The Withycombe Raleigh Pantomime

Angela Rippon reports on the Women's Institute's pantomime

TV's Angela Rippon interviews Doris Hurd who is directing members of the local Women's Institute (WI) in the pantomime Dick Withycombe to be staged at Withycombe Raleigh near Exmouth. The play based on Dick Whittington is in full rehearsal. Angela Rippon started her career at Westward Television before moving to become the first female journalist to present the BBC national television news full time.

Dick Whittington tells the fictional story behind a true character, Richard Whittington and how he overcomes childhood poverty to become the mayor of London four times with the aid of his trusty cat. In fact Richard Whittington was actually thought to be a medieval cloth merchant and second son of a Gloucester Lord who in the 14th century travels to London to ply his trade in the wool industry.