Windfall.

[Speedbird-1]

Autumn colour has started its slow creep across the English countryside.
A bright but misty September morning, revealed a fresh crop of assorted windfall fruits in our garden.
The Perpetualis varigatum-GTI Theobroma cacao Helveticus seems to have done well again this year.

[JParm]

16710 for the win! Beautiful pic.

[brandrea]

Beautiful photo ... the circus of autumn

[Cazador60]

Lovely picture. Cheers

[breitlings]

beautiful picture. thank you for sharing. How were the apples?

[Case61]

Gorgeous pic, like a Monet (if Rolex had been developed by then and Monet were a fan).

[kwcsports]

Great pic

[RW16610]

That's a lovely shot The GMT is a special piece.

[Burlington]

Excellent photo ! Yes the joys of autumn are here now

[thesharkfactor]

Nice pic. It was at this time of year I would go chestnut hunting when I was a boy. I did it with my kids and they didn't get it, kids don't play with chestnuts in the playground anymore it seems.. he had never even heard of it. It's all tech' now..

[crew]

Great pic!

[Speedbird-1]

Thank fellas, you're all very kind.
I would love to be able to post the original, but by the time I've reduced photo's
'to fit' they've lost all sharpness. Any tips, anyone?

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Nice pic. It was at this time of year I would go chestnut hunting when I was a boy. I did it with my kids and they didn't get it, kids don't play with chestnuts in the playground anymore it seems.. he had never even heard of it. It's all tech' now..

In the UK, Kids are banned from playing 'Conkers' in the school playground on -'Health and Safety' grounds.

Originally Posted by breitlings

beautiful picture. thank you for sharing. How were the apples?

We inherited a few very old Apple trees, no idea what the varieties are.
It's been an exceptional year for fruit of all kinds. Some of the apples are lovely
to eat, others, not so, a bit too sharp. Probably cider apples.

[Patton250]

What a great picture. Jealous of those of you who actually experience autumn. I do miss it.

[SoTaxLaw]

This pic would make a nice seasonal banner for the top of the TRF screen

[1William]

Nice picture.

[Old Expat Beast]

Those conkers bring back memories. Sad, but not surprised, to hear of their disappearance from playgrounds.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Those conkers bring back memories. Sad, but not surprised, to hear of their disappearance from playgrounds.

Kids are required to wear protection if they want to play, these days.
Lord help us, if we ever have to: "fight them on the beaches" etc....

I lost one eye, a thumb a forefinger and a kneecap, playing conkers......made a man of me though.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Kids are required to wear protection if they want to play, these days.
Lord help us, if we ever have to: "fight them on the beaches" etc....

I lost one eye, a thumb a forefinger and a kneecap, playing conkers......made a man of me though.

I lived over the road from a small woods with several huge conker trees, and could climb every one of them (without a crash helmet, ropes or safety net, of course, this being the 60s and 70s) to the top year round. The only real hazard of conkers was accidentally skewering the palm of your hand when making the hole for the string!

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Kids are required to wear protection if they want to play, these days.
Lord help us, if we ever have to: "fight them on the beaches" etc....

I lost one eye, a thumb a forefinger and a kneecap, playing conkers......made a man of me though.

Now that brings back memories

[Psmith]

Nice pic Sir

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I lived over the road from a small woods with several huge conker trees, and could climb every one of them (without a crash helmet, ropes or safety net, of course, this being the 60s and 70s) to the top year round. The only real hazard of conkers was accidentally skewering the palm of your hand when making the hole for the string!

Ah, yes, Adam, the ol' meat skewer, a dangerous tool in the hands of an inexperienced
conker warrior!
Did you ever bake yours, or pickle in vinegar a particularly suitable example?

(For the uninitiated, these processes were supposed to harden the Conkers.
In my experience, they tended to shatter like a Christmas tree glass bauble, at the first contact with another, well aimed blow.)

My wife impressed me the other day whilst collecting the fruit of the Horse Chestnut tree, she picked a conker up and declared "look, a Cheescutter"
A girl, recognising a Cheescutter! What's the world come to?

Ps. We were collect conkers, as local legend has it that spiders don't like them.
And, as we seem to have more than our fair share of 'Daddy Longlegs' in the house at the mo', we're going to give it a go.

[Speedbird-1]

Anyone for a quick game of conkers?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Ah, yes, Adam, the ol' meat skewer, a dangerous tool in the hands of an inexperienced
conker warrior!
Did you ever bake yours, or pickle in vinegar a particularly suitable example?

I never did (honest!), but I always had a bucketful from which to fill my pockets each morning.