ELLESMERE PORT Ladies Luncheon Club have celebrated a very special anniversary.
Six of the seven original founding members of the club joined current members at the Sea Cadets headquarters building in Great Sutton to mark 40 years of service.
The club was founded in 1973 by Vera Copnall, Joyce Rodie and Gwen Wright and originally had 32 members.
Membership numbers rose steadily over the years until it had 130 members in 1990, the maximum allowed by safety regulations at what was the venue at the time, the Masonic Hall in Whitby.
A waiting list of women wanting to join was then drawn up, and demand was so high that it was not unusual for prospective members to remain on the list for up to four years.
And last year, although meetings were moved to the Sea Cadets building, the format remains the same as always.
Committee members are welcomed and given name badges before sitting down to a three-course lunch and a special talk from a guest speaker.
Topics can range from travellers’ tales to local history, with something to appeal to all tastes.
Club secretary Anne Hartley said: “We were delighted to welcome six of the remaining seven founder members to our celebration.
“May Huntriss, Dorothy Bestwick, Isabel Mills, Joan Maxwell, Kath Vincent and Nessie Allsop joined us for a lovely day, and it was unfortunate Mary Isenman was unable to attend due to illness.”
She added: “We also welcomed Norah Godwin who was a former president.
“Three founder members are still members of our club, and one of them, Isabel Mills cut our anniversary cake.”
The club is always interested in hearing from potential new members. If you are interested, call 0151 3393128 or email anne.hartley@talktalk.net
