When we moved to Sussex, we were told by a number of local people who’ve lived in this area all their lives that if the autumn berries are abundant, that’s a sign of a harsh winter ahead.

This year, the hawthorne, the holly, the privet – all these are laden with berries this year. Fruit for the birds, whatever the winter brings.

And we’ve also been swamped with acorns this year. We’re lucky enough to be surrounded by huge oak trees, and there’s usually an army of squirrels to ferry the acorns away to their winter stashes, but for some reason their numbers are way down this year, and we’ve really noticed the difference in what’s left covering the paths and garden beds.