MEMBERS, their wives, partners and guests agreed that the Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton had proved to be an inspired choice of venue for our Annual Lunch last week on 10 November. We had a very convivial get-together and judging by the animated conversations and laughter we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. And Jeff Jones Bloomingdales tie proved a real talking point.

The hotel, home of the Pudding Club, was clearly appreciated by those who queued for second and even third helpings of pudding, and a carefully controlled diet was clearly off the menu.

Then this week, on 17 November, we were joined by members of the Wychavon Probus Club of Pershore as our guests. We warmly welcomed Mike Roffey, Peter Wright and the Steele brothers, Richard and William and together we all sat back to listen to old friend, Brigadier Ian Shapter.

Ian’s talk was about the one defeat on 17 July 1453 of the English by the French at Castillon in the Hundred Years war. We have heard Ian on previous occasions, and once again were hugely impressed by his in-depth knowledge of this period of history and his remarkable ability to relate it with passion and real feeling. Our surrogate Frenchman, Grenville Burrows, who has visited the site of the battle, described the monument to the French victory.

Grenville said it was a great honour to thank Ian on our behalf and said it was Ian’s talks that had inspired him to learn more about this period of English and French history.

We shall hear about Shakespeare’s music on November 24 and Cider Country on 1 December.

CHRIS DONOUGH