How much do I love November? Let me count the ways...

I love it when the clocks go back at the end of October.  I don't care about the extra hour - I could take or leave that actually, especially on a Sunday when time always ticks by excruciatingly slowly anyway.  No - I love the clocks going back because it signifies the onset of lovely November, which is without question my favourite month of the year.  The reasons for this are many and varied, and go as follows:

The beginning of shorter days  Yes, I know I'm probably a bit mad for liking darker and shorter days, but I really do.  I love it when the sky goes dark before 5pm; there's something irresistibly cosy about it, even if I'm out, or somewhere not-very-nice like someone else's dingy office.  If I am out, and I have to travel home on a dark evening, then even journeys on packed trains and buses feel stupidly cosy.  

Atmospheric weather... The weather in November is perfect.  Cold but not yet absolutely freezing; all the leaves are still a beautiful mix of golds and reds set off by moody greying skies.  Perfect for wrapping up in coats, scarves and gloves and taking long walks, then coming home, closing the curtains and putting the fire on.

...leading to atmospheric thinking  I'm sure I'm more creative in winter.  I certainly always feel compelled to write more, and for some reason I'm always the most happy with my wintry witterings than my summery splutterings (this blog post excluded, obviously!) 

Music makes more sense  The music I like tends to be at its most listenable in onset-winter.  This excludes Kylie, whom I just can't listen to when the days go short and dark (unless it's on a dance floor!) But it's in November that I start dusting off Scott Matthews, Ryan Adams, Laura Marling, Freddie Stevenson and Feist - admittedly that selection doesn't make for wild party-ness, but I'm sure my soul is richer for it.

(Many years ago, a friend introduced me to Ryan Adams' music.  I wasn't that enamoured at the time, but he fervently insisted that it wouldn't be long before the songs would ingrain themselves and I would end up thinking of Ryan as "the best singer-songwriter around".  It's a shame I don't see him any more, because I know he'd be pleased that I'm starting to think he was right).

It's the 'good part' of Christmas onsetting  Maybe it's because I'm not a parent, but I've usually lost all interest in Christmas by the time December comes round.  In November everything's still shiny and new and it's too early to be truly cynical - sparkly displays start going up and people excitedly talk about the plans they've made.  Then December comes and all the hard work starts and you realise it's all looming uncomfortably close; you actually DO have to spend an entire fortnight with the family and you start eating and drinking too much and people get you rubbish presents that prove how little they REALLY know you (always disappointing; never mind expense, actual thought really does count as far as I'm concerned), and you've heard all those crappy songs so many times your brain is starting to pickle itself in its own juices and...well, let's just say that in November Christmas is just a "nice idea".

If months were represented in colours, November would be a rich, velvety purple; soft and comfortable and full of character.  So I say...bring on the onset of winter!