OXENHOPE Women’s Fellowship has celebrated its 50th anniversary this month.

Six founder members were among the 26 women who gathered at the village’s Methodist chapel.

The evening started with a finger buffet followed by entertainment from Halifax musician John Wallis.

John played the banjo, ukulele and mandolin, performed music hall songs and presented “good old fashioned humour”.

Group spokesman Ann Shooter said the Fellowship started in 1964 as the Younger Women's Fellowship.

She said: “The Methodist Pleasant Hour had a weekly meeting in the afternoon for older members of the church, but nothing for members that had a young family or were still working.”

The first meeting was a demonstration by a Singer Sewing Machine representative.

The Fellowship, open to women of all denominations, went on to meet once a fortnight through the autumn and winter, with demonstrations, speakers and outings.

Subscription was two shillings, and tea and biscuits at each meeting was six old pence.

Ann added: “Fifty years we still use the same format meeting every fortnight through winter at the Oxenhope Methodist Chapel starting at 7.30pm. These days we have dropped the word ‘younger’.

“We are a friendly group and would welcome new members. Our next meeting of September 18 is a fashion show, and is an open meeting.”