If you enter the foyer of the Crosfield hall in the centre of Romsey on certain Wednesdays just after 7.00pm you will hear a distant hum of female voices. When you walk towards these sounds they lead you down a corridor to the annexe and this is where, on the fourth Wednesday of each month, the ladies of Romsey Women’s Institute hold their meetings.
From the threshold you will see a friendly and animated throng milling around greeting each other exchanging news and generally catching up on events both past and yet to come. The table at the front of the proceedings is covered by a beautiful tablecloth proudly decorated with scenes depicting different aspects of Romsey life and adorned by a vase of fresh flowers.
At the appointed time of 7.30pm the room is called to order and everyone claims a seat and any individuals who turned up to see if they would like to join are cordially invited to take part.
The group has just recently celebrated their 48th birthday and look forward to a bright future. There are around 45 members with a large age range and diverse interests. For almost all meetings there is a visiting speaker or a demonstration. Some talks are recreational others are educational. Some events are frivolous and funny but there is also a more serious side to the WI which evolved from the suffragette movement and is no stranger to raising concerns and issues with local organisations and government. Life is also enriched by sub- groups which include crafts, book club, Scrabble, theatre visits and outings enjoyed by this very sociable group.
After you have enjoyed refreshment during the interval don’t forget to look for a bargain at the bring and buy stall and to invest in a raffle ticket or two before settling in your seat to hear all the news announcements.