Birthday wishes this month were given to Audrey Trumper and best wishes for their golden wedding celebrations to June and George Lawrence.

Although they were on safari in Kenya, all present were invited to the open house party after their return. Last minute details were given for attending the annual dinner and for the group meeting at Leigh and Bransford.

Finances are in a reasonable state with 20 paid-up members - but new members are always welcome as we do not want to regard ourselves as a select few.

Those of us who have already booked our holidays for 2007 were wondering if we should change our arrangements when we heard David Barrie telling us of a journey to Shangri-La at Darjeeling by steam. Having always been interested in steam railways since being an avid reader of the Eagle comic in his youth, life had intervened in other ways. Then David's interest was rekindled when he was given a birthday present of a locomotive driving experience. Life, as they say, went downhill or rather uphill from then on.

A visit to India in autumn 1997 led to a meeting in Delhi with the board of the company of the Darjeeling Railway. Much hard work and enthusiasm over the years by many interested folks, eventually led to World Heritage Status from Unesco.

The railway was originally started in 1880 and took two weeks to travel from Calcutta to Darjeeling, used by folk wanting to escape the summer heat. Speed was uphill 11 miles per hour and nine mph downhill. The slides of the tortuous mountainous route were wonderfully evocative. The money raised by travellers and guided parties helps to pay for schooling and cataract operations, amongst other things, for the inhabitants of those remote regions.

Our Millennium Plate is awarded annually and, this year, the competition was for an article made from recycled materials. Gwyn Darby will hold it for the next 12 months as her colourful crochet beach bag made from recycled strips from plastic bags was judged the winner. Sheila Craker was second with a patchwork quilt.

KATE KING