A SERIES of events to celebrate Wokingham's extraordinary women will take place over the next two weeks.

As part of the Heritage Open Days programme, Wokingham Town Council has put together an exhibition celebrating the achievements of the Suffragette movement, and its links to the local area.

The exhibition will open on Thursday (6) and run until Saturday, September 15 at Wokingham Library, in Denmark Street. The exhibition will include a quiz with the opportunity for participants to win prizes.

The council will also be running a Reminiscence Club on Thursday at the library from 10.30am to 12pm, which will discuss the theme of Extraordinary Women and the local links to the Suffragette movement. Entry is free, just drop in.

On Thursday evening, the library will once again play host to the First Thursday Book Club, which will be discussing Margaret Attwood's A Handmaid's Tale. The event is free and no booking is required.

All Saints Church will hold open days from Thursday to September, and again from Thursday, September 13 to Saturday, September 15, featuring an Extraordinary Women exhibition and trail, plus a pictorial timeline of the church over the last 800 years. On Sundays 9 and 16, between 2pm and 5pm, additional items will be on display such as the Royal Coat or Arms of Elizabeth I and an embossed topping plate from the tower.

Former Holt pupil Bonita Norris will give a talk at Wokingham Town Hall from 4pm to 5pm on Friday (7) on how she became the third British woman to climb Everest. Entry is free, but pre-booking is required.

Wokingham Library will hold a Fantastically Great Women activity day on Saturday, with fun facts for children on display about some amazing women, with activity sheets to fill in. the event is free, and guests can just drop in.

On Sunday, the bell tower at All Saints Church will be open from 1.30pm to 5pm, allowing guests the opportunity to climb the tower and see the view of the town from the top.

Finally, Heritage Open Day will take place at Wokingham Town Hall on Saturday, September 15 from 11am to 4pm. Local historian Jim Bell will be giving talks about the town's history, and guests can take a look around the rooms of the town hall and learn more about the extraordinary women who have helped shape Wokingham over the years.

Cllr David Lee, chair of the town council's civic committee said: “It has been fascinating to identify women past and present who have influenced change within Wokingham or been trailblazers within our town. I hope that you will come in and enjoy finding out more about some of our extraordinary women as well as seeing some of the town treasures we have here at the Town Council. "With the Market Celebration going on at the same time, why not come and make a day of it and enjoy the live music, market, street food and children’s activities too.”