Article For March 2010 Newsletter

Our year started with our annual dinner at the ‘Sow & Pigs’. This was a very successful evening with good food and convivial atmosphere.

For the first meeting of the year in January, we welcomed Barry Wolsey who gave us a very interesting talk on the history of the gramophone. Illustrated with a collection of excellent slides, we were given a comprehensive account of the development of recorded sound from Edison’s phonograph cylinder of 1877 to the clockwork gramophone of 1896 and the progression to the standard 10" 78rpm record in 1906. Mr Wolsey showed us some of his large collection of records including the shellac discs from early in the 20^th Century to those which were more flexible and non-breakable of the 1930s. It was a wonderful evening down ‘memory lane’ and thoroughly enjoyed by our members and visitors.

Our February meeting was entitled ‘Born under the Axle’ and Keith Miles told us all about the Romany way of life. He brought along a collection of slides showing the different type of wagons from the ‘Reading’ to the ‘Square Bow’ and ‘Bow Top’. These images showed the wonderful decoration of the outsides of the wagons and also the elaborate interiors with velvet curtains, laces, Crown Derby China, mahogany fitting and gold leaf finishes. The second set of slides was of all the Romany characters seen on the road and the huge annual fairs held in Appleby, Yarm and Brough Hill. The Romany way of life has now virtually disappeared but luckily Keith was able to give us a glimpse of a glorious past in our English heritage.

Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month in the village hall at 8pm. All visitors welcome.

Next meetings: March 30^th ‘Bread, Gruel and Suet Dumplings – Life in the

Workhouse’

April 27^th AGM and social evening

May 25^th ‘The Castles of South Bedfordshire’