Hitchin Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We highlight many of these businesses, organisations and individuals regularly in a feature called 'Up Close in Hitchin' as well as fascinating opinion pieces from our trusted cohort of Nub News contributors.

For today's opinion piece here's our regular Friday contributor with his brilliant column, Sparky's Hitchin View...

...............

'I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers'

L.M. Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables

I reckon that most of us need something to cheer us up at present and there might just be a glimmer of positive news from our botanist and dendrologist chums.

Apparently, this year's topsy-turvy weather (with a warm dry spring, a hot early summer followed by an initially soaking early autumn) means that 2020 is shaping-up to be an absolute classic for that greatest of seasonal shows: autumn colour.

As Tony Kirkham, head of the arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, says "there has been a lot of rain, which will help. If there is a little more sunshine followed by cold but not freezing nights, and no big winds, the show could be one of the best". Well, we can tick most of those boxes so far, but keep your fingers crossed.

Reports are already coming in from Scotland and northern England of spectacular forest and woodland displays. Due to their slightly colder climate they are a bit ahead of us, but this particular red and gold tsunami should now be heading our way.

As a result of my regular wanderings I can report that the change has started, but a large number of our local woods are still mainly green, especially those heavily populated by either English oaks and mighty beeches.

However, some trees are already turning: the silver birches have their first flushes of fluttering yellow, as do the hornbeams, and many of the poor benighted horse chestnuts are already as brown as can be - but this is illness in many cases, bless them.

It would appear that we are still on the cusp so there is plenty of time to pull on one's boots and get out and about. The forecast is dry for this weekend, too.

I am sure that I am right in saying that we all know at least a little bit about the processes that lead to the leaves changing colour and dropping in the autumn, mainly thanks to a combination of ancient school biology lessons and Countryfile, I'll wager, so I won't go over old ground here. But there's always the internet if you need a reminder!

Talking of both deciduous and evergreen trees, we mustn't overlook the reliable all-year-round-beauty of the latter as we lionise the autumn splendour of the former.

Evergreen trees, despite their name and reputation, do actually change colour and drop their leaves, but not necessarily in the right order (to misquote Eric Morecambe).

Pines, firs, holly, yews et al shed used leaves all year round, but usually not all at once. And their determination to stay forever green offers a stunning counterpoint to their showier deciduous neighbours throughout autumn and into the winter. The pagans thought this magical.

If you want to see both deciduous and beautiful evergreen trees living in perfect harmony (and handily in reach of your favourite Hitchin coffee shop) this autumn, then look no further than the splendour of our very own St Mary's churchyard.

There are over 20 individual trees thriving in these tranquil couple of acres: some old, some new, some borrowed (from Europe) and some blue. Er, I mean evergreen.

The weeping willows by the river are well known and offer shade in the summer, shelter in the winter and all year round climbing opportunities for fans of A&E; the mighty copper beech (one of two) by church house is by far the biggest and will, if given the chance, take over the world I reckon.

Give them a look. And there are also firs, limes and an odd specimen that my tree surgeon friend has identified as an Indian bean tree (Catalpa bignoniodes), whose large leaves are already turning.

All of these deciduous varieties should give you some excitement this autumn but what of the evergreens, I hear you ask?

Well, firstly there are several fine specimens of that old churchyard stalwart, the yew (Taxus baccata) and the best are by the railings near the opticians and the gentleman's outfitters.

But the finest tree in St Mary's churchyard is a grand example of a much-less-well-known evergreen species which shouldn't be hard to miss due to its conspicuous position and sheer size.

But I reckon thousands of passers-by (me and you no doubt included) have rarely given it a second glance.

The holm oak (Quercus ilex), is another evergreen, that is completely unlike it's more familiar and far more common deciduous cousin, the pedunculate or English oak.

The holm oak, or holy oak, is a native of countries bordering the northern Mediterranean and in 'mast' years Spanish pigs are fed on its abundant acorns giving their famous jamón ibérico its spectacular flavour.

This one has produced just a few acorns this year and I rescued a handful that had fallen forlornly on the pavement outside the Chic Bar as there were no Spanish pigs to snaffle them.

I will plant these and see what happens- there's not enough of these impressive trees around for my liking and this one rightly proves that you don't need autumn colour to impress.

But wherever you choose to look at the trees and enjoy this grand autumn show, be it in the town or out and about, enjoy it while it lasts.

The Wild West Wind ('thou breath of autumn's being' © Percy Bysshe Shelley) can strip off every leaf in a jiffy when it decides to howl.

And whatever God you choose (or none), please protect all of these places, especially magical St Mary's and its wonderful trees, with all of your might.

This is a very special place indeed.