A NEW art group will hold its inaugural meeting in Okehampton on Wednesday February 8.

The Dartmoor Decorative and Fine Arts Society's first lecture at the Charter Hall will be given by historian and broadcaster Rupert Willoughby, entitled 'Threads of History: The world of the Bayeux Tapestry'.

The hour-long talk will offer a lively introduction to the tapestry, expanding further on the story it tells beyond Hastings. All are welcome, with tickets costing £6 on the door. A year's DDFAS membership costs £45 (or £85 for two) and provides a quarterly arts magazine and nine lectures a year on a diverse range of topics. The planned talks for 2012 include Samuel Pepys' London, the art of the Da Vinci Code, and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Doors open for tea and coffee at 10am, with the lecture starting at 10.30am.

If you would like to join the society, you can e-mail the membership secretary Alex Crosthwaite Eyre at [email protected]">[email protected] or visit http://www.dartmoor-dfas.org.uk">www.dartmoor-dfas.org.uk