Autumn has finally tumbled into Winter, bringing with it the change of the clocks, crisp frosty mornings, and all the fun of bonfire night and Halloween. As always the village store had a fine collection of pumpkins piled up outside just perfect for carving into humours faces. The leaves have been spectacular this year and such a joy crunching through the fallen piles. I love walking up into the Surrey Hills at this time of the year from the village, on a few walks I have been caught out by dusk falling before I reach back home into the village with the great temptation of the Bulls Head looking so welcoming through the lit windows, and the smell of the burning fire in the damp air as I scurry on past! The lower fields and footpaths are certainly wet and soggy due to all the recent rain, however once up onto the hills the sandy soil makes walking so much easier and less slippery. The view of Ewhurst from the top of Pitch Hill never fails to lift the spirits, especially the church steeple proudly peeking up from the centre of the village.

Since the mornings have become lighter again I have heard the owls in Williams Place copse still out hunting at 6am – I always feel so reassured to know that they are still happily living there. The robins have also started to appear in the gardens again, made more prominent with their bright red breasts – a welcome splash of colour against the bare branches, they so love the windfall apples in our garden – I am glad someone is making good use of them! The village fox has been having great fun recently during the midnight hours and emptying the whole contents of the rubbish bin next to the bus stop – I guess as the hedgerow wildlife is starting hibernation he is having to seek leftovers from the bins to keep him going.

LEAP provided an excellent and very informative presentation at the Ewhurst Society meeting on ‘Rubbish and Recycling’, and despite the cold days and dark evenings the village still seems to be full of life with plenty to keep us amused over the next month or so with amongst others the village play, the school fair and the church bazaar, reminding us that Christmas is just around the corner…………