By Sheila Goldsworthy

How did you celebrate International Women’s Day?

Women’s Institute members in Cornwall had a real treat with a great speaker, a definite favourite with our members. Lesley Smith has addressed our members on several memorable occasions. This time she performed a monologue in character and costume as Peggy Knight World War II heroine. The large audience was mesmerised as she relayed Peggy’s dangerous and heroic exploits and her Cornish connections. This coupled with a delicious tea at the Penventon Hotel Redruth marked International Women’s Day as one of the best.

Many Cornish WI’s have taken on board the message to plant even more trees with offers of free trees at five venues through Cornwall Council in conjunction with the Forest of Cornwall Project, bolstering our ‘green’ credentials This very popular scheme will see members monitoring their trees progress, for example if watering is advised when our heat wave arrives. If however you find this bitter wind still too much to endure, you can stay indoors and can start practising for one of the most prestigious competitions in the CFWI calendar, the Blaikley Salver Poetry competition. The theme this year is Rainbows. What a wonderful subject with many far-reaching possibilities. The poem can be of any length up to 32 lines, handwritten or typed with double spacing. We have been fortunate to hear some masterpieces read out at the autumn council meeting in the past when the Blaikley Salver will be presented again. Cost to enter is £5 and all details are with the WI’s now.

It is good to see a favourite event back on the agenda again “Take a Town”. This time it’s Lostwithiel. A town full of history and situated with so many delightful attributes, a river, attractive shops, a railway, and of course a flourishing WI, who had a very popular county chairman Joy Foot, (1980 to 1983) and was linked with Leedstown WI, a very successful twinning at the time when WI’s formed links usually with WI’s at opposite ends of the county, and a town WI with a country WI, a flourishing fixture stimulating friendship and education. There is a very genial description in this months County News, of this Take a Town event. The date is Tuesday, April 29, 10am for 10.30am at the church rooms, with talks in the morning and a guided walk and a visit to the small accredited museum in the afternoon. Members need to make their own lunch arrangements.

Members are reminded that the closing date for entering the Royal Cornwall Show competitions is Monday, March 31, and also a gentle nudge to create and donate to the market stall. Help is also needed to help on the stall. This is our WI showcase event of the year so let’s show everyone what a impressive organisation we have.

For further details of any these events, call 01872 272843.

For more information about the WI in Cornwall visit cornwall.thewi.org.uk