A DRY and bright morning on April 13 found representatives from several Women's Institutes arriving at The Three Counties Hotel for the 2015 Annual Council Meeting.

The meeting opened with the WI Choir leading members in singing the WI Anthem, Jerusalem, followed by a song entitled As long as I have music.

WI chairman Kathryn Bandfield welcomed members and guests and invited his worshipful the Mayor of Hereford, Len Tawn to address the meeting. We were pleased to learn that some of his ideas coincided with our own in regard to life in the city and rural Hereford.

Business matters and reports were followed by the guest speaker Mr Terry White, a long standing member of the community and director of Brightwells who gave us an amusing and descriptive insight into his life of auctioneer, a City Ward Councillor, chairman of the Cathedral Perpetual Trust where he helped to raise one million pounds, and other business successes and involvements. Laughter sounded through the hall as Terry, in his lively and humorous way, related some of his more amusing stories.

After lunch presentations and awards were made and another worthy guest speaker spoke about Night Shift an organisation of volunteers, who after seeing the need to help, mainly young people, on Saturday night when the effects of their evening of 'merriment' has left them a bit worse for wear, opened the Baptist Church in Commercial Road for coffee and, in some cases sound, caring advice

More awards followed before the final talk of the day given by another well known personality in Herefordshire, Heather Gorringwe, a successful businesswoman whose idea of using British flowers formed and grew from strength to strength until she can proudly provide floral bouquets and flowers for weddings and other auspicious occasions.

The meeting closed with the National Anthem and a happy and pleasant atmosphere as women left the venue.