'St Swithun's Day' ☔️ 15th July
- Simon O'Donovan
- Jul 13, 2023
- 5 min read
15th July is 'St Swithun's Day'. Read the saying above and ask members if they think there is any truth to it?
Take the opportunity to discuss the British weather and things associated with it. List as many as you can. Here's a few to start you off ...
- Sun: sunburn, loose clothes, slip slap slop (sun cream), sunglasses, hats, cold drinks, ice lollies
- Rain: wellies, Macs, jumping in puddles, rainbows, getting splashed by passing traffic
- Extremes: thunder and lightning, gales, floods, heatwaves
- Clouds: list some of them - stratus, cumulus, nimbus, cirrus etc
- Snow & ice: snowmen, frost, freezing rain, slush, blizzards, snowballs
- In between types of weather: mist, fog, drizzle, grey days.
What are members' favourite weathers and seasons and why?
Maybe discuss climate change and how to reduce global temperatures.
Ideas might include:
- Turning down thermostats by 1 degree C
- Avoiding using coal and log fires
- Recuding and remove plastics
- Recycling paper, glass, tins etc
- Buying fewer clothes, white goods, cars etc
- Changing from gas and petrol to electric.
After the music and picture quiz, you could get painting ...
IDIOMS
Ask members to complete these weather related idioms together ...
It's raining cats and DOGS
As right as RAIN
It'll be a BREEZE
Be snowed UNDER
Break the ICE
Calm before the STORM
Chasing RAINBOWS
Come rain or SHINE
Every cloud has a silver LINING
Fair weather FRIEND
It never rains but it POURS
Steal your THUNDER
Storm in a TEACUP
Take a rain CHECK
Throw caution to the WIND
Feeling under the WEATHER
On cloud NINE
Before the quiz starts proper, ask members to name the 'Shipping Area' they are in? Here is a useful map to help with identification.
Does anyone listen to the 'Shipping Forecast' on Radio 4?
Is anyone familiar with the theme tune 'Sailing By'?
Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWmT_PWh0r8
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
Round 1. Weather
'National Umbrella Day' is on 10th February
1. Name this couple taking cover from the rain?
2. Name the 7 colours in a rainbow?
3. Which mythical being, common in Irish folklore, can be found at the end of a rainbow?
What is his occupation?
4. Complete the rhyme?
"Doctor Foster went to **********
In a shower of ****
He stepped in a ******
Right up to his ******
And never **** ****** *****!"
Talking of puddles ...
Watch this Dawn French 'Vicar Of Dibley' "puddle sketch' together ...
5. Does anyone remember the 'Great Storm' of 15th October 1987?
Who was it that said: "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way; well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!"
Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxjZ-aFkjs&t=17s
Has anyone ever suffered storm damage or flooding to their property?
'Storm Brian', Porthcawl, October 2017
6. What scale is used to determine wind speed?
a. 'Beaufort Scale'
b. 'Richter Scale'
c. 'Litmus Test'
7. In the USA, a tropical storm is called a 'Hurricane'. What is this type of weather event called if it occurs in the Southern Hemisphere?
a. 'Monsoon'
b. 'Typhoon'
c. 'Twister'
8. True or False. If a tropical storm (or cyclone) occurs in the Northern hemisphere, it rotates anti-clockwise. If it occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, it rotates clockwise?
9. What is the proper name for a 'Twister'?
a. 'Whirlwind'
b. 'Tempest'
c. 'Tornado'
10. Complete the saying?
"Red sky at night, ********'* *******
Red sky in the morning, ********'* *******"
True or False. This saying first appeared in the 'Book Of Matthew' in the New Testament?
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXds_mkyuXY
11. What was Cilla Black's real name?
REMINISCENCE
Does anyone remember the River Taff floods in the Canton area of Cardiff in 1979?
Here is a picture of Cowbridge Road West under water.
Round 2. Weather Forecasters
Ask members to identify some famous weather presenters (and other forecasters) ...
12. Ian Mc******
13. John K******
14. Ulrika J******
15. Francis W*****
16. Derek B*******
17. Tomasz S**********
18. Carol K*******
19. Charles M********** W******
Here are a couple of other famous 'forecasters' ...
20. Russell G****
21. Mystic M**
Song break - 'Aquarius', 5th Dimension - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCH5lnZ6sA
22. Ask members to list the twelve 'Signs Of The Zodiac'?
What star sign are members? Does anyone follow their stars? Maybe read a couple of 'Stars' out from a newspaper.
Round 3. Movies
Identify the movie from the still ...
23. 'The W***** O* O*'
Name her three friends and the dog?
Song link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZxmZmBfnU
24. 'Singing I* T** R***'
Name the dancer?
Song link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swloMVFALXw
25. 'Breakfast A* T******'*'
Name the actors?
Song link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uirBWk-qd9A
26. 'Mary P******'
Name the actress?
27. 'The P******* A********'
Name the actors?
28. 'The F**'
Name the author?
29. 'A*******'
In this movie, which actor says the line “Surely you can’t be serious,” and Rumack replies, “I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley.”
30. 'The S******'
Name the actor?
31. 'T******'
Name the actors?
32. 'C*******'
Name the actor?
Final Round. Some Weather Songs
33. What was Billie Holiday's nickname?
34. Complete this rhyme?
"It's raining, it's *******,
The old man is *******,
He bumped his head and **** ** ***,
And couldn't get up in the *******."
35. What musical instruments did Karen and Richard Carpenter play?
36. Complete the name of this James Taylor album?
'Mudslide Slim And The **** *******'
37. Complete this Neil Sedaka hit song title?
'Oh! *****'
38. Which 1969 movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford did this song feature in?
39. Name 'The Eurythmics'?
40. Which American actor features in this music video?
41. Which Beatle wrote this song?
42. What does E.L.O. stand for?
43. With which song did 'Katrina And The Waves' win Eurovision in 1994?
44. If we had a bright, sun shiny day later this week, how would you ideally spend it?
45. True or False. The phrase "It's raining cats and dogs" comes from dead animals bring found in flood water?
(Sorry that question is a bit grim!)
This one is for dancing to ....
Finally, can anyone think of any other sunny or rainy songs?
1. Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
2. Red; Orange; Yellow; Green; Blue; Indigo & Violet
3. Leprechaun / Cobbler
4. "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!"
5. Michael Fish
6. 'Beaufort Scale'
7. Typhoon
8. True
9. Tornado
10. "Red sky at night, SHEPHERD'S DELIGHT
Red sky in the morning, SHEPHERD'S WARNING"
True
11. Priscilla White
12. Ian McCaskill
13. John Kettley
14. Ulrika Johnson
15. Francis Wilson
16. Derek Brockway
17. Tomasz Schafernaker
18. Carol Kirkwood
19. (Prince) Charles Mountbatten Windsor
20. Russell Grant
21. Mystic Meg
22. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius &Pisces
23. 'The Wizard Of Oz' / Scarecrow (Looking for a brain), Lion Man (Looking for courage) & Tin Man (Looking for a heart) (Her dog was Toto.)
24. 'Singing In The Rain' / Gene Kelly
25. 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' / George Peppard & Audrey Hepburn
26. 'Mary Poppins' / Julie Andrews
27. 'The Poseidon Adventure' / Gene Hackman & Shelley Winters
28. 'The Fog' / James Herbert
29. 'Airplane' / Lesley Neilsen
30. 'The Shining' / Jack Nicholson
31. 'Twister' / Bill Paxton & Helen Hunt
32. 'Castaway' / Tom Hanks (His volleyball friend was Wilson.)
33. 'Lady Day'
34. "It's raining, it's POURING,
The old man is SNORING,
He bumped his head and WENT TO BED,
And couldn't get up in the MORNING."
35. Karen - Drums & Richard - Piano
36. 'Mudslide Slim And The BLUE HORIZON'
37. 'Oh! Carol'
38. 'Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid'
39. Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart
40. Donald Sutherland
41. George Harrison
42. 'Electric Light Orchestra'
43. 'Love Shine A Light'
44. *
45. True
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