A WI organiser saw her dreams come true when national hero Terry Waite accepted her invitation to visit south Shropshire.

Mr Waite, the former Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy to the Middle East who endured four years of imprisonment in Beirut, was the guest of Mainstone WI stalwart Sandra Davies and more than 380 other WI members on Tuesday night.

Mrs Davies is the convenor for the Clun Valley North WIs and the post was her chance to bring the author of the book Taken on Trust to her home patch.

She contacted all eight WIs in the group and received huge support, managing to raise the £2,000-plus necessary to pay agents and scoop Mr Waite for the event in Bishop's Castle Community College hall.

Mrs Davies has been a member of Mainstone WI since the age of 19 and is a former president. Her daughter Jackie Williams, is the youngest member of the branch.

She hopes the visit by such a famous speaker will give the WIs in her area an attractive shop window that will encourage other younger members to join.

Mrs Davies said she set about finding Mr Waite by contacting Pam Ayres' agent through Ludlow Assembly Rooms.

"It took some time and was hard digging around but it is probably the most exciting event for me since I joined the WI," she said.