Summer appears to have left the UK well before the end of August. Strong westerly winds and rain are giving the country a distinctly autumnal feel, although we are still a month from the equinox.

But when does autumn actually start? Well ,it depends who you ask!

In meteorological terms, it’s fairly simple – each season is a three month period. So, Summer is June, July and August; Autumn is September, October and November, and so on.

But astronomically, the seasons depend upon the Earth’s position relative to the sun with seasons changing at the equinoxes and solstices. So autumn starts on the Autumnal Equinox (about Sept. 23rd).

However for many people, particularly those fortunate enough to live in the countryside, autumn is considered to have arrived when the leaves on oak and beech trees start change colour, and ripe sloes and elderberries can be found in the hedgerows. So depending where you are in the country, autumn will arrive at slightly different times.

Which ever definition you choose, it doesn’t alter the fact that we are moving from summer to winter, that the country is cooling and the daylight hours are getting shorter.

So here are a few tips for our readers who use solid fuels for heating:

– Does your chimney need sweeping? Did it miss that spring clean? For health and safety reasons, it is important that chimney sweeping does take place at least annually, and perhaps more regularly dependent upon usage. Consult your local sweep.

– Organise your wood pile. If you have a woodburning stove, then you may have had logs seasoning over the summer months. Now is a good time to check their water content and move them into the log shed to finish drying. Alternatively if you purchase your firewood, then beat the rush and put in that order top up your stack now.

If you have a solid fuel fire or boiler, why not treat yourself to a Grenadier Electric Firelighter, and take away the hassles of lighting with matches. And for those fortunate enough to already use a Grenadier, check its operation as it probably hasn’t been used for months. We supply a complete set of Grenadier Firelighter spares to ensure it will continue to give decades of service.

Then you can look forward to the delights of Autumn – bonfires, conkers, chestnuts, kicking crunchy leaves, local apples and pears…….

What do you like best about Autumn??