Programme
Programmes
Our membership and programme year now runs from April every year to the following March.
Venue
The venue for the meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month changed from September 2023 to:
The Fishbourne Centre, Blackboy Lane, PO18 8BE.
The meeting time also changed, and doors now open at 2pm. The President's welcome and talks begin at 2.30pm. The event finishes by 4.30pm, and includes time to socialise and catch up with other members.
Guests
If you would like to find out more about joining the Fishbourne Evening WI, arrange to come along as a guest - please contact the committee on fishbourneevewi@outlook.com
The programme for 2025-2026 is currently being devised and will be posted on this page after it is shared with members in April 2025. If you could offer our group a talk, please contact us by email.
2024-2025 programme cycle
The programme is subject to change if due to circumstances beyond our control.
April 24, 2024
Gary Mason ‘Wonders of Water’.
May 22, 2024
Birthday meeting
June 26, 2024
Pam Goodall on her solo bike ride around the world aged 60.
Pam gave up riding a bike on the day she left school. Trains, buses and cars took over transport issues, and recreation involved anything which needed either a racquet, snow or water. This all changed in 1996 when she invested £60 in a second hand bike to ride to work...
July 24, 2024
Andrew Gaunt, Defra on Plant Quarantine
August 28, 2024
No talk this month, as the group enjoyed a summer garden party kindly hosted by one of our members.
September 25, 2024
Elizabeth Sawday, from Apuldram Roses, on 'Roses grow on you'.
October 23, 2024
Kate L'Amie, Chichester Harbour Conservancy, on nature protection and recovery projects, with a focus on saltmarsh, seagrass, coastal birds and water quality.
November 27, 2024
Paul Chamberlain 'The Napoleonic Prison of Portchester Castle: Then and Now'.
December 18, 2024 (note one week earlier due to Christmas)
Members' social evening
January 22, 2025
Patrick J Pead on 'The farmer's stocking needle - how vaccinations began!’.
February 26, 2025
Annual meeting and social.
March 26, 2024
Talk and Q&A with West Sussex County Council waste prevention team - ‘Think before you throw’.
The programme is subject to change if due to circumstances beyond our control.
Programme and news stories 2023-2024
April 26, 2023
Sarah Delves on the "History of handbags"
May 24, 2023
Birthday meeting
June 28, 2023
Penny Legg on "Writing's not a proper job"
July 26, 2023
Volunteers from Search Dogs Sussex group on "Serving the community, saving lives"
August 23, 2023
Summer lunch, no evening meeting
September 27, 2023
A practical session with Joanna Wright on 'Tips to improve fitness, mobility and co-ordination'
October 25, 2023
Paralympian and leadership speaker Peter Hull MBE on "It's not how hard you can hit". Read more about his story.
November 22, 2023
Tony Gilks on "Below Stairs: an intriguing look at the lives of domestic servants".
This talk included the use of artefacts and costumes.
December 20, 2023
Members' meeting and social
January 24, 2024
Andrew Gaunt, from DEFRA, on "The role and work of the Plant Quarantine Service"
February 28, 2024
Annual Meeting. This is followed by a social get-together.
March 27, 2024
Richard Moorey, Community Warden, Chichester District Council, on "Scams and rogue traders"
End of 2023-2024 programme
Programme and news stories 2022-2023
January 26, 2022
Mary Hand on Poetry
February 23, 2022
Bill Avenell on “What’s in a View”
Read the story
March 23, 2022
Graeme MacPherson, Commonwealth War Graves, on "Gardening the World"
April 27, 2022
Sarah Kiddle, from Brent Lodge on "Caring for Hedgehogs"
May 25, 2022
Fishbourne Evening WI's 40th Birthday Meeting
The Wacky Wednesday Ukulele Band will be joining us for this meeting.
June 22, 2022
Graeme Payne on "Fish and Chips Around the World"
July 27, 2022
Dr Bob France on "Sarah Wells - 'the Worst Housekeeper’ of Uppark House?"
August 21, 2022
Summer lunch, no evening meeting
September 28, 2022
Susan Howe on "Running 'Fawlty Towers' and cooking for the rich and famous on luxury yachts - fun and amusing anecdotes"
October 26, 2022
Dr Janet Pennington on "Cakes & Ale: a 'full English' in your 17th Century local"
November 23, 2022
Mr Ian Currie on "The history of weather forecasting from Aristotle to Super Computers"
December 21, 2022
Members' Meeting and Social
January 25, 2023
Jim Weston on "An Atlantic Odyssey"
February 22, 2023
Annual meeting
March 22, 2023
Cheryl Jewitt and Ian Barbeary on "The Triangle Girls project"
This section covers part of the programme for early 2023, 2022 and 2021 due to changes in the WI year.