12:14pm Tuesday 29th June 2010
A pub is an unlikely setting for a Women’s Institute meeting, but it is attracting a new generation of younger women. Ruth Addicott talks to a group of modern mums, members of the Dudley Dales branch.
A WOMEN’S Institute meeting in a quiet village in Yorkshire couldn’t be further removed from nursing casualties on the frontline in Afghanistan. But for Catherine Lunness, a nursing officer in the TA, it’s a welcome relief.
Catherine is a member of the Dudley Dales WI, a new branch which has set itself apart for its younger outlook.
“I suppose I’m not your typical WI member,” says Catherine, 29, who works at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. “I’m into mountain biking and mountaineering and went climbing in Nepal last year, but I’ll give anything a go and it was the friendliness of the group that drew me in.”
The members meet in a pub rather than a parish hall and there are no jam or marmalade-making sessions in sight. Instead, there’s a beauty therapist from a local salon, which offers waxing and spray-tans, talking about the pros and cons of permanent make-up.
While the subject may have some of the elder members choking on their Victoria sponge cakes, branch secretary Claire Aldus, 36, says the subject does have a serious side – permanent make-up is also used by people recovering from cancer.
The Dudley Dales may have a modern feel, but they are still keen to keep up the traditions of the national WI – they are not averse to jammaking and were going to sing Jerusalem, but couldn’t get the iPod working.
“We can make it as modern or traditional as we like, we just wanted to do something a bit different,” says Claire.
CLAIRE, a former police officer from Carlton, was new to the area and joined because she wanted to meet new people. It was her niece, Sally – who’s adopted the role of president, who came up with the idea.
“Most of us are mums, but that’s just a coincidence,” says Claire. “It’s difficult to keep in touch and meet people when you’re juggling work and a family. I don’t get much ‘me’ time any more and the Dudley Dales is my one night out a month. It’s something I really look forward to.”
The branch currently has 11 members, including a primary school teacher, a banking clerk, an intensive care nurse and the director of a engineering firm. There are no age restrictions, but most fall somewhere between 30 and 50.
The Dudley Dales are not the first to break off from the traditional format, but as far as Claire is aware, they are the first to be based at a pub.
They meet at the Dudley Arms, in Ingleby Greenhow, once a month.
The pub not only inspired their name, but proved a convenient meeting point. (It is owned by fellow member, vice president Maggie.) The WI has had a few ‘alternative’ branches launching recently. Bramley WI caused a stir when they organised a trip to see the comedy show Puppetry of the Penis, not to mention holding life-drawing classes with nude male models. Disparate Housewives WI, in Hampshire, even advertised one of their meetings as ‘Getting Plastered’ (although it did include First Aid).
While there are no nude models booked on the agenda at the Dudley Dales, Claire says that members are open to anything.
Meetings have so far included a Saks colour and hair specialist, a self -defence expert and a cheese and wine evening. They are in the process of setting up a clay pigeon shoot, a trip to the races and demos on how to make jewellery and sloe gin.
The group is still keen to maintain some of the traditional values, as well as backing the WI’s current campaigns supporting bee-keeping and local pubs, an issue which is very close to their hearts.
Claire still gets bemused looks from people when she says she is a member of the WI, who assume it’s all knitting and making jam. “I actually like the traditional side like jam making,” she says. “What would be nice is if we could get an older lady from one of the other WI groups to come and give us a demonstration.
Why shouldn’t you educate yourself?”
As keen as they are to raise funds, there are no plans afoot as yet for a new version of the famous WI calendar.
“It might raise a few eyebrows outside the school gates,” says Claire, “But never say never.”
■ For further info on the The Dudley Dales WI, call 07733- 007121 or 07717-132668. Members pay a £29.50 annual subscription, which includes meetings and the WI monthly magazine. Meetings are also open to non members for a small fee.
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