How to | Find Dyes in Nature

From onion skins to avocados and much more, you can find colour in the most unexpected places

If you’re making your first foray into natural dyeing (do not miss our May issue if so!) you might like to plan your palette. Here are a few natural products you can use for dyeing fabric all colours of the rainbow…

Red

Beetroot, pomegranate and hibiscus

Orange

Onion skins and carrots

Yellow

Dandelions, sunflowers and marigolds

Green

Spinach, nettles and grass

Blue

Red cabbage, blueberries and red grapes

Indigo

Woad plant and elderberries

Violet

Purple basil leaves and sumac berries

If you’re inspired to give natural dyeing a go, don’t miss our May issue, which has in it all the instructions you’ll need for dyeing cotton and linen napkins, tablecloths and more. The projects are taken from Taken from Natural Dyeing: Learn How to Create Colour and Dye Textiles Naturally by Kathryn Davey (Hardie Grant) with photography by Doreen Kilfeather and Kathryn Davey.

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Tipple | Rosemary Rum Spritz

Rosemary and red wine syrup makes this cocktail aromatic and complex rather than sticky and sweet

Makes 1 7.5ml red wine syrup

2 rosemary sprigs, plus one to garnish
45ml three-year-old rum
60ml pink grapefruit juice
Ice cubes
Soda water, to top up

For the red wine syrup:

100ml red wine
100g caster sugar

You will need:

Pan, funnel, cocktail shaker, muddler and strainer

1 To make the red wine syrup, place the wine and sugar in a pan, stir well and heat gently to a simmer (do not boil). Keep stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved then remove from the heat. Leave to cool before using a funnel to pour the mixture into a clean glass bottle (you can store this in the fridge for up to 1 month).

2 Meanwhile, to make the spritz, muddle the rosemary in a cocktail shaker.

3 Add ice, along with the red wine syrup,rum and pink grapefruit juice, then shake vigorously to chill.

4 Strain into a glass with fresh ice and top with soda. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Bartender’s note: The structure of red wine is what really adds to the depth of flavour. It goes well with darker spirits, too. Avoid anything too aged and stick to good-value, mellow wines such as rioja joven from Spain, shiraz from Australia or merlot from Chile.

Taken from Home Cocktail Bible by Olly Smith (Quadrille). Photography: Matt Russell. We feature a tipple each month in The Simple Things. Buy our May issue to find more seasonal ways to celebrate late spring.

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Sponsored post | We'll Drink to That

As the nation prepares for Jubilee picnics and street parties galore, toast your celebrations with the finest English wines on offer

 This summer is set to be a special one. After a funny old couple of years, we’ve all learnt to appreciate life’s simplicity and to look for the little things that bring us joy. So the promise of picnics in the sunshine and a summer of Jubilee celebrations is just the ticket to look forward to.

However, when it comes to choosing wines, many of us can feel overwhelmed at the choice on offer or intimidated at what goes with what. In fact, more often than not, we’re reduced to making our selection based on the label alone, rather than its contents. Thankfully, The English Vine is determined to take the snobbishness out of the industry and to make wine approachable, fun and understandable – just as it should be.

Wine lovers at heart, the team behind The English Vine not only produce two wines of their own, but also showcase other English wines, giving them a platform to shine, away from the pressures of the big retail names. And all offerings are grown and made in England – mainly by hand – with immense love and passion for quality.

Also keen to break the so-called rules of wine pairing, The English Vine believes that its NUMBER 1, an easy-drinking Bacchus, is the ideal go-to for almost any situation and dish. Whether it’s a punchy Thai curry, a delicate mushroom risotto or a packed hamper of picnic treats, NUMBER 1 more than fits the bill.

It won’t just be the wine that’ll have people talking, either, the bottle’s a conversation starter too – as NUMBER 1 is available in a paper bottle. Inspired by the discovery that the UK only recycles 71% of its glass, with much of it ending up in landfill, The English Vine was determined to find a solution. Weighing in at five times lighter than a glass bottle and infinitely kinder to the planet, NUMBER 1’s ingenious paper bottle has a carbon footprint that is 84% lower than the glass alternative and uses four times less water in its production.

Another savvy packaging idea available from The English Vine is the sleek refillable wine bottle. Tough, travel-friendly and dishwasher-proof, it keeps pre-chilled wine cool for up to 24 hours, so you can do away with the added faff of carrying wine coolers on your summer adventures. Throw in the matching metal goblets and you’ll really have a wine pairing to get excited about.

With Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations fast approaching, many of us will be stocking up on bubbles to raise a toast. So why not opt for something as quintessentially English as the Queen herself? High on the team’s list of recommendations are the great value Shotley Sparkling from Suffolk, or the very apt Windsor Great Park Sparkling Rosé, produced on her very doorstep. Now that’s something to drink to. Cheers!

The English Vine is offering The Simple Things readers 10% off all purchases over £60. Simply use the code BUBBLES10 at checkout. Offer valid until 5 June 2022.

For more information and to order online, visit theenglishvine.co.uk and follow on Instagram: @theenglishvine.

How to | Trespass with Good Manners

Why reclaiming the countryside is as much about nurturing a relationship as it is about protest

Ninety years ago, the Kinder Scout Trespass saw 400 ramblers climb the Peak District’s highest point in protest for a greater public access. To tie in with that anniversary, activist, author and all-round countryside guru, Nick Hayes is campaigning to get more people out documenting their trespasses – his new book, The Trespasser’s Companion, serving as a call to action. “I’m putting my faith in the people,” he says. “I think there is power there.” 

There are, of course, important ways in which to be a better trespasser, not least political, “aggression is not good for our campaign,” he says. If you want to stage your own trespass, Nick recommends following the Scottish outdoor access code, where most land and waterways became open access in 2003. It’s also about respecting privacy. 

Confusingly, there’s currently “no distinction in the law between walking among 2,000 acres of deciduous woodland and someone’s urban back yard,” just one of the tensions underlining trespass legislation. Supporting the right to roam can be as simple as researching your local rights of way and making sure they’re not obstructed (visit whoownsengland.org, and slowways.org for routes that link towns and cities). Or using the draft letter on righttoroam.org.uk to write to your MP, or promoting the countryside code. 

To follow in Nick’s footsteps, plan your own, seeking deeper understanding by talking to the people who’ve lived on the land for years. “Ask about the legends and spirits that operate within it,” he suggests. “The stories you don’t find out from history books.” With his emphasis on close relationships to the land, it’s unsurprising that Nick also is infuriated by much-circulated pictures showing litter-strewn nature: not because he doesn’t think it’s an issue, rather he disagrees with it as a basis for limiting access. “It’s only by spending time in the countryside that we develop a connection with it,” he says, pointing to research showing the less litter there is, the less likely people will drop it. 

Rather than setting the wild swimmer against the fisherman, we all need to promote responsibility to the countryside – what better way than by encouraging greater access for all? “If we’re going to stop trashing the planet, we need a collective refalling in love with nature.” 

You can read the whole of our interview with Nick Hayes in our May issue, which is in shops now.

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How to | Keep Hens in Your Garden

Somehow, hens just make a garden. While they require work, the rewards are immense. And we don’t just mean the eggs. Here’s a bit about how to get started from hen guru Rachel Barclay along with some advice on planting for a hen-friendly garden

Part-time teacher and full-time hen expert, Rachel Barclay, appears in our May issue, where you can see pictures of her beautiful garden in a village in Surrey. She has lots of advice for anyone considering investing in hens and has written a beginner’s guide on her blog: thegoodlifeainteasy.com. Here, she shares a few beginner tips.

“Like any pets, chickens are a commitment,” she says. “Sometimes they require just a few minutes of your day, but I’d recommend doing your research so you know what you’re getting into. Speak to other keepers – there are lots of helpful online forums – and see if you can visit someone to see their set up.”

“While I love their company, the hens can eat my seedlings and destroy a flowerbed in record speed. We put in a fence with a gate so when they came into the garden, it’s on our terms, not theirs. We generally let them into the garden when the borders are established, and use netting to divide up areas of the lawn for them throughout the summer. I use protective frames on delicate plants. In the garden we grow greenhouse crops, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, and chard and kale in the flower borders – but veg are particularly delicious to hens, so most are grown at our allotment.”

Planting for hens

“Hens are foragers. Although some plants are toxic, in my experience, most chickens know not to eat them!”
Hen-friendly:

• Lavender – an insect repellent with calming properties

• Nasturtium – great for chicken health with antiseptic properties

• Rosemary – smells lovely when your chickens dust bath nearby

• Sage – a good herb for general health and isn’t eaten too quickly

• Oregano – being studied as a natural antibiotic for poultry (a superfood in the chicken world!)

• Fennel – attracts insects for hens to eat

• Sunflowers – dried seed heads make great boredom busters

• Thyme – good for chickens’ respiratory health

To avoid:

• Bulbs – tulips and daffodils

• Foxgloves – all parts are toxic

• Green parts of the nightshade family – be careful growing potatoes around hens

• Rhubarb leaves – oxalic acid can cause liver damage

• Beans – raw beans are toxic, but cooked are fine l Azaleas and rhododendron – can cause digestive problems

• Apricots – fruit and plant can cause respiratory problems and low blood pressure

Read more from Rachel in our Cluck and Collect feature in our May issue, in shops now. You can read more from Rachel by following her on Instagram @thegoodlifeainteasy.

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Recipe | Wild Garlic Risotto with Griddled Asparagus

Risotto is a wonderful canvas to showcase the first of a new season’s produce and in this instance, the celebratory ingredients are spring’s premium greens: wild garlic and asparagus

SERVES 4 (with enough leftovers for arancini) or 6 (with little to no leftovers)

RISOTTO BASE
Olive oil, plus extra to finish 2 onions or 3 leeks (whites and light green), finely chopped
300g risotto rice
A wine glass of white wine (optional but adds heaps of flavour)
1.5 ltr stock (chicken or veg for a classic risotto), simmering
Half of the wild garlic purée (below), more or less, to taste
1 lemon, zest and a squeeze of juice, to finish

WILD GARLIC PURÉE
300g wild garlic (you can pad it out with baby leaf spinach, if needed)
100g salted butter

GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS
400g asparagus

1 Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and gently cook until the onion is glossy and tender.

2 Tip in the rice and let it crackle and pop for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and let the rice guzzle it up.

3 Add a crack of black pepper and cook for a min or 2 before adding the first ladle of stock.

4 Set a timer for 20 mins. Lower heat to a simmer and add the stock to the rice, little by little, until the timer goes.

5 While it cooks, make the wild garlic purée. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Plunge the wild garlic in the water then drain immediately and rinse under really cold water to cool down. Squeeze out excess water, roughly chop and blend with the butter to make a smooth purée – add a little lemon juice and/or more, butter, if needed. Season to taste and set aside.

6 Once the risotto has had 20 mins, take off the heat and griddle your asparagus. Set a large frying pan over a high heat. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus (save them for the Asparagus stalk arrabbiata). Rinse the asparagus then add to the smoking hot pan while it still has a little water clinging to it. Season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 mins, turning once or twice, until just tender and slightly charred. Season well.

7 Place the risotto back on the heat just to warm through. Fold in the wild garlic purée. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add a bit more stock, if needed. You want the risotto to have a creamy texture and not be too thick. 8 Scoop the risotto onto warm plates and top with the griddled asparagus, a drizzle of olive oil, grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice

This risotto was just one of the recipes from our Home Economics pages, which is all about reviving age-old wisdom about household management and deeply valuing all our resources: our time, ingredients and the money we invest in them. As well as the risotto, the feature includes recipes for Rosy Strawberry Crumble, Arancini with Asparagus Stalk Arrabiata, Almond Shortbread with Rose Sugar, Wild Garlic Butter and Strawberry Shrub. They’re all in the May issue, which is in shops now. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample with photography by Ali Allen.

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Sponsored post | We've got the scoop

Mackie’s of Scotland not only produces delicious ice cream, but does so with an impressive environmental ethos, too

When it comes to making a fantastic tub of ice cream, Mackie’s of Scotland knows that it takes far more than just experience and natural ingredients.

This fifth-generation family business also embraces a ‘sky to scoop’ philosophy, acknowledging that every element of the sky is needed – the wind and sun power the turbines and solar farm (providing more than double the energy needed to run its dairy), while the rain and sun grow the crops, which feed the cows, who in turn produce the fresh milk and cream needed to make its smooth and creamy ice cream.

And Mackie’s doesn’t just create its own energy, it also produces its packaging, fruit compotes and honeycomb on the Aberdeenshire family farm. All of which are essential to delivering that beloved Mackie’s taste.

While its flavour-making expertise has long made it a firm favourite throughout Scotland, until recently it was only its popular Traditional flavour which was widely available south of the border. That’s all set to change as Strawberry Swirl and Honeycomb flavours are now available nationwide in most Sainsbury’s stores, in addition to existing stockists. So as the weather warms and thoughts turn to tasty summer treats, why not reach for a tub of Mackie’s ice cream with the knowledge that those rays of sunshine – and the odd drop of rain – helped to create an ice cream made with a passion for sustainability, fun and great taste.

For more info and offers, visit mackies.co.uk. Learn how Mackie’s makes its Honeycomb ice cream on Inside The Factory, available on BBC iPlayer

Rain | The real Dr Foster

Who was that mysterious man in the puddle?

April is known for its showers of rain, but it doesn’t stop us occasionally forgetting and getting caught out with no umbrella. One man who got very much caught out by the April weather was Dr Foster, of nursery rhyme fame, who went to Gloucester in a shower of rain, stepped in a puddle right up to his middle and never went there again. 

But did you know the tale of Dr Foster was not just a nursery rhyme but an actual historical event? Well, ‘event’ might be a bit strong. Perhaps a historical anecdote. 

Dr Foster was likely to have actually been the Plantagenat king , Edward I. He was apparently on his way to Wales, passing through Gloucester, when he fell into a a large, muddy puddle (or got stuck on his horse in a stream and had to be hauled out). Either way, it was a humiliating moment and as a result he never set foot in the town again. It must have been quite a puddle to have come up to his middle, too, because Edward was fondly known as ‘Longshanks’ and stood 6 foot 2 inches tall, quite a height for that period.

So if you must go to Gloucester this April, take a brolly and some wellies and don’t go puddle-jumping.

If you’d like to know more about April showers, read Right as Rain in our April issue, which is all about the words for rain we use in various parts of the UK. Learn to tell your ‘dinge’ from your ‘henting’ from page 22.

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Recipe: Chocolate truffles

Make somebody’s Easter with a box of handmade dark chocolate and vanilla truffles. No hidden ingredients or mysterious methods in this simple but delicious recipe.

Chocolate truffles

Makes about 20 truffles

For the ganache:
125ml fresh double cream
2 whole vanilla pods
250g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the shell:
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
200g dark chocolate, grated 50g unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Place the cream in a heavy- based pan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, run a very sharp knife along the vanilla pods to open one side, add them to the cream and continue to simmer for 5 mins.
2. Take the pan off the heat and remove the pods. Using your thumbnail, gently push out the seeds from the pods into the cream. Cover with a cloth for a further 5 mins.
3. Put the chocolate in a bowl, pour over the still-hot cream and stir until fully blended. This is your vanilla ganache. Put in the fridge. 
4. Next, prepare the shell. The tempering process is tricky for beginners, so this is our easy version. It takes about 10 mins; time it so the ganache has had 30 mins in the fridge by the time the tempering is complete.
5. Melt two-thirds of the roughly- chopped chocolate and leave for 5 mins. Now add the remaining pieces and stir with a spatula until they are smooth and melted. Test by putting a spot on your lip - when it feels neither hot nor cold it is ready for coating the ganache balls.
6. Remove ganache from fridge and scoop out small amounts for hand-rolling into balls. Do this quickly so it doesn’t soften too much in your hands. Use a fork to dip them into the shell chocolate and then roll in the chocolate gratings, or leave them to harden at room temperature and roll in cocoa powder.
7. Leave the balls to set.

This was first puclished in our April 2015 issue. The recipe is from Montezuma’s Chocolate Cookbook by Simon and Helen Pattinson
(Kyle Books, £16.99.) 

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How to | Get a Head for Heights

Be inspired to aim high, even if your stomach doesn’t agree… 

In our April issue, we met three women whose jobs take them high into the sky, including a pilot, stone mason, mountain runner and Isobel Watson (pictured), who is an arborist. Much as she loves her work, she’s the first to admit it can be tough. “Being an arborist can be brutal,” she nods. “Especially when you’re starting out.” Ascending trees, cutting them back and, “as a last resort,” taking them down is physically bruising, and there’s always an element of risk. “You’re suspended in a harness, from a rope, putting all your trust – and weight – on to a branch. You can be up to 100ft off the ground, and of course you’ve got a chainsaw with you.” The flip side is a heady sense of freedom and achievement. “You never go home feeling as if you’ve done nothing, and you never stop learning.”

If you fancy a life in the treetops (or even an afternoon of tree-climbing) but don’t have a head for heights, however, fear not - you may not be ground-bound for ever. 

Fear of heights is called Acoraphobia (not Vertigo, which often seems to confuse people) and there are things you can do to get over it. Anxiety UK says just one of the things you can do is ‘immersion therapy’, that is slowly exposing yourself to the feared situation: “Start by slowly exposing yourself/the person to heights, perhaps start with a first floor balcony or looking over the bannisters of a stair well close to the bottom. Continue by exposing yourself/the person to gradually increasing heights. When you feel ready, perhaps try an experience day, such as a virtual experience… or if you are feeling brave, an Indoor skydiving experience could be a good starting point.”

If you don’t yet feel like facing a fear of heights head on, you could start with other ways to train your brain into accepting situations of discomfort. Try the following ideas from Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: 60 Challenge Cards to Build a Strong Resilient Mindset by Ben Aldridge (Watkins). 

Train your mind to deal with uncomfortable situations 

Take a cold shower This will help you develop a mind-over-matter attitude and it boosts endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals). Just turn on the shower, switch it to cold, get in and stay as long as you can, building up the time as you get used to it. Sleep on the floor Spend the night sleeping on the floor without a pillow, mattress or blanket. You’ll have to be strong to tough it out, but it will make you deeply grateful for your bed. Blindfold yourself for an hour. Spending an hour in the dark will enhance your other senses and give you a new set of difficulties to overcome as you try to go about your business (within reason, obviously).

We’ve more ideas for training your brain from Get Out of Your Comfort Zone starting on page 28 of our April issue.

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Competition | Win a year's coffee for you and a friend

You and a friend could start each day well with a year’s worth of coffee worth more than £300

Taylors of Harrogate have been making flipping decent coffee for over 130 years, all from their home in the heart of Yorkshire.

They take the finest coffee beans from around the world, roast them with a bit of Taylors magic, and get them sent out to the homes of happy customers across the UK and beyond. The coffee is available in both beans and ground, so whether you’re a coffee expert with your own laboratory and grinding machine at home, or you’ve just got five minutes and a cafetière, there’s an option for you.

Despite their obsession with coffee, the people at Taylor’s know that caffeine isn’t everybody’s best friend. That’s why they also make a delicious Decaffé blend. Through careful roasting, they produce delicious flavours of caramel and malt. Their natural decaffeination process uses water instead of solvents and so those lovely flavours aren’t washed away. Decaffé is all the flavour, no caffeine needed. 

Exclusively for The Simple Things readers Taylor’s has a year’s worth of ground coffee for one reader and a friend, worth £336, to give away, too. That is a whole year of rich flavours and undisturbed sleep. What could be better?

To enter simply click the button below and answer the following question:

Q What process do Taylors of Harrogate use for decaffeinating their coffee?

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 21st May 2022. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received, and notified soon after. The winners cannot modify or transfer the prize and it cannot be swapped for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

Playlist | Sing aloud songs

Whether you’re in the shower, the car or a karaoke booth, these are tried-and-tested favourites for belting out.

Take a listen here
Or search ‘simplethingsmag’ on Spotify to find all of our monthly playlists.

Recipe | Leftover Laksa

This must be one of the simplest takes on the Malaysian noodle classic, but it’s no less scrumptious and soul warming. Even better, you can make it in minutes, using up leftovers as you do. The key here is getting your broth right as it creates the canvas – what you add to it from there is up to you.

SERVES 2-4

1 tbsp coconut oil (or use some of the cream from the coconut milk)
1 onion (or 6 spring onions or 2 leeks), thinly sliced
400g coconut milk 2-3 tbsp kimchi paste, to taste
500ml fish stock 1 tbsp fish sauce and/or tamari/soy sauce
100g vermicelli rice noodles, optional (you can just use more veg)
2 carrots, shaved into long ribbons using a veg peeler
A few cabbage leaves, rolled into a cigar-shape and shredded
A few spring onions, thinly sliced
A handful shiitake or seasonal mushrooms 1 lime, zest and juice
A handful of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or sprouts (such as radish sprouts, bean sprouts)

1 Place a large pot over a medium heat and add the coconut oil or cream from your coconut milk (if using the latter, you might need a little extra). Swirl in the onion, spring onions or leeks, then reduce the heat and gently cook until tender and a little golden.

2 Add the rest of the coconut milk (or all of it, if you used coconut oil initially). Swirl in the kimchi paste (start with a small amount and add more if needed as you layer in the ingredients).

3 Allow the kimchi paste to cook into the coconut milk for 5 mins, then add the fish stock and fish sauce (tamari or soy)and simmer for a further 10 mins to develop the flavours.

4 As the stock base cooks, prepare your veg and cook your noodles in a separate pan, according to the instructions on the pack.

5 Once the stock has simmered for 10 mins, taste and add a little more kimchi paste if needed.

6 Pile in your prepared veg and noodles into bowls then pour the warm, spicy broth over the top. Finish with a grating of lime zest, a good spritz of lime juice, and a smattering of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or bean sprouts

This is just one of the recipes from our regular Home Economics pages, reviving age-old wisdom about household management to help us value all our resources - our time, and also the ingredients and money we invest in them. In our April issue, Home Economics is all about the Hungry Gap - that time of year just before the new season harvests are ready - and features recipes by Rachel de Thample, including Roasted Trout with Lemon and Dill, Decadent Roast Potato Mash and Cider-Braised Cabbage Wedges, as well as this Leftover Laksa, fish stock and Fish Pie Jackets for your freezer and Kimchi for the pantry.

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Recipe | Lemon Powder Puffs

The macaron’s casual cousin, resembling a make-up compact. Best made and eaten on the same day. Now there's a challenge...

Makes 12

4 egg whites
250g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
250ml double cream
100g lemon curd
Icing sugar, to dust

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Draw 24 5cm circles onto two pieces of baking paper with plenty of space around each circle. Place these drawing-side down onto two baking sheets

2 Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and continue beating until glossy, then slowly add the lemon zest and vanilla to the meringue mixture, taking care not to over mix. Meanwhile sieve together the flour and baking powder, then fold carefully but thoroughly into the meringue mix.

3 Transfer to a large plastic bag and snip off a small corner ready to pipe. Pipe the mixture onto the baking paper using the circles as a guide to create neat(ish) rounds. Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins, or until golden brown and risen. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool.

4 While the puffs cool, whip the double cream to a spreadable consistency. Spread 12 puffs with cream, then top each with a teaspoon of lemon curd and place a plain puff on the top. Dust with icing sugar and serve

This recipe is just one of the classic bakes and surprising sandwiches featured in our April issue in our ‘bring-a-bake afternoon tea party’ menu by Lottie Storey. You can find the rest of the recipes and ideas, including Jamaican Ginger Cake, Gin Thyme Lemonade, Pistachio and Chocolate Pinwheels, Earl Grey Tea Loaf, Strawberry Sandos, Curried Egg Mayo Sandwiches and more beginning on page 32.

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Birdwatch | The Cuckoo

Cuckoos return from South Africa this month. Officially 14 April, St Tiburtius’ Day, is when you first hear cuckoo song. Traditionally, one writes to The Times on hearing the first cuckoo of spring, but you could write to us instead.

Look for: A grey head and bright yellow ring around the eye, dark grey plumage on top and barred feathers below, a little like a sparrow hawk. Some of the females are brown.

Spot them: Around the edges of woodlands and grasslands.

Listen for: Only the males ‘cuckoo’ – and you know what that sounds like. Females make a sort of bubbling sound.

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Quiz | Run Away to the Circus

Had enough or the daily grind? Roll up for our Circus Career Quiz and you could be off to a new life in the circus today

We all occasionally reach a point in life, where we just want to down tools and run off to join the circus. Easier said than done, you might think? Not so, with our New Life in the Circus Quiz.  Find out where your Big Top Niche lies and where you could best employ your transferable skills. 

Q1. What sector do you work in?

A I don’t work. Well, I do have a couple of volunteer roles. And I do some occasional freelance work. And I help out at my children’s school. And I look after my dad who’s quite frail now. And just, you know, the shopping, house admin, DIY and all that. But no, I don’t do much really. 

B Engineering

C Entertainment

D Emergency Services

E Project management

Q2. How do you like to relax?

A By doing hobbies. I always have at least two things on the go. 

B I’m an adrenaline junkie. I can’t relax until I’ve had a good long run or a sea swim, or been climbing. 

C Just having a giggle with friends. 

D You’ll laugh, but I love firewalking. It’s an amazing experience and you feel so serene afterwards. 

E. I’m not very good at relaxing. It makes me edgy. 

Q3. Who is your favourite famous clown?

A. Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons

B. Grock, the Swiss Acrobat/Clown

C. Lou Jacobs - the inventor of the clown car.

D. Pennywise from Stephen King’s It. 

E. Grimaldi, of course, the Father of Clowning

Q4. What would be your last meal?

A I’d cook a roast dinner with all the trimmings. 

B A huge stack of pancakes, flipped and stacked with loads of syrup.

C Custard pie.

D A vindaloo. With extra chillies.

E Something with a bit of showmanship, maybe a Steak Diane, followed by Bananas Foster. 

Q5. What is your greatest skill?

A People often say I’m a great multitasker.

B I’m very flexible and adapt easily to any new situation. 

C I think I make people laugh. 

D I’m fearless.

E I’m highly organised and I think people respect that. 

<Drumroll…> And the results are in!

Mostly A 

You’re a juggler. Never one to stand still, you have no problem with keeping your eye on the ball and with handling more than one task at a time. 

Mostly B 

You would make a great acrobat. You’re fast, flexible and ready for anything. Maybe you could turn those skills to a physical arena and find a new life up on the high wire.

Mostly C 

You’re a born entertainer and would make a fabulous clown. You make people smile and don’t take yourself too seriously but you’re also a sensitive soul who people empathise with. Just don’t offer to do any driving as part of your new role. And if you do, don’t offer a lift to all your friends. 

Mostly D 

Danger is, if not your middle name, then definitely your watchword. With your can-do approach to life - and a slight dare devil streak, dare we say? - we think you’d make a great fire eater. Please leave the man-made fibres at home, though.

Mostly E 

In your current life, you’re the one that holds it all together. People look to you for direction and you’re usually meticulously well organised. If you ran off to the circus, we think you’d swap your online organiser for a whip and work your way up to being ring master in no time.

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More from our April issue…

More circus fun…

Sponsored post | Herb Your Enthusiasm

Embrace your creative side with Ricola and give those green thumbs a workout so you’ll always have
herbs when you need them

Plant hangers are a great way to grow herbs and they can be a sustainable way to decorate, because to make them you can use materials you probably have lying around. All you need are a few old cans, paint, a drill, string, a spot of creativity and – if you like – music in the background while you work.

Make Herb Plant Hangers

Add some colour to your kitchen and a flavour burst to your food – it’s much easier than you think

You will need:
4 different herb plants (such as lemon balm, basil, thyme and mint)
4 big tin cans 6m-thick string (approx. 1.5m per can)
Scissors
Drill
Spray paint, in colours of your choice
A suitable base to work on

1 Remove the lids from the tin cans if they are still attached.
2 Wash out the cans and remove any labels.
3 Drill two holes opposite each other, 5-10cm from the top of each can. Be careful.
4 Spray the cans with different colours and leave them to dry for around two hours.
5 Now push a piece of string through the holes in each can.
6 Cut to adjust the length, depending on how high the herbs should hang, and tie knots to ensure the string stays in place.
7 Put the herb plants in the cans and hang them near a window.

Since 1940, Swiss company Ricola has been making sweets and cough drops using a blend of 13 healing herbs, including thyme, sage and peppermint (the actual recipe remains a closely guarded secret). For more on the whole Ricola range, visit ricola.com or follow on Insta: @ricola_uk

Recipe: Mothering buns

Sweet and sticky buns to make for Mother’s Day… or just because

A speciality of Bristol, these are made by local bakers the day before Mothering Sunday. Traditionally, on this day only, the Lent fast was relaxed. The buns used to be decorated with caraway or aniseed; today, hundreds and thousands are used.

MAKES 12
FOR THE BUNS
500g strong white bread flour 
1 tsp salt
50g caster sugar
7g sachet instant yeast
50g unsalted butter, diced and softened
300ml water

FOR THE ICING 
200g icing sugar 
2–3 tbsp water

1. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar on one side, the yeast on the other. Add the butter and three-quarters of the water, then turn the mixture round with the fingers of one hand. Add the remaining water a little at a time, mixing until you have taken in all the flour and the dough is soft and slightly sticky; you might not need all the water.
2. Oil the work surface to stop the dough sticking. Turn out the dough and knead for 5 mins, or until smooth and no longer sticky. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to it and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for at least an hour, until doubled in size. Line 2 baking trays
with baking parchment.
3. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and fold it inwards repeatedly until all the air has been
knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide into 12 pieces.
4. Roll each piece into a ball by placing it into a cage formed by your hand on the work surface and moving your hand in a circular motion, rotating the ball rapidly. 
5. Put the balls of dough on the prepared baking trays, spacing them slightly apart. (They should just touch each other when they have risen.) Place each tray in a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for about 40 mins, until the rolls have doubled in size. Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200/425F.
6. Bake for 10–12 mins, until the rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
7. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with enough water to give a thick but pourable consistency. Dip each roll into the icing and then into the hundreds and thousands.

Recipe taken from Paul Hollywood’s British Baking, Photography Peter Cassidy (Bloomsbury, £8)

Mothering Sunday is on 27 March in the UK. It has been celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent since the 16th century. This recipe was first published in our March 2015 issue but we don’t think you can make them enough, really.

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More from our April issue…

More bakes for springdays…

Recipe | Rhubarb Soda

Photography by Tom Crowford

A refreshing thirst quencher for a warm spring day.

We like to serve this simple rhubarb soda with lots of ice and fresh mint leaves.

Serves 6-8

250ml water
250g granulated sugar
500g rhubarb, chopped into 5cm lengths
Sparkling mineral water or soda water
Fresh mint leaves to serve (optional)

1 Put the water and sugar into a large pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the rhubarb, and bring back up to a simmer. Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled down, strain out the poached rhubarb (this is Rhubarb soda delicious served with thick yogurt), and pour the syrup into a sterilised bottle or jar, then chill in the fridge.

2 To serve, tear a few mint leaves into the bottom of a glass, pour in a generous glug of the rhubarb syrup, add a handful of ice cubes, and top with chilled sparkling water or soda water (stir gently to help blend the syrup with the water if needed). Serve immediately and enjoy.

This soda is just one of the recipes from our feature Spring on the Smallholding, from our April issue. It also includes recipes for Cheddar and Wild Garlic Biscuits, Griddled Asparagus with Spring Herbs and Poached Eggs and Spring Cabbage with Sweet Chilli and Marmite Butter, as well as lots of makes and ideas to make the most of spring in the outdoors, by Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford, owners of the smallholding in Somerset. You can follow all their adventures at theseasonaltable.co.uk or @the_seasonal_table

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More from our April issue…

More recipes with rhubarb…

Sponsored post | Hut For All Seasons: Self-Build Satisfaction

Sometimes it’s not the finished product but the process that’s needed to get there that provides the most enjoyment, as Blackdown’s self-build customers will testify

You may have been playing the winter waiting game, itching to get busy in the garden – but April is finally here, the weather has turned a corner, and it’s time to enjoy all the potential that your garden has to offer for the year ahead.

For many, those plans extend way beyond a little garden maintenance and growing, with ambitious plans to create a unique space that can be cherished for generations to come. This is always a time of year when the talented folk at Blackdown Shepherd Huts see increased interest in their range of shepherd huts – from bespoke designs, to turnkey huts, to self-build options, there’s something to suit all needs.

And for some, that need is to get creative and realise a dream of building their own little corner of escapism. Often there’s a yearning to reconnect to skills learnt from older generations, or a burning ambition to build something meaningful.

And once your shepherd hut is finished, it can be enjoyed in so many ways – perhaps as a home office, additional space to hang out or host guests, or perhaps home to a small business such as a quirky B&B.

Whatever your dream, the team at Blackdown are on hand to support you through the process, from ordering the kit, through building the hut, to personalising your eventual space. With years of skill and knowledge, Blackdown’s video guidance or friendly voice at the end of a phone call can make all the difference to the enjoyment of the process. And for further inspiration, why not pay a visit to the Blackdown Display Garden in Ilminster, Somerset, to see just how special the finished product can be.

One pair who took advantage of Blackdown’s self-build set up is Jane and Richard from Mickleton in the Durham Dales, who now share their stunning location with guests at Toadlands Shepherd Huts (toadlandsshepherdhuts.co.uk). “Blackdown gave us the confidence to self-build a quality product all the way from idea to realisation,” says Jane. With such a sense of achievement to be gained from creating your vision, it’s not hard to see why Blackdown Shepherd Huts have provided so much enjoyment for so many years, and will continue to do so for many, many more to come.

For more information and inspiration, visit blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk or follow on Instagram: @blackdownshepherdhuts.