Townswomen’s Guild Alsager

04/10/2026

All TG members and friends welcome.
Please email [email protected] that you will be there so that numbers attending can be estimated for the National Memorial Arboretum (recently renamed as the RBL National Remembrance Gardens).
Meet at 10.30am for 11am start by TG memorial.
It is advisable to book car parking in advance and please car share where possible.
You are welcome to bring along and poppies on sticks to be laid/planted during the event. (These will need to be removed after the event unless they are wreaths purchased from NMA I believe).

03/10/2026

26/07/2026

Dawn French has won widespread support after speaking out against body shaming and online bullying in a passionate social media video.

The comedian and actress shared the clip on Instagram after comments were made about Marie-France van Heel, the wife of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, following the couple's appearance at Buckingham Palace after his audience with King Charles.

Without mentioning van Heel by name, French expressed her frustration that so much attention had focused on a woman's appearance rather than her achievements.

"So, a woman… a human normal woman standing there and all you can talk about is her dress and her body," she said.

French went on to defend the woman, describing her as intelligent, accomplished and resilient.

"How dare you body shame her? This is a bright woman who speaks lots of languages; she's run businesses; she's faced challenges you wouldn't even begin to imagine."

She ended the video with a blunt appeal: "Stop it! Stop bullying people! It's a human being with a human body!"

French was equally direct in the caption accompanying the post, urging people to stop body shaming in language that left little doubt about how strongly she felt.

Her message quickly attracted thousands of supportive comments, with fellow actors and celebrities praising her for saying what many people were thinking. Suranne Jones, Keeley Hawes, Paloma Faith and Vicky Pattison were among those who publicly backed the post.

The discussion followed criticism aimed at van Heel after she wore a pastel Victoria Beckham dress during the official visit to Buckingham Palace. Many social media users defended her, arguing that the focus on her appearance was unfair and sexist.

French has never been afraid to speak her mind, and her latest message struck a chord with many people. Rather than commenting on someone's appearance, she argued, attention should be given to who they are, what they have achieved and how they treat others. Her remarks prompted a wider conversation about the way women in public life are often judged far more on how they look than on anything they say or do

20/07/2026

Our June meeting was themed around Wimbledon, with Pimms, strawberries and scones. We enjoyed two quizzes one based around fun facts about Wimbledon, the other guessing which baby photo matched with which TG member! Much harder than is sounds!

27/06/2026

Tickets are available for Alsager Girlguiding and Christchurch's Musical Extravaganza on the 11th July, doors open 5:30 pm.
Do come along and support this amazing event.

Laura, a leader at rownie unit has secured some fabulous acts and a choir full of enthusiasm. Alsager District Rangers are running the raffle.

This event is in aid to Alsager Guide Hall Roof Appeal and Christ Church.

Tickets are on sale at the Guide Hall on Monday 29th June at 6:00 pm (cash only), otherwise tickets can be purchased via the link, or at the Christ Church office, Church Rd on Wednesdays/Thursdays.

A night of musical entertainment to raise funds for Alsager Guide Hall Roof and Christ Church Alsager.

22/06/2026

Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt will be the first all-American, all-women officiating crew at this year’s World Cup.

All three were chosen to officiate at the 2024 Olympics and have been members of the FIFA officiating panel for years. https://wapo.st/4ac8kql

15/05/2026

We had a wonderful evening, at our May meeting, with String and Sunshine Community Ukelele Group. They were such a joy to listen to

11/05/2026

08/04/2026

Just a reminder of the history of the TG organisation.
This document was downloaded from the TG website and has been amended slightly to bring it up to date.

08/04/2026

in 1968, flight attendant Jane Harrison helped passengers escape from a burning aircraft close to London, UK. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross for heroism, the only woman to be directly awarded the medal for gallantry in peacetime.

Barbara Jane Harrison was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 24th May 1945 and worked as a flight attendant with BOAC. On 8 April 1968, the number two engine of BOAC Flight 712 caught fire and fell from the plane's port wing soon after it left Heathrow Airport.

The aircraft managed to land two and a half minutes later, but fire continued to engulf the wing and spread to the fuselage.

Jane and another flight attendant inflated the escape chute at the back of the plane but it became entangled. Her colleague had to climb down to free it for use and was unable to return to assist with the evacuation.

Jane stayed at her station and helped passengers to escape as fire ravaged the plane, encouraging them to jump and in some cases simply pushing them out to safety.

As the fire spread, escape from the rear of the aircraft became impossible and she led the remaining passengers to another exit. She refused to leave the plane to save herself and her body was found near that of a disabled pensioner, seated in one of the last rows. She was just 22 years old.

Jane is one of four women to have been directly awarded the George Cross for heroism, and the only one of the four not to have served with the Special Operations Executive in occupied France during Second World War.

A tree commemorating Jane’s bravery and sacrifice can be found close to Yeomanry Avenue at the Arboretum.