'Tea and cake' topper to mark WI centenary

The ladies felt tea and cake were "the staple of any WI meeting"

A village group that started 100 years ago has unveiled a colourful centrepiece to mark their anniversary.

The Women's Institute (WI) branch in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, has installed a tea and cake-themed post box topper on the village high street.

Sutton WI currently has 30 members and says "tea and cake is a staple of any WI meeting".

The group has made toppers since 2022 and say they "always get a positive response" from villagers.

Dennis Roberts, 82, says he has regularly seen people with their phones out taking pictures of the toppers

The post box topper was designed and made by WI member Anna Wilson with help from Sue Ware and Diane Clements, who attend a weekly needlework group in Sutton.

Ms Wilson said: "The topper features knitting, crochet and embroidery.

"Tea and cake is a staple of any WI meeting so these were made for the topper incorporating WI colours of green and purple.

"We made our first topper for the Queen's Jubilee in 2022, it was so successful we decided to continue and have made toppers for Halloween, Christmas, Remembrance Day, Easter and the King’s Coronation.

"There is always a positive response from villagers," she added.

Heather Roberts, 76, says the WI has done a "great job, it is worth coming up to take a look"

Nationally, the Women's Institute was formed in 1915 to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during World War One.

Since then the organisation's aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK.

Sutton WI says some ladies have been members for more than 50 years while others have joined more recently.

The official date of the centenary is 21 November, when a celebration dinner is planned.

The group says members have met regularly since it began in 1924, even during the pandemic, when they organised monthly newsletters, online contact and doorstep deliveries of gifts and craft activities.