The Coquet Valley WIs (illustration: Mike Todd)

All over our region, and our country, women of all ages meet to share experiences, learn from one other, form friendships and make a difference in their communities. In their name, JANET HARDIE visits the Women’s Institutes of the Coquet

The beautiful River Coquet flows eastwards away from the Cheviot Hills, winding its way through moors, meadows and farmland, passing through small hamlets and villages such as Alwinton, Harbottle, Hepple, Netherton and Thropton before reaching Rothbury. In this rural landscape the distances between these farms and villages are not great in modern terms, but 100 years ago it would have been difficult for neighbours, particularly women, to get together for support and companionship. This was of course true throughout the country, and out of this need the original Women’s Institute was created in 1915.

In the Upper Coquetdale Valley there are four WIs, and little did I know when offering to write this article that I would find such variety within this quartet. Never think WIs are boring, irrelevant, uninteresting, even “jammy” – they can offer so much to individuals and are very much part of the community.

All of them fund-raise for local charities such as Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team, the Great North Air Ambulance Service, and local food banks. The common threads weaving these four WIs together are companionship and care for each other, fundraising for charities, participation in interesting and educational activities, and taking part in creative sessions. Each group is unique and appears to take on the culture of the small community it belongs to, and members have always supported each other through personal difficulties and political upheavals alike, through world crises and the more recent Covid isolation.

Hepple WI members with Simonside beyond (photo: Alastair Hardie)

HEPPLE WI
What a delight to meet up with this small WI on a beautiful September evening as they gathered to watch a bread-making demonstration at a member’s house.

Every WI tries to find interesting and informative speakers and activities throughout the year. Hepple members obviously knew each other very well, and indeed I discovered that some had been members for over 30 years. They had formed in 1938 and admitted to being a traditional WI with a foodie reputation; they love their pooled suppers and are often called upon to provide the food at village events and wakes.

One of the most important aspects of all WIs is friendship, and this came across very strongly. One member said she, “loved to meet people who had been members for years.” Another commented, “The months could slip by and it would be so easy to end up doing nothing.”

Hepple WI is an example of a closely knit group with a genuine interest and concern for each other. Several had joined when they married and moved into the area and particularly enjoyed the social side. Another member emphasised the importance of the whole organisation being non-sectarian and non-party political (who can forget the slow clapping of Tony Blair at a Federation AGM?).

As with all WIs, assumptions should not be made about members or their circumstances and everyone is welcomed at face value.

NETHERTON WI
This is the oldest WI in the valley, established in 1921 with a steady membership of 26 and a lively president and supporting committee. It has a timeless quality; the same families and womenfolk involved over the years confirmed by a tiny suitcase crammed full with archive material I was lent to rummage through.

As with Hepple, Netherton WI was established for farmworkers’ wives in this rural area and kept going throughout the war years, providing companionship as well as engaging in necessary war work. Meetings are now held in an attractive wooden hall built on land donated by the current president’s great-granddad (apparently all other halls in the valley are built in stone) and naturally the WI helped to raise funds to extend the hall in recent years.

They always have a stall at the Harbottle Show and this year displayed much of the contents of the little suitcase mentioned above – hoping to attract new members but also knowing the importance of having a visible presence in the valley.

One member said their WI was “not stiff and starchy” but they conduct their meetings in the traditional way, starting with the business part, followed by an invited speaker and then a pooled supper – “which are so good they are getting longer each time!”

As everyone knows, WIs are for women only, but Netherton sometimes breaks the rule and invites husbands/partners to a pie & pea + trifle supper in autumn. (There has been an occasional grumble from husbands and partners who would like an invitation to listen to a particularly interesting speaker also). I enjoyed browsing through the old handbooks in the archive. It would be easy to poke fun at them, with their rules and fussiness, but ‘back in the day’ when the WI was establishing itself there would have been a need for such structure and discipline.

There are plenty of helpful (and sometimes amusing) tips – for example, under the heading “Ways of fulfilling your office at committee meetings” there is this gem: “Remember you are one of a team which must work together to get things done. Forget that you may dislike to work with Mrs X. It is the work that matters and Mrs X may improve on acquaintance.”

Such good advice! There is now a digital WI Handbook available.

ROTHBURY WI

Here’s a relatively new WI with a difference. First founded in 1918, then closed in 2000 but reopened with a bang in 2014, since then it has gone from strength to strength with a membership now of more than 30. It has a website at www.rothburywi.wordpress.com and there are unusual social interactions such as circle dancing and Shamanic drumming.

Members described their WI in glowing terms, including “people are there for you in a crisis or to share good news”; and “members are very aware of social issues as well as having a sense of fun”.

Rothbury WI like to get involved with the resolutions put forward by the National Federation, such as the current action to clean up rivers, and this of course includes the lovely River Coquet which flows through the village. They have a representative on the action group CRAG – Coquetdale River Action Group – as does Thropton WI.

Last year members decided to raise money for HospiceCare North Northumberland by taking part in skinny dips and enjoyed it so much they went on to make a 2025 ‘naked’ calendar. (Remember the original naked calendar made 25 years ago by Rylstone & District WI?). The intrepid organiser said, “we had models out in all weathers and at all times of the day and night.”

She particularly thanked the farmers and landowners who let them take photos on their land and kept a discreet distance during the shoots. To buy the calendar go to https://www.hospicecare-nn.org.uk and click on Retail and Rothbury WI calendar.

Thropton WI with the chair of Northumberland Federation of WIs and their local Spar manager (photo: Alastair Hardie)

THROPTON WI
Thropton WI reached its 100th birthday in 2023 and coincidentally has a member who this year turned 100 herself. To celebrate, members enthusiastically raised money for a photo album memento, and a maintenance-free centenary bench made of recycled plastic. The new local Spar garage and shop contributed to the installation of the seat.

An interesting historical fact discovered in Thropton WI minutes book is that during World War II it was twinned with a WI near Brisbane in Australia whose members sent food parcels to Thropton. Apparently, a christening gift was sent from Thropton on the birth of a son to their president.

Along with other local WIs and residents, Thropton participated in the successful campaign to reopen Rothbury Cottage Hospital, which had been unexpectedly and suddenly closed. Some of the WI members had worked at the old hospital and were keen to take part.

As with all WIs, Thropton is a friendly and caring group and they make a special effort to welcome new members and visitors to their monthly meetings. Without exception, members said they had joined Thropton to make friends and meet new people in the village and from nearby.

THE WI
The National Federation of WIs is the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK with approximately 190,000 members in 5,500 WIs.
It campaigns nationally on a wide range of issues that matter to women in their communities, and provides life-long learning and self-development opportunities in England and Wales. Scotland has its own separate organisation.
For information, visit: www.thewi.org.uk

Jam and Jerusalem

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