There was a large turn-out at the annual meeting in November, where Christine Clements was voted in as new president, with Jean Monk as secretary and Beryl Cork as treasurer.

Members ended the year with some nice events. The Christmas party featured a fish and chips lunch with entertainment from the Bexley Camera Club.

The Carol Concert at Rochester Cathedral was attended by 14 members. After looking at the delights of Rochester and getting lunch, members went into the Cathedral for a concert.

To finish the year, there was a Christmas dinner at the Freemantle Hall in Dartford.

At our January meeting, speaker Janet Eavis talked about the history of hat pins.

Women had traditionally worn hats which were tied under the chin with ribbons. Fashions changed in the mid-19th century as hats with large rims and lavish decorations of fruit, flowers, feathers and even birds became popular.

These styles were very heavy and had to be secured on the head, so therefore the hat pin was created.

As hats got larger, so did the pins, which became very dangerous and had to have the tips covered. They even had notices on buses: "Beware of hat pins!"

We meet at 1.45pm every first Thursday of the month at Maxim Road Hall, Crayford. We welcome any new members, and there is plenty of parking.