Table of contents for 1-Apr-2015 in The Simple Things

ROSIE BARNETT Rosie is a food and craft photographer who has photographed our Notes on... series since issue six. What would you secretly love to know but have never asked? I would love to know what goes on in an animal’s mind! JASON INGRAMS Jason is the Garden Media Guild’s Garden Photographer of the Year for the second year running. He shot the One Pot Gourmet ideas on page 46. What would you secretly love to know but have never asked? If Ansel Adams were alive today, would he approve of instagram? RUTH TIERNEY Ruth read history of art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, giving her a lifelong love of all things painterly. She writes about con artists on page 84. What would you secretly love to know but…

LOUISE GORROD The Simple Things’ wishlist editor Louise is a Hove-based writer, baker, photographer and author of blog Buttercup Days www.buttercupdaysuk.blogspot.co.uk Forest Dweller pots | £16 each Woodland creatures and succulents in a winning combination: what’s not to like? www.anthropologie.eu Copper mug | £12 The shiny, mirrored finish turns tea drinking into a luxe affair. www.lunaandcurious.com Labyrinth iPad case | £39.95 Made from a snazzy canvas print with leather trim, there is no smarter way to carry your tablet. www.the-pippa-andike-show.com Philosophical honey | £25 Three jars, each sourced from the birthplace of a different Greek philosopher. www.theschooloflife.com/shop Polar Bear table | £125 A furry friend to support your bedside reading. www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk Ladle | £12.50 What a handsome thing this copper ladle is, and perfect for soup. www.marksandspencer.com Stacked Shelf System…

To enter the draw you need to tell us what you think of The Simple Things. Now that we are independently owned we’d like you to help us deliver the best magazine we can. All you have to do is fill in our online survey, tell us a little about you, what you like about The Simple Things and what you’d like to see in the future. We promise not to be too boring, but as an incentive to get to the end, we’re going to offer a £200 Anthropologie gift voucher to one lucky reader.* Inspired by the worlds of entertaining, art and individual style, Anthropologie is a one-of-a-kind shopping destination, offering an aspirational assortment of home décor, fashion, accessories and gifts. Their House & Home collections are characterised…

Chef Richard H Turner, an aficionado of nose-to-tail eating, is on a mission to improve the welfare of pigs – “a good life and a humane death” will lead to “jaw-droppingly good meat”. With this in mind, he serves up haunch of wild boar, and smoked pork jowl toast with pickled ear. Flaskpannkaka, a light and luscious pancake, with Scandinavian lingonberry preserve and candied bacon pecan popcorn are on the menu, too. As well as Noel Rankin’s outrageous bacon, bourbon and butterscotch mince pies: “there really is no goodness in them at all, all the room is taken up by the bad… but bloody hell, they taste so good you may never want to eat anything else again.” Recommendation indeed. (Mitchell Beazley, £25)…

There is nothing of the showman about Nell Gifford today. Dressed simply in jogging bottoms and trainers, her blonde hair scraped back off her face, it’s hard to equate this slightly frazzled-looking 42-year-old nursing a mug of tea in a hired rehearsal room in Stroud, with the rowdy glamour that is the Nell of Gifford’s Circus. In the fifteen years since she and her husband Toti launched their travelling show out of a bevy of painted vintage wagons that tour the south west each summer, Nell has dazzled in scarlet and gold Ring Master’s garb; set hearts racing astride rearing ponies; and left children crying with laughter as another custard pie splats in her face. But it’s been a hectic week; rehearsals for 2015’s season are imminent, and it’s only…

CHÂTEAU GRÉZAN, CHARDONNAY 2011, LANGUEDOC, £11 Match with: Chicken pie Style: The buttery pastry and savoury chicken filling require a full-flavoured white with a hint of minerality and acid, to cut through the richness. This is full-bodied yet fresh, with hints of rich, ripe pineapple. PRINCE TAMAS DRY FURMINT, TOKAJI, £14 Match with: Cabbage dish with honey and thyme glazed carrots Style: This Hungarian white has a light, fresh character, balanced with a hint of pear and tropical fruit richness. A perfect partner to light, crisp vegetable dishes. QUEVEDO TAWNY PORT, £11 Match with: Chocolate mousse and candied orange peel Style: This delicious fortified wine has a sweet and silky style, making it an ideal match for the chocolate mousse. With aromas of marmalade and dried fruit, it would also…

Picture the scene. Woodsmoke billows out of a soot-blackened shed, curling round the rooftops of the ancient fishing village that has become famous for its fragrant smoked fish. Now put that image out of your head. Tim Matthews’ award-winning smoked foods are prepared in an electric kiln that looks like a giant fridge, which sits in his garden at Trimley St Martin near Felixstowe in Suffolk. Yet that hasn’t stopped them being served up on super yachts, on private jets, in Michelin-starred restaurants and at British Embassies all over the world. A former ‘posh estate agent’ – he was an acquisitions manager for a property-buying company – Tim’s always loved good food. When he couldn’t find smoked salmon that met his expectations, his wife, Gill, bought him a smoker so…

POPPY TREFFRY Poppy Treffry has been making quirky gifts and accessories based on her illustrative designs for the last 15 years. From her studio in Cornwall, she sends her products all over the world.www.poppytreffry.co.uk Set the scene for your first cuppa of the day. I live in a small granite cottage in Penzance with wood floors and wonky walls. The first cup of builder’s tea is what gets me up in the morning – that and marmite on toast. Tea and toast devoured. What’s next? I have a 10-minute cycle ride out to my studio, which is in the woods just outside Penzance. The day-to-day running of the business involves everything from building shelves and balancing the books to designing tea towels for shops like Anthropologie. Sounds busy! Let’s break…

BREAD IS THE ORIGINAL Easter treat food. Centuries before the Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate home from Mexico and paved the way for the invention of the chocolate egg, Christians were celebrating the holiest day on the calendar and the breaking of the Lenten fast by indulging in rich, sweet loaves laced with butter, fruits and spices. Different European countries have their own Easter breads: Ukranians have babka, Croations pinca. But few wear their religious symbolism quite so flamboyantly as the Greek tsoureki – not even our own hot cross bun. The three-braid plait shape represents the Holy Trinity. And pressed into its crust, hard-boiled eggs – symbolic of new life and renewal – are dyed bright red to denote the blood of Christ. Eye-catching garnishes aside, what elevates tsoureki above…

Don’t rush this. It’s your home for the next few nights and you want to get it right. 1. Arrive in daylight. 2. Put the kettle on so by the time you are done, tea will be ready. Do not open beer until tent is erected. 3. Work out where the sun rises and sets and whether you want a sunny bedroom in the mornings or your front door to the setting sun. 4. Avoid hollows and low ground; this is Britain, it probably will rain at some point. Hedges make good windbreaks. 5. Clear your flattish site of stones and sharp sticks otherwise it’s like The Princess and the Pea. If you have to camp on a bit of a slope, put your pillow end at the top of…

Ever wonder what would happen if you lobbed a seed bomb into a shabby urban wasteland? Or, instead of galloping along the usual route to work, you took time to really see what you pass by every day? Leaping Hare Press (an imprint of Ivy Press) is about encouraging moments like this – a mood of mindfulness – whether it’s during the working day, strolling through the natural world, baking bread or heading out for a spin on a bike. The books present “edgy, exciting subjects from passionate, expert authors,” says Nikki Tilbury. They’re all about “helping us to embrace those little creative steps that engage us as individuals and communities with each other, and the natural world.” With the mystical hare as their emblem – “fast and free, rare”…

Few flowers say that spring is really here like the primrose*. Its cheerful flowers are a fanfare for warmer, brighter days; their pale-yellow, heart-shaped leaves a symbol for all that is fresh and new. You may come across a clump on a wander through a wood (primroses favour clay soil and damp habitats) but don’t be tempted to pick any. Buy a pot and transplant into a pretty vintage cup for instant delightfulness. * The word ‘primrose’ comes from the medieval Latin ‘prima rosa’ meaning first rose of the year. Although they are not actually a rose, of course, they just have rose-shaped flowers.…

1 Group your collections. I love Danish teak candlesticks, and grouped them together with other things in the same material, like my bird by Danish architect Kristian Vedel. I put my collection of single bud vases together on a table, too. 2 Be selective. Once we came up with the look of our apartment, we were rigorous about what to include and what to leave out. 3 Don’t be afraid of contrasting colours. I love to combine yellow with the colours of the sea, and red with green. It brings out the luminosity of each colour. 4 Resist perfection. I hate it when an old building is totally sanitised and its original features removed. We sanded the floors in our flat to reveal the beautiful old planks, for example.…

MARK DIACONO is a green-fingered foodie who grows, cooks and eats the best of the familiar, forgotten and climate-change foods on his Devon smallholding. His book The New Kitchen Garden (Saltyard Books, £25) is an essential handbook for growing to eat. IN APRIL, I always think ‘this is my favourite month.’ I admit that I say the same about May and June, but hey: for four weeks, I’m in heaven. It’s coat on/coat off, sunshine and showers, and the dawn chorus almost beside itself with excitement. April is full of scents too: fruit trees in blossom, the broad beans in flower and the early spicy leaves of the Szechuan pepper. It’s a month of muddy knees and elbows, caused by getting down low to look for shoots. First up, it’s…

THE MINDFULNESS COLOURING BOOK Intricate patterns and scenes, from waves to wild flowers. BEST FOR: Those who like their hobbies to come with a therapy tag. £7.99, www.panmacmillan.com COLOUR THERAPY Seven sections of stress-busting colouring, each highlighting a different shade. BEST FOR: Colour purists who firmly believe blue and green should never be seen. £12.99, www.mombooks.com DECORATIVE DESIGNS Complex designs inspired by the Mandala, the Hindu and Buddhist symbol of the universe. BEST FOR: Spiritual souls with spare time and a good set of felt tips. £7.99, www.mombooks.com…

You can imagine this slim volume poking out of the anorak pocket of a 1940s ornithologist as he squints through his binoculars over choppy waves. The joy of it is in the colour plates (by R.B. Talbot Kelly) that depict the sea birds in action gobbling (herring gull), crouching (turnstone), piping (oyster catcher) and courting (fulmar petrel). The cover (by Enid Mark) shows the same birds in more sedentary poses, perching handsomely on rocks. So attractive is this image that we think we can see it as wallpaper, actually (*very niche business idea*).…

AKEBIA WHAT IS IT? A must for a choc-o-holic with green fingers – it’s not called the chocolate vine for nothing... Forms of this quirky climber have plum-brown flowers that appear in spring with a fragrance that’s a mix of spice and vanilla. Grow over a pergola or train it up a wall. Many forms are semi-or fully evergreen, so bring year-round interest. WHY WOULD YOU? Modern day plant hunter and owner of Crûg Farm Plants, Sue Wynn-Jones says, “Thanks to their unusual colour and scent, akebias are a great talking point. Vigorous climbers, they’re easy to care for – just prune back after flowering and if they become too woody. They’re great value in a small or large plot, too, as they don’t suffer too much from pest and…

TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE AND AMBITRANSITIVE VERBS A transitive verb allows the subject to perform an action on an object. She slapped his face. He pulled the cord. An intransitive verb acts by itself. I sleep ( I cannot sleep something) . I fall ( I cannot fall something) . Transitive verbs with one object only are monotransitive (I corrected my teacher). Verbs with a direct object and an indirect object are ditransitive (The teacher threw a book at me). Some verbs can be transitive in one sense and intransitive in another. These are known as ambitransitive verbs. Transitive He drank his coffee. She read the menu. Intransitive He drank like a fish. She read during…

Patrick Barkham has written beautifully about butterflies and badgers; here he turns his attention to the beach. In a series of ambling strolls, he visits some of the 742 miles of coastline in the care of Enterprise Neptune, the National Trust’s coastline campaign which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The walks range from the weird to the wonderful; from the eerie Orford Ness, ‘a wilderness of hazardous waste’ left over from its time as a war office island, to the strange enchantment of Lundy. He explores caves, paths and coves, tells tales of smugglers and artists, watches migratory birds stopping off for their annual visit, and ponders how we’re shaped by our island life and the surrounding seas. (Granta, £20)…

This mother and daughter duo blazed a trail through the world of feminism and literature; Wollstonecraft with A Vindication of the Rights of Women and Shelley with the classic novel Frankenstein. They never really knew each other – Wollstonecraft died when Shelley was only a week old, but they followed similarly pioneering lives, courting controversy and praise in equal measure. This book charts their unconventional romantic and working lives and cheerleads their intellectual achievements. (Hutchinson, £25)…

TRY THE UKELELE It’s the instrument du jour. Sales in Britain have doubled over the last five years to around 250,000 a year and groups and orchestras are popping up everywhere. As instruments go, they’re cheap to buy, and with only four strings, easier than the guitar. Why not join the club? SET YOUR SERIES LINK The final seven episodes of Mad Men start this month. It’s all been predictably hush-hush in terms of story lines but we do know to expect a whole new fashion extravaganza as the show moves into the 1970s. 9 April, Sky Atlantic. GO CHOCOLATE CRAZY The fabulous Rococo Bunny Band look far too good to eat, but then we know how good this chocolate tastes so don’t expect these musical bunnies to last long.…

From clever ideas and amazing architecture to nature at its most beautiful, we’re loving all things Dutch right now (see My City on page 74 and our garden feature on page 110). Along with the famous tulip fields that are in full bloom this month, another wonderful spring display is the ‘spring snow’ in Amsterdam. From around 21 April the city’s 75,000 elm trees scatter their seeds, creating a shower of fragrant elm confetti. There’s an 8km walking and cycling ‘Elm route’ through the city, from the elm arboretum to the city’s botanical garden and special art installations around the city inspired by the spring snow. If you can’t manage a mini-break, you can now experience the scent of the canal elm trees with new fragrance Eau Amsterdam, designed and…

Sneer at the cape at your peril. This under-appreciated garment is transitional dressing (*fashion term alert*) at its best. It’s just the thing to shrug over almost anything when there is still a nip in the air. Its generosity of fabric makes it a layering natural: there is plenty of room under there for vests and jumpers, no matter how bulky. The absence of sleeves is, of course, the cape’s USP. Basically a cone of fabric with slits for your arms to poke through, it is like a spruced-up poncho or a tailored pashmina. It fulfils both those garments’ function of a quick, throw-it-on wrap, providing warmth and snugness in a jiffy. Best worn with skinny jeans and boots (turtlenecks like Jackie O’s, pictured, are optional), it looks dashing with…

BABA GANOUSH Smoky, smooth and sumptuous, this Middle-Eastern dip transforms aubergine from a spongy vegetable into a creamy, heavenly treat. The plants are pretty too: soft purple flowers appear in early summer, followed by dark or striped violet-purple vegetables. Cha Cha chives add fun, with their swirly leaves. GROW ME 1 packet aubergine Amethyst F1 seeds 2 pots chive Cha Cha 2 pots apple mint (Mentha x gracilis) 1 seed tray 1 container, 45cm/18in in diameter Multipurpose or soil-based compost General organic vegetable fertiliser Sow aubergine seeds in late winter; plant in spring. 1 Fill the seed tray with compost. Thinly sow a handful of aubergine seeds and cover with about 5mm/¼in compost. Place on a windowsill or in a heated greenhouse or conservatory – the seeds need a temperature…

The Danes seem to have got it just right. Old-fashioned charm blends with forward-looking design and cutting-edge gastronomy in a country that regularly tops the charts for happiness and quality of life. This land of 406 islands is also a paradise for cyclists. When you pedal along the beachside cycle paths and quiet country lanes of rural North Zealand, you’ll find a blissful blend of peace and beauty. But there’s also a haven of mini-adventures waiting for you, from Hamlet’s castle to sweet treats at a chocolate factory. All you need is a bike and a willingness to embrace the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hooga’) – a unique mix of cosiness, camaraderie and contentment. 1. VILLA BRINKLY The Villa Brinkly Hotel is imbued with a light-but-comfy atmosphere and a…

How to make a toasting fork Take a metal coat hanger and bend it about 10cm from the end at a right angle. Then snake the bent end into curves to make a ‘shelf’ for the bread. Lay a piece on the shelf you’ve created and hold over campfire. Campfire popcorn Find a stick long enough to hold at arm’s length from the fire. Put 1 tsp oil and 1 tbsp popcorn kernels into the centre of a large piece of foil (note: bring foil). Bring the corners together, sealing them firmly to make a pocket, leaving enough room for the corn to pop. Make a loop wth excess foil to hang over stick. Hold over white-hot part of fire, shaking constantly until corn stops popping. Serve with salt or…

The year is 1986, the scene is a courtroom in Honolulu, the crime is art heist on a grand scale. Charged with stealing authorship of his wife Margaret’s paintings of saucer-eyed waifs, Walter Keane’s bluff is about to be blown wide open. After meeting Margaret in San Francisco in 1954, Walter, an estate agent, began exhibiting and selling his wife’s art, pretending it was his own. More than that, he kept her in virtual slavery, forcing her to churn out more and more, signed simply ‘Keane’, so that he could reap the rewards. And they were plenty – the American public loved the kitsch paintings and bought originals and prints in their millions. While Walter lived the high life, Margaret was imprisoned in her tiny studio for 16 hours straight,…

It’s hard to credit now, surrounded as we are by invisible technology, but teenage life in the 1950s to early ’70s revolved around a small box in a bedroom and a pile of plastic discs. The record player was the place to huddle excitedly with friends and a clutch of singles. Up to seven 45s could be stacked on the central spindle and played one after another, thumping on to the turntable before being brought to crackling life by a dusty needle. Back in those days, record players came in latched boxes, with handles, built-in speakers and amplifiers enabling portable grooviness. As the decades rolled on, the record player grew increasingly fanciful (and more house-bound) with the arrival of stereo, separate amps, speakers and turntables. Many a hi-fi geek speculated…

We gardeners tend to be a thrifty lot so if there’s an opportunity to reuse something that would otherwise be consigned to the bin, chances are we’ll give it a whirl. However, often our attempts at recycling can revolve around the same tried-and-tested ideas: tying old CDs to sticks to scare birds, using worn car tyres as containers or repurposing empty plastic bottles as cane toppers or cloches. All good ways to reduce the strain on landfill sites maybe, but not the most stylish way to embellish our backyards. Thankfully there are creative souls on this earth who seem able to transform effortlessly unwanted items into things of true beauty. Take Dutch graphic design duo Petra Janssen and Edwin Vollebergh, who turned an old garage and yard into a home…

The short walk to the bottom of the garden can feel like a journey to another realm when the destination is the shed. Close enough to the house to feel safe but far enough away to feel separate, the shed is the perfect place to escape, even if it’s just for half an hour. Once inside, with the doors thrown open, a kettle boiling and the radio switched on, the shed becomes a den for grown-ups. It’s a place to play and dream, to gather thoughts and to generally potter about. Time spent in the shed never feels wasted. And, like those childhood dens, it is surrounded by nature – a small garden at the very least – where pleasant tasks can be undertaken as birds flit about in nearby…

Don’t be suspicious of the simplicity of this recipe – it is surprisingly substantial. The idea is to have shoots alongside something leafy, with a herb or two that punctuate the whole – so by all means adapt it as you please. Prepare the cooked ingredients together as this is at its best as a warm (but not hot) salad. Serves 2 as a light lunch 3 just-hard boiled eggs a handful asparagus (or bamboo or GKH shoots) a handful GKH leaves (or sprouting broccoli) a handful sweet cicely, roughly chopped a few chive flowers, torn into florets a good, pokey, honey mustard dressing salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Steam the asparagus until it just takes the point of a sharp knife. Steam the GKH or sprouting broccoli…

Build yourself a cold frame – a simple structure with walls and a glass or perspex roof – to warm your plants and protect them from cold, wet weather. They’re a great recycling project, as salvaged window frames, pieces of glass, hinges and reclaimed bricks and wood can be transformed into a fully functioning cold frame. So make like a Womble, gather some materials and enjoy the growing season. 1 Figure out where you’d like to position it – choose somewhere sunny so it can warm up the glass top of the cold frame. 2 Measure the sash window so you can calculate the size of your design – typically it’ll be about 7x45cm. Ring a double-glazing company to see if they have any spare old windows or keep an…

Buzzard Our most common bird of prey does a mean impression of a mewling cat. Spot it soaring on thermals, with broad, rounded wings. Kestrel Hanging out by motorways is not for us all, but these pointy-winged falcons tend to hover by verges (the bird equivalent of a Welcome Break). Peregrine falcon Broad wings, a spotted breast and a shortish tail, as well as a black moustache on a white face (very Freddie Mercury). Merlin The UK’s smallest bird of prey. Its size means it can hang on the breeze as it hunts for prey. Red kite Reddish brown with a lovely forked tail. Many have left their native Wales to explore England, with a particular liking for the M40. Sparrowhawk Hunts in confined spaces such as gardens. One of…

MAKES 14 120g unsalted butter, softened 80g golden caster sugar, plus more to sprinkle 1 egg, separated 200g plain flour, plus more to dust 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp mixed spice Pinch of salt 80g currants 1 tbsp whole milk TOOLS 10cm rabbit cutter, or other shape 1 Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Using a food mixer or a large bowl with hand-held electric whisk or wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together and beat in the egg yolk. Sift in the flour, spices and salt. Stir in the currants and milk to make a pliable dough. Do not over-mix, or the biscuits will become tough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170/375F. 2 Lightly flour a work top…

For all of you who have been curious, this is why I did it. This is how it felt. The toddler was on the ground, screaming. Staging a full lie-down protest in the middle of the high street. Arms spread, cheeks puffed, half swallowed by her thick red winter coat. Bicycling her fuschia wellingtons in the air. I didn’t see her until I was almost on top of her. I had just come from the health centre, where the doctor had told me that, on account of my eyesight, they were going to take away my driving license. I was wondering how I was going to get to choir practice that night. It’s nearly ten miles from home and I don’t know the buses. I was wondering how I was…

Studded with juicy currants and scattered with caster sugar, these biscuits would make an alternative sweet treat when chocolate eggs are beginning to cloy. Who says you can’t eat the Easter bunny*? Turn to page 128 for the recipe. And on page 38 there’s a chicken pie with a cheeky rabbit option. *The origins of the Easter Bunny tradition lie in the pagan figure Eostra, goddess of spring and fertility. Her symbol was the rabbit because of their high reproduction rate.…

From folk to foodie, wild camping to wigwams, there are now far more festivals than it’s feasible to know about. We’ve picked a selection of small, family-friendly events that tend to be easier on the wallet and the stress levels. Just don’t leave it too late to book as they fill up fast. Bearded Theory 21–24 May, Catton Hall, south Derbyshire. Fun festival at which there’s an annual attempt to smash the record for the most people wearing fake beards. Indie and guitar music in the main, a policy that allows you to take your own drinks into the arena and good stuff for kids of all ages including the Rogues Hideout teen zone. Elderflower Fields 22–25 May, Ashdown Forest, Sussex. This is all about the kids with tons of…

Head to the valley If you’re down Somerset way, don’t miss Yeo Valley’s YEOpen day on Sunday 3 May. See thousands of tulips in bloom, browse the many stalls at the plant fair and catch a cookery demo. HQ doors will also be open this year so you can meet the team, have a drink, a spot of lunch and a slice of their delicious cakes. Tickets cost just £1 per person. www.yeovalley.com/events Try fabric design Have a go at designing and decorating your own fabric at a one-day workshop at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum (www.ftmlondon.org) inspired by the Thea Porter 70s Bohemian Chic exhibition this month. Bohemian Print Workshop Friday 24 April. Exhibition runs until 3 May. Day out at the dock The Leeds Dock Market (www.leedsdock.com) is…

The four-day weekend means blissful extra time for hanging out with family and friends. Why can’t they all be this long? If you’re gathering a lunch gang, a pie you can make beforehand is a simple, steaming gift to bring to the table. Fill it with spring chicken (or rabbit for the less squeamish*). Then run it off afterwards with an Easter egg hunt in the garden. There’s got to be chocolate for the adults too – how about a mousse with candied orange peel? * Poach rabbit pieces in milk on a low heat with the same flavours, but lose the lemon as it would curdle the milk. Remove bones and make sauce from filtered milk MENU Chicken and mushroom pie Honey and thyme glazed carrots Roasted cabbage wedges…

ALEX BRADY is a printmaker and illustrator. Her partner DAVE BRIGGS is a filmmaker and artist. Their blog about their plan to make 144 different egg cups is at www.12dozeneggcups.com It’s one thing to decide to try pottery. It’s another to commit – without any prior ceramics experience – to making 144 different eggcups. But that’s exactly how the 12 dozen eggcups project began. When Alex Brady had the simple-enough desire to try her hand at ceramics, her partner Dave Briggs decided to join in, encouraged by the ‘come along and have a go’ attitude at Fosse Arts, their local council-run studio in Leicester. “We’d always wanted to do some work together,” Alex explains, “and Dave thought we should have a focus. He used to eat boiled eggs all the…

FAVOURITE SHOP Groos Schiekade 203 The most original shop in town is definitely Groos. A concept store close to Central Station where they sell great stuff created by designers from Rotterdam. Best place to buy a souvenir. www.groosrotterdam.nl FAVOURITE MUSEUM De Kunsthal Westzeedijk 341 De Kunsthal is another building designed by Rem Koolhaas. The museum organises exhibitions of all kinds. From a fashion exhibition of Jean Paul Gaultier to an exhibit about James Bond. www.kunsthal.nl FAVOURITE COFFEE BAR Hopper Coffee Schiedamse Vest 146 The best coffee in Rotterdam is to be found at Hopper. A cool café close to the Witte de Withstraat where you will also find great shops, restaurants and galleries. www.hoppercoffee.wordpress.com FAVOURITE RESTAURANT Vicini Kortekade 63a If you’re going for a walk in the Kralingse Bos then…

Just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly offer a world apart from everyday life. Endless white sandy beaches, rocky coves and stunning seascapes let you wind back the clock to a more carefree lifestyle of simple pastimes and pleasures. Spend long days beachcombing barefoot on deserted sands, watching the sun go down and gazing at the stars. But don’t let Scilly’s tranquility fool you. There’s plenty to keep everyone occupied, from cycling, horse riding and watersports to yoga retreats and creative breaks, from exploring sub-tropical gardens and historic sites on foot to tours by boat that take in shipwrecks, breathtaking wildlife and rare birds such as the puffins that arrive in spring. Don’t forget to pack your Observer’s Book of Birds! SNORKELLING WITH SEALS Scilly…

This is a man’s world... • £90.8 million is the art auction record, for a triptych by Francis Bacon entitled Three Studies of Lucien Freud, sold in 2013. • The highest price paid at auction for work by a living artist is £21.3 million, achieved in 2012 for a painting by Gerhard Richter (from Eric Clapton’s collection). • The highest price at auction for a female artist’s work is £28.8 million, paid in 2014 for a floral painting by the late US artist Georgia O’Keeffe. • The auction record for a living female artist’s work is £4.1 million, paid in 2014 for a work entitled Ooozewald by US painter Cady Noland.…

On any given weekend, between seven and eight million people in the UK go for a walk, many leaving cities to walk in the hills or across the fields of the open countryside. Whether hiking alone or perambulating with friends, we share the sense of liberation that comes with walking. Out in the open air, free from observation or judgement, you can sing as loudly as you care to, shout out loud at the wind, lie down and sleep… eat with your mouth open, if you must. Looking back, it was the Romantic poets who were the fathers and mothers of today’s walkers. It was Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats who elected to leave the confines of their urban environments and, quite literally, take to the hills to see their humanity…

1 Make a lean-to shed from an abandoned cupboard. 2 Fashion old windows (old greenhouse ones are good) into cloches to warm the soil and grow vegetables. 3 Use double-stacked recycled timber to create a succession of raised beds and plant each one differently. SIngle plant species like lavendar look effective. 4 Pile a series of planks on top of each other to make supports for a table. 5 Use old galvanised cattle troughs, available from farm shops, as planters.…

• Most sheds are made from softwood such as pine, spruce or larch, which are pressure-treated to prevent rot. The most rot-resistant wood is cedar. Metal and plastic options are also available. • If you have space, aim for a shed that measures at least 1.8x2.4m. This has double the floor area of a 1.8x1.2m shed and gives you room for a work bench. • The roof should overhang the sides by at least 5cm to enable water run-off. • Choose a spot with some shade, but avoid overhanging trees as they will clog the gutters with leaves. • Sheds should be built on a concrete base, otherwise they will collapse.…

Salvage socks and preserve pullovers the old-skool way YOU WILL NEED A large needle, with an eye big enough to thread thick yarns through; yarn similar to that used in the garment; scissors; a darning mushroom (but any round-sided item will do – a tennis ball, for example). METHOD 1 Position the darning mushroom under the hole. If you’re mending a big hole, first sew a circle around it, half a centimetre away from the hole, using simple running stitch. This contains it and prevents it getting any bigger. 2 Sew two or three stitches on top of each other, in a sound section of the fabric close to the hole, to secure the thread. 3 Within your perimeter circle, sew horizontal stitches across the hole. 4 Start to weave,…