I know it's bleak, but can we have a lovely autumn thread? There must be something to look forward to surely...

[Sportycustard]

I know everything is really worrying and bleak at the moment but I thought there must be something we can look forward to about autumn coming.

I am looking forward to:

Borrowing ghost stories from the library (they don't seem the same in warmer weather and lighter nights!)

Wearing dresses, tights and boots (I never feel as smart in the summer)

Walks in a nearby forest, maybe collecting conkers and taking a 'picnic' of a flask of hot water to heat up hotdogs and a flask of hot chocolate

Hot ribena or some other cordial

Soup for lunch...and dinner if I can get away with it!

The gentle warming glow from some of the many candles that people think I want as gifts.

Anyone else trying to find things to look forward to?

I’m not banking on autumnal colours and walks in crispy leaves.

Hot dry summers are not good for that. We have the best colours after a wet summer and a sudden cold snap in October. The retreat of water and chemicals from turgid leaves in an orderly fashion is what creates that beautiful colour display over a few weeks. This year the leaves are already brittle and in some cases, the horse chestnuts for example, are brown and dried up. There will be no colour from those.

It will not be a fantastic display on a national level, and if you find the leaves are fantastic you will be further west than east and further north than south and most likely in the north west of the U.K, so Lake District upwards.

Autumn walks and kicking my feet through dry fallen leaves - sounds odd I know.

I don't like that inbetween stage where evening isn't light or dark, so when it comes I like shutting the world out.

Saturday is the only day neither of us work - as much as I like eating outside Saturday evening, I also look forward to a nice home cooked meal and glass of wine in front of tv.

I've gazed longingly at many jumpers in my wardrobe over the past few days. Just over 2 months to Halloweeen. Love autumn, the colours, smells, wearing a coat!

There have been a few Autumn threads already but happy to see another one!

No one has said Strictly!

<lowers tone>

I do love starting my first glass of red as it begins: "Dit. Dit. Ohhhhhhhhh!!!!"

We just moved back to the U.K. after a decade in Southern California and I am SO EXCITED for autumn!! Very much enjoying the long balmy summer evenings but am really looking forward to soups and autumn colours and brisk mornings and wearing tights and boots again. Also moved to the countryside after over a quarter of a century of city living AND we’re getting a dog so with autumn round the corner as well I think it’s all coming together

I love the colour changes of the trees and drinking hot tea without sweating!

More snuggles from my cats! Purry cuddles on a cool evening are the best although my pesky ladycat was still glued to me all summer

@Roundlampshade yep. As PP said slow cooker is cheaper.

swnsdigital.com/uk/2022/08/this-is-how-much-it-costs-to-run-different-cooking-appliances/

I kind of like the dark mornings, getting ready for work with a low lamp on and tights on the radiator (if we use the heating this year!).

Collecting chestnuts on a long walk and coming home to warm up and roast them - then peel the damn things.

Picking out a nice treat from the bakers to enjoy while watching Bake Off.

Mist in the fields first thing. And of course the leaf display!

I love Autumn. We had 2 pallets of firewood delivered today so I'm excited for some roaring fires.
I love autumn sunsets, they can be spectacular. The chaning colours of the trees.
It's cosy, eveyone is back to more of a routine which I love

I like being crafty but....I'm not very good at it. Even I managed this one though and I got nice comments about it. Bit early for conkers but won't be long.

In the summer my cat spends 12 hours or more outside. However when it’s cold he will come in and sit next to me on the settee and actually let me stroke him.

I collected a bucketful of hazel nuts last night. I'll toast the kernels and pack them in honey. Then add them to porridge on those freezing cold mornings.

Or with cheese. 😋

I love this time of year. It's too hot for me in the summer, too many flies / wasps / Spaniards about.

Every year our town hosts about 80 exchange students during July and Aug, they are always shrieking at each other very loudly, gather in packs in town blocking footpaths / shop doors etc. The town always seems much more peaceful when they go home 😆😆😆😆!

I imagine people in tourist areas feel the same at this time of year!

I've been obsessing over the idea of a windswept, chilly beach walk followed by a bacon butty in a greasy spoon or Sunday lunch in a pub with an open fire.

Out for a woodland walk the other day and my DD emerged from the undergrowth with blackberry juice all round her mouth mumbling "yeah, that's the gooooood stuff!" 😆

I'm just here for inspiration. The older I get the harder I find the shorter days, and last winter I was verging on suicidal. Trying to find reasons to stay cheerful even though the autumn feels like a dark cloud waiting to submerge me.

Getting into the car on a cold but crisp sunny morning, putting the heating on if necessary and enjoying the feeling of cosyness instead of sweating.

And lingering over a nice cup of coffee with my Mum after a bit of browsing in the shops

Collecting the rest of the apples from my parents garden and having a homemade crumble with cream or custard

Thinking earlier that I’m looking forward to a nice Sunday roast. Have barbecues in the summer.

Don't get too excited about the colour changes on the trees. It will not happen in the way we are used to, this year. It has been too dry for too long. The water and chemicals have already mostly been withdrawn into the bolus of the tree so the colour change will be less marked than usual.

Plenty of other Autumn stuff to do though. I hope we get a wet winter.

I love all the seasons but feel so ready for Autumn! Historical fiction, TV dramas, sloe gin, candles, blankets.. love it.
Looking forward to the food - slow cooker meals, comforting soup and toasties, cinnamon rolls, bakewell tart, pumpkin pie .... mmmmmmm

Totally with you. Autumn means the start of months of dark, cold, damp weather with too much stodgy food, central heating and a suffocating feeling of living underground - and while summer here was warm it wasn’t baking.

In the spirit of this thread though I’ll say autumn at least means we’re on the countdown to spring and summer.

Another Autumn fan here. I’ve collected some sloe berries for gin making. Anyone got any advice or a fool proof recipe?
Looking forward to misty, mellow morning dog walks and coming home to a coffee. Also slow cooked casseroles, watching Gilmore Girls, GBBO and decorating the house

I love Autumn! The smell of leaves and bonfires. The sunny but chilly weather. The cool, darkening nights. My favourite season, by far.

Tights, boots and jumpers 😍 Leather jackets and cosy scarves 😍

New dramas on TV. Strictly!!

It's already dark when I get up in the morning 😁