THE first meeting of Low Coniscliffe Women’s Institute in 1939 concluded, after tea, with games: “Bag bursting in teams, Putting Baby to bed, and Quakers wedding.”

Next weekend, there will be even more fun and games when the local WI celebrates its parent organisation’s centenary with a garden party, to which all are invited.

The WI was formed in 1915, during the First World War, to encourage countrywomen to grow and preserve food, but a Coniscliffe branch wasn’t established until the Second World War was looming on the horizon.

In fact, two branches were formed in 1938 – one serving Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent, and the other based in High Coniscliffe.

The Northern Echo: Low Coniscliffe WI
RECORD: Year books produced by Low Coniscliffe WI

Many of the minutes and year books of Low Coniscliffe still exist, and these show that 23 ladies met at 2.30pm on December 14, 1938, and agreed there was enough interest for the first official meeting to be held on January 5, 1939, when 26 ladies showed up. After agreeing their constitution, voting in their first committee and electing their first president – Mrs Haigh – they had tea before concluding with their games.

Their first annual report was written at the end of 1939, when membership had increased to 44 and among the talks they’d enjoyed that year was one entitled The Possibilities of One Yard of Material. They’d also held a whist drive which made 24 shillings for wool, which was turned into “comforts for the troops”, and at Easter, they’d collected 128 eggs, which went to children in Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Low Coni’s meetings were held in a building known as the Institute (can anyone provide any information?) until it was closed in 1992. There was a proposal for an 18ft temporary hall to be erected in someone’s back garden, but Darlington council refused planning permission. This seems to have encouraged the Low Coni WI to merge with the High Coni WI as the nearest most suitable venue for meetings was High Coni village hall where the High Coni WI met.

In fact, High Coni WI had played an important part in creating the village hall in 1963. It is beside St Edwin’s church, which stills high on a cliff surrounded by old gravel quarries and the Tees, and was once the village school. When a new school was built in the early 1960s, it was put up for sale for £300 and the church bought it.

The WI chipped in £50 – a sixth of the cost – but a letter from the vicar acknowledging their donation keeps them in their place. “It is understood that a donation does not of itself imply free use of the hall at any time,” he wrote. “The hall would be available to the Institute’s use by arrangement, and at agreed cost to cover adequately the expense of use on each occasion.

“For various reasons, it is not possible to say at once what this cost will be. I can, however, promise that it will not be excessive! It will be fair.”

And so in 1992, the two WIs became one, and on Sunday September 6, from 2pm to 4pm, they will be holding their centenary celebration in Jonty’s Garden – a field beside the Spotted Dog pub. Admission is free, and there will be stalls and refreshments, plus the Cockerton Prize Silver Band and the Locos-in-Motion morris dancers, and, of course plenty of other fun and games. Can anyone tell us how to play Putting Baby to Bed and Quakers Wedding?

ON October 13, 1953, High Coniscliffe WI had a cookery demonstration from the North Eastern Electricity Board which showed the members how to use a new-fangled electricity cooker. This is one of the recipes they attempted:

Tomato and Spaghetti Flan

1lb creamed potatoes
2 or 3 large tomatoes
Tin of spaghetti in cheese sauce

Method: Line a deep pie plate or sandwich tin with creamed potatoes. Put in a layer of sliced tomatoes, season and cover with the spaghetti in cheese sauce. Slice more tomatoes for top. Dot with a little margarine and place in a moderate oven till tomatoes are cooked and potatoes brown. Garnish with bacon rolls and parsley.