Creekside WI celebrated the National WI Centenary together with St David’s Day as the first WI was formed in LlanfairPG, Anglesey in 1915. An evening with a Welsh theme was arranged with colours green representing the WI and the red of the Welsh Dragon for Wales. Wootton Methodist Church, where the event was held, was decorated with large English and Welsh flags and bunting. Daffodils and small flags for waving decorated the tables and on arrival all members were given a daffodil buttonhole making it a very colourful event.
President Dorothy Maskell MBE welcomed members and said “This is a unique occasion to celebrate a very important time in the history of the WI nationally”.
Following the singing of Jerusalem, two welsh speaking members said the full name of the commonly known LlanfairPG, followed by ten committee members holding up the 58 letters forming the full name which they in turn said the English translation, most people not knowing it’s meaning.
Huw Evans, violinist, played some Welsh music then as a Welsh Bard entertained us with poems by Dylan Thomas, some Welsh history and a translation of Sosban Fach, which was surprising.
Authentic Welsh dishes were cooked and served by the committee. These included Cennin Llygoden, Cawl Cymreig and Pwdin Eryri. During the meal we attempted to answer the questions of a Quiz relating to the WI and to Wales. It was an excellent meal followed by toasts to the Queen and the WI.
The evening ended with the singing of two verses of the National Anthem and with a final flourish Land of My Fathers in Welsh. Everyone agreed it had been a wonderful evening.
