Featured county

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, held at The Technium, Pembroke Dock, last Friday, Dai Lewis, chairman of the board of management, remarked that the society was experiencing a period of extraordinary success. The impressive results for 2006 had been accomplished through the enthusiastic support of the farming industry as a whole, the public generally and the hard working members of the society with hundreds of volunteer stewards and others whose help was freely given. Reporting on the society's three major annual events, he said that for last year's summer show the sun had shone brilliantly and - helped by the fact that schools throughout Wales were closed for the holidays -the attendance, like the temperatures, soared to unprecedented levels - the final attendance figure being 240,140. The Garden and Smallholder Festival in the spring had also returned a substantial profit and the decision taken to broaden the appeal of the Winter Fair by introducing a range of new interests, particularly for lady visitors, had led to a steadily increasing attendance here as well. Dai went on to give members a reminder: "Looking at the figures, one is apt to view matters through rose-tinted spectacles and perhaps to forget the costs involved in staging and operating our activities. These costs continually escalate and it is only through operating profitably and then applying strict controls as to how the money is spent that the society can succeed and thrive."

COUNTY EFFORT

This year, Pembrokeshire has the distinction of being the featured county, with Haverfordwest businessman, Edward Perkins, as president. Committees around the county have been raising funds for the past year and Edward commended those RWAS officials who thought of the featured county system which has produced a winning formula for this society. Pembrokeshire was last the featured county in 1991. Within Pembrokeshire, the featured county committee has taken on a responsibility - aided by Nat West Bank and the Pembrokeshire County Council - to raise sufficient funds in order to rebuild the main ring commentary centre and establish a Pembrokeshire Tower at Llanelwedd. "I confidently believe that this will be achieved, but we need to keep our county fund-raising efforts going," said the president, adding: "We have 37 days to the show with a number of special attractions planned and further events until December 2007 which all need full support." Clr. John Davies, leader of the Pembrokeshire County Council, has accepted the invitation to officially open the show and amongst the VIPs expected to attend are Mari-Ann Fischer-Boel, European Agriculture Commissioner, and Herr Albertch Bartmer, President of the German Agricultural Society (subject to his harvesting commitments at home). Happily, Edward Perkins is fluent in both German and French.

Outdoor pursuits

The Welsh Game Fair, held annually in the Towy Valley, is considered to have one of the most scenic show venues in the country. At Gelli Aur, the meandering river - famous for its sea trout and salmon - provides a natural boundary on its northside and also enables anglers to try out some of the latest tackle bought from the trade stands alongside and to enter competitions, receive tuition and watch some marvellous displays taking place from the purpose- built jetties. This Fair last weekend, unquestionably the sporting pinnacle of the Welsh country sports calendar, again attracted thousands of country folk and many from the south Wales valleys, including working dog enthusiasts, anglers, clay-pigeon shooters, hunt followers and, of course, lurcher and terrier enthusiasts. Everything you could possibly need for a range of fresh air activities could be found at this gathering - a sporting event for the entire family in the real out-of-doors, delightfully situated in 60 beautiful acres of woods and water.

SKILL TESTING

Fair goers, even from across the west country, southern England and the west Midlands, are well used to bringing their dogs of all shapes and sizes and their guns and bows so they can take part in many skill-testing activities in this magnificent outdoor setting. Probably more exhibitors than ever before displayed the latest in hunting and fishing equipment and gave many a rare opportunity of obtaining expert advice. With many new exhibits, and new shooting games, the public had an opportunity to see, try and buy the latest in hunting equipment and learn from expert outdoorsmen. Amongst the trade stands, including the shopping marquees, there were many special exhibits of everything from archery, decoys, art, dogs and dog accessories, taxidermy and all the latest in hunting for the outdoor enthusiast to see. Others were intrigued by the vast displays of poultry, game and waterfowl, and to meet up with the friendly foxhounds and even to stroke a ferret. Craftsmen displayed their skills with wood and iron; enthusiasts showed off their vintage tractors, cars, stationary engines and a range of old tools and thousands of spectators around the rings saw demonstrations of falconry, trained dogs and even a junior motor bike display team. As they left the show, most visitors, particularly the kids, were talking excitedly about coming again next year!

WI remembers 1897

In Canada, rural isolation was the norm and it was there that the catalyst leading to the founding of a movement destined to embrace the globe came from the death of one particular child, or, rather, from the bereavement of one particular mother. Adelaide Hoodless lived a farming life in Ontario and the loss of her fourth child led her to promote the education of rural women in the fundamentals of hygiene and child care. She called for women to have the same opportunity as men to get together to learn from and help each other and to seek expert outside knowledge in order to improve life for themselves and their families. Fully supported by a member of the Farmers' Institute - Erland Lee, a local farmer and his wife, Janet - Adelaide was instrumental in establishing this new organisation, From her initiative, Women's Institutes came into being on February 19, 1897, in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Adelaide Hoodless went on to campaign for women's education and the WI spread like wildfire across Canada. The objects of the institute were then: (a) to improve conditions of rural life so that settlement may be permanent and prosperous; (b) to promote the theory and practice of agriculture; (c) to arrange on behalf of its members for the purchase, distribution or sale of commodities, supplies or products; (d) to act generally on behalf of its members in all matters incidental to agricultural pursuits and rural development; and (e) to promote home economics, public health, child welfare, education and better schools.

BLOCKADE

Not only women were WI enthusiasts, but the movement had gained the recognition of the Canadian government, which appointed Laura Rose to be the first organiser. "No higher vocation has been given to women than that of home-maker and citizen builder," said Mrs. Hoodless, and her maxim that 'A nation cannot rise above the level of its homes' is as true today as it ever was. By 1915, the German blockade of allied shipping was already affecting the nation's food supplies. In that year alone there were more than 500,000 British casualties and increasing numbers of women were leaving the land to serve the industrial war effort. The effect upon rural life in general, and the countrywoman in particular, may be imagined. It is no secret that at this time rural women in Britain were second-class citizens in a disintegrating world; no vote, educationally deprived, living - for the most part - lonely lives in dreary, insanitary conditions and losing their menfolk to a brutal war. Today's members are rural women with a difference, ranging from housewives to professional women who have concerns about the quality of their lives and that of the neighbourhoods in which they located. From those early beginnings, the first WI meeting in the UK took place on September 16, 1915, at Llanfairpwll PG on Anglesey under the auspices of the Agricultural Organisation Society, whose secretary, John Nugent Harris, appointed a Canadian, Madge Watt, to set up further branches.

MALE DOMINANCE

The women of Llanfairpwll knew a good thing when they heard of it! In rural Wales there was no place where women could meet that was not dominated by chapel, church or politics. Women certainly never went to the local pub! Those few places where women could meet other women in mixed company were dominated by men, who did all the talking - women were expected to know their place. Yet at that meeting in 1915, when the first WI was formed in these islands, they pledged that their Institute would become 'a centre for good in the village'. In this country, the WI originally came about to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in growing and preserving food to help to increase the supply of food to the war-torn nation. The first programme of an organisation set up to 'improve the conditions of rural life' concentrated on hygiene, home economy, rabbit breeding, fruit and vegetable preserving, all of them reflecting the then state of village and farm practices. But around the tables the talk ranged widely; these were not women who had come together solely to 'do good' for the country. They were out to achieve an improvement in themselves, to learn something about the world, to open their minds to subjects they had never had the opportunity to consider before. It was an explosion of mental awakening which would have an immense and highly reactive fallout.

CAMPAIGNING

Its 90th anniversary was celebrated in the UK in 2005 and today all WI's play a unique role in enabling women to gain new skills, take part in wide-ranging activities and campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. The Agricultural Organisation Society who helped in developing the idea appointed Mrs. Watt - originally for three months - to organise the formation of Women's Institutes wherever she could; there were 24 in the first year, 137 by 1917 and her inspirational enthusiasm fired women to start self- run WI's and spread their delight in their newly discovered ability and confidence from village to village - but the original spark was hers. This was a novel, revolutionary movement: whoever had heard of a gathering where servants had equal standing with their mistresses, where estate employees' wives were on the same footing as the lady of the manor? The news travelled up, down and sideways. Queen Mary was intrigued; she met Mrs. Watt and the spark worked again as she was soon invited to Sandringham to talk to the people on the royal estate. The Queen and the then Princess Mary came to the meeting, not just as gracious presences, but to listen and ask questions like everyone else.

RESPONSIBILITY

How to impress a Queen? "My talk was in no way different from usual. I spoke of the simplicity, democracy and friendliness of our movement, of the independence of our Women's Institutes, each being self-governing and self-supporting, and of the sense of responsibility of every member to her institute," commented Madge Watt at the time. A WI was formed at Sandringham and Queen Mary joined. Not surprisingly, she became president, if not a regular taker of the chair, and the custom has continued. The Queen is still president of Sandringham WI, as are some other members of the family, including the Countess of Wessex, in their respective villages. Mrs. Watt continued to work for two years for the Agricultural Organisation Society, but in 1917 they handed over the growing responsibility to the Board of Agriculture. Focusing on the local aspect Mathry WI - who claim to have been the first in Pembrokeshire - was formed in 1917 and this month they mark their 90th anniversary. Worthy of note is that initially the annual subscription was set at two shillings (10p).

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No one is entirely useless - even the worst of us can serve as horrible examples!