Taste was not limited to tea in defining fashionable society's view of China and India in the mid 18th and 19th centuries. Chinoisie was chic. From the first Chinese house built in 1738 (and still standing after three moves) to furniture, wallpaper, pavilions, pagodas, boat houses gardens - and bizarre manifestations, such as the Duke of Cumberland's oriental yacht - the British Manufactured their images of the East. Although Frederick II of Prussia tried to keep up by building a tea house, the real royal hero was the Prince of Wales, later George IV, patron of the arts and Brighton's Pavilion. Bath moved into the second league as the place to be seen. In the 1780s Brighton was a small village but by the end of the Napoleonic wars it was clearly on the map and John Nash added both Chinese and Indian elements to the new Royal Pavilion and stables. Cartoonists caricatured George as a Chinese emperor enthroned in his fantasy world. His successor, William IV, also favoured Brighton but Victoria was not amused and sailed off to the Isle of Wight. Fortunately the town took over the Pavilion and preserved it until its recent revival. After Nelson had injured Napoleon's pride on the Nile, Egyptian artifacts also gained in popularity. Obelisks multiplied. An MP even prepared for the afterlife by building his own pyramid-shaped mausoleum. Modelled on the former Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, a house in Chapel Street, Penzance is a noble survivor of this vogue but Harrods probably has the last word. Thanks to Patrick Conner, a specialist on historical paintings illustrating the China trade and the impact of Oriental architecture in the West, we gained a fascinating insight into the exotic.

A succesful AGM was held at the Thurlestone Hotel. The principal change to the committee was the retirement of Dr Malcolm Waite (2007-2010) and his replacement as Chairman by Dr David Howells. After the AGM, 45 members stayed on to enjoy a splendid lunch held at the Hotel.

Bath has the only true HOT spa in the country (others are merely warm or tepid, claimed our enthusiastic lecturer Jane Tapley as she gave us a fascinating talk on its history and re-development). Fed by rain which falls on the Mendips before passing through natures own 2 mile long water heater and emerging at a constant 46 degrees Celsius. Baths spring was a centre for worshiping Celtic gods before being discovered by the invading Romans, who built the baths as Britains first R & R or leisure centre in AD 80. They discovered curative qualities as well as pleasure in the waters and as Bath's fame spread wealthy visitors were attracted from as far as Rome itself. After 400 years the Romans left and the baths languished until the 17th century. Famous visitors then included Samuel Pepys and Beau Nash. In the 18th century Queen Anne found relief in the waters (from the considerable effects of her 17 pregnancies!). Bath became a fashionable place for the Georgians (who were said to wallow rather than swim in such hot water) before it declined in the 19th century. The Victorians revived Bath and reconstructed the buildings, and all was well until our own time when a case of meningitis led to the baths being closed. But now after several years of blood sweat and disastrous mistakes followed by more sweat and tears and expenditure of £45 million- plus a celebratory concert by the Three tenors- a magnificent new centre is welcoming crowds of visitors to indulge in the revived hot bath, open air pool on the roof (cooled down to 33 degrees and with its own jacuzzi) a mud bath and many other features. Perhaps best of all the water is not only purified but has had the smell of sulphur removed!

The Kedfas AGM will be held on: