Wem CIVIC SOCIETY has held its 38th Annual General Meeting last month, electing its officers and committee members for the coming year.

Edwin Thorpe is president, Shelagh Richardson is chairman while vice chairman and minutes secretary is Oliver Richardson; treasurer is Jenny Leese; membership is Sarah Dean while Jean Cooley is health & safety Officer while other committee members are Edwin Hargraves, John Leese and David Smith.

The president reported on a lively and productive year from local studies research including support given to the Victoria County History project and co-operation with Incredible Edible and Wem & District Garden Club in running the Combine Harvester markets.

The chairwoman regretted that planning has also become a game of numbers where quantitative outweighs qualitative values, quantity should not exclude quality.

He also said the abandonment of the hinterland is a worrying feature of development, whether at the national level where London absorbs an inordinate amount of the country’s wealth or in north Shropshire, where funding centres on the six largest towns to the detriment of other centres.

Edwin Hargraves opened the members forum by pointing out that Wem had no equivalent of the ‘Duck Pond’. There are few small public spaces in Wem where carers can take their charges, parents their children, or people can while away a few minutes or so (destination points).

He also said that many spaces that could offer this function are rapidly disappearing under in-fill development.

Attendees were made aware of forthcoming events, including 'My Life in Oil – Martin Carruthers' on Tuesday, February 20 while local historian, Tom Edwards, will be conducting a Wem Walk on the afternoon of the Spring Market on April, 21 from 2.30pm.

This year's 'Away Day' has been moved to September.

The June meeting is on Tuesday, June 19 and is called ‘Working at Bletchley Park’, given by Betty Webb in Wem Senior Club at 7.30pm. The society will be mounting a display in Wem Library about the work that was carried out at Bletchley Park, which was so crucial to the winning of the Second World War.

The September trip will feature ‘Stained Glass’ and will involve a visit to two churches plus afternoon tea on Tuesday September 18 led by David Smith. The society will be running a Photographic Competition on decorative stained glass.

There will also be another ‘Brick Walk in Wem with Tony Mugridge’ on October 6, in the afternoon.