IntroductionBicton WI continued to do well. It was recorded that up to 37 members attended meetings. Meetings took place on the first Thursday at 2.30pm but by 1958 it appears that at least some of the meetings were in the evening. In 1951 the annual subscription was 3/6d.
Monthly Meetings
There were a wide variety of talks and demonstrations at the monthly meetings ranging from the interesting to the exotic.
The interesting included talks on coloured embroidery; falconry; the aims and objects of the WI Movement; soap powders; Shropshire folk lore; simple gardening; first aid in the home; play production; ‘know your joint’ and the growing of cactus and other succulents. In addition, a speaker came from the International Wool Secretariat and Lady Dyer gave a very amusing talk on Customs and Superstitions.
The more exotic included a talk on South Africa and WI activities there; a talk ‘life with a French family’; a talk on Norway & Sweden and Mrs Ratcliffe gave a talk on her recent visit to Paris. Then in 1952 came speaker Mrs Jakovic from Latvia ‘who was dressed most attractively in her national costume, and she gave us a most moving account of her experiences in fleeing from the Russians, and told us of all the customs and beauties of her country’.
There were many demonstrations too with handicrafts being a favourite – smocking; knitting; cross stitch rugs; making hats from raffia; quilting; making lamp shades; patchwork; making handbags and shopping bags; glove making; cane work and a demonstration of leather work which led to a leather work class and competition for the best handmade leather purse.
Cookery was another favourite with demonstrations of pickles & chutneys; chocolate eclairs; ‘Raised pies’; Christmas delicacies including flaky pastry, gingerbread, Swiss cakes and cake icing; sweet making; yeast cookery; curries and Indian dishes; Easter cookery; pressure cookers and ‘dressing and trussing a fowl’.
Many of these cookery demonstrations were given by the West Midlands Gas Board and Midlands Electricity Board, who gave a demonstration of the television in 1951. Also, the Hoover company gave a washing machine demonstration and ‘members admired the quick and easy way of enjoying wash days’.
We can often see what was going on in the wider world. In February 1952 two minutes' silence were kept for the late King and in April 1953 members stood in silence in memory of HM Queen Mary. The Coronation took place on 2nd June 1953, and Bicton WI moved its meeting forward a week to the 28th May.
Then in February 1954 ‘in spite of the very wintry weather which prevailed there was a good attendance of 32 members. However, neither the speaker nor invited visitors from Ford WI could get to the meeting on account of the treacherous conditions’.
‘Members day’ was an annual event – a mock meeting with members acting as officers. In 1953 Mrs Salter as President ‘looked most charming in her black lace & regalia. The secretary Mrs Lake had prepared a most amusing and lengthy account of a meeting held in a certain tavern in the town. The table decorations were most unusual, a cauliflower in a bucket, but this was soon removed as it spoilt the view of the attractive trio. The treasurers balance sheet left us all feeling rather worried, and we suspect the large overdraft had been caused by the heavy smoking of the secretary and by the purchase of the large bottle of WI spirit which was soon imbibed.’
Social half hour and ‘extras’
A wide variety of activities took place during the ‘social half hour’ each month – extra activities in addition to the business and speaker parts of the meeting,
These varied from – knitting on matchsticks; “photos of myself when young”; a beetle drive; ‘my most embarrassing moment’; ‘my pet grumble’; a singing and guessing competition; an advertisement guessing game; a spelling bee; sketching the president; ‘where I was born and why I came to Bicton’; – to a competition for the shapeliest ankle!
The monthly competitions were also varied and interesting. Some examples were ‘a verse to fit the tune of Auld Lang Syne’; articles to take on a day’s outing to the sea; my prettiest plate; a homemade calendar; most items in a matchbox; a meat pie in a dish; best paper hat; longest length of apple peel; best folded paper serviette; a ‘Television supper for Two’; homemade toys; the ‘best kept head of hair’; a laundered blouse and the best ironed man’s shirt!
Bicton WI started a drama group in 1955 and presented ‘Meet Miss Parkes’ - thanks to the Chronicle for the photo!
A gloving school took place at the Four Crosses in 1950 and on another occasion Country dancing lessons were arranged. In 1954 it was reported that Mrs Barclay and Mrs Paddock passed their proficiency test in cookery and nutrition at Radbrook College.
In 1959 Mrs D Jones was 3rd prize-winner in the County Essay competition, and read her entry ‘Things my Grandmother told me’.
Mrs Kelly gave a talk in 1957 on her recent visit to Denman College where she took a course on singing and choir conducting. Later in the year Bicton WI’s recently formed choir performed well at an Eisteddfod in Shrewsbury gaining two certificates. They looked very smart!
In addition to monthly meetings rummage sales were held in the village hall for funds for various causes and whist drives continued to be an important part of WI life. In 1954 ‘16 prizes were promised and 26 tables provided for. Members who had volunteered to do a whist table were to provide refreshments for their guests.’
They were still canning in 1952 when a fitment was added to the canning machine to take smaller cans.
The Committee and Formalities
The Village Hall was opened on December 5th 1951 and from January 1952, all meetings were held there. Bicton WI presented a piano to the new hall.
The March 1952 minutes are the first written in biro rather than fountain pen. In 1952 it was noted that funds were very low – £7-8-11 credit from which £7 affiliation fees were due. A suggestion was made that waste wool be collected and sold to the factories for cash to swell the funds a little. By July 1953 the balance in hand was £2-11-6.
In 1953 a postal ballot was held about changing to an evening meeting resulting in an equal number for each option. A further ballot was held with a small majority for remaining on Thursday afternoons.
Annual outings
As usual, annual outings were held and through the 1950s they went to Barmouth with tea at Bettws-y-Coed, Llangollen, a Worcester china factory, Blenheim Palace, Cadbury’s with theatre and dinner afterwards and in 1954 to Denman College with Ford WI sharing the 30-seater bus. The 1952 outing to Llandudno was enjoyed but ‘the treasurer reported we were 15/- short on our account to Vaggs coaches. Members each gave 6d towards this, raising 9/- and the remaining 6/- raised through a draw.’
Christmas party
A splendid photo of a Christmas party in the 1950s in the old Village Hall.
By 1952 members paid 2/6 and could invite one friend. In 1953, 80 members & friends attended. ‘A lovely supper of ‘tongue and beef etc, delicious cream trifles, fruit salad, cakes, cheese and biscuits. Members enjoyed games and dancing until 11pm when everyone joined in singing Auld Lang Syne. All agreed the WI party had been better than ever’.
People
Miss Gertrude Lee, who had been President in 1937/8 and then since 1939, suffered serious ill health throughout the year and finally resigned in October 1953. She had also been Convenor of the West Shrewsbury Group for 11 years. In January 1954 Miss Lee wrote thanking for her gift of a dressing gown, however she died in the March. It is recorded in April – ‘It was with deep regret that we learnt of the death of Miss Lee after a long illness. Previous to being president she had been secretary for 7 years. She leaves behind many happy memories to all WI members’. And ‘This was sad news for our Institute. Miss Lee had been our President for 14 years and had never failed to give of her best to everything concerned with the WI’.
Mrs Kathleen Ratcliffe was elected the new President followed in 1956 by Mrs Corbett Griffiths. In May 1958 Mrs Corbett Griffiths was one of 34 ladies who went on a SFWI 10-day bus tour of Switzerland. Read the account of the trip in the Chronicle! It's a bit small to read, so we've typed it out for you:
"The coachload of 34 Shropshire Women’s Institute members, their courier, Harold Hitchcock, and driver, “Mac”, arrived in Paris after a journey from Boulogne, where they had crossed the Channel that day in the “Lord Warden”.
But nowhere could they find a hotel where they could stay the night with enough room for them all. So they travelled on to the tiny picturesque village of Barbizon, where they stayed at Les Charmettes, the small hotel in which the Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) and the Duke of Edinburgh once stayed.
This was one of the interesting tales which the W.I. members, who arrived back by coach in Shrewsbury at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, were telling to their families and friends yesterday after a ten-day tour of Switzerland.
Mrs. Corbett J. Griffiths, of Home Farm, Onslow, Bicton Heath, who is president of Bicton W.I. and was one of the coach tourists, says: “It was a holiday full of fund and laughter. We had a wonderful time.”
During the return journey, the party when through the famous district of the Rhine Falls, went on a trip up the Rhine, spent the night at Basle, and travelled through Joan of Arc’s birthplace, Domremy-le-Pucelle, saw Rheims Cathedral and the famous battlefields of France."
Secretary Enid Evans got married in 1951 and members presented her with a beautiful tea service. In 1952 members gave an oak coffee table as a wedding present to Miss Mary Paddock and there was a slice of wedding cake for everyone from the new Mrs Mary Fowles.
Here is Mrs Olive Paddock (right) with Mrs Griffiths. Mrs Paddock was a founding member and mother of Mary Fowles:
Shrewsbury West Group, SFWI and NFWI
The 1953 Group Meeting at Bicton was a great success – seven institutes were represented and 184 members attended. 1957 saw success at the group meeting gaining second prize in the competitions.
In 1950 Bicton WI proposed a resolution to SFWI. The Chronicle reported that a resolution was passed that ‘customers and shop assistants should be asked not to smoke while buying, serving or handling food in shops. Mrs H Salter of Bicton told of ash flicked on butter and meat.’
In just over twelve months in 1956 SFWI raised funds to buy a new county headquarters. £3,200 was given by members – an average of £20 per Institute or 7/- per member.
At the 1958 SFWI Council Meeting it was agreed to raise the county quota from 6d to 1/-6d per member as there was a gap of £450 between SFWI expenses and income. The extra shilling would bridge the gap. Mrs P Addison of Bicton WI seconded the resolution saying ‘could any member tell me of any other organisation which asks for such small remuneration in exchange for such valuable amenities?’
SFWI held events as it does now, and Miss Daphne Oxonford of BBC’s ‘Listen with Mother’ visited Attingham Hall for a one-day course of storytelling for mothers. In 1953 a lingerie school was to be held at County Office! More seriously, in 1959 SFWI held a conference on World Refugee Year.
At the 1956 autumn council meeting Miss Gwynedd Lloyd, SFWI president, spoke of the county’s pride in having Lady Swinnerton Dyer as NFWI chairman, a member of Diddlebury WI. At the 1959 council meeting Lady Swinnerton Dyer sat at the back of the hall amongst her fellow members. Miss Lloyd said ‘Shropshire burns with pride when it has its national chairman at its council meeting’.
In 1959 Miss Lloyd addressed the Council Meeting saying ‘We are such a varied body of women...We are supposed to be rather flat footed, and it is always said we are very masterful. My father used to call us the ‘anti-husbands’ league.’
The Chronicle, tongue in cheek, suggested there be a Miss (or Mrs) Shropshire Women’s Institutes: ‘There are plenty of good-looking personality-plus women in the WI. And by Jove, wouldn’t the men folk sit up and take notice then!’
Involvement in local & national affairs
In 1952 a letter was received from Bicton Parish Council re bus shelters proposed by Bicton WI. The Council thought these would be too expensive and not necessary.
Bicton WI had a handicrafts stall at the Bicton Horticultural Show in 1952 and 1953 and entered competitions at the West Midlands Show.
Bicton WI took part in the 1950 Minsterley Show but in September ‘we were told the results of the WI displays at Minsterley Show and we regretted that we had not come up to the usual standard. We decided to cancel the entry for the Chrysanthemum Show’.
Bicton WI supported Cruckton Children’s Home at Christmas by making toys and Christmas crackers for the December competition, and giving them to the Home together with toys and books collected by members.
The wider WI
In 1954 NFWI passed a resolution to start a national anti-litter campaign. Following that, the WI and 25 other UK organisations formed the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ campaign which continues today. For more information on Keep Britain Tidy visit
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/our-history