HATS off to Caistor Women's Institute for "clicking-up" 95 years – making the group one of the oldest in the country.
Scores of members gathered for an anniversary celebration at Caistor Town Hall, where the women have been busy knitting beanie hats for troops and woollen hats for premature babies at Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital's maternity unit.
As well as viewing displays of memorabilia and photographs collected over the group's history, the women also tucked into a special cake and had a party.
One of the group's longest-standing members, former president Joan Wright – who has given 75 years to the WI – was given the honour of cutting the cake.
Fellow members looked back at nearly a century of learning practical skills, forming friendships and attending special events.
Soon after Caistor WI formed in 1918, the group had a visit from a founder member of the Canadian WI, where the movement began.
Past highlights include a demonstration by the Grimsby Morris Men, a recital by poet Pam Ayers, a visit to the theatre to watch the play Calendar Girls – about a WI that stripped off for a charity calendar – and a workshop on making chocolates.
And there's much more to come.
President June Gaughan said: "It has been a brilliant party. It is a great organisation. It helps a lot of people. Anyone new coming into the town is welcomed and they no longer feel a stranger.
"In the countryside, people have a strong ethic to keep things going. You have to have the right people at the helm and we keep the meetings entertaining."
Things have certainly changed from those early days.
Past minutes of WI meetings on show at the event described bygone generations of women drawing pictures of pigs while blindfolded in the 1930s.
Institute minutes secretary, Wendy Handford said now the joy of being a member is caring and sharing with others.
She said: "Pooling our traditional practical skills is enjoyable, but more often it is sharing friendships and caring for each other.
"This is what Caistor WI has valued throughout its history."
Member Rita Dukes said: "It is not all jam and Jerusalem. We get involved in campaigns, such as trying to keep rural post offices open, farming issues and when we had Tony Blair at one of our conferences we slow-handclapped him."
One of the longest serving members Charlotte Linsell, 84, who has been with the WI for 61 years, said: "It has been marvellous.
"We have never had a chance to see all the minutes of previous meetings all together. They go all the way back to 1918.
"We are among the oldest in the country. It was started in Canada because the women there felt isolated and it gave them a kind of club to meet up.
"The same happened here. There were small town and village groups. Caistor was once an important place because it had the largest sheep fair in the country."
For retiring Mayor of Caistor, Councillor John Burns-Salmond the celebrations marked one of his final engagements after four years as mayor.
He said: "During the past 95 years their contribution has been incalculable, especially in these difficult economic times.
"I can see the institute has changed. They can be a great source of help, especially to people struggling on low incomes. That is exactly how it grew up in the times of the world wars.
"We are extremely proud of them. It was a great honour to be here."
The group was entertained by Caistor Ladies Choir who sang songs including The Rose, I Could Have Danced All Night and Swing Low Sweet Chariot, accompanied by Grimsby Minster organist Steven Maxson.
Find out more
Caistor WI meets on the first Thursday of each month at the town hall. More news from across the Wolds can be read on page 25 of today's paper.
ON THE WEB: To find out more about the WI www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk
