TENTERHOOKS, sixes and sevens, peppercorn rent, mad as a hatter - all phrases and sayings we take for granted today, and all originating with the great twelve livery companies of the City of London.

Fenella Billington gave a most informative lecture about the companies, their origins and their charitable work today.

The goldsmiths are still working and dealing with precious metals and hall-marking, as their guild predecessors did in the Middle Ages.

The annual meeting was held before the meeting, with a large number of members, who had braved the bitterly cold weather, present.

New committee members were appointed and the outgoing office-holders were thanked by the chairman, Mary Green.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 9 in the Salvation Army Hall in Salt Lane and we hope for more spring like weather. The lecture begins at 11am promptly and coffee is available until 10.45am We do hope you will enjoy Imogen Corrigan's April lecture - Here be Dragons: Medieval Monsters. So be prepared to be terrified by basilisks, dragons, gryphons, leviathons and salamanders.

To find out more visit sarumdfas.org.uk.