NORTH TAWTON WI was born on February 20, 1929 and 90 years later we are still going strong with a membership number of 50 plus – not bad for a rural WI!

The aim of the WI movement was to improve the conditions of rural life for women and enable them to play an effective part in local and national life.

Articles from our archive show that our first meetings were held “in the granary by the Railway Hotel, North Tawton” and from there they moved up to De Bathe House which was the home of the first president - Mrs Lily May – grandmother of the late Dr Jean Shields.

Archive material written by Mrs Audrey Martin and Mrs Phil Lewis mentions “quite a lot of ladies sitting around a long scrubbed white wood table on forms in Mrs May’s large kitchen with a special lady showing us how to make scones or biscuits which were cooked in the oven of a large black stove”.

Another article describes Mrs May as being “enthusiastic about entering Drama competitions, with members practising and learning lines as they journeyed by train to Exeter where the competition was held”.

Meetings were run along the same lines as today – a speaker, business, social time and a nice cuppa! Membership subscription was two shillings and sixpence.

Fast forward to 2019. North Tawton WI members are still enthusiastic, energetic and wonderfully supportive of each other - with a great sense of humour too!

To celebrate our birthday we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the Waie Inn, Zeal Monachorum with specially invited guest Shirley May Saunders – newly elected Chairman of Devon Federation of Women’s Institutes.

Shirley May declared she was thrilled to be a part of our celebration and warmly congratulated us on achieving this incredible milestone.

Some of us congratulated ourselves by having two puddings – (well it was just too hard to choose between the mocha cheesecake and the lemon mousse).

So, here’s to our Centenary!

Sue Knott