Bourton & District

Short Story No.4

THE SPEAKER

by

Pam Clifford

The village had a popular ladies group which had been set up some years ago by the now, very elderly Mrs Booth. She hadn't wanted a WI group with its rules and regulations and decided that the ladies in her village needed a group more relevant to their countryside location. With this in mind the Churchleigh Ladies Club was formed. They met on the first Tuesday of the month in the village hall and each paid two pounds per session towards the tea and coffee. This was always enjoyed with home-made cake which members took it in turn to make, after whatever entertainment the designated member had laid on.

There was no committee as such, just a chairlady and a secretary who took on all roles between them. The hire of the hall, which had been a part of the local estate, was paid for from the proceeds of their annual fete. They had speakers and competitions and an annual outing.

Today the Chairlady, Fiona Greaves, a formidable ex school teacher who took over from Mrs Booth a couple of years ago, and her secretary the subservient mouse, Carolyn Brown, were busy setting out the chairs ready for the meeting. Old Bill Patterson was setting up the screen and projection system ready for tonight's speaker.

One by one the ladies arrived and stood chatting in groups as they caught up on all the local gossip. Late, as usual, Lauren Smith came bustling in with the cakes, transported in recycled plastic biscuit tins and headed into the kitchen where the urn was already warming up nicely.

Fiona checked her watch against the clock on the wall and seeing that they tallied took her seat at the table facing the room. Carolyn finished her conversation about the greenfly on her roses with Jane Collins and joined her. The rest of the ladies took their seats in a straggly manner.

The chairlady waited and with the aid of her ornate little bell, which she had bought in Austria while on holiday some years ago, she signalled that the meeting was about to begin and slowly everyone stopped talking.

"Welcome everyone to this June meeting." she beamed, "I have a few things to tell you all before Carolyn reads out her report for those of you who were unable to come last month."

"Firstly, I would like to welcome Mrs Melanie Griffin, who has recently come to live in the village with her husband who has taken up the post of Deputy Head at the primary school."

She pointed to the back of the room and was rewarded with a little wave from the red-faced Melanie as everyone turned round to look.

"For our August meeting," Fiona continued, "I have arranged an evening visit to the gardens at Nether Woolpack Manor which will be followed by a light supper at the Fleece Inn. There will be transport organised and cost, including the coach will be £15 per person. Please put your names on the sheet which I will leave here on this table. The coach will leave the village hall at 6pm prompt."

She looked down at her notes.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you that Mrs Filkins has had a nasty fall and is at the moment in the local cottage hospital. I have a 'get well' card here for you all to sign and Carlolyn will take it in tomorrow with our good wishes."

"I heard she'd been on the home-made blackberry brandy," Joan Wetherby whispered to her pal sitting next to her, who sniggered in response.

"Some more bad news I'm afraid is that Mr Potts is unable to come and speak to us tonight on how to grow your own vegetables. The poor man has the most dreadful cold and has lost his voice."

She looked around the hall before continuing. "Luckily our own Mrs Green, who you all know went to the West Sussex coast with her husband last year to seek out and watch the wildlife there, has agreed to do a speech for us tonight. Her husband is a keen photographer and she has brought slides of the enchanting and interesting things they saw there."

This was greeted by cheers from the room.

Fiona waited for the hubbub to calm again before she asked her secretary to read the report of the last month's meeting.

Carolyn stood up and told them about their last meeting where Mr Grace, was the most enlightening speaker on snails and other molluscs and how they would all now see them in a different light. A sentiment which didn't seem to be the general consensus of her audience.

The teddy bear, exquisitely dressed as a ballerina, and was a replica of the one she won first prize for in the Village Show, was kindly donated by Mrs Denise Ferguson for the summer raffle and was won by Mrs Geraldine Hogg.

She went on to confirm the cake lady for the July meeting and to tell them that the entertainment for that month would be a competition entitled 'The Countryside'. It was to be a drawing or painting and a local firm had offered to print the winning
design on tea towels which they could then sell at their Christmas Fayre at the end of November. This event paid for their Christmas party.

Fiona thanked Carolyn and took over.

"Now without further ado can I ask you to please put your hands together for Mrs Green, who will now show you her slides and talk to you on 'Nature at the Seaside'."

The ladies clapped as Betty Green walked a bit nervously to the front of the room.

"I'm not used to speaking in public," she started as her white knuckled hands clutched her notes, "but here goes. The first bird is a very rare sighting on our shores...." she clicked the first slide into place.

The ladies first gasped and then laughed uncontrollably.

"Oh no! I've brought the 'Naturist Holiday' by mistake" muttered a red-faced Betty.

Carolyn was already wondering how she was going to write the report for this particular meeting.