For some years now our Membership Meetings have been held in St Helens at the Raven Lodge Hotel, Church Street. There are a number of reasons why this is good - the beers not bad, it has very good rail and bus services close by, and it's in the centre of the town. However, it does have its drawbacks - speakers have to talk against a background of often loud music from the video disco, are freqently interrupted by Hotel residents going to and from their rooms, and the room can get very crowded on occasion. Bearing in mind that our Meetings have been combined with those of the IWA's Merseyside and West Lancashire Branch, we hope that we will see increasingly larger audiences at our Talks.

Soundings have been taken about a move - to St. Mary's RC Church Club beside the Sankey at Blackbrook. The venue has a bar, and ample car parking, and is easily accessible from the town and district. The recent AGM of the North West Region of the IWA was held there, and it received good reports as a venue.

Most of those who attend our Members' evenings have been asked for their opinion of the move. The only reservations expressed concern public transport. Although it's on a very frequent bus route, for those travelling by train or across town, it does involve an extra fare. However, there are a number of people who would travel through the centre of town in their cars to Blackbrook if the venue were changed - and they are willing to offer lifts from the Bus and Railway Stations.

The Executive will need to make a final decision at its July 12th Meeting, in order to make firm arrangements for the new season of talks, beginning in September. If you have any thoughts about the move - for or against - please contact a member of the Executive and let them know what they are in time for that Meeting.

At the July Meeting we will draw up the schedule of Talks and Speakers for at least the 2001 part of our Season. Any suggestions for topics for the Talks would be welcomed. We will, of course, have Dr. John Eaton, to give his postponed talk. We hope to have someone come and tell us how progress is going on the restoration of the Rochdale Canal. The proposals for a canal to be cut at Liverpool, linking the Leeds and Liverpool Canal's Stanley Dock terminus with the Albert Dock - through many other docks and across the historic Pier Head waterfront - are out for consultation, and we hope to have a speaker from BW to tell us about the plans.

Look out for news of the venue, and the Programme, in the next issue of CUTTINGS - and do please come along to the Talks. Apart from the Speaker, there is usually a short report on any news regarding the Sankey. We meet on the last Thursday of each month, at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome, and Admission is free.

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