CRADLEY WI had a very busy evening when they met at Storridge Village Hall on Bonfire Night. Brenda Drake, WI advisor, joined for the Annual Meeting. President, Linda Handley, reminded members of future events running up to the festive season. There will be a visit to Malvern Theatre to see Curtain up for Christmas on November 25. Cradley WI will he holding a cake stall at the Christmas Fair in Cradley Village Hall on December 5. Members were asked to sign up to do some baking and help at the stall. In December, members are invited to the HWFI Carol Service at Hereford on December 7. Storridge WI has invited members to come to their evening of Music Hall entertainment in Storridge Village Hall at 7.30pm, cost £3, to pay at the door. Finally, the Lunch Club will be having a festive lunch on December 15, at Cradley Village Hall, cost £6.

Linda announced that Margy Brace had won the Hazeldine Cup, and Kathy Bannister had won the Hazelnut Cup. The Denman Bursary was won by Ros Rowberry.

This was the final meeting chaired by Linda Handley, outgoing President, and members and committee members thanked her for all her hard work in the last three years. A new WI Committee was chosen and new President will be Di Cale. Members look forward to another exciting year for their active WI in 2010.

The last part of the meeting was a talk by John Handley, who brought to life the story of the Gunpowder Plot in the Midlands. He vividly introduced members to the group of plotters, and showed many historic houses in the Midlands where the plotters had lived. Seeing their portraits and engravings from the time brought to life a story that we have all known from childhood. He told members of the strong feelings of the plotters, of the many plots and alarms in the last years of Queen Elisabeth, and how religious tension had continued under the new King, James I.

John unfolded the story showing how the plotters hoped to blow up Parliament and King. However the plot was discovered before it could be put into action. Members listened as John showed the trail the plotters followed as they fled and they heard how they were chased across the Midlands, and how the plotters were finally captured or died. The climax of the doomed plot was the tragic fate of the plotters and many people who had been innocently associated with them who suffered torture and terrible public punishments for their treason.

John’s fast moving story gave a new insight into a story with close local roots. It was fascinating to hear how modern research is still adding to our understanding of the events that still hold some unanswered questions.

The last meeting of 2009 will be on December 3 at Storridge Village Hall when members will celebrate the festive season with a talk about Morris Dancing, past and present.