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WI--Earlydays (cont)

1941 - Mrs Beckwith, an evacuee who stayed with Mrs Watson at Cliffe Cottage and lost both her sons, one an RAF pilot, the other a Fleet Air Arm pilot, gave dress making lessons. A talk on 'Dig for victory' by Mr Buss led the WI to take over one of the allotments which were on Cottagers Lane.

At the June meeting the WI was notified that 6 cwt of sugar had been allocated for jam making to the Yorkshire Federation of WI's. Miss Rowe read out a lecture on bee keeping. The meeting of June 17 had Mrs George of Barton talking on Food Values and Packed Lunches. At the July meeting 4 members were nominated to go to Gilling to help with making camouflage netting and Mrs W Gowton proposed to keep a register of helpers for farmers. In September Mrs. Wilson offered to teach members to make camouflage nets which were urgently needed and were made in the Reading Room. In October eight members took advantage of the coupon free wool scheme to knit garments for he troops. In November Miss Whitaker gave a talk about the POW fund. Elderberry Syrup from the National Federation's Preserving Centre was on sale at 1 shilling a bottle.

1942 - At the January Meeting Mrs Gowton was thanked for her fund raising efforts which gave 6 pence to each child an a donation towards village men and women who were in the Forces. At the February meeting a talk was given on behalf of the Ministry of Information stating the rile of 'Women in Wartime' while the April Birthday Party raised 2.5.0 for the Red Cross. May11th saw Miss Petty (the Pudding Lady) give an interesting and amusing talk on war time cookery and on 23 there was a Ministry of Information Film open to all.

This pattern of supporting causes for the war was to continue to the end of the

end of the war and beyond, rationing did not end finally until 1954, as a defeated

Western Europe had to be fed and housed. Even so, life retained normality. In

December there was a children's party at which each was given one shilling,

apples and sweets were sent to those who were ill.

Heating was a problem as the fire wasn't adequate and Mrs Boyd was to be asked

to look into the matter.

1943 - £18.15.0 was put into War savings, leaving the WI with 44.0.0. At the February

meeting Mrs Walford, wife of Colonel Walford gave a talk about her war time

return from Egypt. Members were too busy to take up work with the Preserving

Centre run by the Yorkshire Federation of WI's. Talks continued on the Red Cross,

life in the ATS by Miss P. Wilson (later Mrs Wrightson).

The October meeting voted to send 1.0.0 each to men and women serving in the

forces but there were insufficient funds to send cigarettes to all. A Christmas

Party was held on December 21st.

At the 1944 Annual General Meeting the members were:

Mrs U Wilson President

Mrs Levison--Gower, Mrs Whitaker, Mrs Boyd. Vice Presidents

Mrs Hodges Secretary

Mrs Cutler

Mrs Beck

Mrs Heslop

Miss M Heslop

Mrs Robinson

Mrs W Gowton

Mrs Wappat

Mrs Rowe

Despite these harsh conditions locally and nationally, there was a Christmas Party

held on December 16th with entertainment by the school children performing a

scene from 'The nursery at Midnight' a whist drive of 18 tables and supper. Each

child was given a bag of sweets that Mrs Skelhorne had saved.

1944 - Despite the war Mrs W. Gowton was elected to go to the Annual London meeting of the WI representing Manfield and Eppleby. In February Mrs Lawson spoke of 'The World we want to see after the War' while in March Mde Dash was to speak about life in France, in the event she was unable to come so Mrs Langthorne gave a talk on France at War and pointed out aspects of French ways of life. At the July Meeting Miss Heslop was appointed Collector for Rosehips and in September a produce show was held. A talk on Poland was booked for January 1945. In October Mrs Millbank gave out wool for 'Knitting for occupied Europe'.

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