I AM writing with reference to the article on the handing over of Broom WI Hall to the village (Chronicle, August 27).

I feel I must correct two statements on behalf of all the ladies who have been members of Broom WI over the last 60 years.

I have been a member for 40 years; Irene Williams, who was the village postmistress; Gwen Cartwright; Margery King; Mary Morley and Kate Johnson to name a few.

I must correct the statement that Broom needed a village hall - the hall has always been available to the villagers for the last 60 years and has been used for whist drives, dances, children's parties, fetes, jumble sales, bazaars and council elections.

During the last few years, there have also been fortnightly Baptist Church meetings.

Also, the hall was not donated to the WI. Sixty years ago the ladies in Broom decided they would like a place to meet once a week. They started in an old jam factory in Kings Lane.

In 1931, they all worked very hard to raise money to build their own hall and form a WI and with a donation from Mrs Faire, one of the founder members, plus the help of their husbands, built the hall as it stands now, in High Street, renting the land from the council. In later years they purchased it.

The land and hall were never owned by the WI but by the ladies of Broom and has now been handed to the village as it stands, because being now a small institute, it is not viable enough to fund all the necessary expense needed for its upkeep.

Broom WI will still continue as usual in the hall and we hope the people of the village will continue to make good use of it.

Mrs Hilda Shaw

Jubilee Close

Bidford