Oswestry 'ladies who lunch' mark amazing 40 years
When a group of friends sat down for their monthly lunchtime get together it was like the clock had been turned back.
For it is something the women have been doing for more than four decades.
The "ladies who lunch" at Sweeney Hall, near Oswestry, once a month, first got together in the 1970s, when they were all neighbours in the Prince Charles Close and Middleton Road area of Oswestry.
And although only one of them, Mavis Humby, still lives in that area of town, the friends still meet up every month without fail.
Mrs Humby said although individuals might miss a month or two because of holidays or ill health, the 10 all looked forward to their get togethers.
"This time was our Christmas lunch and sadly Val Williams couldn't join us because she was ill.
"We first started meeting up about 43 years ago, when my daughter was little.
"We were neighbours and we all had children about the same age.
"At first we would have coffee together in each other's houses and then we started going out for coffee.
"When the children started at school we could meet up for lunch, at the Beachcombers in Leg Street and then the Griffin. Others joined us along the way.
"When people started moving away from the area of Oswestry we decided we would stay in touch and so the monthly lunch started. For many years we have been going to Sweeney Hall where Sean looks after us so well."
At 73, Mrs Humby is the second eldest of the group, with the youngest in her mid-60s.
"We have celebrated happy times and helped each other through the bad times," Mrs Humby said.
"We started out as young mums and are still together as grandmothers."
Although the monthly lunch is a women-only zone, the husbands sometimes team up on a joint evening out.
"Some of us will be celebrating New Year's Eve together," she added.
