INTEREST AND LEISURE CLUB: Chairman, Mr Ben Jeffrey opened the meeting by asking members to stand for a minutes silence in memory of Mr Fred Purbrick who was a founder member and did a great deal with his wife to raise funds for the club and helped in many ways with its activities. The business then proceeded. Afterwards the secretary congratulated Mr and Mrs Eric Goodliffe on their Diamond wedding anniversary and presented them with a pottery container full of plants. Next Mr J Watts gave an interesting talk with slides on the 'Heart of England Way' which runs for 100 miles linking Staffordshire with the Cotswolds ending at Bourton-on-the-Water. It follows public Rights of Way and well trodden paths passing through varied and beautiful countryside. It started life in 1971 when some rambling clubs got together to plan a footpath between Lichfield and Alcester then grew at both ends. It is possible to join the Heart of England Way Association who will send programmes of walks plus a newsletter three times a year. Mrs Mavis McLoughlin thanked Mr Watts for an interesting talk.

GARDENING CLUB: Held their February meeting in the WI Hall. The chairman, Frank Saunders, welcomed the members and introduced the speaker for the evening, Mr Hughes from Malvern, his subject being The Austrian Alps. Mr Hughes showed a selection of superb slides that he had taken over a two week period in July. Even this late in the year there was still plenty of snow on the higher mountains. . The slides depicted a wide range of flowers including orchids, gentians, saxifrages, primulas, sempervivums and campanulas. These varied in height from two feet down to an inch or two. He also showed two specie rhododendrons, Hirsutum, which grows in alkaline soil, and Ferrugineum, which needs the usual acid soil. During the evening Mr Hughes was able to recommend several of the alpines as being suitable for English rock gardens. The chairman thanked the speaker. He informed the members that the March meeting would be a talk on Herbaceous Perennials.