More snow, birds and glass

Yet more snow.The snow is bringing about a great communal spirit in the town. Groups of adults and children are standing around talking or building snowmen. Someone said there were so many snowmen in the Winslow Hall field that they looked like Chinese warriors! Some of the talk will be about the proposed new 3500 house development planned for the old Little Horwood airfield. It is only a proposal so far but it resulted in a huge public meeting in the town this week and this is proving another unifying agency among the locals.
Our garden was visited by two fieldfares today much to the annoyance of the regulars.They were given a poor welcome but after a while began to give as good as they got. I was so disappointed with our results from the recent Garden Bird Watch. I especially waited to start my hour until the green woodpecker alighted but he never showed up all weekend.The trotty wagtails came along, all jaunty the next day, the ring collared doves went elsewhere so I was left with a very dull tally, when the garden has a wide variety of birds normally. However, they tell you not to cheat, so I didn't but was sorely tempted.
4th February
The bad weather caused us to have a rather select meeting which was a pity as the speaker was most interesting. He was talking about glass, its uses and manufacture and he had plenty of visual aids and a pleasant relaxed manner.The meeting was taken for the first time by our new Vice-President which gave everyone a chance to judge her performance. She obviously came up to scratch and members got to know her a little better. We had changed the format of the meeting again and it was very satisfactory--- except for the events book as I mentioned last week.Plans are well afoot for our WI Health and Fitness day at the end of March and we can now open it to other organisations in the town.Our own members have had first bite of the cherry.The WI programme is going to be added to our County website entry soon. The letter about adult education cuts is written and approved so that can go to our MP to join those from other WIs across the country. The boxes for the Forces overseas are still receiving contributions and this scheme was really brought into context for me because when I returned home the News was on television.Amazingly a handsome young army major was being interviewed in Basra about the planned withdrawal and he was my son's primary schoolfriend. I wonder whether he remembers the pair of them setting off to remove the wallpaper from my son's bedroom walls using pieces of metal toy train track as scrapers. Fortunately in those days, if you clipped the ears of a near-neighbour's child, you did not receive a court summons but a box of conciliatory chocolates and a friend for life! Keep safe, lad.