On 6 January we were entertained and informed by Barbara Painter, who has had a long and successful career as a fashion expert. As a child, she loved to dress up and make outfits, a talent which eventually led her through jobs such as designing clothes for Stanley Baxter(!) to costumes for TV and film, and lately the National Trust. She brought some outfits to show us the intricate needlework and beautiful fabrics, along with the sketches which begin the whole process. What an interesting evening.