Tabla de contenidos para December 2021 en The Simple Things

Weaving heritage Weaving comes home in seasonal style ➛ Tori Murphy honed her skills at a textiles house in Milan working for some of the most famous fashion names. When she returned to the UK, she set about using her know-how to champion home-grown craftsmanship. Tori’s pursuit to manufacture fabric in Britain was a challenging prospect, but she sought out like-minded weavers in Lancashire, finishers in Yorkshire and machinists in Nottingham to launch her debut collection of cushions and throws. The brand, which balances traditional weaves with modern patterns now includes cushions, throws, storage baskets and kitchen textiles as well as fabric. Of particular interest about now are the 100% merino lambswool Christmas stockings – a modern take on a seasonal classic, to be kept for years to come.torimurphy.com NEAREST…

GOING TO A CAROL SERVICE We began craning our necks to see where the choir was, then realised the beautiful melodies and harmonising on Ding Dong Merrily on High were coming from a single pew in the congregation. The little church, lamplit and strung with greenery, was packed with holidaymakers and locals at the carol service a week before Christmas, all looking to start the holidays with some robust and jolly singing of traditional carols. But it was elevated to something special by this family of six, who could really, actually, sing. Their faces glowed as their voices soared and as the final carol ended, the church erupted into spontaneous applause. I’m not religious and I never go to church ordinarily, but there is something special about spending a few…

Tonight revisitsChristmases past, raises ghoststo crack those old jokesabout Des O’Connor, drop invisible eggsinto brown paper bags, slapand tickle past-livesout of fireside slumber. Drive the thought of trafficout of our minds, enter litdark, the half-hush, takeour places and give ourselves over to the balmof nostalgia. We oweourselves these pleasures,after so much else, the sweets also, tucked awayin your pocket. As the lightsslip behind the timeand our hands fumble their way back to each other,for tonight, at least, we canand will believe, seeEric and Ernie, risen like sun on a dawnfrost, dovetailing as neatlyas they always did,surfing ripples and echoes. About the author: Completed shortly before his death in May 2021, Owen Lowery’s warm and generous The Crash Wake and Other Poems (Carcanet) memorialise the fragility and strength of life, the…

ADVENT BAKING Advent celebrations, of which baking is a vital part, are synonymous with German winter culture. Friends visit each other to exchange homemade cookies wrapped up with ribbons, and every German household offers up a Bunte Teller – a colourful plate of Advent biscuits. Much of the baking of Adventsgebäck is done as a family. It’s a messy affair with icing sugar flying around and sprinkles and silver balls skittling around the table. Never is the oven used more than during the run-up to Christmas and if ever there were a time for it to prove its worth as the real hearth of the home, Advent is it. » CHRISTMAS GUGELHUPF (Weihnachtsgugelhupf) A classic, enriched, yeasted dough cake – like a German version of a fruit loaf – just…

“Let’s not miss out on all the days leading up to Christmas in our rush to get there” As the light fades and the days grow shorter and colder, flora and fauna retreat back into the earth or withdraw into hibernation. This is traditionally the time for each of us to retreat within, too – both physically and metaphorically – to be introspective and evaluative, and to immerse ourselves in stillness, recuperation and healing. This may sound the antithesis of many people’s experience of advent, but the clue is in the meaning of the word itself. Advent, from the Latin adventus, means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’, and is applied to the last four Sundays before Christmas Day. It’s now associated with the anticipation of the anniversary of Jesus Christ’s birth and…

According to the Met Office’s website, here in the UK we get an average of a little under 24 days of snow or sleet each year. Whether this seems a lot or a little will depend hugely on where you live. In the Cairngorms, snowy conditions are an expected part of life, occurring around 76 days every year, while Cornwall gets at least a flurry on only 7.4 days. But the days when the snow actually settles are even fewer (and despite the romance of a white Christmas, most of our snowy days come at the start of a year). It’s understandable, then, that there’s childlike excitement when it does stick around. These photographs – some from the new book London in the Snow 1930-1970 (Hoxton Mini Press), to which…

“I GREW UP WITH MY GRANDMOTHER’S CHRISTMAS BAKING; IT’S A TRADITION I LOVE” Walk up the stairs to jewellery designer Julie Wettergren’s charming red brick villa, and there are already clues that the family who live here love to celebrate Christmas. From the candles that light the path, to the shrubs strung with lights that glow in the winter darkness, to the smell of baking that gives away the festive planning and making going on behind the front door. Julie, who lives in Hellerup, north of Copenhagen, with partner Christopher and their children, Conrad, 10, and Telma, 7, as well as their dog Holly, admits she has to try hard not to start celebrating the festive season too early. “In secret, my Christmas begins in October, when I soak raisins…

“I made these stockings myself and I’m really proud of them, but don’t look too closely! We live in an old coach house and this fireplace is in the old barn. We’ve just put a wood burner in the middle, so it’s going to look even better this year. Christmas is a really important time for me. I love decorating with the children and I always get the biggest tree possible, as well as a few new decorations. The branch above the fireplace hangs all year round and I decorate it for each season. We used to wait until my husband’s birthday on 7 December to decorate, but in recent years I’ve slowly moved it forward to the end of November and he doesn’t seem to have noticed!” Caroline Smith,…

Newark Antiques Fair > With up to 2,500 stands selling everything from vinyl records to rare coins, you’re bound to find a bargain somewhere at this long-running fair. Head to Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, 2-3 December iacf.co.uk/newark/ Crafty Fox Market > Shop some of the best modern makers at the first of Crafty Fox’s Christmas Markets. The two-day event on 4 and 5 December takes place at Mercato Metropolitano in London, which means you can also enjoy street food and drinks and make a day of it.craftyfoxmarket.co.uk Bundle Dyed Furoshiki workshop > Using the techniques of Shibori and bundle dying, learn how to use seasonal plant materials and natural indigo dye to create patterned fabric which can be used as reusable wrapping. The workshop takes place in Brighton on 14…

How to… be Santa It’s the eternal Yuletide paradox: just as children’s desire to see Santa reaches its height, the great man is unavoidably detained at North Pole HQ, overseeing last-minute preparations for his sleigh-borne odyssey. While the need for impersonators is quite clearly unavoidable, their burden is a heavy one – a wonky beard here, an unfortunate cry of “Ha-ha-ha!” there and youngsters might think that even Santa himself is a fraud. “YOU WANT TO BE BIG AND BOOMING, BUT NOT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU TERRIFY SMALLER CHILDREN” Happily, a professional is here to help. Every December, at half-hourly intervals, you’ll find Danann McAleer dropping down the capacious chimney in the great hall of Ashton Court Mansion, Bristol, to be met by another audience of awestruck kids.…

How long have you lived in the city? My husband and I are both from Perth, Western Australia and we moved to York in 2017, after my husband was offered a great work opportunity. I was 20 weeks’ pregnant at the time, so we’ve raised our very own Yorkshire lass while living here. *There’s no better way to get to the heart of a city than through the people who live there. Every month we ask someone, clearly in love with their city, to take us on a personal tour and tell us what makes it so special. You may feel inspired to visit one day, but for now just sit back, relax and enjoy some armchair travel. Tell us what makes your city unique York was founded by the…

Often described as ‘German gingerbread’, Lebkuchen are a traditional Advent bake and synonymous with German Christmases. First baked by 13th-century monks in Franconia, Lebkuchen were very basic, comprising of just honey, flour and spices. Historically, the dough was made at the end of October and rested until ready to bake in early December, as it was believed the dough improved over time. The honey acted not only as a sweetener but also as a ‘preserver’. Over the last few hundred years, sugar, butter, nuts, eggs, candied peel and raising agents have all been introduced to the mix. Many spices can be included and I often think the translation as ‘gingerbread’ is somewhat misleading. An authentic Lebkuchengewürz (Lebkuchen spice mix) comprises any combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, fennel, allspice,…

Rise and shine! How do you approach your morning? I always wake up with the most enormous ‘to do’ list. Having three school-aged children, I need to be highly organised! I usually have my first cuppa as soon as I’m downstairs, making it with one hand, while feeding our cats and making a packed lunch with the other. Once I’m on top of things, I put my creative hat on. Dare we say that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas? It’s Christmas all year-round at International Elf Service! I start writing the new Christmas letters each year from January to March, as well as making birthday, fairy and tooth fairy letters all year round. Christmas orders start from around June, ramping up to dizzying heights for our Christmas…

✪ Craic Adapted from the English word ‘crack’ it has become intimately linked to Gaelic culture and the Irish people’s well-earned reputation for fun, geniality and merry-making. ✪ Gemütlichkeit A German word to encompass comfort, cosiness, homeliness – the welcome embrace of a familial hearth. It’s that thing that we drive home for at Christmas. ✪ Mettā The friendly, loving kindness that Buddhists endeavour to extend to themselves and also to others. ✪ Pretoogjes Translatable as ‘fun eyes’, this Dutch word describes the twinkling expression of someone engaging in good-humoured mischief. Think corny cracker jokes and mischievous pranks. ✪ Sobremesa A Spanish term that literally means ‘on the table’ and describes the culturally vital tradition of sitting with family and/or friends at mealtimes. A practice as much about the connection…

The key to a solid gingerbread house is the ‘glue’ that holds it together. The best two sticky solutions we have found are… Royal Icing The cement of the icing world. Loved by our grandmothers for good reason as it’s a sure-fire way to make your walls stick. Simply whisk three egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. With a mixer on a slow speed, add 675g of sifted icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Finally add three teaspoons of lemon juice and beat until it stands up in peaks. Cover with a damp tea towel if not using straightaway. Caramel ‘glue’ Put 200g of icing sugar and 60ml of water in a frying pan (to give you plenty of space to dip) over a medium heat and,…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL Give the designated dish drier a bit of a boost with this 100% cotton design. Definitely interested in a second helping? You can also find this pattern on table mats, aprons and more besides. £12 from thornbackandpeel.co.uk WHEEL WORDS Create as many words of four letters or more using the given letters once only but always including the middle letter. Do not use proper names or plurals. See if you can find the nine-letter word using up all letters. Candy canes originated in 17th-century Germany. Some say the shape mimics the crozier of St Nicholas, who was a bishop. Or, it just made them easier to hang. “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” Valentine Davies, Oscar winner for Miracle on 34th…

Peter wasn’t there. Or at least, Maddy couldn’t see him: she had parked the car, was lingering outside the pub, under the porch. Through the thick mullioned windows, she watched them: the other diners, laughing in their festive jumpers, lifting glasses of champagne. And was on , and they weren’t having to cook. Soon, they’d be sitting eating salmon and turkey and mince pies, and other people – people Maddy very much hoped were being paid at least double-time – would bring the food, and take it away again, and then do all the washing-up, unnoticed, unseen. Maddy had never been out for Christmas lunch before, and now that she was here, a low gnawing guilt clawed at her – surely all the staff, in their tinsel boas and paper…

A life in the countryside Leaving their home in London for a slower pace of life in Somerset, bloggers Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford have built a smallholding around their stone cottage, complete with vegetable garden, a gaggle of geese, hives of bees, free-roaming sheep and a multi-coloured flock of chickens. The pair then use their homegrown produce to create seasonal recipes that taste of their rural home. Follow them: @the_seasonal_table. Christmas on the smallholding Winter brings glittering frosts, scarlet berries, and the promise of Christmas. December offers a welcome pause between the harvest rush and new year tidy-up. Mornings begin with pulling on wellies and woolly hats and heading out to top up the firewood baskets and tend to the animals. The geese and chickens are let out of…

Favorite shops NOUN An independent gift store selling gifts and homewares from around the world.nounyork.co.uk SHAMBLES Arguably York’s most famous street with many interesting shops, the Shambles is full of crooked timber-framed buildings (Think Diagon Alley, though JK Rowling denies it was her muse for her books) Favourite café PARTISAN A quirky café and art space serving a delicious, modern menu, excellent coffee and fresh baked treats. There’s a queue outside for good reason.partisanuk.com Favourite bar DYLS Based in the Motor House on Skeldgergate Bridge with fantastic river views.dylsyork.co.uk Favourite restaurant SKOSH Featured in the Michelin Guide, Skosh offers contemporary snacks and small plates in a relaxed atmosphere.skoshyork.co.uk Favourite hotel THE GRAND The epitome of style, a stay here is the ultimate experience.thegrandyork.co.uk Best view SORA This new sky bar…

Heiligabend, the evening of Christmas Eve, is when Bescherung – the giving and receiving of presents – takes place. It’s family time and, as dusk falls, we put festive music on, light the candles on the tree for the first time and share the presents. For Germans, Heiligabend is the pinnacle of Christmas. There’s often a pan of mulled wine on the stove and a favourite lunchtime meal is Kartoffelsalat mit würstchen (potato salad with sausage). We eat Abendbrot in the evening – open sandwiches, crackers, cheese and pickles. The table is decorated with the Adventskranz, all four candles lit, and a carousel with angels, shepherds and a manger all spinning gently. Instead of dessert, I dot Bunte Teller around the room for all to nibble at whenever they feel…

From early morning tea through to your bedtime drink, our brand new anthology will keep you company and be on hand to dip into. Inside are ideas, inspiration and information about ways to make the most of your day. Featuring our favourite good food and forgotten wisdom, mindfulness and microadventures, projects and pastimes, this everyday anthology is a companion guide to dawn, day, dusk and dark. Whatever the season, our 256 beautiful pages, curated by The Simple Things’ Editor, are full of reminders that there are plenty of quiet pleasures to be had and small ways to live well. Our latest slow book makes a lovely gift for anyone who enjoys a monthly taste of The Simple Things. Or maybe as a treat for yourself? BUY A COPY FOR JUST…

Natural centrepiece You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy festive centrepiece when there’s a whole host of foliage you can forage for the benefit of your table. Pine and holly from your garden work for a simple winter look, or buy some eucalyptus and thistles to go with the greenery, and perhaps some small succulents, too (ideally on moss or with a little soil), for a modern take. Then all you’re missing are a few candles for a bit of twinkle.…

DRIED WREATH By picking the right flowers and foliage, you can make a wreath that will dry naturally. When the festivities end, you can hang it in your house, ready to move it back to its home on the door next year. You will need: Clematis Heathers (Erica, Calluna and Gracilis) Gypsophila Pampas grass Fresh rosemary Honesty Natural dyed silk ribbon Natural jute twine Scissors (Our flowers are from: foliage.co.uk and flowersfromthefarm.co.uk) 1 Begin by making the base for your wreath – we used Clematis but you could also use ivy, willow or wisteria. Join several lengths of your chosen wreath material by twisting them together to make a circle – it doesn’t need to be perfect; in fact, a few stray twigs or branches will enhance it. 2 Tie…