NFWI AGM Brighton

Brighton 2016

I had never been to Brighton before but I knew that the Pavilion was initially a palace so Margaret Gregory, my travel partner, and I decided to visit it.. It’s fabulous, designed in ‘British Chinese’ there are dragons and snakes and Chinese gardens wherever you look. I could have spent a day just in the music room. The workmanship is amazing. If you ever get the chance to go it’s well worth it.

In the evening Brighton Belles WI had arranged a treasure hunt/tour and around 100 of us went. A great chance to see more of Brighton and get to know members from all over. Our little group included L/R, N Yorks and the Channel Islands. It was great fun and we won the treasure hunt!

After a good nights’ sleep we walked the 200 yards from our hotel to the Centre where the AGM was to be held. The business of the morning was dealt with without delay to be followed by Rona Fairhead CBE. She has a double first in law from Cambridge and a first from Harvard in Business Admin. She has 3 children and her hobbies are flying and scuba diving. She is tall, blond and elegant and, as the person next to me said ‘the wonder woman you love to hate but have so much admiration for’. She becomes the first woman Chair of the BBC Trustees in January 2017. A true role model.

In the afternoon the speaker was Baroness D’Souza who has been Speaker of the House of Lords since 2011. When asked what she most enjoyed about her job she said that, as Speaker, she cannot give her views in the house so she sits on the Woolsack and feels like a lemon. She thoroughly enjoys visiting schools and clubs however.

Of course we couldn’t let the Queen’s birthday go unmarked so we had our own ‘last night of the proms’. We sang Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory, Happy Birthday to Her Majesty and Rule Britannia. We had Union Jack hats, sashes and flags and it was a fitting and enjoyable end to a very memorable meeting.

A very good time being had by all!!!