UNDERBARROW Women's Institute members celebrated the branch's 95th birthday with an Edwardian- style tea party.

Forty ladies attended, members from Underbarrow and their invited guests from the W.I's in the Lyth Valley, plus representatives from the local Westmorland Federation of WI's.

The afternoon was chaired by the Underbarrow president Sarah Rashleigh who thanked everyone for their contributions to the afternoon. She particularly paid tribute to the small team - Ann Wolfenden, Margaret Hodgson and Cis Simpson - who had planned and executed the whole event in fine style.

Having been founded during the reign of King George V in 1923, great attention had been paid to the authentic table settings, crockery, cutlery and tablecloths, and the room was decorated with plants typical of the period.

The food was all home cooked and the tables were named after inspiring women of the 1920s including suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, Beatrix Potter and aviator Amy Johnson.

A celebratory poem was written by the village poet Jackie Richardson and read by Ann Wolfenden. Lynne Temple performed a medley of songs from the era and the guests were encouraged to sing along.

Mary Alcock, from Crook, thanked the Underbarrow members for an enjoyable afternoon, on behalf of the guests.