Westmill
Women's Institute
On Wednesday, May 25th, the Westmill Women's Institute spent a very interesting evening.
Miss Latham gave an address on "Servia." She was out in that country with several other helpers at the beginning of the war and again at the end of it.
She told how splendidly thrifty and hard working the Servian women were, and how well they kept their homes, though in most country places they were so far removed from any town they could not buy what they wanted, but had to make everything themselves. They spun the material for their clothes and dyed it, and then made it up, and most of their garments were beautifully embroidered.
She described a woman walking to the nearest market (about 12 miles away), and showed the things she would wear and wake with her. All these things were made so as to be of the greatest use, and some magnificent work was put into them. "All lovely things are also necessary."
By the end of the war most of the homes were destroyed, and the refugees, returning, could hardly recognise the villages in which they had lived. Deep gratitude seems to have been shown to those who came to help build up the homesteads.
Being reminded of some of the sadness of the war, the meeting might have ended on rather a sad note, but Miss Tiddeman gave a most amusing recitation; anyone passing through Westmill might have wondered at the peals of laughter coming from the Village Hall!
At the end of the evening, all jointed in a very jolly game until it was time for God Save the King.