MEMBERS arrived at the meeting to find a glass of Pimms and nibbles awaiting them -- ideal for a warm summer evening.

Karen reminded members of the luncheon club at The Ram on Friday, July 25 and gave details of the August meeting which will be a vintage tea, with catering arranged, and will be at the Scout Hut at 5.15pm.

Sarah had been on a basket making course at Denman with our annual bursary and brought the very attractive and skilled baskets she had made to the meeting.

Olive said there were spaces for anyone interested in going with the Hilltop Garden Club to Wisley Gardens in Surrey, She also asked for names for the 2015 diaries and calendars.

The speaker was Peter Bryant who spoke on ‘My Route to the W.I.’.

His working life included an ambition to be a thespian, a year with the National Trust in Swindon, a career with the R.A.F. and then a deep involvement with racing pigeons.

Peter joined the R.A.F. as a policeman and was posted to Cyprus in 1974.

He spent three years in N. Ireland and in his last year there he trained as a bodyguard.

He then went to Belize for six months becoming the Forces disc jockey.

In 1984 he was commissioned into the administrative corps

After some time in Anglesey Peter left the R.A.F. and joined The Royal Pigeon Racing Association of which the Queen is the Patron.

There are recorded incidents throughout history from as early as Julius Caesar’s time of pigeons being trained and used, for example, as couriers and the news of Napoleon being defeated at Waterloo was sent to Britain by pigeon.

George V was the first to have racing pigeons at Sandringham and was himself Patron of the RPRA.

During WW2 The National Pigeon Association was formed with an amazing ¼ million birds registered. Messages were carried in a special harness on the birds’ backs or in leg carriers, the message being written in triplicate on rice paper.

The pigeons were taken on planes and dropped wearing a special harness.

They were revered so much that they even had their own ration books!

Monica Dickens founded the P.D.S.A. and the V.C. for animals, thirty two being awarded to pigeons who appear to have their own solar compass enabling them to fly home.

Racing pigeons are exceedingly valuable – twenty years ago the record price for a pigeon was £106,000 but in the last two years £209,000 was paid for a Dutch pigeon.

Karen thanked Peter for telling us so much on such an interesting subject.