I don't know anyone who makes rosehip syrup anymore, but both during and after the Second World War, children were paid a few pence for collecting a bag of the hips to make into the syrup. It is extremely rich in vitamin C, an essential which was in short supply at the time.
The hips also have another use, one that I had forgotten until my children, oh so kindly, reminded me. The seeds of the hips act as a highly effective itching powder, and, placed unnoticed in my socks, caused feverish scratching and much merriment until my daughter, Anna, eventually admitted the prank.
There are all sorts of high jinks to be had in the autumn. Supreme among them are conker fights. The Michaelmas term at my prep school was dominated by conkers and carols. I hope the current headmaster at the school hasn't gone all namby-pamby and banned the mighty conker fights. Holding a conker dead still as your opponent takes a mighty swipe at it is a test of nerve that does nobody any harm.
We have ended up with a society that worries feverishly about our children taking risks, but worries little about the experiences and adventures that we deny them.
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Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
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Exploring the countryside is essential for our wellbeing, but Right to Roam is going backwardsCampaigners in England often point to Scotland as an example of how brilliantly Right to Roam works, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, says Patrick Galbraith.
