Lost in time! Millennium Diary revisited
By Joy Lock and Colin Sully
In the year 2000 residents in The Lee compiled each month a series of reports on events, people and activities and produced ‘The Lee Millennium Diary’.
In the third of a series of articles on the Diary we revisit one of the stories from that year and provide you with an update, or in this case – a mystery!
The W.I. time capsule
The Diary reports that in March 2000, The Lee W.I. buried a ‘Time Capsule’ near the Parish Hall. What was in it… and why where those particular items chosen? We tracked down the ‘ladies-with-the-spades’ to find out more.
Mystery deepens
Sadly it appears that no-one involved in burying the capsule is able to remember what was in it! The W.I. minutes have also not shed any light on the matter. Can you help?
If not we may have to organise an exhumation in the dead of night to record the contents before giving the capsule a respectful re-burial – a scene worthy of Midsomer Murders perhaps.
Of course younger members may still be alive when developers or archaeologists stumble across the capsule in the distant future and all will be revealed.
The capsule was placed by Joyce Swain whilst President of The Lee W.I. Joyce is now the archivist for our institute and has ‘unearthed’ much that is of relevance for our 90th birthday celebrations.
The start of an institution
The Lee Magazine of October 1919 reports:
“A drawing room meeting (by invitation of Lady Liberty) was held at The Lee Manor on Tuesday September 9th at 2:45 and an address given by Mrs Warner (Area Organiser for the East Midlands) explaining the place Women’s Institutes are taking in country districts and villages.There will be more from the archives and on the 90th birthday celebrations next month. Meanwhile can anyone cast any light on the capsule’s contents?
The aims and objectives are to improve conditions of rural life by:
a) Stimulating interest in the agricultural industryThe audience was representative and enthusiastic and, as a result, a Women’s Institute was formed for The Lee and the Committee elected viz. President, Lady Liberty; Vice Presidents, Mrs Phipps and Miss Lockey; Hon Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs Lloyd.”
b) Developing co-operative enterprise
c) Encouraging home and local industries
d) Studying home economics
e) Providing a centre for educational and social intercourse and for local activities.
Editor’s Note: You can view the whole of the Millennium Diary from The Lee website home page