A SURPRISE evening was scheduled for our June meeting at Bentley village hall.

After the business part of the evening, it was announced by our president Lynne Reading, that we were having a curling tournament. Diana Garrett divided members into two teams -- reds and blues. Then, in pairs, we challenged our opponents by sending our stones down the room aiming to land on the plastic mat with its circular rings. Each pair had two stones taking it in turns. Most of us found it very difficult and our stones never landed on the mat.

However, there were one or two experts who played very tactically knocking opponents' stones off the rings and gaining points for their own team. It proved to be a great fun evening enjoyed by everyone.

Ten members visited Hanbury Hall gardens to see how the gardens had matured since their visit ten years ago when the sunken parterre garden was restored.

The garden is a wonderful recreation of the early 18th century formal plans with endless manicured hedges of hornbeam, yew, box and beech.

We had a very interesting and detailed tour by Neil, the head gardener, and many of us went home with numerous plants grown in their nursery. On mid-summer's day, a luncheon party was held at the home of Jean Harper to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday. Forty smartly dressed ladies were there in their splendid hats.