It's party time in 2008. This year the Worcestershire Federation of WIs celebrates its 90th birthday and there is a meal with speaker at Malvern later in the year and we at Hallow celebrate our 65th in June.

We have planned our programme for the year with a Worcestershire theme. And to kick us off in good style our speaker this month was Ray Sturdy who gave us a lively and humorous look at life 100 years ago in Worcester, illustrated with numerous slides.

It was interesting to be able to identify the streets and buildings that still exist in Worcester as depicted in the old photographs, and most exciting when shown a picture of a butcher's shop in Broad Street with a couple posing in the doorway, one of our members exclaimed: "That's my mother and father!" She was actually born on the premises.

Were they really the good old days? Unfortunately, the pictures brought home the reality of what life was like 100 years ago and I have to say I'd much rather be living in this day and age with our creature comforts. A fair number of people might well remember living in houses without central heating, gas or electricity and in a lot of cases running water. Winters seemed to be long and cold and icy and bedtimes, washing and using the outside toilet were something of an endurance test. On the other hand summers seemed to be endless, and hot. There was no radio, TV or computers and families made their own entertainment. Men and women worked horrendously long hours in factories for a pittance and in the country the main employment was on the farm. Children left school at 12 to start work. Roads were unmade and of course turned into quagmires when it rained.

For this year though we will concentrate on a full programme of speakers and events, including a talk on the air ambulance, Elgar, Witley Court and gardens, country dancing, an in-house craft demonstration, Worcestershire cookery, a treasure hunt and of course our celebratory meal in June.

JEANETTE RIDDEX