Grants worth £300,000 have helped stop a large number of works by cartoonist and illustrator William Heath Robinson being sold and potentially broken up.

The collection, which includes many of his best-known WW1 and World War Two cartoons, was put up for sale in 2011.
The 410 drawings and paintings have now been acquired by the William Heath Robinson Trust (WHRT).
The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) gave a £250,000 grant to assist the purchase.
An additional grant of £50,000 was provided by the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art.
Heath Robinson's drawings of complicated inventions saw his name enter the lexicon in 1912 as a synonym for absurdly ingenious devices.
Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park and Olympic Cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick are among those to have cited him as an influence on their work.
The cartoons include Deceiving the invader as to the state of the tide (left), part of a series looking at possible ways to resist a German invasion, and another drawing depicting British and German tunnellers meeting underground as they attempt to plant mines beneath each other's trenches (right).
Confusing the Enemy's Sense of Direction (left) imagines underground pulleys being used to spin a rural road sign, while 'Netting Tanks' (right) imagines armoured vehicles being armed with nets to "deal with a threatened menace on the Western Front".
Heath Robinson also found much to laugh at away from the battlefield, to which these colour illustrations of applicants "for the position of water diviner on the Metropolitan Water Board" (left) and "a Christmas deed of kindness" (right) attest.
"These fantastically wry cartoons represent British humour at its best," said Carole Souter, the NHMF's chief executive. "We felt that it was important to keep this collection together for the nation to rediscover and enjoy."
The collection, which includes rare early sketches and advertising commissions, will be displayed at the new Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner, north west London, when it opens in April 2016.
"We are proud to become custodians of such an exciting collection of works by one of Britain's best loved artists," said Geoffrey Beare of the WHRT.
Born in 1872, William Heath Robinson moved to Pinner in 1908. He died in September 1944, aged 72.


Anyone wishing to save for their future has an awkward task on their hands.

Thanks to the Bank of England's policy of ultra low interest rates, the annual interest available on current accounts and even savings accounts, from banks and building societies, is extraordinarily low.
The Bank's own statistics reveal some remarkable facts.
As of August 2012, instant access accounts offered a measly 0.22% interest, and deposit accounts just 1.51%.
Meanwhile cash ISAs offered an average of just 0.66% while fixed-rate savings bonds paid more, but only 2.49% a year.
The standout fact here is that most savings policies of whatever stripe offered less than inflation.
Which means that using most savings or deposit accounts at the moment guarantees that you will lose some of the real value of the cash you put in.
Using any spare cash to pay off debts, especially expensive ones such as credit cards, is one sensible alternative.
And if you can accumulate some savings it is always a good idea to have some cash at hand in an account anyway, just for a rainy day or an obvious big bill looming on your horizon.
After that though, especially if you want to put money away for a few years, then you could consider investing.
Given the news in the last few years, people could be forgiven for thinking that stock markets are casinos, useful only to people with a focus on short-term capital gains.
Many people also still think that cash on deposit still represents the safe and sensible choice for those more interested in long-term accumulation of capital or enjoying a steady income.
However, looking back over 50 years it is clear that neither of these is true.
Academic evidence shows that most stock markets have delivered returns well ahead of inflation over almost all periods of 10 years or more.
And the key factor has been the steady accumulation (and compounding) of the dividends which are paid to shareholding investors by most companies quoted on the stock market.
The vitally important point here is that the multiplying effect of compound interest applies when reinvesting dividends.
And this represents by far the largest part of the real increase in value (ie after inflation) that stock markets can deliver.
For instance, over the space of 10 years, an average return of just over 7% a year from investing will double your original sum.
Given that it is entirely possible to achieve dividend returns of 3-4% a year from investing in shares, then very modest increases in share prices each year can top that up, and make that 7% target achievable.
Meanwhile, companies that produce a strong and reliable dividend stream have usually also delivered much better than average total returns (ie adding increase in share prices to their dividends.)
This does not mean that every company that pays no dividend is valueless (see US computer giant Apple, for example), but in general it is the steady dividend-payers such as GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Shell and Vodafone that do best.
So, stock market returns have usually done a better job than cash on deposit at preserving value against inflation.
This is not surprising if we think about what a share is: it is a slice of a real business that earns profits by providing customers with goods or services.
If inflation means increases in the price of goods and services, it follows that owning a slice of the profits will give some natural protection from inflation.
In contrast, holding cash on deposit, or owning bonds, amounts to having an IOU with predetermined terms from some government or company, and this approach is often more susceptible to having the value gradually eroded by inflation.
Of course, all investment necessarily involves risk of many sorts.
You might invest for 10 years, see your funds accumulate at an average of 7%, then be hit by a stock market slump just as you were seeking to crystallise your investments and turn them into cash.
This makes it important to consider which risks matter most to you.
If the key risk is the value of your investment falling by 10% or even 30% in a year, then cash on deposit is probably still a good choice and shares a bad choice.
By contrast, if the key risk you worry about is the post-inflation value of your savings falling by 50% over the next decade or two, or if you fear being unable to live on the meagre returns from even the best savings policies, then cash looks a bad choice and stock markets a better one.
Studying the past does not let us predict the future, but it provides a better guide than not studying it, and the academic evidence has more to tell us.
It suggests that:
So, how does a sensible investor start investing in the stock market?
One way to do it is to invest in a selection of the hundreds of investment trusts and thousands of unit trusts available.
These include low cost index-tracking choices for those who do not think that they can pick a better-than-average investment manager.
Investment trusts are, in short, listed firms that invest in the shares of other companies; unit trusts are collective funds that allow investors to pool their money in a single fund.
Obviously, no investment strategy is guaranteed to succeed.
But the rational case for investing your long-term savings will come to the fore for many millions of people in the next few years.
The government's landmark policy of auto-enrolment will see these people contributing to a pension for the first time, with contributions from their employers.
What they need to realise is that those funds will, in the vast majority of cases, be put into investment funds linked to the stock market and government or company bonds.
Knowing why that is being done with their hard-earned cash will help them understand if their money is being well invested or not, and will help them know what to expect.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Links to external sites are for information only and do not constitute endorsement. Always obtain independent professional advice for your own particular situation.


Mourners have attended the funeral of a prominent Sikh man who tried to "build bridges across the communities".

Rajinder Singh Panesar, known to his friends as Halifaxwala after the West Yorkshire town where he settled, has died aged 69.
His funeral was held at a Gurdwara in Bradford.
Jasjit Singh, a family friend, said: "Many of the next generation of Sikhs will have been personally affected by his teaching."
More on this and other stories in West Yorkshire
Mr Panesar "used to try and build bridges across the communities in Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and across the country", Mr Singh said.
Mr Panesar, who had been very active on social media was "a doer and role model", he added.
A Just Giving page in his memory has raised almost £1,700 for an international disaster relief charity.
Mr Panesar was born in India but moved as a teenager to Halifax in the 1960s and had studied civil engineering at King's College, London.
He had specialised in lecturing on Sikhism and tutoring religious studies.
He was a former president of the Council for Sikh Gurdwaras and a member of several inter-faith groups.


A British man worked on bombs planted in Iraq that claimed the life of a US soldier, a court has heard.

Sergeant Randy Johnson, 34, was killed in an explosion near Baghdad in 2007, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
The fingerprints of Anis Abid Sardar, from Wembley, London, were allegedly found on two other bombs at the scene, but not that which killed Sgt Johnson.
Mr Sardar, 38, denies murder, conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion.
Prosecutor Max Hill QC told the court: "This is an unusual trial in that almost all of the evidence you will see and hear comes from Iraq.
"The Crown's case is that the defendant Mr Sardar was directly involved in making bombs for use in Iraq during 2007.
"As you will hear, he seems to have been based in Syria, probably in the capital city Damascus at relevant times."
He explained that although the offences took place in Iraq, Mr Sardar is on trial in London as a British citizen.
Mr Hill said the bombs "were not off-the-shelf bombs, they were made with deadly intent".
They were later taken to an FBI laboratory in the US for examination by experts.
Sgt Johnson, of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, was killed when the armoured vehicle he was travelling in hit a roadside improvised explosive device (IED).
Other US soldiers were seriously injured by the blast and also in a fire-fight while dealing with another IED, the court heard.
Fingerprints found on the bomb that killed Sgt Johnson belonged to another man, Sajjad Adnan, who worked with Mr Sardar, the prosecution said.
Mr Adnan, who is not British, was handed over to the Iraqi authorities after the bombings and his current whereabouts are unknown, Mr Hill said.
Jurors heard Mr Sardar was part of a group that left a number of IEDs buried under the roads west of Baghdad.
The bomb that killed Sgt Johnson was part of a sequence, Mr Hill told the court, "involving bombs concealed geographically quite close together".
Mr Hill said the bomb series was part of a  "joint effort by the defendant Mr Sardar, together with Adnan and others".
"That is why it is unnecessary for Mr Sardar to have left his own finger mark on the bomb which killed Sgt Johnson," he said.
The prosecution made clear that this was an "unusual trial in that almost all of the evidence... comes from Iraq."
Nevertheless it is, according to them, lawful to try Anis Sardar here because he is a British citizen who lives and works in London.
It is the first time we have seen a prosecution in this country for charges of making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the insurgency in Iraq.
This has been a case a long time in gestation, since Mr Sardar was arrested seven years after the bombs were recovered from a dusty road west of Baghdad.
The jury was told they were forensically analysed by the US authorities in Iraq and America before being examined by British scientists.
Though Mr Sardar claimed to have travelled to Syria in 2007 to learn Arabic, the court heard that police found documents in his London home which suggested he already had an advanced understanding of the language.
Police searching the property also found a bomb-making manual written in Arabic.
The US-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003, amid claims Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. It sparked years of violent conflict with different groups competing for power.
British forces ended combat operations in 2009 and the US did so the following year. A total of 179 UK service personnel and nearly 4,500 US soldiers were killed during the conflict.


Cross-Channel ferry crossings are returning to normal after a strike closed a port in France.

Industrial action by MyFerryLink workers on Tuesday saw blockades at both Calais port and the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles.
In Kent, part of the M20 remains closed, with lorries queuing to cross the Channel waiting on the motorway under Operation Stack.
Delays remain for freight traffic on Eurotunnel and DFDS routes to Dunkirk.
P&O and MyFerryLink services are now back to normal, with space available on both.
Eurostar passengers who could not travel during the strike on Tuesday have been told they need to exchange or refund their tickets.
Operation Stack is expected to remain in place throughout Wednesday, Kent Police said.
Non-freight traffic are being diverted off the M20 at junction eight, for Hollingbourne, onto the A20 and then rejoining the motorway at junction nine for Ashford West.
The strike over feared job cuts by MyFerryLink workers, which finished on Tuesday night, led to the suspension of services through the Channel Tunnel after protesters got on to the tracks.
Several Eurostar trains were forced to return to St Pancras. Services were cancelled on Tuesday but resumed with the first London to Paris train on Wednesday at 05:40 BST.
Migrant activity increased in France, with people attempting to board Kent-bound lorries.
The Foreign Office has warned travellers to keep their car doors locked in slow-moving traffic heading back to the UK.
John Keefe from Eurotunnel said an enhanced freight service ran through the night to clear the backlog.
He said: "We are systematically searching every truck that comes into the terminal on the French side to ensure it is clear of migrants before it enters the tunnel."
Immigration minister James Brokenshire has said the UK is continuing to improve security at Dover and Calais.
British businessman Julian Twynham was in the French Eurotunnel terminal on Tuesday when trains to Kent were cancelled.
He described the disruption as he arrived at Coquelles: "There were queues of trucks everywhere, and migrants trying to climb on to trucks, and riding on the backs of trucks and all over the place."
He said "van loads" of riot police arrived as he left the terminal: "There were people everywhere, and there were police everywhere.
"We kept all the windows closed and the doors locked and we tried to avoid stopping.
"But even as we went through the town, because the motorways were closed at that point, the migrants were all in the town as well and by the sides of the roads. They were everywhere."
Mr Twynham, who stayed in France for an extra day, said the Eurotunnel terminal was returning to normal on Wednesday morning, but he described Dunkirk as "chaos" with migrants on the motorway and queues of traffic heading towards Belgium.


Party drug nitrous oxide is being sold illegally across Leeds via Facebook, a BBC investigation has found.

The sale of the gas for human consumption has been illegal since May when the Psychoactive Substances Act came into force.
However, the BBC was able to buy several canisters of the drug, known as laughing gas, after contacting a dealer advertising it for sale on Facebook.
Two men have been arrested as a result of the investigation, police said.
According to research, nitrous oxide is now ranked the fourth most popular drug in the UK, excluding alcohol, tobacco and caffeinated energy drinks.
One woman told the BBC: "Every time you go out, if you go to a house party, it's always there.
"It probably should [concern me] but it's just become quite normal."
Another said: "It's a lot harder now to get it at clubs, but definitely at house parties it's everywhere."
Source: Frank
Experts said the use of the drug is potentially fatal.
Dr William Harrop-Griffiths, from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, said:  "When you breathe in nitrous oxide it is absorbed really quickly in to the body.
"It goes straight to the brain and it can cause unconsciousness within 30 to 45 seconds.
"The unconscious human being is at risk and if there are not people around to support their airways, support their breathing, you die as a result of unconsciousness."
According to research, there were 17 deaths related to the use of laughing gas in the UK between 2006 and 2012.
Following the BBC investigation, West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 24 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of possession of nitrous oxide with intent to supply.
They were arrested after officers discovered nearly 5,000 canisters and 7,200 balloons at an address in Gipton, Leeds.
Both men were released on police bail pending further enquiries.
The BBC has approached Facebook for a comment on its policy surrounding the issue.
For more on the investigation watch BBC Look North (Yorkshire) at 13:30 and 18:30 GMT on 19 January.


Fly-half Andy Goode is on the Rugby Players' Association player of the year shortlist, despite playing only 344 minutes in the Premiership this season.

The 36-year-old ex-England 10 came out of retirement to join Newcastle Falcons in December on a three-month contract.
He made seven appearances, of which four were starts, and scored 57 points to help Falcons avoid relegation.
Wasps' Nathan Hughes, Charles Piutau and George Smith, and Exeter's Thomas Waldrom complete the five-man list.
Third-placed Wasps are also represented on the young player of the year shortlist by 23-year-old back Elliot Daly, who made his England debut this year.
Another two players who have received their first full England honours - Saracens lock Maro Itoje and Harlequins forward Jack Clifford - are also included.
The list is completed by Leicester's Harry Thacker and Northampton's Harry Mallinder.


Goalkeeper David de Gea is expected to start for Manchester United after missing out against Sunderland with a hip problem and only making the substitutes' bench against Anderlecht.

Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young are back in training after respective ankle and groin injuries and might be involved.
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has a full-strength squad and could name an unchanged side.
Cesc Fabregas and Willian are the most likely of any players to earn a recall.
Guy Mowbray: "On paper it's one of the biggest fixtures of the season, but there are factors to suggest that this won't be a United-Chelsea classic.
"A close one as with last month's FA Cup tie? Almost certainly. End to end attacking excitement? Probably not.
"Chelsea will be fresher than United and quite frankly are much the better team right now, so Jose Mourinho is unlikely to set his side up for an open game.
"Moreover, he'll be very keen to avoid any prospect of a third defeat of the season to his old side - and maybe more pertinently to Antonio Conte.
"A fourth Old Trafford Premier League draw in a row will be a popular prediction."
Twitter: @Guymowbray
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Chelsea: "It's not for no reason that they are top of the league.
"It's not just because they're fresh but they have individual quality and they have collective quality.
"They have a certain style of play, they stick to it, they do it very well.
"For me, it is just a game. One more game. No difference for me."
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte: "I have zero problems [with Mourinho]. It's only a sporting competition between him and me.
"There is a game of football. I want to try and win with my team. He wants to try and win with his team. It's normal to be at conflict during the game, but only a sporting conflict."
I was tempted to go for a draw but, because of United's schedule, I am going to back Chelsea to take another step towards the title.
Prediction: 0-2
Lawro's full predictions v singer Sting and his son.
Head-to-head
Manchester United
Chelsea
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.


Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has warned that America would "plunge into an abyss" if it elected Donald Trump.

He spoke after Mr Trump suggested Mr Cruz's father was connected to the man who killed President John F Kennedy.
The New York tycoon is poised to deliver a crushing blow to Mr Cruz as Indiana votes in the latest primary.
Mr Cruz's advisers had targeted Indiana as the senator's best hope of halting Mr Trump's march to the nomination.
However, polls show Mr Trump with a sizeable lead in the mid-western state.
Mr Cruz attacked Mr Trump on Tuesday, calling the billionaire businessman "totally amoral," "a pathological liar" and "a serial philanderer".
Responding, Mr Trump said "Ted Cruz is a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign.
"It is no surprise he has resorted to his usual tactics of over-the-top rhetoric that nobody believes."
Mr Cruz and fellow candidate John Kasich are hoping to force a contested convention where party officials, not voters, choose the nominee.
If Mr Trump wins Indiana, the New York businessman will probably reach the required 1,237 delegates to secure the nomination and avoid such a scenario.
Meanwhile in the Democratic battle, polls show Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders locked in a tight race in Indiana.
However, a Sanders win in Indiana would do little to erase Mrs Clinton's commanding lead.
The Clinton campaign has shifted its focus to other states, opting not to actively campaign or spend money in Indiana.
Mr Trump told supporters on Monday that he is eager turn his attention to the general election.
"You know if we win it's over, and then I can focus," he said at a campaign rally in the state.
Mr Cruz cannot get enough delegates to win the nomination outright, but hopes he can still deprive Mr Trump of a majority.
He has thrown considerable resources into the state in recent days.
Ted Cruz's father is tied to the Kennedy assassination. Donald Trump is a pathological liar, a narcissist and a serial philanderer. Mr Cruz is unhinged and desperate.
That is just a taste of the accusations that have been flying between the two top Republican presidential hopefuls on the day primary voters in Indiana head to the polls.
If recent opinion surveys are any indication, Mr Trump is poised to deliver a mortal blow to the Cruz campaign in a state the Texan had once described as "favourable terrain". Mr Cruz has thrown everything he can at his opponent - brokering a deal to clear out rival candidate John Kasich, breaking with tradition and naming his vice-presidential running mate early, even engaging Trump supporters in a street-side debate. None of it has worked.
Mr Cruz ran an efficient, tactically sound campaign that allowed him to survive long after most of his competitors had faltered. But now, facing Mr Trump in a head-to-head showdown with everything at stake, his best efforts may prove to be far from enough.
Is Indiana Ted Cruz's last stand?
"Indiana is in a position to decide the direction of this race, not just for Indiana, not just for the Republican Party, but for the entire country," he told supporters in the state.
"I think... the country is depending on Indiana to pull us back from this cliff."
The third Republican candidate, Mr Kasich, is no longer campaigning in Indiana.
He and Mr Cruz reached a deal last month to coordinate their strategies against Mr Trump, a move which prompted Mr Trump to label them "desperate".
Full US election coverage from the BBC


Lancashire board member and ex-bowler Paul Allott says the county may look to sign a big name for the 2017 T20 Blast.

Former Red Rose all-rounder Glen Chapple replaced Ashley Giles as head coach at Old Trafford last week.
However, the club are exploring adding options in the shortest format.
"Glen is the head coach but we may find ourselves in a position where we want to look at the possibility of an iconic player or coach for T20 cricket," Allott told BBC Radio Lancashire.
Australia all-rounder James Faulkner and South Africa all-rounder Ryan McLaren have already agreed deals with the club to play in this summer's T20 competition, so any major signing would have to be a coach or non-overseas player.
Former England fast bowler Allott, 60, said they may also add more experience to their squad before the County Championship campaign gets under way on 7 April.
The Division One side will be without South African batsman Alviro Petersen, who is banned for attempting to cover up match fixing, and New Zealand paceman Neil Wagner who has joined Essex.
Opener Haseeb Hameed, wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and seamer James Anderson also look set to spend time with England in the summer.
"It's pretty obvious when you look at our squad we have lost players," Allott added.
"It stands to reason we need some senior experience. It may well be we sign a senior player or two very shortly."
Allott also added they could appoint a director of cricket to work alongside Chapple in the future.


Salford Red Devils forward Ryan Lannon has signed a new three-year contract, keeping him with the club until the end of the 2018 season.

Lannon, 20, made his first Super League appearance for the Red Devils against Leeds Rhinos in April last year.
"Ryan is a great signing for us and shows the club's commitment to producing our own players through the youth set-up," coach Ian Watson said.
"I'm excited to watch how Ryan's career develops, this season and the future."


Thrill-seekers will have the chance to shoot down a giant water slide at speeds of 15mph in Bristol city centre this weekend after the scheme was backed by the council.

Using plastic sheets, hay bales, water and washing-up liquid, the 90m (295ft) slide will be set up in Park Street.
Riders on lilos will be cheered on by a crowd bashing cow bells on either side.
Some 360 ticket holders, picked from nearly 100,000 applicants, will ride the slide from 11:00 BST on Sunday.
Luke Jerram, the man behind the slide, said he was told by the council on Thursday his "Park-and-Slide" could "definitely" go ahead.
The project was first announced in March by the Bristol-based artist.
With demand "far exceeding capacity", a ticket ballot was held to whittle down the 96,573 applicants.
Using 300 hay bales, tarpaulin and a "slide strip", Mr Jerram said it would take about three hours to set up the giant water chute.
"I'll be the first person down it.  I'm the guinea pig," he said.
"We're using a mix of water and washing-up liquid, so I'll be getting it primed and checking it all works so that we can get it signed off for health and safety."
The slide is set to be in operation until 17:00, although the organisers say the event is still subject to an "on-the-day final health and safety sign-off" and they "reserve the right to cancel at any time".


Children at a school for the deaf were mishandled by staff, allowed to misbehave and engaged in sexual activity, a whistleblower has said.

Devon and Cornwall Police are now investigating the claims made against Exeter Deaf Academy.
The BBC understands three staff members have been suspended, but the school would not confirm this.
The academy said it would act "quickly if it is found that any improvements need to be made".
More updates on the claims, and other Devon news here
Sources from the inquiry told the BBC they received a letter from the whistleblower detailing claims which included staff drinking alcohol on residential trips.
It is claimed the drinking led to a lack of supervision of students who engaged in sexual activity.
The letter also alleges excessive force was used to restrain children, along with techniques that were not authorised by regulators.
The concerns were raised, the letter says, but not dealt with.
The allegations prompted Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon Social Services to launch an investigation.
Exeter Deaf Academy said: "We continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation by Devon County Council and Devon and Cornwall Police and cannot and should not comment until this is complete and the facts have been properly established.
"We care deeply about the welfare of our students, and will act quickly if it is found that any improvements need to be made at the Academy."
The academy - a mixed, residential facility that currently has 76 students aged between four and 24 -  would not comment on whether or not any staff had been suspended.
Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We are not yet in a position to comment regarding whether there have been any criminal offences or other breaches of legislation, however, the safety of the students is paramount and we will work together to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted."
Devon County Council said it was "working closely" with the police and the academy's chief executive.
The latest report by the regulator Ofsted, in February this year, was critical of the academy saying it "requires improvement".


Hundreds of people have attended a thanksgiving service for the Suffolk author, gardener and broadcaster Peggy Cole at St Mary's Church in Woodbridge.

She acted in Sir Peter Hall's 1974 film Akenfield about changing rural lives and the garden at her council house in Charsfield was a visitor attraction.
Mrs Cole was also an East Anglian Daily Times columnist and made regular appearances on BBC Radio Suffolk.
She died aged 80 on 8 January after a year-long battle with cancer.
Mrs Cole decided to open her garden to raise funds for charity after she appeared in Akenfield, despite her husband warning her "folks in the village" might think they were "getting a bit high and mighty".
Her son Ernie said the family "were so proud and astonished by everything she'd achieved and surprised at how many lives she'd touched".
"She would have loved this today - she always did enjoy a good funeral," he added.
The rural dean of Woodbridge Clare Sanders said: "She was a lady who moved with the times, yet remained rooted in Suffolk tradition."
A private funeral has already been held for the family.


A sculpture has been unveiled in memory of a popular cat which frequented a bus stop in Hampshire.

Well-wishers from as far as the United States and Australia donated Â£5,000 towards the sculpture on the Leigh Park housing estate in Havant.
Missy was a regular sight for almost 10 years at the number 39 stop in Dunsbury Way.
She was found in January with "horrific injuries" after being run over or attacked and was put down by a vet.
Flowers, photos, children's drawings and messages were left at the bus stop bench where the 13-year-old ginger cat would often be found asleep or sitting on someone's lap.
Bus driver Craig Cockram raised Â£5,000 for the memorial, which attracted online donations and messages from around the world.
One donor from the US wrote: "Remember the joy and happiness you brought to those waiting for the bus over the years."
Samantha Hadaway wrote: "Bless you dear Missy for making people smile every day and only asking in return for some kindness. Such a senseless awful waste of a precious little fur angel's life".
Kristi, from the USA, posted: "God has a special place for Missy. She touched so many lives. I wish I'd known her."
The memorial bench made from oak, with a sequoia cat sculpture curled up at one end, was placed on a grass verge directly opposite Missy's favourite shelter.
The Mayor of Havant, Faith Ponsonby, who unveiled it, said the appeal's success was partly a sign of loneliness on the Leigh Park housing estate.
She said: "Not a lot of people are allowed to have pets and I have concerns that we need to look out for elderly lonely people.
"For children, to stroke her was something they could look forward to every day."


Chelsea Ladies' Women's Champions League hopes were all but ended as they lost 3-0 to Wolfsburg in their first ever game at Stamford Bridge.

Hungary midfielder Zsanett Jakabfi's hat-trick gave the German side control of the round of 32 tie.
Chelsea, who are currently second in the English top flight, were second best throughout the first leg, watched by a crowd of 3,783.
Wolfsburg, last season's finalists, host the second leg on 12 October.
Having won the competition twice since 2012-13, Wolfsburg's array of world-class internationals were always going to pose a threat but they were aided by poor Chelsea defending before the break.
Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl and England left-back Claire Rafferty - who scored two own goals as Chelsea lost 4-1 on aggregate to Wolfsburg in the last 16 last season - both hesitated with a long ball and Jakabfi pounced to scoop the ball over Lindahl for the opening goal.
An unmarked Jakabfi headed in a second and Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen could have made it 3-0 before half-time, as the German side dominated.
Jakabfi completed her hat-trick with a calm finish after a swift counter attack just after the break and it would have been 4-0 but for a fine double save from Lindahl later in the second half.
Chelsea Ladies manager Emma Hayes told BBC Sport:
"To be completely outdone by a German team is nothing new for an English club. It's happened forever.
"Even though I'm disappointed I can zoom out and say, 'what do we really expect to happen when you get Wolfsburg at this stage?' They've got the experience on this stage and we're still learning.
"I'm a competitor so it absolutely kills me that we haven't produced something. We're better than that.
"We're playing for pride (in the second leg) because I think it's fair to say, at 3-0, the tie is as good as over."
Wolfsburg manager Ralf Kellermann told BBC Sport:
"I didn't expect that we would win this highly. We came here with a lot of respect. I'm very happy with this result.
"With a lot of games that we have seen them play, Chelsea would be at the top of the Bundesliga and I don't think they've reached the level they can achieve in this game.
"On Saturday we have got a cup game so that's when I'll be resting a lot of players. We are not through yet."
Chelsea: Lindahl, Blundell (Davison 45), Bright, Flaherty, Fahey, Carney, Aluko, C Rafferty, England (Spence 78), Borges (Ji 28), Chapman.
Subs not used: Spencer, Kirby, Bailey, L Rafferty.
Wolfsburg: Schult, Jakabfi (Mittag 72), Fischer(c), Gunnarsdottir, Peter, Blasse, Popp, Dickenmann, Hansen (Wullaert 62), Kerschowski, Goessling (Simic 90).
Subs not used: Frohms, Maritz, Bernauer, Bussaglia.
Goals: Jakabfi (12, 38, 53)
Referee: Efthalia Mitsi
Attendance: 3,783


John McDonnell has insisted he changed his mind on tactics - not policy - after ditching the party's support for the government's fiscal charter.

The shadow chancellor said Labour would oppose the bid to force future governments to run a budget surplus, having recently said it would back it.
The situation was branded a "shambles" after MPs were told about the U-turn at a stormy meeting at Westminster.
Mr McDonnell said Labour would now draw up its own fiscal charter.
He said work on this would start "tomorrow", adding that Labour would create a "new economic paradigm" and was bringing in a "new politics".
"We want people to pay their way but not in terms of income tax. We think people are taxed enough - ordinary low and middle earners - it will be the corporations who should pay their way," he said.
Asked why he had U-turned on supporting Chancellor George Osborne's bill - which commits future governments to balance their budget each year - he said that a trip to meet those hit by the Redcar steelworks closure had prompted the change of mind.
He said that as a result he did not want Labour associated "in any way" with the austerity policies of the government.
Austerity battle
Mr McDonnell said he had changed his mind on parliamentary tactics but denied changing his economic policy. He said they had seen the bill as a "gimmick" so had intended to "ridicule it" by voting for it. He said Labour had also intended to try and amend the bill, but parliamentary processes had stopped them being able to.
Mr McDonnell's interview came after he had to explain the move at a shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning which was described as "more reflective" than the heated meeting of Labour MPs on Monday.
The BBC's Eleanor Garnier said some at that meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party had reacted in fury at the decision - one which BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says Mr Corbyn had "no idea" was coming.
Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie criticised the U-turn and said Labour should set out its own motion.
"To go from one extreme to the other is wrong in economic terms but also it sends the wrong message to the general public as well," Mr Leslie told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
If it's all a political trick why should anyone care? Diane Abbott, the shadow international development secretary tried to laugh off the chaos at the weekly gathering of Labour MPs last night when she was put up to defend the policy today.
Labour's change of heart, withdrawing its support for George Osborne's attempt to make it illegal for governments to spend more than they have, was she argued, nothing more than her party's ongoing commitment to Keynsian economics. And the chancellor's efforts are all a dastardly trap that doesn't matter.
There is a logic to opposing the bill. One senior figure in the party told me this morning, without being able to borrow to invest "there is no Labour economic story".
And for Jeremy Corbyn's anti-austerity message to stick, it was odd that his close colleague John McDonnell had supported the idea in the first place.
The Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale was among those who argued that position could not stick.
Read Laura's blog in full
Flashpoints: Corbyn v his MPs
But one of leader Jeremy Corbyn's allies, shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott, said some in the party were "only slowly coming to terms with the fact that Jeremy won" the leadership contest.
She said the row over Mr McDonnell's change of heart was "a process story" and said most of the Parliamentary Labour Party were comfortable with the position being taken.
"I suspect my colleagues, on reflection, will calm down," she added.
Harriet Harman, who was Labour's interim leader after Ed Miliband stepped down, told LBC radio it was "a very disappointing time for the Labour Party".
She said of the reaction to Mr McDonnell's U-turn: "It's not surprising, bearing in mind that this is the most important issue in terms of public confidence and trust in the Labour Party, that there was some anxiety and concern about us changing our position.
"But", she advised, "we need to get ourselves back on track. We need to be coherent, we need to rebuild confidence in the public because actually the country can do much better thanâ€¦ this government."
MPs will debate and vote on Chancellor George Osborne's Charter for Budget Responsibility on Wednesday.
The charter would legally prevent future governments from spending more than they receive in tax revenue when the economy is growing.
The proposal commits the government to keep debt falling as a share of GDP each year and achieve a budget surplus by 2019-20. Governments will then be required to ensure there is a surplus in "normal times".
Chancellor George Osborne said Labour's economic policy had "lurched from chaos to incredibility".
"Two weeks ago â€Žthey said they were going to vote for a surplus - now we know they want to keep on borrowing forever. That would be a grave threat to the economic security of working peopleâ€Ž," he said.
At the weekend, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon challenged Labour to join her party in voting against the charter.
Welcoming the U-turn, Angus Robertson, SNP leader at Westminster, said it was "promising" but added it was "disgraceful there has had to be any doubt that the Labour Party would oppose Tory cuts".
He said the vote would be a major test for Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, claiming Labour's credibility "would be in ruins" unless every one of its MPs voted against the charter.
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility would be responsible for policing the new rules.
It would also have the power to decide when the government should be able to spend more than it is taking in revenue - for example, when the country is in a recession.


Rugby league team Wigan Warriors' Under-19s players have started taking weekly ballet classes.

22 February 2017 Last updated at 12:05 GMT
It's to help improve their strength and posture and reduce injury to their ankles and knees.
The team say they're enjoying it and they've noticed a difference in their strength thanks to the training.
Their ballet teacher hopes more professional teams in the UK will take up ballet.


An Aberdeen man has told a High Court jury he thought he was going to die after he was stabbed during a trip to Edinburgh to buy a car.

James Stewart, 46, said he and his brother Peter were attacked at Wardieburn Street West last April.
He told the High Court in Livingston: "I thought I was dying."
Ryan Ellis, 31, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons deny robbing and attempting to murder Peter Stewart and assaulting James Stewart.
Mr Stewart said: "I didn't know if I was going to die. I didn't know if I was going to see my kids or anyone again. I was in a strange place. I was panicking."
The jury heard a recording of the 999 call in which Mr Stewart said he could see "serious bleeding" from his brother.
He said: "It's really pretty bad. Peter, are you OK? Peter, who am I?"
The court has heard Peter Stewart was stabbed through the heart and lung and would have died from his injuries without medical intervention.
Under cross examination, Mr Stewart admitted that he and his brother were regular cannabis users.
However, despite being offered immunity from prosecution for drugs offences by the prosecution, he firmly rejected suggestions that he and his brother had gone to Edinburgh to buy cannabis.
The trial, before Lord Glennie, continues.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing the threat of resignations from his shadow cabinet amid a split over his stance on UK air strikes in Syria.

Mr Corbyn has written to his MPs saying he cannot support David Cameron's call to extend bombing operations against so-called Islamic State to Syria.
One unnamed senior frontbencher has warned people could quit if Mr Corbyn orders the shadow cabinet to back him.
Mr Corbyn has pulled out of a campaign visit to Oldham West amid the row.
He had been due to campaign in the constituency later ahead of next week's by-election.
A spokeswoman for him said: "Regrettably Jeremy Corbyn is not now visiting Oldham because matters to do with Syria mean he must return to London."
His stance on Syria has put him at odds with a number of his MPs, with many of Friday's newspaper headlines describing the Labour Party as being "at war" over the issue.
The prime minister argued in the Commons on Thursday that targeting IS in Syria would make Britain safer.
Mr Corbyn's decision to write to Labour MPs setting out his opposition - before the shadow cabinet had reached agreement - was criticised by a senior shadow minister.
They told the BBC: "There will be resignations among senior members of the shadow cabinet over this."
Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said he found the case for strikes "compelling".
However, shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott insisted the shadow cabinet was not entitled to vote down the Labour leader and that she believed they would come to the "right decision".
She said: "I know what views party members will take if MPs ignore the views of the people at the grassroots and try and take this issue to the brink.
"Jeremy appoints the shadow cabinet - not the other way round.
"You cannot have a shadow cabinet voting down the leader of the Labour Party who has just been elected with the biggest mandate in history."
By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor
It's no secret that Jeremy Corbyn is a longstanding opponent of military intervention in the Middle East. After the debate on Thursday he met his shadow cabinet to try to hammer out a common position.
After a difficult couple of hours it was plain, despite the leader being opposed, that most of the shadow team is in favour of air strikes. So they agreed to disagree, and to talk again after the weekend.
Then, to the astonishment of some of Mr Corbyn's own team, just a couple of hours later, his office published a letter that made it abundantly clear there is no chance he will back air strikes, and his position is set.
Making that move has, in the words of one shadow minister, "lit the blue touch paper" in the shadow cabinet.
Another said members were so angry they had to be "scraped off the ceiling".
Read more from Laura
Mr Cameron told MPs he would only hold a Commons vote authorising action in Syria if he was certain he could win it - which would depend on persuading Labour MPs to back him.
The vote could come as soon as next week, with former Tory rebels and some Labour backbenchers indicating they now backed action.
MPs voted against UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2013.
But they did later approve British air strikes against IS extremists in Iraq.
Speaking on BBC Question Time, Ken Livingstone, recently appointed to Labour's defence review team, said he suspected its MPs would be given a "free vote" on Syria, meaning they would not be forced to follow a party line.
The former London mayor said: "You can't force people to vote to kill other people or not to vote to kill them.
"This must be a matter in which people have the freedom to express their own views."
Mr Corbyn said the shadow cabinet would continue trying "to reach a common view" on Syria on Monday.


More could have been done to help three children thought to have been drowned by their mother before she fell to her death from a car park, a report has found.

Fiona Anderson, 23, died shortly before the bodies of her daughter and two sons were found in Lowestoft in April.
The children had been subject to a child protection plan since 2011.
A serious case review found the deaths were "completely unexpected", but more decisive action could have helped.
The report said agencies had "allowed the [intervention] process to drift".
Independent consultant Ron Lock, who conducted the review, examined how public agencies worked with the family prior to the deaths.
Social services and other agencies were alerted to Ms Anderson and her partner, Craig McLelland, because of concerns about their parenting abilities.
They were in communication over a three-year period, with a 14-month gap in between, when concerns diminished.
During that time, there were reports that Levina and her baby brother Addy had slept for 13 nights in a double pushchair while being fed only biscuits.
The report concluded that, while procedures were followed, Suffolk County Council's children and young people's services (CYPS) was not decisive enough.
Mr Lock found that attempts to engage with the family had failed, but there were no warning signs to suggest Levina, three, Addy, two, and 11-month-old Kyden were in immediate danger.
Court proceedings to remove Levina had been initiated but were withdrawn following a legal challenge and insufficient evidence.
However, the report states, the process led the relationship between the family and children's social care to become strained.
"Despite interventions by a number of practitioners, there was no success in effectively engaging the family in interventions by professionals", Mr Lock found.
"This meant that overall the implementation of the child protection plans was significantly compromised."
The report cited how Ms Anderson "specifically avoided professional interventions", distrusted social services and rebuffed support from nursery staff because "she thought the children would be exposed to sexual abuse".
The report found that almost three years before the children's deaths, in June 2010, concerns had diminished sufficiently for formal involvement to cease.
"Clearly, if the children had been placed in care this could have avoided the tragic outcome," the report said.
2010 - Social services and other agencies begin working with Fiona Anderson and Craig McLelland over their parenting abilities
Court proceedings to remove their only child, Levina, are withdrawn but the process puts a strain on social care's relationship with the family
June 2010 - Concerns diminish, involvement ceases
May 2011 - Levina and her baby brother Addy are found to have slept in a double pushchair for 13 nights and "fed only biscuits"
August 2011 - Levina and Addy are made subject to child protection plans, under the category of neglect, with Kyden added to the plan at his birth in May 2012
15 April 2013 - The body of Fiona Anderson is found at the foot of a multi-storey car park in Lowestoft. The bodies of her three children are later found at their flat
"But there was never any guarantee that an application for a care order for the children would have been successful.
"It was nevertheless concerning that a clear decision was not made by CYPS in respect of the need for a legal intervention and instead allowed the process to drift in a most unconstructive way."
Mr Lock stated there had been "no known history of either the mother or the father intentionally causing physical harm to the children, or any self-harming episodes by the parents themselves".
"In this respect, the deaths of the children and their mother were completely unexpected," he wrote.
"Psychological and psychiatric" assessments of the mother were proposed and discussed with her, the report concluded, but "were never achieved because of her reluctances".
It added: "At the time of writing there has been no coroner's inquest, although current evidence would suggest that the mother took the lives of the children prior to taking her own life. "
The report identified 13 "learning points" aimed at preventing future repetitions in similar cases.
Peter Worobec, independent chair of the Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board, said "things have and will continue to change".
"The action already taken to eliminate drift in such cases and ensure all child protection cases are subject to robust management oversight, particularly in Lowestoft, is laid out.
"We have identified a further 21 actions that will be taken to ensure that practice is improved."


Scotland fly-half Finn Russell has been cleared to train ahead of Sunday's game against France after recovering from a head knock sustained against Ireland.

Russell, 24, was taken off early in the second half of Saturday's Six Nations win at Murrayfield following a collision with Robbie Henshaw.
However, he was cleared to continue after a head injury assessment (HIA), as Duncan Weir returned to the bench.
The influential playmaker has since passed a final assessment.
Russell's former Glasgow Warriors team-mate Weir proved to be a reliable deputy in his seven minutes on the Murrayfield pitch against the Irish, but Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will no doubt be relieved to have such a key player at his disposal for the trip to Paris.
His performances for the Warriors have attracted interest from French Top 14 clubs Toulon and Montpellier in France and from Bath and Gloucester in England.
Russell suffered a concussion during Scotland's 29-18 victory over France at Murrayfield last year, missing the final Six Nations match against Ireland.
He also sustained a severe head injury in Warriors' Pro12 semi-final at the tail end of last season, which ruled him out of Scotland's summer tour to Japan, making his return to action in mid-September.
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(Close): US shares closed at record levels, lifted by better-than-expected results from JP Morgan Chase.

The Dow closed 0.7% higher at 18,506.41 - its third consecutive record close.
The S&P 500 index added 0.5% to close at 2,163.75 - the index's fourth record close in a row.
Shares in JP Morgan Chase rose 1.6% after it posted second quarter profits of $6.2bn. That helped other banking shares including Goldman Sachs which jumped almost 3%.
"The fact that JPMorgan's earnings came out favourably bodes well for the entire banking sector," said Mark Heppenstall, chief investment officer of Penn Mutual Asset Management.
"If banks are healthy ... then that clearly has more positive implications for economic growth," he said.
In the biggest stock market debut for a technology firm this year, shares in Line Corp began to trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
Shares in the company, which is best known for its Japanese messaging app, soared as much as 37%, before closing almost 27% higher at $41.58.
The company raised $723m from the share sale.
Line, which is controlled by South Korea's Naver Corp, will list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq index climbed 0.5% to 5,034.06.
Shares in KFC owner Yum Brands rose 3% after it reported strong second quarter results late on Wednesday.
Net income rose to $339m from $235m a year earlier, and the company also raised its outlook for the full year, expecting a 14% increase in core operating profit.


Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers wants his team to still be in European football in the new year after they reached the Champions League group stage.

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Rodgers' men lost 4-3 to Astana in Kazakhstan but won the play-off tie 8-4 overall.
"It's a wonderful achievement to gain our qualification," said Rodgers. "It's a night to celebrate.
"I think what we would like to do is try to progress this year and be in European football after Christmas."
Celtic, under Rodgers, reached the group stage last season but finished bottom of a section also featuring Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Scottish champions will discover their group opponents on Thursday at 17:00 BST. They will be in pot four, the bottom set of seeds.
The top two in each group qualify for the Champions League second round, with third place entering the Europa League knockout rounds.
"We've come through this qualification phase really, really well," said Rodgers, whose side beat Linfield and Rosenborg to reach the play-off stage.
"I'm very, very happy and pleased to come through the six games, especially against a team like Astana - a very good side.
"We're coming into the highest club level - the Champions League - we're going to play against some fantastic players, the players are going to improve, get better, get better experiences. If we can be in European football after Christmas then that'll be another great step forward for us.
"We'll look forward to the draw. It's brilliant for the club. I think it's absolutely brilliant for Glasgow, the city because it's not just about the football, it's about the nation - what it does economically, commercially, what it brings into the city of Glasgow, Champions League football, businesses and everything."
In Astana, Celtic fell behind to a Kristoffer Ajer own goal but Scott Sinclair's strike restored the visitors' five-goal aggregate advantage and the added bonus of an away goal.
However, three goals in 21 second-half minutes - one from Serikzhan Muzhikov and two from Patrick Twumasi - put Celtic in a far more precarious position.
Olivier Ntcham and Leigh Griffiths netted late away goals to ease those anxieties.
"You have to give credit to Astana," Rodgers said. "They threw everything at it, they changed their shape. They put risk into the game and all of a sudden, we find ourselves on the ropes a little bit. When momentum changes like that in football, sometimes it can be very tough to turn it back round.
"That's where you've got to give the credit to the players. At 4-1, you can be blurred in that moment. From [Ntcham's goal], we really settled into the game.
"I felt that, naturally, we can defend much better than that.
"Across the whole campaign, I've had midfield players playing at centre-half, midfield players playing as strikers, right-backs playing at centre-half so the players have been absolutely magnificent.
"It's another good learning game for us. We would want to be better than that."


The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet for helping the country's transition to democracy.

The Nobel committee said the group of civil society organisations had made a "decisive contribution" to democracy after the 2011 revolution.
It said the quartet helped establish a political process when the country "was on the brink of civil war".
Tunisia's uprising was the first and most successful of the Arab Spring.
While other countries - Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria - either reverted to authoritarian rule or descended into violence and chaos, Tunisia managed a successful transition to democracy.
The surprise winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize has played a key role in mediating between the different parties in the country's post-Arab Spring government.
The Quartet is credited with creating a national dialogue between the country's Islamist and secular coalition parties amid deepening political and economic crisis in 2013.
Tunisia's revolution - also known as the Jasmine Revolution - began in late 2010 and led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, followed by the country's first free democratic elections.
Kaci Kullman Five, the chair of the Nobel peace committee, said the Quartet's role in Tunisia's democratisation was "directly comparable to the peace conferences mentioned by Alfred Nobel in his will".
Nobel Peace Prize winners through the years
Africa's Nobel Peace Prize winners
Houcine Abassi, head of Tunisia's General Labour Union - one of the groups in the quartet - said the award was a "tribute to martyrs of a democratic Tunisia".
"This effort by our youth has allowed the country to turn the page on dictatorship," he said.
Abdessattar Ben Moussa of the Human Rights League - another of the quartet - said the award "fills us with joy" at a time when Tunisia "is going through a period marked by political tensions and terrorist threats".
He told the Associated Press he hoped it would encourage the winners to take a "larger responsibility" in solving Tunisia's problems.
Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, said the award recognised the country's decision to choose the "path of consensus".
"Tunisia has no other solution than dialogue despite ideological disagreements," he said in a video posted to his Facebook page.
The quartet is made up of four organisations: the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Human Rights League, and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.
It was created in 2013, two years after the revolution, when security in the country was threatened following the assassination of two key politicians and deadly clashes between Islamists and secular parts of society.
It has been a tough year for Tunisia. It needed this win, if only to restore some faith in where things went right not long ago.
The National Dialogue quartet was created after the high-profile assassination of the leftist politician Mohamed Al-Brahmi in 2013, which sparked protests across the country and came a few months after the first political assassination of Chokri Belaid.
It was a time when Tunisia was grappling with striking a balance between the rise of political Islam in the country and the traditional secular politics it had been accustomed to for decades.
The quartet brought opposing sides together but was ultimately created to calm the streets.  Their critics say its impact lost momentum long ago.
Many will be celebrating this win today. But others, taken by surprise, are asking what - in reality - has been achieved given the rise of extremism and the long road ahead for social justice.
Tunisians held their first freely contested presidential election last December, which was won by 88-year-old Essebsi of the secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.
But the country is still facing some very serious security problems, particularly from Islamists over the border in Libya.
Tunisia has been rocked by two major terror attacks this year alone - on Tunis's renowned Bardo Museum in March in which 22 people were killed, and on the resort of Sousse in June in which 38 tourists were killed.


A 22-year-old woman who hit a 79-year-old with a metal pole then stole her handbag has been jailed for three years.

Mollie Robinson followed Lena Clarke as she walked home from her church in Inverness before attacking her in a street at about 21:45 on 25 January.
The mother-of-two, formerly of Aviemore and living in Inverness at the time, was seen by witnesses and on CCTV.
She was jailed at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood told Robinson: "You quite deliberately targeted a 79-year-old lady late at night on her way home, to satisfy your need for drugs."


The funeral is taking place of a father and daughter who died in a house fire.

Andrew Broadhead, 42, and his eight-year-old daughter Kiera died in the blaze at their home in Ash Crescent in Stanley, Wakefield on 19 October.
Mr Broadhead was described by his wife as a "brave hero" after trying in vain to rescue Kiera. Their funeral is being held at Wakefield Cathedral.
Daniel Jones, 28, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, arson and burglary and is due to go on trial on 26 April.
For more on this story and others in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were called to the scene of the blaze at about 04:20 BST on 19 October.
Sara Broadhead said her husband saved her life and rescued their eldest daughter before going back into the blazing building in an attempt to save his other daughter.
She said: "Andy was a brave hero who managed to save the lives of his wife and eldest daughter.
"Unfortunately he couldn't save our youngest daughter Kiera and gave his own life trying to save hers."
An online fundraising campaign, set up to help support the family after the fire, raised more than Â£12,500.


Mandatory "scores on doors" hygiene ratings for restaurants and takeaways have driven up standards, the deputy health minister has said.

In November 2013 Wales became the first UK nation to require food outlets to display their inspection ratings.
In the two years since, the share of firms getting the top five-star rating has risen from 45% to just under 61%.
Vaughan Gething said the measure had resulted in clear benefits for food providers and their customers.
Nearly 26,000 food businesses are covered by the ratings, up from just over 22,000 when the mandatory system was launched.
The ratio of firms rated satisfactory or better (scores 3 to 5) rose from 86.9% to 94.4%, while the number of outlets with a zero rating halved from 134 to 61, around one in 500.
Mr Gething said: "The introduction of a statutory food hygiene rating scheme has been a big success story for Wales, helping to drive up standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes and other food business right across the country."
Nina Purcell, director of the Food Standards Agency in Wales, added that the scheme had gone "from strength to strength".


An "unknown substance" was thrown in the face of a taxi driver parked outside Windsor Castle, police have said.

The male victim was waiting for a fare in Thames Street with his window open when the attack happened shortly after 22:30 BST on Tuesday.
A white flatbed van drove past and the taxi driver felt a "burning sensation" as the liquid hit him.
The man washed the liquid away with water and was not seriously injured.
Thames Valley Police said the driver found damage to his vehicle's window seal caused by the substance.
Det Insp Jason Kew said he was "keeping an open mind" about possible motives.
"This was a distressing incident for the driver," he added.
"It was fortunate that he was not seriously injured."


Australian scientists have turned ordinary cooking oil into graphene, in a discovery they say lowers its cost to produce.

Graphene, a strong carbon material, is just one atom wide and conducts electricity better than copper.
It was discovered at the University of Manchester in 2004, winning its inventors a Nobel Prize in 2010.
Now researchers say they can make graphene with soybean oil, potentially making it more commercially viable.
Graphene is hoped to have numerous applications including in electronics, biomedical devices and water filtration.
"One of the limiting factors in utilising graphene is the high price compared to other materials," said Dr Zhao Jun Han from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
"If we reduce the price, we can promote its application."
The new method involves heating soybean oil in ambient air until it breaks down into "carbon building units that are essential for the synthesis of graphene", the CSIRO said.
It is then rapidly cooled on nickel foil into a thin rectangle.
Dr Han said the process is simpler and safer than existing methods, which use explosive compressed gases and vacuum processing.
He said under current technology, a high-quality graphene film with a 10cm (4 inches) diameter costs up to A$1000 (Â£600, $750).
The new method could make it "significantly" cheaper, he said.
Dr Han said the discovery, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, was made "kind of by accident".
"In our lab we have very strict safety rules," he told the BBC.
"We were trying to figure out if there was a safer way of making this material without using dangerous or explosive gases."
After trial and error, the researchers found their solution.
Dr Han said his team hoped to use the material in water filters, solar panels and batteries.
The CSIRO-led study also involved researchers from The University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and The Queensland University of Technology.
Reporting by the BBC's Greg Dunlop


Alaves reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time in their 96-year history with victory over Celta Vigo in their semi-final second leg.

Winger Edgar Mendez scored the only goal of the two games when he lifted the ball over keeper Sergio Alvarez and into the net in the 83rd minute.
Former Liverpool player Iago Aspas went close for Celta with a shot tipped away by goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco.
Alaves play Barcelona, who knocked out Atletico Madrid, in the final in May.
They beat Barca 2-1 at the Nou Camp earlier this season and will host Luis Enrique's side on Saturday in La Liga.
Alaves' only other appearance in a major final came in 2001 when they were beaten 5-4 by Liverpool in the Uefa Cup.
"We're going to enjoy tonight and we'll try to go for glory in May but we've already made history," Alaves captain Manu Garcia said.


TV presenter Caroline Flack has been crowned Strictly Come Dancing champion 2014.

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21 December 2014 Last updated at 07:58 GMT
For the first time ever in a Strictly final, she scored a perfect 40 for all three of her dances alongside partner Pasha Kovalev.
She beat off competition from Frankie Bridge and Simon Webbe, who finished as runners up, while Mark Wright went out first on the night.
The judges were wowed by Flack's Charleston and Cha Cha Cha. Watch the moment she found out she won above!


An informal settlement in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, has been razed to the ground in defiance of a court order, rights activists say.

The homes of nearly 4,700 people in Otodo-Gbame were destroyed by heavy machinery, activists said.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC tear gas and live bullets were fired after residents formed a human chain to stop the houses from being destroyed.
The authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
Amnesty International said the incident was "a violation of human rights", and shared video footage which showed bulldozers clearing a path through the area.
It said the Lagos State government had ignored a court order made in January, stopping the forceful eviction of residents from the community.
Megan Chapman from the Justice and Empowerment Initiative (JEI), which is working with the community, told the BBC that residents saw excavators near the entrance to the community in the morning.
Everything on land was destroyed "and half of what was on water" was destroyed, she said.
The Lagos state government has previously said that it is "mindful of the fundamental rights of the various residents living in the area".


Sadio Mane's late equaliser for Southampton denied Jurgen Klopp his first victory as Liverpool manager.

The home side dominated possession at Anfield and took the lead when Christian Benteke headed in James Milner's cross from the right.
But with four minutes left, Mane bundled in when Gaston Ramirez's header across goal was palmed by keeper Simon Mignolet into the body of the forward.
Mane was then sent off in stoppage time after picking up two late yellows.
The draw moves the Saints up to eighth, with Liverpool up to ninth and level on 14 points.
Relive the action from Anfield
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Played three, drawn three. Klopp has laid the foundations of how he wants his side to play, but does he have right equipment to emulate his achievements at Borussia Dortmund?
The Reds have appeared to become, in such a short space of time, a team that is hard to defeat.
The energy spent by the hunting packs in closing down space when Southampton had the ball was impressive. Known as a form of gegenpressing - immediate closing down of counter-attacks - the Reds enjoyed over 60% possession and limited the Saints to just three efforts on target.
But on the flip side Klopp does not appear to have the necessary attacking players to make that possession count in the opposition's third.
Liverpool barely threatened as an attacking force and prior to Benteke's goal they managed just one effort on target.
How Liverpool could do with forwards like Mane and Graziano Pelle, who now have 13 goals between them in all competitions this season.
Klopp - his options limited by injuries to Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge - opted to start with Divock Origi as his lone frontman. After a poor display, it is now three matches and no goals for the Belgium international under Klopp.
The disparity in performance between the Reds forward, who was replaced by Benteke at half-time, and Pelle was stark.
The Saints frontman was the busier of the two despite his side having less possession than the opposition, while Origi managed 10 touches in his 45 minutes - the fewest of any player on the field.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp:
"Of course this moment is not the best moment in the week because we wasted a lot of energy.
"Southampton haven't lost away from home so we had to work hard. You score the goal and you want to win, but it didn't happen tonight.
"Football is not a fairytale. Sometimes we write stories like this but it doesn't happen. You see these guys can play football, are technically strong and physically strong but you saw how big the disappointment was.
"It's only a goal, only a game of football. It's like it's the last thing in your life and we have to calm this down."
Read more of Klopp's thoughts on the game
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman on BBC Sport:
"We deserved at least one point but honestly it was not our best performance but we had a good reaction after going down to a great goal from Benteke.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"Our defensive organisation is good, it is difficult to create chances against us.
"Teams like Liverpool, if they have a change in management, there is always a change in expectation. I know that, I have played for big teams and I know the expectation on the manager of Liverpool is always bigger than that of Southampton."
Liverpool have a League Cup encounter against Bournemouth midweek before they travel to Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho's side in turmoil. The Saints on the other hand face Aston Villa, who are without a manager, in the cup and then host the Cherries next week in the battle of the south coast.
Match ends, Liverpool 1, Southampton 1.
Second Half ends, Liverpool 1, Southampton 1.
Second yellow card to Sadio Mané (Southampton) for a bad foul.
Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Southampton).
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Cédric Soares.
Sadio Mané (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Southampton).
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Cédric Soares.
Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Graziano Pellè (Southampton).
Goal!  Liverpool 1, Southampton 1. Sadio Mané (Southampton) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Gastón Ramírez with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
James Milner (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by James Milner (Liverpool).
Ryan Bertrand (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Martin Skrtel (Liverpool).
Victor Wanyama (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Cédric Soares.
Substitution, Liverpool. Jordon Ibe replaces Philippe Coutinho.
James Milner (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Southampton).
Attempt missed. Sadio Mané (Southampton) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is too high. Assisted by Cédric Soares.
Substitution, Southampton. Gastón Ramírez replaces Steven Davis.
Foul by Roberto Firmino (Liverpool).
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Liverpool. Lucas Leiva tries a through ball, but Philippe Coutinho is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Graziano Pellè (Southampton) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Steven Davis with a cross.
Goal!  Liverpool 1, Southampton 0. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by James Milner with a cross.
Attempt missed. Graziano Pellè (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cédric Soares with a cross.
Substitution, Southampton. Juanmi replaces Jordy Clasie.
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jordy Clasie (Southampton).
Attempt missed. Emre Can (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Jordy Clasie.
Attempt missed. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by James Milner.
Substitution, Liverpool. Roberto Firmino replaces Adam Lallana.
Corner,  Southampton. Conceded by Adam Lallana.
Corner,  Southampton. Conceded by Nathaniel Clyne.
Substitution, Southampton. James Ward-Prowse replaces Dusan Tadic.


When US-born Chris Bangle moved from Germany to the tiny Italian village of Clavesana in 2009, he waved goodbye to a 17-year career as Chief of Design for BMW. It was a huge change for him, but his arrival also had an impact on his new neighbours, writes Dany Mitzman.
Fed up with designing cars for the elite, Chris Bangle wanted to create something for everyone, and something more in tune with nature. One idea he hit upon was a bench - a giant one, far bigger than a normal park bench - and together with his wife, Catherine, he set up The Big Bench Community Project.
The project encourages the installation of colourful benches in publicly accessible spots with breathtaking views. When you sit on one, legs dangling beneath you, you feel like a child again and experience the wonders of the world around you with a fresh perspective - that, anyway, is Bangle's intention.
The benches are also so big that there's plenty of space to share them, and to interact with friends or strangers.
There are now 19 privately financed benches, thanks to the Bangles' efforts, many in the Langhe, the hilly area of Piedmont, in north-west Italy, where Clavesana is located. But you won't find an app with a map to guide you to each location - part of the Big Bench experience is to discover them, and the views they offer, like treasure in a hunt.
Angelo and Daria came from Venice to see the benches, having read about them in the newspaper.
"They're quite hidden and not that easy to find," says Angelo.
"I imagined they'd be closer to the road but this is much nicer because you have to seek them out.
"The idea is lovely because you really feel like you become part of the landscape, which is something that doesn't normally happen. Sitting up here you ask yourself, 'Why am I so small and out of proportion?' You know it should be that way but you often take things for granted and think that you drive everything. Up here in this context you question this, and have to admit that you are actually less significant."
Rinalda doesn't have far to go to get to the Big Yellow Bench as it stands in the gardens of her family-run farmhouse hotel and restaurant, but most of the time she is too busy to clamber up on to it - in fact this is only the second time she has done it.
"It's true what people say: when you get up here you feel like a child again. I dream of having the time to sit here, relax and enjoy the view."
"Not touching the ground with your feet is a strong sensation because it really does take you back to being a child as it's not normally a sensation you have as an adult when you sit," says Paolo, sitting beside Chris.
"It's a very simple concept," he says. "Contemporary art is often difficult to understand but in this case the emotions are the same for everyone. It's not like when you say, 'Ooh, I can see a lion in this,' and someone else says, 'I can see a tiger.' Here it's the same for everyone, and I think that's its greatest success."
This pale blue bench was built by the Italian League of the Deaf from the town of Alba, famous for its truffles.
Corrado and his friends discovered the big benches while out walking and decided, as a community of 40 deaf people, they'd like to construct one. Their group self-financed with the help of other deaf communities - some donations coming from as far afield as Sweden. Many of them put their hand prints underneath the bench in different coloured paint.
Corrado hopes the silence of the place will encourage hearing people to think about what it would be to be deaf.
"This place can be useful for hearing people to come up and try not talking, try signing and understand what it means. And it's very connected to nature so you can come here and hear nothing," he says.
He has told his wife he would like his ashes to be scattered here when he dies.
The Big White Bench was built by the Torion Association, from the village of Vezza d'Alba. After clearing the hill of overgrown pine woods, the group discovered the old tower, which had been hidden by the woods. They chose it as the location for their bench.
Situated at the top of a high hill overlooking their village, they financed the bench, a matching picnic table just behind it, street lighting, and a water fountain for thirsty big-bench pilgrims.
The Big Apricot Bench in the village of Costigliole Saluzzo is the most recently built of the 19 big benches. The industrial equipment business owned by eight-year-old Noemi's grandfather made the bench's metal frame.
"I like the bench a lot because it's really high up," she says.
The Big Blue Bench, is located in the Gallo family vineyard, which dates back to 1795. Their only comment: "Cheers!"
Listen to Chris Bangle explain why he started the Big Bench Project on Outlook, on the BBC World Service.
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A man who pushed a commuter into the path of a London Underground train has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Devindra Ferguson, 29, of Colindale, north-west London, shoved the man towards an oncoming train at Kentish Town station in December.
The victim Kamlesh Ramji sustained multiple injuries but has since recovered following hospital treatment.
At Blackfriars Crown Court, Ferguson was detained indefinitely to a secure mental health unit.
The Evening Standard reported that Mr Ramji suffered a fractured skull, brain injuries, a punctured lung, fractured ribs, a broken leg and a shattered pelvis.
The court heard the injuries the 40-year-old sustained were "traumatic and life-changing".
Mr Ramji told the court it was "hard to come to terms with or understand why a complete stranger would push me on to the tracks".


A British soldier from the 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was injured in Afghanistan in June 2010 has died in hospital in Birmingham, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Monday, following wounds sustained after he was caught in a bomb blast.
His next of kin have been informed.
The deaths bring the total number of UK military personnel killed in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 395.
Lieutenant Colonel David Robinson, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, said: "It is with great sadness that I must confirm the death of a Gurkha soldier from 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, who had previously been seriously injured in Afghanistan.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."
The soldier's next of kin have requested the customary period of grace before further information is released.


A man raped a woman before being arrested due to "failings" by Derbyshire Police, a report has found.

The woman repeatedly reported Craig Hutsby, of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, for threatening behaviour and breach of bail conditions in July 2014. The following month Hutsby raped her.
The IPCC report revealed the attack could have been prevented had arrest forms been filled out immediately.
Det Supt Rachel Walker said officers had attended misconduct meetings.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) concluded that PC Sofi Essex has a case to answer for misconduct for not creating an "arrest package" - paperwork completed before arrest attempts can begin - when asked.
"Although eventually completed, the delay resulted in no action being taken to locate and arrest Craig Hutsby prior to the rape being committed," it said.
PC Joseph Lovelock has a case answer for misconduct for failing to properly complete a form for the victim, the IPCC concluded.
"This meant she was not identified as being at high risk of harm and appropriate measures to manage that risk could not be made," it said.
Action taken by Derbyshire Constabulary
The investigation also highlighted unsatisfactory performance by two police call handlers, who did not properly communicate Hutsby's bail conditions to officers investigating the woman's reports.
IPCC Commissioner, Derrick Campbell, said: "This investigation has highlighted failings by Derbyshire Constabulary to protect a vulnerable woman who went on tragically to become a victim of rape."
Det Supt Walker, said: "We agree with the IPCC that the level of service given by the officers and call handlers was not of the standard we expect.
"We have already taken action to improve the service we provide."
Hutsby was convicted of rape in February 2015 and sentenced to nine years and five months.
He was also served with a Protection from Harassment Order and will be on the Sexual Offender Register for life.


Gaming experts are predicting a big future for virtual reality at E3 - the world's biggest convention for games.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
18 June 2015 Last updated at 06:46 BST
All the big gaming companies including Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are showing off what they've been working on.
Virtual reality usually involves putting on some glasses that contain video screens.
The specs give you the impression you're in a totally different world, that changes as you look around the room.
For years, virtual reality has been tipped as the next big thing in technology - but now it looks like it might finally be ready for action.
Watch Martin's report to find out more.


Reading midfielder Aaron Tshibola says he expects to start pre-season with his team-mates following six months out.

The 21-year-old underwent hamstring surgery in February after being forced off 10 minutes into his comeback from injury.
Tshibola played regularly under former boss Steve Clarke until picking up a serious ankle injury last October.
"I'm en-route to being back on track when the rest of the boys are back in," said Tshibola.
"It's all positive now. Next season is a big one for myself and everyone at the club.
"The main focus for me now is to keep ticking over and make sure I have a good pre-season," he told the club website.
Royals academy graduate Tshibola spent five months on loan at League Two side Hartlepool in 2015.
Brian McDermott's side finished 17th in the Championship after failing to win any of their final seven matches.


Politicians hit the campaign trail in Wales as the starting gun is fired in a hotly-contested race for Number 10.

The Conservatives defended their record in government and claimed to be true party of Wales at their campaign launch on Gower.
Labour has promised to end "cuts and conflict" at an event in Ammanford.
Plaid Cymru launched their campaign near Llanelli on Friday while the Liberal Democrats' event will take place in Cardiff on Tuesday.
The five-and-a-half-week campaign is now officially under way after Parliament was dissolved under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.
It is set to be one of the most closely fought election battles for years, with opinion polls showing no clear lead for any party, raising the prospect of another hung parliament.
Issues likely to dominate the campaign include the economy and spending cuts, Britain's EU membership and immigration.
Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until a new administration is formed but MPs will cease to be members of Parliament and writs will be issued for elections in all 650 constituencies.


Wayne Rooney will continue as England captain, interim manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed.

Southgate, who took temporary charge of the team on Tuesday following Sam Allardyce's departure, spoke to the Manchester United captain on Thursday.
Rooney, 30, is understood to be seen as a leader by the coaching staff, with Southgate keen to maintain continuity.
On Sunday, Southgate will name his squad for England's World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.
Allardyce said in August that it was an "easy decision" to keep Rooney as captain, despite England's performances at Euro 2016.
Rooney went on to lead England in their 1-0 victory over Slovakia on 4 September but there was debate over what position he should play in.
Speaking after the game, his sole match in charge, Allardyce said Rooney could play "wherever he wanted to".
Allardyce and the Football Association mutually agreed to terminate his contract after just 67 days following a newspaper investigation claiming he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers.
Under-21 manager Southgate was then appointed to lead England for four matches, starting with their game against Malta on 8 October.
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Businesses fear they will lose thousands of pounds and residents claim they will be trapped in their homes as roads are closed for a major cycling event.

About 15,000 cyclists will descend on south Wales when Cardiff hosts Velothon Wales on Sunday.
The 140km (87m) race will also go through Newport, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly, with some roads shut.
Organisers said they contacted those affected so they could plan around it.
Anna Jones, of Usk Garden Centre, in Llanbadoc, told BBC Wales' Jason Mohammad programme she expected the business to lose about Â£10,000 because customers would not be able to get there.
"We've got to think about our future and the fact that our trade is 12 weeks of the year and to be closed on a Sunday is a disaster for us," she said.
"No one has sat us down around a table, looked for alternatives."
Carol Knight, wedding organiser at Glen Yr Afon Hotel in Usk, said a couple getting married at the venue had to get special permission from race organisers for the bridal car to travel to the hotel.
"It's caused an enormous amount of distress... it was thought they would have to cancel it [the wedding]."
"We [the hotel] would support anything that supports tourism in Wales, and we have no issue with this particular event, it was just landed on us in February and we weren't thought of."
David Evans, who lives in Talywain, Torfaen, said the road closures would leave him "marooned" and he had to cancel plans "because there's no way I can get out".
Speaking in the Senedd last week, First Minister Carwyn Jones said Velothon organisers should have spoken to residents and businesses earlier, but he was confident they were now informed of the consequences of the event.
But Steve Jenkins, chairman of Caerphilly Cycling Club, said many businesses would be benefit from the race.
"There's thousands of cyclist coming from across the country, and they have to eat, they have to sleep. There's going to be spectators going to the event; they'll be spending money along the route," he said.
Velothon Wales organisers said: "Over the past six months, we have engaged with hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents along the route to inform them of the event and the associated road closures so that they can plan around it."


England will award professional player contracts to their 15-a-side women's team for the first time next season.

The sevens squad have been recipients of full-time contracts since 2014, but now the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will make 16 players full-time.
There will be another 32 short-term contracts on offer as the RFU continues its "ongoing commitment to the professionalisation of women's rugby".
England became world champions for the second time in 2014.
Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide.
RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie said: "We are immensely proud of England Women's achievements and we want to provide the best support to continue this success."
The England Women elite performance squad of contracted players will be announced in September. The full-time contracts will come into effect from then, with training based at Bisham Abbey, the current home of the GB women's sevens squad.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
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It is being described as "front stabbing" - a brutal attack on his leader by Malcolm Turnbull, who has long coveted the job of prime minister of Australia.

Rumours that cabinet and backbench government MPs were once again worried about Tony Abbott's performance had been circulating since late last week.
A leaked list of ministers Mr Abbott wanted to dump reportedly angered many in the cabinet. Then, on Monday, two public opinion polls conducted by Australia's two major media companies showed there was likely to be a sharp swing away from the government at a by-election in Western Australia due this Saturday.
When Communications Minister Mr Turnbull announced his intention to challenge Mr Abbott on Monday afternoon, he did not mince his words.
He told journalists if Mr Abbott remained in power, the Liberal-National Coalition would lose the general election, due mid-next year.
He said the prime  minister had failed to provide economic leadership; had lost the confidence of the business sector; had failed to explain to the public the challenges and opportunities the nation faced;  and had developed policy on the run.
Many in the coalition have warned against removing Mr Abbott and repeating the disastrous leadership debacle of the previous Labor government.
Deputy PM Julia Gillard toppled her leader Kevin Rudd, only to be toppled later by Mr Rudd, who was then punished by the public in the 2013 election.
So, how did it get to this for the Liberals?
The government started its first term two years ago on a strong note.
It delivered on an election promise to repeal Labor's levy on the country's biggest greenhouse gas emitters, dubbed the carbon tax. It also dumped a 30% tax on coal and iron ore mining profits.
Tough immigration policies, including turning boats carrying migrants back to Indonesia, stemmed the flow of asylum seekers.
The moves were popular with the public but Mr Abbott's regular mantra that he had "stopped the boats" and "axed the tax" eventually wore thin.
His inability to explain tough budget measures and his failure to get all of the budget savings through a hostile senate showed through in regular opinion polls.
Unpopular policy measures included a plan to charge people an extra A$7 (US$5; Â£3.25) for every visit to their local doctor; a major cut to university funding; and a proposal to make young people wait some time before they could receive unemployment benefits.
Policy reversals also damaged Mr Abbott's credibility.
In February, he dropped one of his signature policies - a paid parental leave scheme - when it became clear that it would be difficult to fund and wasn't that popular with women voters who wanted child care subsidies instead.
Away from the economy, Mr Abbott appeared to be out-of-step with the public on issues such as gay marriage (many Australians want to see it legalised - Mr Abbott is firmly against it).
More recently, he misjudged the public's willingness to accept refugees from war-torn Syria, belatedly announcing Australia would take in 12,000 Syrians over the next year.
His personal loyalty to some of his MPs has also attracted public criticism and social media derision.
Former Speaker of the lower house, Bronwyn Bishop, faced fierce criticism for three weeks for spending more than A$5,000 chartering a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser.
Ms Bishop retained the prime minister's support until she finally resigned in August.
Political pundits have been reminding people that Tony Abbott was never particularly popular with the public, winning the 2013 election because voters were disgusted with Labor.
That was part of the reason for an unsuccessful push to topple him in February, this year.
He was saved by a decision of the majority of Liberal Party MPs not to open up Mr Abbott's position to challengers. In return, he promised his MPs he would turn things around.
After a series of hugely unpopular so-called captain's picks - most notoriously announcing a knighthood for Prince Philip in January - Mr Abbott promised to consult more with his colleagues.
His personal style has always been a source of discontent, both inside and outside his party.
As Opposition leader he was best known for his outspoken ways, perhaps best exemplified five months after a 2010 trip to visit Australian troops in Afghanistan, where media recorded him discussing the death of an Australian corporal.
"It's pretty obvious that, well, sometimes shit happens, doesn't it?" Mr Abbott said.
In government, his minders have kept him on a tight rein, sticking to a script that regularly mentions the government's achievements such as "stopping the boats".
But it is his alleged inability to convince the public that his agenda is the right one that Mr Turnbull targeted so mercilessly when he announced his challenge on Monday.
"We need advocacy, not slogans," said Mr Turnbull.
"We need to respect the intelligence of the Australian people."


A competition to guess the weight of a man's amputated leg has raised nearly £1,500 for charity.

Peter Rowswell, from Langport in Somerset, who had suffered from clubfoot since birth, had his left leg removed below the knee last week.
The 30-year-old invited friends and family to guess the weight of his severed limb to raise funds for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
His leg weighed 3lb 8oz - about the same as three and a half tins of beans.
The winning guess was made by Mr Rowswell's father, who predicted it would weigh 3lb 10oz.
"I told him at the time it was a cheeky guess," said Mr Rowswell, who had expected the leg to weigh more.
"I've got spindly legs because of my condition so the calf muscles haven't developed properly, " he said.
The prize was a bottle of champagne donated by Mr Rowswell's employer.
Mr Rowswell, who holds black belts in a number of martial arts, said he plans to get back to training and back on a motorbike as soon as possible.
He will be fitted with a prosthetic leg in a couple of months and aims to be back at work in six months.
"I was quite clear how I felt that this is it - the start of my better life," he said.
"I do look at where my leg was and think 'I can't believe I've actually done it - had my leg chopped off' but I don't regret it, never in the slightest."
Mr Rowswell said took the decision to have his leg removed due to needing a "stupid" amount of pain relief just to walk.


A South West consortium and Lancashire are both bidding to host one of the six teams that will form the new Women's Super League in 2016.

Somerset CCC, Gloucestershire CCC and the University of Exeter have joined forces for their bid, with home games played at several South West venues.
Lancashire confirmed their interest in July but have now asked to be involved in the T20 tournament next summer.
There were 28 bids made to the England and Wales Cricket Board by August.
"Our objective is to play matches at Taunton, Bristol and other venues around the region," said Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender in a statement.
"We not only want to produce an outstanding team but also to use this as a vehicle to engage more participation for women and girls right across the region."
Lancashire Cricket Board vice-chairman Bobby Cross added: "This is an unprecedented period in the development of the game in this country.
"We see WCSL as a fantastic opportunity to explore the potential for the next generation of young cricketers to push the boundaries and to give the national side a bigger pool of talented players challenging for places."
Hampshire's Ageas Bowl has also confirmed it is bidding to host a side in the inaugural Twenty20 event next season.
An announcement regarding the successful bids is expected by the end of January 2016.