Autumn

It's official; as of this weekend, Autumn has begun and naturally, as an optimist, I'm looking forward to it. The crunchy leaves, the rosy cheeks, the amazing telly and above all ... the excuse to buy a new coat. There's loads to love, so for your delectation, here's a gallery of scrumptious seasonal highlights.

Cinemagraphs

   

Did somebody ask for a blog filled with beautiful pictures perfect for scrolling through with a cup of tea on a rainy Friday afternoon? Thought so - The Optimist is here to help. Take a look at annstreetstudio.com, the stunning blog from Jamie Beck and Kevin Berg.

I love Richard Curtis

He's the man that brought us Renée as Bridget Jones, tore our hearts in two when he reimagined the life of Vincent Van Gogh for Doctor Who, introduced us to The Vicar of Dibley and even had a hand in the script for War Horse. Oh, and he's the writer of Love Actually which also makes him responsible for the painfully cute scene between Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln which spawned a million flip board marriage proposals, plus ... he made Colin Firth speak Portugese.

Cheltenham Spa

Fancy a stay-cation? Well The Optimist's taking the hard work out of deciding where to go - by choosing for you! In each of my insider's guides, I'll pick a different UK destination, then give you a run-down of all its hotspots and highlights. To make my compendiums a bit different to the average guidebook though, I'll be sharing those little known gems that are usually missed by tourists, for those that want to experience something out of the ordinary on their visit.