WI

After a very long work day, with a variety of interruptions and breaks, I finished at 5.45. Mum cooked some dinner, and at 7 ish I drove us up to Hertford Heath, to join the WI (mum joining, and I was just visiting for the evening as driver for the night)

The speaker arranged was a lady from Kent called Mary Smith, a retired secondary school Head Teacher, who had taken on a project on her retirement, which had taken over the next 6 or 7 years. She shared with us a story that was absolutely up my street. The most amazing discovery and uncovering of a series of almost untouched and perfectly preserved underground corridors/trenches/shelters, in the grounds of the Maidstone Girls Grammar School and not only that, a 'book' made of paintings, sketches and drawings put together through World War 2 by the art teacher Miss Keen. This retired teacher Mary Smith has seized the opportunity to research details of the pictures, find 'old girls', interview them and even gather them back together and take them down into those shelters where they had had to take lessons during any air raids. It was a most intriguing and fascinating story and I really enjoyed it. She has put together this book which I was only too keen to obtain a copy of. All money is going towards the continuing excavations of another zigzag set of air-raid shelters on the other side of the school, discover more than 5 years after the first.

The book gives a lovely account of a typical school girl at this school's experience during the 2nd World war, using the pictures and the interviews, and lots of other interesting data. Her audience were captivated, and most being older ladies, had their own war time experiences they wanted to share.

I'm sure if you have any interest, you could get hold of a copy of this delightfully put together read by contacting the school. Only £10.

We had tea and cake, but did not sing Jerusalem. It was a nice evening. Mum may drive herself next month, but it will be easier when it is lighter driving home.

Now bed.