MEMBERS met for the November meeting on a cold damp night, in a cold village hall – however we all enjoyed a good evening despite most wearing coats.

Tim Smith welcomed everyone and reminded members of the Christmas Dinner on December 10 and to bring their own glasses and wine.

Also to make sure that everyone had paid and given their menu choice.

Subscriptions would remain at £20 per member and these were now due.

Our next meeting will be on January 28 which will be the Burns Supper and to bring wine, glasses, dishes and cutlery and to wear a kilt if they have one!

Request for help and making of puddings to be given to Pat Britton.

Summer outing – we had looked at the possibility of visiting the Three Choirs Vineyard together with a meal but the price of £35.00 per head plus coach would not make this viable.

The committee were investigating a visit to Westons Cider at Hereford and members were asked for any other suggestions.

Without further ado, Tim introduced Terry O’Shaughnessy who gave an illustrated talk on Crewing on Sailing Ships.

Right from the start we began to be captured by sailing in a different era.

We saw numerous tall sailing ships, and were given details of their sails and rigging etc.

We even saw a short video of what it was like to be a crew member on one of these majestic vessels.

Terry himself was once a crew member on one of these ships and gave us a good insight on what it was like to be part of the crew.

In particular, it brought home to us how sailing and being part of a team could change young people’s look at life.

He gave an instance of when he was looking after some young people, he asked for their mobile phones as soon as they got on board and told them they were only allowed them for half an hour a day at a designated time.

We all laughed, as he said for several days they were holding their thumbs in the air wanting to text but at the end of their time, they were all laughing and joking and working as a team and taking discipline on the chin without question.

There are now only two sailing ships that take disabled people to deep sea which seems a terrible shame.

Terry gave an extremely interesting talk with much enthusiasm and knowledge but with also an infectious cockney humour, and at the end we all felt that we had sailed the high seas in one of these wonderful old sailing ships and could perhaps even become a crew member.

However, not sure whether the majority of us could have climbed to the top of the rigging or slept in a hammock!