Penketh WI. (From Warrington Guardian)

Penketh WI.

12:24pm Thursday 12th April 2012 in WI and Clubs

Penketh WI By Margaret Blakeley.

The April meeting was held as usual at the Meeting Lane Leisure Centre Penketh at 7.15pm Two new members were welcomed, bringing to 11 new members in the last year.

The president Jean MacDougall gave her report of the Annual Council Meeting at Winsford and announced that the local gala day this year is to be on July 14. At the members' meeting in June we are all asked to wear hats.

The trip to Portmeirion is cancelled and instead on May 18 we shall be going to Penrhyn Castle followed by a drive to Anglesey to the home of the first WI at Llanfair, where there will be a talk and afternoon tea made by local members.

The walking group meet on April 17.

The next group meeting is on April 23 at Croft. We are asked to bring an item which demonstrates the talk entitled “The British at their Best”.

The speaker for the evening was Mr Michael Murphy who gave a talk about the Liverpool Overhead Railway. This proved to be a very interesting subject not only because it was fairly local but because several of our members remembered it.

It was the only one in the country and was built to help unload cotton and coal for the liners at the docks where there were such varying tidal levels.

A short horse drawn passenger length was opened in 1853. Eventually it was completed in 1893.

Only one accident was reported but it was war damaged after being hit 13 times in 1941 and it required very expensive repairs. It was eventually closed in1956 and was demolished in 1958 Jean gave the vote of thanks and closed the meeting at 9.30pm.