Although May 15 had been a cold grey day for the members and guests of Bake, Natter and Roll Farnham WI, it turned out to be a warm and bright evening as the speaker was the wonderful Joanna Foat.

This was a return visit by Joanna - on her first members learned about the forgotten women of the Lumberjills.

Her visit this time was to introduce members to the extraordinary life of Lady Gertrude Denman, the chairman of the National Federation of the Women’s Institute from 1917 to 1946, through both World Wars.

Joanna took members through the life of Lady Gertrude. She was born in 1884 to a wealthy industrialist father and a feminist mother. In 1903 she married the poor but aristocratic Lord Thomas 3rd Baron Denman in a very grand wedding which kept the newspapers going with gossip copy.

In 1908 she had her first car, which was the start of her extraordinary adventures. After her brother died in the First World War she set up a charity distributing cigarettes to the troops.

She worked tirelessly through her chairmanship of the WI during the First and Second World Wars, encouraging women in many roles, especially the Land Army and the Lumberjills.

During the inter-war years she started the Family Planning Association, even though she faced much opposition.

In 1920 she received the CBE. Even so, for all her tireless work, Joanna said she had not received the recognition she deserved.

Her life did have some spicy events - the attendees of Joanna’s talk heard about them, but the public will have to wait for Joanna to write a book about Lady Denman.

After Joanna's talk members refuelled on delicious cakes that were created by Gail and Gill, who used as their themes the WI, and their cakes were in WI colours.

This followed the result of the vote for the Bake, Natter and Roll charity for 2026, which will be Challengers.

Members discussed the forthcoming curry club and May book club meetings, as well as other Bake, Natter and Roll business and the drawing of the wrapped raffle.

The June meeting is members only. On July 17 there will be a craft evening, creating a photo holder, in the Small Hall at the Spire Church, For more information email [email protected]

Stroud residents turned out in force to celebrate VE Day 80 at Stroud Village Hall.

Community spirit was high and it was a wonderful way to commemorate such a special day.

There were congratulations to Isabella Gent, ten, who won the children’s Ration Book Bake Off competition with her delicious flapjacks, closely followed by runner-up Ned Smart, three, with his chocolate biscuit cake.

All entries to the baking competition had to be made using ingredients typically available during wartime rationing. This proved to be a challenging task, with some mixed results, and it brought home just how difficult even relatively simple activities could be during the war.

Local resident Marjorie, who turned 100 last August, talked about her experiences in the Land Army during the war and brought along a collection of photographs as a very special treat.

Stroud residents Charlotte and Heather did a fantastic job organising the children’s games. They talked about the different roles people took on during the war, and included an activity where the children had to find a wounded soldier - local parent Shaun - in the woods who had parachuted out of his plane and needed assistance. The children did a fantastic job of administering medical aid and helping him make his way safely back across the stream to the village hall.

Trustee and community garden volunteer Kat helped the children to plant runner bean seeds to take home with them in a mini Dig for Victory inspired activity.

The hope is that some of the children will bring their runner bean plants back in a few weeks’ time to plant in new raised vegetable beds in the hall gardens.

The day was a real team effort, and special thanks went to Langrish Primary School headteacher Heather Jones and her Year 6 pupils who did a wonderful job running a sweet stall. Many of the pupils also entered the baking competition and all did brilliantly well with their ration-inspired bakes.

Raspberry Arches Balloons donated a stunning VE Day-inspired balloon arch which really added to the festive atmosphere. Charlotte Burdock and Tom North from Stroud Parish Council helped organise the event and assisted on the day, and a team of amazing volunteers made sure it happened and helped make VE Day 80 in Stroud a special event.

For more information visit https://stroudvillagehall.org/veday80/

Hampshire and Surrey Hills Men’s Choir will perform its summer concert at St Thomas-on-The Bourne Church in Farnham on June 28 at 7.30pm.

Featuring show tunes, well-known ballads and songs, it will be held in aid of the charity Sebastian’s Action Trust.

Sebastian’s Action Trust supports families of seriously ill children, offering emotional, practical and social care through every stage of their journey. It offers respite breaks for families at its specialist centre in Hampshire, The Bluebells, where they can enjoy support and fun activities.

In April the choir invited men interested in singing to a taster rehearsal, with the added incentive of a free pint and lots of pizza, at the Hogs Back Brewery in Tongham. Consequently more than 15 new singers joined the choir and are preparing for their debut performance at this summer’s concert.

Choir chairman Peter Viveash said: “We are very excited about our concert in June. It is a great combination of new and established choir members plus new songs, and all in support of a wonderful local charity.”

Tickets, priced £16, can be bought on the door or at https://www.trybooking.com/uk/EVFE

Fiona El Hasnaoui, who wrote this report, led a 10.5-mile walk from Cheriton to Ovington and on to Tichborne on May 21.

On an overcast day, a group of hearty ramblers met at Cheriton recreation ground hoping threatened rain did not make too much of an appearance - in the end, it did not. Setting off behind the tennis courts, the ramblers took the footpath up the side of a field at the back and on to the lane leading to Hill Houses.

After passing a small area of woods they emerged out on to a lovely open area of meadows where they could really stretch their legs and feel the breeze. Following the clear path straight down and then back up the valley with extensive views, they reached the South Downs Way and followed its path for some distance between rich hedgerows. They turned on to a wide gravel path which took them to the A31, where they carefully crossed into Little Hampage Wood and stopped for a coffee break under the canopy of many mature trees.

They continued on the path, snaking past nettles and fallen trees through a gate with pastureland to their left, again with lovely views. Going through two large metal gates, they turned right past a large farmyard and continued on a grassy path, climbing up through Hampage Wood. Passing a logging area and a radio mast, they turned off left at a well-hidden signpost and continued on a rather overgrown path for some distance. This later turned into a sunken and stony path running in a strip of woodland which slowed them down as it was not particularly easy to navigate.

Continuing over a lane, they emerged at the River Itchen on the Itchen Way. They crossed two bridges over the clear waters, with some fish being spotted. A wild meadow full of yellow flag blooms took them past a herd of grazing cows out on to a lane which led them back over another bridge – they now had water on both sides.

Crossing back over the river, they emerged past the Bush Inn at Ovington and walked up to St Peter’s Church for their lunch break.

They followed the ancient wall of Ovington House out of the village and turned up through some trees and past fields of barley, almost blue in colour, as the path gradually rose, with good views. They re-crossed the A31 and began the descent to Tichborne. As they descended the hill they could see the church of St Andrew up on the hill to their right.

Unfortunately it was locked, which was a pity as the author had visited on a reccy day and found it very interesting – high wooden box pews in the puritan style with Jacobean carving, and a side chapel which is a rare example of a Catholic chapel within a pre-Reformation church.

They continued through pretty Tichborne, with its many thatched cottages, and followed the road around until they reached Sevington Farm, where they turned right up a lane and crossed a couple of fields until they emerged back at Hill Houses and the path back to the car park.