Finstall and Cofton and Hackett WI

President Val Wheeler welcomed us to our first meeting of the year and Jerusalem was sung. The meeting began with a minutes silence in Memory of Hazel who died recently and a collection was taken for her chosen charity. Val informed members that Roma, who has been in hospital after a fall, is back at home and we wished her well. Members had enjoyed the New Year Meal at Rosado's and the next Coffee Morning would be at “The Potting Shed” with an option to stay for lunch. We have received an invitation to Bromsgrove WI's 100th Birthday Party and also to a Soup Lunch at Blackwell and Burcot WI. We have received a calendar from our linked WI in Ballarat, Australia. Norma and Deana have had birthdays since the last meeting. Val introduced Ruth Lowe who talked about Mary Quant. She was born in 1934 and won a scholarship to Goldsmiths College in 1950 where she studied drawing and illustration gaining a Diploma in Art Education. She met and married Alexander Plunkett Greene who was very well connected and they became part of the Chelsea Set. She began her career by making hats such as the pill box hat worn by Jackie Kennedy. The mini skirt and hot pants are widely associated with Mary Quant and Ruth showed us a range of her dresses, some now very valuable, along with many of her accessories such as costume jewellery, belts and scarves. Mary Quant also introduced the shoulder bag and new ideas for make-up such as waterproof mascara and false eyelashes. Jessica thanked Ruth for an interesting talk. The competition was won by Jackie with Nova second. Jessica won the raffle. Our next meeting is on Monday 6th March when the talk will be about nature entitled “Every Picture tells a Story”. We meet