Falling Again

Call it age, wisdom...whatever, but after years of actively disliking this time of year, I can now say hand on heart, I love Autumn.  I'll qualify that statement by adding there remain aspects of the season I could happily live without, namely the unnecessary tinkering with the clocks and those solid white cloud days, but other than that, I'll take the inclement weather, as it's far outweighed by the rewards of Autumn colour, Jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pie, windfall apples, dew drops bejewelling the fields, winter wardrobe challenges and burnished bronze skies.  Also, when melancholia seeps in, it's good to keep in mind how much sweeter Spring - with its promise of endless summer - will be when it finally arrives.

I've been embracing everything that is good about Autumn during the course of the past 7 days.  Charity shop pickings have been small, but mighty.  I picked up this 1960s chocolate brown velvet jacket for the princely sum of £6.00, immediately sensing quality, as verified by the vintage Raymond of London label.  

Here it is, hastily captured in the dim light of the hallway (outside was not an option this morning) and worn with a vintage leather belt, White Stuff woollen gillet, an aubergine and navy Breton top (both second hand), Zara jeans and an artisan, handprinted scarf purchased years ago in Devon.

Oh, and I bagged another bag.  If anyone has found the perfect bag, give me a shout.  Too big and I'm forever losing things.  Too small and I can't squeeze in everything I need.  This leather bag by Hobbs seems like a good compromise.  It's not too big or too small and has three accordion style separate areas, which are perfect for accommodating and rationalising my purse, hairbrush, keys, phone, lipstick, shopping bags etc.

We've also spent a good deal of time outside walking recently, memorably enjoying a meet and greet with these horny beasts.  Someone remarked to me that goats always look judgmental.  This one definitely fits the bill.

On Thursday, I was invited to a wedding venue in Stoke Prior, rural Worcestershire, to take a few photos.  The rain was lashing my windscreen on the way over, but luckily I was wearing my Mom's 1980s voluminous waterproof coat, generous enough to protect me and my camera from the elements.  Within minutes of arriving, the sun broke through and whilst Natalie (the venue's Wedding Co-ordinator) and Jules, a local celebrant, got creative in the woods, I wandered around the grounds, enjoying the ever-changing light conditions and some dramatic clouds.

 The Firs is a beautiful Grade II listed Georgian farmhouse set within 22 acres...

....comprising woodland....

.....an orchard...

...and open fields with breathtaking views.

The owners have transformed some of the adjoining barns to enable them to host weddings and are at the end of their very first season.  But the purpose of our visit was to showcase alternative, affordable, outdoor, inclusive ceremonies where no rules apply and non-believers can be accommodated.   Imagine meeting your betrothed here. 

None of us were quite ready to let go of the Halloween vibes and so Jules had brought along a broomstick prop to play with.

To our collective glee, one of the farm's black cats had decided to follow us into the woods and took up residence on a tree stump.  Cats are so timely and always photogenic.

The wedding co-ordinator had seen some of my recent Stranger Things shoot photos on Instagram and told me how much she liked them.  On my return home, I was thrilled to have received a message from her inviting me to be one of The Firs' preferred suppliers.  

Continuing with my adoration of Autumn, on Saturday we took a leisurely walk, taking in some of our favourite local scenery, from open farmland...

....to dense woodland, where I obsessed over tree roots 

Check out this bird skull log!

and how neatly the leaves had stacked and formed into a natural dam in this ravine/path made by running water gushing down through this sandstone slope.  

We took a slight detour through the village of Kinver (nothing to report from my visit to the two charity shops there) and then back along the Staffordshire canal.

Mixed messages in this narrowboat window.

As for this one....well, years of neglect and the falling leaves are threatening to sink it!

This lock keeper's cottage is one of the most photographed cottages in the area.

But for me, the star of the show was an incongruous pampas grass, adjacent to the towpath, which definitely brought some burlesque vibes to an otherwise familiar scene.  

Tonight, we'll be watching episode 2 of SAS Rogue Heroes.  As tempted as we are to binge watch the series, we're quite old school and like to savour a good thing.  

Photo Kevin Winter/Getty Images

I'm also still thrilled to have scored some tickets to see newly reformed Pulp at their hometown gig in Sheffield next year, performing for the first time since 2012.  I fell in love with Jarvis Cocker in the 90s, but having seen the band in their heyday, I'm hoping we're not setting ourselves up for a disappointment.  That said, tickets for this particular gig sold out in minutes and a couple of hours in the company of the humble and humorous Jarvis can only be a good thing.  

So, some wardrobe enhancements, spending time outside in nature to aid the trickiest of seasonal adjustments, cosy evenings of escapism and a little forward planning....let's here it for Autumn!