16/09/2026
It’s the 15th November 1929, Maggie Frith is the teacher of what was then called “the baby class” at Annesley School. Her head teacher came into the classroom and apologised that someone had written the words to Jerusalem on her chalkboard using crayon (the board had to be replaced). The head explained that his wife and some other local ladies had used the classroom to meet and arrange forming a local Women’s Institute, a relatively new organisation which had started in the UK on 16th September 1915 on Anglesey, Wales, after the movement had begun in Ontario Canada in the 1890s.
Maggie couldn’t join the WI which they formed, now called Annesley and District, because she wasn’t married and in the beginning only married women could join.
27 members enrolled at the first meeting of Annesley WI on the 5th December 1929, who in those days met at St John’s Church Hall.
8 years later Maggie married and so was eligible to join but unfortunately there was a waiting list so she had to wait a while, she also had to give up her teaching job as married women, at the time, did not work.
In later years Maggie became president of our WI and her daughter has been president too.
So we’ve been around a while and thankfully lots of things have changed for women in those years but one thing hasn’t changed, the WI is still a great place for ladies to meet, have fun, make friends, learn and grow. If you are interested in joining why not contact us to arrange a free visit to one of our meetings.
