Autumn Leaves at Rufford Abbey

Nature and Autumn always seem to work together to create the most beautiful colours, for the last few years we have headed out into the woods to play amongst the leaves and this year was no different.

We headed up to Rufford Abbey, a usual haunt for some autumn leaf action. It started off as a sunny autumn day but no sooner had we got our wellies on it started to cloud over. But for us it didn’t matter, we all had our waterproof coats and wellies on, wrapped up so we were snug and warm.

We played in the woods, throwing leaves, running and jumping over logs, then we looked for mushrooms and acorns and talked about the seasons.

The children climbed the trees and even rode them like horses and the ever changing season never failed to give us something to look at and play with.

As we walked through the woods we saw a log pile, so all of us broke into the Gruffalo story, it is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday morning, reciting one of our most favourite stories.

As we got towards the ford it started to rain, so we watched a few cars splash through the water and then headed into the café for a warming sausage roll and hot chocolate, a standard for us on our winter visits.

It carried on raining so we headed back around the river, covered by the dwindling canopy of the trees, the little miss still munching away on her sausage roll and me holding on to the last bits of warmth from my hot chocolate. We came to some rather sodden and hungry ducks who were eager to eat any crumbs that dropped off my daughter’s sausage roll, we befriended a duck who followed us like a little puppy.

As we came out of the woods the rain had stopped but the wind whipped round our ears and so the children decided they wanted to go home and snuggle on the sofa, but not before they pretended to be birds flying with the giant leaves they had found.

I love Rufford Abbey and the fun we have there, it is a place we visit all the time and we still manage to find something new to explore or see. The ever changing seasons offer up new colours, fauna and wildlife and that's why we love it.

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No Such Thing As Bad Weather

With the weather in England being more than a little unpredictable, you have to be prepared for everything from wind and rain, to sunshine with a bit of snow, all on the same day sometimes.

Last year, we were sent some Helly Hansen waterproof clothing for the family and some fantastic matching wellies for the children, they haven't left our adventures since. So, when they asked if we'd like some fleeces to try on our glamping adventure holiday last month, we obviously said yes.

The fleece jackets are so toasty and warm, whilst also being light weight and comfortable. Meaning we could all wear them under our waterproof jackets to layer up without looking too much like the Michelin man!

Being lightweight meant that they could be worn instead of a coat or cardigan, perfect for jumping about or digging in the sand. The colours are great for children, my daughter loved her sorbet coloured fleece and my son, being a little more reserved, liked his navy with its light blue piping. With little loop holes for their thumbs, it meant they could keep their sleeves down whilst they explored, meaning no cold wrists.

When combined with the waterproof trousers, I think the fleeces look fantastic and they are so bright and just what you need to get children wearing them.

But it's not just the children who love theirs, I love mine too, the colour is great and the arms are the perfect length, even for my long arms. The perfect finishing touch to an outfit for some rock pooling and cool beach walks, I love the softness and the pink detailing on the zips.

Thank you to Helly Hansen for sending us these fabulous fleeces and keeping us warm on our seaside adventures.

NB: We were sent these fleeces for the purpose of this post, all words and opinions are my own.