History of Oakley WIs
Oakley & Deane WI was formed in 1918 and meets in the evening on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. In 1969 a second WI for Oakley, East Oakley WI, was started as Oakley had expanded and there was a waiting list for Oakley and Deane WI. East Oakley WI disbanded in 1979. Oakley Afternoon WI was founded in 1980. Oakley Institutes and their members have always taken an active part in village activities and indeed can always be relied upon to give support and help whenever and wherever needed. Members can always be found helping out at many local charitable organisations and at most village functions.
Table cloths and our banner
Oakley & Deane WI still use the tablecloth which was embroidered for their 50th anniversary in 1968, and at the time of writing (2018) a current member still remembers being 'volunteered' very forcefully into helping with this by the president Mrs Nancy Kirby, even though she was and still is not a needlewoman. Looking at the workmanship you would not know that some of the lovely needlework was completed by inexperience members. In the photo below where Mrs Miles cuts the wonderful 3 tiered celebration cake in 1968 you can see a small part of the tablecloth made for the occasion.
Oakley & Deane WI have the East Oakley WI table cloth, it is used for the treasurer's table. This tablecloth was purchased ready made, though HCFWI (Hampshire County Federation WI) with 'East Oakley' in the scroll.
The Oakley and Deane WI Millennium Banner was designed by the then President, Christine Horrocks in 1999 to commemorate the Millennium. It was machine embroidered by Christine Horrocks, Margaret Grimshaw, Sheila Trott, Christine Reeve and Dorothy Holdstock. It shows a Dove of Peace, Oakley Methodist Church, St Leonard's Church, the WI logo and 2000 Oakley and Deane. Brian Barker, husband of a member, made the pole.
Oakley & Deane WI have the East Oakley WI table cloth, it is used for the treasurer's table. This tablecloth was purchased ready made, though HCFWI (Hampshire County Federation WI) with 'East Oakley' in the scroll.
The Oakley and Deane WI Millennium Banner was designed by the then President, Christine Horrocks in 1999 to commemorate the Millennium. It was machine embroidered by Christine Horrocks, Margaret Grimshaw, Sheila Trott, Christine Reeve and Dorothy Holdstock. It shows a Dove of Peace, Oakley Methodist Church, St Leonard's Church, the WI logo and 2000 Oakley and Deane. Brian Barker, husband of a member, made the pole.
Mrs Walters was the first president of Oakley & Deane WI her grave is in St Leonards Church graveyard. Here are some pictures of her grave taken by Jenny.
Oakley and Deane W.I. (from a booklet about Oakley published in 1970)
From the first meeting in 1918 when the Oakley and Deane Institute was formed by its first president – Mrs Walter of Malshanger House – with a membership of 12, to 1969 when a membership of 120 with a long waiting list necessitated the formation of a second W.I. in Oakley, this Institute has flourished – adapting itself to local and world events, to the benefit of its members and the community. Supporting Mrs.Walter at the first meeting was Mrs. Peters as treasurer and Mrs. Wills as secretary. Whether as part of her secretarial duties or not, Mrs.Wills was long remembered with gratitude for collecting fish from Basingstoke and delivering to members to help with the rationing.
Between the two World Wars, meetings were held in the Reading Room or ‘tin hut’ which was erected on Glebe Land on the site where Dr. William’s house has now been built. During these years, members enjoyed lectures, demonstrations and social activities at the at the monthly meetings laying a pattern of programme that still exists today – then, as now, the highlights of the year were the Christmas Whist Drive (all tickets sold by October !!), the Summer Outing in August to the sea and Christmas Party. The ‘May Sale’ is now the ‘April Sale’ but is still for institute funds and still generously supported by members and non-members.
One outing no longer enjoyed by present members (perhaps due to our doubtful weather?) was the July or Garden meeting usually held at Green Ways (the home of Mrs Stirling).
In 1938, the Village Hall at Andover Road was opened and became the new home for the W.I. – but the outbreak of War saw many changes in Institute activities. Petrol rationing meant no private transport, so ‘Huntley’s Bus’ came into being – a service that only ended last year with the present Mr. Huntley’s retirement. The blackout meant afternoon instead of evening meetings and to help with wartime rations a ‘jam-making unit’ operated at the Village Hall with members picking the fruit from the countryside, and making the jam which then appeared on the shelves at Coopers and Oakley Stores complete with their green/white W.I. labels. With the end of war, Institute activities returned to normal – a membership now of 50 – it supported an active choir and drama group followed a few years later by the Country Dancing Group – the latter two maintaining the activity to the present day.
With the development of Oakley, membership increased monthly – 120 members were present at our Golden Jubilee Dinner in 1968 – and evening that will long be remembered. The Jubilee Cake was cut by Mrs. Miles, the only surviving founder member of the Institute. I wonder how many of the members there that night will be present to cut the centenary Cake!!
With membership at a maximum and the waiting list growing longer, advice was sought and acted upon. In October 1969 a second W.I. was inaugurated – the East Oakley W.I.
So now we both look forward to the next 50 years – sometimes in co-operation with and sometimes in competition against each other but always remembering the ideals and aims of the organisation to which we both belong.
From the first meeting in 1918 when the Oakley and Deane Institute was formed by its first president – Mrs Walter of Malshanger House – with a membership of 12, to 1969 when a membership of 120 with a long waiting list necessitated the formation of a second W.I. in Oakley, this Institute has flourished – adapting itself to local and world events, to the benefit of its members and the community. Supporting Mrs.Walter at the first meeting was Mrs. Peters as treasurer and Mrs. Wills as secretary. Whether as part of her secretarial duties or not, Mrs.Wills was long remembered with gratitude for collecting fish from Basingstoke and delivering to members to help with the rationing.
Between the two World Wars, meetings were held in the Reading Room or ‘tin hut’ which was erected on Glebe Land on the site where Dr. William’s house has now been built. During these years, members enjoyed lectures, demonstrations and social activities at the at the monthly meetings laying a pattern of programme that still exists today – then, as now, the highlights of the year were the Christmas Whist Drive (all tickets sold by October !!), the Summer Outing in August to the sea and Christmas Party. The ‘May Sale’ is now the ‘April Sale’ but is still for institute funds and still generously supported by members and non-members.
One outing no longer enjoyed by present members (perhaps due to our doubtful weather?) was the July or Garden meeting usually held at Green Ways (the home of Mrs Stirling).
In 1938, the Village Hall at Andover Road was opened and became the new home for the W.I. – but the outbreak of War saw many changes in Institute activities. Petrol rationing meant no private transport, so ‘Huntley’s Bus’ came into being – a service that only ended last year with the present Mr. Huntley’s retirement. The blackout meant afternoon instead of evening meetings and to help with wartime rations a ‘jam-making unit’ operated at the Village Hall with members picking the fruit from the countryside, and making the jam which then appeared on the shelves at Coopers and Oakley Stores complete with their green/white W.I. labels. With the end of war, Institute activities returned to normal – a membership now of 50 – it supported an active choir and drama group followed a few years later by the Country Dancing Group – the latter two maintaining the activity to the present day.
With the development of Oakley, membership increased monthly – 120 members were present at our Golden Jubilee Dinner in 1968 – and evening that will long be remembered. The Jubilee Cake was cut by Mrs. Miles, the only surviving founder member of the Institute. I wonder how many of the members there that night will be present to cut the centenary Cake!!
With membership at a maximum and the waiting list growing longer, advice was sought and acted upon. In October 1969 a second W.I. was inaugurated – the East Oakley W.I.
So now we both look forward to the next 50 years – sometimes in co-operation with and sometimes in competition against each other but always remembering the ideals and aims of the organisation to which we both belong.
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