Middlewich U3A by Susan leicester

Middlewich U3A held two social morning's in June as it was decided to change the date of the meeting from the second to the last Monday of the month.

The chairman reported on a most enjoyable recent visit to Arley Hall and gave notice of a welcome return visit to a member’s delightful garden. As in previous years, members are invited to tour the garden and take a picnic. The Sound of Music in September is also in members’ diaries.

The guest speaker was Jack Swan, with a talk entitled 'A Walk on the Wild Side'. Jack is retired but acts as a consultant to various environment groups, with a particular passion for butterflies. He took members on a slide-illustrated ramble around Congleton Park (which is mentioned in the Doomsday Book), Astbury Mere, Congleton Edge and The Cloud. They saw many and varied wild flowers, butterflies, birds and insects.

Jack’s knowledge is vast and he can be forgiven for calling the grey squirrel a tree rat. He explained the difference between the wild and Spanish bluebell: the native variety hang their heads while the foreigners stand tall. Cheshire only has 3 per cent woodland but lots of farmland with many lanes and old drovers’ roads. Scurvy grass, a seaside plant, is widespread due to the salt deposited during the winter months.

There was also a whirlwind trip around East Cheshire and a glimpse of the huge variety of nature growing all around us.

The next social morning will be on Monday, July 27. For more information about Middlewich U3A please visit the website.