0164.   Coach excursion about 1940. Back row second from left Rose Moulds, next to her is Dick Tinsley, then Ralph Moulds the driver  with his hair elegantly parted down the middle. In the middle row, second from left is May Towers then Pidge Newton. On the front row the little boy standing with blond hair is John Hourd. From the Towers collection.

The Harby WI book "Minutes in Time" published in 2000 tells the story of WI outings on pages 85 to 86.

"Day trips featured regularly in W.I. activities. Pre-war, the June meeting was set aside for outings, often to a seaside resort like Skegness or Hunstanton. After visiting Chatsworth in 1929, 'members came home wiser and better women'! Members saved up monthly in a 'holiday club' to pay for the big day out. Another popular option was Sandringham but in 1937 a break with tradition saw them off to Liverpool and Port Sunlight, 'a happy day was spent by all, not a hitch happened until coming home, poor Mrs. Buxton got something in her eye but was attended to at Boots in Nottingham'. They stayed closer to home in 1933 and 34 visiting the Be-Ro and Players factories in Nottingham. Following the flour factory tour the ladies were entertained to tea with 'several going to the pictures' afterwards. In 1933 the 'summer outing was not a success', we do not know why but this was rare. In contrast, 1948 saw them venture to Windsor, visiting the castle as well as taking 'a river trip of 22 miles through the beautiful wooded country of Marlow. This was one of the best outings we have ever had.' They pledged to return at some future date. Trips to potteries, museums and gardens happened regularly. London was visited twice, once to enjoy a guided tour of the House of Commons with our M.P. Michael Latham and another to visit Buckingham Palace.

From the 1950s evening outings tend to replace the full day ones. The 'mystery trips' are fondly recalled. The popularity of outings began to dwindle as more members began to work outside the home and membership numbers dropped. The times when daughters of members joined up as teenagers and stayed in the village were passing. Filling a bus when membership is over 100 is much easier than when it is well under fifty. It became more of a struggle to fill the bus and as coach hire charges became higher, inevitably, financial losses were a growing risk."