2013 September » Kenn Village

September 2013

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Sep 252013

Members of the Kenn Women’s Institute met in September after the summer break and were pleased to welcome Ann Gawthorpe who took us on a very informative trip down memory lane by reminding us of the events of 1951.

She had some very evocative pictures of the Festival of Britain and other occurrences and people who were in the news then. Although some of us remembered the year it is very hard to pinpoint when things actually happened.We continue our nostalgic theme at the October meeting when Mr Terry Merrett Smith will entertain us with the life and music of Irving Berlin. Do please join us if you are a fan and would like to hear some of his songs. The meeting will be on Wednesday October 9^th in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. We will be delighted to welcome visitors.

Do not forget to put our annual Flower Arranging evening in your diaries. This year it is being held on Wednesday November 20^th in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. Jackie Parkin is the demonstrator. Tickets will be available soon.

Sadly, for a variety of reasons the Silent Auction due to be held on October 5^th has been cancelled. We are very disappointed as we were anxious to send a donation to the Great Western Air Ambulance. We hope to hold something a little less ambitious to raise funds.

Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and Madaddam by Margaret Atwood – July, August and September 2013

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Sep 122013

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Book Group met at ‘The Drum’ on Monday 22nd July 2013.

We discussed ‘Oryx and Crake’ by Margaret Atwood. In reading this novel we entered a world of extensive corporate genetic engineering of food, animals and humans. We loved Atwood’s style and her construct of a world that valued numbers over words. The plot takes an eerie turn that leads to a global pandemic.

The novel’s realism shook us readers. We were left questioning the ethics of genetic engineering, diseases, science, literature, friend-ships… there was much to talk about.

There will be no book group during August. Instead we are having our book group outing. On Wednesday 28th August 2013 we are going to St George’s in Bristol to see Margaret Atwood. She will give a talk on her latest book. It is the third in the Oryx and Crake trilogy, ‘MaddAddam’. We will meet again in September and we are going to read the second book in the Atwood trilogy called “The Year of the Flood”.

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – June 2013

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Sep 122013

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We met as usual in the Drum on Monday 24th June.

Our discussion focused on ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It was a highly improbable story.

However the narrative was a metaphor for privileged and corrupt life in America in the 1920s.

In preparation for going to see Margaret Atwood in August we will read some of her work.

We are going to read ‘Oryx and Crake’ and, time permitting, ‘The Year of the Flood’.

We are next meeting on Monday 22nd July 2013. Usual time about 8ish.

Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell – May 2013

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Sep 122013

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We met, as usual, in The Drum on Monday 20th May 2013.

Our discussion was focused on The Bitter Lemons of Cyprus’ by Lawrence Durrell.

We discussed the various styles of narrative in the book. While we were not agreed on the book’s merit, we did agree we had all learnt more about Cyprus and its history.

Our next book group is on Monday 24th June 2013.

We are going to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald. We will meet in The Drum at 8ish.

The book group has gone from strength to strength. In August we are having a book group outing. We are all going to see Margaret Attwood in Bristol.