SUE Horsfall the president of Thornbury WI welcomed 37 members and two guests to our February meeting.

She thanked members for organising a very successful supper club meeting at The Anchor, Oldbury-on-Severn, and also mentioned a lovely evening with the Darts team.

She reminded members that all ideas for events and trips would be considered by committee members.

Our speaker this month was Helen Roberts who gave us a very interesting talk on William Beckford, the eccentric millionaire who lived from 1760 to 1844.

He was a very clever writer, landscape designer, musician, art connoisseur and traveler, and wrote 10 biographies.

He inherited great wealth from his father who was a politician and Lord Mayor of London. In fact he was the wealthiest person in the country except the king.

William was an only child being educated at home by tutors. He had his first book published at the age of 17, wrote his first opera at the age of 22.

At 23 he started writing about his travels.  He married Lady Margaret Gordon and they travelled extensively all over Europe. She died after the birth of their second child.

He built Fonthill Abbey on Salisbury Plain, and after losing and regaining his fortune became a recluse, living a quiet life in Bath. He then built Beckford Tower where he spent most of his time.

It is now a museum which is well worth a visit. He caught a chill and died in 1844.

We hold our monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at the Methodist Church Hall in Thornbury at 7.30pm and are always happy to welcome new members.