If you do one thing this wek.  . . . .Pick your own autumn fruit

As a child I used to love when my mother would bring us to a strawberry farm. We would gather buckets full of the fruit, which were then weighed and paid for on the way out – although they might have wanted to weigh us too, because a good portion of the juicy berries went into our tummies on the spot.

So when my friend suggested that we bring our combined crew of children to pick blueberries in the midlands, I was just as excited as the kids.

Not even a downpour could dampen our enthusiasm as we worked our way along the aisles of fruit-laden plants, industriously gathering the sweetest berries and squealing at the odd creepy crawly that sometimes hitched a ride.

Several containers (and full bellies) later, we paid up and were on the way back to bake muffins and freeze an enormous stash of berries for the winter.

Check online for farms that allow you to pick your own fruit, and if you are bringing children, ring ahead and make sure they are catered for.