Table of contents for October 2020 in The Simple Things

– a milestone for any magazine but coming as it does in such an uncertain and perilous year, we feel even more proud that we have continued to publish every month. Eight years in, we hope The Simple Things has become a part of your life, the way it has ours. When it launched in the autumn of 2012, it offered readers a clear promise ‘to celebrate the things that matter most’ – a reminder of how good life can be when you slow down a little, live in the moment more, and take notice of your surroundings. I wasn’t the editor back then, but I soon became an avid reader. For me, each issue is a nudge to remember that no matter where you live, or how busy you…

Good morning! What’s happening? Mornings are really busy – my daughters are six and nine and like happy hurricanes through the house – but it HAS to start with a cup of tea! We’re lucky to have Atkinsons in Lancaster and brew their loose Assam Mangalam tea in my little pot for one. I generally don’t leave the house without breakfast, mostly poached eggs on toast (my friend keeps hens – the best eggs ever). Tell us a bit about what you do I own a wool shop, so after the school run and a few chores, I walk to work, enjoying the peace. I open up, make a second brew, then check emails and orders. Then it's social media posts (@northern_yarn), and I treat myself to a little knitting…

Barley porridge with roasted plums, yogurt and toasted almonds Roast your plums the night before if you’re making this for breakfast, but it also makes a great pud with ice cream Serves 2 1kg plums, rinsed, halved, and stones removed 150g caster sugar ½ vanilla pod Zest of ½ lemon 40g almonds, skin on 135g barley flakes 375ml milk Sea salt Natural yogurt 1 Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/ Gas 2. Put the halved plums on a baking tray. Using a blender or food processor, blend the sugar with the vanilla pod. Stir through the lemon zest, then sprinkle the mixture over the plums. Roast in the preheated oven for about 1 hr, until the plums are tender. Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in…

Favourite shop CAARMELA Stocks lots of unique pieces, such as clothes and shoes.caarmela.com Favourite markets EL BAZAAR SABADO Every Saturday in San Ángel, selling high-end artisanal products from clothing to food and home décor. I love the handmade rings found here. Plaza San Jacinto, San Ángel JAMAICA MARKET Flowers, upon flowers, upon flowers… Guillermo Prieto 45, Jamaica Favourite restaurants AZUL CONDESA A high-end dining experience. They celebrate specific local dishes and work seasonally with renowned chefs. azul.rest CAMPOBAJA Try the mouth-watering aguachile, a dish made with prawns, lime and chili. Especially delicious with a michelada (beer with lime juice in a salt-frosted glass).campobaja.com Favourite hotel CHAYA A boutique hotel in the heart of the city that is a joy to step into.chayabnb.com Favourite way to spend an hour In Parque…

Because people find fellowship in the most unlikely of places • The UK Roundabout Appreciation Society Insisting that straight roads are dull, meet the advocates of installing roundabouts wherever possible. Founder Kevin Beresford is nicknamed, inevitably, Lord of the Rings. • The 47 Society Even if you did think 47 is the “quintessential random number of the universe,” you might not feel moved to excitedly tell other people whenever you see it in the wild. In which case, this club is not for you. • The Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society Exactly as the name suggests, a group of bare-skinned bibliophiles welcoming all “who love good books and sunny days and enjoying both as nearly in the altogether as the law allows.”…

Autumn is here, and with the new season the possibility of new adventures. Particularly welcome after such a challenging and unpredictable year. But there have been silver linings to be found – not least an appreciation of the simple things and a quieter pace of life. Many have realised that genuine contentment stems from spending time with family and those who matter, and to a certain extent from products made with as much function as style – which is at the core of Garden Trading’s ever-evolving collection. Most of us have spent much more time at home than usual these past few months, and the urge to feather our nests has been strong. With this in mind, we’re giving away a £1,000 voucher to spend online, on Garden Trading’s beautiful…

‘Thanks, I made it myself’ Being complimented on a home-sewn outfit was a new but welcome experience for many One way to expand on your sewing skills is to take a pattern that you’ve already mastered and try it out in a new fabric Take a look at the hashtag #isewlation (and our photos of homemade sews) and you’ll see how lockdown helped transform our wardrobes. There was something about the combination of our existing clothes not feeling quite right and an unease about buying more, coupled with perhaps a bit more time – not to mention a well-scheduled series of The Great British Sewing Bee on TV – that convinced many to give dressmaking a go. The classic way to begin is using cotton to sew something like a…

If shut-eye is proving elusive then cognitive shuffling, designed by Canadian cognitive scientist, Luc Beaudoin, helps prime the brain for slumber. Pick a random letter. Visualise a word starting with that letter (five letters+). For example, ‘O’ for ocean – imagine sitting on a beach staring at the expanse of water. Imagine the scene but don’t make up a story, then move on to another word starting with ‘O’ – oatmeal, orangutan, olive. Once you’ve exhausted the ‘O’ list, work through ‘C’ then ‘E’ then ‘A’ and ‘N’ – if you get that far. Z..ebra, zodiac, zoology... zzzzzzzzzzzz…

EDDIE’S City apartment “Eddie is the heartbeat of my home, and without him, the cool interior would seem meaningless,” says Eddie’s owner Geraldine James who adopted him from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2012 to come and live with her in her spacious flat in south west London. Eddie, who they think is a Parson Russell Terrier, spends most of his day patrolling both the front door and front bay windows, protecting his family from the postman, delivery drivers and anyone else who approaches. Like all dogs, he’s fiercely loyal and extremely devoted. “He sleeps on my bed every night and really doesn’t have a favourite spot in the flat unless I’m there,” she smiles. “He will sit at my feet whenever I am in the kitchen or the…

When Meg Forbes walked through the door to view her future home in Farnham, Surrey, she understood why she was one of the few who had actually followed the estate agent over the threshold. “The house was in chaos, it was filthy and almost impossible to see any potential in the small, dark rooms overflowing with piles of possessions,” says the upholsterer who now runs her business from her home. “I loved all the features though, such as the bay windows, the open staircase, wide hallway, and the internal archways. The house, despite its state, had a lovely homely feel to it.” “I LOVE THE SURPRISE ON PEOPLE’S FACES WHEN THEY DISCOVER THE HIDDEN ENTRANCE!” It took some time for Meg to convince her husband Adam to see the potential…

The Food Almanac is a lovely, convivial celebration of all that is good about food. Packed with delicious recipes, it’s also jam full of the very best writing on eating. There are contributions from poets, chefs, philosophers and just-published novelists and their words are the ideal accompaniment to the delightful dishes served up. Divided into months, each section highlights ingredients that will be at their best at a particular time of year – October is ripe with apples, quinces, wild mushrooms, sweet chestnuts and pumpkins – and includes a selection of recipes that make the best of seasonal produce. (Pavilion)…

Gavin Francis has always been fascinated by maps and islands. As a small boy he sat cross-legged in the library turning the pages of an immense atlas, running his fingers “over distant unreachable archipelagos as if reading Braille.” As a teenager, he longed to visit these out-of-the-way places, as an adult he has made his way to some of them – Unst, in Shetland, where a van driver had a voice “like rust and sea spray,” to the floating islands of the Uros. Treasure islands, prison islands, islands of peace and contemplation are described with lyrical beauty in this gorgeous book, as Francis spells out the magical allure of land surrounded by sea. (Canongate)…

The story so far I lead a double life. I’m a child protection psychologist during the week and a seed merchant and flower farmer at weekends. I still wake up slightly surprised that I have this business. I had a conventional, conveyor-belt sort of life. I worked hard at school and university, got a job and a mortgage. In 2009, I qualified as a clinical psychologist and found my dream career working with families in care proceedings here in Somerset. I thought I was set. Grace Alexander grows, collects and sells cut flower seed from her thatched cottage plot in Somerset. Her weekly newsletter is a journal from her flower field, offering words and images to soothe and inspire, as well as the odd bit of growing advice – sign…

“I express my creativity through baking. It evokes the happiest memories for me. I grew up baking with my mother and grandmother, so a larder was essential when we designed our new kitchen. I wanted it so that I could organise all my baking ingredients in an orderly, yet pretty way. The drawers below the larder house my many cookie cutters and baking utensils and it’s ideal having everything stored so close together. My favourite things to bake are carrot and apple cakes with cream cheese frosting, friands, and lots of different desserts, such as toffee apple crumble, pavlova and cheesecakes. I also love to bake French macarons and use edible paints to hand-paint little flowers on top – my organised larder makes that even more fun!” Louise Mair, Ballymena,…

MOSAIC Piece together the Mosaic by placing the numbers 1 to 6 into each hexagonal tile so that where the tiles touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any tile. SEEING DOUBLE Each pair of words share two middle letters The first has been filled in as an example. Complete the remaining words to find the mystery keyword reading down the middle.…

Seasons (Waiting on You) Future Islands iT Christine and The Queens Alaska Maggie Rogers Black Dog Arlo Parks Green Garden Laura Mvula History Eraser Courtney Barnett Facing West The Staves Missing U Robyn Get Lucky Daft Punk, ft Pharrell Williams Afterlife Arcade Fire Disappointing John Grant, ft Tracey Thorn Strong London Grammar Take the Night Off Laura Marling A 1000 Times Hamilton Leithauser / Rostam Stranger’s Kiss Alex Cameron, Angel Olsen thesimplethings.com/blog/simplesongs stop look listen  Our favourite songs released since the first issue of The Simple Things, back in October 2012…

Recipe Root veg crisps The best use we know of for a few random root veg. Beetroot and parsnips are nice but you can ‘crisp’ any root veg really. • Heat the oven to a low temperature. About 150C/ Fan 130C/Gas 2. • Slice your veg very thinly – use a mandolin if you have one – and spread them out on separate baking trays. • Spray or brush with olive oil. • Cook for a couple of hours, or until they are crisp and golden but not overdone. You may need to take some veg out before others. Put aside on kitchen towel to cool. • Sprinkle with chunky sea salt and any other herbs or spices you like to serve. In your foraging bag... Apple Day is 21…

MONGARDA COL FONDO, £19.99 A glass of fizz is a delighful way to greet people at your gathering. The bubbles in this wine are made using an ancient sparkling method in Italy. Expect a very gentle fizz, which is crisp and ultra refreshing and will go wonderfully with the smoked trout. PETITE FUGUE 2017, £15.99 If fizz isn’t your thing, then these delicious snacks call for some white wine with body and acid. Look no further than this sauvignon gris/blanc blend, which has great acidity to cut through rich food, and leans far fuller bodied than most sauvignon blancs. QUINTA DE RAMOZEIROS, £15.99 The rich fruits in this Portuguese red will complement any of the snacks – especially the brownie – which suit drinking with something richer. This is a…

“On the shore of a remote bay on Sanday, one of the northernmost islands in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland, artist Rosey Priestman makes her home and a remarkable life. It’s so far north that the seasonal cycles of light and dark determine her rhythm. As the year tilts into November, the sun sets by 3pm and the days become ever shorter until the winter solstice. Fog rolls into the bay like an unfolding thought, the stones hold on to the cold and seals give birth to their pups on the nearby headland. Inside Stove, her imposing 19th-century house, Rosey is often in her kitchen. From floor to high ceiling, it is layered with found objects and masks; shelves are stacked with crockery and pots she’s made. A large table…

My grandmother’s glasses are a greenhouse behind which luxurious flowers grow, species I will never name, or find again. Her last glance back at her childhood jungle trembles there, watered by monsoons but I have never seen her cry. She closed the glass doors as I said goodbye. She waved at me as the taxi drove me away – her blinds came down against my fierce rays. About the author: Pascale Petit was born in Paris, grew up in France and Wales, and now lives in Cornwall. She trained as a sculptor and links poetry writing with the visual arts: “I like to write with raw colour, working on the truth and tune of my lines, until they feel like a chant with some primitive quality, something of childhood.” Tiger…

The postwar years saw recognition that, if fan power could be harnessed to help out-of-work actors, it could perhaps be used for something more useful. Fan clubs’ basic tenets – membership card, badge, etc – were given an educational imperative. First came one based on Charles Warrell’s I-Spy books, originally published in 1948, wherein children jotted down things they spotted in their neighbourhood. By 1953, the I-Spy Tribe numbered half a million members. Fan clubs dedicated to all manner of worthy matters – animal welfare, the environment, etc – were founded. Your correspondent’s wife recalls youthful membership of Smokebusters, formed to publicise the perils of smoking. For her, membership benefits included implied support for Operation Destroy Dad’s Fags, the offending articles flushed away by a combination of cistern water and…

Chicken Musakhan This is the national dish of Palestine. Great for family, served straight from one big dish and eaten with your hands Chicken Musakhan Serves 4 1 chicken (about 1.7kg), divided into 4, or 1kg skin-on chicken breasts 120ml olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp ground cumin 3 tbsp sumac ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground allspice 30g pine nuts 3 large red onions, thinly sliced 4 taboon breads or other flatbreads (such as naan) 5g parsley leaves, roughly chopped 300g Greek yogurt, to serve 1 lemon, quartered, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ Gas 7. Put the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the oil, 1 tsp of the cumin, 1½ tsp of the sumac, the cinnamon, allspice, 1…

Nano-nap A nano nap of just 10 mins can refresh you and boost your concentration for up to four hours. Power nap A power nap (about 20 mins) boosts alertness, memory and information recall. Happy nap A happy nap (45 mins+) re-establishes your emotional equilibrium by taking you through some REM sleep. Learning nap A learning nap (60-90 mins) – or as the Spanish call it, a ‘siesta’ – gets you some deep sleep, which provides the biggest boost to learning and motor memory. A ‘coffee’ nap (or nappuccino) Use coffee’s natural power to wake you up after a nap. Drink a cup of coffee immediately before finding yourself a warm, dimly lit and quiet place to lie down. Nod off, and the caffeine will kick in after 15 to…

• Use vintage suitcases and boxes to create an attractive corner with lots of hidden storage. • Add personality by taking something simple like a lampshade and adding a feather trim. • Consider bold colours for woodwork such as doorways. The deep blue archway, which leads from the music room to the hallway, creates a dramatic entrance. • Quick fixes while you wait until you have the funds to do the job properly, such as painted chipboard flooring in colour block stripes in Meg’s hallway, are fun ways to try out ideas. • Enliven a simple room with statement wallpaper.…

Katherine Midgley and Seamus Green are on a mission to ensure that every penny spent in their shop, Midgley Green in Clevedon, Somerset, supports independent makers and heritage crafts by making sure craftspeople earn a fair wage for their skilled practices. There’s a range of willow baskets by Claire Kinsella, made using locally foraged willow, wood-fired pottery by Nick Membery and loom-woven cushions by Katherine Fraser. All of them forever pieces to treasure.midgleygreen.com…

When I’m combining plants, there are two things I consider. First, colour: I like to arrange flowers based on whether they’re warm or cool tones. Second, height and vigour: all flowers look exactly the same size in a seed catalogue, so I make sure I check how big a plant is going to grow. Then there’s the difference between growing and arranging. I grow Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ among some Briza media (my favourite grass) and Phlox ‘Crème Brûlée’, and it combines really well. But If I put a fennel in there, it will dwarf everything else because, as beautiful as it is, it grows over six foot tall in my soil. However, they’ll all go in a vase or a bouquet together happily, they just have to be grown separately. Cool…

If you’re after a cossetting weekend escape, Totnes in South Devon might not spring immediately to mind. Its reputation as a bit of a hippy retreat (think Glastonbury-on-Sea) doesn’t exactly conjure up a break of pampering treats. But while that may have been true 10 or 15 years ago, a youthful energy has rejuvenated this market town, as new shops and initiatives pop up around its central High Street spine. Progressive, passionate, entrepreneurial, fiercely independent… these are Totnes traits through and through, and now, thanks to Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion et al, the rest of the world is catching up. It’s a town that’s also proving its resilience, managing to adapt to our new normal while staying loyal to its green ethos. But could Totnes still be a bit hard…

Project Five ways with apple crates Whether painted in bright shades or left rustic-style, apple crates look charming turned into storage or furniture. 1 Turn two upside down and attach boards to the top for a rustic coffee table. 2 Make an upholstered lid to fit one and make it your sewing box/foot stool. 3 Hang one or more on your bathroom wall to hold folded clean towels. 4 Attach two or three together on their sides for a small book case. 5 Hang tiny fairy lights inside one on its end and use it as a pretty display shelf in the kitchen. READ... ❍ Creepy but clever books for autumn evenings. We like: House of Leaves By Mark Z Danielewski, about a house that is bigger on the inside…

The better we understand what we see, the more enjoyable every moment spent outdoors becomes. Knowing what to look for in a landscape, means we actually stop and notice. We start to see clues and signs all around us, telling us about where we are, what the weather will do, what’s underground. This makes us pause, sense more deeply and appreciate our surroundings. It’s a virtuous circle that brings a profound experience – in a word, wonder. My method for reading landscapes is simple. I start by looking up and zooming out, seeing the big picture, then lowering the gaze and narrowing my focus. You start to see how everything is connected, and how everything we see outdoors can be read as a clue. HEAVENS ABOVE Look at the sky.…

BEETROOT CHOCOLATE CAKE Serves 8 200g beetroot 150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or skip the ginger below and use a dark chocolate bar with ginger in it) 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger ½ tsp ground cardamom (optional) 125g plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder Pinch of sea salt, finely crushed 3 whole eggs 200g unsalted butter, at room temp 150g caster sugar FOR THE ICING: 100g mascarpone cheese 200g full-fat cream cheese 75g icing sugar, sifted Zest of 1 orange 1 Roast or boil the beetroot until tender (takes about 1 hr). Remove the skin, roughly chop, then purée. This can be done in advance. 2 Preheat your oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Pop the chocolate and beetroot into an oven-safe glass or metal bowl. Set it in the…

At home on the range A FEMALE TEAM OF RANGERS ARE SAVING ANIMAL LIVES IN KENYA, AND TRANSFORMING THEIR OWN Wildlife rangers on conservation reserves in Kenya and Tanzania are the first line of defence against the poaching and killing of elephants, lions, giraffes and cheetahs. Although ranger units have traditionally been male, Maasai women who live on or near these reserves are often most deeply connected to both their communities and their land. An International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) project is redressing the gender balance with team Lioness, an all-women ranger unit in Kenya. It allows women to gain professional training, and to bring their knowledge and unique perspectives to bear. Based on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, team Lioness is part of a larger group –…

*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. How long have you lived in the city? I was born in Mexico City and have always lived here – 30 years of this hectic, eclectic and colourful city. Tell us what makes your city unique Mexico City is one of the largest metropolises in the world, with a population of 20 million. It’s always given me a sense of humility to know that I’m…

No mention of autumn is complete without a nod to pumpkins. However, once you’ve carved your Jack-o’-lanterns and made your pumpkin pies, the rest often ends up in the compost. More than 8 million pumpkins are sold in the UK every year, with 40% of people buying fresh pumpkins for carving. However, according to research carried out last year by the environmental charity Hubbub, 60% of those pumpkin purchasers admitted that once carved and displayed, the pumpkins are simply thrown away. While there’s a wealth of tasty recipes to use up the flesh (search ‘pumpkins’ at thesimplethings.com for ideas), the oft-neglected shell of a seasonal gourd still has a lot to give. It can easily be repurposed as a feeder for garden birds, which will be looking for extra food…

In an ideal world, night-time provides a peaceful pause in our busy lives; a time to rest, restore and renew our energies for the following day. In reality, however, it can be quite the opposite. Anyone who’s lain awake with only their ruminating thoughts for company will know what a lonely and anxious time it can be. In May this year, a survey by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI revealed that half of the people taking part had experienced more disturbed sleep than normal over recent weeks. Almost a third said they felt less rested despite spending longer in bed during lockdown, while 38% reported having more vivid dreams. It’s not difficult to understand why. Uncertain times bring increased worry, anxiety and depression, all of which have a knock-on…

It had been raining since the night before, and there were puddles in the streets. The sky was grey and low. It was a September afternoon, and it was cool with a breeze that smelled like autumn. I had stopped a block away from my house under the awning of a greengrocer and pulled the collar of my rain coat a bit higher against my cheek. The smell of pears made me turn my head away from the window of the coffee shop on the next corner, where I had been watching a few people sipping from cups and reading newspapers or talking with friends. The pears were small and green but a little soft, with a bruise or two that showed they were ready to be eaten. I asked…

Chrysanthemums By Emma Harris These autumn beauties have recently had a resurgence, after being unfairly branded petrol station flowers for far too long. A florist’s favourite, ‘Avignon Pink’ has soft peachy blooms that are a wonder to behold. Part of their charm is their robustness – grown in a sheltered spot, they can go on flowering until Christmas. In a vase, they’ll outlive most other cut flowers, brightening up your home for as long as a month.…

Paper Thin Moon is a real family affair. When Claire Holland moved her brood to East Sussex for a slower, rural life, her father, Peter, a seventh generation potter, made the move, too. In their new peaceful location they set about re-imagining his work for a modern audience. Together they craft stoneware and porcelain with Peter throwing each piece. Claire’s photographer husband is on hand to capture the results for their online shop, which also sells Claire’s one-of-kind pressed flower artworks.paperthinmoon.com…

Wally Koval is the founder of an Instagram community dedicated to sharing picture-perfect locations which seem to be inhabited by the idiosyncratic aesthetic of film director Wes Anderson. Koval has lovingly collected together some of the most beautiful images for this photography book; page after page of pastel-pretty houses, hot dog carts and lonely lighthouses looking out to sea. It’s the sort of book to while away a rainy afternoon. As Koval says, “we may think we need to venture far from home to find something extraordinary, but there are so many amazing things in our own backyards waiting to be found.” (Trapeze, out late October)…

Life can be challenging enough without overloading our minds with tasks and unimportant trivialities that are not in need of being tackled right away. Although most of us see free time as precious, so don’t fill it with things that really don’t matter, there are those who delight in keeping busy, and who see jobs where there are none. Here are the people who clean out the spare room, only to end up repainting the skirting boards while they’re at it. Here are people who agree to have relatives to stay, only to end up cleaning the oven and tidying the loft. And here are people who go searching for a book, only to end up alphabetising the entire bookcase. If all of this sounds familiar, then you can console…

Easy win Dirty loo but a spare can of cola? Pour around the rim to coat, then leave for an hour or so before flushing away. CAPTION COMPETITION OVER TO YOU… Make us giggle with a caption for these two young ground squirrels. Each month we pick our favourite and send a lovely book to the winner. Post your best efforts at facebook.com/thesimplethingsmag COLLECTIVE NOUNS A parliament of owls DREAM DECODER BEING AT SCHOOL What your shut-eye meanders and mental adventures really could mean Dreams of being a pupil at a school or some other place of learning usually relates to lessons you need to learn in your waking life – perhaps a basic principle or skills you’ve forgotten. There may be an opportunity to learn something new that you’ve…

Wooden lemon reamer Don’t let the traditional-style wood fool you – such handheld numbers are relative newcomers compared to the downward-directed originals. Orange peeler A pithy solution. Simply score the skin, then lift it away. Without mess or fuss, you can see that this gadget’s got serious a-peel. Wooden toast tongs A way to get that tasty bit of toast out without endangering your fingers… or your life! Possibly the best invention since sliced bread? Egg topper An elegant way to go to work on an egg, slicing off the top of its shell. Leaves your knife or spoon ready for buttering and scooping action. Garlic press A handy way to get to grips with your garlic. But not impressive to food writer Elizabeth David, who claimed: “garlic presses are…

She’s searching for the route back into his heart because she can’t remember the way. She’s asked him to draw her a map, but he points to her hipbone and tells her that she’s used up all the ink. He turns away from her for the third time in as many days. She’s cross that she needs him this much and tells him so. But he gives her nothing. Only, “What’s done is done,” then, “Flora, you must let me think.” He’s used her name this time, and she clings to it – a sign that he’s coming back. She worries for his thoughts – like ivy, they invade him and smother, she’s seen it before – the way they coil and cocoon so tightly there feels no way back.…