FOR the past 60 years, Vera Hill has stood side by side with the women of Little Eaton Women's Institute and sung Jerusalem.
But this week, at the age of 91, she looked out across the green and pleasant land of the village's cricket pitch and sang those two verses for the final time.
After moving to the village in 1947 from Shropshire, she did not join the WI straight away.
Vera, who still lives in the village, said: "I came up here as my husband's family are all from here. I was a postwoman in the village and I got to know everybody. I was told that I should join and eventually I did."
Vera, who has three sons and four grandsons, never looked back. She started a craft group which she ran for 56 years after she began art classes at Green Lane Art College.
A member wanted Vera to teach them how to paint and that was how the craft group started which she ran for 56 years.
She said: "To begin with, we had a lot of people who attended church so we made kneelers. We had more than 20 members and we would do painting and needlework.
"What we did in the classes has stayed much the same for the past 60 years."
There have been changes to the group which Vera remembers used to enter the Bakewell show each year.
She said: "We used to enter into the county show every year and we won the cup once as well."
Earlier this year Vera decided to stop the craft group and on Wednesday said goodbye to the ladies at her final meeting. She said: "Numbers dwindled and it died a natural death really."
At the meeting of the group, which celebrates its 92nd birthday this year, Vera was praised for her hard work. She was presented with a card, an orchid and a bunch of sweet peas.
Branch president Barbara Adams said: "Vera is a lady of many talents, making costumes and props for concerts and helping with the carnival floats. For many years she ran the cake stall at the carnival, not only manning it but also doing a tremendous amount of baking.
"Her baking is to die for. My family never knew what shop bought marmalade or jam was because ours was always from Vera who used to sell them at meetings.
"We know it was a difficult decision to call a halt to the craft class after so many years but have all learned such a lot from Vera."
And for Vera, village life has changed little. She said: "It is much the same as when I moved here. Really there are just a lot of very lovely people here. I will miss them but I am winding down now.''
