Rain glistened off every surface as we sped by Dunmail Raise, the road was a running river and the mood a stark contrast to Northumberland where we had just travelled from, following our regular pilgrimage to the coast for some big skies and salt water. We had enjoyed bright and windy weather there but back in Cumbria, although it wasn’t late, the sky was as black as night. Further down the road yellow and russet leaves, late to fall, swirled along in the rainwater and it wasevident that autumn had come in on a storm.