Women’s Institute

Contents

Formal Status

The following information is listed by the Charity Commission:-

The organisation was registered as a charity on December 15^th 1993.
The last accounts were made up to November 30^th 2004; during that year there had been income of £746 and expenditure of £901.
It ceased to exist as a charity on February 21^st 2007.

Objectives:-

THE MAIN PURPOSES OF THE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE ORGANISATION ARE TO ENABLE WOMEN WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH RURAL LIFE, INCLUDING ARTS, CRAFTS AND SCIENCES, TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP CONDITIONS OF RURAL LIFE, TO ADVANCE THEIR EDUCATION IN CITIZENSHIP, IN PUBLIC QUESTIONS BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL, IN MUSIC, DRAMA AND OTHER CULTURAL SUBJECTS AND IN ALL BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE, HANDICRAFTS, HOME ECONOMICS, HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE. IT SEEKS TO GIVE WOMEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH THE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE ORGANISATION AND OF PUTTING INTO PRACTICE THOSE IDEALS FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

1968 Planting of the Linden Tree

The following photograph appeared on page 15 of the Eastern Evening News for November 26^th 1968, page 16. The caption reads:

Members of the Deopham Women’s Institute gather round Mrs. T. M. Medler (former president) as she plants a linden tree in Linden Close, Deopham, yesterday, to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Norfolk W.I.

This presumably means that the planting took place on November 25^th.
There is no small irony in Mrs. Medler planting a Linden tree!

Josie Bunn advised 8/11/22 that her mother, Mrs. Peggy Gapp, is the first lady on the left;
Wendy Eastell said 9/11/22 that her mother, Mrs. Royal Tooke, is second from right on the photo and that the 7th from right is Ruth Downes;
Phil Long advised 9/11/22 that the 5th from the left with the hat is Phyllis Long.

Picture supplied by Jacky Phoenix.

The Norwich Mercury, Norfolk News & Journal carried another photograph on page 15 of its edition of November 29^th 1968:

The following article appeared, several weeks after the event, on page 14 of the Eastern Daily Press for December 13^th 1968:-

THERE’S something spring-like about the thought of planting a tree, and I hope that by next spring the linden tree planted by Deopham W.I. to celebrate Norfolk’s Golden Jubilee will be well established on a long career. It was a particularly happy idea, because it replaces a very famous one which existed over two hundred and fifty years ago in the same village. Sir Thomas Browne described it as “an extraordinary large and stately Tilia or Linden tree, about thirteen yards near the roof and the height of the uttermost boughs about 30 yards.” The local records at Hingham describe how a terrible, violent wind overturned “ye great tree at Deopham” in 1713, and for years it has been only a memory.
I don’t know how long it takes a linden tree to grow thirty yards high, but the new baby is on its way, and it’s a comforting thought that when we are all memories (if we’re lucky) that Golden Jubilee gift to the village will be a part of local history.
The planting ceremony (at Linden Close, Deopham) was attended by not only W.I. people, but representatives of the Forehoe and Henstead R.D.C., the Parish Council, parishioners and children from the County Primary School.
Mrs. Medler, former president of Deopham W.I., planted the tree and the children formed a circle to show everyone the size of the original one. The “sweet scented white flowers” will smell heavenly in the years to come—we had seven lime trees in the garden of our old house and they were delightful on summer evenings.

Here is that same Linden (Lime) tree at the end of Linden Close in October 2022:

Photo: G. Sankey

The significance of the Linden Tree to Deopham is explained in Blomefield’s account of the village which can be accessed here.

1970 Produce, knitting and sewing Competition

The following article appeared in the Diss Express of October 2^nd 1970:

DEOPHAM AND LITTLE ELLINGHAM

MEMBERS of the Institutes at Deopham and Little Ellingham met each other in a produce, knitting and sewing competition last week. Deopham came out on top with 52 points against Ellingham’s 35.
Judge was Wreningham institute vice-chairman, Mrs. Dorothy Folwell, who has been a member of the institute since 1920. Commenting on the competition after judging in Deopham school, Mrs. Folwell said she thought the standard was very high.
Class winners:
1lb jar of chutney, Mrs. R. Downes (Deopham);
1lb jar of strawberry jam, Mrs. R. Downes (Deopham);
1lb jar of blackcurrant jam, Mrs. M. Skidmore (Deopham);
1lb jar of lemon curd, Mrs. P. Long (Deopham);
1lb jar orange marmalade, Mrs. G. Carter (Ellingham);
bottle of fruit, Mrs. E. Phoenix (Deopham);
bread, Mrs. L. Harrison (Ellingham);
victoria sandwich, Mrs. M. Skidmore (Deopham);
fruit cake, Mrs. J. Peacock (Deopham);
sausage rolls, Mrs. J. Peacock (Deopham);
small fancy cakes, Mrs. M. Skidmore (Deopham);
homemade sweets, Mrs. M. Skidmore (Deopham);
homemade wine, Mrs. P. Stoggles (Ellingham);
dressmaking item, Mrs. G. Carter (Ellingham);
knitted item, Miss M. Huggins (Ellingham).

Phil Long commented on 8/11/2022 that the Mrs. P. Long (she of the lemon curd) was his aunt, Phyllis Long (née Lloyd). She and her husband Norman were living in a farm house [now known as Red Brick House, called Stalland Farm at that time] at that time.
The Lloyd family originally resided in Halffield Lane, where the father and sons were carpenters and bricklayers.

May 1978 Meeting

There is a record of this meeting in the Diss Express for May 19^th 1978:-

DEOPHAM

At the May meeting of Deopham W.I., members welcomed V.C.O.¹ Mrs Bond who came to discuss the four resolutions to be put by the W.I. at the annual meeting at the Albert Hall.
Each resolution, with amendments, were thoroughly discussed, and the Deopham delegate to the London meeting – Mrs E. Phoenix, was instructed how to vote on each resolution.
Mrs Phoenix will also attend the W.I. meeting at Gt. Ellingham to receive their voting instructions.
Birthday buttonholes were presented to four members by Mrs G. Jeffery; the raffle won by Mrs M. Brown and the bring-and-buy stall was well supported.
Tea was provided by Mrs Wood and Mrs G. Jeffery.

A stall manned by Deopham W.I. and held on Wymondham Market Cross realised £70 which was in aid of Deopham Senior Citizens’ outing during the summer.

1984 November Meeting

The following notes appeared in the Norfolk & Suffolk Journal published on November 16^th 1984 under the heading “Women’s organisations”:

DEOPHAM

PRESIDENT Mrs Keep, welcomed members to the November meeting of Deopham WI. Voting was taken for the 1985 committee. Mrs Keep was re-elected president; secretary, Mrs Hardy; treasurer, Mrs Brooks.

Members arranged a Beetle Drive, which was won by Mrs Brown. A competition for four fruit scones, was won by Mrs Wigby. The raffle was won by Mrs Tooke.

Arrangements were made for members to go to the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich for Christmas dinner on December 19.

Footnotes

V.C.O. = Voluntary County Organisers – volunteers that help to organise and support W.I. groups. ↩︎

Date	Change
9/3/25	May 1978 meeting
28/2/25	November 1984 Meeting
29/11/24	Additional picture and date for the Linden Tree planting
29/9/22	Published