Table of contents for August 2020 in The Simple Things

should never be made lightly. So we’ve taken the time to digest what’s been going on in the world and understand how a small independent publishing company can help before speaking out. We know when we feature a shop, maker, author, artist or a small business that they get an enthusiastic response and that’s because we research and select the stories that fit best with what The Simple Things stands for. But our pages are not always as diverse as they could be. We’ve been asking ourselves ‘How can we bring meaningful change, not just in our magazine’s words and pictures, but to the journalism and publishing industry itself?’ We believe we can do better. And now we’re ready to make some promises: We’ll be seeking out more stories by…

WILD ZONE Aka Scotland – from Cape Wrath to Gretna, every loch, trail and beach, the lowlands, the peaks and what’s left of the forest. Freedom to sleep and wild camp was restored as a right in 2003 under the Land Reform Act. FORESHORE ZONE The coast is possibly the most important common ground in Britain and Ireland. Our law has enshrined the right to fish, dig bait and navigate, without having to pay. This means that while the tide is out, it’s perfectly reasonable to camp, eat, light a fire and rest on the foreshore (the area below the high-tide mark). MIDDLE EARTH The area between the foreshore and the mountains – where we all, pretty much, live. It’s wrong to say camping here is illegal. It’s like saying…

Morning! We see you’ve already got a cuppa. I love a sweet, milky coffee first thing. I live in Poundbury, Dorset, close to many beautiful walks, so my partner Jack and I start our day with a quick walk with our Cavapoo, Humphrey. I work within walking distance of our shop/studio and Humphrey comes with me each day. Tell us a bit about what you do. I co-run The Happy Blossoms with my mum, Barbara. We create dried and fresh florals, including our dried flower range known as the ‘Baked Blossoms’ – a bright and beautiful range of dried bunches. They launched late last year and are proving really popular. How did you end up doing that? I’ve always had a passion for nature and studied Environmental Sciences at uni,…

Indian scrambled eggs with naan or toast Anda bhurji, as it’s known in India, is often served in a roll as a picnic breakfast, but works just as well on toast, or naan bread, with tamarind chutney on the side. Serves 2 Olive oil or ghee, for cooking 1 onion, finely chopped 4 eggs 1 tsp cumin seeds (you can also use ground cumin) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 garlic clove, grated 2 vine tomatoes, roughly chopped 10g freshly chopped coriander 2 naans or slices of toast, to serve Dried chilli, to serve Tamarind chutney, to serve (optional) 1 Heat a generous glug of oil or a large knob of ghee in a medium, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and soften for 5…

“It can be slipped on and off with ease and looks good almost anywhere” You don’t want to be faffing about with buttons, zips or tailoring when the days are warm and the nights are sultry. The free‘n’easy feeling that suffuses late summer requires clothes that offer freedom of movement and no fuss. Step up the wrap dress, a garment that is fastened simply with a ribbon tie and envelops you softly and flatteringly with its V-shaped neckline and generous skirt. This is a dress that can be slipped on and off with ease and looks good almost anywhere, from a picnic in the park, to work, to the beach tied over a swimsuit. These twin qualities of versatility and removability were what made the wrap dress such a success…

Attend my lays, ye ever honour’d nine, Assist my labours, and my strains refine; In smoothest numbers pour the notes along, For bright Aurora now demands my song. Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies, Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies: The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On ev’ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays; Harmonious lays the feather’d race resume, Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume. Ye shady groves, your verdant gloom display To shield your poet from the burning day: Calliope awake the sacred lyre, While thy fair sisters fan the pleasing fire: The bow’rs, the gales, the variegated skies In all their pleasures in my bosom rise. See in the east th’ illustrious king of day! His rising radiance drives the…

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that most things involving a needle and thread are harder than they look. I rather confidently agreed to learn to embroider like Jane Austen, imagining that really it couldn’t be that much more complex than colour-by-numbers. Apparently, Austen herself was frequently inspired by embroidery patterns in The Lady’s Magazine, a mere step (and two centuries) away from leafing through a copy of The Simple Things looking for weekend projects, I thought to myself. Sadly, Regency pastimes weren’t big on nifty hacks or time-saving devices, so it turned out to be a bit more tricky than I’d imagined. I chose a fairly ambitious project from the book Jane Austen Embroidery by Jennie Batchelor and Alison Larkin (Pavilion). Alongside some fascinating information about embroidery in Jane Austen’s…

Whether you enjoy belting out the latest hits in the car or look forward to joining in carols at Christmas, singing helps us feel relaxed, happy and connected to others. But many of us feel too ashamed of our voices to sing in a more ‘formal’ way. Meet Nadine Cooper, who wanted to help others get over this impression and to embrace the benefits of singing. The very first Tuneless Choir was created in 2016, a singing group created for those that love to sing purely for the pleasure of it. Nadine loved singing as a child. But that changed when she was 12 years old. “My music teacher put his hand on my arm during singing class and asked me to stop as I was ruining it for everyone…

What would you do if you had more leisure time? Until about March, my answer would have been, always, to read more. And then, when I was handed months of extra time, my reading brain virtually abandoned me. Despite never more wanting the distraction, novels just aren’t doing it. My saviour has been That Glimpse of Truth. It’s a collection of short stories (published by Head of Zeus) – in fact, it claims to be ‘100 of the finest short stories ever written’, and I’ve been reading one each week with my book club over lockdown. While our weekly Zoom catch-ups aren’t quite the riotous wine and cheese fest of old, they’re rewarding in a different way. I’ve been slightly suspicious of short stories, preferring to zoom through books, driven…

The itch to escape it all is hard to resist, and what better way to switch off than somewhere with no electricity? No screens to watch, no news updates… and no running water. A chance to get back to basics and practise some self-sufficiency in a peaceful, isolated spot. Ashdown Forest is one of the few places in southeast England that feels ‘wild’. Situated in the High Weald, East Sussex – designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – its hilltop heathland and wooded valleys were originally a deer park, and these noble beasts are still numerous in the forest. Harder-to-spot inhabitants include nightjars, Dartford warblers, lizards and adders. The forest is also famous for a fictional resident: Winnie-the-Pooh. Author A.A. Milne lived here and based 100 Acre Wood on…

“Our summerhouse is so special to me because we built it ourselves from scratch. We put all our creativity into building it and used mostly old or used materials – we definitely didn’t want a new-build look. The roof tiles are from an old farm building that was going to be demolished, and my husband made the little window sills and the shutters. When I’m sitting in front of the summerhouse, looking out over the garden, I often think of my grandfather. He gave me a love of gardening and when I’m in the garden it feels like he’s always nearby. My favourite element is the water cart that sits out front. I bought it from an antiques fair in England a few years ago. It’s such a lovely feature,…

Easy win Unsavoury sweat marks on laundry? Rub vegetable-based soap on cold-water moistened fabric and soak before machine washing to shift. CAPTION COMPETITION OVER TO YOU… Make us giggle with a caption for this leopard grabbing its mother’s tail. Each month we pick the best and send a book to the winner. Post your best efforts at facebook. com/thesimplethingsmag COLLECTIVE NOUNS A con gregation of alligators VEG BOX MUSIC Ingenious ways to make those edibles audible You will need: carrot, knife, apple corer/drill Impress your guests with a veg orchestra still speckled with dirt from the field 1 Slice 2.5cm off the pointy end of a carrot and set the tip aside. 2 With the corer or drill, make a hole almost all the way down the middle of the…

RESPECT BY ARETHA FRANKLIN Chances are, you’ve belted out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” at some point. Aretha’s rousing classic started out life very differently – in Otis Redding’s original, it reflects the attitude of a mid-century male, prepared to give his partner anything, as long as he gets “respect” after a hard day’s work. Aretha’s version, recorded in February 1967, made it universal. She added local slang from her home city Detroit (“sock it to me” and “TCB”, or “taking care of business”). Released just before a bloody summer of conflict between Detroit’s Black community and the police, it became more than a feminist anthem – it became a civil rights one, too. According to Aretha’s autobiography: “It was the need of a nation, the need of the average man and woman in…

Garnet (January) Its name is said to come from granatus, ‘many seeds’ (possibly as it resembles pomegranate seeds), fitting a month of new beginnings. Amethyst (February) Forget dry January, Feb’s amethyst stems from ancient Greek, ‘amethystos’ (‘not intoxicated’). Use your clear head to admire its purple hues. Bloodstone (March) So called for its red spots and flecks (actually iron oxide), it’s inspired many superstitions, from strength on the battlefield to healing properties. Diamond (April) More than a girl’s best friend for thousands of years, they’re valued for their rich symbolism – in fact, first used in Hindu statuary. Emerald (May) Worthy of green-eyed admiration, these rare gems have been prized from ancient times, including being a favourite of Cleopatra. Pearls (June) Romans believed them Aphrodite’s joyful tears – imagine those…

Messing About On the River Josh MacRae The Tide is High Blondie Wipe Out The Surfaris Take Me to the River Al Green Rock the Boat Hues Corporation Ocean Man Ween Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head B.J. Thomas The Beautiful Briny David Tomlinson, Angela Lansbury Orinoco Flow Enya Crawled Out of The Sea (Interlude) Laura Marling Splish Splash Bobby Darin Latchmere The Maccabees Under the Sea Samuel E. Wright Octopus’s Garden The Beatles Underwater Love Smoke City Singin’ in the Rain Mint Royale Sea of Love Cat Power thesimplethings.com/blog/splishsplashsplosh stop look listen From messing about on the river to under the sea, this is a soundtrack to joyful times in the water (yes, even the rain…)…

In your foraging bag... August is the beginning of blackberrying season, picking up towards the end of the month. Elderberries are also ripening now. Put aside a tub of both for the freezer then, when the crab apples come along next month, you’ll have the makings of a hedgerow jam. In the sky... This is perhaps the best month of the year for stargazing. If you can stay up late enough, the perseids meteor shower on 12th and 13th of August is due to be a showstopper. Up to 80 meteors an hour with fireballs and bright streaks should be visible from earth if it’s a clear night – nature’s very own fireworks display. Under rocks and logs... Common (or viviparous) lizards birth their young in July and August and…

Runner bean chutney Great for beans that are slightly wobbly. Use whichever chutney recipe you generally go for, but you probably want a ratio of 1:1.5 onions to runner beans. We like the addition of sesame seeds, too. It’s great with cold meats and cheeses and will bring a bit of summer to your autumnal lunches once ready in around eight weeks. Future stew This is good for beans that have just got too big. Pod the beans as you would peas and compost the shells. Then lay the pink and black beans out on trays to dry. Use a dehydrator if you have one or leave somewhere warm indoors for about a week, turning them every few days. Alternatively, pop them in a low oven (about 50C) for about…

*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’ve been living in Zürich for almost nine years. I moved here from Dublin in 2011. What brought you to Zürich? I’m from Verona, Italy, but always wanted to live abroad. I moved to Rome in 2001 for work, and then to Dublin in 2007. I relocated to Zürich with my four-month-old baby for my husband’s job…

FERRIGNO FAMILY APERITIF This is a wonderful ice-breaking cocktail that works well for family gatherings. Serves 1 2 tbsp limoncello Prosecco Ice, to serve Slice of lemon Sprig of fresh mint Pour the limoncello into a large wine glass and top up with prosecco. Add the ice, lemon slice and mint, then serve straightaway. SUNDAY MOJITO Pretend you’re in the tropics with this classic rum cocktail. Serves 2 1 lime, cut into eight 4 lychees 6 sprigs of fresh mint 6 tbsp Malibu 2 tbsp lychee liqueur Ice, to serve 2 tbsp pineapple juice Using a muddle, crush the lime, lychees and mint in a cocktail shaker. Add the Malibu, lychee liqueur and plenty of ice. Shake vigorously, strain into glasses, then top with pineapple juice. PALOMA Created in Tequila,…

I’m raving to everyone I know about the book I’m reading. It comes with higher recommendations than mine – the blurb quotes Maya Angelou, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. But chances are you won’t have heard of it – until last year when Virago republished it, Gayl Jones’ Corregidora was long out of print, having first been published in 1975. A surge in interest for such lost literary treasures means we’re able to newly discover writers that are largely unknown (sometimes in their own time, too). With shops like The Second Shelf (a bookshop stocking only writing by women, specialising in collectible editions) and imprints and small publishers specifically focusing on carefully selected reprints, what draws us back to these books? Novels that have been brought back into print carry…

Flower farms By Emma Harris Pick Your Own isn’t just about overdoing it on the strawberries – next time you’re taking a drive, keep an eye out for flower farms that let you pick for yourself, too. Not only are they beautiful, but these blooms – dahlias, dill, scabious and cosmos – were a bargain at just £3. You’re also supporting independent flower farmers by filling your vases, making it a real win-win!…

ARNICA SALVE FOR BRUISES & SPRAINS The alpine flower arnica eases the pain and inflammation of sore muscles, sprains and bruises and is often used by athletes to soothe sports injuries and aid post-training recovery. YOU WILL NEED: A small handful of dried arnica flowers 240ml cold-pressed organic olive oil 2 tbsp beeswax or 1 tbsp candelilla wax 1 Put the flowers in a clean 500ml glass jar. Add the olive oil, making sure the flowers are submerged by at least 2.5cm. Stir, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and place in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks – the longer you leave it, the more potent it’ll be. Once ready, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth and compost the herbs. 2 To make the salve, pour 5cm of…

“Just a box of teacups.” That’s all they are to my brother, who stands on the doorstep holding them in his arms. “But Nana was adamant they were to be left to you, before… you know – we lost her.” Lost, he says, like she can somehow be found. I carry them inside with two hands and a full heart, like I used to her birthday gifts, and I fill the kettle. It clicks and rumbles on the countertop, as I run a finger along the row of cool ceramics, trying to choose. “It’s never too hot for tea,” Nana told me one sunny afternoon on her diamond-tiled patio, a green collared teacup rattling on a saucer. I was 12 and it was the first cup of tea I ever…

Create a backyard ‘beer garden’ with giant noughts & crosses and dominoes– easy to play at a social distance, too. Beers and crisps recommended. YOU WILL NEED: For the dominoes Enough wooden board to make 28 dominoes. About 15 x 30cm is a good size. Or you can buy sets of pre-cut wooden craft board online. Wood stain Chalk paint For the noughts & crosses 10 similarly sized flattish stones (try the beach) 4 straight sticks, each at least 30cm long Acrylic paints Glue gun To make the dominoes Cut 28 equal pieces of board and stain with wood stain, then leave to dry. Paint a line across the middle in chalk paint and add spots either side, copying a dominoes set. To make noughts & crosses Paint five of…

RASPBERRY CREAM LAMINGTONS Makes 20 FOR THE SPONGE CAKE: 30g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 30ml whole milk 5 large eggs 185g caster sugar 185g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting ¼ tsp fine sea salt FOR THE VANILLA CREAM SOAK: 2 sheets gelatine 400ml double cream 200ml whole milk 75g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste FOR THE COATING: 320g raspberry jam 250g desiccated coconut 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Lightly grease a baking tin, then line with parchment so it overhangs the long sides. Lightly grease then dust the inside with flour, tapping out any excess. 2 Heat the butter and milk together until the butter has melted, then set aside. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for 6–8…

1964 Born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire 1981 Meets future husband Kevin Harris while at school 1982 Starts playing bass in the band to which she still belongs 1982 Studies Modern and Medieval Languages at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge 1984 Leaves a most unpromising career in accountancy; goes into teaching 1988 Marries Kevin 1993 Has daughter Anouchka 1989 Becomes a French teacher in a boys’ grammar school 1999 Publishes her third novel Chocolat to critical acclaim while working full time 2010 Creates her workspace the Shed 2013 Receives MBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2015 Comes third in international laser tag championships 2019 Releases first CD with her band (The Storytime Band); reviewed in Prog Magazine 2020 Publishes Ten Things About Writing…

Favourite shops CHANGE MAKER A shop with sustainability at the core of its business. changemaker.ch MAX CHOCOLATIER You’ve not really tasted chocolate until you’ve been here.maxchocolatier.com Gallery HEIDI WEBER MUSEUM – CENTER LE CORBUSIER An architectural masterpiece in a beautiful park by the lake. lecorbusier-heidiweber.ch Favourite café GRANDE Serves the best coffee in town. Cosy, with lots of personality. grande.bar Favourite restaurant HILTL The oldest veggie restaurant in the world. Delicious food, buffet style and à la carte. hiltl.ch Favourite markets BÜRKLIPLATZ MARKT For the flowers, fresh veggies and other delicacies. Held every Tuesday and Friday. Bürkliplatz, 8001 Zürich BÜRKLIPLATZ FLOHMARKT Flea market with some really interesting pieces. Buerkli-flohmarkt.ch Favourite hotel ROMANTIK SEEHOTEL SONNE By Lake Zürich and only eight minutes from the city by train, it’s romantic but also…

PROUDLY HOMEMADE Using dried flowers is a lasting way to capture a moment in time, such as a wildflower meadow in summer, or a snapshot of your homegrown blooms. These two projects offer ways to press pause. Play with filling dome jars with favourite blooms (bonus: they won’t get dusty). For a dramatic take, you can cram the jar full of statuesque flowers such as teasel heads, palm leaves and other graphic dried flowers. At Christmas, you could create a festive display using evergreens and berries, adding in fairy lights for extra sparkle. Or spread the memories far and wide by pressing flowers for cards – what could be a lovelier thank you than collecting them on a special day, then sharing those pressed flowers with the people who came…

As children we had someone there to guide us, stop us from doing things that were bad for us, like eating too much junk food, staying up late or binge-watching TV. As grownups, we’re expected to set our own boundaries and to know and do what’s best for us, which we all know isn’t as easy as it sounds. Setting intentions and sticking to them is hard enough at the best of times and even more challenging when out of our usual routines, possibly with children at home more, and less access to the friends, extended family and the groups we rely on for support. Just as children have needed more care, attention and guidance during these difficult times, so do we. Think of it like self-parenting; giving yourself the…

Beetroot, carrot and onion bhaji burgers Serves 4 Vegetable oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 4 curry leaves, crumbled 1 large onion, very finely sliced 2 carrots (100g), peeled and finely sliced into thin matchsticks 1 medium-sized beetroot, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves 1 tsp finely chopped, deseeded red or green chilli ½ tsp nigella seeds 2 tsp freshly-squeezed lime juice 1 tsp ground turmeric 150g chickpea flour 25g rice flour ½ tsp baking powder TO SERVE: 8 mini naan or burger buns Indian pickles or chutney 8 tbsp garlic yogurt Thinly sliced cucumber 1 Heat 1 tbsp of veg oil in a small pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop,…

A traditional thatched cottage with a modern workshop (and BMX track) out back sums up beautifully how Madeline and Myles Bigden have combined heritage crafts with forward-thinking design in both their home life and their homeware business, LayerTree. “Our workshop, home and surroundings have a positive impact on how we feel day to day,” says Myles. “We love spending time here.” Madeleine, agrees: “We made some difficult choices to leave well-paid jobs to move here and start our own business. There has also been a lot of work to do on the house, not least building the workshop, but it has all definitely been worth it. We enjoy how we live and what we do for a living, which is really important to us.” “OUR WORKSHOP, HOME AND SURROUNDINGS HAVE…

CULTELLATION when you’re feeling overwhelmed We all go through periods when it can feel as if we have too much on our plates. Work stresses, family worries, health concerns or financial woes can all overwhelm us, leaving us at a loss as to how best to deal with them. So what word can we rely on for times when our greatest burden is that we’re overburdened? Perhaps a long-forgotten term from the world of geographical surveying is the one we need. Cultellation was originally the process whereby a height or distance, often over difficult terrain, could be measured not in one single stroke, but in a series of smaller sections. A chain would be held horizontally with a weighted blade hanging perpendicularly on a second chain, striking a point below.…

• Dahlias – So easy to grow and so bounteous. Leave them in the soil to overwinter in the milder south, or dig, store, divide and replant in spring in cooler areas or frost pockets. Very easy to propagate from softwood cuttings of the first shoots in spring. We get non-stop flowers from July to late October here in Dorset. • Cosmos – Another fabulous cut flower that comes in a huge range of colours. Sow fresh seed in early summer and you’ll be cutting flowers until the first frosts. • Zinnias – Look out for the wonderful lime green Envy and the quirky Queen Red Lime series. Easy to grow once conditions are warm enough, and non-stop flowering into autumn. • Scabious – Top cut flowers in shades of…

BAMBOO Curved bamboo wood, for use inside or out. Best for: flexibility – standalone, or wall-fixable; tealight or pillar candle. melodymaison.co.uk, £38.95 TORELLO Powder-coated steel in three cheering colours. Best for: bringing a touch of Italian festivities, even if you’re going nowhere. gardentrading.co.uk, £45 FERM LIVING HAZE Industrially-inspired, with metal and wired glass. Best for: pretending you ‘sourced’ it straight from a modernist factory. mapstores.co.uk, £80…

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. CAROUSEL Enjoy a frolicsome ride on the Carousel. Create words of four letters or more using the given letters once only, but always including the middle letter. Don’t use proper names or plurals ending with S. See if you can finish your ride by finding the nine-letter word using all the letters. TWIN SET Just as twins share a bond, each pair of the Twin Set words share two middle letters. The first is filled in as an example. Complete the remaining words to find a word reading down the middle.…

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Quick fire quiz 1. Sextilia, 2. Evening primrose, 3. The first underground tube railway, 4. Cambridge 5. Animal Farm by George Orwell Twinset Invade, Savage, Asleep, Relent, Banter, Dental, Clinch, Dainty, Muesli, Siesta Mystery Keyword: Valentines Carousel Anew, Knew, Nine, Wage, Wake, Wane, Weak, Wean, Wine, Awake, Eking, Inane, Waken, Awaken, Weaning, Wakening. 9-letter word: AWAKENING Puzzles from Audrey Puzzle Daybook and provided by Lovatts Crosswords & Puzzles (lovattspuzzles.com)…