WITH the schools back for a new academic year and the air decidedly less balmy, the change of season is almost upon us.

These girls embraced the transition from summer to autumn back in 1977, playing in a carpet of crunchy leaves in Blewbury, near Didcot.

Pictured here are Candida Cochrane, left, and her sister Annabel, who were aged five and six respectively at the time.

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It is not quite clear if we caught them at a candid moment or if our photographer persuaded them to dive into the pile of leaves in the name of a good picture - we bet their parents were thrilled with the clean-up operation if it was the latter.

According to the Met Office, autumn will start this year on September 23, according to the Earth's axis and orbit around the sun.