It’s what every meeting organiser dreads. The hall is full of people, the time is 7.30 but there is no sign of the speaker. Fortunately at the March meeting our Chairman, Percy Nunn, stepped into the breach and gave a short talk on the greens of Wickhambrook, allowing the speaker, Vernon Place to arrive in time to give his talk Vernon had thought he was expected on the following evening and having turned this mishap into an amusing anecdote, he proceeded to entertain us with his reflections on growing up in the fens at Isleham. He could well remember his childhood when there was no electricity, water had to be carried from the fen and going to school meant a bike ride along the top of a twenty foot bank. Although his stories were amusing and made fun of the characters of the village, he assured us that the fen people with their sometimes dour exterior had hearts of gold, worked hard and helped their neighbours. Many in the audience could remember the outdoor privies and rudimentary washing facilities which seemed to figure in most of the stories and all agreed that the speaker had been well worth the wait.

The next meeting is the AGM which is at 7pm on Tuesday 19th April in the WI Hall. This will be followed by a talk ‘The History of Advertising’ by Stuart Bowell. Subscriptions for 2005-2006 will be collected at the meeting.