CORBETT GROUP

President Mary Gray welcomed everyone and introduced Diane Campbell, TV producer and speaker for the afternoon; Doreen Jeeves, WI adviser and acting group co-ordinator.

The minutes of the previous meeting being approved, Margaret Bazeley, group treasurer, gave the financial report and was pleased to announce that two further group bursaries would be awarded, one to Crowle WI and one to Hadzor and Oddingly WI - each receiving £175.

Doreen was very pleased to announce that Margaret Bazeley (Himbleton WI) and Jo Humphries (Crowle WI) had accepted nomination, and had been approved, as joint group co-ordinators for the Corbett Group.

She wished them well in their new roles, and them thanked them, on a personal level, for releasing her from the task.

She also announced that the next group meeting would be hosted by Himbleton WI on April 4, at 7.30pm.

Mary Gray then introduced Diane Campbell again.

Diane gave a fascinating account of how her life in TV began, and how, later, as a freelance TV producer, she had held the purse strings, and had chosen the directors and staff for many popular TV programmes. She had some fascinating and amusing accounts of celebrities she had worked with, both film and TV stars, and recalled amazing, often dangerous situations in which she found herself, such as at Mount Kenya, in charge of children who had won an adventure of a lifetime' competition. Diane was extremely entertaining - a speaker to be recommended.

In keeping with their 90th anniversary celebrations, Hadzor and Oddingly had prepared a fabulous hats through the decades' competition, for which each table was given a box of items with which to make a hat in the style of the decade denoted on their table place card. The results were brilliant, and paraded around the room, to great applause. The winning WI was Droitwich Spa, sporting a 1930s style hat.

A splendid supper was then provided by the members of Hadzor and Oddingly WI, complete with a 90th birthday cake for each table.

Mary and her members were thanked, on behalf of all those present, by Sue Plumber of Himbleton WI, for a wonderful afternoon. Not only had they been lucky enough to be hosted and so well entertained by Hadzor and Oddingly, but had been able to celebrate with them in their 90th year. The time it must have taken to prepare the attractive autumn/Halloween table decorations, as well as preparing the hat' competition, the afternoon tea and birthday cakes, and the meeting, was acknowledged and greatly appreciated. Mary and her members were warmly applauded. DOREEN JEEVES