IT was all going so well; ethereal mists giving way to impossibly blue skies and golden sunsets that rounded off a perfect Indian Summer. Last week a classic autumnal high pressure system was in place, the sort normally reserved for continental Europe, not an island.

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Autumn colours this week at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark.

Then the rains came. Nothing to match Saturday's apocalyptic downpour on the Riviera, but damp, dank mizzle that chilled the bones enough to get us looking enviously at Tenerife's weather forecast.

Fear not, though, winter is still a way off and today we are set for a return to sunny weather, albeit not as warm as last week, with promising conditions forecast for a good few days. And that should produce a spectacular display of fall colour.

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Early morning at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark.

The most vibrant hues generally result from dry summers followed by dry, cold nights, but the recent spell of fine weather and chilly evenings has partly made up for soggy August. Not only that, despite summer being the coldest and wettest for three years, sunshine levels were actually higher than average, which is why the gold and russet cloaks now adorning our trees are more impressive than anyone could have hoped for a few weeks ago.

There's even a few surprises. Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton may be famed for rhododendron blooms in May, but this picture was taken on Tuesday. Just as odd; Beningbrough Hall still boasts apple blossom.

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An incongrous rhodedendron taken this week at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark.

However, we are fast approaching Keats' season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and it has a spookier side too. Longer nights bring with them tenebrous tales, none more than the legends of Samhain, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of year's 'darker half', when veils between the spirit world and this were believed to be at their thinnest.

With the dead more readily able to mingle with the living, care was taken to appease their souls, lest they turn malevolent, by giving presents to strangers who come to the door.

It's the root of Halloween; something to bear in mind when those pesky trick-or-treaters call round.

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Early morning sun streaks through the trees at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark.

Here's ten more more autumnal facts.

Equinox comes from the Latin equi (equal) and nox (night) accounting for day and night being of equal length. The Autumn equinox always falls on September 22 or 23, but because the Gregorian calendar is not in perfect symmetry with the Earth's orbit, the equinox occasionally falls on September 24. This last occurred in 1931 and won't happen again until 2303.

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Autumn colours line the Ouse in York. Picture: Matt Clark.

Before 1500 autumn was called harvest because of the harvest moon that occurs closest to the equinox.

Fall is not an American affectation. It was used in England during the 16th century as a shortening of the phrase 'fall of the leaf'. We adopted the French automne into common usage in the 18th century.

Research shows that babies born in autumn are more likely to live to the age of 100.

Swedish scientists followed more than 800 healthy women over six years and found that they lost the most hair in the autumn months.

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Tree funghi at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark

Human testosterone levels are highest in autumn, possibly because of ancient mating instincts.

People who live on the equator never witness an autumn.

As the days shorten there is not enough light for photosynthesis to occur, so trees begin to reduce the amount of chlorophyll in their leaves. Deciduous tree leaves also contain a chemical called carotene, which has a yellow colouring. During summer it is masked by the green of the chlorophyll, but as that begins to break down, leaves naturally turn yellow.

Demeter was the Greek goddess of grain and harvest. Autumn began when her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to become his wife in the underworld and Demeter laid a curse on the world causing plants to wither.

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Montpellier Stray Harrogate. Picture: Matt Clark

Zeus sought Persephone's return, but because she had eaten while in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. So it was decreed Persephone would spend four months each year with him. During that time Demeter grieved for her daughter's absence by withdrawing her gifts from the world. Persephone's return brought spring with her.

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Tree funghi at Moorlands Nature Reserve near Skelton. Picture: Matt Clark

Autumnus was the Roman god who represented the abundance of nature and the time of the fruit and nut harvest.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering at Woodlands, contact Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on 01904 659570, e: volunteering@ywt.org.uk