OUR first meeting of 2016 was well attended with all the members waiting with anticipation for the meeting to begin. Our president Brian Melville opened the meeting and Jim Cox volunteered to deliver one of his jokes with much hilarity to all of us.

Then it was the turn of our invited guest Phil Collins (no not the singer) but the well known Punch and Judy impresario Professor Collywobbles who started by telling us about the origins of Punch and Judy. It was introduced into this country in circa 1642 and continued until 1660 although mainly in theatres. In 1660 Oliver Cromwell decided he didn't like theatre, Christmas and many other things at the time so Punch and Judy went underground until Charles the second came along and reinstated Punch and Joan as it was known in those days . The first seaside Punch and Judy started in Victorian times at Swanage and drew vast audiences. They even put on special trains from London to get there.

We continued the entertainment with a show put on for us by the Professor and his unable assistant the Butler alias Cliff Blackborrow who collected monies, organised the audience and played the whistle and tambourine with gusto (scary) but the laughter we all had was second to none.

The show went on with the usual beating of Judy, making sausages and the demise of Mr Plod the policeman. A most humorous and entertaining time was had by all.

Our guest was thanked by Cliff Blackborrow and it was agreed it had been a very interesting, funny and entertaining talk with many childhood memories for all of us.

Next week the talk will be "How did I get it so wrong?" by David Way.

ANDY RICHARDSON