OUR meeting opened this week with Bob Young reciting some humorous Billy Connelly quips followed by a warning from Ken Perkins to have NHS hearing aids checked regularly.

We then sat back to hear about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Our speaker was Richard Holland, a solicitor from Pebworth, near Honeybourne. Richard explained that the Brotherhood was founded in 1848 by William Hunt, John Millais and Dante Rossetti, and had a deep sense of the lost past and social hope. They intended to reform art by rejecting the hitherto mechanistic approach. He mentioned John Ruskin and William Morris among others and said that images of Pre-Raphaelite women were characterised by long necks, big hair and tasteful nudes! But their influence was not merely in paintings. The Liberty shop in London, Wightwick Manor near Wolverhampton, the Port Sunlight model village on The Wirral and Bourneville all have Pre-Raphaelite influences. Despite being a confirmed Philistine, I found the talk fascinating and commented to Richard afterwards that it must have been enjoyed by nearly everyone as only one member nodded off briefly.

In thanking Richard for his excellent presentation on behalf of members, Grenville Burrows drew parallels between the Pre-Raphaelites and Shakespeare.

In the post-meeting conversations, Andy Richardson let slip that he had recently been presented with a Community Award for his work with the Housing Association. Well done Andy.

Next week, on Thursday, June 11 we will have our Summer Lunch at the Boathouse, and then on June 18 we shall hear about Lawrence of Arabia from Richard Long.

CHRIS DONOUGH