Autumn Leaves and the Grass is Jewelled...

Fabio's Conker

At the top end of the marina, nearest the road are a row of willow trees. I love willow trees. They remind me of an Andy Pandy book I had as a child, where Andy and Teddy went for a picnic under a willow tree whose branches touched the ground and made a green tent all around them. I always wanted to do that.

Our willow trees are not in tent territory. That’s because they are embedded in concrete at the side of the A13. It’s also because they are regularly trimmed by the staff at the marina who have a rather slash and burn aesthetic when it comes to gardening. Mostly our willow trees look like small dogs who have gone to the groomer’s and come out with a severe fringe and an inferiority complex.

As is their way in autumn, the willows are busy, shedding what leaves they have been allowed to keep. I enjoy watching them fall into the marina. Slender slivers of buttery yellow that twist and tumble until they land. A splash of brightness against the dark green depths of the water, sailing off to distant shores.

Or Woolwich, depending on the current.

Down one side of the marina we have a long, avenue flanked by horse chestnut trees. It has been a bumper year for conkers and there are great clumps of them cascading down onto the path. There are so many that even the squirrels can’t keep up. I walked past a squirrel eating one the other day. He took umbrage at my silent stare and turned his back on me. Even from the back you could see what an effort it was to eat. His whole head was vibrating like a jack hammer and his little elbows flexed and quivered as he shunted the nut round and round in his paws. It’s a work out.

Walking back from the doctor’s through the scrunch and crunch of leaves and the silky thwump of another conker payload yesterday, I really, really missed having small children for a few, intense moments. I said this to Oscar when I got home. He carried on making a sandwich the size of a small block of flats and then said: ‘Fabio’s got one.’ (Fabio is his best friend). I had no idea what he was talking about by this stage. ‘Fabio’s got one what?’ ‘A conker. Fabio found a really excellent conker last week. He showed it to me.’ I said: ‘Was it excellent?’ He said: ‘Yeah. It was,’ and went to his room to watch TikTok.

It was nice to meet my little boy again for a moment.