The September meeting united with The Merton Festival Celebrating Over 50s, Poetry Reading was very enjoyable and gave us lots of laughter. We had over 55 men and women to listen to four very accomplished readers. We owe our gratidude to Wendy Tansy, Zulema Deen, John Vaughan-Neil and Bill MacGreggor for their splended rendering of about 20 well known and some new poems. We had a wide selection of poets including John Betjeman, Stanley Holloway Allen Ahlberg, Jenny Joseph, G.K.Chesterton , Roger McGough, Thomas Hardy and Elizabeth Browning but also some fabulous local talent . Bill MacGreggor’s “The Mask “ and “ Springtime”were just as enjoyable as any of the famous. Zulima Deen’s “Supermarket” and her shopper in mink when she slipped and fell with disaterous results for the gin in her shopping basket, gave us much mirth. But perhaps it’s only fair to say that the Star of the afternoon was our other Guest Reader – Fr Fairhurst with his “hospital visitor”.
Some of had tears rolling down our faces from laughing .

We also had so many people who requested to read their own Poetry we have decided to have “a readers from the floor” repeat Poetry Session in the Spring. Our thanks for this delightful afternoon must go to Desmond Worth for suggesting it and for all the work put into preparation by him and Anne Chappell. It was a very special and memorable afternoon.

Now we look forward our next meeting on Friday 1 October at 2.30 pm when Jan Davey from Trading Standards will come to speak to us. And we will be celebrating the First Anniversary of the Friendship Group when have a Lunch Party on 5 November at 1 pm. Please contact Sadie Smith [Sorry, number no longer available] to book your place. We must limit our numbers to 60 people so that we can have comfortable seating in the Parish Lounge.