Talking point window in Donington
A window at a community hub and library has become quite a talking point throughout the lockdowns.
And it’s all down to the hard work of Jill Fearn and her children Timothy (11), Isobel (16) and Charlotte (13).
Jill volunteers at Donington Library and her family’s latest display, featuring the faces of ‘Women of Influence’, has got many passers-by stopping and thinking.
Those influential woman include Professor Sarah Gilbert, the woman who designed the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.
Past displays have included those for VJ Day, Chinese New Year, dinosaurs (including a huge dinosaur painted by Jill herself), the Queen’s birthday and a tribute to Captain Tom Moore.
Jill said: “Initially it was a friend of mine, Vicki Seward, who came up with the idea to do themed windows to get everybody doing something with the kids in lockdown. She got the idea from the Internet. Where we live no one can see our window so I spoke to the library and asked if I could put displays in the window there.
“Ann (Seymour, a coordinator at Donington Library ) sets the theme for the library and we make the displays.”
On the window adjacent to the Women of Influence display is a display for Science Week (March 5-14), created by science fan Timothy, who goes to Donington’s Thomas Cowley School. That covers space exploration, climate change and new technologies.
Jill hopes that both displays will encourage people to discover more about the topics and faces in the window.
“My dad (Charles Hardwick), has always been a very big influence on me. He said never say you can’t, you can always do what you want to do. Never let being a girl stop you doing anything,” she added.
“I thought, ‘let’s make the display an inspiration for girls’. The women are women of prominence, those in politics, science, actors, fashion, cookery, environmentalist and activists.”
For Boston High School student Isobel, her woman of influence is New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern for her handling of the COVID situation. Harry Potter fan Charlotte chose actresses Maggie Smith and Emma Watson.
