Holcombe Brook and Summerseat WI

Laline Paull's debut novel tells the story of Flora, a young female, constrained by the class she was born into, surrounded by religious fervour and controlled by a ruling elite.  So far, a typical dystopian tale. However the twist here is that Flora is not human but a worker bee and the world she lives in isn't a far-flung future but the here-and-now in a beehive. The book group was divided as to this novel - some loved the parallels with modern life, while others said they 'couldn't get past the talking bee'. However we all agreed that we are now much more aware of the perils facing bees, the dangers of pesticides, and the impact of climate change. In fact most of the group committed to taking measures to create bee-friendly environments in their gardens and hanging baskets!

This blogspot is no longer being regularly updated.  However, the Holcombe Brook and Summerseat branch of the WI is still very active and if you are interested in finding out more about joining us, please contact our President at   presidenthbswi@hotmail.com

The April meeting saw us consider and then vote on the two resolutions put before WI members. Both resolutions -  Alleviating Loneliness and Plastic Soup (the impact of micro fibres on the oceans)  were strong and are sure to generate much debate and publicity. Following the business section of the meeting we gave vent to some creativity in the shape of flower arrangements and paper blossoms.