Sitting with 30 other women may not feel like much, but for some it can be “lifesaving”.
Harwood Ladies has been a place for women to connect since 1966, when it was part of the National Housewives Register.
In 1960, Maureen Nicol wrote a letter responding to an article about housewives “squeezed like sardines in suburbia”.
She wanted a place for housewives to have stimulating conversations – free of talk of nappies or baby formula.
After her call to arms, women formed National Housewives Register groups across the country.
And Harwood Ladies became one of them.
Wendy Houghton, the group's organiser, said: “It started as a release for young stay-at-home mothers to come out of an evening and expand their mind.”
Later, the charity was renamed the National Women’s Register in 1987, three years after Wendy had joined Harwood Ladies, intent on making friends in Bradshaw.
For years, Harwood Ladies has been a place for women to connect and learn.
And members have stayed over the years.
Now the average age is 75, with the oldest being 89. And Wendy has been there for 40 years, becoming its organiser 10 years ago.
Wendy, 76, said: “We meet monthly and discuss numerous subjects.
“We usually have guest speakers that activates our minds, like Bolton Mountain Rescue, which showed us resuscitation techniques or Dr Jane Wilcock who told us about Friends of Harwood and Longsight Park.
“There are also have fun events like murder mystery evenings or beetle drives.
“It’s a get-together, but also very informative.”
On October 16, Nicky Patterson is set to give the group a talk about being an air traffic controller.
And the ladies’ friendships have seen them through the pandemic.
Wendy said: “We kept in touch through coronavirus.
“There was a network of phoning one another up to keep abreast of what was going on.
“When we were allowed to, we would have socially distanced walks of two or three.
“We would take sandwiches and sit on either side of a park bench just to talk.”
The group had met in members’ houses before Covid.
Now, meetings take place at the Bradshaw Cricket Club and Christ’s Church, Harwood Lounge Cafe.
Charity Age UK has previously said that 1.4 million older people in Britain report often feeling lonely.
And Harwood Ladies has been a resource to members that could feel isolated.
Wendy said: “A lady had come to our group who had quite a lot of bereavement, unhappiness and was very lonely.
“She was low and didn't want to be bothered with much.
“One of our members met her at a funeral and said she should come along to Harwood Ladies.
“She’s been coming to our group for more than a year and said that day she met our member saved her.
“We are there to listen and help our members, or just to get them out of the house once a month with somewhere to go.
“We try and look after them.”
The group gives back to its community, too.
It holds an annual auction raising funds for charities like Bolton Carers Group or Bolton Hospice.
Wendy added: “Our hospice is desperate for funding, and that's where £500 pounds went in this year’s auction.
“We separated from the National Women’s Register 20 years ago and have been our own little club just so we could give to charities.”
To find out more or come to the October 16 meeting, email houghton214@hotmail.co.uk
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