On Wednesday 11th February Shirley Goodwin, Janice Clark and I were delighted to accept the Mayor and Mayoress’ invitation to tea to celebrate WI Centenary.
We were met at the door to the Mayor’s Parlour by Mrs Tricia Gardiner, the Mayoress, who took our coats and hung them on the rack outside. Inside the Parlour we were invited to enjoy the splendid spread of tea, scones and cakes provided.
The Mayor, Councillor Roger Gardiner, managed to hush the crowd of WI ladies long enough to make a speech in which he informed us that he knew a great deal about the WI as both his mother and his aunt had been members, and as a child he had been roped in to help at various events. He also recognised the valuable role of the WI in providing support and friendship to many women throughout the Borough. A representative from each WI was then presented with a glass plaque in recognition of 100 years of the WI. This was a lovely surprise and most welcome. The Chairman of the Hampshire Federation, Brenda Fletcher who was also present and had received a plaque inscribed for HCFWI, gave a vote of thanks for the recognition by the Mayor of the WI Centenary.
Later during the afternoon on speaking to Tricia, who is a member of Calleva WI, she told me that she knew it was a little early in the year, but she was determined that the tea should be given during her year as Mayoress and that the gift of the plaque had been a surprise to her too having been organised by the Borough at her husband’s request. It was a very special start to the beginning of this year’s celebrations.
Lynn Martin, President, Oakley & Deane WI