Coffee, cake and chat at the Mission Hall

12:34pm Monday 6th October 2008

• THE recent coffee morning in the Mission Hall was a resounding success. Over 30 people went along to enjoy freshly brewed coffee and a range of delicious home made cakes, and all for just £1.50. This was the first in what is going to be a regular series of such mornings, organized by the Sutton Poyntz Society, to be held on the first Friday in the month between 10am and 11.30am. The main aim is to bring people together for a chat in a convivial atmosphere, and that was certainly achieved on the inaugural meeting.

The Hall was a hubbub of conversation, and even near neighbours welcomed the opportunity for a longer chat than otherwise busy lives allowed. I shall certainly go along again, but don't let that put you off. There are lots of people to talk to, and it is intended that on each Friday there will be an exhibition of something of interest to the village. On this first occasion this was maps, photographs and computer print-outs demonstrating the work being carried out as part of the Village Plan to identify the local wildlife. Dave and Yvonne Emery were two of the five members of the team present, and were enthusiastic and knowledgeable hosts for the work on show.

I will deal with what they have been doing in more depth later, but if you want to know what is going on in the village, and enjoy good company, make sure that you get along to the next coffee morning, which will be on Friday, 7 November at 10am, and every first Friday in the month after that.

• EDITH Storey reports that at the October meeting of the Preston cum Sutton Poyntz WI "We celebrated our 88th birthday with a cream tea shared with guests from other WIs in the Chesil Group, warmly welcomed by President Mrs. Gayl Salter. The business was short, with two forthcoming events of note, the Area Craft meeting to be held at Lynch Lane on Wednesday, 15 October at 2.15pm and the Area Home Economics meeting to be held on Tuesday, 18 October at the Village Hall, when the speaker would be Mrs. Amanda Streatfield of Denhay Farms on the subject of Cheese'.

Brenda Tomblin won the photographic competition, and Marjorie Hodges the flower of the month competition. Peggy Pressley visited Normandy to join a group of her cousins, Anne Eames drove a rather battered campervan around New Zealand, and Brenda Tomblin walked the Great Wall of China. A short game of Beetle brought our happy birthday party to a close". I must say that the ladies from the WI do seem to get about the world - there's hardly anywhere that you are not likely to meet them! Visitors are always warmly welcomed, so why not drop in on their next meeting on Wednesday 5th November in the Village Hall at 2.15pm to hear a talk on local archaeology from Gordon Le Pard. There are two competitions, the flower of the month and any historic item you have discovered.

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