Middlewich U3A by Susan leicester

At Middlewich U3A’s social morning on Monday May 11, Chairman Sue Johns gave notice of the group’s AGM on June 8 and asked members to consider joining the committee. Trips were announced to Arley Hall, The Sound of Music in Liverpool, a garden visit, the National Arboretum and an invitation to Middlewich Mayor making ceremony on May 18.

The day’s speaker was Tom Jones. This Tom is a tourist guide in Chester and conducts guided tours of Chester Zoo. His interesting and illustrated talk told of the zoo’s beginnings. Its founder, George Mottershead, was so upset by what he saw on a visit to Belle Vue Zoo, animals in small cages in particular, that he decided that when he grew up he would create a ‘zoo without bars’, which is what Chester Zoo is. Some of the trustees took some convincing when George began his project but now Chester Zoo has about 1.4million visitors a year and up to 15,000 people can pass through the gates on a good day. Understanding the animals’ natural habitats and behaviours is behind the living environments created for them. The Zoo is part of a worldwide breeding programme. Of the very few complaints received from visitors the first two are: it rained; we didn’t see the animals we wanted to see. Not a lot you can do about that.

The next social morning will be on Monday June 8. For more information about Middlewich U3A please visit the website.