Meeting Reports:
March 2018 Meeting: Our Mothers.
As this month's meeting was only four days away from Mothering Sunday it was decided that we should spend some time talking about our own mothers. Several members brought photographs and spoke of their fond memories of their mothers. Members also read poetry-, some in praise of mothers and some full of the occasional wry humour of a mother / teenage daughter relationship. While we had our tea and cake, we discussed speakers for the future and members suggested several interesting people we might ask to speak. February 2018 Meeting: the work of the RNLI Our speaker this month was Paul Gallion from the RNLI. Many years ago when there were no rescue organisations, fishermen were dying at sea and they began to have collections for the widows and children. Then they began to rescue with rowing boats but there were not enough. Now there arc 24O+ lifeboat stations and 330+ rescue craft, manned by volunteers who are highly skilled and fully trained at the headquarters in Poole, Dorset, to go out in all weathers, day or night, to save lives. Paul showed us some very graphic film clips of rescues carried out in difficult conditions with high seas and storm force winds. An example was when they had to rescue men from a wind-tossed yacht without hitting its side. It looked almost impossible but all the men were saved, such is the skill of these men. Because most lifeboat call-outs happen when the weather is bad, most rescues are carried out in the most appalling conditions. However, Paul told us about how they were called out in calmer weather to a man who had been carried about two miles out to sea on a lilo. When they got to him he was asleep and was quite surprised to find he was being rescued! Unfortunately, there are many people who do not have enough respect for the sea and its changing conditions, who get into difficulties which a bit more common sense would prevent. Some people may not know that there is an RN1.I station on the Thames. It was set up after the Marchioness disaster in 1989 and is now the busiest station in the cc ~untr\% Flower Festival - St Paul's Bedford Congratulations to Jackie Biggs for her beautiful floral contribution with a MU theme, to the flower festival at St Pauls Church in Bedford on behalf of the Bedford and Sharnbrook Deanery. (See Recent pictures) Contacting the Mothers' Union The Ouse Valley Deanery Group of the Mothers' Union extends a warm welcome to members and non- members alike. If you would like information about joining the group or future meetings, please contact Hazel Scott on 01234 781 559 or Jackie Biggs on 01234 782 517.
