April 2011
Again this year, a good number of members met together for our Annual General Meeting. Viv Smith retired as president and Naomi Horne was elected the new president. After the business, there was plenty of time to enjoy a chat and the delicious tea kindly provided by Vivien.
March 2011
Unfortunately, our speaker on Constable and Turner was taken ill at the last moment so many thanks to Anne for producing an entertaining quiz that was enjoyed by all!
February 2011
 Marguerite Osborne gave an excellent talk on 'The Real Alice' giving a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind Lewis Carroll's 'Alice and Wonderland'.
January 2011
 Seventeen of us enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Sweet Olive in celebration of the new year and were delighted to welcome two new members, Gill and Sheila.
 November 2010
 Susanna and Laura presented a history of the Astons' WI from 1939 to 2010. October 2010  The speaker at our October meeting was Nick Channer, a journalist with a special interest in Agatha Christie. His fascination with her novels began as a child and his illustrated talk 'In the Steps of Agatha Christie traced places throughout the country associated with her, finishing with more local connections. Some of us were surprised to learn that Agatha Christie was buried locally in Cholsey Churchyard.
September 2010
 A representative from Thames Valley Probation and a Magistrate gave us an informative and enjoyable afternoon with a lively interactive presentation on their often controversial community service programme. The work of both arms of the law was vividly brought to life and lively discussion encouraged.
July 2010
 After weeks of blistering sunshine and the bluest of blue skies our annual Garden Meeting was again rained off this year. However, having relocated to the Village Hall, we didn't let the weather dampen our spirits and members enjoyed a lively talk and demonstration by an employee of Dews Meadow Organic Farm Shop. We were treated to samples of a delicious stir fry made from their own produce, which was followed by a delicious 'picnic' tea.
June 2010
 We were pleased to welcome Catherine Hitchens, a retired registrar, to our meeting. Her anecdotes on the advantages and pitfalls of family history research using a variety of sources was both interesting and very informative
May 2010
Our members enjoyed lively discussion of the resolution to be debated at the AGM of the National Federation of Women's Institutes next month. The resolution calls for clear country of origin labelling on food. This was followed by tea and some light-hearted games.
April 2010
A good number of members gathered for our Annual General Meeting. There were no changes to the committee, and plans for visits, speakers and activities during the coming year were discussed. After the business, there was plenty of time to enjoy a chat and the delicious tea kindly provided by Helen and Jancis. A very enjoyable afternoon.
March 2010
 At our March meeting a large number of members gathered for local artist Anna Dillon’s illustrated talk about her work. Anna brought numerous examples of her work, both completed and in progress, as well as photographic examples of the works of some of the artists who have inspired her and illustrations of the landscapes she loves to paint. It was a delight to see her work at close hand, to hear how she works and learn about her sources of inspiration. Anna’s talk was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and we very much appreciated the fact that she had fitted us into her very busy schedule. Thank you Anna for such an enjoyable afternoon!
To visit Anna's website please click here
February 2010
 There were plenty of volunteers willing to put into practice the varied circle dances from around the world that our visiting speaker, Mary Perriman, described and demomstrated. We had a very enjoyable afternoon; the gentle exercise together with the beautiful music was the perfect tonic for a winter's afternoon.
January 2010
 This year our annual New Year lunch was again held at The Sweet Olive. The very snowy conditions made it impossible for some people to come. However, eleven members living close enough to walk, managed to brave the arctic conditions and enjoyed a warm welcome, a deliicious lunch and very jolly company.
December 2009
 We were pleased to welcome back David Lockett who gave a beautifully illustrated talk comparing the work of Carravaggio and Rembrandt. Both his extensive knowledge and love of his subject were very much appreciated.
November 2009
 The photo shows one of the arrangements made at a busy and very enjoyable flower arranging workshop. Sigi Stephenson demonstrated a stunning seasonal arrangement and then helped members and visitors create their own.
October 2009
 We were delighted to welcome visitors from the village, neighbouring WIs, and representatives from the Oxfordshire Board of Trustees to our Birthday lunch - we were celebrating our 70th Birthday. It was a very happy afternoon with all age groups from the village more than amply represented. More than sixty of us enjoyed a sumptuous buffet lunch, accompanied by a glass of bubbly, with a spectacular cake for the finale. Members had also been very busy producing both a static display of the history of the institute and a rolling powerpoint presentation using material gleaned from the institute's archives. This was certainly a day we will remember for some time to come!
September 2009
 History and Mystery - a journey through the history of the WI. Representatives from the Board of Trustees of OFWI gave a fascinating insight into how the WI used to be - a picture that's dificult to recognise today! That was the 'history'. The 'mystery' element? Well, we don't know the answer to that.The future of the WI is a mystery. It's up to all of us connected with the WI to provide the answer by guiding it in the direction we'd like to see it go!
July 2009
 Garden Meeting - a visit to Rousham
With picnics packed, we set off for out garden visit determined to overcome the adverse weather conditions promised by the forecasts. Fortunately, they were wrong - far too pessimistic! We only had a couple of showers and both times the buildings and trees of this amazing garden afforded more than ample shelter. A memorable visit.
June 2009
 The Oxford of C.S. Lewis; Brian Lowe
Brian Lowe entertained us with photograhs and commentary, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the writer's association with Oxford.
May 2009
 Beekeepers in the UK are worried that not enough is known to combat the diseases that affect honey bees, and ‘SOS for Honey Bees’ is the topic for this year’s national resolution. After discussion at our May meeting, this was given our unanimous support.
The decline of honey bees represents a major loss in biodiversity – a serious issue as approximately a third of our human diet is directly dependent on bees. The USA has already seen devastating reductions in bee colonies and has experienced a number of diseases not yet seen in the UK. The National Federation of Women’s Institutes wants to support the efforts of beekeepers and researchers in urging the government to increase and safeguard funding for research into bee health.
There are many other things that can be done to help honey bees, from planting bee friendly plants to finding space for a beehive. Planting single flowering plants and vegetables, such as the allium family, all the mints, beans and flowering herbs is a positive step. Bees like daisy shaped flowers – asters and sunflowers, also tall plants – hollyhocks, larkspur and foxgloves. If you’d like your garden to be even more buzzing and to have better crops of vegetables and fruit trees with no deformed fruit, consider contacting a local beekeeping association who may have a beekeeper in need of a site. For more information visit the British Beekeepers’ Association website: www.britishbee.org.uk
April 2009
Thoughts after our AGM
Jeremy reminded us in his first edition that the Village News belongs to the villages, and we'd like to say exactly the same about the WI. We know we've ot a lot to do in some quarters to overcome that terribly hackneyed cliche of jam and Jerusalem. However, the WI (90 years old in Oxfordshire this year) is about as liberal , enlightened and flexible an organisation as you could wish to find. Neither jam nor Jerusalem is prescribed! It is neither political nor religious; its vision, 'as the largest women's organisation in the UK', is to offer women the best opportunity to make an impact on their communities, and to lean new and traditional skills. 'Over the past year, members of the Astons' WI have formed a Book Club and Astons' Artists in the villages. These groups are not limited to WI members, and aim to reach out to the wider community. ; like our monthly meetings, they are informal and friendly, reflecting what our, and your, WI is all about. We hope to initiate other activities - if you have ideas, come and tell us, and make it your WI too. We're always very pleased to welcome visitors, either with a view to joiing us on a regular basis or just to come along occasionally.
March 2009
 This talk explained how the map of the world had changed since the growth and demise of the British Empire and Commonwealth.
February 2009
 We were given a very informative introduction to the work of the RNLI January 2009
Our annual New Year lunch was held at the Sweet Olive restaurant and attended by almost all members. We were made very welcome by Olivier and Stephane, and everyone said the meal was beautiful.
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