Seventeen members of Finstall Cross WI (Worcestershire) recently visited Thenford Gardens and Arboretum in Northamptonshire where they met and chatted with its founder and developer The Right Honourable, The Lord Heseltine. Michael and Anne Heseltine have been working on the extensive gardens and woodland since 1976 and now open it to the public several times a year.

The president of Finstall Cross WI, Jenny Banner said, ‘We all had a lovely day out, the gardens were beautiful and our journey was well worth it. We had not expected to actually meet Lord Heseltine, who is an ex-pupil of Bromsgrove School, but he was very friendly and told us more about the background to this huge project.’

The group returned to Bromsgrove after tea and cakes in the Church Hall in Thenford village.