Village news from Helen Price – 14/10/17

Village news from Helen Price – 14/10/17

Published 9 October 2017

Ivy Butcher’s Book Launch Saturday 14th October

Now in her 102nd year, Ivy Butcher is launching her new book “On Being a Hundred”. Please come along to the Royal Oak and purchase your signed copy between 2.00 – 4.00 p.m, Saturday 14th October.

Kings Bromley Gardening Guild

In September, members of the Gardening Guild enjoyed an evening visit to The Plant Plot in Lichfield, with members of staff giving a tour around the garden centre and grounds, which were more extensive than expected. This was followed by refreshments – delicious sandwiches, cake and drinks were provided – and an opportunity to purchase plants and garden items.
The next meeting will take place in the Village Hall on 16th October when there will be a talk on ‘Seasonal Changes at the Dorothy Clive Garden’.

Historians Meeting September 29th

We heard a moving account of the Fauld Explosion from a 1983 radio programme, in which various survivors of the day spoke of their memories. 27th November 1944 dawned bright and clear in Hanbury and the war seemed reasonably remote. However in the gypsum mine the previous day a Safety Officer was so concerned by what he saw he returned with a superior officer on the 27th. The mines were huge with ¾ mile of railtrack connecting the various areas where 14,000 tons of ammunition were stored and the work being carried out was not isolated from the ammunition. However, the Safety Officers did not have the authority to halt the work.

At lunchtime that day came the explosion which was the largest in the world until Hiroshima. Railtracks, rocks, trees and soil were thrown thousands of feet into the air taking with them houses, animals, people and the dam, which resulted in a great wave of mud, obliterating everything in its path. 68 people died that day but mercifully none of the 50 children in the school.

Our next meeting on Friday 27th October is an outing to Breedon on the Hill. Anyone wishing to join us please ring Allan on 472720 or Val on 472941.

Wednesday Club Meeting, 4th October

After welcoming members to the meeting Anne asked for a short time of reflection in memory of Elma Mellor who had served on the committee and had been a very loyal member of the Club.
Our Christmas Lunch this year has been booked at the Royal Oak on 13th December. Menus were distributed to members and it would be appreciated if choices and money could be received at the November meeting.
Our speaker for the afternoon was Mr D. Tamea with his portraits of the Rich and Famous. He had had a photographic shop and when he sold up on his retirement he decided to concentrate on taking portraits. He said as he was deaf he would show us two photographs of deaf people, the first was Evelyn Glennie, Scottish percussionist, and Eric Sykes, comedian, who was not only deaf but was also almost blind. His spectacles had no glass in them but they were fitted with hearing aids!!! He showed us so many beautiful photographs including Bobby George, Norman Tebbit, Kriss Akabusi and Jack Straw. He had also photographed two very prestigious women – the first was the Chief Constable of Staffordshire, Jane Sawyers and the second the first woman Chief Fire Officer for Stafford County, Becci Bryant. He had also photographed Simon West, Ken Dodd and Harry Secombe, the list was endless. Among his portfolio was a photograph of Jill Dando whom the BBC described as this extraordinary, ordinary girl. He said how moved he was on hearing of her tragic death.
Our next meeting is the AGM on 1st November in the Village Hall at 2.30p.m. The speaker for the afternoon will be Mrs. Audrey Hall with a Christmas Miscellany.