Midhurst WI

Our monthly meeting was held at St Francis of Assisi RC Church Hall, Bepton Road, at 2.30 pm.

Our president Pat Quinnell introduced our speaker, Ian Everest.

His talk was entitled ‘The Women’s Land Army: A Sussex Connection’. Ian based his talk on notes left by his late mother, who served in the Land Army during the WWII.

Ian not only gave us an insight into the life of his family, but gave us an overview of the history of the Land Army in both World Wars. He linked this to the story of the WI, through

Lady Gertrude Denman, who played a founding role in both organisations.

Ian outlined the drastic food situation in the UK in the wars and how Gertrude Denman got women into the nation’s farms, thus ensuring the country did not starve.

Her recruitment strategy

was enormously successful. By the end of 1918, there were 23,000 women working on the land and by 1945 the numbers had swelled to 88,000 (partly helped by conscription for women in Wwll).

Ian’s presentation combined facts with the story of his own mother, a Tottenham girl who came to Sussex in 1943 and never returned to London. She and three other girls, together with her on the farm, met the men of their dreams and lived the country life.

Ian highlighted the shameful way the Land Army was treated at the end of the war, with no demobilisation aid and no formal recognition of their achievement until over 50 years later.

In protest, Lady Denman resigned her leadership of the Land Army but continued to campaign for women through the WI, in which she had played a key role since 1917.

The story of Ian’s mother raised memories among some of our members whose own mothers had been in the land army and others whose families had worked on the land in Sussex throughout successive generations.

Ian’s very well received talk was followed by official business, which included details of visits to Hever Castle and Gilbert White’s home in Selborne.

Birthday flowers were given to Linda and Mildred, and the flower of the month competition was won by Betty. Tea and a raffle brought the meeting to a close.

Our next meeting is on April 3 and new members are always welcome. Please contact Jill O’grady on

01730 601273 for further information.