June 11 was our AGM. New officers were elected as follows:-

Marion Buchanan (president); Joan Woodfield(vice-president); Brenda Williams (treasurer); Gill Huddelstone (speaker's secretary); Betty Bullock (press officer); Jan Heeley, Leila Titchmarsh, Gill Harris (committee members).

At our lunch on Wednesday, July 9, the president welcomed a new member(Mrs Christine Scott) and presented her with her badge.

One of our visitors was ex-member Mrs Kathleen Hickinbotham who was back visiting friends.

Mention was also made of Joan Wilkinson,who unfortunately is still in hospital.

After lunch our speaker was Anne Bradford on 'Ghosts, Murders and Scandals'.

Anne is married, was a teacher for 10 years, and has written several books.

Her last one was 'Haunted Holidays in Worcester'. Her hobbies are photography and writing,but her real love is history.

Her talk was illustrated with slides. We were told of ghosts in Alcester at Angel House and St Nicholas' Church where the bellringers had heard footsteps on the stairs and tales of a little old lady asking for a lift at the gates of Ragley Hall.

At the Arrow Mill, Thomas Burdet was beheaded. There were tales of Oversley Mill and sightings on the road in front of Coughton Court of a white luminous form, either on a bicycle or walking.

In Studley Castle, a grey lady has been seen walking followed by a smell of lavender.

Simon De Montfort at Henley in Arden, Wootton Wawen church, also Wootton Wawen Hall and many more places and stories, which made a very interesting talk on many of the places which we know.

Anne mentioned that if anyone knew of or heard of any ghost stories she is always interested.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 13th August, and the speaker will be Wolf Wahle (former prisoner of war) on experiences of men in war and afterwards.