Wells WI June 2021 meeting report.

We started our Zoom meeting with this year's AGM. Membership is around 50.

With most members participating in at least one additional activity, President Anne is glad women are engaged at several levels.

The President, Secretary, Membership Secretary and Treasurer were all re-elected, and there were a few minor reshuffles to other committee roles. The year's accounts were approved and adopted.

Anne had attended the national WI AGM online that day, hearing speakers including Baroness Hale; Cressida Dick and the Countess of Wessex.

WI income dropped 29 per cent this year, and Denman (the residential college) was sold as it was making a loss.

However, 70,000 members accessed online courses during lockdown – clearly the way forward. Anne told us it was said that the WI is what you make it, so we must make it what we want it to be!

We moved on to normal business with reminders of forthcoming attractions: garden safari visits to members' gardens organised by the Blooming Fun group, involving complex scheduling of smaller groups to avoid exceeding permitted numbers; an evening walk at Stockhill Woods; and guided heritage walks of Wells.

The discussion group has improved their way of working by making the viewing of a film, TV programme or play separate from talking about it, which enables members to enjoy something with partners, family or friends and discuss it later with WI friends.

The main event this month was a talk from Hugh Allen, Chair of Wells and Mendip Astronomers. The group has more than 60 members of all ages who enjoy talks at the museum, courses at the observatory at Charterhouse on the Mendip Hills, and occasional weekend camps.

Hugh told us how telescopes developed from the long thin refracting types to the more modern reflecting models that use mirrors to better manage light and enable photography.

He showed us some of his stunning images that illustrate how nebula are named after their appearance (dumb bells, crescent, butterfly, whale and calf).

Hugh explained the phases of the moon, sun and planets, and by the end we felt more familiar with galaxies, comets and supernovas.

Hugh said we probably all look down too much, and encouraged us to look up more, getting to know constellations and planets visible to the naked eye, and noticing how they change through the year.

During Wells Cathedral's Festival of the Moon in October, the astronomers will be outside on the Green with their equipment, and all are encouraged to come along.

With the delay in relaxing coronavirus restrictions, our next meeting or two will remain online.

New women are always welcome and can attend as guests before deciding to join. More details are on our Facebook page.

By Veronica Howe