As the summer season has well and truly ended and we head towards winter, many changes happen around us that make life worth living; from the colour changes of the leaves on the trees from vibrant green in summer to rich oranges and reds, to the crispness in the air and the darker evenings, now is the time to enjoy cosy evenings by the fire or at least drinks in a pub with a real fire if you don’t have one!
Halloween is an event that Windsor people take really seriously. In some of the residential streets that surround the town centre, Victorian Houses are often dressed up with all manner of Halloween garb to trick or treat the youngsters that gather each year with the aim of collecting as many sweet, sugary items as possible, often to their parents’ dismay! Many families take part in this annual ritual and children as young as 2 or 3 are often seen amongst the scarier teenage crews with hats and bats and all kinds of weird and wonderful costumes. It’s all done in good faith with the aim of letting children enjoy what has become an event to rival Christmas as 31st October is a date firmly on the British calendar thanks to our American friends who have been celebrating the holiday for decades.
The kids are off school now for a week or two and if that wasn’t enough, the clocks go back this weekend at 2am on Sunday (27th October 2019) so we get an extra hour in bed – although those with young kids might not see the benefit if they are early risers anyway, unless you have them well trained.
Make sure to get out and about through autumn – take a walk along the Long Walk to the Copper Horse Statue and watch the trees shedding their gold leaves. The view of the Castle from the statue is sensational on a clear day – take your camera – and your wellies!
Don’t forget Windsor Theatre and fabulous places like Cliveden House and Savill Gardens where you can easily spend a few hours walking through the grounds admiring the plants.
For a reasonably priced Bed and Breakfast in Windsor, try Alma House – with double rooms from £75 this autumn.
Set up by Nicola Brooker 48 years ago, when she thought the Windsor Festival, which centred on Classical music, was both too stiff and too expensive. The fringe continues to this day, continuing to provide cheaper (but no less fantastic) artistic experiences, celebrate the diverse range of artistic talent and provide a platform for local, young artists to promote themselves.
Walking tours seem to be the theme of Sunday with one from the Windsor guild hall, detailing the day to day trivialities of living in historical, Victorian Windsor. If this doesn’t take your fancy, try picking up a free map from Brewhouse Yard and take a tour through Eton College’s collectors trail. See the history of one of England’s most prestigious schools. For the Younger children there’s Wander Tales, the imaginary adventure through best loved stories. Kids are actively encouraged to express themselves through movement, sound and play during the performance.
The Royal Windsor Horse Show was bathed in early sunshine this year. The show was bigger than ever, setting record numbers for attendance and competition. This meant Windsor was bustling from the Turf to the Thames. Since its humble beginnings in 1943 the Windsor Horse Show has grown to over 140 unique events and attracts many from the horse world. Her Majesty’s annual visit to the show saw her present awards to winners of the Team Jumping and Grand Prix events. With a backdrop of the vast Windsor Great Park, the show was a beautiful spectacle for competitors and visitors alike. Whether they received their awards from the Queen or not, huge congratulations to all winners of events at the show.
Even if the range of equestrian events isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other attractions. Set in the historic Home Park, the horse show has created a shopping village for event goers to enjoy. Plenty of hand-crafted gifts, tailoring, clothes and home-wares for all the show goers to enjoy as well as delicious homemade food and a vast selection of beverages to enjoy on the day or to take home. Just a short walk away from Peascod Street shops there is plenty of diversity for any shopper. The dates for next year’s event have been locked in for 13th May to the 17th May 2020 so be on the lookout for tickets when they become available.
If you missed out on the event this year or are looking for another reason to get out in the sunshine with your pets, the Windsor Dog show is coming soon. Taking place on the 27-30 June, the show looks to be following the horse show’s record numbers. Starting this year, the dog show is open to all breeds of dog so competition is set to be stronger than ever. The show allows visitors to bring their dogs to spectate, which should make this a fun day out for all the family