ARTIST Margaret Slater has shown how determined Women's Institute members can be in rising to a challenge.

When she was nominated to paint an egg for a WI competition she could only find unsuitable brown ones.

But following appeals by fellow members of the Frosterley WI in Weardale, County Durham, two goose eggs were presented to Margaret by a local builder.

Margaret, founder of the Weardale Art Group, went on to win the Greener Vase, which has been competed for by local WIs for more than 50 years.

It's the first time that Frosterley has picked up the award and Margaret's winning egg was decorated with Frosterley's stone bridge on one side and the words of the hymn, Jerusalem, and the WI crest on the other. Her other entry was covered with flowers and the words to All Things Bright and Beautiful.

She said: "Painting hen's eggs is fairly easy to do, but they have to be white. When we couldn't find any, we thought we may have to give up. But then these two goose eggs turned up on my doorstep, and everything was in apple pie order," said Margaret.

"They are not as easy as hen's eggs to paint, because the texture of the shell is rougher, but you have a lot more space to work on."

The Greener trophy and Margaret's eggs will be on show at the annual Frosterley Village Hall Exhibition, which is staged on three weekends from July 15 to July 30.

More than 100 pictures painted by members of the Weardale Art Group will also be on show.