Dear mummy, on a beautiful sunny Autumn day we headed to Netley, Southampton in Hampshire, to pick some pumpkins for Halloween – but came away with a lot more than that!

Pickwells had been recommended by a family friend and we visited on a quiet Monday morning during term time. It was great for a toddler like me to burn off energy by pushing a wheelbarrow and picking fruit. ‘Pick your own’ is a great day out and it was fascinating to find out where my food comes from.

There is no entrance fee to Pickwells and you pay for what you pick. There is a nice farm shop on site as well. It’s a family-run business established in 1985 and the ‘Pick & Pay’ fields are open from 9am-4.30pm, seven days a week from April-October. Address: Grange Road, Netley, Southampton, SO31 8GD.

We had great fun walking around the fields in the bright sunshine spotting the fruit and veg and enjoying the wildlife. We could hear the distant traffic in the background which was a close reminder that Pickwell is sandwiched between the M27 and Southampton City Centre. But to be here, looking up at the blue sky and the fields, it was like we were in another world.

I’ve always been a good eater and will try my hand at anything put in front of me, including greens, so this trip was a real eye-opener for me. I loved finding out where my food came from and how it grew. Even my mummy was educated by Grandma, who had come along for our adventure and had been brought up on a farm.

We had fun hunting down the pumpkins while walking through the fields. We saw them sparkling like orange jewels against the blue sky their twisted vines lying on the ground. There were also rhubarb fields, strawberries, broad beans, peas, and raspberries as far as the eye could see.

I loved having something to show for my efforts and was very proud of my wheelbarrow haul. I was desperate to get home and start cooking my corn and even helped my mummy boil it with lemon and sugar to soften it up.

It was lovely picking and cooking veg on the same day and we could definitely taste the difference between shop bought corn on the cob and the fresh from the field veg.

We would highly recommend this as a fun, healthy and educational activity and we came away with 4 pumpkins, 3 large ears of corn on the cob and a punnet of strawberries all for only £8!! Really good value and a great family experience.

As you can see the proof is in the pudding and it was my first time eating corn off the cob! Very yummy!

Love Bella x