The days are getting shorter and the mornings are getting frostier as the colder months arrive.

Social media users have branded this time of year the "cuffing season" - the period between October and Valentine's Day when people seek a romantic partner to snuggle up to.

The term has started to enter the mainstream in recent years - but is it real, and how does it affect people in Norfolk?

Annabel de Capell Brooke founded a local dating agency earlier this yearAnnabel de Capell Brooke founded a local dating agency earlier this year (Image: Annabel de Capell Brooke)

Annabel de Capell Brooke, founder of the Norfolk Cupid dating agency, has shared how she is helping her clients through autumn and winter.

"I've chatted to some clients about this and they seem to have mixed opinions," she explained. 

"It does ring true that in the summer everyone is out at barbecues and the beach but when winter hits it turns bleak and there is just not much to do - particularly in Norfolk.

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"The switch-up makes a lot of people feel lonely and wish they had someone to sit in and snuggle with.

"It can also be challenging to attend all the Christmas parties without a plus one.

"Several clients have told me they find it embarrassing to go alone and have to answer questions about their dating life."

'The switch up makes a lot of people feel lonely''The switch-up makes a lot of people feel lonely' (Image: Annabel de Capell Brooke)

In the same breath, a lot of her clients disagreed that their desire for love was a seasonal experience. 

"The people I work with are generally much more interested in something permanent and long-term - they wanted to find love in the summer just as much as they do now."

Ms de Capell Brooke, from Thursford, launched Norfolk Cupid earlier this year in hopes of helping people across the region find love again later in life.

She offers a bespoke service in which she sets her clients up on dates and acts as a "big sister and best friend" who supports them through every stage of their journey.

Her books are quickly growing and she is eager to meet people from all walks of life, aged in their late twenties and above.