THE latest community news from around Lampeter.

St Peter’s Church

SUNDAY, 31 July: 8am, Holy Communion in English; 10.30am, Morning Worship (bilingual).

WI

IN JUNE, Lampeter WI celebrated its 100th year. It is the oldest institute in Ceredigion and just a few months younger than the first WI established in Llanfair PG in Anglesey in 1915.

By now, the WI is the largest female organisation in Great Britain.

This institute held its first meeting at Bristol House, Station Terrace, which is now the launderette called The Washtub.

At the first meeting, 80 ladies attended and, under the leadership of Hugh Walker, the wife of Prof Hugh Walker of St David’s College, it was, according to a past edition of the Cambrian News, the first organisation to have its own club room where members gathered to read copies of newspapers and journals and edifying books.

Later, the ladies moved to the Walters Hotel, a Temperance Hotel at the bottom of College Street, and later still to Bryn Road School, where for five shillings a week they rented the school hall and had occasional use of the kitchen facilities.

There they stayed for many years as the membership grew to over a hundred and much beneficial work for the town was carried out by members.

There was yet another move to the Victoria Hall Supper Room. Present day members remember meeting at Bryn Road School and at the Victoria Hall when a great deal of fund-raising was done.

Helen Frost was an enthusiastic and popular president of the branch who encouraged helping the community in Lampeter and elsewhere.

Money was raised for Bronglais Hospital and many seats were purchased and presented to the town.

The neglected flower beds in the Rookery Car Park were taken over by the members and with much hard work and dedication became an attractive and admired part of the town.

In time, the rental for the Victoria Hall went up drastically and yet again it became necessary to move. This time, they went to St Thomas’ Chapel where they still meet on the third Wednesday of the month.

For the centenary celebrations they held a coffee morning with various stalls laden with goodies.

Later in June, they held an excellent two-day exhibition of their history and achievements, and a craft display showing beautiful examples of craft of all kinds that had been made by past and present members.

This proved very popular and much admired by the many people who visited.

On Thursday, 23 June, to celebrate the actual centenary, a dinner was held at the University of Trinity Saint David where past and present members attended joined by members of the county federation and friends of the organisation.

A framed certificate acknowledging the 100 years was presented to the president by Brenda Wright, as well as a certificate from Eirwen James.

A book of the History of the Women’s Institute Movement was presented to Cath Chamberlain by Dorothy Lloyd, and the WI cookbook was presented by the federation chairman to Dorothy Lloyd.

After the excellent speeches by Bethan Williams and Ann Jones, the centenary cake was cut by Cath Chamberlain and Dorothy Lloyd. This beautiful cake was made and iced by one of the branch’s long-standing members, Dorothy Williams.

The branch offered their thanks to all the people who helped set up the impressive exhibition, to those members who organised the dinner and to the university staff for a delicious meal.

Thanks were also given to the business people of Lampeter who helped by donating gifts for raffles and prizes. And to all friends for their generous monetary gifts and cards.

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