The WI’s 100th anniversary will be marked with a Centenary Fair in the heart of Harrogate, held by one of the town’s newest groups.
Spa Sweethearts WI is organising the fair at the Wesley Centre on Oxford Street on Saturday, September 12, just four days before the official 100th anniversary of the founding of the organisation.
Sarah Clifton, a Spa Sweethearts committee member who has helped to organise the fair, said:
Spa Sweethearts WI is only four years old, but we are very proud to be part of such a successful and important organisation.
Our Centenary Fair is open to anyone who wants to join us, and we hope it will be a chance for people to find out more about the modern WI as well as its long history.
We’ll be celebrating all of the traditional things about the WI, but we’ll also have a few surprises that might challenge people’s preconceptions and show them that the WI is still as relevant to women in 2015 as it was in 1915.
The Spa Sweethearts Centenary Fair will feature live music, a display of WI memorabilia, home-made cakes and light lunches. There will be free demonstrations of sugarcraft and flower arranging during the day.
There will also be stalls selling vintage items including Ladybird books, as well as knitted toy animals, home-made cakes and hand-made soaps. Stallholders include Craft Aid International, Pickles & Pudding and Green Dragon Crafts.
There will be a free knit-and-natter corner, where anyone is welcome to bring their own project and get to know other crafters.
Entry will be free, and proceeds from the event will be split between local charities, with visitors able to vote for the good cause they want to support on the day.
