Ashley Welland Valley WI's ladies' lockdown lives keeping connected with paddleboarding, DJing and cheeky gardening tips

Members of a village social, activity and campaign group near Corby have been keeping their weekly get togethers going by adapting their meetings for the lockdown.

Ashley Welland Valley WI members using the nickname 'The Lockdown Girls' have carried on their programme using Facebook and Zoom video calls reaching all but one of the 33 members.

Over the three months, as well as inviting members to come up with their own contributions the group has held a rainbow-themed craft evening, hosted a quiz, welcomed guest speakers and even learnt how bare bottoms assist with growing parsnips.

Wendy Martin, president of Ashley Welland Valley WI, said: "You think of lockdown as us being in our own homes but it's got us more connected even though it's online on Zoom.

"We had a quiz for our first event, then we had a gardening workshop. Our third event will be a guest speaker, Jo Moseley who paddleboarded from Liverpool to Goole.

"Normally we would never have a guest like Jo but with Zoom meetings we can."

Members, who are drawn from Ashley, East Carlton, Middleton and Cottingham, have also been sharing their own talents and tips with each other on Facebook as their original 2020 programme fell foul of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wendy said: "One of our members, Angela, writes a column for us called 'Tales from the Veg Plot'. I didn't realise you have to test the heat of the soil with a bare bottom before planting out parsnips. She writes in such a wonderful folksy way.

"What we didn’t expect though was to be involved with a local radio station. One of our members, Helen Chown, has been learning how to be a DJ."

Helen's husband is regular Beat Route Radio presenter 'Slim' Steve Chown and has been learning the DJing skills from him.

Wendy said: "She has put together a Desert Island Discs programme of songs. We asked for back stories from our members. One chose an Eric Clapton song because she had played maracas back stage with him.

"Helen is very, very good. She going to be reading the stories in between the songs for the show. I have chosen Days by the Kinks because I was always a massive fan.

"I used to live in London and it was one of the songs I connect with."

The hour-long show featuring the 'Lockdown Girls' favourite songs can be heard on Rushden-based community-run Beat Route Radio on Saturday, June, 20 between 5pm and 6pm,

Wendy said:"We're all struggling in our ways and we are ensuring that our members aren't forgotten.

"One of our members doesn't drive and doesn't have a computer but every week she gets a letter and some members have been popping over.

"We have our book share and we have deposited half-a-dozen sunflower seeds on the members' doorsteps for a sunflower growing competition.

"Like many other groups, we cancelled everything that we had organised for our 70th birthday year and have adapted to life with Facebook and Zoom."

The group have planned their next social event to mark Wimbledon fortnight and will be taking their return to pre-Covid meetings slowly.

Wendy added: "We will gently come back by having walks and taking a picnic, and visiting gardens rather than sitting in the village hall. We're praying for good weather.

"We might have changed the way we do things, but in many ways we think we have a greater interaction with our members. Certainly, we are fast learning how to use the new technology and are having a lot of fun. I think we will come out "

For futher information about the Ashley Welland Valley WI that usually meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in Ashley Village Hall click here.Or email the group [email protected].

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