THIS Association held its monthly meeting on June 9 attended by 35 members and five visitors, who were welcomed by our president Lesley Topham. She reminded us that she was now collecting items for sale at her garden party next August, and that the local planting carried out by the YCA was now in place, and that photographs of this would be welcomed. We were also told about the proposed visit to the Royal Hall, and that there were still places available on the bus for the trip which we are sharing with the Knaresborough branch to Burnby Hall gardens on July 10. We were told that the 25th anniversary raffle tickets were now available at a cost of £1 each, the anniversary to be held on October 15 at Askham Bryham.

Lesley then introduced our speaker of the evening, Ms Muriel Tucker, who had been sitting on one of the chairs, dressed in what appeared to be a longsleeved white nightie, but which was actually the undergarment needed as she took us through the costume worn by a middle-class woman of 250 to 400 years ago. Ms Tucker had a hamper filled with these clothes and it was most interesting as she dressed herself – as if she had stepped out of a picture frame. Interesting snippets were dropped in a casual way as the Middle Ages was dressed before our eyes.

Then there was a pause for questions and then Ms Tucker was thanked and retired to divest herself, returning with her hair falling round her face in a modern trouser suit, while we looked at the pictures and information she had left on the table for us to examine.

Then we all had tea and went home after a very enjoyable evening.