Five Centres

I don't know about you, but I find summer rather depressing. Give me slate-grey skies any day. It would be fine if I could spend the days running through a garden sprinkler in my trunks laughing. But instead I have to suffer the stifling tube, or a hot bus, and mean kids in packs roaming the streets shouting (in Camden).

And I'm not big on summer clothes either. I like jumpers. I don't mind if it's sunny when I'm on holiday - in fact I insist on it, if I'm going to a sunny place. But in London, it's the pits. Pubs are bursting onto the pavement, with bright young things braying over Magners, there are too many crowds and it's, just, well a little bleak.

Log fires, casseroles, dark at five, cold mornings, snow, lashing rain, falling leaves, woodsmoke, windscreen wipers full pelt, hot coffee, stretching out on the sofa for cosy films like Seance On A Wet Afternoon, in the afternoon. That's what I want.

Roll on autumn.