WI clinches prize for best wedding cards

The lunch dates were today, with Christmas lunch on Wednesday, December 12.

At the autumn group meeting at Mosse Hall, Jackie and Iris manned the bring and buy stall and Gill produced a musical quiz which was won by Hazel Tester.

The competition for three pearl wedding cards was won by the institute, and group chairman Gill Dart presented Brenda, Peggy and Iris, who had made one card each, with the bell which the institute holds until next autumn.

Iris made a basket of items to be sold with baskets from the other institutes at the annual council meeting in Worthing at the end of the month.

Vivienne Gratwicke had on display the medal she had been presented with for 23 years' loyal service to the WRVS.

Steve Harris was introduced, his talk entitled open all hours. His father ran a grocery store in East Grinsted in 1937, later moving to Kirdford and he spoke of the items for sale such as ointment for chilblains, Carters little liver pills, Blue Bags for a whiter wash, powdered eggs and 1924 had seen the introduction of Kelloggs cornflakes.

Carter Paterson were called upon for door to door delivery, there were commercial travellers who collected your money weekly and travellers selling their wooden pegs.

Steve's slides showed an old fashioned mangle, a '˜stop me and buy one' Walls ice cream bike and a store full of old time favourites such as Virol and who could forget Cod Liver Oil and Malt.

Members also saw the heavy accumulators that had to be topped up each week to keep a wireless running. Jackie thanked Steve for an informative talk.

During social time a selection of favourite poems were read. Meetings are on the second Thursday of the month at 2.45pm at Jubilee Community Centre, Chalcraft Lane.

All are welcome.