Presteigne

FLORAL ART - Presteigne and Borders Floral Art Society will be meeting on Wednesday, February 11, at 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall, Presteigne. The demonstrator will be Philip Woodman, from Westbury-on-Severn, and his theme is Reflections. The designs will be raffled, so there will be an opportunity to win a splendid floral arrangement. There will also be refreshments and the usual sales table. Any items donated for sale will be most welcome. This month's competition is Summer's Echo - using dried materials. The evening is free to Society members, and the charge for visitors is £3. For further information about the Society, telephone 01544 260113.

MID BORDER ARTS - On Sunday, at 3pm., Mid Border Arts is presenting : Japanese gardens and houses - the relationship between interior and exterior space, in the Assembly Rooms, Presteigne. The well known photographer, Bill Tingey, will be talking about Japanese gardens and the way in which they relate to adjacent buildings. Whereas the English garden is designed to be viewed from the house, the Japanese garden becomes part of the house itself. By opening sliding paper doors, whole walls can be removed, so that the vista of the garden becomes a virtual fourth wall. The garden is invited into the house. After studying at Tokyo University of Art and Music, and then working as a

professional photographer and designer in Japan for more than 20 years, Bill Tingey has an almost unparalleled understanding of this topic and seeks to show, in a most interesting way, how we might learn and benefit from a better perception of this fascinating subject.

ASSEMBLY ROOMS - A very appreciative capacity audience braved the stormy winds last Saturday to enjoy Rich Gifts a splendid evening of poetry, music, prose... and wine, performed by Tableau, in aid of the home-grown, Presteigne charity supporting Frances House in Romania. The talented quintet of performers, led by Margaret Morgan and Marion Rowlett, with Kate Doubleday, Stephen Hollinghurst and Christopher Rowlatt, presented an informal and accomplished production, combining fun and emotion in equal measure. Janet Covey-Crump provided the piano accompaniment for some lovely Handel and Purcell songs from Marion and Stephen. The Rich Gifts of the title comprised art, drama and music, with some very well-chosen and beautifully performed items, including Hardy's The Ruined Maid, performed by Margaret and Marion, Jack Worthing's proposal to Gwendoline Fairfax from Wilde's The Importance of being Ernest from Kate Doubleday and Stephen, and Browning's My Last Duchess performed by Chris Rowlatt. There was Shakespeare - Hermione's poignant plea of innocence from The Winter's Tale, John of Gaunt's famous eulogy, and Orsino's If music be the food of love speech from Twelfth Night - together with some first class extracts from Pepys and Wordsworth amongst others, and with The Alto's Lament striking a chord with every female choral singer. Frances House, established and sustained from Presteigne, and named after co-founder, Marjorie Smith's, mother, had been used as a secret place for Christian worship during the Communist era, and needed a great deal of work to make it serviceable again. Now restored, the building is being used as a Christian teaching centre for the village children of Galgau. The next step in the project development is to restore the adjacent barn to create workshops for various skills and crafts as the children progress - plumbing and carpentry - and the traditional crafts of Romania, such as pottery and weaving.

FOOTBALL 100 CLUB - The January draw for the Presteigne St Andrew's 100 Club was made last Friday, and the winners are: Janet Graham, £100; Mike Cutler, £50; Les and Ann Pitt, £25; Sally Thomas, £15; and Clive and Debbie Field, £10. The February draw will take place in The Farmers on Friday, February 27.

FILM FANS - Flicks-in-the-Sticks is showing Calendar Girls in Lingen Village Hall at 4pm and 7.30pm tomorrow (Friday) and Presteigne Film Society has a fund-raising performance of Chicago in the Assembly Rooms on Saturday at 8 pm, which is not included in the season ticket price.

THE MONSTER - Well, it's nice to see Pressie safely back by the Corton roundabout, and let's hope he/she feels more settled this year. Last week it was claimed that Pressie had been sighted on the A49.