Marion Wallwork, member of the East Midlands regional committee and the national council, was the guest speaker at Hagley Community Centre in April.

Her talk was on The Work House at Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, which was opened to the public this year, after renovations which began in January 2000.

Inmates included the elderly, orphans and mentally ill, and also people described as "idle and profligate". They were expected to work, the men as gardeners in the workhouse's vegetable garden, or breaking stones into gravel, and the women had to undertake needlework, spinning and knitting. At Christmas each resident received an orange and a plum pudding.

The trust acquired the property when it came onto the market for £180,000 for conversion into flats, and has since spent millions of pounds installing electric lighting, under-floor heating, general repair work, and visitor facilities.

For details of this group contact Marjorie Fernihough on 01562 883460.