President - Rita Hetherington Five years ago I thought "joining the WI was not for me". How wrong could I have been? It has played a major role in my life and I am so glad I went along to find out just what Wantage WI had to offer. I have lived in Wantage with my husband Jim for over forty years . We have two sons and one lovely granddaughter. My career started teaching Home Economics and textiles. I then moved into "special education" and set up a Behavioural Support Unit at St Birinus school. After 35 years of teaching I finally retired. I am secretary/chair of Grove Table Tennis club and Welfare Officer for the league. In addition I am a volunteer at the Wantage Independent Advice Centre, advising members of the local community on a variety of issues. My interests include table tennis, tai chi, walking, needlecrafts and cookery. |
Secretary - Jenny De La CozeMy husband and I moved to Grove 43 years ago to buy our first home in the friendly community with many young couples such as our selves. We stayed in Grove for 30 years and made many friends and happily brought up our two children. When our children left home we moved the short distance into Wantage where we are to this day. I have spent my whole working life in education teaching mostly in Primary schools but with one year teaching Art in a Secondary school. I loved my career which included working in several schools in Oxford and local schools in Grove and Wantage. I retired three years ago from a Headship at Charlton Primary school. Joining the WI shortly after retiring helped me to adjust to life outside of school. I enjoy the social aspect of WI and also the opportunity it offers to learn new things. I fully understand now why retired people say that they don’t know how they ever had time to work. My life is very busy with a growing family and four young grandsons at present. When there is any spare time I enjoy reading, going to the theatre, sewing and gardening.
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Vice President and Minutets Secretary - Barbara HarkerI moved to Grove in 1981 thinking we would only be here for a couple of years but happily we are still here 38 years later. We have three sons and now four grandchildren, two boys and two girls who are a delight. We have travelled a little with the children and spent nearly three years living in Ethiopia in the late 1980s. I have been a teacher all my working life and retired in 2011 after working in both Mainstream and latterly in Special Education. The last 11 years I worked at our wonderful local special school first as deputy head and then as headteacher. I joined the WI shortly after retiring and am very pleased to have made that move. I love travelling, I am still involved with Special Education but I also enjoy being with the grandchildren, art, walking, reading and trying to keep fit.
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Treasurer - Jennifer Cowling
After nearly 40 years living in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, retirement from my senior management post in the Stroke Association threw up the opportunity to move south and live much nearer to my elder son and his family. I moved to Grove in 2014 and what a great decision that was! Not only do I see my two lovely granddaughters on a regular basis but it’s also handier (and cheaper) to visit Madrid where my younger son lives with new baby grandson. I still work part-time, now running Extend exercise classes to music for the over 60s, providing administration services to my son who is self employed and I am also an approved speaker for the Oxfordshire and Wiltshire WI Federations. My lifetime hobby has been and continues to be in amateur theatre having started when I was just 15 and I have been involved in more than 100 shows over the years. Joining the WI has played a significant part in making friends in a new area and I was very happy to take over the reins of Treasurer in March 2018. My other interests are reading, walking my dog, learning Spanish and travelling whenever I can. |
Welfare Officer and Committee Member - Eileen Webster I moved to Grove in 1964 with my husband Brian. We have three sons and six grandchildren, four boys and two girls. They are our pride and joy. I have been a member of Wantage WI since 2010 and it is the best thing I have done in years. I have been on the committee since 2014 and enjoy my role as Welfare Officer. I am an active member of the church and enjoy visiting National Trust properties, going to new places, and meeting new people. My other hobbies include reading, knitting and making cards. Reviewed March 2019 |
Programme Planner and Committee Member - Sue Duff My full name is Susan Lavinia Duff. I was born in Radley near Abingdon, then lived and was educated in Wantage. I studied for, and gained my state registration in nursing in Oxford. I married a Yorkshireman and we have a daughter, son and one grandson. Before my retirement I was employed as practice nurse at Grove surgery for 20 years. My interests (past and present) include, dressmaking, art, cooking, keeping fit, reading, gardening, travel, volunteering in local charity shop, and last, but by no means least, the Wantage WI. |
News and Views distribution and Committee Member - Lyn Smith I moved to Wantage 39 years ago with my husband, Alan, son and daughter, and really enjoy living in a close knit community. I like gardening, walking, barn dancing and reading. Since I retired from being a legal secretary over 5 years ago I do voluntary work at the Cancer Research shop one morning a week. I also help look after my lovely granddaughter, Chloe, who is 13. My husband and I love travelling and we have just come back from a months holiday in the Falkland Islands where I was born, educated and married. Reviewed March 2019 |
Vice President and Responsible for organising rotas - Dee Hurley I came to live in Wantage 3 years ago and joined Wantage WI last year, in 2016. I moved from Surrey with Paul, my husband of 47 years, to be near our daughter and grandchildren. We have a daughter living in London, and another daughter living in Boston in USA. We have lived in the USA, Madrid, Frankfurt, Brussels and Istanbul. My husband and I love living in Wantage and enjoy exploring the countryside and stately homes in the area. We also enjoy the theatre and the opera. I enjoy all sorts of needlework, knitting and crochet. |
Vice President and Denman liaison person - Madeline SteelI moved to Wantage with my husband Dave in 2014 and joined the Wantage WI the following year. This has given me the opportunity to make new friends and take part in the many events organised by the WI.
For 25 years I worked in industry, managing company development programmes and information systems. I was a magistrate on the Buckinghamshire Bench for 19 years specialising in the Youth Court and Probation Liaison which was a very interesting and enlightening experience. I have a busy life with a wide variety of interests that include keeping in touch with family and friends, gardening, travel, the countryside, genealogy and reading. |