Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch

In 1937, Rugeley Girls’ Friendly Society got their priorities right. They knew that what their parish hall needed most of all was tea urns. Two of them. So they set about rectifying this terrible lack of facilities. In order to raise the funds needed for this vital equipment, they held a supper and social. The supper comprised of roast beef and vegetables, which does sound more like a dinner than a supper to me. I bet the Andrews Liver Salts were brought out of several cupboards that night. But never mind. Eighty people and their friends benefited from the beautiful serving skills of Miss Degg, Miss Williscroft and Mrs Done. Mr Done provided the entertainment at the piano, assisted by Mr Harvey and Mr Samuels. Despite their best efforts it wasn’t quite enough for the two urns though. Shame. Search Amazon.co.uk for Sarah Miller Walters to see my books

Don’t we all enjoy a bit of amateur drama down at the village hall? One of the pioneers of this community activity was L du Garde Peach. You might have heard of him as the writer of the Ladybird ‘Adventure from History’ series – but before he got this gig he was much better known as a radio playwright and amateur drama champion, running his own respected theatre in his home village of Great Hucklow in Derbyshire. I’ve produced a new book about his life and work…here’s the blurb: L du Garde Peach is perhaps best known today for his authorship of the Ladybird 'Adventure from History' books. These children's books dating from the 1950s and 1960s are iconic among a generation who were introduced to British history through the beautifully illustrated pages. However, Peach is now often viewed as a dinosaur from an age that historians might rather forget. He is pigeon-holed as one of the entitled, jingoistic types that ruled the British establishment in the 20th century.