All to play for

Does the abundance of rowan berries really forecast snowy days and a hard winter, muses Tessa Waugh , as a home meet draws people of all ages, stages and pre-dawn routines

Tessa Waugh wonders whether lingering in Downton Abbey waking dreams might be more enticing than rousing two teens for autumn hunting, but finds herself pleasantly surprised

While the countdown to autumn trail-hunting is on for Tessa Waugh , she enjoys a day in excellent company at the local agricultural show, where her sheep wow the judges

Middle age throws up some surprising laughs for Tessa Waugh and friends hacking home from a meet, as they grapple with “phone-based practices” usually employed by younger generations

An early-morning dog walk through the woods sees John Lewis-Stempel coming face to face–or skin to spider silk–with the industrious magic of a September dawn

30-minute birder Amanda Tuke sees the benefits of being distracted by birds at home, and on the coast