History

(For the History of the W I nationally, please see the National Federation of W I's website. Click "About Us" and then "W I History Archive".)

Just as we have had our own "festive" celebrations as 2007 changes to 2008, on January 5th 1943 the ladies of the comparatively new Guarlford W I held their New Year's Party at The Point (otherwise known as the Rectory Room, part of the stabling at the Rectory). The committee members brought "extra eatables", and the Rector's wife loaned the Rectory dining room so that members could sit down to tea there. A charade and many games were enjoyed, and the party ended at 6 pm. 

The Point (shown on page 152 of 'The Guarlford Story') was so-named in World War Two because the Room became a First Aid Point as well as a meeting point for the ARP Wardens. Various functions and classes took place there, as well as W I meetings; it was even used by the visiting School Doctor and Dentist.

In February 1943 the talk was about "Curing Skins". A Whist Drive (very popular) was to be held on February 18th in aid of Mrs Churchill's 'Aid to Russia Fund', tickets 1/6d, and a letter from one of the men of the village, "serving as a soldier" was read out - it thanked the ladies of the W I for woollen 'comforts' sent to him and his friends. So it can be seen that the ladies of the village were "doing their bit".

It was on May 13th 1941 in the midst of war a group of women met at the First Aid Point at Guarlford Rectory to form the Guarlford Women's Institute. Before that time women from Guarlford had been members of Madresfield WI, which, at its inception in 1917, was one of the earliest W.I.s in the country - known as 'Madresfield, Newland and Guarlford Women's Institute'. So, Guarlford is a daughter Institute of Madresfield, which, sadly, closed in 1993. More about the history of Guarlford Women's Institute can be found on pages 185 to 191 of "The Guarlford Story". (Please see bottom of the GHG Guarlford Story web page for details of how to purchase a copy.)