ROSEMARY Bayles, president, welcomed members back after Christmas and wished everyone a happy new year.

The Christmas dinner at the Bell Inn, Bosbury had been a great success and enjoyed by all.

Colwall WI have invited members to join them for a Pancake Lunch on February 19 in Colwall Village Hall starting at noon.

The first round of the county quiz takes place on March 22 in Ledbury and it was agreed to enter a team.

The speaker for the evening was Jan Long who gave a fascinating talk on the life of Gertrude Bell – the unsung hero of Iraq who was born in 1868 to a wealthy family in the north-east.

After leaving Oxford, where she gained a first in history, she travelled the world, learnt Arabic, and worked as an Oriental secretary in Iraq.

This gave her the opportunity to meet and photograph the local tribes people, and continue her adventures.

After the First World War in 1921 she was invited to the Cairo Conference and with her local knowledge helped to map out the boundaries in the Middle East. She died in 1926 in Iraq and is buried in the British Cemetery.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 14 in the Parish Hall, at 7.30pm when there will be a talk entitled The Jewel Box by Brian Hudd. Bring a piece of jewellery you would like to know more about.

For further information, please call 01531 640 622.