The Walmley Bulletin

In February 1999 I started and edited an in-house newsletter for my WI (Women’s Institute). It was in circulation for just over two years when the cost of photocopying/printing assisted in its demise. However, I still have all the copies and occasionally browse through them, sometimes looking for inspiration, sometimes to remember those members who are no longer with us.

As well as recording the last WI meeting and giving brief details of the speaker, The Walmley Bulletin contained a message from the President, recipes, tips, hints, the odd poem, a few jokes, a bit of a quiz, and a few words from the editor. Members sometimes gave accounts of events or expressed appreciation to well-wishers who sent get-well cards, and on a few occasions I interviewed members and recorded their stories. It was an interesting little pamphlet and was great fun to do.

I also found this piece and decided to share it on the blog. It’s called Keep Fit With Laughter.

oOo

“Fun and laughter have a rejuvenating effect on the body and the act of laughing stimulates the inside of our bodies, exercising the heart, muscles and nerves. When we laugh the body releases its own natural painkillers - endorphins, enkephalins, and catecholamine’s, the chemicals that help speed up the healing process. Remember to incorporate laughter into your day and you could reap the benefits.

Not convinced? Here are four truths about laughter:

·         Muscles are less tense after a good chuckle.

·         Air is expelled quickly when laughing which means your lungs get thoroughly oxygenated, your head thinks clearly and your body feels more alert.

·         Cortisol (the stress hormone which, if over stimulated, breaks down muscle) levels are high when you feel stressed and are reduced during laughter.

·         Laughing has an anti-inflammatory effect on bones and joints.

So, Ladies ... heard any good jokes lately?”

oOo

When I was younger I used to hear people say ‘laugh and grow fat’ which was merely an encouragement to be cheerful rather than actually putting on weight. The theory goes, apparently, that lean people are more solemn than fat ones. I wonder if that’s true. One thing is certain, after a good old belly laugh I feel as if I’ve had an uplifting tonic.

Finally, here's another item from the bulletin, published in 2001:

April is the only month that begins with All Fools’ Day, a day which has sanctioned frivolity and pranks since the 1500’s. So says Larry Wilde, the best-selling American humorist who founded National Humour Month. His aim was to heighten public awareness of how the therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills, and enrich the quality of one’s  life. And the idea of using humour as a tool to lift ailing spirits is growing. Scientific research now indicates that the curative power of laughter and its ability to relive debilitating stress may indeed be one of the great medical discoveries of our time.