High Season for Country Clobber

Archie Hume of A Hume Country Clothing breathes a sigh of relief as he packs away his shorts and slips back into his tweeds.

Early autumn is a great time for seasonal produce. Home growers are still reaping the rewards from their veg patches, enjoying beans, courgettes, the last of the tomatoes and the first of the squash and pumpkins. The weeds aren’t growing with quite the same ferocity and the bulk of the chores are over in the garden for the year. The worst of the hard graft is almost over on the arable farms too, where there’s an end in sight to the annual harvest endurance test. Combine engines have fallen silent for another year as farmers all over the land take their first opportunity in months to go out for a pint - then immediately fall asleep in it. No wonder it’s called the mellow season. The early months of autumn are amongst the driest of the year and there’s still a little warmth to be squeezed out of the sun. Country gents can, with a sigh of relief, pack away their shorts and polo shirts before easing back into their tweed jackets, experiencing the same sense of comfort and homecoming that comes with sinking into a favourite armchair after a hard day. If ever there was a season for country clobber, then this is it. Down our way in the Scottish Borders there will be plenty of tweed on the Tweed as fishing folk flock to the river for what’s said to be the most prolific autumn salmon run in the Scottish rivers. Most likely there’ll be lots of waders too, technical waistcoats, gilets and a smattering of baseball caps and sunglasses for the less traditional fishermen and women. We welcome lots of men and ladies who come to fish on beats of the Tweed. Some return year after year for their annual autumn fishing trip. The game season is also well underway triggering a very welcome influx of visitors to Scottish Estates, as well as good sport for the locals, even more so when the pheasant season kicks off. Speaking of sport, there’s a different atmosphere to the early autumn mornings this year. Japan may be the land of the rising sun but we’re the ones getting up early to tune into the Rugby World Cup action. Pubs have been opening early to show the matches and friends and fans have been gathering to enjoy a spot of bacon buttie breakfast rugby. I’m no exception… though I’m deeply envious of those who’ve followed Scotland to Nagasaki. I do love the summer, but an autumn of rugby softens the blow of letting go. Of giving up on the hope that the weather will be stunning, that every year will be summer 2018 and instead rising to watch the latest rugby clash, then getting out there to enjoy what’s often the best season of the year in our glorious countryside. Now that doesn’t sound bad does it?