TWENTY people attended the September meeting of Salwarpe WI on September 10. The president, Morag Ford, welcomed members and told them she had become a grandmother of a little girl, Emily Rose.

A new programme has been drawn up for the Book Group for the coming season.

The next meeting will take place at the home of Rosemary Grave, Lychgate Cottage, Sharpway, at 10.30am, where Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris and Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden, will be discussed. Anyone is welcome.

Margaret Ward read out a WI update about cards which can be used from next April in Post Offices to draw pensions and benefits.

It has not been widely advertised and members agreed that she send it to the local paper.

Attractive new tablecloths were now in use at the meeting. These had been made by Sue Longhurst, and Rosemary Grave thanked her for these.

How many of us knew that bats are ubiquitous, with species found in all continents except Arctic and Antarctic? Sixteen of these live in Britain.

That they fly around by echo-location making sounds at 45-85 kllz? Few of us, until we had a talk with slides by Brian Garrett, leader of the Worcestershire Bat Group.

After a fascinating account of their appearance, lifestyle and habitat, Mr Garrett told us of the work done by the group for helping the now protected bat population.