The Charlton Womens Institute
REPORT FROM CHARLTON W.I. FOR NEWBOTTLE AND CHARLTON
ANNUAL PARISH METING – 20th JUNE 2005 Below, bottom
of page.
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Charlton's Womens Institute celebrate 30 Years!
A happy group of 30 members, past and present met for a Lunch on Saturday 3 September 2004
(Photo below) Current Charlton WI President Grace Locke (left) welcomes founder
President Elaine Holloway
in front of the cake to celebrate 30 years of WI in Charlton since reforming
in 1974
REPORT FROM CHARLTON W.I. FOR NEWBOTTLE AND CHARLTON
ANNUAL PARISH METING – 20th JUNE 2005
Charlton WI has 24 members at present. We have had a good year with a mix
of excellent speakers,
visits to local places of interest and meals out.
We have listened to talks on Organic Beef Farming, Magno-therapy, the Horton
Hospital,
Collecting on a Shoestring and the Architectural History of Canons Ashby,
a National
Trust property. This last talk was followed up with a visit to the house
for a superb private
guided tour, which included the gardens as well.
During last summer we visited the Apple School of Cookery for a demonstration
and ate
the delicious results. On another evening we visited Tooley's Boatyard, went
for a short
boat trip along the canal and finished up with a tour of Banbury Museum.
In January our post-Christmas blues were banished when we did some Maypole
Dancing,
learning about the history of the subject whilst resting between dances.
We held a party in September last year to celebrate the 30 years since Charlton
W.I. was re-formed.
A good time was had by all and we enjoyed meeting past members who had travelled
to be with us.
It was party-time again in the early spring, when we celebrated the 90th
birthday of our
oldest W.I. member. She responded by telling us the interesting story of
her long life in
and around Charlton. Social history at it's best.
We enjoyed meals out at Christmas and Easter. We once again organized and
served
teas at the Church Fete. We were baking again in October, when we
took a turn a
providing the cakes for a hospice in Northampton.
Some of us have been walking together. Members had been challenged to walk
a minimum
of 90 miles during the year, to celebrate 90 years of the W.I. movement.
So far we have
gone on two walks organized by one of our members, each walk lasting between
2 and 3 hours.
Most enjoyable, apart from the weather.
One of our members has written a short article on the History of Charlton
W.I. for inclusion
in a book on the History of Northamptonshire Federation of Women's Institutes.
Members have attended Group Meetings at Syresham and Evenley and have taken
advantage
of some of the many events and outings organized by the Northants County
Federation.
Ann Hawkins 15th June 2005
Reformed in September 1974 and joined by the Croughton ladies in 1993, they
meet in the Memorial Hall
the second Monday of the month from 7.30 pm.
