Looking forward to a brilliant autumn

Thanks to that long, hot, dry summer we are this year getting one of the most amazing displays of autumn colours ever. Eugene Byrne has a few suggestions as to where to commune with dead leaves.

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ANDREW Smith, Director of Westonbirt Arboretum, was saying back in August that we should be looking forward to a brilliant autumn.

"We've had a very warm and sunny summer, and that helps trees build up the sugars in their leaves that create those amazing autumn colours. The cooler nights and shorter days on the way will trigger the change, and we're expecting a really beautiful display this year."

And so it’s starting to prove. Everyone with a soul wants to spend some quality-time with trees at the moment. We used to say that it was just nice to appreciate the lovely autumnal colours, though nowadays we're supposed to say that that being among them is good for our "wellbeing".

So, in the interests of readers' wellbeing, here are some seasonal suggestions for tree-lined walks. We'll start with the obvious ones, but hopefully we'll have a few you;ve not visited several times already:

>> Westonbirt Arboretum (near Tetbury, Glos, GL8 8QS, www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum) we mention because we have to. Westonbirt provides the most spectacular autumn display around these parts, and indeed in the whole country. You've probably been before, but that’s no reason not to go again. Go on a weekday and get there the minute it opens if you don’t want to share its arboreal splendour with the rest of the visiting tree-crazed hordes.