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Women from East and West Farleigh formed The Farleigh's WI in 1919.
Their meeting place was the Iron Room, a building in front of where the
oast houses now stand in Lower Road, East Farleigh. Committee meetings
were held in the afternoons but there was no monthly meeting in
September because of hop picking. The format of the monthly meeting was
as it is today, except that the speaker usually arrived by bicycle
having travelled miles in all sorts of weather. Education for country
women, which was the purpose of starting Women's Institutes nationally,
was the theme of lectures and activities. In 1931 through great money
raising activities by Mrs Parker of West Farleigh, the then President,
and members from East and West Farleigh, The Farleigh's WI hall was
built, owned and maintained for the benefit of the two villages by the
WI.
Because of a lack of transport and opportunity the members had to
make their own entertainment. This resulted in an excellent drama group,
photographs exist of various pageants at several venues including Linton
Place and the Priory in East Farleigh where they were dressed in
magnificent Henry VIII costumes. A choir, craft and produce guilds were
also popular.
The April 1939 minutes show that members took along their respirators
to be fitted. The WI war effort included making jam, 21cwt was ordered
in April 1940. Rubbish was collected and sorted, including iron, steel,
paper, bottles and jars. One social half hour was spent knitting for the
troops, including these on the Russian front. The county wrote asking if
the WI would help the national vegetable supply by growing onions for
sale as part of Kent's promised 12 tons! The hall was used for a time as
a school for evacuees. The National Savings Fund was supported together
with a host of other activities in serving the country.
New house building developments in the intervening years since the
war have brought in new members from East and West Farleigh and further
afield, all enjoying what the WI has to offer. As well as the
traditional skills such as craft, cookery and gardening, there is a
singing and dancing group - their Christmas shows are always a sell out
- our darts teams have been champions in the County Darts Tournament
more than once, golf lessons are given, clay pigeon shooting practice,
foreign outings - the list is endless.
Members are involved in giving help in their local communities as
well as raising money towards the upkeep of The Farleigh's WI Hall, a
never ending task. Our hard working hall committee makes sure that it is
maintained to a high standard and keeps up with the never ending rules
and regulations.
If you would like to join us please contact Ann Ayears on 01622 814561
or email her at Ann.
© Pam Clark |
