Join us on Monday 16th March when Barrie Hampson will be giving us a demonstration of life saving in support of the NFWI Resolution for 2025 of "Bystanders can be Lifesavers". We have lots of events planned , so don't forget to look out for sign up sheets and check the Calendar for what's coming up.

Our February meeting saw us learning some dance routines from Helen Constantine who runs local Fitsteps classes. We did a Rumba, Samba and a lovely American Smooth followed by a demonstration of a routine to the very popular K Pop Demons Hunters. We were all very grateful for refreshments at the end of the session!

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Eight of us met for the, first of the year skittles evening starting with a pub meal and a natter before being joined by the rest. We all enjoyed catching up following Christmas. We were all in good form despite the break for holidays and the scores were high for all with Irene scoring the highest after 5 goes each, with a total of 31. The next skittles is on Tuesday 03/03/26 at the Walkford Pub, BH23 5QF. Most of us have a pub meal before playing. We meet at 6:30 pm, for the

A few of us met at the Christchurch Emporium this morning. I was starting a new sketchbook and there’s always a self imposed stress of making a first mark on those pristine pages. A slice of Dorset apple cake was the perfect delaying tactic….and the ‘evidence’ made it into the book as its first sketch! Thank you to those who could make it today. A fun morning.

Missing Strictly? Our members are invited to join us on 16th February for an evening of learning some simple dance routines with Fitsteps teacher Helen Constantine. No need for a partner - we dance solo in lines. Come and do a Rumba, Salsa and American Smooth to great tunes. Wear something comfortable - especially on your feet. For those who don't want to dance, you can sit and watch the rest of demonstrate our two left feet !!

Our Annual New Year Meal took place on 15th January at the Christchurch Harbour Hotel. Thirty three ladies glammed up to enjoy a 2 or 3 course meal and each other's company. With thanks to the staff at the Christchurch Harbour for being so accommodating.

We have now signed up with the WI lottery – yippee! See details below on how to buy tickets but remember to do so via the Christchurch Belles WI Lottery page – link below. If you have a problem with this simply type in ‘WI Lottery’ then click ‘Play the Lottery’ and type in ‘Christchurch Belles WI’ in the space saying ‘Search for a WI’. The WI weekly lottery raises money for WIs all over the UK and we now have a WI Lottery page, raising money for Christchurch Belles. Tickets f

Our first meeting of 2026 will be the Resolutions Meeting where we will have a presentation on all 5 suggested topics followed by a table by table discussion. We will then vote for the Resolution we think should be adopted at the NFWI Annual Meeting. Accessible public toilet facilities to promote dignity, health, and social inclusion Action on women’s homelessness Every child needs a friend Nearer to Nature Love Your Vulva – Self checking is your best defence against vulval c

Our ladies brushed up really well and brough out the sparkle for our Christmas Party. The first competition was to make your table decoration from items provided by Jo S ( and some which were "borrowed" illegally from the hall !) There was also a Christmas quiz and a lively rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas" . Thank you to all those involved in organising the event and to members for bringing all the wonderful food we enjoyed.

On Monday 17th November we welcome Brian & Jacqui Sutton who will talk to us about the life and times of the Duke of Monmouth. We'll explore the rise and fall of the Duke of Monmouth in this fascinating presentation. The story covers the Royal characters behind the Duke's story, the Battle of Sedgemoor 1685 and its aftermath including the Bloody Assize, the trial of Alice Lisle of Ringwood and the Duke's eventual execution. Jacqueline is a retired Drama teacher, whilst Brian

Three Belles represented the WI alongside Christchurch Central members in the parade from the Royal British Legion to the Priory for the wreath laying ceremony. We then attended the moving service and observed the two minute silence at 11.00 am

Belles Skittles Social evening will be next held on Tuesday, 04/11/25 at the Walkford Pub, BH23 5QF.  It would be great to meet up with anyone interested to have fun, exercise, chat and a meal. We meet at 6:30 pm, for those wishing to have a meal prior to bowling. Meals are ordered on arrival, starting at £8.45 for normal pub food. You can alternatively join us for 7:30 just to play.  It is always great to meet before playing to chat. Join us for fun, banter and plenty of lau

Six of the Belles members attended the Annual Meeting of DFWI at the Lighthouse in Poole on 16th October. The meeting was opened by the High Sheriff of Dorset who explained his role as appointed directly by the King, an institution that is a thousand years old. The business element of the meeting included the Treasurers Report, voting on the constitution changes and details of a successful fundraiser running the tea and cake stall at Bestival where they sold 3000 cake slices

Don't forget our meeting on Monday 20th where Charlotte James from Julia's House will tell us about the charity. There will also be a new members presenation explaining a bit more about how we fit into the national organisation. There will be cake on sale with tea and coffee in the break. Please remember to bring any jigsaws you have for our sale ( max 3 per member) new , unopened ones will be £3, secondhand ones will be £2 for 1000 pieces and £1.00 for 500 pieces. Also we wi

Nine of the Belles visited Monkey World near Bovington on Saturday and were lucky enough to have our own personal tour guide in the shape of Alison , our speaker from last month. We made sure to abide by all the rules and regulations "no monkey suits to be worn " !! and not to feed them. A few of us were a bit unsure about captive animals, especially after seeing the chimpanzees' inside pen as they all looked very miserable. But it was a cold day and we have to remember that

What a great way to spend an afternoon. Yesterday 4 Belles did a Treasure Trail around Brockenhurst. It really was most enjoyable and we...

We hold a Belles Skittles Social evening every month on the first Tuesday.  This month 2nd September 2025 at the Walkford Pub, BH23 5QF. ...

The wonderful Alison Bristo shared her experiences and passion for these beautiful animals at our monthly meeting. She talked about the...

Join us at Avon Beach at 6.30pm in front of th Noisy Lobster for a social. Bring a chair, food and drink - and warm clothes ! If anyone...