THE lunchtime quiet at Folly Bridge was broken yesterday by strains of Jerusalem.

Glorious sunshine welcomed about 200 members of the Women’s Institute to Oxford, who arrived at 2pm on a steamer boat from Abingdon.

With them was the WI centenary baton, which has been making its way around the UK’s 69 Federations since last January to celebrate 100 years of the Women’s Institute.

It finally crossed the Oxfordshire border on Tuesday and will be travelling around the county until next week.

First off the boat at 2pm yesterday was Frances Hawkins, of Chalgrove WI.

She said: “It was wonderful.”

Members disembarked while the boat’s onboard brass band played Mamma Mia, and went off in search of lunch. Ann Coulter, from Kennington Link WI, said: “I joined the WI when I was 65, and now I’m 83. This has been lovely.”

In the morning the centenary baton was brought to Abingdon via a fleet of 18 vintage MG cars.

Patty Reeves, of Peachcroft WI, said: “It definitely took some organising. I left the rest of my committee doing the hard work. It has been marvellous, and the weather has helped.”

At 3pm, about 70 women from the WI boarded an open-top bus at St Aldate’s for a tour of Oxford.

The bus was decorated with banners made by members of individual branches, as well as balloons in the WI colours: white, green and purple. The colours represented the suffragette movement, with white for purity, green for hope and purple for dignity.

Ann Henderson, president of Sutton Courtenay WI, was sat on the top of the bus next to her own group’s banner.

She said: “It’s a celebration of women and girls.”

The bus tour took the group through Oxford and on to Wolvercote, where they had a cream tea.

The baton was handed to groups in the local area, who took it to Witney, where a pageant was held at Henry Box School to celebrate 100 Years of Change and Memories. Organiser Mary Bakewell said: “It’s all gone really well. Everyone seemed to really love it.”

The centenary baton is evening where the Wychwood Group is holding a nostalgia-themed celebration.

It will pass through Hook Norton, Banbury and Bicester tomorrow. Finally, at Dorchester Abbey on Sunday, the last local groups will gather for the bells – and a last rendition of Jerusalem – before the official handover to Buckinghamshire.