THINKING of date ideas takes a lot of time, effort and creativity – and then it inevitably ends with a lot of money being spent.
Over the years, my partner Jade and I have been on a range of dates. We’ve sat on a swing in Bali, visited a thunderstorm spa in Milan and put our money on black in Vegas for it to come up red.
We’ve done the traditional nice meal dates, walks with nice views, cinema trips and museums. Mercifully, we’ve yet to do bowling.
But one new date we went on last weekend was pumpkin picking at Bickton Manor Farm off the A338 in Fordingbridge, just past Blashford.
For the men who are unaware, women love being taken to a pumpkin patch. They love the photo opportunities that stem from it.
Yes, standing in the middle of a muddy field in Hampshire is good for an Instagram post because it’s “cute” and “aesthetic” and “a vibe”.
Even somebody who hates mud such as Jade (despite running around a muddy field with her horse every weekend) enjoys trotting around a pumpkin patch.
During our visit, the first weekend of several days in October when the pumpkin patch is open to visit, there were several families who dressed up in their best clothes to get dirty in front of the camera.
Most of them looked like they had just walked through Bicester Village. One was even wearing a suspiciously clean gilet, checked shirt and boots.
The staff at the farm have clearly recognised there’s a market out there for this. I’d imagine, given the need for diversification on farms nowadays, a pumpkin patch is like gold to farmers.
But it doesn’t stop there, because at Bickton Manor Farm there is also a murder mystery carved out among the corn maize crops. I won’t give away any spoilers, but it was tremendous fun.
It’s a genuinely good day out for a family or a couple on a date at Bickton Manor Farm, and because you’re in the New Forest there’s plenty more places to see and eat at once you’re done.
And best of all, the five pumpkins we eventually picked after all the photographs were taken will soon be cooked into a delicious starter for our next free date.
Entry is free and all activities are priced separately, available to buy on Picking Patch’s website.
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