I know lots of people feel a slight twinge of panic as the nights draw in but  – call me weird if you will – I LOVE this time of year. That nip in the air in the mornings, the hedgerows full of fruit, fallen hazelnuts crunching underfoot and the smell of bonfires in the air (not when I’ve just put out my washing obvs) all give me a little – ahem – ‘spring’ in my step.

Being part dormouse, I love it when the nights are longer than the days, the sunrises are timed perfectly to coincide with my morning ablutions and the golden afternoon sun lazily peeps through the trees.

Rather than feeling dismayed at the end of summer, I can’t help but feel excited at the thought of woolly jumpers, open fires and the snuggly sofa days to come.

Forest walks are at their best when you can rustle through the fallen leaves which cover the floor in Instagram-worthy hues of red and gold. Toadstools and fairy rings pop up overnight and heather blooms, carpeting the moor in purple and lilac.

My garden is bursting with fruit, and a bumper crop of damsons means I’ve had to be more and more creative. My Plum Crumble Cake went down a storm at a recent allotment tea party, and I’m happy to share a Spiced Plum Jam recipe that I use every year – it’s a lovely taste of sunshine on a chilly day and also makes a gorgeous gift. Can I suggest you use a big preserving pan to avoid the hours of scrubbing I’ve had to do to get my oven top gleaming again!

I often wonder if having an October birthday has something to do with my love of this ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’.  A study by the Journal of Aging Research found that babies born in the autumn are more likely to live to be a hundred; another reason for me to feel grateful!

With the new series of  Strictly and GBBO about to grace our screens, I’m ready to pull my pyjamas out of storage and start to hibernate in my cosy little cottage. In fact, the only downside of autumn that I can think of is that I’m not the only one to love my snug home – huge (and apparently frisky) spiders are sneaking in to share the warmth. Having to evict them is a terrifying chore for an arachnophobe, as my lovely neighbour can testify – she recently witnessed me running into the garden with a particularly hairy beast held at arm’s length!

There’s something comforting about the cycle of the year taking its course. Like Shelley’s wise words, “If winter comes can spring be far behind?” – as we head softly into autumn’s embrace we know that winter, with sparkling lights, warming soups, and Christmas prep, is just around the corner. It’s never too soon for a chocolate orange, right?