Many months ago at a Manchester WI committee meeting a suggestion was made. Could we create a banner, something that everyone could take part in. Something every lady could work on. Certainly, came my reply, but I wanted to take this idea on step further.
Last year I was in the Manchester Day Parade. Ten years after I’d first put on my Commonwealth Games volunteer uniform, I put it on again. I walked with other volunteers through the streets of my home. It’s hard to find anything to make you prouder. And the cheers that echo around Albert Square? Unbelievable.
So I wondered, could we invite the WIs of Manchester to do it? Would they? Did they feel as strongly about the WI as I did – enough to walk through the streets of Manchester and loudly proclaim ‘Wish You Were Here’, wish you were in the WI too?
The answer is yes.
This Saturday saw the first workshop for the parade with Walk the Plank. Our allocated artist, Helen, had taken inspiration from the subgroups. We’re different WIs, but have similar interests – baking, cooking, eating, drinking, craft, book group, fitness. We might name them differently, even use them differently, but we have shared interests and loves.
Taking these ideas, Helen created associated images, simple, but effective, and merging these with the colours of the Suffragettes, purple (dignity), white (purity) and green (hope), her idea was to use a form of batik to turn these into flags we can wave on the day itself.
Armed with fabric, masking tape and fabric dye (and tea and biscuits), we gathered at the WoW workshop in Castlefield, ladies from Social Lites, Didsbury, Prestwich and Manchester gathered to work, chat, laugh and plan.
Tape was stuck down, dye painted onto fabric, to form the panels for our flags – we chatted about music for the parade, choreography. And before we knew it, every panel had been done. Many hands make light work.
We’ve also got other bits to show off too. Helen has been working hard and we have the most amazing carnival accessories to wear on the day. These, plus our flags and banner will mean you really can’t miss us.
Our next workshop will be choreography – to show us how to move our flags and streamers – and I for one can’t wait.
Ladies of the Women Institutes – ladies of Manchester and her sister WIs.
WE NEED YOU!
