Cookhill WI

On a chilly February evening it was a delightful to watch and listen to Adrienne and Ingrid who told us about the fashion for ladies in the Tudor period. They both arrived dressed as Tudor ladies, Adrienne as a lady from a wealthy home, Ingrid from a working class home. Fully prepared for a chilly evening, all the clothes were made of wool. Adrienne introduced herself, using the language and dialect of Tudor times, and proceeded to describe her outfit. Her coat, full length, and fitted worn outside. Her hair covered fully in a shroud so no hair was visible as that would be “unseemly “and a hat, adorned with a piece of jewellery. Her dress comprised of a bodice and skirt, and fastened with laces or pins. An apron, pouch, shoes completed her outfit. None of these items would be washed, to clean them they would be brushed, and the “frill” along the bottom of the shirt could be removed for more rigorous cleaning. Under all this clothing Adrienne wore a linen shift and this was the garment that was regularly washed. Other underwear was nonexistent. Ladies avoided going out in the rain because their woollen clothing would get heavy as well as wet and would take a long time to dry. If venturing outdoors when it was wet, a lady would drape herself in a blanket to absorb most of the rain. Turning to Ingrid, a working class lady,her outfit was similar but not of such high quality wool. The sleeves of her bodice could be removed to enable her to carry out her work without dirtying the sleeves. In her pouch was her most precious and valued item – a sewing needle. All ladies were expected to know how to sew, starting in their childhood by making and dressing a doll. Having practised on the doll it was easy to adapt to full size clothes. A willing volunteer from the audience offered to be dressed in Tudor clothing. She looked lovely and remarked how long it took to dress and how heavy the clothing felt, but she felt very elegant. Adrienne and Ingrid were then bombarded with questions about Tudor life and were thanked for their talk and they made their way home presumably by a coach pulled by horses!

The secretary then reminded members of the various events happening in the next couple of months and the evening closed as members puzzled over a very taxing quiz.

The WI meets the second Wednesday of each month 7.30pm at Cookhill Village Hall, providing a variety of speakers to suit all tastes together with opportunities to participate in classes and enjoy trips out to interesting venues. New members very welcome.