WI History

Chaldon WI was founded in 1918 and is one of the oldest in the County.   Meetings were held in various big houses around the village.   In 1922 the Village Hall was built as a Peace Memorial and meetings have been held there ever since, apart from when it suffered damage from a flying bomb in 1944, and briefly in 1987 following damage inflicted by ‘the hurricane’.  Typhoid Fever caused one meeting to be cancelled in 1920.   By the mid 1920 there were 65 members; in the 1940s membership had to limited to 140 (the Hall capacity) and restricted to Chaldon residents. 

Our banner, displayed in a frame in the Hall, was designed and made in 1927.  In 1941 a tablecloth, with members’ signatures embroidered upon it, was started and completed.   (Last year current members added their signatures to mark our 90th Birthday.)  To celebrate our 30th Birthday an art decco style tablecloth was made which still used for the President’s table. A handwritten illustrated book about Chaldon was also produced in honour of the occasion. This was revised to mark Architectural Heritage Year in 1976; the new version was also hand written and included photographs. 

True to the W.I. principle of educating women, a huge range of talks and classes has been on the programmes, reflecting very much the lifestyle and interests of the different periods of our history.   These have included: keeping poultry, bee keeping, rug making, darning and patching, what to do with leftovers (which seems to be in vogue once more), child health and immunization, lampshade making and art appreciation.   We still have demonstrations like the recent ballroom dancing exhibition, and line dancing when members joined in, and cookery although there has been a radical change both in the type of dish and in the ingredients which are available.   We had one session on how to use unusual fruit and vegetables. We have had talks on many different parts of the world as well as the UK, and from people with unusual occupations.  The Lady Bailiff's experiences were fascinating. 

Activities over the years have included a choir, a drama group which put on plays before the advent of ‘CADS’, country and Scottish dancing, whist drives, running flower and produce shows, organising public lectures and a party for village children each year.   

Chaldon W.I. has always been involved in the local community.  In April 1926 324 eggs were collected and delivered to Caterham Hospital.  Masses of jam was made during the war with fruit from gardens and hedgerows raising £118.2s.6d. to buy a machine gun inscribed Chaldon;  We adopted Sapper Talbot, a friendless soldier, and sent him paarcels including stamps, hand knitted socks and a home made cake; a lonely sailor was adopted too, and being unable to find an airman, took on a P.O.W., Arthur Barrington.  He was welcomed home with a party. In 1979 130 Christmas Puddings and many jars of mincemeat were made in the Hall raising £90 for our funds. 

National events have been celebrated:  The Festival of Britain in 1951, the Coronation in 1953, the 50th Anniversary of VE Day, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.  1965 was the 50th anniversary of the founding of the W.I. in England and Kitty Willmer, our longest member who was President then, attended the celebration at Buckingham Palace.   To mark the centenary of the inception of the W.I. in Canada we had a garden lunch with members wearing hats, and gloves, and even period costume.  In 1985 Denise Wheeler won the Surrey Greenfingers Quiz. 

Membership dwindled for various reasons until some years ago when we were contemplating closure.   Then, through the enthusiasm of a new member who spread the word we were rejuvenated.   A letter recounting this experience was published in the W.I. national magazine, then called Home and Country, in 2004 and subsequently quoted by the National Chairman in her closing speech to 4,000 delegates at the Annual General Meeting in Sheffield.   Since then we have have grown with renewed vigour.