FIFTY-SIX members and two visitors were welcomed by chairman Audrey Haines to the September meeting.

Apologies were received from several members unable to attend due to illness.

She drew attention to the 2014 National Conference of Townswomen, to be held in Cardiff and information received from our headquarters concerning Notices of Motion to be debated at that meeting.

The full list of outings arranged between now and the New Year were discussed.

Our speaker was Simon Dinsdale on the Lochness Story. The first recorded sighting of the monster was in the time of Saint Columba in 562AD.

He showed slides of the first pictures taken between 1975 and 1987. He finished saying “you either believe it, or you don’t”! A vote of thanks was given by Jemima Jeffery.

The competition for a Scottish Souvenir was won by Ruth Campbell’s piper.

Next meeting is on Wednesday, October 23, at 1.30pm at the Methodist Church hall, in Hathaway Road, Grays, when speaker will be Jonathan Catton on the history of Grays and the competition is Down Memory Lane.