In the month when the nation marked the 99^th anniversary of the end of the Great War and the  100 years that had elapsed since the end of the Battle of Passchendaele, Bognor Regis WI invited its members to submit an entry for the competition with the brief  ‘A Letter Home’.

Five members took up the challenge with poignant and beautifully constructed letters from the front which, in the teeth of the conflict, captured the quiet desperation of the soldiers, their concerns about family members and the need – because of the censor and the desire to allay concerns at home – to present a brave face while facing the horrors of war.  It was a close contest with Gill Lowden just gaining first place from Annie Smith.  Thanks were expressed for all the entries and congratulations to the winner.  For all photos please click here.

1st place – by Gill Lowden

2nd place – by Annie Smith

The letters formed a fitting backdrop to the speaker who spoke about the life and work of JRR Tolkien and how his experience in the trenches during the Great War had informed his novels.

Gina Fitch-Roy