By Emma James
MEMBERS of the West Horrington Ladies Circle have met for the last time over lunch at Blossom’s of Wells. An opportunity to share many happy memories, it was also tinged with sadness as the Circle marks the end of its long history.
The Ladies Circle was started in 1968 by Miss Bazeley and Miss Baker of Yew Tree House. Sally Ball, a founder member, remembers Miss Bazeley as a very special person: “She was a retired welfare officer and had also been a governess before the war with connections to the Royal Family. She wanted to set up a friendship circle for young mothers. In those days, we didn’t have cars. It was difficult to go out in the evenings and the days were spent at home with the children. Miss Bazeley called a meeting. She was very insistent that the group be independent, non-religious and non-political. In the beginning there were 15 members.”
The Ladies Circle met regularly on the last Tuesday of every month. Meetings were not informal: a chairperson and treasurer and other officers were appointed with minutes taken and subs collected. All women in the village were included and welcome to attend any or all of the meetings. The January AGM was a forum for suggesting ideas for the programme of events for the forthcoming year. Because West Horrington lacks a village hall, meetings were held in different village houses – friendships were formed and friendships endured. As Sally puts it: “We shared each other’s joys and we shared each other’s sorrows.”
The Ladies Circle filled each year with an extraordinary variety of events and activities: outings to National Trust gardens; quiz and film nights; talks from visiting speakers; picnics at Deer Leap; the annual trip to the pantomime; Beetle Drives; afternoon tea with the Mayor; treasure hunts; chocolate making; a horse-drawn canal boat trip. “And if there was any special occasion,” explains Sally, “we always organised a party. We put an invitation though everyone’s door. We commemorated everything! They were lovely parties.”
Christmas has always been an important time for the Ladies Circle which has organised the village Christmas tree as well as carol singing when money raised was donated to a chosen charity. Members would gather in Sally’s kitchen for mince pies and to repair the tree decorations together.
Group members have researched and produced a book of walks and footpaths; they have written two cookery books; the history of Common Wood below West Horrington has been uncovered and a successful campaign was mounted to reopen the footpath connecting South to West Horrington.
Current Chairperson Jo Greenslade moved to the village in 2016. She recalls the impact that the Ladies Circle made on her: “On my first day, the log fairy came! Someone put logs outside my door to welcome me. I was invited to join the Ladies Circle and that gave me an immediate social life. I feel sad now because it’s been such a marvellous thing, but time moves on and mothers now will do things differently.”
However, the happy faces and chatter around the table at Blossom’s were proof that this group’s main aim of achieving fellowship has certainly been achieved.