Monday 15th July and Saturday 20th July - Exhausting the W.I.

Monday 15^th July and Saturday 20^th July  - Exhausting the W.I.

A Monday visit to the Record Office, I have had a couple of weeks off.  During that time the group has been set up with access to ‘Slack’ so that we can share what we find.   There is also a fantastic list of sources shared with the group, including a list of recorded interviews that are available on CD.  

I am told that these can be ordered through the public library, however, transcripts exist for some of them and are held in the RO.  I order one.     

I spend a bit of time looking at the paper catalogues.   I locate the minutes from Stowupland WI and order them.  There is another Coroners Inquest Report that I want to look at.  

The Coroners report is practically illegible, Bernard Pretty’s writing is very difficult to read, the form has been filled in by someone else prior to the meeting, then he has filled in his part.  

I also look at the 1955 Sale Particulars for Columbine Hall (a WLA hostel location), it includes two bungalow cottages constructed out of Land Army quarters.  

It is then on to Stowupland WI minutes, they are also concerned with fruit preservation and the Boys Brigade Hall becomes a ‘jam making center’, during the meeting of June 1940 there is a “lengthy discussion" the outcome of which is that "sugar to be purchased from Mr. Skinner who would also be asked to help in retailing the jam”

By the meeting held on September 25^th 1940 581lbs of jam had been made all of  which had sold by the November 27^th meeting.

I decide to give up on WI minutes, fascinating as they are (giving an insight into the quantities of jam made during the war years) there is nothing suggesting any link between them and any support for the the Land Army.  Apart that is from the link with Lady Denman. 

I spend the afternoon reading a transcript of one of the interviews.  This proves to be more worthwhile and productive.

Saturday 20th July 

A morning at the Record Office, I am helped by a former colleague from my UCS/Suffolk College days who is on duty, we look at records for Columbine Hall, there are the photos listed in the sources but little else from the war years.  We investigate some old card records and also seek out an education file that turns out to be missing. 

There's a reference to an article in Suffolk Fair from 1974, so I take a look at that, it is about fighter planes and Holton Airfield.   'Schilling's Acres, A World War Memoir' evoked by Christopher Elliot.

I also look at a pamphlet published by the Museum of East Anglian Life, it is all of four pages long by Kate Walters but proves to have a few useful bits in it.   A summary of organisational structure and a little about the role of forewomen and also mention of a National Reunion at the Albert Hall in 1969, this led to the formation of the Anglia Ex-Women's Land Army Association. 

I spend the rest of the morning back on the East Anglian, I find a report on Two Land Girls injured on their bicycles.   It seems odd to me that this minor accident is reported but major accidents are not!

Meanwhile East Suffolk County War Agricultural Executive Committee is concerned that runner bean seed is saved - 25% of this years crop

The W.I and Preserving Problems

Saturday 29^th June, it’s going to be a hot day and it is also busy at the Record Office, there's a lot of people around including two women from Australia, normally it is just a handful of regulars.  Today I am booked onto some search room training.  There are three of us and we are shown highlights from the collection that can be accessed via the catalogue, wills, photographs and sale particulars.   I locate some photographs that are worth looking at.   We are also talked through the other (card) catalogues available to us.   There is a wealth of records that don’t appear on the main catalogue (which I hadn't known about) and bundles of material waiting to be catalogued.  It is a very useful session. 

Once the searchroom session is over I have lunch, the Archivist has helpfully given me a list of WWII sources so I take a look at that before going back to the EADT on microfilm for a short time while I wait until Middleton W.I. minutes that the archivist has located for me appear.

Middleton W. I.  Minutes and Record books 1939-1945 

I make my way through the minutes for the war years, in October 1939 there is talk of welcoming evacuated mothers and opening the hall one afternoon a week for them, however by the meeting of November 6^th the evacuee mothers have left the village.

Monday 29^th April 1940, Miss Hambling arranged with Miss Le Bland to come to the May monthly meeting and give a talk on the work of The East Suffolk Land Workers, it isn’t particularly clear from the minutes if this refers to the WLA or something more general, however, on cross referencing with the Record book it appears that Miss Le Bland came to the 15^th July 1940 meeting and “explained the scheme and the urgent necessity for women to do their part as part-time workers.”

I had hoped that the minutes and record book would yield some references to WLA given the supposed link between the two organisations in terms of making the Land Girls feel welcome.   The overwhelming theme of the minutes is concern over getting jam made, especially in 1940 ...  9^th July 1940 Lady Hambling is recorded as talking about the delay in receiving a permit for sugar and the resulting waste of soft fruit, Miss Hambling (junior?) offers to phone the local food office while Mrs Woolnough, Mrs Bagott and Mrs Burder all volunteer to prepare the fruit.   The jam once made (presumably after they had got the sugar permit) was to be stored in the book cupboard.

By the 23^rd July meeting 113lbs of fruit jam had been made, including blackcurrent, redcurrent and raspberry.   At the November meeting it is recorded that any sugar not used for jam should be used for pickles (chutney).   

I wonder if other village WI minute and record books will be as comprehensive as Middleton.  

A chance find 

I note on the library catalogue at work that we have Irene Grimwood’s book Land Girls at the Old Rectory, this is on Nicky and Vicky’s list of titles so I borrow it.  It is a short book of Irene’s experiences but has some interesting photographs in it, including a group photo of the girls at the Old Rectory Halesworth.  I wonder if Irene is still alive as the book was written in 2000. 

I am getting nowhere with finding any information about Lady Cranworth, I note that Cambridge has some letters.  When I was talking to the Archivist at the record office some ideas had been offered which need following up.