PAWS February – Lakes & Beatrix

Forty-seven members and five visitors enjoyed the speaker at our meeting in February.  Dudley Chignall, through his extensive library of photographic slides of the Lake District, showed us all his favourite walks as he is an intrepid fell walker, the Lakes being his favourite area.  He showed us where Beatrix Potter had sketched different views and houses that were later used as illustrations in her famous books.

He was also very learned about Beatrix herself, telling us that it took 10 years to get her first book published, the first one she actually paid for herself.  She had spent a lot of her holidays in the Lake District having visited it first when she was 16.  In 1905 she bought Hill Top Farm and had it renovated.  She married the local solicitor, William Heels in 1913 when she was 47.  During her lifetime she bought 15 farms and over 4,000 acres of land which she left to the National Trust.  In accordance with her wishes, Hill Top Farm has been kept exactly as it was and receives thousands of visitors a year.  It was another fascinating talk with fantastic photography.  

PAWS next get together is on 25^th March and is actually the A.G.M., therefore it is a closed meeting.  Currently membership is full but visitors are very welcome at any other meeting at the cost of £3.50 which includes refreshments.

Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website. If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring one of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510, Jane Banks 01206 735004 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.