9 things to love about autumn

Heidi Scrimgeour

As the nights start drawing in and summer fades there’s no need to be downcast - here are a few things to relish and savour about this magical time of year..

Rediscovering the joy of winter woolies 
Easing your tanned, summer-ready legs into a pair of cosy tights at the first sign of an autumnal cold snap can feel weird - but once you adjust your style to the changing of the seasons, it’s surprisingly easy to fall back in love with winter woolies. Think warm tights, boots made for wintry walks, leaves crunching underfoot, and the joy of finding the perfect winter coat. Bring favourite woolly hats and gloves out of hiding and, best of all, wave goodbye to bikini-body pressure.  Have another slice of hot buttered toast safe in the knowledge that no-one’s going to be scrutinising your wobbly bits on a beach any time soon. So layer up and learn to love the comfy ease of your hides-a-multitude-of-sins winter wardrobe.

A soothing soak in the bath
Candles: check. Tub full to the brim of almost-too-hot water: check. Trashy magazine that you won’t mind ruining if you accidentally drop it in the water: check. Delicious, only-for-grown-ups bath oil: check. It’s probably also essential to have a lock on the door and a responsible adult to mind the kids if you want the ultimate relaxing bath experience. (Few things ruin the moment quite like having to trudge downstairs, dripping water as you go, to sort out a minor squabble.) But what better way to while away an autumnal evening than with an indulgent soak in the suds? 

Cosying up beside an open fire
Nothing says ‘home’ quite like snuggling up by a crackling fire, and lighting the first fire of the autumn is a soothing, life-affirming ritual. But if that’s not an option at home then hot-foot it to the nearest country hotel or pub for Sunday lunch - you can’t beat one cooked by someone else - beside a roaring fire. Bring the papers and something to entertain the kids, and let the fireside glow work its magic on you. Forget missing the sunny days of summer - a bit of fireside therapy will soon have you feeling glorious, whatever the weather.

Soul food
Throwing a salad together and eating it outside on a balmy summer’s evening is lovely, but serving a healthy, wholesome pot of soup or stew to your brood is surely what being a mother is all about. Sort of. (Opening a gigantic tin of Heinz tomato soup is just as good, if cooking isn’t your idea of fun.) Either way, cooking warming soul food is another autumnal indulgence that almost makes up for the short evenings, chill in the air, and perilously dark mornings.

Easy-peasy bedtimes
The long lazy nights of summer are delicious, but come autumn I welcome the return of ‘proper’ twilight and nightfall because for one thing it makes the bedtime routine infinitely easier. My kids connect the nightly switching on of the streetlights with bedtime, and it’s just so much less fraught putting kids to bed once the sun has gone down, rather than trying to persuade them that they’re tired when it’s still broad daylight outside. Bedtime always seems to come too early in the summer but come the autumn cuddling up together for cosy bedtime stories feels like medicine for your mood. And if you’re lucky you’ll have the kids asleep in time for you to indulge in a beauty-boosting early night from time to time.

Halloween and Bonfire Night
Guising, fireworks, sparklers, and drinking steaming mugs of hot chocolate around a bonfire. What’s not to love? Embrace these seasonal rituals and pull out all the stops to make them fun, festive family occasions. This is the stuff that childhood memories are made of.

No more weather woes
Everyone accepts that autumn equals cold, wet and windy weather. So at last we can stop taunting ourselves by hoping for sunshine, and just embrace those cold, crisp autumnal days and chilly nights that send you scurrying indoors for a big bowl of comfort food and your favourite pyjamas. If you’re not hoping for long lazy days of endless sunshine then you can’t be disappointed. And if it does rain at this time of year it doesn’t feel like quite the insult that it does at the height of summer - it’s just the perfect excuse to don wellies and go out for a family session of singing in the rain. 

Autumn leaves
If you’ve never stomped through a pile of autumn leaves with a child, I urge you to do so immediately. Few things can lift your spirits quite like a little leaf-kicking march through the woods or forest. Get on your boots and get out there. It’s even better if you play conkers afterwards, and when you’ve worked up an appetite I recommend heading home for a steaming pot of tea and a tower of toasted crumpets.

Christmas is just around the corner...
It’s not the done thing to get too excited about Christmas too early in the year but by September / October time you are totally justified in flicking through your favourite store catalogues in search of inspiration for things to ask the jolly white-bearded man to bring you. It might be too soon to start writing your Christmas cards but it’s just about the right time to make a traditional Christmas pudding, and there’s no harm in a spot of early Crimbo shopping either - as well as giving you a lovely smug glow it can also help spread the cost of Christmas before December is suddenly upon us. I don’t think it’s too soon to try out some recipes for gluhwein or mulled wine either. But if you’re still mourning for summer and just can’t get excited about Christmas, woolly socks or Bonfire Night then take comfort in the fact that spring isn’t too far off...