MAY 7, the day of the May meeting, was the day townwomen’s guilds throughout the country enjoyed a free cup of tea to celebrate the official beginning of 80 years of the townswomen’s organisation. Mary Halls opened the meeting with a welcome to Ann Eley and Margaret Redd as new members and outlined a list of possible activities for the month including a coffee morning at 6 Bute Avenue on May 22, a social studies outing to Broadfield Court, Bodenham, with wine tasting and afternoon tea, and a possible visit to Friar Street archives.

The raffle was won by Dot Gittings and the competition by Joan Edwards with Doreen Morgan, second. Members were reminded to give some thought to the mandate proposals to be discussed at the 2008 AGM in Torquay on July 8, as set out in the spring magazine. Of particular importance is the ‘not-proven’ verdict in Scottish law and the possibility of it being introduced into English law; and also the legalisation of prostitution. Speaker for the evening was young wheelchair-bound Colin Javens who broke his neck in a diving accident and has overcome his disability with immense courage, leading an expedition called ‘Live the Dream’, driving in a specially adapted mobile van from Hereford to Kenya and Cape Town, some 15,000 miles, to raise money for spinal injuries and research and to visit similarly handicapped young people. A truly remarkable young man. He was thanked by Mari Nicholas. The next meeting will take place on June 4, at 7pm when Mr Arthur Etheridge will talk about the work of the Hope Carriers Trust.