YOU know you've served your apprenticeship on the speaking circuit when you find yourself returning to venues for a second (and sometimes third) go.

I was amazed to discover that it was 1998 the last time I'd visited Redworth Women's Institute and it was nice to have a return visit to the little hall on the pretty village green, tucked away on the road between Darlington and Bishop Auckland.

Seventeen years ago, the WI ladies had allowed one man to sit at the back by special dispensation. His name was Jim McMillan and he told me one of my favourite childhood memory stories.

Jim remembered how, when he was about five, he and his fellow pupils had to collect and press wild flowers in their school books. There was an annual prize for the best collection of pressed wild flowers and Jim won it every year.

"Guess how I won? We used to have three aunties came to tea every Sunday and they were reet big women," he said.

"All I had to do was put me book under the settee cushion every Sunday and I had the best pressed flowers in the whole of County Durham."

It was good to hear that Jim is still going strong, although he didn't make it along to the village hall this time round.

I am, nevertheless, grateful to the ladies for making me so welcome and for their generous donation to the Butterwick Children's Hospice.

Their scones were so nice I'm tempted to accept an invitation to their fund-raising strawberry tea in the village hall on Sunday, July 12, between 3 and 5pm. It's a fiver a ticket if anyone fancies a pleasant afternoon out. It's bound to be sunny.