Salford celebrates 100 years!

On  10th May, 120 members plus many honoured guests, celebrated the Branch’s Centenary AGM at Manchester’s Midland Hotel with a special lunch and dinner.

Among the guests of honour were the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Salford,Terence Brain and the Mayor of Salford, Cllr Valerie May Burgoyne; National President, Mrs Doreen Pooley, Branch Chaplain, Rev Fr. Wadsworth and several of the Section Chaplains together with members and friends from other Branches. Also present were representatives from many other Catholic organisations.

History

Salford Branch is the oldest Branch in the country, having been formed when Margaret Fletcher realised that because of the growing membership there was a need to organise at local level.

On 13th  January 1908 at the Assembly Rooms of St John’s Cathedral, Salford, the first ‘Manchester and District Branch’ of the CWL was inaugurated. Later in 1914 the Branch took on the name of the Diocese and so became known as the Salford Branch.

The celebrations began with Mass at St Mary’s Church, Mulberry Street in the centre of Manchester, where the Branch officers reaffirmed their willingness to undertake their duties to the Branch. Afterwards members and honoured guests walked the short distance across Albert Square to the Midland Hotel - a walk full of nostalgia as there were several places of significance to the Branch: the Church, known locally as the “Hidden Gem’, has been a favourite venue of the Branch for celebrating special events; near Albert Square, in Brazenose Street, one of the first initiatives of

the Branch was to establish its own Information Bureau providing help and guidance to young women seeking work. Also a short distance away, in Mosely Street, the Branch members had manned a Forces Canteen, which had served 1500 hot meals every day during the Second World War years. The stalwart members had even continued to make tea and hot drinks while the bombs rained down throughout the Manchester Blitz of December 1940.

The 100th Annual General Meeting took place in the afternoon and began with the lighting of a special memorial candle for all the deceased past members who had built up the Branch from its beginning. It was fitting for the meeting to be held at the Midland Hotel, as it had been the venue for the AGM for many years during its heyday, when membership had reached over a thousand. Gaye Casey, Branch President, made special mention of Anne Fox who had initiated the preparations and had guided the team of organisers. There had been many messages of congratulations, and of course no 100th birthday would be complete without a message from Her Majesty the Queen.  However, the most auspicious greeting had been the granting of a special Papal Blessing from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

All those present were given a copy of the history of the Branch outlining the early years and the work of the valiant women who have worked tirelessly for the League. At the end of her report, Teresa Burns, the Branch Secretary quoted from the Annual General Meeting of 1909  when, during a Women’s Evening organised by the League as part of the CTS Silver Jubilee celebrations, there had been so many women present that over 1,000 of them had spilled over into a special meeting for men. The guest speaker was Mrs Sheilagh Preston member of WUCWO (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations), who gave the members an absorbing talk about WUCWO origins and its work as the international voice for Catholic women today.

In the evening the members and guests enjoyed a Centenary Dinner at which a special birthday cake was cut, with seven candles to represent the seven Past Presidents of the Branch who were present at the celebrations. The party continued late into the evening with entertainment provided by the Heywood Arts Choir singing songs evocative of the past one hundred years.  

This special milestone has meant a time of remembrance and also reflection about the future. Thankfully, although membership numbers may have dwindled since the halcyon days of the last century, the current members are just as enthusiastic and dedicated to the work of the League as those indomitable founding members.       Teresa Burns, Branch Secretary