MICKLETON SOCIETY: The chairman welcomed around 70 members to the second meeting of the year. the speaker was Jan Bollington, a tutor in Countryside Exploration from the WI's Denman College in Oxfordshire, who described some Surprises in Cotswold Churches.

Jan began by explaining that although natural history is her pet subject the history of the countryside and of churches in the Cotswold is also a passion for her. She showed many slides of tapestries both ancient and modern on the insides of churches and Saxon carvings, ancient sun dials and various monuments on the outside of churches.

The vote of thanks was given by Alan Davies.

The next meeting will be held on March 7 when the speaker will be Roger Pringle, a director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.