WHEN approaching Cheriton Fitzpaine Methodist Church Hall, members of the Ladies Evening Organisation (CLEO) were surprised to see a fully equipped "Blood Bike" outside.

Its Rider, a Devon Freewheeler told us about its valuable work in providing an out-of-hours courier service to the NHS in London. The charity couriers whole blood, blood samples, medical samples and swabs, and urgent tissue samples for cross matching before transplant operations.

Emergency medical equipment and medicines and donated breast milk are also carried. A new initiative is the provision of whole blood to the Air Ambulance so that, if a doctor is on board, this may be given to a seriously injured patient.

Our speaker was thanked by Rosemary Meikle on our behalf, and more questions were answered during coffee, and donations given.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, May 15, when Peter Bainbridge will be talking about the "Birth of Botswana" and on June 19, we shall have a talk on Tiverton Almshouses.

Mary Nunn