We welcomed speaker Pat Aveyard, former Chairman of Weston Village Townswomen’s Guild, to the meeting on Tuesday, 18th July, when she presented her aptly-named ‘Inspirational China’ recording of the singles group holiday she had embarked upon in 2015 – more a marathon, she joked!

Pat portrayed that vast Eastern country’s ancient and modern culture, the ancient personified in its gigantic carved Buddhas, monasteries, magnificent marble and gold temples, pavilions, pagodas and palaces, great halls and monuments to the People’s heroes, peaceful gardens, vast notorious squares, the Great Wall, the Forbidden Cities, the Terracotta Army, Pyramids and dynasties of Emperors and their harems.

In stark contrast to the ancient, modern Shanghai, with its buzzing street markets, its tourist, silk, jade and pearl trades, its theatres, sumptuous hotels, designer shops, the Global Financial Tower, the famous high-speed Maglev train and its friendly people, encapsulate a country swiftly becoming a world leader in the 21st century.

Pat was warmly thanked for her skills in creating her power-point archive, and bravely presenting it for only the second time in aid of her Guild’s charities for the year.

Members were updated on the national ‘Keep me Posted’ campaign, which aims to retain the right for consumers to receive financial information in paper format. To date, two local Utilities, Bristol Water and Wessex Water, are listed amongst thirty service providers that offer consumers a choice in their communications; they carry the campaign’s ‘Mark of Distinction’, indicating that they offer paper bills or statements free of charge, without altering the frequency, unless they have consulted the customer first and without taking away access to online services.

On 27th July, 28 members travelled from the town by coach, picking up members from other Guilds en route to Cumberwell Park Golf Club, Bradford-on-Avon, for Bath Federation’s annual summer luncheon. Guild and Federation Chairman, Joan Norman, welcomed honorary Federation President, the 790th Mayor of Bath, Councillor Ian Gilchrist and guest speaker, Will Glennon, Wiltshire Reporter/presenter for award-winning BBC Points West, which celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year.

Will Glennon, very familiar to us on our TV screens, acknowledged how blessed he is to have survived a head-on crash with a van whilst out cycling. Every rib was broken, some more than once, his lung collapsed and had he not been wearing a helmet, he would have died. Placed in an induced coma initially, excellent medical care and therapy brought recovery in stages and, he said, it has changed his whole outlook on life.

Will spoke of his career developments post-graduation, and highlighted some of the incidents he has reported on. One, it transpired, he had shared with members of Bath and Bristol Castle Federations who, returning from the national AGM in Glasgow in 2007 after a four-day holiday, spent the night in their shared coach, when major flooding ended their journey, five miles outside Tewkesbury until 9.30 a.m. the next day! Will told us he was reporting onsite throughout that night, and BBC Points West had coincidentally shown archive footage the week before our lunch, being the tenth anniversary of an unforgettable happening.

Stephanie Hillier will join us for the next meeting on Tuesday, 19th September, tempting us with ‘Raw chocolate – turning the world’s favourite treat into a health food’, 2 p.m. in St John’s Church Hall, BA3 2HX.

Secretary, Glen Hepworth, will be pleased to provide further information on: 01761 413528.

Joan Norman