One metre a minute is the rate a fire in the house spreads – an ominous warning. Members were keen to learn about fires safety in the home and visited Falmouth Community Fire Station for their January meeting. Prevention is the best way for safety.

Specific advice given from the evidence of the most frequent causes of fires and fatalities in the home were: Every week check you have working batteries in the detector systems; install a carbon monoxide detector in addition to the smoke alarms; use electrical extension leads that have switches for the sockets; throw away any socket 3-way adaptors; and don’t use a timer switch to start up washing machines/tumbler driers during the night.

Also members were advised to plan their escape route from the rooms of the house in case of fire not forgetting to have the window and door keys to hand.

Visits to the local cinema are frequent features of outings arranged for members. Some saw Mandela and thought is a very sympathetic and educational film about the main characters; by contrast others saw the Wolf and afterwards described it as “three hours degrading American nonsense.”

All members enjoy a good read, especially on a wet afternoon, of books exchanged at the fortnightly meetings. In January a favourite has been Clare Balding’s autobiography. The capers and characteristics of Clare’s dogs and horses are so vividly told the reader smiles and chuckles from start to finish. Who would have thought this feral child (as described by her grandmother) by determination and ability would become a top commentator for the Olympics, Ascot and much more?