ANN welcomed members and visitors and thanked Joan for laying the Alderbury WI Remembrance wreath on our behalf. We were all pleased that Elsie could join us for the afternoon.

Ann, Jean and May had attended the Wiltshire Federation AGM and Ann reported back on some of the key points before introducing our speaker for the afternoon, Brian Tovey.

Brian had worked in the ambulance service for 40 years, 20 of them in London, before moving to Wiltshire.

Starting with the very first hospitals known as Pest Houses, set up on the outskirts of cities to house those victims of infectious diseases, Brian described the early modes of transport for these patients. Starting with sedan chairs, then horse-drawn wagons and by 1904, petrol-driven vans. Through photographs of all the various designs we saw the rapid transformation over the decades to the sophisticated air and road ambulances we have today. Brian was also able to give us the history behind the setting up of the 999 emergency telephone service in London and then nationwide. (Jo remembered the old London police number Whitehall 1212.) The old system of dialling 0 to get the operator before being connected and the complications of the switchboards getting overloaded prompted the need for a direct number and 999 was born.

Menus for the Christmas lunch were distributed and transport for all will be arranged. Reminder given for the village Christmas bazaar on November 29.

Birthday wishes for Judith.

The next meeting at the village hall will be Wednesday, December 10 at 2.15pm. If you would like to know more about us ring Astrid (711693) or Pauline (710520).