SOMERLEYTON WI - A week after the May meeting a tea party was held at the home of Angie McCarthy with party games to raise funds.

The June meeting was the summer outing to the Dower House Garden, Morville Hall. Since 1988 Dr Katherine Swift has transformed a one-and-a-half acre field into gardens representing the historical periods through which the house has existed. The evening ended with a meal at The Acton Arms.

The speaker was Mary Harris who demonstrated encaustic art, the process of creating pictures with wax and an iron. Margaret Wilson won the competition for an item beginning with 'A' for her photograph of ancestors. The barbecue is at the home of Kay Cowell at 7pm on August 8. The next meeting at St Cecilia's Church Hall at 7.30pm on September 12 will be a holiday talk and slide show.

PHOENIX CLUB - Through his illustrated talk on the historic houses of Birmingham, Eric Greenwood showed a variety of buildings.

The lunch venue for August 1 is the Hare and Hounds at Shenstone - meet at noon for 12.30pm. On August 15, members are planning a trip to Moreton in Marsh market, which Bob is arranging. For more details please telephone 01299 877989.

CYCLING CLUB - There are two rides this Sunday. The A ride starts at 8am and explores The Kerry Hills near Clun. The B ride starts at 9.30am and visits Earlswood Lakes. Both rides leave from The Green, Blakebrook, opposite Kidderminster Hospital. All cyclists will be welcome and should bring a packed lunch.

On Wednesday evening there is a ride to Ye Olde New Inn at Pound Green. The ride leaves The Green at 7pm. For further details contact John Weston telephone 01299 401005 or visit the website at

www.kctc.freeuk.com

CLASSICAL MUSIC SOCIETY - On July 14, the committee presented a programme of French music to mark the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.

The French Collection featured Gounod's Funeral March of the Marionette and Petite Symphonie in B major, piano music by Satie and Saint-Saens, Le Corsaire by Berlioz, Le Gibet and Five O'Clock Foxtrot by Ravel, Bizet's L'Arlesianne and Meneut Gothique by Boellman, played by cellist Oliver Gledhill, who is appearing at Kidderminster Library on September 22.

Presented by Graham Kiteley, Von Stewart, Bob Drew, Moira Brown, Bob Polfreman and Katherine Butterworth, the programme ended with Dickens's account of the fall in the Bastille in A Tale of Two Cities and extracts from Les Miserables.

On Friday, July 28, Allan Childe from Derby Recorded Music Society will present a programme of recorded music entitled North of the Border at Holy Innocents Community Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

Visitors will be welcome. The nominal admission charge includes interval refreshments.

TOWNSWOMEN'S GUILD - The meeting was opened by Audrey Spells, who gave an informative talk about her visits to Berlin during the period of the blockade and building of the wall.

The AGM was attended by two members. There will be no meeting in August because of the annual visit to Charlecote Park. At the next meeting on September 12, there will be a talk on the Acorn Trust. New members and visitors always welcome.