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AT the April meeting Vince Williams made a return visit to Cookhill WI - on this occasion he had the courage to face 30 ladies and talk about Idle Women.

The idle women referred to were, in fact, the 50 ladies who worked on the Inland Waterways - hence IW - Idle Women! - during the Second World War, and the were anything but idle.

As with other Land Army, these ladies came from all walks of life and many were not used to manual work.

Working the canals during this time was very hard, employing three to a barge they not only had to keep them clean but also had to learn the skills to handle the very large longboats along the canal and through the locks.

They also had to load and unload the cargo being carried and their hands ended up chapped and with large callouses.

Of the 50 ladies who worked on the canals only half stayed the course and only one, now in her 90s, is still alive.

Having started in 1941, the last canal run by the ladies was on VJ Day in 1945.

Hazel Bradley thanked Mr Williams for giving us an insight into the life of these hardworking women.

There is plenty of scope for members who wish to follow the active life of the IW - lunch at Bentley on May 21, a trip on the Avon in June, a walk in Worcester on June 14, synagogue visit on June 26 and Mad Hatters' Tea Party in August.

Looking further ahead a service for the 90th anniversary will be held at Worcester Cathedral in November.

At our next meeting in May we are going to try our skill at "curling".

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