ALTON mayor Pam Jones joined around 75 other ladies who descended on the Salvation Army centre on Amery Street for the international Women’s Day of Prayer.

The service this year, on March 4, was prepared by the Christian women of Cuba on the theme ‘Receive Children, Receive Me’ and the speaker was Helen Jesty, who is Alton’s Anna Chaplain to the Elderly.

The service was an opportunity to learn something about life in another part of the world, as well as being a part of this act of worship which swept across the globe.

It was translated into 60 languages and 1,000 dialects, and more than 6,000 services were held in Britain.

The day began as the sun rose over the island of Samoa and continued until it set off the coast of American Samoa, some 35 hours later with everyone sharing in the same service.

Mrs Jones and Anna Chaplain Helen Jesty are pictured with some of the ladies who attended the women’s day of prayer in Alton.