Werrington Ladies Circle — Mrs Dorothy Morant of Launceston was the speaker at the April meeting. She was a vivacious and interesting speaker who enlightened those present on the intricacies of millinery, a skill she has become adept at in the last few years. She was a mature student at the Royal College of Art studying jewellery and still undertakes jewellery commissions but since taking up millinery at a craft course two years ago has become engrossed in it.

She showed the various materials she uses for making hats such as straw, sisal, sinimay, wool, felt, velour and buckram. She also had on display some wonderful and expensive wooden blocks over which the chosen material is smoothed to give a hat its individual shape. These blocks come in different shapes and sizes and can be adapted to create different forms. Mrs Morant had an exciting array of materials, which she uses to decorate the basic hat shape, such as organza, silk, veiling, decorative bindings and feathers. With special tools she showed how she makes the most beautifully realistic flowers from silk or organza, dyeing them to match whatever colour her clients want. She also had a variety of feathers, some natural and some dyed which she uses to decorate the hats.

Then came the exciting time when the many hats on display were passed around and members tried them on producing admiration and hilarity in equal measure.

It was a most pleasurable evening, greatly enjoyed by all and Mrs Morant was warmly thanked for sharing her skill and enthusiasm with the ladies.

The epilogue was given by Marilyn Rice and the tea hostesses were Diana Symons and Charity Wilton.