The first meeting of the year was opened by president Jennie Cox on February 14.

She welcomed a visitor, Mrs Wallace, from Inkberrow.

She then asked members to observe a minute's silence for Mrs Jean Vale, who died in December and had been a very able and popular member of the WI before moving to Pershore.

The question of the Lenchton Group was discussed; with the removal of the Hill and Moor WI whether to join the Saltway Group - but it was unanimously agreed to stay as we are.

All members enjoyed the New Year dinner at Inkberrow on the January 10.

The skittle team started the season well beating Honeybourne's team.

Jenny Simpson reported on the concert put on by the Corbett Group at the new village hall, Crowle, celebrating the 20th century.

Gill Blackband will be the delegate at the AGM at Malvern on March 28.

The branch will be the hosts at the group meeting on March 28, when there will be line dancing.

Mrs Cooper, by profession an historian, gave an interesting talk on the life of a village nurse before the days of the NHS.

She had previously lived in what had been the nurse's home in Cutnall Green, which gave her the incentive to find out some facts from the Record Office and discovered that the nurses had to cover many villages using bicycles in the early years and served the community in many ways - as midwife and generally ministering to accidents on farms, in the home etc.

Their incomes were very low and the standard of accommodation poor.

The competition for an old fashioned remedy was won by Betty Curthoys.

The next meeting will be on March 14 when there will be an illustrated talk - A Beginner's Guide to Wildlife Photography.

The competition will be for a wildlife photograph.