Spotlight-April-2021-OnlineEdition

SPOTLIGHTCongleton U3A Learn, Laugh and Live Lockdown Artwork April 2021 The Link Road SPOTLIGHT April 2021 Awesomesauce ? The New Superheroes Issue number 60 1

2 Welcome from the Editor: Welcome from the Editor Dates for your diary Hi All, 3 Message from the Chair: The sun is shining, the flowers are showing their colours and the birds Useful information are singing; hopefully optimism is increasing. I found 3 tiny white eggs in my garden over Easter and a nearby nest. 4 Sue Ward’s time as Chair Two of them were cracked and one is whole. Does anyone know which 5 Congleton Tip bird has such small eggs about the size of a 5p piece? 6 Congleton Link Road There is very little news of groups as any that are meeting are on Zoom. 7 Sudoku So this edition has a lot of articles about Congleton and feels a little like 8 Spotlight on Congleton a newspaper. I hope our next edition will be bursting with Group news 9 Vaccination and photos. 10 Spring and April Thank you to all the reporters for your work on this extra digital edition. 11 The new Superheroes Keep Well 13 Chocolate Editor 14 Neil’s quiz Please could members keep submitting articles. Please send anything of 15 Puzzles interest to [email protected]. 16 World Hot Spot Quiz: World Travel Word Search 69 17 Group News 18 Awesomesauce OED words 13 16 19 19 Art Groups 20 Art Groups 21 Springtime in Japan 22 Solutions 23 Back Page Cover photo by Shirley and 2021 Steven Ellwood of a flower Monday 4th January 2021 Start of Winter/Spring Term arrangement for members Friday 26th March 2021 End of Winter/Spring Term of flower arranging group to Monday 12th April 2021 Start of Spring/Summer Term copy. Friday 4th June 2021 End of Spring/Summer Term SPOTLIGHT April 2021 2

Message From the gatherings seem Chair after long periods of social distancing. Hello everyone, Many u3a group members have We are still having to face up to some challenges and been restrictions resulting from the pandemic - which has, sadly, communicating hugely impacted our u3a life over the last year - but maybe regularly via phone now we can look forward to some more positive things as or digital means to we emerge cautiously from lockdown. maintain contact, How wonderful to have some sunshine and warm weather and a sense of again – even though it’s interspersed with bouts of cold to belonging to our organization will, I hope, have helped keep the gardeners amongst us guessing about when it’s some people get through the difficult times. safe to plant out! The first phase of easing of lockdown Looking ahead a few months to September, when our next and some milder weather have enabled a few outdoor year starts, let’s hope that by that time we will all be able activity groups to resume, and I know that members have to re-establish our face-to-face meetings and activities, seized the opportunity enthusiastically, delighted to take whatever the new norm for these meetings might part in some group exercise and meet up with friends. As be…..keeping an open mind, and being determined to we are currently allowed to meet up in small groups make the most of opportunities to learn, laugh and live to outdoors, in a private garden or public space, perhaps the full again. some groups which normally meet indoors will get Warmest wishes, together in reduced numbers outdoors through the spring Sue Ward and summer. Even if it isn’t possible to carry out business as usual, just getting together and chatting about a shared interest will be very satisfying. How precious such Please check if these are open before visiting U3A Information desk: No U3A information desk at the moment Congleton U3A Website: Congleton Tourist Information Centre: www.congletonu3a.org.uk Congleton Library Tel 01260 271095 Congleton Museum: Phone up for opening times Congleton War Memorial Hospital: Tel, 01260 37550 Daneside Theatre: Congleton Leisure & Fitness Centre Phone up for opening times U3A National Office: Tel. 01260 276360 Phone up for opening hours Tel: 01260 294800 Tel: 01260 278481 Tel: 01260 387717 Tel: 020 8466 6139 www.u3a.org.uk Thanks to Terry Chamberlain for help with issuing this digital edition 3 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Sue Ward has been Chair of Congleton U3A since April 2019 This is her reflection of this time April 2019 August 2019 Champlain Valley Sue Ward starts her Fair Vermont, USA time as the new Nanny Sue duties – Congleton U3A Chair see me at the highest point next to July 2019—Getting ready for Congleton in Bloom—painting grandson Bill. railings with the Gardening Group Fortunately you not one of the best jobs but very therapeutic. can’t hear the screams. July 2019—RHS Tatton Show—I loved working on this garden along with four other U3A members designed by Patti Pinto On Top of the World Oct 2019—Green Fayre at Congleton Town Hall – met a lot of people and talked about My 70th Birthday on The Cloud the Gardening Group activities Dec 2019 Minack Theatre During Lockdown U3A Committee Cornwall. Enjoying having meetings were held on line on the stage to myself before a Zoom torrential downpour dampened my spirits. Missing meeting July 2020 The Pod, friends for coffee Alderford Lake, SPOTLIGHT April 2021 created ‘pavement café’ in the garden Whitchurch—taking the opportunity for a permitted overnight stay. 4

Tipping point for Congleton Tip To be, or not to be, that is the question facing Congleton’s tip! Its existence is in the balance, as the site, sold by the council and then rented back, loses its lease in September. The owners have applied for permission to put a drive through coffee shop in its place If you ever thought the traffic was bad queuing for the tip…………! Residents of Congleton have responded with alarm at the prospect of having to drive several miles to either Macclesfield or Photo from Google Alsager, to dispose and re-cycle responsibly. A household waste recycling centre consultation was launched by Cheshire East, to which around 10,200 people responded, with a quarter of respondents using the Congleton tip. A petition launched by Lib Dem councillor Paul Duffy has received over 2,500 signatures (which figure will probably be higher by the time this article is published) with 59% of respondents wanting all eight recycling sites to be retained. There is a lot of rubbish about! Three quarters of people said they would only be willing to travel up to ten minutes to a tip (are tips only for car owners?) and would simply put more stuff in the black bin. There was concern at the closure of recycling sites’ impact on pollution and congestion, plus questions as to any putative savings being outweighed by costs of fly tipping. A decision on the future following the closure of the tip is likely to be made on the 13th April, when there will be a vote by the Cabinet of Cheshire East Council. However……………. A thoughtful article by the Editor in this week’s Congleton Chronicle (March 25th) has given me pause for thought and made me view things differently. A lightbulb moment! Without doubt we need to make more considered environmental choices: less packaging, fewer miles travelled, shop local. We need a ‘post-tip’ world in fact. Buy a mattress from somebody who will take away the old one; ditto electrical appliances; advertise pre-loved furniture on Gumtree or give it away; use charity shops and donation bins and retailers’ recycling services; scrap metal dealers may take stuff. The Netherlands, for example, has a day when you leave your unwanted articles outside the house for anybody to take. There is a ‘Right to Repair’ bill going through Parliament, so people are definitely waking up to the destructive effects of a throw-away world. As the Chron’ editor says (and I quote) “stop buying crap you don’t need then throwing it away”. This very week Tunisia has refused entry to 128 containers full of rubbish from Italy, underscoring our responsibility for our own rubbish. So, less simple than I thought. Perhaps we need to see the closure of the tip as a creative possibility rather than a problem, as with so many other facets of our future. Time will tell. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ will increasingly not work, as the Italians have just discovered. Sandie Boynton New service from Congleton Town Council You can report any outdoor public space maintenance problems directly to Congleton Town Council. The Streetscape team aim to keep Congleton as litter and graffiti free as possible. https://www.congleton-tc.gov.uk/spot-it-report-it/ 5 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Congleton Link Road C ongleton Link Road is 5.5 km long and cost £90 million. It is opening on 19th April with a classic car parade. There is an opportunity to walk and cycle along the road on Friday 16th April and Saturday 17th April and Sunday 18th April before it is opened to traffic. The road is to be called Wolstenholme Elmy Way after a local suffragist Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy who had a national impact. It remains to be seen if this road makes a difference to the traffic through Congleton’s bottlenecks including West Road. It is hoped it will and that it will improve the air quality of the town thereby improving people’s health. Editor Congleton Link Road from top left then clockwise 1. Planting trees 2. Bridge over the River Dane 3. Sign for new Eaton Bank Roundabout to turn onto link road 4. New Link Road goes under Chelford Road 5. Pool at side of Link Road going to Sandbach Road Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy (1833-1918) was a suffragist, essayist and poet who fought for women’s rights and more generally for workers’ rights. She married Benjamin Elmy who owned a mill in Congleton. They lived in Buglawton. She was the first paid employee of a women’s rights organisation. She was born in Manchester and was headmistress of a girls’ school. She later move to Congleton and opened a girls’ school in Moody Street. She wrote thousands of letters to influential people to campaign for social change . She was instrumental in the Married Women’s Property Act being made law amongst many other achievements. Editor SPOTLIGHT April 2021 6

EASY ???? HARD EASY ???? HARD EASY ???? SCRABBLE What is the highest score you can achieve with this rack? 2L double letter 3L treble letter 2W double word 3W treble word All answers on page 22 7 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

The Geology of Congleton Many, many moons ago, way back in the Carboniferous Era borehole evidence shows that Cheshire was covered by shallow, warm, coral seas forming limestones as we see in the White Peak in the Peak District today. Beneath this there are even older rocks way down in the basement. To the East of Congleton the pulling apart of the Cheshire Basin (called extensional tectonics) caused a major fault to occur – the Red Rock Fault which passes along the foot of Mow Cop, north beyond Macclesfield and south into Shropshire as the Church Stretton Fault. The drop on this fault is about 2 km near Astbury. Later in the Permian and Triassic Periods the Cheshire Basin was infilled with mudstones and sandstones – hence all that red mud on the new link road! This came from braided river systems on the margins of an arid, desert mountain range and wind blown eroded material settling into shallow salt laden lakes. Finally came the Ice – evidence can be seen around Congleton as kettle holes forming meres and flashes, river terraces on the Dane, spillways and outwash plains around the Cloud and lots and lots of glacial till with pebbles and boulders. The sand at Astbury would have been deposited at this time. You could be forgiven in thinking that Congleton was just sand and mud but there is much, much more! Eileen Fraser Earth Science Leader Industrial History of Congleton The town of Congleton has a long history, more than a thousand years! Hence many industries have come and gone. Up to the 1750's the town would have had the usual industries to support day to day activities, smiths and forges; coach builders and farriers; similar to any other early 18th century market town. An historian Blome reported in 1673 that Congleton’s inhabitants ‘make great store of leather goods, purses and points’. Leather clothing was laced together, no buttons, the laces needed firm ends and the town was noted for making fine silver points and leather goods! The 1750's brought dramatic change in the town when John Clayton and Nathaniel Pattison decided to build The Old Mill powered by the River Dane on Mill Green in 1752. Picture the town until then - cottages and work- shops on top of each other with some fine timber framed merchant houses, nothing of any great size. Clayton arrives and builds a mill 240 feet long, 48 feet wide and 5 stories high to spin silk for fine clothing. I’ve always wondered where the bricks were made? This mill was likely the largest industrial factory in the UK when it was built! Many mills using power from the River Dane followed, producing silk and cotton, moving to fustian cutting and clothing manufacture over the next 250 years. This clothing industry finally disappeared in the late 20th Centu- ry with the closure of R H Lowe who made clothing for Marks and Spencer. Over the years some unusual industry has taken place in the town; casting church bells in the 16th and 17th centuries; building fairground rides in the 1930’s and manufacturing billiard balls when the factory moved here during WW2. Today, the largest employers are Siemens and AirBags. References: History of Congleton W B Stevens; Mill Walks and Industrial Yarns L. Murgatroyd; The Industrial Scene Dr J Alcock Peter Aston SPOTLIGHT April 2021 8

Covid Vaccination in Congleton S ince Mona Thomas, 92 became the first person to receive a COVID -19 vaccination in Cheshire on December 8th 2020, Cheshire’s vaccination services have successfully vaccinated hundreds of thousands of residents. 117, 387 residents aged 70-plus have had their first dose of a vaccine, out of an over-70 population of 119,773, a 98% up- take. Both the Pfizer and Astra-Zeneca Oxford vaccines have been used in Congleton. Everyone in the top nine priority groups is now eligible to book their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination – this means everyone aged 50+, all Sign on West Road frontline health and care workers, unpaid carers and anyone aged 16-64 with an underlying health condition which places them at higher risk. The plan is this will be done by the end of April with the eventual aim for all adults to receive two doses of the vaccine by the end of the summer. I have been volunteering as a vaccination marshal at the Town Hall in Congleton. People were generally absolutely delighted to be there, although some a bit apprehensive and needing encouragement. For some it was the first time out of the house since March 2020, so a bit of an outing! I asked Stew Price, Chairman of Rotary-Congleton, who has masterminded the volunteer effort, to explain how the campaign was put together. Stew said: “On Friday, January 8th, Lawton House, Readsmoor, Meadowside and Holmes Chapel surgeries set up a combined vaccination centre at Congleton Town Hall to vaccinate the population of Congleton and Holmes Chapel. It was immediately apparent that volunteers were needed to help the medical staff to marshal the general public safely through the centre to receive their vaccinations. Initially, one of the medical centres started to recruit volunteers and Rotary-Congleton was asked to help. It soon became obvious that the medical centres would have their hands full organising the medical staff and administration of vaccines, so Rotary offered to take on the entire responsibility of recruiting and organising volunteers for marshalling duties. The club has been in charge of this since week three and depending on which vaccine is being used between 10 and 12 volunteers are needed for each of the three shifts in a day lasting between 8am and 8pm. Rotary-Congleton took over a list of volunteers already recruited by the medical centre and the Town Hall. Together with Rotary club members, advertising in the Chronicle and on Facebook, a master list of over 90 volunteers was assembled. When the vaccination dates are known everyone is contacted to check availability and a rota is produced. To date, Rotary has provided volunteers for nearly 20 vaccination days and with no end in sight. On each vaccination day, Rotary's duties include welcoming the general public at the entrance to the Town Hall, managing any queue that builds up, directing people through hand sanitising, temperature checks and registration whilst generally encouraging social distancing. Then the volunteers direct the public to vaccination booths. After vaccination, everyone is monitored while they have to wait up to 15 minutes in the hall before they can leave. Finally, the chairs have to be sanitised for the next patients.” Stew said that Rotary has been only too pleased to take on this role as part of its commitment to serving the local community. We should all be eternally grateful to them and members of the public have told me how fantastic the experience at the Town Hall has been for them. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Sandie Boynton Queueing for vaccination at the Town Hall round the block as far as the Museum one day in February 9 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Spring 2021 The joys of Spring, I fear Have been subdued this Covid year But yet the daffodil breaks through And tulips too with splendid hue The snowdrops laid a carpet down Saying 'look at us we've grown and grown' So let us fill our hearts with song Feeling great that Spring has sprung Soon will break upon the scene Hawthorn buds with shades of green To scare away those Covid blues And live again the life we choose Ve Carter April Facts April is named after the Greek goddess Aphrodite April 7th is World Heath Day. Born in this month William Wordsworth and it is thought William Shakespeare Birthstone of April is a diamond The flower for people born this month is a daisy or a sweet pea People born this month up to the 19th are Sign in Davenports shop, born under the sign Aries and later under Congleton the sign Taurus April 22nd is Earth Day April 23rd is St George’s Day SPOTLIGHT April 2021 10

The New Superheroes One Teacher’s experience of teaching in a pandemic There has been much written recently about the pressures of home schooling and children having to learn on-line, during the various Covid-19 lockdowns; and the problems parents have faced with family lockdown and home working. Not so much, however, about the problems faced by teachers having to teach material, as interaction with over 20 on-line; at the same time as face-to-face children is much more difficult in a Zoom session; also the provision teaching, in school, of children of key workers and those with of computer assignments special needs. “often starting preparation and marking and giving feedback on As the father of a at 8 am and still working at 1am the next ‘homework’, where Primary School day, 7 days a week whilst also looking discussing work, face-to- teacher, I know of the after her own five and eight year old face, with the children is difficulties faced by my impossible; control of start times and progress of the on-line lessons with a large group of children, without the discipline of the classroom and providing explanatory material for the parents, as it is the school policy to require the presence of at least one adult during the online sessions. Teaching with at least 20 parents present brings its own pressure! daughter in having to satisfy these All this had to be achieved in between demands, as well as having to look after the dashing off to school to give live lessons, domestic needs of her own five and eight- whilst maintaining a Covid-free classroom year-olds, in lockdown; often starting environment. This included scheduling and lesson preparation or assignment supervising toilet breaks so that children in marking before 8.00 am in the morning and different classes (bubbles) did not mix, and still working at 1.00 am the next, 7 days a supervising all hand-washing. It involved week. teaching during the Winter, in classrooms with windows and doors open to maintain The extra work necessary to teach on-line is fresh air, and papers blowing all over the rarely appreciated by the rest of us: room. Children and teacher were preparing detailed and sufficiently explicit frequently so cold that concentration was all-but impossible. Sometimes live and on- line teaching had to take place at the same time, making focus on both sets of children extremely difficult. 11 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

As a languages-teacher, as well as class imagination to see how much damage teacher, my daughter is responsible for such negative thoughts, particularly teaching across the school and, without any social contact with friends, therefore, in several teaching ‘bubbles’ - can do to young minds if not recognised entailing additional care with infection and countered - and, of course, many control. children have had to come to terms with Learning on-the-job included having to family deaths from Covid. get to grips with three different interactive Notwithstanding the difficulties, my computer systems in a very short time, as daughter is quick to point out that the experience demonstrated the desirability experience of teaching through the of better software features; and pandemic has had its benefits: the school experimenting with ways of integrating is planning ways of integrating the new these into lesson delivery. technology to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of future teaching; for Having to spend large parts of the example, giving teacher feed-back to working day at a screen: preparing children using recorded ‘voice-notes’ has lessons, teaching on-line, assessing been a boon, particularly in language submissions, and interacting with teaching, as children are often more colleagues to co-ordinate timing and prepared to ask questions, in confidence content, on a totally new timetable also using this facility, than they would in a brought a lot of stress and frequent classroom setting. headaches. Parents have come to understand and There has been increasing media focus, appreciate the contribution that teachers during the pandemic, on the impact of make in supporting children in their enforced isolation and anxiety about learning and social needs, having sat in serious illness, on the mental health of on on-line lessons; teachers gain a better the whole population. understanding of their children, having had to support them academically and However, children don’t have the life psychologically, through unusually experience and maturity to look beyond difficult times; and, by no means least, present difficulties. ‘It is bad now, but it the teamwork and flexibility necessary to will get better’ - is difficult to accept for a deal with an extremely challenging child. This was exemplified by a pupil situation has strengthened the staff who, when asked by my daughter during cohesion of the whole school. a Friday lesson: “What will you be doing But, let’s hope the pressures don’t last this week-end?” - replied: “I’ll stay in bed too much longer! as much as possible, Miss - and try not to die.” This had to be dealt with very Roy Duff sensitively as it doesn’t take great SPOTLIGHT April 2021 12

CHOCOLATE I’m blaming Belgium for my chocolate addiction, theirs is a 12 billion dollar industry! It is known as the chocolate centre of the world. Switzerland consumes the largest amount 8.8 kilo per capita including chocolate eggs (how do you eat yours?) The UK eats about 16.8 pounds per capita. I'm not sure about that, I reckon I get through that amount per month, only joking! 500 million cream eggs are made each year (how do you eat yours?) and the UK eats two thirds of them ! As you unwrap your Easter egg take time to consider that not everything about chocolate is sweet. Many farmers’ work is poorly paid (around one dollar a day) and the Fairtrade foundation helps the cocoa farmer to at least get a fair price for his hard work. Chocolate drink was originally used as a medicine until sugar was added then it became the drink of the upper classes. JS Fry the British chocolatier had the novel idea of adding fat and consequently the chocolate bar was produced in 1847. Fry's are also responsible for the first chocolate egg (how do you eat yours?) after merging with Cadbury's. White chocolate isn't actually chocolate as it doesn't contain cocoa solids. Sorry! The largest chocolate bar in the world was made by Thorntons and weighed 5792kg Someone once said that nine out of ten people love chocolate and that the tenth person was lying!? Maybe. Me? I know what to do to lose weight and that is GIVE UP EATING CHOCOLATE!!! and then what would I do for enjoyment??? Answers on a postcard please! Ve Carter U3A Zoom Quiz Nights There has been a Quiz Night every month organised by Annie Roebuck on Zoom. Each month a different person has acted as quiz master. In February it was Neil Drummond ‘s turn a previous winner and a selection of his questions is on the opposite page. Please contact Annie if you want to take part in the next quiz in April. 13 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Neil’s General Knowledge Quiz Answers on page 22 14 1. How is the year 2021 represented in Roman numerals ? 2. Under which Zodiac sign would you be if you were born this month? 3. Which Belfast shipyard built the liner RMS Titanic ? 4. In a lonely hearts advert what does GSOH stand for ? 5. Which is the most well known American city that dyes its river green on St Patrick's Day? 6. A Schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and which other dog ? 7. In which Irish county would you find Blarney Castle home of the world famous Blarney Stone ? 8. The title of which Elvis Presley song was inscribed on the side of Freddy Starr’s coffin ? Way Down, Crying in The Chapel, or Return to Sender ? 9. Which Irish airport in 1947 became the first in the World to open a duty-free shop ? 10. Which sport would you be playing if your opponents balls were black and blue and yours were red and yellow ….. or vice versa ? 11. Which chocolate biscuit is also the name of a famous Berlin night club featured in the musical Cabaret ? 12. In the game Connect 4 what are the 2 colours of the discs used ? 13. Which organisation founded in 1895 has the motto “For Everyone, For Ever” ? 14. The autobiography of which Eastenders’ actress has the title Before The Year Dot ? 15. If you are issued with an SP30 by the police what offence would you have committed ? 16. In the magazine Private Eye which Royal couple are referred to as Brenda and Keith ? 17. For which wedding anniversary would you receive your first telegram from the Queen ? 18. Which is the most common final score in F.A. Cup finals ? 19. Which fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by Elizabeth Beresford in 1968, have the motto “Make Good Use Of Bad Rubbish” ? 20. What is the name of the daughter and second child of Prince William and Kate Middleton ? Neil Drummond (used for U3A Zoom Quiz on 24th March 2021) SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Puzzles Puzzle One—Gold Coins You have three bags of coins all looking identical. Two of the bags contain 10 all gold coins each coin weighing one ounce. The third bag contains 10 false coins weighing one and a quarter ounces. All coins look identical. You are allowed only one weighing on a scale. How do you find which bag contains the false coins? Puzzle Two Can you work out the phrase below? another one thing TV Quizzes Countdown Words—What is the longest word you can make from the following letters GSTRMNIAE Numbers— can you make 114 from 25 2 7 2 1 8 —————————————————————- Richard Osman’s House of Games Correction Centre round A statement with one incorrect word but which word should you change? 1. According to their 2011 census the population of The Brotherhood of Man was 84,497. ————————————————— The Chase 1. What novel by JD Salinger was published in 1951? 2. Who was the first Tudor King? 3. How many minutes does it take the International Space Station to orbit the Earth? A) 90 minutes B) 120 minutes C) 150 minutes Answers on page 22 15 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

World Holiday Hot Spots by Helen Davies. 1. If you visited Walt Disney World, which American 7. You are sailing over Lake Humantay, in which South American country are you? state would you visit? 8. If you are visiting the temple at Karnak, you would 2. Which palace in Istanbul shares its name with a be close to which river? film starring Peter Ustinov. 9. Japan is situated on a series of islands, but upon 3. The Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator both which island does Tokyo stand? cross which country? 10. You are visiting the Terracotta Army and the 4. Off which Canadian Province does Vancouver Forbidden City, in which country are you? Island lie? 11. In which country would you find Uluru Rock? 5. The remains of the Minoan Civilisation lie on which island? 12. The Hermitage is a museum situated in which Russian city? 6. On which sea does the holiday resort of Cancun lie? Find answers on page 22 World Holiday Word Search by Vida Graham Beijing Dresden Palma Sorrento Berlin Helsinki Paris Vancouver Brisbane London Philadelphia Vienna Brussels Nassau Rome Athens Cairo Palermo Sofia Zurich SPOTLIGHT April 2021 16

Group News Book Group 2 with the thirteenth and last due at the end of I lead the Book Group 2 with able assistance from Annie March. The attendance Roebuck. We too have used Zoom as well as email, to has been a regular keep in touch during the lockdown period. I ask for twelve or thirteen written reviews to be sent to me at the end of the month and a lot of fun has been and I collate them into a single email that I send out to all had but not the same as group members, whether they have reviewed or not. face to face. Annie sets up a Zoom meeting on the same day and time as our normal meetings so we discuss the book and plan The format has been future selections then. changed through necessity so group We \"meet\" every month and average eight reviews and a leader Shirley has similar Zoom attendance - though not from the same demonstrated two or members, perhaps four both review and Zoom, so three arrangements on a probably twelve members are participating each month. theme (see Easter The idea is that all members are kept in touch one way or arrangement above and on cover) and photographed the other. Again, it has worked well but I am looking them at the end and husband Steve has emailed them to forward to the spark that comes from a good face to face the members for reference providing a clearer view than discussion! We have recently discussed The Power and Zoom can manage. The following session the members The Glory by Graham Green and The Beekeeper of Aleppo show off the designs that they created and then Shirley by Christie Lefteri demonstrates on a different theme and so on. It has We shall continue with the Book Group until August. worked rather well but lacks the interaction of a face to face group. Steve Ellwood Shirley Ellwood Patchwork Group Wednesday Walking We have kept in touch via email and occasionally on We have decided to delay the start of the Wednesday WhatsApp and had a few chats but not as a patchwork group until September, by which time we should all have group. had two injections and the infection rate should be more controlled. Evelyn Holt Felicity Whitelock and Lynda Taylor Flower Arranging A new \"Flower Arranging Zoom\" group was arranged in Earth Science November and the regular members were transferred from the Morning and Afternoon groups into it for We met until March 2021 on Zoom from September convenience. Twelve sessions have been held since then 2020 with attendance of around fourteen each week. 17 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

A letter from Susan Adderley leader of the Bridge Club to all Bridge Club members Good morning All, I hope you’re well. Huge apologies for not being in touch before now, I really don’t know where time goes. I hope you’ve been able to keep busy and maybe even play bridge online since we have been unable to play in person for 12 months As long as the lockdown exit plan continues to go as we, and the government hope, we’re planning to reopen our doors for face to face bridge again in September ! I’m just wondering if you could let me know if this is something you would be keen to do, as I’m sure you can appreciate, there is, and will continue to be, a lot to do behind the scenes to ensure everyone’s continued safety in allowing us to proceed with our bridge club Warmest Regards Susan Some New Awesomesauce Words added to The Oxford English Dictionary in 2020 Some of these sound like they have been around for a while and some seem new. Here are a few with relevance to some of our very own U3A groups Crafternoon, n : An afternoon making objects by hand. Sounds like a few U3A classes. Cab Sav, n : Red wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. UFO, n : In knitting sewing quilting an unfinished object or piece of work. Papercraft, n : The art or craft of making or decorating items using paper. Skim-read, v : To read in a rapid or cursory manner. Awesomesauce, adj : Extremely good Baker’s yeast, n : Yeast used in baking bread and other baked goods. Baking has become more popular in the last year. Deep history, adj : The period of human existence before written or recorded history. Farmscape, n : A painting, picture or other representation of a farm or farmland. Banana Cake, n : A cake in which a mashed banana has been added to the mixture before baking. Cake Cutting, n : The act of cutting a cake as a customary ritual at a wedding or other celebratory event. Kvell, v : To feel happy and proud Editor SPOTLIGHT April 2021 18

Art Groups — Lockdown Art Snowdrops bv Yvonne Hartley Snow Scene by Zosia Biegus 19 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Art Groups — Lockdown Art Winnie the Dog by Val Thurley Summer by Joe Broadhurst SPOTLIGHT April 2021 20

Photo of Japanese plum blossom at the Ume festival in Tukigase in Japan sent by Nobuko a reader of Spotlight from Japan who also said the vaccination there started on 20th February but is delayed because of a shortage of supply. Joke Corner What do you do to seven to make it even? - remove the ‘s’ How do you make the word one disappear? - add a ‘g’ Why did the scientist remove his doorbell? - because he wanted to win the no-bell prize Two fish in a tank- one says I’ll shoot, you drive What do cows listen to? - Moo-sic Which city is the most dangerous? - Electricity A police officer calls the station. ‘I have an interesting case here,’ he says. ‘A woman shot her husband for stepping on the floor she just mopped.’ ‘Have you arrested her?’ asks the sergeant. ‘No, not yet. The floor’s still wet.’ 21 SPOTLIGHT April 2021

Neils General Knowledge Quiz p14 Quiz answers Image from the Noun Project 1.MMXXI 2. Aries to 19th April then Taurus 11. Kit Kat Sudoku—easy 3. Harland and Wolff 12. Yellow and Red 4. Good Sense of Humour 13. National Trust 5. Chicago 14. June Brown 6. Schnauzer 15. Speeding 7. Cork 16. Brenda was The Queen and 8. Return to Sender Keith was Prince Phillip 9. Shannon Airport in Ireland 17. Diamond 60th 10. Croquet 18. 1-0 19. The Wombles 20. Princess Charlotte Puzzles p15 quarter ounces the first bag contains the false coins. If the Puzzle 1—Gold Coins total weight is three and a half Take one coin from the first bag, ounces then the second bag two coins from the second bag contains the false coins. If the and three coins from the third total weight is three and three bag. So you weigh 6 coins. If the quarter ounces then the third Sudoku—hard total weight is three and a bag contains the false coins. createclassicsudoku.com Scrabble p7 Puzzle 2 You can score 72 by placing foxy (let me know if you score more) One thing after another 22 TV Quizzes p15 The Chase Countdown 1. The Catcher in The Rye 2. King Henry VII Emigrants, mastering and 3.A) 90 minutes streaming (all 9 letters) One solution to get 114: (25x8) / 2 + (7x2) Richard Osman’s House of games Change the word Brotherhood to Isle. World Hot Spots p16 1. Florida 7. Peru 2. Topkapi 8. River Nile 3. Brazil 9. Honshu 4. British Columbia 10. China 5. Crete 11. Australia 6. Caribbean Sea 12. St. Petersburg SPOTLIGHT April 2021

CONGLETON AND DISTRICT U3A St John Ambulance H.Q., West Road, Congleton www.congletonu3a.org.uk Your SPOTLIGHT team on Zoom from top left to right Helen Davies (reporter) Ruth Langhorn (editor), Ve Carter, Vida Graham, Sandie Boynton, Roy Duff (reporters). DISCLAIMER Unless stated as such the articles in this publication are not the views of Congleton and District U3A, its Committee or the Editor of this Newsletter. Every effort is made to publish fair opinion and factual information, and no liability will be accepted for errors, omissions or the consequences thereof. Members’ details are held on a computer database. This information is treated as confidential. No member’s details whatsoever are supplied to any third party. Published by Congleton and District U3A 23 SPOTLIGHT April 2021