WI welcomes former hostage Waite

Terry Waite was taken hostage in 1987 and released in 1991

Hundreds of members of Berkshire's Women's Institute attended a "thought provoking" talk with former Lebanon hostage Terry Waite.

The event at the Hexagon in Reading attracted about 400 members.

One of Mr Waite's anecdotes from his time in captivity was the tale of being bought a copy of "The Great Escape" to read by an illiterate guard.

He was taken hostage in Beirut in 1987, when trying to negotiate the release of western hostages, and released in 1991.

Valerie Hudson, federation secretary of Berkshire WI, said: "It was a thought-provoking talk and I thought Mr Waite exhibited immense, quiet authority and strength."

The two-hour event on Wednesday also included a question and answer session.

Referring to the global peace campaigner's experiences as a hostage and a hostage negotiator, Ms Hudson added: "Mr Waite explained that once he had been captured he made a resolution not to regret the mistake he made.

"One of his amusing anecdotes was he was desperate to read and a kind guard, who could not read, brought him 'The Great Escape' which he found fairly ironic.

"His second book was a manual on breastfeeding and the third, a baby care manual.

"So Mr Waite asked for a pen and paper to draw the symbol of a penguin.

"The next book was written by the author, Laura Lee!"