HISTORIAN and broadcaster Rupert Willoughby will give a talk at the inaugural meeting of a new art group in Okehampton next week.

The Dartmoor Decorative and Fine Arts Society's first lecture at the Charter Hall on Wednesday, February 8 will be 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.

Most meetings will be held at the Charter Hall at 10am for a 10.30am start on the second Wednesday of each month. 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