A season of golden leaves and melancholy tidings

Autumn is in full throw now. The trees are shedding their leaves at pace, and every so often a neatly piled stack of leaves appears in the park, only to vanish mysteriously soon after.

The season seems to fit the unrelenting outpouring of dark and dank news concerning whatever is happening to the economy. Normally boisterous London is quietened by a pervasive gloom. Newspaper headlines compete vigorously with one another to promote the greatest misery. Look elsewhere in search of glad tidings.

A brief vignette played out in the park earlier. A young couple, sitting on a bench, produced a bottle of champagne with accompanying flutes and made a private toast amongst themselves, smiling despite the evening chill.

There's good news out there if you search for it.