After a glass of "bubbly" in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, members heard Mr Bowden's account of working on the Royal Yacht Britannia as a marine.
He illustrated his talk with slides taken in the South Pacific.
There were 83 previous royal yachts, all designed by various kings for their personal use.
Members were reminded of the village fete on August 17, when teas will be served by the WI.
Joyce Rowthorn reported on the craft show at Perdiswell where Chaddesley members had entered all the classes. The group's produce show will take place in October - entry forms are available now.
The next meeting is on July 3, with a demonstration of cake decorating at 7.30pm in the village hall.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article