May Meeting
There were 52 members at the meeting held on 4th May who, after the usual tea, coffee and biscuits, were welcomed by the Chairman, David Cowling. The Secretary, Tony Brazier then gave details of the forthcoming trips particularly reminding everyone of the change of date for the visit to Hatfield House which is now on Friday 26th August. He also asked if anyone had suggestions for speakers and trips as we would soon be compiling the programme for next year. Our Welfare Officer, Christine Broadbent, then brought us up-to-date on those members who had not been well.
Best Foot Forward
The speaker this month was Terri Reid who had titled her talk “Putting Your Best Foot Forward” and was about how people managed during the war years and coped with rationing and the points system. She demonstrated a recipe for chocolate spread which used a mixture of mashed potato and cocoa powder and highlighted some of Marguerite Patten’s recipes which included a “Surprise Banana Cake” – the surprise being that there was no banana, but parsnips.
She then went on to give examples of “Make do and Mend” such as unpicking old woollen garments to re-use the wool, using curtain material to make dresses and how, if you were lucky enough to find it, parachute silk could be made into underwear. After showing us instructions for making toys and telling us how everyday products could be used for make-up we ended up with singing some of the old wartime songs.
Outings
The group’s next outing will be on Thursday 16th June which is a Cruise on the Thames from Runnymede, with lunch included, followed on Thursday 14th July by a visit to Hever Castle.
Next Meeting
The next meeting is on 1st June when we are looking forward to a return visit from Mel Rees with some of his highly amusing insights into everyday life.
The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Brookvale Village Hall from 10am to 12 noon and all retired Civil Servants, their relatives and friends are welcome. Further details about the group and information about our trips can be obtained by contacting – csrfbasingstoke@gmail.com.
— David Cowling