MEMBERS and visitors at the March meeting had a very interesting talk on the history of the handbag by Sarah Shehadeh.

From when coins were first used, money needed to be held in purses, designed to be tied securely to the body and worn by both men and women. Over time, however, various forms of handbag evolved, with some becoming objects of fashion.

The April meeting will be a celebrity lecture on Designing Women by Paul Atterbury, an Antiques Roadshow favourite.

The meeting will be at the Stanley Lazell Hall, in Dell Road, Grays, on Wednesday, April 4, at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome.