A FUNNY and touching tribute to the fortitude of women on the home front comes to Romsey this week.

Based on 150 letters and interviews with original Land Girls, the revealing, funny and wonderfully moving portrait of four women who sign up to join the Women’s Land Army during World War II is being shown at the gardens of Island House.

Along with songs from the period, Lilies on the Land charts the personal journeys of four women who join the regiment, determined to work endless backbreaking hours on farms across the country in a bid to do their best for the War Effort.

But how do these women, all hailing from different walks of life, torn from their families and bereft of all basic home comforts, deal with the hardships of farming life and the pressures of war? Maybe work clothes full of mice and toilet rolls falling from the sky are just what it takes for these girls to get through

The performance returned to the gardens of Island House, Greatbridge, on Wednesday and is being shown until July 15. Gates open at 6.45pm for picnics – locally produced wine will be on sale at the venue. Please bring your own chairs, relax, and soak up the nostalgia.

Further information about the Island House Gardens:

The gardens consist of a total of six acres either side of the River Test. They are open to the public for two weekends a year as part of the National Gardens Scheme, which has raised more than £45 million for nursing and caring charities.

Tickets £12 from www.plazatheatre.com or from the Romsey TIC on 01794 512987.