Newsletter - Autumn 2007

We are well into Autumn, the leaves are changing and the warm days of summer seem just a distant memory. However there is always something to look forward to; the celebrations for Halloween and Bonfire Night will soon be here and of course this means that Christmas is only just around the corner!!

Some of you may have seen Ashridge Court mentioned at the ‘Bexhill Achievers’ awards in September. Ashridge Court sponsored one of the awards, for ‘Carer of the Year’, there was a photograph of Adrian Van Eugen presenting the award at the award ceremony which was reported in the ‘Bexhill Observer’.

RECENT AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS

IN_HOUSE ACTIVITIES

We continue to develop a full programme of activities which we hope will appeal to as many of our residents as possible. Recently we have increased the number of film/DVD/video showings in the afternoon sessions, why not give them a try. We aim to show a variety of different film genres each week; look at the weekly programme or the posters for further information. In addition we hold regular quizzes and word games, sing-a-longs, and Bingo sessions. The free weekly raffle has been very popular, with several lucky residents taking a nice surprise back with them in recent weeks after the Friday lunchtime draw! We are also pleased to announce that the computer has been set up in the Activity room for residents to learn a little more about using them or for the more experienced providing an opportunity to make and send an e-mail message to relatives or friends. For further details please contact Stuart Pemberton.  

VISITING ENTERTAINMENTS

We have recently been entertained by Nobby Clarke, Evergreen Singers, Bexhill Harmony Choir and the ‘Cuddle Bunnies’. Several of these visiting acts will be paying return visits in the forthcoming weeks, watch the weekly activities newsletter for more details. We are also beginning to book some entertainments especially for the Christmas period.

Next Residents’ meeting

 The next Residents’ meeting will be held in the Garden lounge on Monday 12^th November at 2.00 pm.. For those residents new to Ashridge Court, this provides an opportunity for anyone to raise any matter of concern.  A reminder will be sent to residents nearer to the time.

NATURE NOTES

This issue we look at some commonly asked questions concerning Autumn.

Where do swallows and martins go in the winter?

This question produced much speculation in the past, people genuinely believed that the birds hibernated in the mud in ponds!

However it is now known that these birds migrate following the summer as it reaches the southern hemisphere. This is because their diet consists of insects which are caught on the wing, and in our winters there would not be enough food available. Our swallows spend our winter in southern Africa, whilst the martins move to west Africa. We know this through the use of leg rings placed on the birds in Europe, each bears a unique serial number. Subsequent   recovery of the birds, either retrapped by ornithologists, or the finding of a ring on a dead bird enables the movements of the birds to be monitored. Over time this has allowed a fuller picture of migration to be observed.

Why do the leaves of trees change colour in autumn?

Most leaves of trees are green due to the pigment Chlorophyll. This is the material that converts minerals and water drawn up the tree from the roots into sugars, using the power of sunlight. However there are also other pigments within the leaves that also absorb different wavelengths of light (so they are different colours) and pass the energy on to the chlorophyll. Before the deciduous tree sheds its leaves, the balance of these pigments is altered to reveal different colours typical of the autumn.

What happens to our butterflies in the autumn?

Most British butterflies pass the colder months as either an egg or caterpillar stage, often the caterpillar will spin a silken ‘tent’ around itself and then hibernate within this. Some butterflies overwinter as chrysalis, these are often near to the ground within leaf litter to give protection from frosts. However a few British butterflies actually hibernate as adults. These include the bright yellow Brimstone butterfly and the familiar Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. Both of these species may be seen on warm days in the early spring. 

Newsletter created by Mr.Stuart Pemberton.