Celebrating The Arrival Of Autumn 🍁

Simon O'Donovan
2 hours ago
8 min read

"Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple." J.K. Rowling

“I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.” Dodinsky

This week's CST activities centres around the theme of Autumn, as September has arrived. Also fast approaching are the Autumnal equinox, which takes place this year on 22nd September.

THINGS THAT REMIND US OF AUTUMN

Before looking at the lists below, you could ask for suggestions and promote discussion ...

🍂 Good Things About Autumn

Beautiful scenery: Trees turn stunning shades of red, orange, and gold.
Crisp, fresh air: Cooler temperatures make walks and outdoor activities refreshing.
Comfort foods & drinks: Soups, pies, pumpkin spice, mulled cider, and hot chocolate come into season.
Festive atmosphere: Harvest festivals, Halloween, and the build-up to the holidays.
Cozy vibes: Perfect for warm blankets, candles, and snug evenings indoors.
Less heat: Relief from the intense summer sun and humidity.
Wildlife activity: Animals gather food, birds migrate — nature feels alive.
Fashion: Layering with sweaters, scarves, and boots becomes stylish and practical.
Sunlight quality: Golden, soft light makes mornings and evenings especially beautiful.

🍁 Bad Things About Autumn

Shorter days: Less daylight, with darkness creeping in earlier.
Chilly weather: The drop in temperature isn’t enjoyable for everyone.
Rain and dampness: More frequent showers and muddy conditions.
Leaves everywhere: Beautiful at first, but can become slippery, messy, and require cleanup.
Cold & flu season: Greater chance of catching seasonal illnesses.
Transition blues: Some people feel low energy or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as sunlight decreases.
Unpredictable weather: Can switch quickly from sunny to stormy.
End of summer freedom: Outdoor swimming, long evenings, and light clothing fade away.

IDIOMS ABOUT AUTUMN OR, AS AMERICANS & CANADIANS CALL IT, "THE FALL"

Ask members to complete the following phrases ...

In your autumn (YEARS) - getting older

That old CHESTNUT - same old story

The apple of your EYE - someone who is cherished more than another

Golden HANDSHAKE - pay off at redundancy or early retirement

Turn over a new LEAF - stop a bad habit or start afresh

The apple never falls far from the TREE - we are all pretty much like our parents

Save for a rainy DAY - plan ahead

To feel/be under the WEATHER - have a cold about you

The bigger they come, the harder they FALL - the more powerful a person is the more spectacular is their downfall

Fall flat on your FACE - fail in an embarrassing way

Fall about LAUGHING - laugh without being able to stop

Fall at the final HURDLE - fail to complete the final task or achieve the ultimate goal

Fall between two STOOLS - fail to take one of two satisfactory alternatives

Fall head over HEELS for someone - to fall deeply and suddenly in love

Fall off the back of a LORRY - stolen goods

Fall off the WAGON - start drinking alcohol again

Pride comes before a FALL - don't be too sure of yourself

United we stand, divided we FALL - there is strength in a shared vision and goals.

AUTUMNAL RYHMES

There are also these autumnal rhymes to complete together ...

Answers ...

Rain rain go away, come again another day

Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning. Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.

Doctor Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain. He stepped in a puddle right up to his middle, and never went there again.

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, And that has twenty-eight days clear, And twenty-nine in each leap year".

It's raining cats and dogs.

* A YouTube clip of 'Vicar Of Dibley' jumping into the (very deep) puddle was very well received! LINK HERE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JqkLc1Xf8Q

What was the name of her character & who played her?

FIRST SONG. 'Shine On Harvest Moon', Laurel & Hardy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIw14TwJvZc

Included because it is 'Harvest Moon' on 7th September and well, because this is a classic black and white clip.

MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ

ROUND 1. TEDDY BEARS

It is 'National Teddy Bear Day' on 9th September, so the first round focuses on that.

Has anyone still got their childhood teddy bear?

Name these famous bears?

Who is this?

What newspaper did he appear in?

Who is this?

What sandwiches did he like to eat?

What country was he from?

Who is this?

Which park did he live in?

What was the children's TV show that included 'Big Ted' and 'Little Ted'?

What are the other toys names?

Who is this bear?

Who wrote the books?

Who is this?

In which TV show did he appear?

Name the panda, bear and dog?

Who was their puppet master?

Name this bear?

What charity is he associated with?

Name this bear and his friends?

What children's TV show did they appear in?

SONG. 'The Bare Necessities', sung by Phil Harris - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08NlhjpVFsU

Name this bear?

Who wrote the 'The Jungle Book'?

Name these famous bear people?

Comedy sketch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UfiCa244XE

SONG. ‘The Wombling Song’, The Wombles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQMMPFtoG4

What was their job?

SONG. ‘The Teddy Bear's Picnic’, Henry Hall & His Orchestra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZANKFxrcKU

TRUE OR FALSE. The name Teddy Bear came from President Theodore Roosevelt?

Ad break ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVAvA6fP8Xw

Before playing the video clip, which breakfast cereal was "Central heating for kids!"?

ROUND 2. FACTS ABOUT AUTUMN

When do the clocks go back?

When is the autumn equinox - equal daylight and night hours?

What do Americans call autumn?

Factoid. Up until 1500s, Britain called the autumn ‘The Harvest’!

Why is the first full moon in autumn called 'The Harvest Moon'?

When is ‘Halloween’?

(Does anyone go out with their children or grandchildren ‘Trick or Treating’?)

When is ‘Bonfire Night’?

(Remember ‘Penny for the guy?’)

What are trees that lose their leaves in the autumn called?

(Apparently, it is the sugar in sap that gives the red, yellow, golden and purple hues in leaves as they die.)

Here is an interesting graphic ...

ROUND 3. NATURE

True or False. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and should not be given milk?

Which three animals hibernate in the late autumn through to the spring?

Which are more common in the UK, red or grey squirrels?

True or False. Squirrels plant most of our forest and wood trees?

What is it called when birds fly to warmer climes in the autumn?

Ask members to name some birds who migrate?

In the evening autumn and winter skies you will often see groups of Starlings flying in dense formation. What is this phenomenon called?

Here is a video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0sE10zUYyY

Which area are you in as regards the 'Shipping Forecast' (this will obviously vary according to where you live)?

List some autumnal weathers?

Which BBC weather presenter wrongly forecast there would not be hurricane force winds on 15th October 1987?

Here is a video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxjZ-aFkjs

Who remembers this storm? Did anyone have any damage?

Which year did they start naming storms?

What do you call a spell of dry warm weather in the autumn?

ROUND 4. AUTUMN YESTERDAY

Which tree do conkers come from?

(Apparently soaking the conkers in vinegar and baking them made them 'winning conkers', though some might say this was cheating!)

Look at this picture and name these coal fire accoutrements?

(Did members have a coal man deliver their fuel and a coal bunker?)

(Did anyone or anyone's father or grandfather work as a miner?)

What other things did you have delivered?

Ad break ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIOGkIw4CQo

Before playing the clip, what bread is being advertised here?

Between 1968-71 the Government trialled leaving the clocks as they were, that is not put them back, and the mornings were so dark children had to be issued high vis armbands. Why did they do this?

Ad break ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUgUeO9-NYY

(Refreshments suggestion)

Who was Prime Minister during the 'Winter Of Discontent' in 1978-79?

('The Winter of Discontent' was characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits the Prime Minister and his Labour Party government had been imposing to control inflation. Some of these industrial disputes caused great public inconvenience, for example power cuts and uncollected rubbish, exacerbated by the coldest winter for 16 years, in which severe storms isolated many remote areas of the country.)

Did anyone have an outside toilet? What was the name of the toilet paper that was like tracing paper?

(Haemorrhoids were likely more prevalent at the time, if you know what I mean?)

Did anyone have a tin bath? What type of soap did Wright's make?

SINGALONG. 'All Things Bright And Beautiful', Hymn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPMA5I3-0Jw

Which Church service is this hymn associated with?

What would members take to this service?

ROUND 4. AUTUMNAL SONGS MUSIC QUIZ

You could intersperse these throughout the session ...

	*"Why did summer go so quickly? Was it something that you said?"* Which 1968 movie had this song as its theme tune?
	*"I miss you most of all, my darling* *When autumn leaves start to fall."* List some deciduous trees?
	*"Many years have passed since those summer days,* *Among the fields of barley."* What is Sting's birth name? What band did he form?
	*"The summer sun is fading as the year grows old. And darker days are drawing near. The winter winds will be much colder. Now you're not here."*** Who wrote the book? Which actor spoke the words at the start of this song?
	*"Try to remember the kind of September* *When life was slow and oh, so mellow."* What nationality was Nana Mouskouri?
	*"It doesn't matter whether skies are grey or blue,* *It's raining in my heart 'cause I can't be with you."* What 1971 album is this song taken from?
	*"Winter, spring, summer or fall* *All you've got to do is call* *And I'll be there, yeah* *You've got a friend."* Who wrote this song?
	*"The northern lights are in my mind* *They guide me back to you* *Horizons seem to beckon me."* What is the proper name for the 'Northern Lights'? Has anyone seen the Northern Lights or would anyone like to?
	*"Now December* *Found the love that we shared in September* *Only blue talk and love, remember* *The true love we share today."* Which of the four elements is missing in the group's title?
	*"Golden brown, texture like sun* *Lays me down, with my mind she runs* *Throughout the night* *No need to fight* *Never a frown with golden brown."* List some things that are golden brown?

The phrase 'Autumnal Equinox' means equal day and night hours. (The same is true of the 'Spring Equinox'.)

To finish with an uplifting video clip, here is a dog jumping into leaves...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_4aEicC28A

What breed of dog is it?

PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

This week we brought in a small branch of a tree and all made leaves out of coloured card to decorate it with.

Members drew on their leaves on one side and on the other left messages about the autumn.

You will see in the above images the outcome of our efforts.

We also joined in a 'Guess The Weight Of The Marrow' competition.

ANSWERS

RUPERT / 'DAILY EXPRESS'

PADDINGTON / MARMALADE / PERU

YOGI / JELLYSTONE

'PLAY SCHOOL' / HUMPTY, JEMIMA & HAMBLE

WINNIE THE POOH / A.A. MILNE

FOZZIE THE BEAR / 'THE MUPPETS'

SOU, SOOTY & SWEEP / HARRY CORBETT

PUDSEY / 'CHILDREN IN NEED'

'RAINBOW' / ZIPPY, BUNGLE, GEORGE & GEOFFREY

BALOO / RUDYARD KIPLING

BEAR GRYLLS, GRIZZLY ADAMS

TERRY WOGAN

PAUL MCCARTNEY, ELVIS PRESLEY

HUGH BONNEVILLE

COLLECTING LITTER & RECYCLING

TRUE. The name teddy bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who was commonly known as "Teddy" (though he loathed being referred to as such).

'READY BREK'

British Summer Time ends at 2am on 30TH OCTOBER 2021

THE FALL

FARMERS DEPENDED ON THE LIGHT TO HARVEST THEIR CROPS INTO THE NIGHT

31ST OCTOBER

5TH NOVEMBER

AN INDIAN SUMMER

GLOUCESTER

GERALDINE GRAINGER / DAWN FRENCH

H.G. WELLS / RICHARD BURTON

GREEK / 30 DAYS

'HOVIS'