WI women win jammy sitcom roles

Doreen Mantle and Joanna Lumley are two of the show's stars

Members of a Devon Women's Institute group have been showing there is more to them than jam-making by appearing in a new Jennifer Saunders sitcom.

When North Tawton WI's president Claire Weller was contacted by the BBC she rounded up 10 fellow members to take part in the filming.

The town's streets were sealed off for 10 days of filming this month for the show, called Jam and Jerusalem.

The show also stars Dawn French, Joanna Lumley and Sheila Johnston.

We don't usually have Joanna Lumley and Dawn French at our meetings Gisela Banbury

The sitcom, which also stars Doreen Mantle and Maggie Steed, is initially a pilot but there are plans for a series.

The story is about the death of a town's GP, whose widow seeks company by joining the local Women's Guild group.

For most of the local WI group, their job was simply to be themselves with women involved in a variety of scenes from a funeral to a Women's Guild meeting.

"I think they chose North Tawton because it wasn't a very pretty town," said Mrs Weller.

"They wanted a real town where people were working, and which wasn't principally a tourist town.

The women's job was simply to act like themselves

"I understand Jennifer Saunders lives near Chagford and goes into the shops in Chagford quite a bit, so I suppose they ventured out to the surrounding areas and found North Tawton.

"We've really enjoyed it. We've had a good laugh and it was very interesting watching them do it."

Gisela Banbury was an extra in a scene depicting a Woman's Guild meeting.

"Their meeting took place in the same hall where our WI meetings are," she said.

"I sat in the same chair.

"It was a very eerie, we don't usually have Joanna Lumley and Dawn French at our meetings."

The profile of the WI was given a massive boost in 2003 with the release of the Calendar Girls film.

The pilot of the new comedy is due to be aired on BBC One in 2006.