Tabla de contenidos para July 2021 en The Simple Things

How long have you lived in the city? I live about half an hour from Siena, in the countryside. When I was a child, Sunday outings with my parents were often to Siena. We’d stroll from the historic seat of the Monte dei Paschi bank to Piazza del Campo, Siena’s glorious medieval central square, surrounded by the most elegantly dressed people I’d ever seen, stopping for roasted chestnuts in winter or a gelato in summer. Siena is also where I went to university. I’d get off the bus at the edge of Siena’s historic town centre, where the spectacular silhouette of the Duomo – the city’s cathedral – and San Domenico church greeted me. Tell us what makes your city unique Siena has preserved its magical medieval atmosphere and here…

Like all the best adventures,it started with a summer’s afternoon on a boat. What eventually became, in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, began as a story Charles Dodgson told to entertain the young daughter of the dean of his Oxford College. She begged him to write it into a book for her, and it briefly became ‘Alice Underground’ before Dodgson rewrote it under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. Perhaps it’s precisely because it was never intended to be a book, that generations of children (and adults) took it to their hearts. It feels somehow like a happy accident; a book that wasn’t meant to be. And which of us honestly hasn’t hoped they had a bit of Alice in them? She is, after all, the best sort of flawed heroine; charming…

• Know what’s important to you Making a list of your values, likes and dislikes can remind you of what makes you feel happy and what doesn’t. Spending time with people who share your values and preferences makes for a happier life and more authentic friendships. • Be a good listener When a friend confides in you, ask if they want your advice or if they’re just looking for support. Just listening itself is very supportive. • Set clear boundaries If you don’t have boundaries, you can easily get resentful. Bringing up something that bothers you, whether it’s a friend talking behind others’ backs or frequently cancelling plans or turning up late, can save a friendship. • Stick to your plans It’s fine to change your mind but don’t let flakiness become a pattern.…

• Despite a short-lived career in the ‘60s, The Shangri-Las often crop up on the covers front. New-wave punks Blondie covered Out in the Streets twice and ‘80s icons The Go-Go’s have performed Remember (Walking in the Sand) from their early days on the LA club circuit. • Cali-pop rockers The Bangles enjoyed a series of smash hits including disco slow dance fave, Eternal Flame. The same track went on to launch the career of Atomic Kitten in the early noughties. • There must be something in the water in Oakland, California. The region gave us both The Pointer Sisters and, two decades later, iconic ‘90s vocal group, En Vogue. The latter’s debut single Hold On marked them as one of the first R&B girl groups paving the way for…

Summer bouquet The summer months see an embarrassment of flowers to choose from, but there’s nothing better than an armful picked from your own garden (or a generous friend’s). It also means you can add any bud or leaf you think looks pretty. This bunch sees gladioli, cosmos, phlox, larkspur and several varieties of sweet pea, along with raspberry leaves – so you can eat the berries, then snip off a few stems to fill out your vases. Not only will they last just as long as the flowers, you can also dry out the leaves on a tray and turn them into a herbal tea, too. Flowers and a cuppa in one!…

PROUDLY HOMEMADE After falling in love with pająk, the bright, colourful and utterly joyful decorations of her home country Poland, Karolina Merska, who runs art and interiors shop Folka, has made it her mission to keep the craft alive… “Steeped in history and symbolism, Polish mobiles are enchanting folk decorations, traditionally made from straw, paper, wool, feathers and dried peas. Variations can be found all over Eastern Europe, and even in Scandinavia, but none are as bright or colourful as the Polish ones. Back home, these mobiles are called pająk (pronounced ‘pah-yonk’) or pająki (the plural). Delicate and light, these chandeliers often hang from ceilings around wintertime, spinning gently when a stray draft would breeze through the home. Unfortunately, their origin and full history is difficult to uncover, as not…

• When planting on a very steep slope, choose plants that will spread quickly, self-seed and need little maintenance. Agapanthus, crocosmia, red campion, geraniums and lady’s mantle are my go-to plants, and they don’t mind the strong, salt-laden winds. • Plant relatively closely together and it will cut down on the weeding you need to do, which is handy if your beds are steep or hard to access. • Add terraces to a slope – it’s worth the effort as it makes things so much easier. Doing this has enabled us to improve our soil, water young seedlings effectively and grow a much wider variety of plants. Cuthbert’s Brae opens to the public 24–25 July, 12.30–5pm, through scotlandsgardens.org…

The batter rises, the fruit buckles the surface, but tasty by any name STRAWBERRY SUMAC BUCKLE Serves 8-12 For the crumb: 100g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 65g plain flour 25g ground almonds 60g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 2.5cm cubes 60g chopped blanched almonds For the cake: 250g plain flour 50g ground almonds 1 tsp ground sumac 1¼ tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp salt 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 200g granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract Zest of 1 orange 160ml soured cream 200g strawberries, hulled and halved Icing sugar, for dusting 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan160C/Gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper. 2 Make the crumb…

Home in print Shaped like a boulder and with load-bearing walls, the first legally habitable fully 3D printed house recently welcomed its first owners. Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers moved into the two-bedroom bungalow in Bosrijk in the Netherlands in April. As a printed house, it was both cheaper and more ecofriendly to construct, as it used less cement. Equal marriage For 184 years only fathers’ names have been recorded on marriage certificates, but finally, the way we register our nuptials is being brought up to date. Mothers’ names and details will now also be recorded, giving both equal recognition in law, and no doubt helping future amateur genealogists. Star vaccines In the race to vaccinate the world against Covid, Bhutan paused to seek advice from the Zhung Dratshang Buddhist…

Favourite shops THE AGRICULTURAL CONSORTIUM OF SIENA I buy local products such as oil, bread, wine and pasta here. capsi.it ANTICA DROGHERIA MANGANELLI Established in 1879, this is the place to buy Sienese cakes, liqueurs, candied fruit, spices and regional specialities. drogheriamanganelli.it Favourite gallery ALVALENTI AlValenti is a local illustrator, and comic book creator.alvalenti.com Favourite café CAFFÈ FIORELLA Both a coffee roasting enterprise and a café, they also sell delicious filled croissants. caffefiorella.it Favourite restaurant SALEFINO With vintage furnishings and soft lighting, Salefino offers traditional cuisine with a twist.salefino-siena.com Favourite market THE FARMERS’ MARKET AT LA LIZZA Held every Friday morning, selling seasonal produce. Viale Cesare Maccari Favourite hotel B&B PARADISO N.4 A small B&B, on the fourth floor of an ancient building. The breakfast is outstanding.paradiso4.com Place to see…

As a child I was fascinated by TV cooking shows and whenever I got the chance I would sit in the kitchen and watch my mother cook. But it wasn’t until I left home for my university studies that my love of cooking turned to Syrian cuisine. I missed those flavours; I missed the hospitality of my parents’ home. So, in my attempts to stay connected to it, my parents and my homeland, I started to prepare my favourite foods. It turned out that my culinary daydreaming, helped along by my mother’s recipes, resulted in a tangible, edible way of reminiscing. I would send my mother pictures and she would return them with comments. This is how I learned, slowly but surely, to make Syrian dishes myself. I was born…

Whether you’ve swooned along with Be My Baby, belted out Eternal Flame along to the radio, or shuffled into ascending formation to recreate B*Witched’s Rollercoaster, you’ll know the pure pop adrenaline of a great girl group. While we undoubtedly love them, these groups don’t always get given their due respect. From the golden age of Motown to the feminist-fuelled sounds of the ‘90s, girl groups have shaped the musical landscape for close to a century. The definition of a ‘girl group’ is as straightforward as being ‘a group of female singers who harmonise together,’ but in truth it encompasses slickly manufactured ensembles, rowdy punk rockers and all kinds of musical tastes in between. Credit for being the first all-female group goes to the Three X Sisters from Maryland. Pegged as…

1 The number reached on the US Billboard 200 by The Supremes’ The Supremes A’ Go-Go, the first album by an all-female group to do so. They knocked The Beatles’ Revolver out of the top spot. 3 The number of women in Salt-N-Pepa, one of the first all-female rap groups in history: Salt, Pepa and DJ Spinderella. 12 The number of times TLC’s timeless debut CrazySexyCool went platinum. 98 The current number of members in Japanese troupe AKB48 whose eight albums have sold over 60 million copies, making them the fifth best-selling girl group alongside Destiny’s Child. 113 The number of chart Billboard hits for The Andrews Sisters with 46 reaching Top 10 status (that’s more than both Elvis Presley and The Beatles).…

Burrata with burnt peaches and basil Serves 2 2 flat peaches or 1 large white peach, pitted and quartered 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 6-8 basil leaves, largest roughly torn 20g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped Juice of ¼ lemon 125g burrata 1 Set a griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and allow it to warm for 3-4 mins. 2 Brush the peach flesh with a little olive oil, then place on the (near-smoking) pan and leave to colour for 2-3 mins. Turn with tongs and char any other cut surfaces. Transfer to a chopping board and cut into 1-2cm pieces. 3 Put the diced peach in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the basil leaves over the peach, then add 3 tbsp of the olive oil, along…

Look at a map showing all the waterways in Britain, and you’ll see a sprawling mass of squiggles. Ever wondered why you can’t see these rivers or streams in major cities? That’s down to our Victorian ancestors who were masters of controlling waterways. They engineered culverts – basically covers – to enable roads, streets and buildings to be constructed over them. As such, there is an entire network of rivers, streams and brooks hidden below our feet. Recently a movement called ‘daylighting’ has been experiencing a surge. This involves returning these covered channels to open water, essentially removing the ‘lid’ and allowing rivers to follow their natural courses once again, and with it the wildlife and healthy ecosystems they support. Daylighting has already been successful in Liverpool with a project…

Sandwiched between arty and edgy Margate with its art galleries and rollercoasters and up-and-coming Ramsgate with its picture-perfect marina, sits the seaside town of Broadstairs. All quintessential seaside charm thanks to sandy beaches and ice cream parlours, Broadstairs has seen tourists flock to it for hundreds of years. When it was time for a new adventure outside of London, designer and printmaker Virginia Armstrong decided to make this Kentish town her home, buying an Edwardian house a stone’s throw from the sea to be nearer her sister who already lived there. “I was looking in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, which may be close together but have very different vibes. Broadstairs in the middle is probably the most sedate and smallest of the three, but it has quite a creative community…

“There is nothing better than coming down here, before anyone else wakes up and the sun is pouring in. “I adore the shutters in this room, which we lovingly restored. It is my studio where I paint because the light is so good. It’s my sanctuary. The garden view through the doors brings me great joy and inspiration. I love to watch the seasons from here.”Victoria Alderson, Yorkshire Dales @victoriaaldersonart “This room is the most used in the whole house. We can sit for hours watching every imaginable type of weather roll in - often four seasons in the same day!”Judy Stafford, Cheshire @cobblestones_and_wells “I love the way the sunlight moves into the garden by midmorning. The light floods into the kitchen and I can smell the mint and roses…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL Aloha! Kitsch Kitchen take us on a fantasy adventure with this design – transporting us to Hawaii, and also back in time. Daydream worthy, and definitely a nice distraction from drying up. £12 from wagreen.co.uk MATCHBOXES PUZZLE “I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer.”Toni Morrison Know your maritime flags –this is 'V' or 'Victor': flown to signal “I require assistance.” It's not an urgent cry for help – for that you'll need your 'N' and 'C' flags to be hoisted. The PRACTICAL, the PLAYFUL and the SILLY It’s love-all with these three uses for old tennis balls. PRACTICAL: carefully cut open the ball. Then simply use it…

I found this basalt boot, the size of a plum and rock solid, when I was seven years old. I so clearly remember skipping around the Giant’s Causeway and seeing it beneath my plimsolls, its tie laces just showing, looking for all the world like a fairy queen’s lost shoe. Yes, I was a rather precocious child, reading non-stop and convinced that fairies and leprechauns and even causeway giants existed. I picked it up and ran to find someone to tell. Mum pocketed it and shooed me away and on our return home Dad got out his fine-nibbed pen (the ones I was not allowed to touch) and wrote the date at the top. I ceremoniously placed it by my bed and stared at it before sleep and after waking…

Maker of the Month Textile twist: capturing the essence of a bygone era Upholsterer Sarah Jane Hemsley’s range of textiles are inspired by her childhood on the Isle of Bute and mid-century patterns. The Bulloch Collection features a trio of designs using original screen printed ink drawings by local artist Lyn Bulloch. While some designs offer a never ending sea or sky, others depict the images as tableaux, but all are connected by a vibrant colour palette. The collection includes cushions, lampshades and washbags and can also be purchased by the metre for your own craft projects.sjhupholstery.com After dark Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark by Chris Salisbury Moths, bats, badgers, voles and bioluminescence (a greeny-blue light that radiates from rotting wood in damp, dark…

Morning, tell us about that first precious cuppa. My first work day cuppa is almost always the best of the day. I drink it in the kitchen looking out into my garden. (My first cuppa at the weekend is very different, usually brought to me by my husband and sausage dog Lemmy) First cuppa done. How about work? I teach floristry at the Tallulah Rose Flower School, so I’m usually knee deep in flowers. I leave home around 8am and it’s an uplifting 10-minute car journey. After years as a fashion buyer, I took a one-day bouquet course with Jane Packer and one thing led to another! Fifteen years later, I still absolutely love flowers. What do you love best about it? That’s easy, it’s being able to help ‘Tallulahs’…

Creaks and sighs, the boat, the little boat. On the water, a little mussel shell, the little boat. Wind blows the little boat to creaking. A woman on the boat, sighing, lifting her skirt. Lifting, the skirt, lifting in the breeze, all blue. A woman on the boat, dancing a light dance. All creaks and sighs, the boat, the little boat. Three napkins on the table, all blown away. Three seagulls surfing the breeze above the boat. The boat is blue and rocking like a cradle. The sea, sighing, full of crabs, rocks the boat. Creaks and sighs, the boat, the little boat. A woman on the boat, dancing faster than gulls. Lovers holding hands on a pier somewhere. Dancing, always dancing, the woman, the gulls. Sighs thrown out into…

1967 Born in Winnipeg, Canada 1990 Graduates from medical school, and begins her five years of obstetrician/gynaecologist training. 2009 Joins Twitter, where she now has 339,000 followers. 2010 Publishes first book, The Preemie Primer (Da Capo Lifelong Books) for parents of premature babies, followed in 2019 by the bestselling The Vagina Bible (Piatkus). 2017 Starts writing a regular New York Times column. Also pens her vaginal jade eggs open letter to Gwyneth Paltrow. 2019 Publishes Ted Talk Why Can’t We Talk About Periods?, viewed over 2,800,000 times. Hosts docu-series Jensplaining on Canadian TV. 2021 Publishes another bestseller: The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism (Piatkus)…

The girl groups who changed the world (who you’ve probably never heard of) The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were one of the first female aggregations of the 1940s Big Band era. The 17 women made up of Chinese, Haitian, Mexican, and African-American performers played live shows across the US for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, Fanny were the first all-female rock band to release a debut on a major label in 1970, undoubtedly paving the way for fellow leather-trussed queens of noise, The Runaways, seven years later. And who said our listening needs to be limited to Anglo/American starlets? K-Pop (‘Korean Pop’) girl group Blackpink snuck into the Guinness World Records, when their single How You Like That received more than 86.3 million views in its first day, making it the…

Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) The Crystals Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy The Andrews Sisters Jump Children The International Sweethearts of Rhythm My Boyfriend’s Back The Angels Jumpin’ Jumpin’ Destiny’s Child Wannabe Spice Girls Biology Girls Aloud He’s So Fine The Chiffons Baby Love The Supremes Automatic The Pointer Sisters Cruel Summer Bananarama Be My Baby The Ronettes Overload Sugababes Leader of the Pack The Shangri-Las Remember (Walking in the Sand) The Go-Go’s Never Ever All Saints No Scrubs TLC Hold On En Vogue Shoop Salt-N-Pepa Black Magic Little Mix Rollercoaster B* Witched Ain’t That Peculiar Fanny Cherry Bomb The Runaways Kill This Love Blackpink Dancing In The Street Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Mr. Sandman The Chordettes Eternal Flame The Bangles ヘビーローテーション (Heavy Rotation) AKB48 Rebel…

Flights: Locks are used to raise water levels up and down to allow boats to traverse uneven ground. A flight is when a series of several is found one after another. Caen Hill flight on the Kennet and Avon Canal is one of the longest in the country – with 16 in a row. Not to be confused with a ‘loch’, the Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Scots word for lake. Lifts: Used as an alternative to locks to move boats between waters with extreme height differences. Scotland’s Falkirk wheel moves vessels from the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union Canal via a huge rotation. While Cheshire’s Anderton boat lift transports them from the River Weaver to the Trent and Mersey Canal. Tunnels: Cleaved through hillsides, some tunnels are over…

With local beaches Botany Bay, Joss Bay and Viking Bay all having been awarded Blue Flag statuses, it’s not surprising that Broadstairs is known as the ‘Jewel in Thanet’s crown.’ The seafront home of Charles Dickens, the town’s most famous resident, has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the author. And while it’s always busy during summer, the town is particularly packed during the Water Gala, with air displays and fun fairs, not to mention Broadstairs Folk Week with concerts and gigs held throughout the town.…

Many of us inland dwellers have spent the last year fantasising about escaping to the coast for a breath of sea air, a spot of beachcombing and a proper fish-and-chip supper. With so many sharing the same dream of a seaside getaway, the trick is finding somewhere special to stay that’s close to fun things to do, while providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of popular resorts. Balance is achieved, with some ease seems, on a in north Devon, where a tranquil hideaway with star-studded skies and spectacular sunsets soothes the spirits after a busy day adventuring. Where we stayed Under canvas at Longlands, a small site in a sheep-grazed valley just outside the coastal village of Combe Martin. Run by Tammy and Jeremy Smith, it has five…

Lavender Not just for sweet dishes – try it like Queen Victoria accompanying your favourite roast. In her case, mutton enjoyed the purple reign. Borage Known for attracting bees, you’ll be as busy as one: using the flower in desserts; the leaves and stalks in savoury sauces, or even filling ravioli. Chive Try its flowers’ gently oniony flavour in soups, or add to cheese and butter, and you’ll soon be experiencing a purple patch. Courgette Stalk the male flowers (the spindly ones without fruit) to keep the veg-a-growing, then fry or stuff for Italian tastes without the travel. Sunflower Enjoy sunny side up: progress from the seeds to advanced sunflower eating by trying sprouts and petals in salads and leaves as your greens. Nasturtium Colourful flowers, for peppering up your…

The smell of chlorine as I pushed through the turnstile took me straight back to school swimming lessons – standing on the side of the pool, staring down into the water, shivering with fear and cold as I waited for my turn to jump. I nearly turned round and walked out. I had to force myself to carry on into the changing room. To my relief there were cubicles – I didn’t have to undress in public. It took some tugging and wriggling to squeeze myself into my old swimming costume. I looked down at the scar that snaked its way across my leg, the skin shiny and puckered around it. I hoped no one asked me how I’d got it. Half the swimming pool had been roped off. Over…