On Tuesday 15th September 2015 Whissendine Women’s Institute (WI) celebrated the WI national centenary. Whissendine WI started just 89 years ago.
Over 50 people, WI members and their guests, enjoyed playing human bingo and listening to beautiful music composed and recorded by Kitty Richardson, with one of her pieces that is used for the anthem of the EDS charity.
Members and visitors were entertained by former presidents Marion Lawrie and Ann Edmunds reading poems, and viewed displays of members crafts and the history of the WI. A slideshow showed photos from 1963 through to present day, including current activities which are varied and wide ranging, from discovering about hedgehogs and a ramble joined by a duck, trips and lunches, not forgetting the art of champagne and chocolate making.
Everyone enjoyed meeting someone new, catching up with old friends over a traditional afternoon tea of cakes and scones, finished off with a champagne toast and cutting of a centenary cake by the president Barbara Burnish surrounded by past presidents, Ann Edmunds, Marion Lawrie and Win Lustig, and former vice president Pat Lake.
It was a lively evening full of smiles and laughter, bringing together women from Whissendine and beyond, from all walks of life, including two and three generations of women from some families.
Each guest was given a Morsbag made by WI members, to take home with them to use, containing a copy of the WI life magazine from previous months and information about WI.
