Cheerful chairman Betty Long welcomed 60 members and guests to the October meeting at the Ladybird Inn, Aston Fields.

The minutes read and signed as usual, and the treasurer's report given, Mary Rutter confirmed that the speakers for 2004 were now all booked and that a replacement for the November speaker had been found.

In the absence of Joan English, final details of two trips were given, with the second trip to Notcutt Garden Centre and Stratford on Avon receiving a great welcome from the members, who remembered the enjoyable and successful visit last year.

Robyn Newton reported that we now have a FULL UP sign against the membership register of 80. Any further ladies wishing to join will have to go on a waiting list!

The speaker was outstanding - Mrs Notburger Cheetham-Tilt - an Austrian lady who endured a great deal of ill treatment at the hands of the Nazis in Austria, both before and during World War Two. The amount of torture, physical and mental seems incredible now to us when we are endeavouring to live in peace with former enemies.

Her life story will be filmed by Steven Spielberg, starting in January 2004. She told a very sobering tale but thankfully with a happy ending of finding a good husband and a happy home here in England after the war was over. We look forward to seeing the film!

She had brought some copies of her autobiography, and signed them at the end of the evening, at the same time exchanging stories with some of our own members with war-time memories, one of whom was married to a Polish soldier.