BOX members of the Women’s Institute temporarily closed the A4 last week to hold a special parade to celebrate one hundred years since the WI first came to Britain.

Nearly 50 women made the march from Bargates to the Selwyn Hall which was the route previously taken by women half a decade beforehand to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary in 1965.

In typical fashion, the women donned a variety of hats while being led by a vintage tractor, followed by cars decorated with green and white balloons.

They also had a police escort to clear traffic for the parade.

Julia Tyte has been a member since retiring and said the day was a special occasion for the near 100 WI members of Box and Box Lea.

“Before I joined, I knew lots of people involved and I thought now I am not at work I had some spare time and thought that I should join to do something different,” she said.

“I am on the committee and you have to lead by example so that is why I came to celebrate today. I think you are either in something wholeheartedly or not.”

The WI was formed in 1915 to rejuvenate rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War and since then, the WI has become the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK.

President of Box Lea WI’s, Patty Baldwin, said she first got involved with the local group in 1976 and since then she said the the group has gone from strength to strength.

She added: “It is nice to stop traffic and to think that Box WI’s did a march through the village all those years ago - we thought as it is the centenary of the WI, it would be nice to do the same.

“It was such a joyous atmosphere and we were unsure of how many people would come out to see us but we were so happy that people were waving.

“This is my first year being president and it is a super year to be in the role because it is a year of celebrations including the Queen being the longest reigning monarch.”

Nationally, there are 212,000 WI members and in Box, their eldest member is 96 years old.

The group later had a tea party in the Selwyn Hall.