FOUNDER members of Okehampton Ladies? Probus Club were among those celebrating 30 years of regular meetings of the town?s retired business and professional women. At their first meeting of the new season, the 65 current members of the club enjoyed a celebration cake and presented the 9 remaining original members with certificates. Founder member Betty Ashcroft said she was touched by the gesture. She recalled that the group was set up after some of the ladies all lost their husbands at around the same time, and Bill Cornish from the men?s Probus group suggested they set up a ladies? association. She said: ?We made the decision that members had to be business or professional in our own right. ?Membership was about 22 people to start with. We entertained ourselves with our own experiences. Some of the ladies were very good speakers.? The ladies originally met at The Motel and paid £2 a year to cover expenses. Now the group has a waiting list to join, and meets once a fortnight at the Conservative Club. This year?s chairman Julie Shaw said: ?We have speakers of interest, go on a trip once a year, and have a Christmas and spring lunch.? At Monday?s meeting, which marked 30 years to the day from when the group was set up, the speaker was Mike Wreford, who gave a talk on the history of Okehampton.
