PRESIDENT John Tidmarsh welcomed members and visitors to the April meeting at which items under discussion were fundraising in connection with the RAFA Wings Appeal, for Battle of Britain Day on September 15, various matters arising from headquarters and local plans for a social trip on the Severn Valley Railway in July.

The special guest was Rob Ralphs, a model-making enthusiast who also researches the history of wartime aircraft incidents in the county.

He mentioned several crashes locally at Wychbold, Stoke Prior and Rowney Green, some of which had been commemorated by special plaques. At the next meeting in May, area director Paul Baker, director of membership and operations Bob Hounslow and chairman of Wales, Midlands and South Western Area, Sqn Ldr John Tisbury, will be in attendance to make a presentation to long-standing member Eric Carter, who has been in the national media lately reminiscing on his days as a Spitfire pilot.

The Redditch and Bromsgrove branch club meets at 1pm on the second Friday of each month at Bewell Head Working Mens Club, off Stourbridge Road, in Bromsgrove.

For more details, call branch chairman Charlie Poole on 01527 832619.