The birthday dinner will be held on October 6 at La Brasserie, Kidderminster.

At the September 6 meeting, secretary Muriel Owen reported on a visit to Birmingham Botanical Gardens, when three members of the group were interviewed for Central TV news.

The September guest speaker was Dr Bob Bibby, on "Grey Paes and Bacon", talking about the growth and development of the Black Country over the past 300 years.

With a friend, Dr Bibby did a sponsored five-day walk along the canals of the Black Country, in aid of disabled people.

His talk illustrated the towns he visited, such as Dudley and Wolverhampton, where he learned about the rise and decline of various industries and the development of new ones, also meeting many people and recording regional anecdotes.

The next meeting will be held on October 4, when the competition will be for a favourite cup and saucer.