Malbank W.I. Group meeting

An Evening with Margaret Thatcher

Lesley Smith, Curator of Tutbury Castle from 2000 to 2024, is as much a performer as an historian. With an MPhil in Tudor medicine and a habit of dressing up, she's spent years turning history into an outrageous spectacle. Known for making gruesome medical facts hilariously entertaining, Lesley's legacy is both scholarly and unforgettable, leaving her audience equally educated whilst still slightly traumatised!

Picture the scene, two hundred or so Malbank Ladies ( a group of local WI's ), including a good dollop of Audlem WI's members, bundled up in an impressive assortment of outerwear, ranging from sleek formal dresses to knitwear resembling the height of sheep couture, descending upon Nantwich FC like a well-organised but slightly overdressed and bejewelled army. With determination on their faces and excitement bubbling like a well-made jam, they were ready for an evening of side-splitting hilarity – and, naturally, cakes that meet our exacting WI standards. These ladies clutched their Thatcher-style handbags to their chests like prized shields, ready to rummage inside at a moment's notice, hunting for their raffle money like it was buried treasure.The star of the night? None other than Lesley Smith, channelling her inner 'Iron Lady.' Nantwich FC battened down its hatches, primed for a night of mayhem and merriment, knowing that these ladies were here for laughs, refreshments, and maybe a bit of Thatcher-era nostalgia for those old enough to remember!

Lesley strutted in, dressed as Margaret Thatcher, looking like she was ready to raise taxes and crush unions... or at least win best costume at the office party.

She carried herself like a mix between a stern headmistress and a queen who just realised she's ruling a chessboard instead of a country. She had the kind of rigid posture that suggested she could win a staring contest with a statue, paired with an air of certainty that made it seem like even gravity was beneath her. Her walk was less 'I'm here to lead' and more 'step aside, peasants,' as though she was perpetually annoyed that the earth had the audacity to keep spinning without her permission!

Lesley relayed Margaret's life up to becoming PM in an amusing but well researched way. Margaret was raised in a very frugal household in Grantham, where her father, Alfred Roberts, ran a grocery store and taught her the importance of thrift and hard work. This upbringing stayed with her throughout her life.

Loved by some, loathed by others, Margaret Thatcher was the political equivalent of the pineapple-on-pizza debacle. Lesley brought the Iron Lady to life, using Thatcher's own words from 'The Path to Power' to recount her journey to 10 Downing Street, where she faced politics and a confusion of public opinion.

At the end of her talk, Lesley took questions from her audience and after a warm vote of thanks, Lesley posed for photos before storming out of the room like a tornado in pearls, off to wrestle another crisis into submission before it even knew what had hit it!

After a delicious tea and cake....and more cake....and........yup, you've got it....after all laughter burns up so many calories and we ladies don't want to waste away!

The competition was for a look alike handbag and Audlem WI came third thanks to Doreen's efforts after rummaging through her attic and Sheila J. won a bottle of Prosecco in the raffle.....disappointingly it won't go far amongst our thirty or so members so we may have to pop to the Coop for more!

See you all again at the next Malbank Meeting, which promises to be another fun evening with a past winner of the Great Sewing Bee as our speaker, no doubt giving us all a sneaky insight into 'behind the scenes.'