"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 23rd September.
THINGS THAT REMIND US OF AUTUMN
- Cooler temperatures overall and night-time frosts.
- Misty or foggy mornings.
- Stormy weather. Trees down. Floods. Traffic disruption.
- Wearing warmer clothes and lots of layers. Favourite hats, scarves and jumpers being brought out of drawers.
- Putting on the central heating (and turning down the thermostat this year!). The warmth and smell of a coal fire or a log burning stove.
- Picking ripe blackberries and scrumping for apples. Baking blackberry and apple pie.
- Roasting sweet chestnuts or jacket potatoes on a fire.
- Harvest Festival and taking baked goods to church.
- Halloween and 'Trick Or Treating'.
- Bonfire or 'Guy Fawkes' night and enjoying fireworks displays.
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.
FIRST SONG. 'Shine On Harvest Moon', Laurel & Hardy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIw14TwJvZc
Included because it is 'Harvest Moon' on 22nd September and well, because this is a classic black and white clip.
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
ROUND 1. TEDDY BEARS
It was '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 ...
Before playing the video clip, which breakfast cereal was "Central heating for kids!"?
ROUND 2. AUTUMN
The phrase 'Autumnal Equinox' means equal day and night hours. (The same is true of the 'Spring Equinox'.)
When do the clocks go back?
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 do you call a spell of dry warm weather in the autumn?
Where did Doctor Foster go, in a shower of rain?
* 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?
SONG. ‘Forever Autumn’, Justin Hayward (Jeff Wayne's 'War Of The Worlds') - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAT-IXbZK_Y
Who wrote the book?
Which Welsh actor played 'The Narrator'?
SONG. 'Try To Remember', Nana Mouskouri - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdup2Xku0oM
What nationality was Nana Mouskouri?
How many days hath September?
Do members remember the rhyme ...
Ad break ...
Before playing the clip, what bread is being advertised here?
ROUND 3. NATURE
True or False. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and should not be given milk?
Which are more common in the UK, red or grey squirrels?
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?
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.)
Which area are we in the 'Shipping Forecast' (this will obviously vary according to where you live)?
Which BBC weather presenter wrongly forecast there would not be hurricane force winds on 15th October 1987?
Complete the phrase ‘RED SKY AT NIGHT, SHEPHERDS DELIGHT. RED SKY IN THE MORNING...
SONG. ‘It Might As Well Rain Until September’, Carole King - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5lk3FLn-1U
What was Carole King's best selling album of 1971?
List some autumn weather conditions?
SONG. ‘Autumn Leaves’, Eva Cassidy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTkUplF5VIE
Name some deciduous trees?
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?)
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?
SONG. '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?
SONG. ‘Northern Lights’, Renaissance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIEqdXpG5Pg
What is the proper name for the Northern Lights?
Has anyone seen the Northern Lights or would anyone like to?
SONG. 'Fields Of Gold', Sting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVq0IAzh1A
What is Sting's proper name?
What band did he form?
SONG. 'September', Earth Wind & Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk
There are traditionally four elements in Western culture. Which is missing from Earth Wind and Fire?
Ask members to click their fingers in time with the music ...
Or dance along if they wish ....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAsI3U2EaE
Before playing the song, name the band that released 'Golden Brown' as a single?
To finish with an uplifting video clip, here is a dog jumping into leaves...
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'
TRUE (Dog food is recommended!)
GREY
(Populations are currently estimated at approximately 140,000 red squirrels and 2.5 million grey squirrels.)
MIGRATION / NIGHTINGALES, CUCKOOS AND SWIFTS ALL HEAD SOUTH
MURMURATION
DECIDUOUS (Evergreens keep their leaves.)
LUNDY (here in South Wales)
MICHAEL FISH
'SHEPHERDS WARNING’
'TAPESTRY' / MIST, FOG, FROST, DRIZZLE, STORM (Now named!), FLOOD
ASH, BEECH, BIRCH, CHERRY, ELM, MAPLE, OAK, POPLAR, WILLOW, SYCAMORE, HORSE CHESTNUT
HORSE CHESTNUT
COAL SHUTTLE, POKER, ASH PAN, FIREGUARD
TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
JAMES CALLAGHAN
IZAL TOILET PAPER
COAL TAR SOAP
HARVEST FESTIVAL / PRODUCE FROM THE GARDEN OR FARM, BAKED GOODS, CORN DOLLIES, HOME MADE JAMS AND PICKLES
AURORA BOREALIS
GORDON SUMNER / 'THE POLICE'
WATER
'THE STRANGLERS'
LABRADOR
