WHEN Chairman Joan Ryder opened the Society's meeting on 6th May, neither she nor the sizeable audience was aware of the sheer quality of what was to follow over the next 80 minutes.

She welcomed new members and visitors, confirmed the arrangements for the Social on 16th May and gave details of the Ray Porter-led walk to Arley on 11th May before introducing Keith Cattell and his talk On a Wing and a Prayer - The Cathedral Builders.

Keith is a retired architect and it was obvious from his first words that not only did he have a comprehensive knowledge of his subject but also he was absolutely passionate about cathedrals and their builders. We started with the first cathedrals built in Saxon times which were based on the Roman basilica design and then moved on to the Norman developments and subsequent rebuilding of many Saxon cathedrals. Keith's illustrations were not limited to British cathedrals and we were able to compare our familiar churches with those in continental Europe.

We learned how these buildings, which were the largest structures in the world until Victoria's reign, were constructed. Where did the stone come from? What craftsmen were present on the site? Why did work only go on for eight months of the year? Which end was completed first? Keith answered all these and many more questions. He took us through the development of vaulted ceilings, the emergence of the Gothic style at Canterbury, the use of flying buttresses and, in a faintly macabre vein, explored the reasons for some of the well-documented collapses (such as Ely) and near-disasters (such as Pisa). The sheer audacity of the domes at Florence and St Paul's left us full of admiration for their respective architects and then, all too soon, Keith was winding up his fascinating presentation with a look at the two twentieth century cathedrals in Liverpool and at Gaudi's on-going masterpiece in Barcelona.

Ella Turner concluded a most entertaining evening by giving a vote of thanks on behalf of all present.

The next meeting of the Society is on Tuesday 3rd June, which will include a presentation by Ms Lynn Barkas entitled The National Memorial Arboretum. Meetings take place on the first Tuesday of each month in St Saviour's Church Hall, beginning at 8.00pm.

All are most welcome, visitors £1.50 including refreshments.