Tilford WI marks its 100th birthday with celebration, recalling past events and community contributions.
About fifty guests gathered on February 12 at the Tilford village hall. They blew out many candles for the big day. The group planned the event for almost a year.
Farnham’s mayor, Brodie Mauluka, attended, accompanied by his wife, Caroline. Ben Cahill-Nicholls, Tilford’s vicar, also joined them.
Sue Small opened things, welcoming everybody there. She shared apologies from some past members who could not make it.
Valerie Smith, Sue Small, Diana Prian, and Jane Fox cut the cake. They are all past or present presidents. One member made a history of WI events.
Records for the first sixteen years were not found. Still, the account was very interesting. It covered parties and even the Covid pandemic and spanned many years!
In 1942, members left a party early. They needed daylight to do chores. In 1945, they sent knitted items to Dutch children. The Royal Family thanked them in 1951.
In 1954, a lampshade course started. A new piano cost £30 in 1955. In 1959, they asked their MP to ban flick knives.
They played cricket against the village team in 1960. In 1989, they gave tea to London seniors. They joined Facebook in 2018 and used Zoom during Covid. The group celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee.
In 1996, they gave tea to people building houses. The mayor thanked them for that. Photos of members and events were on display.
Brodie Mauluka revealed a mosaic by Sarah Coyle. It shows the WI clock set to 7:25. That time marks the WI’s start in 1925.
Rev. Cahill-Nicholls said a prayer afterward. Then everyone enjoyed tea, cake, and drinks. The presidents formally cut the cake and raised a glass to Tilford WI.