WORDSPIRALS IMPOSSIPUZZLES

STARTING FROM 1, FILL IN THE GRID IN ACLOCKWISE DIRECTION WITH FOUR-LETTER WORDS. THE LAST LETTER OF EACH WORD BECOMES THE FIRST LETTER OF THE NEXT WORD. IF YOUHAVECORRECTLYFILLED IN THE GRID THERE SHOULD BE ASEVEN-LETTER KEYWORD READING ACROSS FROM 8.

1. Plural of foot 2. Roman gown 3. Opposed to 4. Golf club

5. Midday 6. Unguis 7. Plunder 8. Discretion 9. Short-term worker 10. Loud ringing of bells 11. Touch down 12. Use a pencil 13. Twist out of shape 14. Stopper 15. Medal, slang 16. Grasp

Key word clue: Foreign city

1. Magician’s stick 2. Cloudy 3. Look lasciviously 4. Gemstone

5. Egg part 6. Highland dress item 7. Petty quarrel

8. Pointed tooth 9. Strong wind 10. Fencingsword 11. Fishes 12. Lather 13. Move in water 14. Very small 15. Notion 16 Biblicalmurder victim

Key word clue: Cricket term

“Forty questions, but you don’t have to answer them all,” said Tom. “I give you 12 pence for every one you get right.”

“Sounds great, Dad,” replied Bill. “But what about the ones Iget wrong?”

Tomchuckled. “That’s different. Youpay me 25p the first you get wrong, 50p the next, 75p the third, and so on.”

That’s howitwent. Bill ended up with £2.01!

How many questions did he answer?

“I finished your multiplication,” Joe told his grandfather “The answer’s this 6-figure number that’s really your age written down three times in arow.”

Tomsmiled. “Yes, it’s divisible without aremainder by each of its digits, and also by your dad’s age. And the digits of his age are the digits of mine in reverse order.”

The boy nodded. “And the strange thing is, exactly the same could have been said eleven years ago, if you had written your age down three times in arow then.”

How old is Tom?

“£1.99?” asked Elsie. “Is that all you’ve got left?”

“Why not? Iboughtalot in those three shops,” replied Joe. “But it’s funny.Ineach of them Ispent exactly five pence more than half what Ihad when we went in.”

1 2 3 4

How much had he spent in all?

Manny and Ruth were sorting their comic books on the floor when Layla came in. “What amess,”she exclaimed. “I don’t know why you buy that nonsense.”

“Wedon’t have thatmany,Mum,” Ruth told her.“If I gave Manny two of mine we’d both have the same, but if he gave me two of his I’d have twice as many as he’d have.”

How many did each have?

1. Close angrily 2. Drinkingvessels 3. Painful 4. Gaelic

5. Otherwise 6. Therefore 7. Hop-drying kiln 8. Team trip

9. Log boat 10. Inform 11. Organisation’s design

12. Man-eating giant 13. Resound 14. Line in darts 15. Needlecase 16. Eye membrane

Key word clue: Plant type

ANSWERS ON PAGE 128

5Garlanded author Mike Parker has adored and explored this region his entire life. Born in England but settled in Wales, he finds himself typical of many in being pulled in both directions. Mike Parker –AnEvening With, All The Wider Border shows his journey divided into three legs, corresponding with the watersheds of the three great border rivers: the Dee in the north, the Severn in the centre, and the Wyeinthe south.

Pickingapart thenotions and clichés of Englishness, Welshness and indeed Britishness, Mike plays with the very idea of borders, our fascination with them, our need for them, and our response to their power.Inhis hands, the England-Wales border is revealed to be aborder within us all, and it is fraying, fast.

Venue is Booka Bookshop, Oswestry, and tickets cost £8. Formore details visit www.bookabookshop.co.uk 5

Shropshire’s Walcot Hall is hostinga series of events this spring, the first being the Easter Extravaganza. The estate is creating amagical Easter trail through the arboretum and putting on crafts and games.

The next is the first in aseriesof seasonal events with acclaimed Shropshire florist Tammy Hall. The Easter Tablescaping Course will be held from 6pm-8pm in the Walcot Ballroom with Tammy

7

Whittington Castle is hosting aGood Friday Plant Hunters’ Fair,offering the opportunity to visit many specialist nurseries to get your gardening season off to agreat start. These specialist nurseries will come laden with flowering bulbs and shrubs to provide instantcolour plus lots of later flowering plants to get in now for colour into the summer andbeyond.

All the nurseries attending will offer expert advice to help less experienced gardeners select the right plants for their gardens. Fortrue‘plantaholics’ there are always those little treasures to discover

Access to the plant fair and grounds of Whittington Castle is free (normal car parking charges apply). The plantfair runs from 10am-4pm. Dogsonleads welcome. Teas and cakes in the castle tearooms.

Full details of nurseries attending at www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk

8

Telford’s Stamp, Postcardand Coin Fair will be held from 10am to 2pm in the Belmont Community Hall, Wellington Centre, Telford. Agood range of stamps, postcards and coins are available, with items bought and sold. See arange of material before buying and talk to the dealers. Bring in spare materialand discuss selling to adealer if you wish.

Freshly cooked light refreshments available and entry is free. Enquiries to Richard Camp on 01952 405458.

9&10

An Easter Two-Day Plant Hunters’ Fair will be held at the Dorothy Clive Garden, Willoughbridge, Market Drayton.

This is aspecial fundraisingevent for the Willoughbridge Garden Trust.

An eventnow firmlyestablished as a must in gardeners’ diaries, therewill be awonderful line-up of 20 top nurseries and artisans, offering avariety of plants. The mix of nurseries ensures there’s something for every type of garden, and lots of help and advice for the new or less experienced gardener

The beautiful 12-acre Dorothy Clive Garden is famed for its dazzling spring display and will have plenty on show for visitors with massed plantings of spring bulbs, early blossom, rhododendrons and much more. The fair and gardens are open from 10am to 5pm each day.Entry to the fair and 12-acre gardens is just £5 (normally £11) with free parking. Please use TF9 4EU for satnav.

Paul Young broke into the big time 40 years ago when No Parlez went to number one and spawned iconic hits like Wherever ILay My Hat (That’s My Home). More success followed with the number one album The Secret Of Association and the worldwide hit Everytime YouGo Away,not forgetting an appearance at Live Aid and more. Paul sustained that success –while having fun in his tex-mex band, Los Pacaminos. Now,onthe 40th anniversary of No Parlez, he’s releasing aremarkable new record and publishing his extraordinary memoir; both called Behind The Lens. He’s touring the UK toowith astop-off atOakengates Theatre, where he’ll meet fans, sing hits and tell stories about his career

It’s time to revel inthe classic hits and learn the stories behind them as Paul steps out from Behind The Lens.

Tickets cost from £30. Visit www telfordtheatre.com

12Gordon Hendricks: One Night With Youcomes to Bridgnorth’s Theatre on the Steps.

In 2020 when theGovernment announced lockdown, Gordon decided to appear as himself and present shows on Facebook. They were so successful he performed every two weeks throughout lockdown and performed around 1,000 songs. The response by fans to the man who made his name as an Elvis tribute artist was thrilling. Now,Gordon is bringing those shows to the stage,adding live musiciansand combining his highly successful format. Hendricks will take fans on avocal journey that features such diverse performers as Roy Orbison, Billy Fury,Cliff Richard, Bruce Springsteen, Travelling Wilbury’s, Bee Gees, Mavericks, UB40 and, of course, Elvis.

Tickets cost£25. Visit www. theatreonthesteps.co.uk

14Following the huge success of last year’s Cinderella, Made to Measure Productions are delighted to be returning to Oakengates Theatre with anew production of Aladdin. When Aladdin is visited by his long-lost Uncle Abanazar,heistaken on amagical adventure to theCave of aThousand Dreams wherehediscovers the powers of amagical lamp and the genie within but all is not as it seems. Will the beautiful Princess Jasmine fall in love with our hero? Is there more to the Genie than meets the eye? There’s only one way to find out...

Tickets cost £18. Visit www telfordtheatre.com

15Many people will remember John Sergeant as one of Britain’s most popular andrespectedbroadcasters and authors. His award-winning career as apolitical journalisthas been as lengthy as it hasbeensuccessful and seen him interview big political hitters like Margaret Thatcher,John Major and Tony Blair.Inrecent years though John has returned to his first love of light entertainment and canbe seen regularly on programmes like The OneShow, Have IGot News ForYou, QI,Room 101 and the News Quiz and, of course, those appearances on Strictly.More recently there have been well received documentaries including John Sergeant’s Tourist Trail, Tracks of Empire, and Britain’s First Photo Album.

Tickets for An Audience with John Sergeant cost £24. Visit www. festivaldraytoncentre.com

21

Adding to the season of lunchhour concerts at Shrewsbury’s Civic Church is aprogramme for flute quartet played by four excellent local professionals.

The free concert at St Chad’s Church begins at 12.30pm, lasts just 40 minutes and there is alight lunch served after each concert in the church hall. Concert-goers can park from noonto2pm free of charge at thechurch, space permitting.

Fordetailsand full listings visit www stchadschurchshrewsbury.com where details of all the other musical activities including regular choral services and other concerts,are posted.

22

The next Shropshire Real Ale Trail route will head out this month. Spend aday with friends rediscovering the charmofquintessential English pubs and unique real ales, without having to worry about who’s driving.

The Shropshire bus-based real trail takes you off the beaten track to some of the best pubs in the villagesand towns of the county

Fortickets and more information call 01978 510141,email bottomsup@ realaletrail.co.uk or visit https://realaletrail. co.uk/shropshire

23Shropshire Festivals have announced the return of their popularEat, Drink, Walk, Repeat! event. Shropshire Tasty Trail will return to Ellesmere’s Oteley Estate where organisers have secured abrand new route that will meander through lush countryside and trails thataren’t normally open to the public.

The Tasty Trail takes avid walkers on a 7-8 mile countryside walk, with stop-offs on the way to enjoy astarter,main and dessert. The food will be sourced locally, and washed down with local ale, cider and soft drinks.

There will be free parking and dogs on leads are welcome, plus there will be live music along theway

Tickets are £39.95 per person, which includes admittance to the walk, athreecourse meal along the trail, and adifferent alcoholic drink at each stop. To find out more visit www.shropshiretastytrails.co.uk

24

Simon Evans: Work Of The Devil comes to Festival Drayton Centre.

Simon is astar of Live at theApollo, Mock The Week,BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, andThe Unbelievable Truth; Simon Evans Goes To Market. Simon hasalso appeared on This Week, Question Time, Celebrity Mastermind, Pointless Celebrities and Mastermind The Professionals.

Tickets cost £17. Visit www festivaldraytoncentre.com

29The Phoenix Singers of Shrewsbury will be performing Handel’s Messiah at St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury,with aconcert titled The Ultimate Messiah.The choir will be joined by soloists Gemma King;Oliver Gerrish, Philip O’Connor andPiran Legg, and the Phoenix Orchestrawill be led by Clare Horgan.

Tickets for the concert starting at 7pm are £15 for adults; under-18s free. Tickets can be purchased online from trybooking. co.uk or www.phoenixsingersshrewsbury co.uk –alsoavailable from The Hive, 5Belmont St, Shrewsbury,Tel: 01743 234970orcall 01743 357398. Tickets also on the door

30-May1

APlant Hunters’ Fair comes to Weston Park for the Bank Holiday weekend. There will be abrilliant line-up of specialist nurseries attending to create a plant lover’s paradise. Stall holders will be on hand to share their expertise to help you select the best plants for your garden.

Correction To Article

Weston is an award-winning stately home set in 1,000 acres of Capability Brown parkland much of it wooded and planted with spring bulbs, bluebells, azaleas and rhododendrons. There are miles of woodland walks, lakes and the beautiful formal gardens to explore. Children can let off steam in the Woodland Adventure Playground.

The fair and gardens areopen from 10am to 4pm each day

Special reduced price early bird tickets are on sale now for this brilliantevent giving entry to the plant fair,gardens and parkland for just £4. Without aticket, entry will be £8 on the gate.

Please see www.planthuntersfairs. co.uk for ticket information and alistof nurseries attending.

With referencetothe feature ‘A Pastime with Stamp of Approval’ that appeared in our February edition, an errorwas made in aphoto caption. On page 85, astamp was captioned as depicting King George VI. It in fact showedKingGeorge V. We apologise for any confusion caused.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGES 123-125

REMEMBER WHEN: 1.1951. 2.1968. 3.1949. 4.1981. 5.1987. 6.1970.

FOUR Ws: 1.Mr. Boddy; He produced the first sketch for the present London Underground map; 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair; 2001. 2.Jonathan Swift; The WalkerBrothers; Laos; 1954. 3.Andy Capp; Viaduct Street and Rosamund Street; Lake Kivu, between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo; 1959. 4.Alec Rose; Big Pink; Colombia; January 25th. 5.PinkAndersonand Floyd Council; The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst; Vancouver, Canada; 1898. 6 Guy Fawkes; The Meat Purveyors; Off the coast of Sierra Leone in the North Atlantic Ocean; 1977

WORDWISE: 1.A 2.C 3.B 4.A 5.B 6.C

CROSSWORD: QUICK SOLUTIONS:

Across: 1 Nick; 3 Marauder; 8 Oral; 9 Resonant; 11 Hypocritical; 13 Turbid; 14 Dapper; 17 Powerfulness; 20 Aviation; 21 Jeer; 22 Resolute; 23 Edge.

Down: 1 Neophyte; 2 Clapper; 4 Acetic; 5 Abominable; 6 Drama; 7 Rate; 10 Accidental; 12 Preserve; 15 Pretend; 16 Effort; 18 Omits; 19 Lair

CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS: Across: 1 Barn; 3 Asbestos; 8 Bomb; 9 Brussels; 11 Double brandy; 13 Lesson; 14 Gravel; 17 Good gracious; 20 Packages; 21 Fete; 22 Sorcerer; 23 Stay Down: 1 Baby doll; 2 Rumours;

4 Scribe; 5 East Africa; 6 Tread; 7 So-so; 10 Almond cake; 12 Blustery; 15 Violent; 16 Greece; 18 Oscar; 19 Opus

WHAT’S MY NAME?:

Key word solution: FIELDER

Key word solution: THISTLE.

IMPOSSIPUZZLES: 1.Billanswered 25 questions (2 wrongly). 2.Tom 73 years (Dad 37). 3.Joe had spent £14.63. 4.Ruth 14 books, Manny 10.