September 2024

Autumn seemed to arrive at the very start of the month with the mornings and evenings noticeably cooler. I was hoping for an Indian summer but that wasn't to be.

It was my birthday on the 3rd and I had the most perfect day. Mick took some time off work, we hadn't really planned a day out as the forecast didn't look too good but in the end we decided to head off to the Yorkshire Dales. I'm glad we did as it turned out beautiful, warm and sunny. We started the day off with a walk around Aysgarth Falls, a triple flight of waterfalls surrounded by woodland, before travelling on to the market town of Hawes, home of The Wensleydale Creamery. Of course, we had to bring some cheese home with us. The family came round once they'd finished work and we enjoyed a takeaway and an evening of games. I was so spoilt receiving some wonderful gifts and cards, the words inside them chosen especially for me were just beautiful.

We've been trying to make the most of every bit of fine weather this month. Now we're into autumn and with winter on the way, we may end up stuck indoors more so we've made sure we've had plenty of days out. We've visited Hardcastle Crags, Haworth, Thornton-Le-Dale, Hebden Bridge and Bingley Five Rise Locks, amongst other places. We like to get about a bit.

I've read four books this month.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker.

"Maia, Ally, Star, CeCe, Tiggy, Electra and their long-lost missing sister are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan, to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly.

He has entrusted each of them with a clue to their past. But for every truth revealed another question emerges. How did Pa Salt amass his fortune? Why did he choose to adopt the sisters and why were they chosen from such different parts of the world? Have the answers been there all along, if only they had known where to find them?

The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew - and even more shockingly, that his long-buried secrets may still echo through the generations today."

The final book in The Seven Sisters saga and the one where the unanswered questions and secrets of the previous seven books are revealed. Sadly, Lucinda Riley, who wrote the series, died before completing the books so she entrusted the plotline to her son, Harry Whittaker, who wrote this final installment. He's done a brilliant job as the change in authors is seamless. Such a complicated story to unravel in this final chapter, it must have been a mammoth task to take on, but it was done brilliantly. 

I'm so sorry to have come to the end of this excellent series. I can only say that if you haven't yet read these books, you're missing out.

A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley.

"London has not been kind to Lottie Allbright. Realizing it's time to cut and run, she packs up and moves back home - but finds her family in disarray. In need of a new place to stay, Lottie takes up the offer of a live-in job managing a local vineyard. There's a lot to learn - she didn't even know grapes could grow so far north!

Butterworth Wines in the rolling Derbyshire hills has always been run on love and passion but a tragic death has left everyone at a loss. Widowed Betsy is trying to keep the place afloat but is harbouring a debilitating secret. Meanwhile her handsome but interfering grandson, Jensen, is trying to convince her to sell up and move into a home.

Lottie's determined to save Butterworth Wines, but with all this and an unpredictable English summer to deal with, it'll be a challenge.

And that's before she discovers something that will turn her summer - and her world - upside down..."

I've read a couple of books set around Christmas by Cathy Bramley and enjoyed them so I thought I'd give a summer themed one a try. I found it very easy to get into and an enjoyable story but there was just too much detail about winemaking for me, the technical details just made me want to switch off. It doesn't put me off wanting to read more from this author though, I like her style of writing and they're easy reads.

Home Truths by Charity Norman.

"Two years earlier, Livia was a probation officer in Yorkshire, her husband Scott a teacher. Their children, Heidi and Noah, round out a happy family until the day Scott's brother dies.

Grief and guilt leave Scott seeking answers, a search which takes him into the world of conspiracy theories. As his grip on reality slides, he makes a decision which will put the family on a collision course with tragedy.

Livia's family has been torn apart, and now her son's life is hanging in the balance. Just how far will she go to save the ones she loves?"

Charity Norman is one of my favourite authors, she hasn't written a book I haven't thoroughly enjoyed, so I've been waiting for the release of this latest offering. It was a good start, the book grabbed me from the first page and I read on wanting to know more.

This author comes up with some very interesting storylines and I love the way she writes, building the tension and urging you to turn page after page. Another brilliant read, I'm just sad that I've come to the end and have to wait for her to write something new.

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse.

"Tawrie Gunn feels stuck. She's spent her whole life in the same seaside town with her beloved Nana and grief-stricken mum, all of them still reeling in different ways from the tragic loss of Tawrie's dad at sea. Desperate for a change, she challenges herself to take up wild swimming - every morning, no excuses, from March till September.

Daring to take the plunge with the 'Peacock Swimmers', Tawrie feels alive in a way she's never known. Suddenly it seems she might be able to step outside her comfort zone after all and let life surprise her - perhaps even dream of a future beyond the shores of Ilfracombe? Especially when, one day, she spots a man in a pink linen shirt who seems as eager for a new start as she does.

But it turns out taking risks on land is a little different from wading into the sea. Can Tawrie face her fears head-on and find her way to happiness? She knows it's never too late to pursue your hopes and dreams, but it might be easier said than done..."

Amanda Prowse is a prolific writer and I've read every one of her novels. She writes about women, families and everyday life, and each of her books strike a chord, we can all put ourselves in the situations she writes about and I think that's why she's so successful at what she does.

Another great read, well rounded characters, a good storyline and a beautiful setting, what's not to love.

Jack has turned three months old. He's brought so much joy into our lives, he's such a happy little character and we love him so much. He's already rolling over and he's cut his first tooth. I'm just loving being a granny to this beautiful boy.

I've been busy knitting various versions of the Baby Aosta Cardigan by The Knit Purl Girl. I knit one for Jack in the first size and he's worn it to death, it's Eleanor's favourite cardigan for him and it's the baby cardigan I enjoy knitting the most. I decided I'd knit one in the second size for him, Eleanor requested a green. I thought the Olive colourway in the King Cole Cherished range was a nice shade so I went for that. It took just over 100 grams so as I had the best part of 100 grams left, I decided to knit another in the first size as a gift to go with a little pack of babygrows as my friend is to become a granny to a little boy in October. Then, as the winter months are approaching and Jack will need plenty of woollies, I decided to knit another for him. I went with the Happy Hippo colourway in Sirdar Snuggly, though I can't say I'm happy with the shade of blue, far too bright and with a purple tinge, but it was purchased online and you can't always get a true reflection of the actual colour when you don't see it in person. It's the second size again but the yarn is a much finer gauge than the King Cole so it's knit up a little smaller, but that's fine, it will just fit him sooner. I think it's time for a rest from this particular pattern now for a while.

Some of the shows we associate with autumn are now back on our screens, Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off, and one of my favourites, All Creatures Great and Small. I remember the original TV series with Christopher Timothy in the leading roll. This new adaptation is now in its fifth season and I'm eager to see how the latest installment unfolds.

Autumn has arrived in earnest, I can't remember feeling ready to hunker down for the colder months quite so early in recent years but there's been no gradual creeping in of the darker evenings, they've just arrived all at once without warning. It's already dark at 7.30pm but one thing I have resisted is the urge to turn on the heating, even though we've already had some quite chilly days. I'm pleased I've been able to hold out until October. October will see Eleanor and Jacob's second wedding anniversary and, at the very end of the month, Halloween. We've got nothing planned for the month ahead so we'll just sit back and see what it brings.