News & Events
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Fryers Garden Centre and Gauntlet Birds of Prey, Knutsford - Tuesday, 16 July
Those who attended the June Flower Pot meeting made their menu choices for a 12.30 pm lunch at the garden centre. Each individual attendee is responsible
for paying for his or her own lunch. The Gauntlet Birds of Prey is situated next door to the garden centre and members should ensure they are there ready
for a 2.30 pm private show for MADYSS only. The cost of the show itself will be funded by MADYSS.
Avro Heritage Museum, Woodford 10.30 am, Lunch: Aviator Pub, 1.00 pm - Tuesday 20 August
A great morning at the Museum is planned with lots to see and do. However, we need to have 12 participants for our private visit and
so far we have only nine names on the list, so more names please!
We have booked guided visits to the cockpits of the mighty Vulcan and the iconic Lancaster. For those who are unable to access these, there is an excellent audiovisual
presentation. There is free time to view other exhibits. Avro was also home to the maritime Nimrod and the commercial BAe146, and its military version, the Andover.
For lunch at the nearby Aviator Pub, meal choices ahead of time are needed. Anne will bring the menu to the July and August Flower Pot meetings.
Reports on Past Events
Llandudno Coach Trip - Monday 24 June - Tina Yearsley
Once again, the sun shone brightly in Llandudno. As the coach dropped us off near the seafront, the group dispersed in different directions.
A few of us headed straight to the tram station to be taken up to the Great Orme. We enjoyed lunch taking in the spectacular views.
My friend Susan and I were feeling adventurous, so we took a return cable car journey down to Happy Valley. The stone circle, gardens,
waterfall and Alice in Wonderland sculptures were indeed a joy.
We surveyed the vista knowing that all MADYSS members were there, eating fish and chips, out on boat rides, engaging in a spot of retail therapy,
perusing the pier, enjoying the prom and taking in the many delights Llandudno has to offer.
Glorious weather for the glorious view from Great Orme
Cable car down to Happy Valley
Welsh dragon illustration by Tina, our Artist in Residence
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Coffee Morning, Gawsworth Methodist Hall - Thursday, 30 May
The Coffee Morning held at the Methodist Church Hall was well supported by the local community and by our own members. We raised a total of £354.23, which was fantastic!
Many thanks to those who provided prizes for the raffle, for the tombola, gave bric a brac items, or baked cakes and other goodies. A huge thank you to those from MADYSS
who ran the stalls or helped with serving tea/coffee and washing up: Lesley, Kay Kennedy, Kay Evans, Colin, Tracey, Anne, John, Monica, Sue and Val. It was half-term so
it was great that Sophie and Chloe (Sue and Keith’s granddaughters) came along and were eager to help out the MADYSS stall holders.
AGM, Macclesfield Tennis Club - Monday 13th May
The AGM on 13 May at Macclesfield Tennis Club was attended by 37 members. As it was the 20th anniversary of MADYSS, in addition to the normal
Review of the Year’s activities by our Chair John, and the Treasurer’s Report presented by Judy, we had a special cake to celebrate the occasion
and we each had a glass of bubbly too, with which to say here’s to MADYSS and the next 20 years. The John referred to the monthly outings in his Review,
including coach trips to the National Arboretum, Port Sunlight, Cadbury World and the British Ironworks. He also thanked the families of members who had
passed away for the In Memoriam donations that the Group has received.
Copies of the unaudited accounts for the year ended 5 April 2024 were made available by Judy as she gave her Treasurer’s Report. She noted how expensive
coach outings are and then gave a number of examples to members.
Judy informed us that MADYSS had made a loss of £108 and stated that the loss would have been much greater if it were not for the generous donation of £1,176
that we had received from the Co op Community Fund.
Our special guest was no other than the Chester Town Crier. He entertained us for almost an hour with stories about how members of the public reacted to his
daily performances. He related a number of funny encounters with American tourists, but as the one member of MADYSS who is American noted, his accent left
something to be desired! He also told us a funny story about a bride who wanted her horse to be part of her wedding. The Town Crier valiantly agreed
to sit on the horse after a few practices on the animal beforehand, so that when he rang his bell the horse didn’t jump out of its skin when he did so at
the Church. The one thing he hadn’t practised was shouting out “oyez, oyez”, which the horse took exception to!
Chester’s Town Crier as he announces the 20th anniversary of MADYSS
The buffet was enjoyed by many attendees
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World of Glass Coach Trip, St Helens - Tuesday 23rd April - Don Brown
Twenty-two members and two guests left The Flower Pot for our trip to St Helens Glass at around 10.15 am on a dullish but dry Tuesday morning, our driver
Mustapha having some difficulties with the chairlift on our brand-new coach. A quick phone call and all was rectified, and throughout the remainder of our trip
Mustapha proved to be a pleasant, helpful and attentive host.
We arrived at St Helens at around 11.00 am, the weather having by this time brightened somewhat. When we had safely disembarked, we were met by our guide for the day,
Faye, who had laid on a very welcome “cuppa” to start the proceedings. The tour began with a visit to the museum. Those of us who had been on our previous visit would
have noticed a re-worked and considerably improved layout to this facility with lots of hands- on features to play with; these caused much amusement to all!
Suitably replenished, those with the energy crossed the canal to the glass furnace beneath the distinctive cone chimney where we were given descriptions of the arduous
tasks performed by the glass workers of old times, quenching their thirst from the sweltering heat with beer. Poor chaps!
After the essential visit to the gift shop, we re- joined our coach for the journey home, having had a very pleasant day out with great company once again.
Learning about St Helen’s Glass in the Museum
Tunnels where the cold air flow kept the workers cool
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Bingo, Macclesfield Tennios Club - Saturday 23rd March
An enjoyable evening of bingo took place when 33 members and friends gathered for ten hard-fought rounds of this traditional game. Tracey Higgins was our proficient caller
who came equipped with what appeared to be some very professional bingo paraphernalia. Generally, she managed to keep our rowdy rabble under control, which was in itself
a remarkable achievement!
Two rounds for each bingo game involved first getting a winning row of numbers (shout “line”) and then a whole set of numbers (shout “house” or “bingo”).
Simple enough, but some of us with a short-term memory had difficulty recalling whether we were on “line” or “house”. Other miscreants who had thought they’d won had to suffer the
ignominy of Tracey’s able assistant Mandy returning checked sheets to these offenders.
Genuine winners were awarded with a variety of prizes including wine, gin, and given the time of year, Easter eggs naturally. At half-way we tucked into a
tasty supper of meat and potato pie with mushy peas and red cabbage, or for the attendees seeking a healthier alternative, quiche with salad.
Sincere thanks go to the organisers of the evening, Anne Swindell and Kay Evans, and also to the kitchen serving staff and washing up helpers:
Sue, Kay Kennedy, Sheila, and Anne. We would like to thank the Tennis Club and notably Margaret Jordan and Mike Beresford who acted as bartenders.
Pens and bingo sheets at the ready for MADYSS members and friends
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Chilli Banana, Macclesfield - Saturday 25th February - Sue Stephenson
On a frosty but sunny day, 33 members and friends enjoyed a special Sunday banquet at the Chilli Banana in Macclesfield. All the usual starters were there: satay sticks, spring rolls,
fish cakes, prawn and pork rolls, which were followed by a variety of Thai main dishes. All dietary needs were catered for, and we finished off with ice cream and coffee.
It was lovely to catch up with Roger Snelling and his daughter Heather, and with Margaret Barry who had travelled from Sheffield to join us.
Most of us retired home afterwards to rest, except for Monica who was off to a party. Don’t know where she got the energy from!
Bowling at the Macclesfield Superbowl Lyme Green - Wednesday 24 January
The Superbowl UK at Lyme Green Business Park was ready for us and well organised so a big thank you to Lisa, Nathan and the team.
Sixteen people took part in our fun afternoon and then 18 of us enjoyed a very relaxing time plus nice food at The Rising Sun afterwards, where we were very well looked after
by the lovely and cheerful Shelley.
John and Val were able to join us for our meal and once we were all full and comfy, John informed us of our winner for this year.
Paul had hoped to defend his win from last year but was more than happy to be beaten into second place by a small margin by Mark Stansfield.
I'm sure that Mark, Alan and Barbara will not mind MADYSS members being reminded that last year Mark was very seriously ill in hospital after having suffered a severe stroke
on New Year's Day 2023. This meant that although Alan and Barbara joined us for our meal last year where they were able to rest a little,
they had been unable to join us for the bowling as they were spending many hours at the hospital hoping against hope for Mark’s recovery.
Huge congratulations must go to Mark for his win. It was lovely to see you on top form, enjoying your games and spending a lovely afternoon with your parents.
It was so rewarding for us all to see you happily together again and, of course, it is what MADYSS is all about. Thank you to everyone who participated and for
making it, once again, a very good event. A fun time was had by all and here's to next year.
Enjoying meals at The Rising Sun 
Alan, Mark (the winner), and
Sylvia using the chute, ideal for those
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Christmas Meal - Monday 11th December
Forty members gathered for MADYSS’ Christmas meal at The Plough, Eaton on 11 December. Unfortunately, five members had to cancel due to scheduled
medical appointments, one of which the member had been waiting for since Covid!
Attendees were seated at four tables in the old timbered barn area where we tucked into a three- course meal. Some members had chosen traditional
turkey with the usual accompaniments and then Christmas pudding. Others may have been considered a little more adventurous and selections ranged
from sea bass, pork or the vegetarian offering for main courses.
The food was well presented and served by several pleasant waiting staff. We all pulled crackers and exchanged the usual corny jokes.
The party hats were not universally worn and several were swapped so that the colours better matched the ladies’ outfits!
The Plough’s old timbered barn area, venue for our Christmas meal 
Judy and Aicha, Sue and Kay
Jean and David, Yvonne and Roger
Alan and Carol, Chris and Maria, and Jean
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Tatton Park Coach Trip - Sunday 3rd December - Monica Meah
Sixteen people braved the ice and snow to spend the afternoon at Tatton Park. Knutsford. The majority of the group went on the accessible coach.
It was good to meet up with the driver Patrick who we hadn’t met since our holiday to the Isle of Wight in 2018.
Patrick dropped us off near the ‘stables’ (not used for horses anymore) where we had our lunch. We had a lovely pumpkin soup, warm roll and butter, followed by a warm mince pie and coffee or tea.
We then visited the house. The theme of the decorations was ‘Wonderland’ based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Different rooms were decorated in different themes from the story. Following in Alice’s footsteps, we went through the Duchess Garden, the Queen of Hearts grand palace and on through the
amazing Magic Forest. We then saw the fantastic Mad Hatter’s Tea Party before entering the Queen of Hearts kitchen.
The route was decorated with beautiful Christmas trees and Christmas decorations.
After the house tour we visited the Christmas Market; this was indoors, for which everyone was grateful. There were a lot of stalls with a variety of wares:
woolly hats and scarves, jewellery, art work, whisky gifts and tasters, crafts, Christmas decorations, and ladies and children’s clothes.
Our final stop was for mulled wine or a Bailey’s coffee, which were eagerly drunk by some of us. We enjoyed the afternoon, and it got us into the Christmas spirit.
Thanks to the Committee for organising an enjoyable outing.
Viceroy Indian Meal, Bollington - Sunday, 29th October
Twenty members went along to the Viceroy restaurant in Bollington for an Indian meal on Sunday, 29 October. We were seated at two tables of ten and,
following the usual poppadoms with various dips, the group had plates of mixed starters.
Each of us had selected our main course from a wide range of dishes, according to our desire for the level of spiciness.
These were served with pilau rice and nan bread. Those who still had room afterwards, were rewarded with a dessert of ice cream.
Throughout the meal, the Viceroy staff were extremely pleasant and helpful, and before our arrival had put a ramp in place over the few steps
into the restaurant to aid access for our wheelchair users. All in all, an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
MADYSS attendees at the Viceroy making their selections from the menu 
Drinks at the ready and waiting for the food to arrive
Enjoying the poppadoms and dips
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Coach to British Iron Works Centre, Oswestry - Wednesday, 27th September
It was a little concerning when we went to The British Ironworks as Storm Agnes was forecast. We were very lucky and although the weather could have been kinder
to us it wasn't too bad. Cool and a little rain now and again. Of course, the sun shone on the way home! Having originally had our highest number of 29 booked
for the coach trip, on the day we were a small select group of 13! For some people it was unavoidable health issues that prevented them going.
On arrival we all set off for the Café and enjoyed lunch before exploring. It wasn't as busy as it usually is, which was good. Everyone went their own way
afterwards and some of us (after finding the recycling bins of which there are now 10) went to visit Ned in his shed where we watched him create a lovely
little decorative piece from a plain block of wood. He demonstrated how he looks at, treats, and creates with his wood. It was extremely interesting.
We then looked at some of the metal creations that were amazingly realistic. Once back on the coach and before we set sail for home, we were given free
ice cream and free passes for a future visit which was lovely.
Our driver, Stuart, was then allowed to drive around the area that we had not seen before we left. He was given ice cream too and deserved it.
He was very thoughtful and helpful to us all and the route he chose was easy with no holdups so we were earlier than expected in both directions.
When we arrived back in Macclesfield, Agnes was waiting for us!
The Poachers Quiz Night - Sunday, 24th September
The quiz was held on Sunday, 24 September and as is usual at The Poachers, there was a very good turnout. We’d like to say a huge thank you once again to
the local Community for their very generous support. A total of £135 was raised from our raffle; thank you to those who donated prizes.
Our MADYSS quiz team was given the name Madyssation, and we came a very respectable third. The team members were: Sue Stephenson and daughter Emma,
Kay Kennedy, Tracey Higgins, Kay Evans, and Debbie and Mike (who were representing Anne and John Swindell in their enforced absence).
Wilmslow Garden Centre, Wilmslow - Thursday, 24th August
There was a good turn out on Thursday, 24 August at Wilmslow Garden Centre with 16 hungry souls looking forward to a hot meal.
The menu offered a selection of five items to choose from. Everyone seemed to be happy with the choices available.
Mixing a meal with good conversation and a wander around the garden centre made for a very pleasant afternoon.
Jodrell Bank Observatory - Thursday 13th July 2023
Twenty-two members and friends met up at Jodrell Bank for our day out. We were so lucky with the weather as it had been a wet week, but Thursday was dry,
warm and sunny. This meant wandering around the Observatory was a more pleasant experience than it would have been otherwise!
At noon we attended the Through the Night Sky show held in the Space Dome. The one-hour presentation, which was given by a very knowledgeable lady,
gave lots of interesting data on the Sun, Moon, and planets. As the night sky changed, she was able to point out the different constellations
and drew our attention to familiar Star Signs such as Virgo and Cancer and to other less familiar Signs. The writer learned that it takes 8 minutes
for the light from the Sun to reach Earth, that Saturn’s rings are made of ice, and that the Apollo moon landing in 1969 was on the Sea of Tranquility.
The Observatory’s café was conveniently located in the same building and many of us repaired there after the show for sustenance. As it was warm and sunny,
some members chose to eat outside.
There are plenty of different areas to explore. A walk down the Exhibition Pathway, which has a number of poster stands, proved both interesting and educational,
as did the Space Pavilion with stands about the Lovell telescope and various other telescopes and equipment, which included a space debris tracker.
A visit to Jodrell Bank wouldn’t be complete without going down to the Lovell Telescope; at 76 metres in diameter, it is the world’s third largest telescope.
Bev, Colin, Don, Sylvia, Sue & Keith relaxing post-lunch 
The Exhibition Pathway with poster boards
The Lovell Telescope
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Reports on Events in 2024
Reports on Events in 2023
Reports on Events in 2022
Reports on Events in 2021
Reports on Events in 2020
Reports on Events in 2019
Reports on Events in 2018
Reports on Events in 2017
Reports on Events in 2016