Hertfordshire women will be celebrating this year as they mark the centenary of the largest voluntary women’s organisation in England and Wales.

The Women’s Institute, with a national membership of 220,000, and with around 4,000 members in the county of Hertfordshire, is marking the occasion with a Centenary baton travelling the length and breadth of the country to visit every WI.

In Hertfordshire the baton will be transported by vintage car, motorbike, roller skates, bicycle, narrow boat and tractor.

Members will be marking its progress with events such as maypole dancing, a treasure hunt and by dressing in the fashions of 1915.

The baton started its journey on January 1 2014 in Anglesey where the first-ever WI meeting in the country was held in 1915.

Its travels will end at the WI’s Centenary Annual Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 4.

The baton will arrive in St Albans on May 10 and will visit the Abbey Theatre Foyer next to Verulam Park from 10am to 11.30am.

 Caroline Ellis, from Bricket Wood WI, said: "It’s so exciting to be a part of the centenary project to celebrate 100 years of the WI. We hope to see as many people at the Abbey Theatre as possible, to celebrate WI membership and everything that it offers; the chance to learn new skills, campaign on issues that are important to us at every level, and make life-long friends.

"Celebrating the centenary with fellow members across the nation really highlights the role that all members have played in bringing their communities together since the very beginning of the WI, and we can’t wait to follow the baton’s trip once it has left us and travelled on around the federations."