THE February meeting was held on a sunny afternoon in the Cowesfield Room at the Memorial Centre and many members attended.

They were glad to welcome back president Janette Munro after a nasty fall in mid- December, although she is still unable to drive.

There was much behind-the-scenes panic the previous evening when the programme secretary received a very apologetic call from the booked speaker, an antiquarian bookseller, to say she was unable to attend.

However, Sue King had the idea of asking a few members to bring along a hat and talk about what it was/is used for. Five members helped out and it all went swimmingly.

The subjects included a visit to Buckingham Palace, gardening as a hobby, a holiday in Laos learning to plant rice, a second wedding and the Mayor-making ceremony in Salisbury. There were both touching and amusing stories shared. This was followed by a good tea including sandwiches, scones and various kinds of cake with a lot of chat!