I LIKE Christmas, I’ve always liked it. But one thing I don’t like is the annual whinge from those people who say we’ve lost the true spirit of Christmas and that it has become submerged in commercialism, consumerism, materialism and whatever ‘ism’ you’re having yourself.

WE drove round a corner and the road was covered in rooks. They took to the air and the car was surrounded by large black birds. Miraculously they all managed to avoid us but the number of rook corpses you see on road verges shows that they aren’t always so lucky.

THERE’S no doubt that the very best time of year to plant trees in this country is the second half of November.

THE other day I was being quizzed by a classroom of 10-year-olds and finding it quite hard going.

I CALLED round to visit Kevin, who owns land near the edge of the bog.

I’VE JUST finished reading rather a good book which would make an excellent Christmas present for someone with an interest in wildlife and the environment. It’s called Saving Planet Earth by Tony Juniper and it’s published by Collins with the permission of the BBC.

I SPOTTED it from quite some distance away and walked over to have a look.

I PUT a fresh log on the fire.

I LOVE the autumn and in the part of the countryside I live this is a particularly fine one. The Indian Summer is lingering on even into November, which will help to shorten the winter.

A BREEZY DAY with showers of rain is bringing clouds of leaves down off the trees. It’s the essence of autumn, my favourite season.