Tuesday...

Westonbirt Tree Arboretum in Autumn is one of those places which sum up childhood for me...

My parents used to take us virtually every year and I was always aware of how much my dad loved it...( usually the only things he became really enthusiastic about were electronics, radios, phones and batteries! )

I loved it too, and I still endeavour to visit every Autumn, although some years  I don’t make it...

( 1976: Me, my brother and my Dad in front of a tree that we always look for...and never find, probably because it’s much bigger now! )

( ...could this be it? )

We went a little early this year ( the 3rd weekend in October is notoriously colourful ), but it was still one of the best Autumn days out of 2014...

...And I’m also pretty sure I discovered what that mystery nut I found last month was!!

I saw the tree and the nuts at the arboretum, and as every tree has a label in Latin, I photographed it, looked it up and it was...Hickory! ( the leaves didn’t seem to match the ones from before, but it must be a type of Hickory )

Westonbirt is a wonderful place where nature’s colours are at their best, and I’ve been coming home in the car with leaves, chestnuts, lichen and sticks stuffed into my hat, wellies and various pockets since the early ’70’s!