THELMA Pickering is retiring from her role as tea hostess and although members were sorry to hear this, thanked her for her many years of service and were informed that Elsie Hughes had volunteered to replace her.

The speaker for the evening was Camille Bradford. Camille's father originally played with the Bristol Salvation Army Band then joined the Gloucester's Regiment, becoming its drum major.

He was posted to India where he met and married her mother. Her parents were in Burma in December 1941 when the Japanese invaded and women and children were evacuated. Camille was born in January 1942 and for three years she and her mother were eluding the Japanese - horrendous journeys using trams, lorries and mules. There were 300 people when they started off but many women and children died through sickness.

Some were killed by enemy action. They went to Mandalay, Yemen Oil Fields, Himalayas, Rangoon and Calcutta. Her father, who was fighting in Burma, was wounded and following convalescence, joined his family on a navy cargo ship.

They travelled to Gibraltar, eventually landing in Scotland. Her father transferred to the Military Police and served in Europe.

Phyllis Cope thanked Camille for telling her wonderful story.

Dorothy Curbishly and Brenda Hankey won the competition for a military souvenir.