Back to Welsh roots for WI party

A WI walk through Wales, which started in Gwent will end in Anglesey

Anglesey's historic role as the birthplace of the Women's Institute in the UK will be celebrated on Friday.

Hundreds of members are expected to travel to Llanfair PG on the island for the 90th anniversary.

They will glimpse exhibits from the era and plant a ceremonial Acer tree to mark the occasion.

The first three WI groups were formed in 1915 in north Wales.

If I could become king for a day I would ban that phrase 'jam and Jerusalem' Sally Mabey, Glamorgan Federation

Sally Mabey, press officer for the Glamorgan Federation, said 46 members from south Wales are travelling up to the celebrations.

"The Llanfair PG group doesn't meet in its original building, the Toll House, but there is an exhibition and we have been given a time slot to view the exhibits," she said.

"There is also a tree planting and a walk on the day."

There are around 7,000 WI groups, with more than 700 in Wales, but Mrs Mabey is keen to stress it isn't all "jam and Jerusalem" - despite the organisation's homely, old-fashioned image.

"If I could become king for a day I would ban that phrase 'jam and Jerusalem'," she said.

"But yes, okay, we have done jam and Jerusalem - and a lot more."

Mrs Mabey said the WI is non-sectarian and non-party political but does lobby parliament on issues members feel strongly about.

The modern granny now wears jeans and trainers and goes to aerobics twice a week when she isn't looking after the grandchildren Sally Mabey

This year's AGM, held in June at the Albert Hall in London, saw problems such as environmental damage hitting their agenda.

The 2006 the group's AGM will take place in Cardiff's International Arena.

Ninety years ago the WI movement, which would eventually grow to 215,000 members, began after a meeting of two people - John Nugent Harris and Madge Watt.

They decided that WIs were what was needed to revitalise rural communities and to involve women in producing more food for the war-torn country.

Madge Watt was taken on as an organiser by the Agricultural Organisations Society to set up WIs.

After speaking at a conference in Bangor, she was invited to meet women from Llanfair PG.

Aerobics

Nearly a century on the WI is proud of its campaigning history, which has been one of their long-running commitments, said Mrs Mabey, a member for 30 years.

She said that strategy has not changed although the members have done.

"As far as the members, they are no longer in twin-sets and pearls and blue rinses, the modern granny now wears jeans and trainers and goes to aerobics twice a week when she isn't looking after the grandchildren," she said.

And membership is bouyant, said Mrs Mabey.

Their 96-strong WI groups in the Glamorgan federation has recently seen new ones set up in Pontypridd and Whitchurch.

In north Cardiff, the Rhiwbina group will hold its first meeting at the Canolfan Beulah next Wednesday, 21 September.