THE talk given by Vince Williams on September 7 to open our 63rd season was entitled Idle Women and gave an insight into a little know aspect of the Second World War, proving that the women involved were far from "idle".

At the outbreak of war, many of the younger boatmen on the canals volunteered for service so people were needed to take their places on the working boats.

Advertisements were placed in newspapers and magazines and many middle-class, educated women applied and were accepted. There followed a hard six-week training programme, learning to handle the boats, the accompanying butty boats and involving journeys along the Grand Union Canal between Birmingham and London. After training a team of three, women would be allocated a pair of boats and all through the war they transported a variety of loads including coal, flour, metals and even ammunition as needed.

It was hard work, cold, wet and dirty at times, and must have been a real culture shock to some women who took part. Nevertheless with boats able to carry up to 30 tons of goods at a time they made a useful contribution to the war effort. And all for £3 a week!

We were shown the workings of the canal, the cramped living conditions on the boats and given a good idea of what life must have been like for these women. "Idle Women"? Well that came from the initials of Inland Waterways which were on the special badges issued at the time - of which there were only 50, so they're now collectors items. Our next talk on September 21 is entitled Viruses and Bacteria - there is plenty of variety at The Redditch Society so do come along to Trinity High School at 7.30pm.