By Jean Howells

NEARLY 80 members of the Farm Women"s Club and their husbands converged on Great Malvern last Friday for the annual FWC February weekend.

 This popular occasion, which has been running since the 1970s, drew people from as far afield as Cumbria, Hampshire, Suffolk and Powys to the Abbey Hotel in the beautiful county of Worcestershire.

Some FWC members and their husbands have been enjoying the February weekend for years. Doreen Wadland from Warwickshire first went to it 27 years ago when it was in York - and hasn"t missed one since.

 Doreen recalls how she and her husband, Sam, were driving up the motorway on that occasion and were overtaken by a car so obviously full of farming folk - not difficult to spot with their country hats on - that she knew immediately its occupants were heading to the same event.

"We have made so many friends over the years from all parts of the country at this weekend," says Doreen.

Friday evening dinner is always a noisy affair - it"s always fun to try and identify all the regional accents. It"s lovely to hear the shrieks of old friends greeting - unless of course you are hoping for a quiet weekend reading a book in the hotel lounge!

On Saturday morning we visited the Royal Worcester Visitor Centre and Porcelain Museum and marvelled at the different designs, dating as far back as 1751.

It was a bit of a whistlestop tour, however, as we had to be back at the Malvern Theatre in time for the afternoon matinee of Party Piece by Richard Harris and starring George Cole.

There is never enough time at FWC weekends and they are over all too soon.