’d made the decision to return to work closer to home, work fewer hours (my communications role with NWR is 20 hours each week), and ideally, work in the third sector.

Was it a difficult decision to bring your break to an end?

No, not really, as I have always enjoyed working and seeing the positive results my work can achieve. The NWR role allows me to practice what I enjoy, and support an important mission – it’s the perfect fit.

Did you achieve your career break ambitions?

Not entirely. I saw more of my son than I’d bargained for, and travelled less! I am continuing with my gardening by studying for an RHS qualification and I have an Instagram account if any members would like to follow my progress. Travelwise, I’m hoping to get away in 2022. I’ve realised that my plans are mostly around returning to places I’ve been before, rather than going anywhere new, with New York and Sardinia topping my list.

“Wow you guys! This is

A-MA-ZING!! You’re really spoiling us! Since we’re a long way off coming through the other side of this pandemic, this series of talks will go a long way to keeping us informed, entertained — and very busy!!

Beith NWR

NWR NEWS

¡Hola 2021!

We have had some lovely messages from members over recent months, which has been much appreciated, and we look forward to continuing to support you. A few of them are displayed on these pages.

This year’s country is Spain, and our theme is Diamonds are Forever. You will find lots of background information in the members’ area of the website, under ‘programme planning’. Meanwhile, here are a few lesser known facts about Spain: ■■ According to records, the first known stapler was made in the 18th century in the Basque country for the French King Louis XV. ■■ Spain is responsible for giving the world the mop and bucket.

■■ It is illegal to walk in the streets of Madrid with more than eight dogs.

“The NWR team have worked so so hard

throughout this terrible virus outbreak. I would like to congratulate them on their wonderful support for their members. Our members

Photo by Hannah Lim on Unsplash

Tell us your stories Do you have a diamond story?

Romantic, funny, happy, sad — we’d love to hear it. Please keep your contributions coming! They can be related to this year’s themes, your lockdown experiences, news from your groups, or just something that you would like to share with us. And, this year, we are going to bring out another special Summer issue, in digital format.

The deadline for the Summer issue is 30 April, and for the Autumn it will be the usual 31 August. Please email them to office@nwr.org.uk.

“You have made a real

have been very impressed

difference to all our lives

at the ideas, entertainment and information you have

as we learn to cope with

provided. Best wishes!

Covid-19.

Beith NWR

Poole NWR

Conferences virtual and physical

On the roof of Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló in Barcelona

You wait months for a conference, and then two come along at once!

Precious Gems National Conference 10–12 September, Birmingham We are hoping it will be third time lucky!

It is now scheduled to take place from 10–12 September at the original venue, the Burlington Hotel, Birmingham. Existing conference bookings will be automatically rolled forward unless you specifically contact us to let us know otherwise, in which case we will, of course, refund you.

We are currently working to reschedule speakers, and will keep you updated with new information as soon as we can. Keep an eye on our website for the latest news and, of course, you can contact the office with any queries.

We hope that you will still be able to join us!

Staying Connected 19–30 April, on a device near you Whilst we are sorry to have to reschedule our Precious Gems conference, a happier consequence of the current situation is that we can bring you a second online conference, offering community, content and creativity for lively minded women!

Sessions will consist of a mix of talks and panel discussions, including: ■■ Tracing the Tudors: The Real London of Wolf Hall ■■ How Black Lives Matter makes Black Culture Matter ■■ UTIs, Bacteria and Lablit

■■ Shakespeare’s

Lost Women Booth’s Victorian Clerkenwell ■■ Gut health and the brain ■■ Gaudi and other Catalan architects ■■ Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life ■■ and the all-important quiz session.

Each conference session has a ticket price of £2.50 for members and £5.00 for non-members, while the full conference programme will be available to members for £20.00. Non-members can once again access the fantastic deal of the full programme and a year’s NWR membership for £40.00.

■■ Charles

BOOK FOR STAYING CONNECTED ONLINE CONFERENCE: https://www.eventstop.co.uk/event/4060/nwr_staying_connected#/ NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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Photo by Sebastian Yepes on Unsplash

Thank you

NWR NEWS

Embracing change In October last year, we conducted a survey to find out more about communication between members, and how this has changed since coronavirus came on the scene.

Here are some of the results.

from June onwards many groups met in socially distanced groups of six and we found that 80% of respondents had participated in these.

We asked about the use of social media and forums, and this was a benchmark question which we could compare to the results of the 2018 survey. The use of Facebook and Instagram is increasing and more members are using forums, including the private NWR Facebook forums. However, many are confused by these terms.

Surveys always include the question

of the huge enthusiasm for the national talks and quizzes. The survey was an opportunity to gather data evidence.

There were 1,455 responses (24% of membership) and generally fewer questions were skipped and there Reasons for recommending NWR to were fewer queries about completing friends, as a % of all positive comments the survey than in previous exercises.

Most respondents were members of groups, but 55 (4% of membership) were independent members, and these had a separate set of questions. Interestingly, the number of independent members has risen from 39 in December 2019 to 57 in December 2020. The average age of members has also risen, with the about general satisfaction with NWR and the score was a pleasing 36 — compared Which apps does your group use to keep in contact? majority now being between 70 to 33 in 2018 and 35 in 2016. Respondents and 79 years old. were asked why they gave this rating Before March 2020 over 96% and what we could do to improve it, and of members communicated there are some ideas to consider and lots by email or at meetings. From of lovely comments which we can use for March onwards WhatsApp and marketing NWR. Zoom were swiftly adopted by It has been extremely heartening to many groups, tentatively at first observe the huge leaps in the uptake but bringing in more members and understanding of new technologies as weeks went past. 73% of among our members. We certainly are respondents reported that their lively minded women willing to try new group had met online, mostly methods of communication to connect, for discussion sessions but also for book group reviews and social/tea/ Which of your group’s activities have moved coffee meetings. Unfortunately, online since April 2020?

Friendship Women 10% of respondents said that Support their groups had not met Read Talk during the spring and summer, and some members reported Grow that they had no contact at all Learn Walk from their group.

Nearly 40% attended one or more national talks and 24% joined in the quizzes offered learn and grow. While we all hope to meet from April – August. 81% of respondents Do you know a woman who would in our groups again, the changes this year wish these talks and quizzes to continue. enjoy being a part of NWR? have brought exciting and fresh aspects to Attendance at the online conference was Then why not treat them to a gift membership of NWR which we can take high — 29% of respondents — and the membership, beautifully packaged forward. online AGM attracted 221 members, with a gift card for your message, and a copy of the latest magazine? which is comparable to previous national Josephine Burt and Ann Fox, NWR trustees, and editors of the Digital conferences.

Just contact office@nwr.org.uk Survey 2020 Report During the brief easing of lockdown to find out more.

Women

Share

Discover

Laugh

Celebrate

Friendship

Fun

‘I love NWR’, ‘NWR has been a lifeline during lockdown’ — these are just two of the lovely, positive comments received in the recent Digital Survey 2020, and a huge thank you to all the members who completed the questions online in October. Surveys provide much valuable information to help us deliver better value and more benefits to members.

The aim of this survey was to gather information on communications among members before and after the Covid lockdown. Before setting the survey, we knew anecdotally that many members had adopted Zoom and WhatsApp and

Give the gift of friendship!

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NWR Magazine Spring 2021

NWR NEWS Wendy Kirk, librarian

Carol Caffrey, poet and actor

Mary Simpson, adult educator

Anna Dreda, bookshop owner

Have you seen these remarkable women anywhere?

If you’ve got the answer, you’ve been Zooming in to Marion Molteno’s Creative Women interviews.

What do they have in common?

They’re all women who have done remarkable things. Several have discovered their unusual talent after years of doing something else, including bringing up a family. It’s been a delight to spend time hearing their stories — what an unexpected boon to come out of lockdown! It’s been made possible by the NWR office and, especially, our national organiser, Natalie Punter, who magnificently rose to the challenge of providing new ways of being together on Zoom.

If you’ve missed the interviews, you’ll get another chance when they go up on YouTube. We’ve got one more coming in April, and in September I’m starting a new series, called Recovering Untold

Jen Marshall Haugen, international development worker

Pauline Prior-Pitt, poet and artist

Stories. I’ll be interviewing women who have discovered and published life stories of other remarkable women. Do join us!

How did I choose the women to interview?

Jen and I worked together in Save the Children, and before that Mary and I worked together in adult education.

The other four are women I met while travelling with my latest novel, Uncertain Light. All those experiences feature in my writer’s memoir:

Journeys without a map: A writer’s life I’m delighted that some of you got off the mark quickly to read it when it came out in e-book last year. If you didn’t, I’m

Who are your winning women?

happy to announce that a new illustrated print edition will be out in June this year.

Please join me to celebrate its launch, in a Zoom session on Thursday 17 June 2021. Booking is open now on the website.

Question time I’m also celebrating three years as NWR’s patron! It’s been a privilege, and I’ve loved meeting many of you. Now Zoom gives me the chance to talk to far more of you than I could ever have managed if I’d had to move around the country to do it.

The session launching my book is called Questions for Marion — so send in any questions: about my books, my life, the Creative Women interviews, my role as patron. See you there!

Marion Molteno To book any of Marion’s talks, log in to the members’ area of the website and go to www.nwr.org.uk/resources/quizzes-and-talks To catch up on previous talks, go to www.nwr.org.uk/member-dashboard ■■ has

made great strides in their own personal development; ■■ has shown great commitment to a project.

If you know someone special, there is still time Please submit your nomination using to nominate them for the Mary Stott Award around 500 words to tell us why you have chosen this person. Ensure that your As you all know by now, we have had Nominations, or any queries, should nominee knows you are putting them to abandon our plans for a physical be sent to office@nwr.org.uk. forward. The winner will receive a Quaich conference in April due to the continuing Read about the fantastic work of — a Scottish cup of friendship which they Covid 19 problems. However, there is some of our previous winners, and hold for one year — and a free place at the light at the end of the tunnel, so we can how their projects have been faring national conference, with travel expenses. eagerly anticipate a real live September through the pandemic, on page 12.

Any nominations already received for our conference and, with it, the Mary Stott fellow NWR member who has achieved in postponed conference will be rolled over to Award. This means we can now extend one of the following areas: be included for consideration for this year’s the submission date for nominations to 30 ■■ has made an exceptional contribution to award unless we are advised otherwise.

June 2021.

NWR, the community or the wider world; As a reminder, you can nominate a Jennifer Johnson, Trustee NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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LIFE IN LOCKDOWN

It’s a small world It has become a modern cliché. Almost nowhere in the world is inaccessible to those with the inclination and means to fulfil their travel dreams. But suddenly the meaning has changed. Our world has shrunk. For some valiant or unfortunate souls, the world has shrunk to a Covid ward or a care home from which there is no respite. For many of us fortunate enough not to be on the front line, our world has now shrunk to our home and, if we are lucky enough to have one, our garden. Our friends and family have become virtual.

They are messages, voices on a phone, or unreliable Zoom or WhatsApp images.

No touch, no hugs, no sharing. It’s hard.

The novelty has worn off. We wonder how much longer we can continue. The outside world seems full of menace. An unseen enemy still stalks the land.

So, we turn to nature. As compensation perhaps, we have been gifted a most glorious spring. The hours of endless

Photo by Sean McGee on Unsplash

sunshine may be a sign of more sinister things to come, as our poor world overheats, but for now we are grateful. The air is clearer, there is no traffic or industrial noise to mask the sounds of birdsong or the whisper of the breeze in the trees. The fresh green which burgeoned around us between March and May has calmed and soothed our anxiety levels.

As the poet WH Davies wrote, in lines which have often come to me when I have found myself rushing about unnecessarily from one activity to another, What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?

Well now some of us have. In our diminished world we have had time to notice minute daily changes. Those who have been able to leave their home 8

NWR Magazine Spring 2021

briefly for a daily ration of exercise may have seen, as we have in nearby woods, the bluebells as they have gradually transformed the scene into a heavenly swathe of blue with its heady scent. Day by day, the fiddle-heads of ferns have gradually unfurled. As the bluebells have faded, patches of wild garlic have appeared with their delicate white flowers and pungent aroma. A froth of cow parsley lines the waysides. Celandine gleam and red campion and rhododendron add colour to the scene. Each day there is something different to notice.

By the reservoir, we have watched the waterfowl as they have built their nests on their favourite sites. We have noticed with pleasure the appearance of clutches of eggs, have marvelled at the patience of the brooding birds, and thrilled to the arrival of chicks. We have willed them success as they diligently feed their young, and then rejoiced when two stately swans set sail with their seven downy cygnets.

We have amused ourselves watching the antics of the boldest of the baby grebes and ducklings, and the care taken by their watchful parents to keep them safe.

Then, after our daily outing, we have turned our attention to the garden. It has been able to benefit from the tender loving care which we have been unable to bestow on our loved ones. It is neat and weed free. It is planted out with dozens of cuttings which have had enough care and attention, for once, to ensure success.

We have had time to sit and admire our handiwork. The birds have been grateful for the conscientiously refilled feeders, and have rewarded us with their visits: the blue tits, great tits and coal tits, the beautiful goldfinches, the dunnocks and sparrows, collared doves and wood pigeons. The robin has kept us close company. We have had time to observe the pecking order, and been entertained by the gymnastic efforts of the squirrels to raid the birds’ supplies. The bees and butterflies seem more numerous this year.

Perhaps the new conditions suit them.

We sit and wonder whether our life will ever return to what we once considered to be normal. Perhaps, if and when this terrible plague has been vanquished, the new normal will be one where we have greater appreciation of our small world.

Nicky Wheeliker, Rotherham NWR

Lockdown — the little things I miss Remember when you could leave the house And NOT act like a frightened mouse?

Recollect when you went to places And could see ALL the people’s faces?

Do I want to mix with people – YES! And again dress up to impress.

Others, housebound and depressed Dream of getting up and DRESSED! When did you last see your guy Leave the house wearing a tie?

My daily make-up regime Once so important to my scheme, Now slides down the slippery slope Why bother when there’s little hope?

My haircut plans have all been doomed When will I again feel well groomed?

Once I could pick and choose Which outfit, with which shoes?

All the colours and styles I cherish Now all they seem to do is perish!!

With what the future holds in store, Why would I want to buy some more?

You wore your selection with pride, Now your taste you would deride.

All the restrictions make you lazy Inactivity drives you crazy!

Covid is turning us into slobs!

We could end up all being blobs!

Nowadays sometimes I snooze It helps to while away the blues.

As despondent at the screen I stare I want to pack a suitcase and take it ANYWHERE! I know we keep in touch with friends Using all these modern trends Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp, phone calls, Whilst incarcerated within four walls.

It’s NOT the same as BEING there.

What EVERYONE would like to share Is sitting round a table, I think, Enjoying a convivial meal or drink.

You might think my issues fretty, My aspirations might seem petty.

You could also think me very shallow, Now all my hopes are lying fallow!

If this poem seems a little flippant I wish I could have made it different!

A ‘Normal’ world again would be bliss What wouldn’t we all give for this?

So what do I miss most of all?

Besides which ALL desires pall?

It’s cuddles with my family that I miss And to give my grandchild a great big KISS! © Pauline Rhodes, Chandlers Ford/ Eastleigh D NWR February 2021

LIFE IN LOCKDOWN

Photo by Benjamin Grant on Unsplash

Around the world in eighty(ish) days In which 16 adults, one toddler, two babies, four dogs and one horse undertake a virtual circumnavigation of the world, during a pandemic.

During the first lockdown of the pandemic my son-in-law suggested that, to help keep us connected and fit, we should climb Everest as a group activity. Since this might be a little tricky, we decided to do it by climbing stairs. We all measured our staircases — depth of tread x number of steps — and reported the number of times we climbed a flight of stairs each day. My son-in-law converted this into total height gained and every day told us where we had got to, and the equivalent mountain summit we would have reached. Great fun, with lots of banter and positive comments throughout, and we achieved Everest in 12 days.

This proved so enjoyable(?) that we decided to travel virtually between Land’s End and John O’Groats. Our knees and stair carpets being worn out, we walked, ran, rode, cycled or swam, and our oldest daughter told us where we’d got to each day, with interesting snippets of information and photographs of places we’d passed through.

Eight days later, we had completed the journey, so off we set again along the Wales Coast Path, this time with our daughter’s mother-in-law providing the daily updates. As this only took six days,

and lockdown was clearly not over yet, we had a little break from travelling and had a goal scoring challenge.

The idea here was to see how long it would take us to score as many goals — 7,776 — as the England netball team did in the 2019 World Cup. Goals were to be attempted in sets of 50 each day and could be achieved by any form of throwing, kicking, hitting, etc. Our techniques included throwing pegs into a wheelbarrow, socks, popcorn or pasta into a bowl, stones into a bucket, balls into a Photo by Ethan Richardson on Unsplash

paddling pool, darts into the 20, chipping golf balls into a net, dog catching a ball and, yes, shooting netballs into a netball goal hoop! We even contemplated allowing throwing Maltesers into our mouths! The target was reached in 17 days, with massive improvements in goal averages each day.

After a day’s rest the team felt ready for a new challenge, but little did they know what they were signing up for. Back to travelling, but the UK felt too limiting!

So, a virtual Around the World it had to be, travelling due east from our starting point in Breaston, Derbyshire, all the way around until we were home again, a mere 12,960 miles. We achieved this in 108 days: 80 days was always going to be a little over-optimistic, but you need to start with an aim in mind…. Once again, we had great fun. My husband logged the distances, converted them to Google map references and then looked to find out what there was there. We learnt so much about the world that we had previously been completely unaware of, and are very happy to have kept fit at the same time, as well as keeping connected to our

extended family. I detailed the whole journey on a WhatsApp trail which I have kept as a travel journal.

I myself totalled 1,740.4 miles by a combination of walking and cycling, two of my favourite activities, and I felt very proud to have completed this fascinating challenge. Where to next?

What can you do for your own personal challenge? I was reticent to submit this for publication as I do not wish to be seen to be bragging, but I feel that we can all be inspired by our own aspirations.

Perhaps you too could set a virtual goal, (think Captain Sir Tom Moore), with or without others, and endeavour to achieve it. I think you will rightly feel very proud of yourself.

Helen Percival, Sawley NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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FEATURES

Writing a new chapter It’s never too late to take a new direction in life, as Pauline Prior-Pitt found when she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a poet.

I was 38 — approaching my forties — and a quote from the book I was reading, Straight is the Gate by André Gide, deeply affected me.

The things she makes her happiness out of nowadays are so different from the things she had dreamed of, the things on which it seemed her happiness ought to have depended.

At the time I was working as a teacher advisor in Special Needs and Dyslexia, running in-service training courses for teachers. I was very happy in my job, but my first qualifications had been in the theatre arts and verse speaking.

My three children were teenagers and, like most wives and mothers, I had fitted my work outside the home around my family. After reading the quote I suddenly found myself, very late at night, writing poems about my situation — about men, children, the domestic scene, the juggling life women lead.

Most poets I knew of were male and often dead, but one day I heard the Irish poet Eavan Boland read her poem Night Feed on Woman’s Hour, and that encouraged me to continue writing about women’s lives.

Below: one of Pauline’s paintings, Storm

For seven years I wrote in secret. Then, one summer evening after several glasses of wine and with some trepidation, because many of the poems were not flattering about men, I read the poems to my husband, Robert. He was very encouraging and suggested that I should join a writing group, which I did.

The group gave readings at various venues, and audiences identified with my poems and wanted copies. A friend who had a small publishing company, Spike Press, offered to publish my first collection, called Waiting Women.

Then I joined a Women’s Studies evening class and discovered that the topics we covered chimed with the poems I was writing.

One of the lecturers persuaded me to send my collection to Woman’s Hour, which I did, and I was interviewed. I was so unprepared! I didn’t have outlets in shops. It was 1989, so no website, no email address. But I did have 50 letters, from women wanting to buy books, forwarded to me.

By 1990, I was giving poetry readings to women’s groups and libraries and the odd after dinner talk, and that year we moved to live in Warwick. I asked the director of the Warwick Festival if he would be interested in having a poetry evening as part of his classical music festival. He was very encouraging and I took great delight in appearing in my first festival.

In 1993, early retirement was on the horizon. I loved my job and was undecided until I asked myself, “If you were lying on your deathbed, would you regret not giving your poetry a real chance?” The answer was “Yes”, and so I began a life writing poems and performing.

A friend suggested sending my “deathbed scenario” to Good Housekeeping. They were interested and ran an article which included a few poems. Still no internet, but this time I had 600 letters from women wanting to buy books. The article had mentioned that I performed my poems to “ladies who lunch”.

My first experience as a conference speaker was for the National Women’s Register. Jane Streeter, who was just setting up

A Woman’s Prayer Oh Lord! Grant me one whole day in the house alone, a day from before dawn until after sunset, a day from morning until evening or from after breakfast until dinner time.

No, cancel that, thinking about dinner will ruin the day.

Grant me one whole day to be master of the house. Not mistress; master of the house, all day.

Well Lord! It’s hard to explain the difference it makes, the tidiness stays tidy, meals are taken lightly, but it’s more than that.

Alone is separate, spacious.

I may do everything. I may do nothing.

Limitless hours of possibility release the day.

Oh Lord! On second thoughts, grant me two whole days in the house alone.

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FEATURES

Eve

The Dead

We hadn’t seen him for weeks.

They walk with you, the dead.

I’d just sprinkled incense into the hot pool, was lying there in starlight sipping iced nectar listening to the nightingales.

Some skip along in front, some walk beside some, like naughty children, drag behind.

He appeared out of nowhere in complete meltdown bellowing my name.

Others walk on top of you, crush you into nothing, or demand to be carried like shopping.

I stood my ground without a towel,

A few slip like loose change into pockets.

“It was only an apple for god’s sake.

And I only took one bite.

Get over it.”

And one or two lie curled together, stitched into the lining of your heart.

He crept away and I stepped back into the pool.

It was a fundamental moment.

Two more of Pauline’s paintings of North Uist.

Top left: Sea’s Edge Left: Curved Beach

her bookshop in Lowdham, was a delegate and she invited me to be her first event. When she started the Lowdham Book Festival, I became a regular visitor, and Jane has become a friend.

By now I was performing at literature festivals, to ladies who lunch, at big charity events, at National Women’s Day events, once to an all men’s group — which was revealing — and running poetry workshops in local colleges. And, of course, I was writing and publishing more books: Addresses and Dreams, Ironing with Sue Lawley.

Then, in 1997, we came on holiday to North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides. We loved it, and moved here in 1998. I had always longed to get back to living closer to the sea, and now I couldn’t be much closer — it’s at the bottom of the field at the back of my house.

Moving here had a pretty drastic effect on my poetry performing life. I didn’t know anyone on the poetry scene in Scotland. The poetry hubs are in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St Andrews, and there aren’t any ladies’ luncheon clubs.

The effect on my writing was also profound. I had only ever written about women, and didn’t think I would write about landscape, but slowly, as I walked the beaches, my notebook filled with images. Storm Biscuits, my first book about the island, was published in 2001, followed by a pamphlet called North Uist Sea Poems, which is like a journal of poems recording how the sea was on particular days. It’s a handmade, hand stitched square pamphlet, and it was this pamphlet that opened the door to the Scottish poetry scene because in 2006 it won the Callum MacDonald Memorial Award and, as a result, I began to get to know poets in Scotland. Poetry thrives in Scotland. Poets know each other. The Scottish Book Trust

supports writers with their travel and accommodation within Scotland and I was accepted onto their database of poets. The Scottish Poetry Library included my poems in several of its anthologies.

Taigh Chearsabhagh is an award-winning museum and arts centre on North Uist, where I organise monthly poetry evenings and run monthly writing workshops. It’s where I studied drawing and painting part-time, to help me to look and also to find the language to write about the landscape.

Every summer I exhibit my paintings as part of the Art on the Map studio trail, and that was how Anna Dreda, director of the Wenlock Poetry Festival, found my poetry books. She invited me to read at her festival, and it was through Anna that I got to know the writer Marion Molteno and her wonderful book, Uncertain Light. Unbeknown to me, Marion had been a fan of my poetry for many years. She persuaded me to make a selection from all my women’s poems and put them into one collection. That collection is called Be an Angel.

Although I didn’t begin to fulfil my dreams until I was in my early fifties, I have no regrets about the time before then because I was learning and storing up experiences.

I’m still writing, performing, teaching, painting. Up until Covid, I was travelling to mainland Scotland and England several times a year to read at festivals and events. Now I’m Zooming there instead!

Do visit my website: https://www.pauline-priorpitt.com/ There are plenty of poems to read and a video.

Pauline was interviewed by Marion Molteno as part of her NWR Creative Women series. You can view a recording of the talk on YouTube: https://tinyurl. com/3xpkqc5n NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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FEATURES

Carrying on through Covid

Photo by Nicola Fioravanti on Unsplash

Winners of NWR’s Mary Stott Award are often nominated because of their dedicated charity work. Here, some of them tell us about how their projects around the world have been faring during the pandemic.

Helping parents through loss Carol Crane, our 2014 winner, set up a charity to help parents or guardians who, like her, have lost a child. Here, she tells us of the challenges facing a bereavement support charity during a pandemic.

The Rosie Crane Trust has been supporting bereaved parents since I set up the charity in 2006, two years after the death of my youngest daughter to leukaemia. Despite having a loving, supportive family and wonderful friends I found that, by normalising my feelings, talking to other bereaved parents was immensely liberating and, as a result, I felt less isolated. Our services include a telephone Listening Ear Service, befriending and drop-in coffee mornings twice a month. We also make regular pre-arranged calls to those in need of extra support.

Although I always appreciated that most of us feel the need for human contact, Covid-19 and the necessary restrictions and lockdown have highlighted this, and this is the most important thing that the parents who would normally come to our drop-in coffee mornings miss. Being able to look into the eyes of someone who has also experienced the loss of a son or daughter, the unspoken understanding knowing we have all experienced such a devastating loss, the gentle empathic touch of a hand on your arm is something video meetings cannot quite replicate. I am so grateful for this amazing technology which does enable us to see each other’s faces and chat almost as we would in ‘normal’ times, but not everyone has access to the internet and can join in. We have been keeping in touch with those without the internet by phone and messaging.

Our telephone line has been busy but, without the invaluable time and support of our volunteers, the phone is only being answered by me, which can be very emotionally draining when added to the anxiety and uncertainty most of us feel as a result of the pandemic. Similarly, our admin and finance volunteers 12

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are unable to come into the office and keep all the paperwork in order — this area has never been my strong point, but I am doing my best with some remote help from our loyal volunteers.

Fundraising has been almost impossible without the usual events we would attend, which also means we have not been able to raise the profile or awareness of the trust. We did take part in a virtual Christmas tree festival this year which took place throughout Advent, so our charity Christmas tree was decorated and photographed earlier than usual this year! Our annual candle lighting in memory of the children we have lost had to take place virtually, with us all lighting our candles in unison and holding them up to the screen. Even though this was very moving, it didn’t have the same feeling and intensity as it does when all our candles are lit and shining together.

We use photo baubles for our tree in the festival: parents send in photos of their child which I print out to fit in the baubles. Usually, I would give these baubles to the parents at our candle lighting event, which of course I could not do, so I photographed the baubles individually and printed them onto a personalised Christmas card for each parent so they could at least see their bauble, which was very much appreciated.

It has been a challenging year, but we have found ways around continuing our support and keeping the charity viable.

I look forward to a time when we can all meet up again in person free of the confines of Covid-19.

Carol Crane, former member of Chard NWR

End of life care for children in Belarus Antoinette Ferraro was presented with the award in 2019 in part because of her work with the Friends of Belarusian Children’s Hospice, which provides support for a children’s hospice in Minsk The Belarusian Children’s Hospice (BCH) has had a very difficult year, with several members of staff being struck down with Covid, some needing hospitalisation, which in Belarus was not nice! Fortunately, none of the children have been affected, although I am sure they are at considerable risk with all their medical problems. The Hospice at Home care largely stopped and was converted into phone support, as the nursing and doctor staff members could not easily travel out to the families.

FEATURES

Building on education in Kenya After a trip to Kenya where she saw the poverty in a slum area of Mombasa, 2009 winner Rita Fowler set up the Mustard Seed Project, which helps to empower local people to effect change in their community.

You may remember that when I was presented with the Mary Stott Award in 2009, our charity was just one year old and had modest ambitions. It was set up following a holiday in Kenya and a visit to the area where we now work. We saw a school and were so moved by what we saw that we felt we could not walk away, and decided to send out resources and return to paint the school building. In the event we set up our own school and now have a school with a feeding programme for 300 children aged 3–14, in classes of 25–30, in a deprived area of Mombasa. The school, which started in a small, rented

Generally speaking, the country has not acknowledged Covid in a very serious manner, but we — Friends of BCH — have had some influence from here as to best practice etc.

The one casualty of the year was that none of our trustees was able to fly over there for our usual supportive visits, and the planned postgraduate course to spread the word about supportive physiotherapy, which was to have taken place for two weeks in November 2020, has not happened. It is now rescheduled for September this year, circumstances permitting.

The other difficulty last year was the political situation*, of course, which is ongoing in a very difficult manner. Let’s hope that 2021 is better all round!

Antoinette Ferraro, Amersham North NWR *There were huge street protests over last August’s election, widely thought to have been rigged, which returned Alexander Lukashenko as leader. Lukashenko took office in 1994. The protests were ruthlessly put down by riot police.

building, moved several times until we eventually found a larger building to rent. When this also became too small we managed to find a plot of land upon which to build.

The school had started with just 17 children and two teachers, and then grew by one class a year. My husband Geoff and I spend two periods of one month each year working on the project. Geoff works with the youth and women and I work in the school doing in-service training with our qualified teachers etc. Government schools have classes of 100+ and little in the way of resources. The aim of our school is to ensure that each child is stretched so that everyone is achieving the very best they can. In 2018 our first group of 14-year-olds took their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and the mean score was B minus — the Kenyan government considers a C to be a good grade. Then in 2019, the next group again achieved a mean score of B minus, with one child getting an A minus which put him in the top 1% in the country. There were no exams in 2020 as, because of Covid, all schools were closed.

The schools’ closure in March was a disaster for the community but, for us, it was both good and bad news. By 2018 we had completed the ground floor of our own building. In 2020 we had finally raised sufficient funds to start building the upper storey and, without the children, the contractor could safely continue with construction. During the year we managed to raise the rest of the funding and the children returned to school in January 2021, to a brand-new building. YAY! Minor things

remain to be completed, like the slabs and fence outside, but with the children in school these can only be done at weekends.

This completed building helps towards the sustainability of the project, with no rent to pay. But we still need to feed our children at a cost of £6 per month per child, and we need to pay our teachers’ salaries. We are so glad that we managed to visit Kenya in February 2020 before lockdown, but it is so disappointing to only see our new building in photographs!

But Covid-19 has also had disastrous effects. In lockdown many of our parents had no income and would have starved if it were not for Mustard Seed Project. Most private schools closed entirely. Without school fees they could not pay teachers or pay the rent of their building. We managed to raise money to pay teachers’ salaries, feed the 78 poorest families, provide soap for all and homework for the children. Academically, our children will have suffered like disadvantaged children everywhere. No government online lessons for them. We can only hope that our committed teachers will at least partly manage to bridge the gap.

To learn more: www.mustardseedproject.co.uk Rita Fowler, Deepings NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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FEATURES

Supporting schooling in Uganda 2010 winner Penny O’Bee was nominated for research she had been doing in northeast Uganda, living with the Karamoja tribe for six months.

Part of her work was to look at why so many Karimojong children ended up many miles away, adrift on the streets of the capital, Kampala.

Some of these children would eventually find help at the Adonai Centre, which Penny has helped to support for many years.

The Adonai Centre is an NGO in a semi-rural area of Uganda, an hour from Kampala, which serves the local community and other vulnerable children. Led by Pastor Aloysious Luswata and his wife Abbie, it comprises a purpose-built nursery and primary school for 350 children.

On site is a home for boarding scholars, which started life as an orphanage but, due to changes in government legislation, is now a term-time residence for the children. The boys have a separate dormitory, set up by converting a chicken coop which no longer provided income.

Since I was presented with the Mary Stott Award in 2010, the centre has been expanded by the addition of: ■■ A medical centre for basic care, for instance for malaria and enteritis, but especially for maternity care ■■ A double row of 10 rooms for teachers, built a few minutes away from school and with reduced rent costs ■■ A home for the leaders and family 10 minutes from the centre, built as a gift by a fellow Ugandan ■■ A hostel for teenage girls built in the garden of the Luswata’s family home. Such girls lacking parents are very vulnerable, sadly even from some teachers. This will be a safe space providing support and mentoring.

The boys lay paving stones to counter the mud

Covid effects I was surprised when, via Zoom, I was told the hardest thing to cope with was the school closure in March. I had imagined that food provision might have been the biggest problem, but shutting the school has had far reaching effects. All children with anywhere to go, even to rather dubious guardians, were sent away with two weeks’ worth of homework and food.

All but the top year, the final exam students, remain out of 14

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education. Remember that ages vary in a class according to how often parents can pay fees, so now some girls are pregnant, new mothers or married. Most students will be working now and many will never return to education. It is also said that child sacrifice* has increased in the country.

Closure also meant that teachers had to find other sources of income as, without school, there was no money. A few are back now, working with exam students. Some well-trained teachers may never return.

Food prices have risen a lot. The help provided by Adonai UK during Covid was almost all spent on medication and food because many in the community were hungry. Some children were taken food, others could not be reached over such a long period. Fortunately, Adonai invested in a 19-acre farm up-country, using money raised in the UK — for two years running, for a few weeks each year, we opened a charity

There is still time for your nominations!

Is there someone in your group who has: ●● made an exceptional contribution to NWR, the community and/or the wider world; ●● made great strides in her own personal development; ●● shown a great commitment to a project.

See page 7 or email office@nwr.org.uk to find out how. shop. The farm supplies seasonal food for the centre, although developments on the farm, for instance a maize mill, have stalled due to costs.

Health care is being hindered since medicines are currently difficult to access due to import restrictions that have been imposed because of the pandemic. However, the medical centre still sees two to three new babies delivered each week, and is exploring some natural medicines. A Covid test costs 250,000 shillings, which is around £49 — another drain on resources.

Aloysious believes mentorship is vitally important for all the children but especially for those without a father. He has worked with the boys who are left with him, and his own two sons. They were involved in food delivery, digging up any spare piece of land to plant food, and have been laying an extensive area of paving stones in parts of the centre where mud had been a big problem.

To sum up, I think work at Adonai Family Uganda has progressed well due to: ■■ A gifted and totally committed leadership, who have proved their integrity time and again ■■ The fact that everything volunteers have done has been decided by Africans themselves, and nurtures the children or their carers ■■ The setting up of Adonai UK as a charity to transfer funds into the project, including child sponsorship.

If you would like to know more about our charity, you can get up-to-date information at info@adonaiuk.org.

Penny O’Bee, Tadley NWR *The abduction and killing of a child so that the spirits take seriously your requests. It has always gone on but more clandestinely these days. Some parents pierce a baby’s ears for protection against such an abduction because the sacrifice must be perfect!

Photo by Arnaud Mesureur on Unsplash

GREEN SPACE

Flushing away forests One of the rather more bizarre effects of the pandemic has been to highlight the importance of toilet paper in our lives. But, what are the repercussions of our buying choices in the world beyond our bathrooms?

In 2018, the average consumption of toilet paper in the UK stood at 127 rolls per capita, placing us third in the ranking of most extravagant users of loo roll in the world.

The US, unsurprisingly, topped the chart, whereas our French counterparts used almost half the amount as us Brits, presumably due to the prevalence of the bidet in French lavatory culture.

Toilet paper is the throwaway product par excellence, used for a matter of seconds before being disposed of. Despite this, most major tissue brands rely heavily on virgin wood pulp for the production of their toilet tissue. Vast swathes of natural forest are cut down, only to be flushed away after a single use.

■■ FSC

Recycled – All wood must be pre- or post-consumer waste.

■■ FSC Mix – This is the one most frequently found on toilet paper. A mix of FSC virgin wood, recycled, and virgin wood from ‘controlled sources.’

Controlled sources are not fully certified FSC forests, but rather forests that are considered low risk. This label is therefore the least stringent of the three labels.

It is hard to justify using virgin wood pulp to make a product that is, by definition, to be immediately disposed of, especially when there are more sustainable options, such as using recycled pulp, which are easily available.

Forest stewardship

Recycled toilet paper

Nearly all the major brands, and supermarket own-brands, supply toilet tissue that carries the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ‘tree-tick’ stamp, giving assurance, at least in theory, that the timber used to make the product was sustainably sourced.

However, there are three different FSC logos: ■■ FSC 100% - Wood from fully FSC-certified forests. This is virgin timber, albeit from a well-managed source.

Recycled wood pulp is a clear alternative to virgin fibre.

Pre-consumer recycled content generally comprises of materials left over from the manufacturing process, such as offcuts, while post-consumer content is material that, rather than being thrown away after the first use, is used for something else, e.g. office paper.

What to buy

What not to buy

What to look for when buying toilet paper: ■■ Is it recycled? Recycled paper is far more sustainable than virgin pulp. Choose this over other options.

■■ Is it made from alternative fibres? Fibres such as bamboo and agricultural waste, if responsibly sourced, are more sustainable than virgin pulp. For bamboo, look for the FSC stamp.

■■ Is its packaging recyclable? The oceans will contain more plastic by weight than fish by 2050. Opt for unpackaged toilet roll (available in local wholefood stores) or one with biodegradable packaging.

What to avoid when buying toilet roll: ■■ Is it made from virgin wood pulp? If it carries the label ‘FSC Mix’ then it will be made using virgin wood pulp.

There is no need to cut down forests to make toilet roll.

■■ Is it made using bleach? Less bleach is used in the production of recycled paper. Ideally, go for brands that do not use chlorine processing at all.

■■ Is it wrapped in plastic? Avoid products with single-use plastic.

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GREEN SPACE Often, recycled tissue uses a mix of pre- and post-consumer waste, although the greatest environmental benefits come with the latter.

Toilet paper made from recycled waste has a significantly lesser environmental impact than virgin fibre, not only because it does not increase demand for living trees to be felled, but also because it uses far less water in the production process, and generates far fewer hazardous air pollutants.

In addition, recycled paper generally requires less bleach than virgin pulp, and some papers are completely chlorine free, often using hydrogen peroxide as a whitening agent.

The decline of recycled fibre Despite the negative environmental impacts of using virgin tree fibre, it appears that use of recycled fibre has declined over the years. If we take Kimberly-Clark, one of the biggest suppliers of toilet tissue worldwide, we see that in 2011, just under 30% of total fibre used was from recycled fibre, but by 2017 this figure had fallen to just over 23.5%.

It is difficult to pin down exactly why this is, but it appears that the trend is, at least in part, as a result of the rise of the luxury toilet paper market. In the struggle for market share, brands attempt to offer ever more luxury, and virgin pulp is favoured for its apparently greater softness.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

The potential of bamboo

This is an extract from an article by Alex Crumbie in Ethical Consumer Magazine. Established in 1989, Ethical Consumer is an independent, not-for-profit organisation whose aim is help consumers shop ethically and sustainably. Find out more at https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ 16

NWR Magazine Spring 2021

Julie Williams of Wisbech NWR celebrates the working women fighting on our behalf for equal rights, often with very little recognition.

We’ve still got a long way to go, but the Equal Pay Act which finally came into force on 29 May 1970 was a big step in the right direction — and we’d never have got that far without the brave working women who’d been fighting for their rights through the trade union movement for nearly two hundred years.

All those women who battled for decent pay and conditions at work — contending not only with the bosses but also with the fears of male fellow workers — don’t show up in school history lessons, but they deserve a memorial, and our recognition that the fight goes on.

That’s why retired trade union activists and friends Julie Williams and Sue Dockett together wrote a booklet, which they aimed to launch on 29 May 2020, the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. They carried on interviewing and writing after lockdown, and the booklet was printed, but the launch has been delayed by the crisis.

Sue said: “We are celebrating the achievements of 170 years of working women’s struggles for equality through the trade union movement but, fifty years on from the Act, women are still fighting for equal pay and equal rights. We wanted to tell the personal stories of women in the East of England who are active in their union today.”

Women have been campaigning and striking for equal pay with varying success since the 1830s. At the beginning of Dagenham strikers: Ford’s sewing machinists at Dagenham voting to go on strike in 1968 Photo: Pat Mantle TUC Library Collections at London Metropolitan University

These days, bamboo is finding its way into more and more products, including toilet paper, offered as a sustainable alternative to using virgin wood fibre. Bamboo is technically a grass, which allows companies who use it to make the claim that their products are ‘tree-free’.

It is more sustainable than virgin fibre for a number of reasons. It is the fastest growing plant on the planet and can thrive in soils that are depleted of nutrients, enriching them in the process. And tissue products created from bamboo release approximately 30% fewer greenhouse gases than those made from virgin wood.

Bamboo toilet roll, when responsibly sourced, is certainly more sustainable than virgin wood pulp. However, for those of us in the UK, it must be shipped thousands of miles across the ocean before it reaches our rear ends. For this reason, and as recycled paper helps reduce landfill, we would favour that over bamboo toilet roll.

Absent from the history lessons

FEATURES

Collectively active women

Above left: Julie Williams with Dangerous Liaisons booklet Above right: Sue Dockett, secretary of Wisbech’s trades council, with its banner

the 20th century, Mary Macarthur challenged low pay and exploitation and, through her National Federation of Women Workers, helped women achieve significant improvements.

But it was the strike by Ford sewing machinists in 1968, portrayed in the film “Made in Dagenham”, that resulted in the new Equal Pay Act. Megan Dobney, until last year secretary of the Trades Union Congress East and South East Region, has written a foreword to the booklet. More than half of trades union members today are women, and around a third of unions are led by women.

Megan stresses that a woman’s place is not just in her union but leading her union.

Sue continued: “The Covid-19 crisis has shone a light on the continuing underpayment and undervaluing of hundreds of thousands of working women who have been at the forefront of fighting the pandemic.

“This story of past achievement has shown that when women come together in a trade union we can achieve change. We hope that when the country returns to some form of normality this booklet can help inspire today’s women to never accept that things cannot be changed, but to join a union and change them.”

Some women are more equal than others Despite the progress made since 1970, the gender pay gap remains, and is experienced differently by different women.

In April 2020: ■■ ■■ ■■

The gender pay gap among all employees was 15.5% The gender pay gap among full-time employees was 7.4% The gender pay gap for full-time employees under 40 was close to zero, but was over 10% for older age groups.

Women are more likely to work part-time, and part-time workers are paid less. In 2019, 5.4 million women worked part-time compared to 1.6 million men, and gross median hourly pay for part time workers was £9.94 compared to £14.88 for full-time workers.

Women tend to work in lower paid occupations and sectors.

In 2019, 28% of women were employed in the lowest paying sectors compared to 13% of men. Conversely, high-paying occupations employed 18% of women but 26% of men.

The full-time gender pay gap only becomes significant when women reach their 40s. This may be because women begin to take time out to care for children or elderly relatives in their 30s and 40s which affects their earnings when they return.

Source: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/50-years-ofthe-equal-pay-act/

We’re the same age and both committed trade unionists, but my friend Sue remained an activist, while I handed in my membership of the National Union of Journalists after retirement.

I became Local Organiser of my NWR branch. Sue, who’d been branch secretary of Croydon NALGO/UNISON for 13 years, became secretary of our town’s Trades Council.

When, in 2019, she asked me for help interviewing working women active in their unions for a booklet aimed at getting women to not only join but have the confidence to take a lead in their union, I couldn’t resist.

As an ordinary union member working in provincial papers, I’d joined the picket line in two strikes, both of which won justice for all staff members in the form of a transparent and improved pay structure and better conditions.

The second of these, a local dispute in 2002, was led by younger women journalists on my newspaper and I was proud to take part. Later I became Mother of the Chapel (shop steward) and used the agreement won in that strike to hold management to account in individual cases.

I wanted to interview grassroots members like myself, and it was a joy to speak to 21st century working women who have gained confidence through joining a union and gone on to make a real difference in their own workplace.

Women like: Health visitor Karen Hayes, who used social media to build up UNITE membership among her scattered colleagues in rural eastern England, in order to fight the lowering of their professional standards and pay that followed when the county council took over their service within Lincolnshire.

Train guard/on board supervisor with Southern Rail Millie Apedo-Amah, rep for 78 male and female members of the RMT in her depot, still locked in dispute with the rail company over their insistence on axing the role of guard. Millie is proud to say her 25-year-old daughter, who’s a nurse, is a union activist like herself.

Claire Evans, who as a hospital cleaner was among 200 domestics at a Harlow hospital who joined the health workers’ union UNISON when threatened with privatisation. Claire became their spokesperson in a nail-biting, monthslong dispute which forced management to back down a day before strike action Claire, campaigning with was due. After the success of that her three daughters campaign, Claire decided to offer a wider range of skills and is now a health care assistant.

It was inspiring to write the stories of these determined women and many more for our booklet, which is called Dangerous Liaisons. To access the content online or send for a free print copy please email wmdtuc@gmail.com.

Julie Williams, Wisbech NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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THE BIG READ

Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are* Judging by the bumper crop of reviews that came in, many of you found this to be the case. Here’s what you thought of the Big Read 2020.

Eastbourne evaluates Eastbourne NWR tackled the The Big Read in a slightly different way this year. We agreed that members would read any of the books they fancied and write a brief review. The reviews were then shared by email and discussed at our fortnightly meeting on Zoom.

Three members chose Palm Beach Finland by Antti Tuomainen, and here is an extract from one of the reviews: I chose this book because I had never heard of this author or read a book set in Finland. Also, it’s a crime thriller with humour which the reviews likened to Fargo, one of my favourite films.

Antti Tuomainen is an award-winning Finnish copywriter. He has published eight books and six have been translated into English. He describes his books as being divided into two groups “the very dark ones and the ones with a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of black humour.” Palm Beach Finland falls into the humorous category and begins with a joke about the Finnish weather and a quote from Groucho Marx.

The novel is set in the present day, in a Finnish coastal area near the Russian border. The title refers to the beach resort which has recently been made over from a rundown motel to a colourful resort with Miami style decor and plastic flamingos.

The book covers a lot of themes: inheritance, people who move away from where they grew up (and those who don’t), what is failure and success, the pressures lack of money causes, expectations of life – and it has a love story. Although there is some violence it’s done with a light touch. There are laugh out loud moments.

I would recommend it if you like crime thrillers with humour.

Two members read Jenny Joseph’s poem Warning. We were very surprised to hear she wrote it when she was 29! We learned that there is a Red Hat Society inspired by the poem and its entry on Wikipedia is longer than the entry for Jenny Joseph.

Another member revisited The L-shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks. This is from her review: It is a book about real life, one her readers might know about but have probably not experienced.

Today, we think of the sixties as a time of mini-skirts, flower power, the pill and sexual freedom. For many it was, but for the majority of the population, within the strictures of polite society, it was very different.

Reading it now one cannot but be appalled by the casual racism, homophobia and antisemitism spoken by some of the characters, usually in what they would term ‘a light-hearted way’. The sixties were certainly very different!

Lynne Reid Banks didn’t consider herself a feminist writer, even though this is spoken of as a feminist novel. It was an interesting piece of social history as much as a good read, with references to: girdles; suspenders; a fatherly GP who arrived

within 10 minutes and helped deliver her baby in hospital; pea-soup fogs; tomboys; not just the underclass living in extreme poverty; the use of the term ‘senile decay’; drinking and smoking through pregnancy viewed as normal; spluttering gas fires fed with coins; shared phone lines; having to leave work once pregnant; abortion clinics for those who could afford them and gin and a hot bath for the others – or worse. And, throughout, the overriding stigma and shame of being unmarried and pregnant.

It is well worth a read, if only to see how much better life is for women now and to give an enormous vote of thanks to those who made it possible.

One member read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and told us about the harsh childhood of the author, which she survived to become a famous civil rights activist as well as a respected poet who recited one of her poems at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

A further two members picked Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey, and shared with us the social history contrasting the lives of the Fitzwilliams of Wentworth Woodhouse with those of the miners who worked in the family’s coal mines. We also learnt a lot about this incredible house right up to the present day.

The Big Read choices were very varied and allowed for much interesting discussion.

Yvonne Frances, Eastbourne NWR

Comparing notes in Folkestone Folkestone NWR had already chosen to read The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks and The Ballad of Peckham Rye

by Muriel Spark before lockdown, so there was absolutely no reason not to get stuck in with some legitimate reading.

Zoom is our new best friend so the review meeting was lively and opinionated, while always remembering the screen’s green spotlight box for one person to hold forth without interruption!

Most derision was aimed at Muriel Spark’s book. Everyone had read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, so this novella came as an unwelcome surprise for some.

It tells retrospectively the story of Dougal Douglas, a “devilish” Scot who moves to Peckham, where he causes havoc, distress, mistrust, and even death amongst this late 1950s community. It is a weird, semi-political tale, encompassing the social mores and working patterns of the era. Two of us laughed out loud at this book, but others shunned it with distaste. Overall, it got a thumbs down.

The L-Shaped Room, on the other hand, moved us all — in spite of the depressing storyline.

27-year-old Jane Graham, finding herself accidentally pregnant, moves — somewhat deliberately, to punish herself

*A quote from Mason Cooley, 1927–2002, who was an American academic known for his witty aphorisms 18

NWR Magazine Spring 2021

THE BIG READ — to a miserable bedsit in Fulham which is peopled with disparate occupants overseen by a vile landlady. These tenants are carefully woven into Reid Banks’ tale.

It is definitely a piece of its time, with racist and homophobic overtones which would never be published now. The author had herself run away from her safe, middle class home for one night, bag packed, after a furious family row. Finding a cheap room in a seedy boarding house, the idea for the novel was born. A good read, was the verdict.

Both authors have given insightful interviews over the years and deserve renewed attention.

NB Never compare the film of The L-Shaped Room, starring Leslie Caron, with the book!

Gill Downs, Folkestone NWR

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee I had often thought that I should read this socalled modern classic but never got around to it, so, when it became our choice of book, the opportunity presented itself.

Once past the first chapter, I too found it became much easier to follow and actually began to enjoy the story. Initially, I concentrated on the main characters as I found that trying to draw in all the others and remember who they were was distracting.

Once into the story it was then easier to use them to build a bigger picture.

I liked the first part of the book, and life as described through the eyes of precocious Scout, who never held back from saying what she thought, and her brother Jem, who seemed very patient with her. Atticus, in this part of the book, seemed a rather shadowy person.

In the second part, however, Atticus came into his own and I found the scenes in court to be very atmospheric. The description of everyone, including babies and children crowding into the court house, was very good and I almost felt as if I were there too, and wanted to know the outcome of the trial.

I felt it all went rather flat after that, with the chapters about the meeting of the ladies of the town, but I suppose that was to give us an idea of people’s thoughts at that time, which towards the end of the book was revealed as 1935. The final chapters raised the story up again and I am glad that Mr Boo Radley finally emerged, as I was very curious to know what he looked like!

I think To Kill a Mockingbird was a book of its time written in black and white terms, in more than one way. It shows how times were in the Deep South of America and what was accepted — and perhaps still is in some cases — also how times have changed but are still not without great difficulties.

Overall, I am glad that I finally got round to reading it.

Diane Bytel, Hadleigh/Southend NWR This story is set in the 1930s, in a small town in Deep South America. It deals with serious issues of rape and racial inequality but also has warmth and humour. The story is told through the eyes of a six-year-old girl, and is about the destruction of innocence and racial injustice. The narrator’s father Atticus Finch is a model of integrity and a moral hero for all.

Our group thought it is a book that should be read by everyone and was unanimously liked.

Lynne Crush, Newcastle-under-Lyme NWR

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou We at Wantage enjoyed this brilliantly written account of Maya Angelou’s childhood. It gave us insight into the struggles of her people to survive “white illogical hate and Black lack of power” in the second quarter of the twentieth century. The beauty of the book is in her voice: she carries us along with humour and healthy cynicism, courage and the strong spirit of a “phenomenal woman”.

Her story begins with Maya, a sensitive child, falteringly reciting a poem and, overwhelmed, leaving the church. We find that she and her brother Bailey, aged three and four, had been put on a train from California, with tags on their wrists, sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, when their parents’ marriage ended, and that other “frightened Black children” had made such journeys when their parents had failed to make a better life in the north. We learn that Maya and Bailey think they must have done something very wrong to have been sent away, also how devoted they are to each other.

Life with Momma and Uncle Willie at Momma’s Store provides as much security as possible, and Momma is strict but fair. Maya helps out in the store, witnessing the hopeful start to cotton pickers’ gruelling day, and their poorly paid, despondent return.

Her poem, Caged Bird, refers to “bars of rage” within which “the caged bird sings of freedom”. The people of Stamps find hope, a chance to sing and pray, and a sense of community in their church, although their behaviour there can also be a source of uncontrollable mirth for two lively children!

Momma is clear that black people need to toe the line.

When “powhitetrash” test her hymn-singing patience, she keeps her dignity and outward respect. When a black man rapes a white woman, and she is warned that “the boys” — the Ku Klux Klan — may visit this evening, Momma hides Uncle Willie amongst the vegetables, for fear that he will be an easy scapegoat because of his disability.

The children receive presents from their parents with mixed feelings: could these mean they are to return? They are angry, having been abandoned. Father does appear, and takes them to “Mother Dear” in St Louis. While they have little time for their father, who remains a stranger, they are charmed by their mother’s gaiety, particularly Bailey. Her approach to parenting is more relaxed than Momma’s. While there, eightyear-old Maya, needing affection and self-assurance, misreads the behaviour of her mother’s boyfriend, and is raped. The consequences are long lasting: she refuses to speak to anyone but Bailey for five years. During this time the children are sent back to Stamps — Maya traumatised, and Bailey heartbroken.

Eventually, a clever friend of Momma invites Maya to her home, and her spirit lifts with the kindness she receives.

Knowing her love of books, Mrs Flowers reads to her, stressing how important it is to hear written words; she lends her books, including poems, asking her to memorise one and to recite it to her. Maya becomes stronger. School Graduation Day 1940 is an exciting celebration, but spirits fall when their white speaker ignorantly praises white children’s achievements, rather than theirs. Instead of accepting the feeling of powerlessness, one of the graduating class faces them and starts to sing the socalled Negro national anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and they all rise to their feet and join in. “I was a proud member of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race”, writes Angelou.

White oppression comes to a head, and Momma decides to return the children to their mother, now in San Francisco, after Bailey has reason to ask, “Uncle Willie, why do they hate us so much?” Life continues to provide Maya with dramatic NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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THE BIG READ challenges, which she meets with increasing courage. Her education is good, she attends drama classes, and she is exhilarated by her experience of learning to drive enough to take her incapable father from a fiesta. Following a spell of sleeping rough, she seems to grow up. She becomes San Francisco’s first female, black streetcar conductor. Her mother becomes increasingly caring, and advises, “Put your whole heart in everything you do.”

As the story closes, we feel that Maya is learning to live with her sensitivity and developing her understanding of others, along with her ability to achieve what she wants.

Readers can draw their own conclusions about how her childhood experiences influence her choices as she moves into adulthood, with its unforeseen responsibilities. This is the first of seven autobiographies. We remember Mayo Angelou mostly as a writer and a civil rights activist, and as a highly respected and honoured woman.

Wantage NWR

Palm Beach Finland Antti Tuomainen

This caused a lively split in our Wantage group. While some of us enjoyed the hilarity of botched tasks and ludicrous behaviour, others were not so impressed! All agreed that Palm Beach Finland was not to be taken seriously.

Downside first! This was expressed eloquently by a member: she had never read a book by a Finnish author, and “really had no idea what to make of it, other than it kept me mildly interested and mildly entertained. It’s quite fast paced and each chapter focuses on a different character,” so it takes time to get to know them all. “From the start, we know who did it and how.” She enjoys most books, of various genres, but not this one: it is “verbal slapstick, just not my type of humour”.

The novel is a comedy of errors: all the characters are flawed, and all make mistakes and poor decisions. The author himself says, “We are all so wonderfully flawed,” and that he is interested in “how we act in times of crisis.”

Well, Palm Beach Finland gives us crisis after crisis, in the midst of which the integrity of serious Olivia, and also purposeful Jan, can provide a sense of anchor within the chaos.

Olivia inherits a rundown house, with a plumbing problem.

There is also the body of a stranger in her kitchen. Then her outbuildings are destroyed by fire. Police on the case are baffled. Enter Jan Nyman, an undercover policeman, presenting as a maths teacher who wants surfboard lessons.

Olivia works on the beach. She naturally becomes suspicious of a maths teacher who cannot count. Their relationship is fun to follow, partly due to mutual mistrust — Jan tells Olivia he became interested in her more than as a suspect, to which she responds, “Did a woman ever hear anything more touching?”

The author enjoys his characters: the entrepreneur Leivo has fabulous plans to develop a resort to rival any other: “the hottest beach in Finland.” Is he deluded? Olivia can see he is failing: only three sunbeds are taken.

Leivo employs Chico and Robin, bumbling lifelong friends, the novel’s clowns. They also want a better life. Leivo wants their help, for if Olivia was to sell her home, he could extend the park. The fact that they bury him up to his neck in sand has unexpectedly happy consequences!

There is a dark aspect to this story in Holma, a psychopath.

We meet him dangling someone from a high window, then his phone rings and he releases the guy to answer it. His mission is to avenge the murder of his brother, boosted by a text he read in prison.

Palm Beach Finland combines crime fiction and a poetic use of language, as in: “The window frame made a noise like the dying gasp of an ageing opera singer.”

Whether or not you love Antti Tuomainen’s writing, it makes a colourful impact, and we agreed that the story, characters and dramatic imagery of Palm Beach Finland could transfer into a film.

When Deepings NWR met to discuss our Big Read book choice, the Zoom atmosphere — because there is such a thing — was bright and light-hearted which, we found, reflected the book itself. A book not to be taken too seriously was, we agreed, why we chose it in the first place, plus the fact that Finland was the NWR country focus.

In terms of how much the book had been enjoyed, an initial show of hands indicated that the majority of our group were middling, with one or two at either end who either strongly disliked or liked it. Further discussion revealed that the black humour genre was perhaps unfamiliar or displeasing to some, and therefore may have caused uncertainty about quite how to receive it, while those familiar with, for instance, the Coen brothers’ Fargo drew positive parallels and felt the book clever, stylish and very funny.

For those who haven’t read it, one literary critic summarised as follows “A cast of misfits, a dead body, and the world’s most unlikely holiday resort — the work of a master storyteller at the very top of his game”. From our group it drew mixed responses, some feeling it was confusing, not their type of book, flat and deadpan, dour with irritating characters, while others found it darkly humorous, a real caper, blackly comical, like a farce, reminiscent of the slapstick comedy of Laurel and Hardy or the Keystone Cops.

The book provoked a lively and good-natured debate, with much laughter along the way as plot lines and characters were recalled — remembered by each of us differently depending on our reactions. We agreed that there were strong characters in the story who provoked an emotional reaction for some of us.

Holma – ugh! Mr Leivo, who dreamt big but whose crazy plans were continually scuppered, some of us felt sorry for; Jan the detective and Olivia the suspect nearly all of us were pleased to see united at the end — aaah! — and the escapades of Chico, Esa and Robin reminded us of the Marx brothers.

We agreed that some of the backdrops to the tale were, literally, fantastic: Finnish beaches, palm trees, a giant pink plastic flamingo, and cold seas and pedalos? The roller-coaster ride of reading the book was something we had liked but felt we would be unlikely to choose to read anything else by the author. We acknowledged that humour is a very personal thing but agreed that for many of us something was lost in translation in this book, and that we didn’t quite ‘get it’.

Perhaps because of this, the majority of us felt the book was quickly forgettable.

This book is crime fiction with many twists and turns. It is set in the Palm Beach Finland resort, run by a wealthy fantasist, and the world’s most unlikely setting for a beach resort. The cast of resident and incoming misfits is extraordinary, contributing to a quirky and surreal novel, which meant that our readers mostly found the plot unbelievable.

However, one of us had worked in Finland, and thought that copious alcohol and black humour were facets of Finnish culture which we may not always understand in England.

Personally, I found Palm Beach Finland an easy read and was intrigued by this unusual book.

Jillian Sage, Deepings NWR

Hilary Bailey, Winchester NWR

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NWR Magazine Spring 2021

Wantage NWR

THE BIG READ Kenton critique Kenton members voted for the three books they would most like to read from this year’s selection. Here are their reviews.

Blood Diamonds by Greg Campbell Only a small number actually tried to read this book — once the first couple reported that they had given up, others were deterred from wanting to give it a try. Of those who made a start, no one got beyond page 100.

Those who delved into the novel found a very complicated and horrifying story line, not helped by too many acronyms of the various organisations.

In addition, rather than finding the book a gripping read, they found it very depressing, although they did acknowledge that this may have been made worse due to lockdown.

Not a book we would recommend.

The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark This book was chosen by the majority of the group for two main reasons: that it was set in London and, based on other Muriel Spark novels such as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, we thought this would be an entertaining read.

Most members thought that, unlike The L-Shaped Room, the story was very dated and had not stood the test of time.

The story was very disjointed in terms of timeline, with too much jumping about, and also ridiculous and far-fetched, even for the 60s, given there was no indication that it was a fairy tale or fantasy.

We were also confused as to why Peckham Rye had been chosen for the title, when there was very little to relate it to either Peckham or indeed London.

The overall opinion was that the book was enjoyed by about half of those who read it, and that it was a short, lighthearted read.

The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks This was by far the most popular and enjoyable of the books Kenton chose.

We all felt that the story had stood the test of time and that, given when it was written, it was groundbreaking. It was also a reflection of the times; of single mothers being disowned by their families, and of devious plans to try and make the pregnancy look respectable.

In addition to the main storyline of a single pregnant woman in the 60s, subjects such as race and illegal abortion were also woven into the plot.

One aspect of the writing we all appreciated was the descriptive content — this was especially recognised by those who had lived in very similar conditions back in the day.

All of us had empathy with the main character and found the book a page turner, particularly as we were all intrigued to find out about the baby’s father and the circumstances of why she was on her own.

We thought this was a very good novel, with a happy ending of the father coming good — worthy of at least four stars.

Some had seen the film version and, although not entirely true to the book, it was felt that testimony had been paid as there were parts of the script which were taken directly from the book.

Thank you to Jackie for being our pioneer in using the NWR Zoom contract!

Kenton NWR

The L-Shaped Room Lynne Reid Banks I thought The L-Shaped Room was a great read. I had not read it before, which was a pity as I would have been interested to see how my own attitudes towards it might have changed over the years.

I enjoyed the book as a love story containing kindness, compassion, love and empathy, but it is far more than that. The L-shaped room could be seen as a metaphor for a turning point in Jane’s life. She had been chucked out of her father’s house and lost her job for being pregnant. She had to make a new path for herself. She punished herself by choosing a room in a squalid flat in a deprived area — the L-shaped room.

This book has rightly been described as a time capsule of the late 1950s. Jane’s experiences bring to the fore the attitudes and prejudices of that era, which make it a fascinating read particularly, I imagine, for those who never experienced life at that time. The most obvious were racism, antisemitism, homophobia and attitudes towards single mothers, abortion and class. All these still exist today but to a lesser extent.

I found I cared about Jane, I think because she was brave to go it alone in that era — beating “I can do anything” with her teaspoon. I wanted the best possible outcome for her and her baby.

During her life in the L-Shaped Room we are introduced to interesting characters who illustrate the prejudices of the time.

John, a large black man, is described as being like a monkey and having a large black paw and a Negro odour. Toby, she suspected to be Jewish and wondered why he changed his name to Coleman. Her boss, James, had particularly choice antisemitic phrases. There are many disapproving actions and remarks against single mothers, even describing them as whores. Toby said of a 15-year-old girl in a club that the little bitch would soon become pregnant. The pill was introduced in 1960 but was not widely available until 1967. A resident in the flats, Mavis, was keen to help her abort the baby. I remember a friend and others in the early 60s being whisked off to hospital under a cloak of secrecy. Reid Banks’ own mother apparently said to her to be careful that young women didn’t read her book and think that being a single mother was a noble and courageous thing to do.

Although Jane had a good relationship with the Jews she knew, and with John, she did have her own prejudices. She recognised Malcolm as a queer but she ‘liked him otherwise’.

Occasionally her attitude was a put-down to black people and Jews. She once admitted that she had ‘some atavistic fear’ of John because he was black.

I enjoyed Reid Banks’ description of places. I have memories of being plunged into darkness on the staircase. I remember the adverts for jobs and flats in shop windows and Cinzano ashtrays. It made me smile.

I liked, too, the portrayal of all the characters such as Doris and Mavis. Terry felt a bit empty but was probably meant to be. I felt for her father in the end as he probably felt guilty at failing to connect with his daughter, and was very lonely. Addy was the lifeline who told her to learn from her mistakes. Having Addy in the story helped to tie it all together and bring it to a happy conclusion despite her demise. For many young, single, pregnant women it would have been a different ending. Jane had come to terms with her situation and could look forward.

I would recommend it to others, particularly the younger generations as it is so reflective of that period.

Jan Duperouzel, Leighton Buzzard NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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MEMBERS’ CORNER

Members’ Corner Three cheers for NWR! The Arnold NWR group would like to thank everyone in the office, and the question setters and clue holders for a fantastic and fun TTT this year! As you can see from our screenshot, we had 18 members join on Zoom and one or two others were in touch by phone. This is a record turnout for our Zoom meetings

Walking the Crab and Winkle Way In May 1830 nearly 300 people made history by being the first to ride on the first regular steam passenger train. They travelled six miles from Canterbury to the harbour in Whitstable on what was to become known as the Crab and Winkle Line. The line and the engine had been engineered by George and Robert Stevenson. The engine, Invicta, looked very similar to the more famous Rocket.

At only 12 horse power, the Invicta was unable to haul the train up the steep gradients so three static steam engines were installed to haul the train by cables.

The line ran until 1953, when it was offered for sale. In the 1970s the roof of the 836-yard tunnel at Tyler Hill cracked with the weight of the University of Kent’s

Branching out Arnold NWR paid for a tree to be planted in a local park in early March this year. We diligently watered it throughout 22

NWR Magazine Spring 2021

new buildings, and the tunnel was filled in. The need for a cycle route between the two towns was recognised, and in 1999 The Crab and Winkle Way was opened. The Way uses only 20% of the old railway line but is part of Route 1 — Inverness to Dover — of the National Cycle Network.

In October, six members of Herne Bay NWR set out for a socially distanced walk of the 10-mile Way, from Whitstable to Canterbury. We started optimistically in dry weather but were soon caught in rain which persisted for the majority of the walk. But congratulations to everyone for completing what should have been a very enjoyable walk in appalling conditions!

Pauline Collins, Herne Bay NWR

lockdown and it is doing well! Here we are at the planting Lynda Gibbins, Arnold NWR

and everyone said how much they had enjoyed it. The quiz has been a firm favourite over the years and we were so glad it could go ahead. This year has been a challenging learning curve for many of our members, but most of them have embraced the new ways of keeping connected. Long live NWR! Lynda Gibbins, Arnold NWR

60 words for 60 years 2020 being our 60th anniversary, many celebrations were planned but, unfortunately, most had to be cancelled or postponed. Bramhall Village group decided to describe NWR in 60 words and what it has meant to us over the years.

We rose to the challenge, with surprisingly few repetitions!

Friendship, laughter, learning, support, enthusiasm, empathy, socialising, responsibility, kindness, confidence, accepting, non-judgemental, novelty, varied, thought-provoking, women, belonging, supper club, walks, inspiring, diverse, interesting, challenging, (local) knowledge, listening, discussion, sharing, companionship, help, warmth, care, fun, understanding, wide-ranging, planning, advice, book group, stimulating, national links, lifelong, sisterhood, meetings, comradeship, research, opportunities, life-enhancing, personal development, welcoming, informative, encouraging, happy, inclusive, respectful, independence, new people, openminded, ideas, agreement, ZOOM. And from one husband: lonely evenings!

We had fun thinking of this — what would be your words?

Sonia Strass, Bramhall Village NWR

MEMBERS’ CORNER Wet, wet, wet!

In Memoriam

Salisbury group have come up with a new name for NWR: Now Weather Resistant!

Vanessa Moulding, Salisbury NWR

Full versions of these obituaries can be found in the members’ area of the NWR website.

Below: After months of brilliant weather, it was all change for our Summer Outing to the Bishop’s Palace in the Cathedral Close.

Susan Airston 1951–2020 Sue had been a valued and muchloved member of Hasbury NWR for many years.

Pauline Boughton Dibden Purlieu NWR is saddened by the passing away of our loyal, longstanding member, Pauline.

Gretl Davies Park Gate NWR are extremely sad to announce the loss of Gretl, a founder member, to cancer.

Above: Says it all!

Elizabeth Higgins 1943–2020 A member of Warwick & Leamington Spa group for 40 years, Liz will be much missed.

Helen Mitchell 1949–2020 Park Gate NWR is sad to report the passing of long-standing member Helen Mitchell.

Who shares my initials?

There’s lots who share my special letters Actors, singers and go-getters!

Here are some that come to mind Well, clever Google helped me find…

James Gandolfini — what a name!

The Sopranos brought him to fame.

John Grisham next, such brilliant thrillers, Great characters and awesome killers.

Then brave John Glenn, who explored in space

Above and right: Another dreadful day for weather in December for the Salisbury Christmas Tree Trail.

Christmas cheers!

Back in July, Romiley NWR had never even considered Zoom — socially distanced walks and literary discussions by email were working well. But walks became less frequent as the weather became more unpredictable, and now it is the only way to hold our meetings. It’s wonderful that all of us ‘lively-minded’ women have got the hang of it. We do experience an occasional technical difficulty but we overcome those.

We’ve managed to continue with our planning groups and, instead of

meeting in each other’s homes, hold online meetings, including talking about an heirloom in your home, personal recommendations for books and films, celebrating festivals such as Thanksgiving Day and, one for the new year, recounting our greatest personal challenge. I think, for us, that could be mastering Zoom!

We recently held our Christmas party, where all 15 of us were able to get together on the screen and celebrate with a Christmas quiz, and anecdotes of favourite Christmas food, best and worse Christmas presents, and a disaster Christmas. The planning group even manged to collect from the members and distribute a secret Santa gift, which we all held up on the screen to see who had what. We also got a festive bottle to celebrate the occasion. Best of all we manged to get a group photo of all 15 of us raising our glasses. Here’s hoping we can all physically meet up in 2021!

Dorothy Daniels, Romiley NWR

And Jimmy Greaves, who was once football’s face Now there’s Jo Guardiola, he manages Man City And Jane Goodall who loves chimps without pity.

But the very first JG that came to my mind Was a star and a singer, the best of her kind Have you guessed? …Rainbow is a clue It’s Judy Garland — a star who knew How to play to the camera and flirt and sing She could act and dance, too, do anything!

But here’s a thought – let’s check that list Are there women I have missed?

So many men – but women few Who made this list? I wish I knew!

Jean Gillen, Ruislip NWR NWR Magazine Spring 2021

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Where is your nearest NWR group?

Are you interested in joining NWR? Contact us to find out more.

Can’t find a group near you?

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ENGLAND BEDFORDSHIRE Leighton Buzzard Luton & S Beds North Beds Villages BERKSHIRE Binfield Bracknell Burnham/Taplow Caversham Cox Green Earley Maidenhead North Ascot Wokingham (2) Wokingham Forest Woodley Woolton Hill BRISTOL Thornbury North Westbury-on- Trym BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Amersham (2) Beaconsfield Buckingham & District Gerrards Cross/ Chalfont St Peter Lacey Green & Hughenden Marlow Milton Keynes Milton Keynes (West) CAMBRIDGESHIRE Bar Hill Cambridge Elsworth Hemingfords Peterborough Somersham St Ives St Neots Wisbech CHESHIRE Appleton Bramhall Village Chester/Grosvenor Chester South/Eaton Congleton Crewe & District Culcheth Goostrey Holmes Chapel Knutsford Lymm Macclesfield Marple Mellor Nantwich & Audlem Nantwich B Poynton (2) Romiley Tarporley (2) Timperley Wilmslow 1 Wistaston COUNTY DURHAM Durham City Hartlepool CORNWALL Cornish Alps Playing Place/Carnon Downs Roseland Truro CUMBRIA Carlisle Egremont Kendal

DERBYSHIRE Bakewell Chapel & District Chesterfield (2) Derby Dronfield Glossop Hayfield Matlock DEVON Exeter & District Horrabridge Ivybridge Newton Abbot Otter Vale Ottery St Mary Paignton Plympton Tavistock Yealm DORSET Boscombe East Broadstone (2) Dorchester Ferndown/WestMoors Poole Ringwood Weymouth (2) Wimborne EAST SUSSEX Battle & District Brighton Eastbourne Lewes Seaford (7) ESSEX Braintree & District Buckhurst Hill (2) Chelmsford Galleywood Hadleigh/Southend on Sea Harwich/Dovercourt Ilford Saffron Walden Shenfield/Hutton Upminster GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cheltenham & Charlton Kings Churchdown Cirencester (2) Gloucester Stroud HAMPSHIRE Barton on Sea Basingstoke Bishops Waltham Bramley Chandlers Ford/ Eastleigh B & D Chineham & Old Basing Dibden Purlieu Farnborough Hook Hythe/Waterside Lee on the Solent Marchwood Odiham Park Gate Sherfield-on-Loddon Southampton Southsea Sway Tadley Totton Winchester Yateley

01603 406767 office@nwr.org.uk www.nwr.org.uk

HEREFORDSHIRE Hereford Ross on Wye

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Brackley Great Houghton

HERTFORDSHIRE Abbots Langley Harpenden Hatfield Hemel Hempstead (2) Hertford/Ware Hitchin Letchworth St Albans (2) Tring

NORTHUMBERLAND Hexham & District Morpeth

ISLE OF WIGHT Medina KENT Beckenham Bexleyheath Canterbury (2) Dartford Edenbridge Folkestone Hayes Herne Bay Maidstone Medway Petts Wood/Orpington Whitstable LANCASHIRE Bolton Eccleston Lytham St Annes Ormskirk/Aughton Penwortham Rainford Rossendale & Bury North Thornton Cleveleys LEICESTERSHIRE Leicester South Loughborough Lutterworth Quorn LINCOLNSHIRE Boston Brant & Witham Deepings Grantham Grimsby/Cleethorpes Lincoln South Navenby & District Stamford Sudbrooke Waltham Welton LONDON Barnet Finchley/Whetstone Kenton MERSEYSIDE Burbo Bank Crosby Eccleston & Windle Formby MIDDLESEX Pinner Ruislip Twickenham/St Margarets NORFOLK Dereham Diss Downham Market Norwich Wymondham/ Attleborough

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Arnold Bramcote Carlton Keyworth Sawley West Bridgford Worksop OXFORDSHIRE Banbury Henley on Thames Sonning Common Thame Wantage Witney RUTLAND Oakham SHROPSHIRE Market Drayton Newport Shrewsbury SOMERSET Chard Clevedon Congresbury Nailsea Portishead Taunton Wells STAFFORDSHIRE Alrewas Eccleshall Lichfield Marchington Newcastle-under-Lyme Rugeley Shenstone Trentham Wolstanton SUFFOLK Beccles Bury St Edmunds Haverhill & Villages Sudbury One/Long Melford Stour Valley/Sudbury SURREY Bookham Burgh Heath Byfleet Camberley Croydon Dittons/Esher Dorking Farnham Godalming Guildford Horsley Kingston on Thames/ New Malden Reigate & Redhill Sutton & Carshalton Woking North Worcester Park

WARWICKSHIRE Coventry Dunchurch Kenilworth Rugby Warwick/Leamington Spa WEST MIDLANDS Balsall Common Dudley Edgbaston Halesowen Harborne Central Hasbury Knowle Solihull Wolverhamton/Tettenhall/ Codsall WEST SUSSEX Bognor Regis Chichester Hassocks & Area Horsham Shoreham-by-Sea (2) Steyning West Chiltington Area Worthing (Broadwater) WILTSHIRE Calne Central & District Derry Hill & District Devizes Marlborough Salisbury & District Swindon Trowbridge WIRRAL Heswall (2) Irby Prenton Wallasey West Kirby/Grange West Kirby/Newton WORCESTERSHIRE Cleeve Prior Droitwich Malvern Pershore Vale of Evesham YORKSHIRE Ackworth Aston Bedale & District Beverley & District Harrogate Horbury & District Leeds NW Northallerton Pickering & District Rotherham Sheffield (3) Wetherby Whitley York

SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE Banchory Bridge of Don

TEESSIDE Middlesbrough

ANGUS Arbroath

TYNE & WEAR Newcastle-uponTyne (West) WhitleyBay/Tynemouth

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY Castle Douglas DUNBARTONSHIRE Milngavie/Bearsden

EAST LOTHIAN Longniddry EAST RENFREWSHIRE Giffnock Glasgow FALKIRK Falkirk FIFE Dalgety Bay Dunfermline Saline MIDLOTHIAN Edinburgh/Colinton NORTH AYRSHIRE Beith Largs PERTH & KINROSS Crieff Kinross Perth RENFREWSHIRE Bishopton Bridge of Weir Houston Kilbarchan STIRLINGSHIRE Stirling & District SOUTH LANARKSHIRE Strathaven

WALES Chepstow Hawarden Mold Radyr

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