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Hatch Warren WI
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We love a man in uniform – but the arrival of October’s speaker in his Beefeater costume, caused a few palpitations for some! There was a sense of déjà vu, as Tony Strafford’s second visit had echoes of 12 months ago. Due to a schedule mix up, he had told us then about Ladies in the Tower of London, instead of The Mystery of Jack the Ripper. Arrangements had been made for this repeat visit to hear the originally planned talk. One member however, knew that he had not made the same mistake again, having ‘phoned earlier to check that all was OK for the meeting. The costume’s reappearance was solely to add atmosphere to the talk, as Jack the Ripper’s murders took place in the same area as the Tower of London. To set the scene, we were transported back to life in Whitechapel in 1888. Many people were homeless in this extremely poor part of the city. Doss houses were available for shelter but beds had to be booked and paid for in advance - 4 pence a night, “No pay – no stay”. Those “lucky” enough to rent a bed, actually found themselves sleeping in a wooden box (one of 200 in the house), with dirty urine soaked linen from previous users. They slept in their clothes, to prevent them from being stolen. Needless to say many could not afford to pay, and resorted to desperate measures to come by money. It was against this background that the murders occurred. Despite his notoriety, Jack the Ripper only committed 5 murders. All the victims were prostitutes, all were alcoholics, all looked the same with no front teeth (or very rotten ones), and all were killed at weekends between midnight and dawn. First reports were low key, due to the lack of interest in prostitutes. Also the police force then was nothing like that of today. They were not trained detectives, but ex military men who kept timed patrols, giving no assistance if near the end of a shift. Police were also legally forbidden to speak to the press. Tony Strafford recounted the facts as if unravelling an Agatha Christie murder mystery (all we needed was some suspenseful background music). Having told us that he would not go into grisly detail of the ritualistic nature of the killings, he then proceeded to do so. It was necessary to put all the known links together, and show how evidence was destroyed and opportunities to catch the killer ignored. Whilst the police methods (or lack of them) were far removed from today’s forensics and attention to detail, there was a surprising similarity to modern behaviour in another area. After the first two murders, rumours began to spread, and details of the gruesome nature of the killings seemed to implicate someone with surgical experience. Doctors were under suspicion, and the press became very interested. Stories were widely circulated and the public started visiting the murder sites. Private detectives became involved and a vigilante committee was also formed. Members of the press published fictional letters as if sent from the killer himself, to keep the interest going. It was from one of these that the label “Jack the Ripper” originated! As our speaker described the final three murders, and the escalation of attempts to solve the cases; many names and coincidences were brought to our attention. Connections involving a doctor, the police force, freemasons, and even royalty were all explored. Tony Strafford explained that Jack the Ripper was never found, but his analysis of events certainly lead to some interesting conclusions. There was an awed silence at the end of his talk. A storyteller and showman of true presence, he broke that silence by asking how many W.I. ladies would be making their way home alone tonight! Luckily, a few laughs over tea and biscuits soon dispelled any fears. With his thoughts back in the world of 2008, Tony was keen to leave promptly to get home in time for the football. He had definitely left us with plenty to ponder. |
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Please note that for the last two W.I. meetings of 2008, changes have been made to the original programme: • 6th November - the Annual meeting will be held at a member’s home, with the added attraction of a fish and chips supper. • 4th December - the meeting will actually be our Christmas Meal at the Golf Club. Visitors are still welcome to attend either of these events, but will need to contact the W.I. for further details. Please call Sandra on 01256 469224. |
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We wish the ladies of Hatch Warren and Beggarwood a Happy Christmas, and look forward to meeting more of you next year. Remember, you don’t have to be old, you don’t have to make jam, you won’t sing Jerusalem, but you will have a great time. Hatch Warren W.I. will be back at the Community Centre on 8th January 2009. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 8:00pm You don’t have to be a member to attend and visitors are always very welcome. A full programme for 2009 will be available soon, via the Community Centre and on the website – www.hampshirewi.org.uk |
| 2008 | ||
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
| January 10th | The Magic of Kenya - a Wildlife Safari from the Rift Valley to the Masai Mara | Geoff Sharp |
| February 7th | The Way We Were … before chocolate!!!! | Members' meeting |
| March 6th | Understanding Yourself and Others – a look at personality profiling | Nigel Palmer |
| April 3rd | "Open Wide!" …tales from a dentist’s chair | Walter Happy |
| May 8th | Have Your Say in May on WI Resolutions. Your turn to talk | |
| June 12th | 15th Birthday meeting. Candy Floss in "The Dragon’s Den" | Michelle Jones |
| July 3rd | Animals and Us | Rev Jill Bentall |
| August | Summer Social - tba | |
| September 4th | Gone with the Wind ... Hollywood Great Clark Gable | Elsie Russell |
| October 2nd | The Mystery of Jack the Ripper | Tony Strafford |
| November 6th | Fireworks at the Annual Meeting? (note change of venue; contact Sandra on 01256 469224 for details) | |
| December 4th | Christmas Meal at the Golf Club (contact Sandra on 01256 469224 for details) |