The Wi Country Woman's Year 1960 1960

Nearly 60 years ago, the WI handbook for country women teaches, through the seasons, the delights of cider-making, indoor bulb-planting, smocking, butter-making, cooking with home-grown herbs, public speaking, wall-papering, Durham quilting and more. How much times have changed for women, but how much we have forgotten!

A great deal has happened to change the lives of women living in the countryside since 1960 when this book was last published, and it is fascinating to note these changes.

But we have since lost or forgotten so many rural skills and pleasures. Following the four seasons, here are dozens of different tasks and hobbies re-discovered in this WI Country Woman’s Year:

• cider and mead-making
• Durham quilting
• indoor bulb planting
• flower arranging basics
• wallpapering
• making Christmas decorations
• smocking
• painting for pleasure – and of course jam-making!

Six decades on, modern readers may no longer wish to live like their countryside sisters of two generations ago, but they will be struck by the happy gusto with which the then-450,000 members of the WI went about enjoying their busy country lives throughout the year.

**special retro real-cloth cover**