OUR March meeting opened with a welcome from Pat Moss, our President, and to this month’s speaker Mike Simpson who talked on Trouble Shooting in the workplace.

Mike is a self-employed consultant who describes himself as “a coach for management teams through periods of business change”. His career included working with many diverse big companies; Barclays, Sainsbury’s, Royal College of Nursing, Ford Motor Company & the Channel tunnel. Eventually his consultancy became involved in a family run clothing business in Cornwall. On the retirement of the father, who ran the business, the company was taken over by three sons all with very different personalities & attributes to bring to the running of the business. Mike showed how, in spite of a big blip with the bank pulling the plug in 2008, with careful management and backing from a large store it revived to become a very successful venture with a thriving on-line business. It now has 27 shops and 300 employees.

Maggie Stroud thanked the speaker for his very enlightening and engrossing talk into the business world.

The meeting continued with WI business. Apologies were read out and reminders were given of events happening in the county, group and at home. Of special interest was a chance to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. There were also opportunities to take part in a backstage tour of the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon and a visit to Seaton House and Gardens in June.

CECILIA EVANS