THE music group sang at Storer Court recently and also for the blind and partially-sighted.

Only a few members were able to go on the Upton quiz-walk, but those who did had enjoyed it.

Members who are going to see Calamity Jane at Malvern theatre on December 3 were given their tickets. Members were also reminded about the Christmas lunch at the Worcestershire Golf Club on December 11, which we are all looking forward to !

Our speaker this month was Paul Harding whose talk was entitled A Medieval Christmas. Apparently a medieval Christmas was more real than the Dickensian one that is more commonly portrayed. There had always been festivals but the first mention of the word Christmas was in the 11th Century. This at first was Cristes Maesse and then Christ-Mass. It was also in medieval times that December 25 was designated by the Church as Christmas Day. The run-up to Christmas was a fasting period, which was also set by the Church, and animals were hunted to supply food for the banquet, mostly wild boar. Peasants decorated the banqueting hall on Christmas Eve, using ivy, holly, and mistletoe. The Lord of the Manor and his guests celebrated Mass on Christmas morning while servants prepared the banqueting hall. There would always be a top table for the Lord and his important guests and a long table going down each side for other guests. Peasants were seated furthest away from the top table, and they had a wooden plate, spoon, knife (no forks in those days), and goblet, compared with the pewter plate, spoon, knife and goblet used by people at the top table. The banquet lasted for a long time as there were 26 courses ! Mr Harding was wearing clothes of the period, and also showed medieval type table utensils, plus a boar's head !

He gave a very interesting, informative, and entertaining talk which we all enjoyed.

The Guild normally meets on the third Thursday of every month at 10.15am at Clarence Park Village Hall, but we will not be meeting there in December because we will be having our Christmas lunch.

Our next meeting at the hall will be in January, when our speaker will be Julia Steels talking about The Magistracy. Visitors are always welcome.

EDNA O'CONNOR