NORTH Tawton resident Richard Edwards will be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Okehampton and District Local History Society on Wednesday November 14.

Mr Edwards will give a talk on the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace, where he was a chorister.

The Chapel Royal, which is not open to the public, was commissioned by Henry VIII and decorated by Holbein.

As well as being described as the cradle of English church music, it has been used in recent years for the lying-in-state of the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and the Princess of Wales.

At last month's meeting, in the unforeseen absence of the listed speaker, local historian Mike Wreford gave an impromptu talk on a number of historical Okehampton characters and incidents.

In December, Paul Rendell will be speaking about Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, and tell the story behind the Dartmoor locations.

Meetings of the History Society are held on the second Wednesday of each month, at 7.30pm in the Ockment Centre. New members are always welcome.

Anyone interested should contact the secretary, Jane Lehni 01837 840087.

Non-members may attend meetings at a charge of £2 per person.