PRESIDENT Kathy Baldwin welcomed members to the March meeting of Crowton WI.

Events planned for the next couple of months include lunch at The Farmers Arms weekly local walks and an outing to the Grange Theatre to see Anything Goes in April.

Members were encouraged to buy tickets for The Weaver Valley WI Choir Centenary Celebration Concert, in Winsford on April 24 at 7.30pm.

Sue gave a short report about the annual council meeting and Kath Humphries spoke about her recent visit to Denman College.

The guest speaker was Judith Popley who spoke about the early history of Arley Hall Gardens. The famous herbaceous border is the oldest in Britain. 

Judith spoke about Roland Warburton and his wife Mary, who lived at Arley at the end of the 19th century. In its day Arley Hall was much bigger but over the years parts of the original house had to be demolished.

Judith showed old photographs taken by Roland Mills, who was a gardener and photographer. Comparisons were made with Arley in the present day and in the past.

The next meeting is April 7. The speaker will be Christine Stockton on ‘The Story of Flamenco’.

Visitors and new members are welcome and meetings take place at Crowton Village Hall on the first Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm.