LYCRA -- 'Not lycra at all', she said, but an unusual sight would have met the eyes of a visitor to Gladestry Women's Institute's February meeting. The spectacle would have been members with weights in their fists, stretchy strips under their feet, skipping, jumping up and down steps, rolling their hips around on a big squashy ball, and altogether getting out of breath a little sooner than they might have hoped. Guest for the evening, Niki Scott had come, not just to tell members about Lifestyle Improvements for Today (LIFT), but to get them to have a go as well. She is both a fitness trainer and an outreach worker for the LIFT programme which operates at the Lady Hawkins' Community Leisure Centre at Kington. Its friendly exercise programmes are tailor-made for each person's needs, whether for gentle mobility after a stroke, strengthening muscles after an operation, helping towards weight loss, recovering from a heart attack, or just generally improving health and fitness. Referrals are made through a general practitioner, but you don't need to have health problems to be referred, and you'll definitely feel better for it! Refreshments, provided by hostesses Mrs A Bull, Mrs B Johnson and Mrs S Oakes, went down well after the action. The competition, 'Granny's recipe for long life,' was won by Mrs M Mayes, and the draw by Mrs A McMillen.