At our January meeting, Mrs Pauline Annis, a well-known local authority on Stanley Baldwin gave us an insight into a very different side of Stanley Baldwin - he was a man who loved the Worcestershire countryside and was concerned about the well being of others. Pauline illustrated her talk with photos from the Baldwin family album. She also spoke about the quiet way in which he used his wealth to help others. After retiring from politics, Stanley was very much involved in helping Jewish refugees and in particular resettling children here in the UK. We also heard about how his wife, Lucy Baldwin played a role in the Astley Baby Shows over a number of years and the setting up of the Lucy Baldwin House locally as a maternity home as she was concerned about the welfare of women and children. Pauline's interest in the Baldwins came about from her involvement with the Stouport Civic Society and she has recently published a biography of another Baldwin lady - Monica Baldwin who was a first cousin and after 28 years in a convent in Bruges, became a best-selling author but died in obscurity.
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