WI: IN spite of the weather, attendance was good at the February meeting of West Buckland WI, when Marion Hutter welcomed everyone and gave news of those members unable to be present.

Last month members voted on a shortlist of resolutions to be put before the National WI meeting at The Royal Albert Hall in June and the results of this ballot were read out. Members who attended the fun scrabble day at Wiveliscombe reported that they had had an enjoyable time.

Madge Smith recruited volunteers to help with the pancake races at West Buckland village school on Shrove Tuesday. The skittles team played Ash WI in the 3rd round of the county skittles competition but, unfortunately, lost by 8 pins. Best wishes to those teams still competing. A friendly skittles evening will be held on March 5, all are welcome to take part.

Somerset County Federation are organising Spring roadshows throughout the county, with talks on such diverse subjects as English Ghost Lore and The Titanic. An Easter Extravaganza Craft and Cookery Day is to be held at Oake on April 2 and there will be a 3 day trip to Worcester in May which will include a visit to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show.

The speaker, Nigel Ford, wore a smart grey suit together with a tie patterned with bright coloured circles to demonstrate both his funeral director's side and his clown's side. He told us that, from a young age, he had wanted to be a funeral director and, upon leaving school, secured a job in Taunton for a year. This was followed by a spell in Bristol, then a number of years working in Taunton before setting up his own funeral director's business. He spoke in an interesting, at times moving, sometimes amusing way about his work. We were then treated to the multi coloured tie side of his life. Nigel is a member of the Magic Circle, hence the tie, and entertained us with his card tricks. One of our first time visitors surely did not expect to find herself sitting in front of us, wearing an upturned colander on her head, taking part in a mind reading demonstration. Judging by her laughter, she won't have been put off attending our next meeting. We were all left wondering how Nigel did it.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, March 10 when Carole Stagg will tell us about "Springtime Skincare".