Lately, as part of my working from home timetable, I have been summarising oral histories to be entered onto our Northumberland Archive systems.
I listened as Mrs. Amy Firman very kindly answered questions and talked about her time as a member of the Womens Institute, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland. This was part of a ‘Woman’s Work’ project with students of Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Amy told of living all her life in Newbiggin by the Sea, attending the infant school and then the colliery school and progressing further to Bedlington Grammar School. She also spoke of how much she enjoyed her office work for the Electricity Board in Newcastle.
Amy had joined the Newbiggin branch of Womens Institute after she was married and continued being a member there for over 52 years. She remembered that in the Institute’s early days women had to be voted in by the committee as members. According to Amy, the Women’s Institute in Newbiggin was established in 1922 and members might have met in someone’s house in the early days before finally moving to the hall. She said that a mortgage was applied for 1936 for to have a hall built.
The Women’s Institute often played a significant role in Mrs. Firman’s life as well as being an active community service in Newbiggin. She and her friends assisted in schools with lessons such as road safety. They knitted animals and made puppets to tell stories with. They once dressed up as fisher folk and towed a boat through Newbiggin celebrating the town’s heritage.
Amy told of how her group encouraged her to take part in such events as drama groups, keep fit classes. She gave blood when the Blood Donor sessions were set up in the hall and she eventually got her Gold badge after donating 57 pints of blood throughout her time there. She was certainly a very active member of her group. Her busy home life was balanced with her Women’s Institute group. She would often leave housework to attend, catching up on it at a later time. Mrs. Firman told of how she and other members provided and joined in a varied programme of events. Running and organising drama groups, tea and biscuit afternoons, crafting, knit and natter classes, fund raising events, panto and shows, raffles, dancing afternoons and many talks attended by guest speakers.
When asked about her favorite part of the Newbiggin by the Sea, Women’s Institute she replied that it was the company and friendships that she made and the support given to her when her husband died. Mrs. Firman proved herself to be a hard-working lady who was a credit to her family and friends as well as being dedicated to helping the residents of her home town of Newbiggin by the Sea.
Taken from an oral history, NRO T-958 (NRO 101888), Womens Institute, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland.