What’s On This Autumn

Where To Visit This Autumn

Photo credit: Cathy Cooper

A Deer Park

October is the best time of year to visit a deer park because it’s the start of rutting season. Rutting is part of a deer’s mating rituals as the males try to impress the females, but for us, it means the chance to see deers locking antlers in a headto-head battle. Visit Richmond Park, a National Nature Reserve with over 630 red and fallow deer roaming freely. The deer have played a major role in the park’s history and have shaped the landscape too. When: October Where: Richmond Park, Richmond

Firework Champions

In the centre of Hatfi eld Park – 4 great fi rework displays! Three of the UK’s best fi rework companies compete against each other with a 10-minute fi rework display choreographed to music followed by a larger fi nale display that isn’t part of the competition. Gates open at 4pm.

When: 24 Sep 2022 Where: Hatfi eld Park

Plan Ahead - Thorpe Park Fright Night

Are you ready to experience the UK’s premier Halloween event of the year? Whether you’re a true fear-seeker or looking for some thrills to fuel your chaotic Halloween energy – this is an event you don’t want to miss!

When: 1 - 31 Oct 2022 Age: 13+

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is the perfect place for little explorers! With conservation and education at its heart, this much-loved family park is home to over 100 amazing animals from around the world.

Bekonscot Model Village & Railway

The world’s oldest original model village, which opened for the first time in 1929. With over 90 years of history, a huge model railway, 1.5 acres of well kept gardens and finely detailed model buildings, Bekonscot is a great day out for everyone.

When: Open 7 days a week until 30 Oct 2022

Museum Lates

Something For The Adults

After hours at the London Transport Museum is back on selected Friday evenings. This is a chance for adults to explore the Museum in the evening, enjoy a drink at the bar, take part in fun activities, and learn from expert speakers. Each event has a different theme linked to our collections or temporary exhibitions, and a packed programme of talks, workshops, and activities. Check individual event listings for more details.

When: Various dates

Totally Thames

Head down to London’s famous river for the Totally Thames Festival: Enjoy a whole month of exciting exhibitions, walks, talks and more.

When: 1 - 30 Sep 2022

Hogwarts After Dark

Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous wizard at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter: This Halloween, explore the mysterious world of dark magic where loyal followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will be prowling around the exhibit. 26 Sep-6 Nov. For a unique experience, sign up for a bewitching evening at ‘Hogwarts After Dark’. Dates below.

When: 5 - 7 Oct 2022 Where: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Springing Into The Great Outdoors

With Jason Suttie @thesuttie

It might be because I love the countryside, or maybe it’s my Aussie genes, that I drag my family outdoors all year round. And in almost any weather. Sometimes we only have a couple of hours and other times we spend a whole day overdosing on fresh air. The tired tantrums on the way home are almost bearable when we’ve spent the day together getting proper dirty and making memories.

For me, after spending a whole week at a computer, the sights, smells and sounds of the countryside are rejuvenating. It also helps my brain to change gear and really switch off - something that’s great for mental health.

The best part of the outdoors is that kids can be kids and go a little bit feral. And when they’ve spent all week in structured learning at school or nursery this is important. Our kids love clearing out deep puddles with an overenthusiastic jump, something that’s not encouraged at school.

So, I thought I’d share some of our favourite places to experience the Great British Outdoors. I’ve also given them a ranking of how dirty they can get!

Forty Hall Estate

fortyhallestate.co.uk

If we just need to blow off some steam and get outside without too much planning we head up to Forty Hall in Enfield. It’s got something for all levels of adventurers. There’s a nice walled garden and lawn area which is perfect for wandering and picnicking in the summer. We’ve also discovered loads of ‘Love on the Rocks’ rocks here for those who are collectors.

For the more adventurous, there’s the woodland playground, medieval fishing pond and a stream that runs along the bottom of the property.

Dirt Factor:

Lee Valley and White Water Centre and Country Park

It’s nice to have a legacy from the 2012 London Olympics on our doorstep with the Lee Valley White Water Centre. When there aren’t competitions on we often stand on the banks and watch people attempt to navigate the rapids. It can be quite entertaining, especially when people fall in! They also have one of the largest sand pits in the area with an outdoor café to keep parents and kids happy.

Outside the Water Centre there are miles and miles of trails alongside canals and through wetlands. This is a favourite of ours for getting out on our bikes as it’s nice and flat. We can ride for miles and then when we’re done we head back to the White Water Centre and grab something nice from the café.

Dirt Factor:

Aldenham Country Park

aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk

Aldenham Country Park in Elstree has 100 acres of countryside with great scenery, a lake and a children’s farm. The play area caters for all different ages and there’s also a purpose-built playground for children with special needs.

One of our highlights is the 100 Aker Wood, the home of Pooh Bear and his friends. There’s a bridge to play Pooh Sticks off; you can visit Owl’s House and Pooh corner and even see if there are any trapped heffalumps. Last time we visited we even saw Pooh wandering around the park with treats for the kiddies.

Dirt Factor:

Thorndon Country Park - Gruffalo trail

visitparks.co.uk/education/gruffalo-trail

I don’t know many kids who haven’t gone through a Gruffalo phase and Thorndon Park has a great trail that follows the story of the little brown mouse. We first visited when Sebastian was two and he already knew the story so would get excited to see the next character as we followed the guided map. Knowing what was next was a great incentive to keep him entertained around the trail.

National Trust

nationaltrust.org.uk

When we’ve got a full day free, National Trust properties are our default option. For Christmas, after my son was born, my Mum bought us a yearly subscription to the National Trust. She’s now done this every year since, because we love it so much. There are a good range of properties about an hour’s drive away, which makes them a full day out.

We usually get the dirtiest at National Trust properties - running through fields, riding our bikes or building dens. And we’re almost always worn out after a full day in the wild. Each property has different family activities throughout the year that kids love. The most cost-effective way to visit the National Trust regularly is to sign up for the year, as individual visits are quite expensive. Many of them have well-priced cafés and in summer we sometimes take a picnic, which helps keep the cost down.

Dirt Factor:

Jason’s Tips!

Time Tip

Far too often we’ve spent ages deciding on where to go when we want to head out and get some fresh air. So, we’ve made a ‘Trip Jar’. In the jar we’ve written down all the places we like to visit on a piece of paper. And when we think of somewhere that might be fun to visit we stick it in the jar because I can never think of anywhere different to go under pressure! Then all we do is pick a piece of paper out of the bowl, pack what we need, and jump in the car.

Page-Turners This Season

Writer Sara Bragg rounds up the best new page-turners to get stuck into this Autumn

The Marriage Portrait

By Maggie O’Farrell

Headline £22.00

Carrie Soto is Back

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cornerstone £16.99

The Bullet That Missed

By Richard Osman

Penguin £15.99

The breathtaking new novel from the author of Hamnet, O’Farrell paints an evocative picture of Renaissance Italy. Winter, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is taken on an unexpected visit to a country villa by her husband, Alfonso. Lucrezia realises that Alfonso intends to kill her. The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.

Girl, Forgotten

By Karin Slaughter HarperCollins £8.99

Prom Night, 1982. By the end of the night, Emily Vaughn will be dead because of a secret. Nearly forty years later, US Marshal Andrea Oliver receives her fi rst assignment: to protect a judge receiving death threats. But Andrea’s real focus isn’t the judge - it’s Emily Vaughn. Ever since she fi rst heard Emily’s name a year ago, she’s been haunted by her brutal death. Nobody was ever convicted - her friends closed ranks, her family shut themselves off in their grief, the town moved on - so the killer is still out there. But now Andrea has a chance to fi nd out what really happened. From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six comes another irresistible slice of escapist drama as a legendary tennis player steps out of retirement in a determined bid to reclaim her grand slam winning record. Carrie Soto is back, for one epic fi nal season.

Breaking

By Amanda Cassidy

Canelo £8.99

A dazzling debut from a brilliant new voice in Irish crime fi ction. It’s every mother’s worst fear. In the Florida Keys, a child goes missing from the beach. Yet the police are immediately suspicious of Mirren. She was drinking at a bar - alone - shortly before reporting that her youngest child had disappeared. And then a small body is found dumped in the ocean. Is Mirren a heartbroken mother, or the architect of her daughter’s fate? Breaking will see readers question their own notions of motherhood, guilt and the inescapable consequences of the past. Osman’s beloved ageing investigators return in another captivating mystery. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart. To make matters worse, a new nemesis pays Elizabeth a visit, presenting her with a deadly mission: kill or be killed. Can the gang catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again? Cosy crime at its best.

Ten Years

By Pernille Hughes HarperCollins £8.99

A warm lovely read that will tug at your heartstrings. Becca and Charlie have known each other since university. Becca and Charlie have also hated each other since university. Until now. Until Ally’s bucket list. The death of their loved one should mean they can go their separate ways and not look back. But completing the list is something neither of them can walk away from. And sometimes, those who bring out the worst in you, also bring out the very best. Over the course of ten years, Becca and Charlie’s paths collide as they deal with grief, love and life after Ally.