Chairman Pauline Roberts opened the meeting on September 16, welcoming everyone following the summer break. We had two visitors and 12 members apologies. Flowers have been provided by Dorothy Edwards.

Two members have celebrated their golden weddings and were presented with gifts.

The Christmas meal will cost £6.50 and there is a list being circulated for members to enter their names if they will be attending.

Margaret Fennell reported on the financial situation of the group. The scrabble group will be meeting in Wimbledon Drive, as normal, onSeptember 22 and anyone interested will be warmly welcomed .

The ramble group will be meeting the morning after the evening meeting.

There was no correspondence to report.

The speaker for the evening was Patricia Boyd who gave us a wonderful and lively talk, entitled, “What the butler saw”. Butlers and all the servants always were aware of tall that was going on with the family, who had very few secrets.

Although servants started with very low wages, living within the house brought many advantages. Children within the house got on freely with all the servants, but, on reaching the age of 7 they had governesses who took over responsibility for them.

If any servant should tell outsiders what was going on, they would be sacked immediately and unlikely to get similar work for the rest of their life.

The raffle was won by Valerie Bayles and May Shearan. The competition for postcards was won by Dorothy Edwards.

The next meeting is on October 20, the speaker Roger Hallwood on palaces and Great Wall of China.

Anyone interested in joining the group would be made welcome. The meetings are held at Oldswinford Primary School at 7.30pm.