I’d Like To Know

Q

I’m over the moon to have become a gran for the first time. I’m curious to know at what age babies first see in colour? Mrs C.L. Basingstoke.

A

Babies will be able to see in colour by around the age of three to four months old. Everything before this is in varying shades of black and white. Usually they can best see shades of red initially. Bright colours attract their attention more, which is probably why many nursery toys are in bold colours, with contrasting colours great for stimulating young brains.

Q

My friend says there is a “fake” motorway where drivers of emergency vehicles can practise manoeuvres. I’ve never heard of this before. Can you tell me whereabouts it is located? Mr C.P., Dunbar.

A

The secret “M96” motorway is in Gloucestershire, situated at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-marsh. The four-lane mock motorway enables training in a realistic environment for blue-light emergency responders. While the mini motorway is only 400 metres long, it has everything from road signs to a central reservation, and ambulance, police and fire services do mock accidents for training purposes. Not only this, the 300-acre site has facilities to replicate everything from train derailments to fires in domestic and industrial buildings.

Q

We seem to have been affected by a lot of storms lately. It made me wonder where the expression to batten down the hatches comes from. Is it related to ships? Mrs E.F., Derby.

A

Yes. Originally a nautical expression, to batten down the hatches basically means to secure things when rough seas or storms are expected. The origin of the expression can be traced back to around the 19th century, when the ship’s crew would fix wooden strips (battens) over doorways and openings. Nowadays, of course, the expression can be applied outside of nautical terms to convey riding out any potential crisis.