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Taking Time to Live Well
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DJ: Frances Ambler
To celebrate the Paris Olympics, beginning in July 2024, we’re talking French for our latest playlist. That’s songs in French, by French artists or simply inspired by France. Bonne écoute!
Take a listen on Spotify here
Have a browse of all our playlists here.
You’ll find this in our July TIDE issue. Pick up a copy in shops from Wednesday 26 June, or order a copy through Pics & Ink.
Photograph by Max Hermansson/Unsplash
Don’t get in a bothy bother. Here’s all you need to know about staying in a simple shelter
Bothies are simple shelters, scattered across Scotland, Wales and Northern England. They often amount to little more than four walls and a roof, usually with a fire or stove and sometimes a platform on which to sleep. They were originally built for workers on estates - shepherds, farmers, gamekeepers and the like. As they weren’t originally designed to house groups of hikers, respecting the Bothy Code will help everything go smoothly. But if you’ve never stayed in a bothy before, here are a few questions you might want answered.
What do I need to take to a bothy?
Pack as though you’re camping, just without the tent. Or sometimes the toilet block. Don’t forget matches and fuel for the fire or rubbish bags so you can take everything away and leave it exactly as you left it. Drinking water and food will be needed and a camping stove if you want to cook.
What? No loo?
Nope. Usually no loo. This is a ‘long walk with a spade’ situation. If you don’t like the thought of spiky leaves, bring your own (biodegradable) loo roll. Okay, okay, some bothies do have a squat toilet available, but only the ‘five star’ ones.
What about sleeping arrangements?
Some bothies have a sleeping platform but it really will just be a slab of wood each so bring sleeping bag, camping mat etc and a pillow if you want one.
What if it’s occupied when I arrive?
Then you’re about to make a new friend! You can’t ‘book’ a bothy so if you turn up and there’s someone already in residence you’ll have to cosy up or move on. It’s not really a case of first-come-first-served either; if an extra person turns up the expectation is that you will make room for them (and hopefully make them a brew, too). The Bothy Code asks guests to stay no longer than two nights maximum and each bothy may have its own rules about size of group and length of stay so check that first. Groups of more than five usually need permission. If the bothy really is packed to the rafters, it’s handy to have a pop-up tent with you so you can camp just outside for the night and hope someone moves on in the morning.
Is it ok to leave things behind?
Thoughts differ, but useful things like tinned food, matches, loo roll and the like are usually welcomed. Fresh food or anything that rodents might eat, such as rice or dried pasta less so. Rubbish, absolutely not.
If you’d like to learn more about bothies, you might like to read The Enduring Appeal of Simple Shelters in our June issue.
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Photography by Rebecca Lewis
A fruity thirst-quencher that’s bursting with summer flavours
Serves 6
You will need
100g honey
Juice of 1 large lemon
100g raspberries
1 tsp lavender flowers
6 shots of vodka (optional)
2ltr sparkling water
6 sprigs of mint, to garnish
6 sprigs of lavender, to garnish
18 fresh raspberries, to garnish
To make
1 In a small pan, gently heat the honey, 100ml of water, the lemon juice, raspberries and lavender flowers over a medium heat, stirring frequently until the honey melts.
2 Simmer for a further 5 mins, stirring constantly to avoid it catching, until it starts to thicken. Leave to cool then blitz to a smooth consistency with a handheld blender.
3 Fill tall glasses with ice and pour in a shot of vodka if using, then fill each glass halfway with sparkling water.
4 Add the lavender and raspberry syrup until the glass is three-quarters full. Garnish each glass with a sprig of mint, a sprig of lavender and three fresh raspberries to serve.
These cocktails are just one of the recipes from our June ‘gathering’ pages, a menu for a picnic by the water, which we’ve called ‘A Shore Thing’. It includes recipes for homemade Dips & Chips, Asparagus, Ricotta & Smoked Pea Tarts, Roast Pepper, Onion & Halloumi Wraps and Berry Crumble Cake. The recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.
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Illustrations by Kiara Mucci
This is a wonderful exercise for tuning in and noticing the good stuff happening around us – the joy, the beauty, and the sparks. It builds curiosity and helps us to slow down.
• Practise this anywhere, but it’s best done outside if you can.
• Take time to look around you and then look a little longer and deeper. Notice what you see, hear, and how you feel. Look left, right, up, down and all around. Then linger and just watch what is happening. If you see something that catches your eye, pause and notice. It can take several minutes for something to reveal itself but there will be a small glimmer waiting to be harvested.
• Write down what you found in a notebook. Over time, if you practise this, you’ll build a list of glimmers that you can return to when you need them. Or just enjoy your glimmer and move on, knowing that such moments can be fleeting.
Finding Glimmers is just one of the exercises in using creativity to soothe mind and body taken from the book Creative First Aid by Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose (Murdoch Books), which we have an extract from in our June issue.
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Photography by Ali Allen
Cherries and tarragon are a magical combination you might not have tried. You can try whizzing in other herbs, too – fennel, lemon balm and mint are all great with tarragon
SERVES 4
500g cherries, pitted
1 large (or 2 small) cucumber, peeled and sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
Handful of fresh tarragon
200-300ml cold herbal tea (lemon verbena and/or mint works a treat)
1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (alternatively, use kombucha)
Light rapeseed or olive oil, to serve
Tarragon and borage flowers, to garnish
1 Blend the cherries with the cucumber, garlic (start with 1 clove), tarragon, tea and vinegar (or kombucha). Taste and add more garlic and herbs, if needed. Season with a good hit of black pepper.
2 Serve with a good trickle of oil (or blend the oil in if you’d prefer, before serving) – I garnish the soup with oil but I’m generous with it! Finish with a scattering of tarragon and borage. Cook’s note: This will keep nicely in the fridge for a week.
This is one of the recipes from our June issue’s Home Economics feature, which focuses on herbs this month. Pick up a copy of the issue to read the other recipes, which include Herby Tzatziki, Mackerel, Gooseberry & Coriander Ceviche, Courgette & Dill Babaganoush, Tomato Salad with Sage Butter, Za’atar Flatbreads, Herb Shortbread and an Oxymel Herbal Tonic. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photography is by Ali Allen.
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Photography by Laura Brown
If you’ve ever seen honey bees swarm they’re an impressive sight. Even more impressive are the beekeepers that come to collect them. Here’s how the magic is done
Why do honey bees swarm?
Swarming occurs when things are getting tight for space in the hive and some of the bees decide to move on. Occasionally bees swarm and move out in order to reproduce.
When does swarming occur?
On hot days, usually between May and July. Beekeepers call this ‘swarm season’. The bees won’t swarm if rain is due as they don’t like to be caught out of their hives in bad weather, so if you see bees swarming you can be pretty sure it’s safe to hang out your washing before going out.
What happens when they swarm?
Essentially, the colony splits in two but it’s not a one-day event. First, cells are created to hatch a new queen in the hive, meanwhile the worker bees put the old queen on a diet to enable her to fly better when she leaves the hive. The bees then stock up on honey themselves to see them through until they’re settled in their new home.
Here comes the swarming bit…
The bees that are packing up leave together and buzz around in a cloud before parking themselves on a solid object nearby, with their queen protected in the middle. Could be a tree, could be a lamp post, could be your garden furniture. Scout bees then head out looking for a new home. This process can take up to a few days and actually begins even before they leave the hive. After plenty of negotiation, a new nest is chosen and the bees move in together.
How do beekeepers take a swarm away?
Beekeepers love free bees so they’re often happy to be called out to a swarm. They’ll place a large container underneath the swarm, raised up so that as much of the swarm as possible is contained within. They’ll then gently shake the tree or scrape the bees off the solid object into the container. The container is then placed upside down on the ground, with a sheet beneath it and one side of the container is lifted to allow more bees to get in. Any bees that leave the box will home back inside again towards the queen. As long as you’re sure the queen is inside, the box can then be left where it is until the whole swarm is inside. The sheet is then tied up at the top and the whole swarm can be relocated to an empty hive.
What should you do if you spot a swarm?
Give them plenty of space. They don’t generally sting you but it’s best not to take the risk. The next step is to identify the type of bee. Not all swarms will be honey bees. The British Bee Keepers’ Association will collect honey bees for you but they also have an identifier on their website along with numbers of who to call for each type of bee. Call out a beekeeper and then you can stand back and helpfully read out the instructions above while he or she does all the hard work and you look rather clever.
If you’d like to know more about the care of bees, read our feature How Hard Can it Be… To Become a Beekeeper in our June issue, which is in shops now.
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Illustration by Trina Dalziel
A picnic isn’t complete without a run about and a bit of competition after your sausage rolls and strawberries. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite games for a picnic
Tug of War
Best for: A gang of mates at the beach.
You’ll need: A long, thick rope.
How to play: You (literally) know the ropes. Mark a line in the sand or chuck a jumper down to be ‘the line’. Split into two equal teams, taking into account size, strength etc (you may need one extra person on one side to even it up). Line up on either side of the rope with the middle of the rope over the line. On the count of three, both teams should pull on the rope. The winning team is the first to pull one of the other team over the line.
Capture the Flag
Best for: Family groups in the woods.
You’ll need: Two ‘flags’ (they can be t-shirts, napkins, toys or anything else).
How to play: Divide the space into two ‘territories’ (an invisible line between two trees will do) and nominate a space to be a ‘jail’. Split into two teams. Each team should hide the other team’s flag somewhere on their territory. Both teams then compete to find their flag and get it back to their own territory without being tagged and thrown in jail. You can only be tagged on the other team’s territory. A member of your team can release you from ‘jail’ by running to the jail to ‘untag’ you.
French Cricket
Best for: Neighbours in the park.
You’ll need: A cricket bat and a tennis ball.
How to play: One person is the batter. Everyone else fields in a circle around them, taking turns to be bowler. The batter’s legs are the stumps. The bowler bowls at the ‘stumps’ and the batter must hit the ball away with the bat. If the ball is caught the batter is out and replaced by whoever caught them out. If the batter has hit the ball they may then turn to face the next bowler. If they didn’t hit it they must play the next bowl facing the same way, twisting to defend their stumps from whichever direction they choose to bowl.
Cats or Dogs
Best for: Couples or anyone getting to know each other
You’ll need: Nothing!
How to play: You don’t even need to get up for this one. Simply sit back over a glass of something chilled and take it in turns to fire ‘choice’ questions at each other. Start with ‘cats or dogs?’ and move on to ‘sweets or chocolates?’, ‘oranges or lemons?’, ‘Piers Brosnan or Daniel Craig?’ and wherever your fancy takes you.
This blog was inspired by our feature ‘Delicious, Fictitious Picnics’ in our June issue, in which we take a look at picnics from novels. Buy a copy of our June issue in shops or from our online store and join us on the picnic blanket.
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Photography by Catherine Frawley
In our June issue we asked you to share your recipes for cakes that are ‘keepers’ - the tried and tested ones, passed on by friends or family. Here’s one to whet your appetite.
‘Nussecken are common in Germany, but this recipe is a hand me-down that reached my family when I was a child. The grandmother of my best friend in nursery was a proper farmer granny: solid body, solid character, solid baking! I was always in awe (and a little bit scared) of her. Baking was her love language – there were always baked goods in her little kitchen, which smelled of coffee, butter biscuits and somehow, burnt onions. She gave my mum this nussecken recipe – or rather, a brief ingredients list, handwritten on a ripped-out notebook page – and when I moved to the UK in 2016, this bit of my German home came with me in the recipe folder that my mum made for me. It’s well loved and ever-growing, and now the nussecken are my boyfriend’s favourite treat, too.’ Mareike Wehner, Prenton, Merseyside
Makes around 30
300g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
130g margarine
3-4 tbsp jam (such as apricot or plum)
For the topping:
220g margarine
200g sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
300-400g mixed chopped nuts (use your favourites, but definitely use almonds and hazelnuts!)
To finish:
200g dark chocolate
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Make the base by mixing all of the ingredients, except for the jam, together and spread out on a large, buttered baking tray. Spread the jam on top using the back of a spoon.
2 For the topping, melt the margarine and sugar slowly in a pan. Add the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of water. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the nuts, then stir to mix gently.
3 Pour the nut mix onto the base and bake everything for 25 mins, or until set and starting to brown.
4 Leave to cool, then cut into triangles that fit nicely into your palm (the equivalent of 3-4 large bites). Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and dip two corners of the triangles into the molten chocolate and leave to harden on baking paper.
Cook’s note: If bits break off, not to worry – but eat the evidence as quickly as possible! Also, if there’s any chocolate left, use a spoon and release your inner Jackson Pollock over the drying nussecken.
We shared four more recipes for your hand-me-down cakes in our June issue. It’s on sale now or available to order to your door from our online store.
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Illustration by Emy Lou Holmes
CODDIWOMPLE ‘To travel purposefully towards a vague destination’ (verb, English)
While striding out to reach a charming village, castle or pub certainly has its pleasures, setting off with nothing particular in mind invites spontaneity; it frees us up to follow an intriguing path or climb a hill simply to see a new view.
A ‘coddiwomple’ might be a wholly unstructured walk or perhaps a moment of drifting away from the path to explore on a whim. If aimlessly wandering feels like a recipe for getting lost (and not in a good way), then why not apply the same principle to exploring a rambling country estate where you can’t go too far astray?
Seek out places that invite wonder such as Hawkstone Park Follies, Shropshire, where you can meander through 100 acres of labyrinthine tunnels, sandstone caves and rhododendron jungles. Or Puzzlewood, Gloucestershire, a maze of enticing pathways between mossy rock formations – with no set trails, when you reach a fork in the path, simply choose your route and walk purposefully ahead.
The extract above is just one of the words for walks in our feature ‘Talk the Walk’ from our May issue. Enjoy a Solivagant, a Dauwtrappen or a Passeggiatta from page 52.
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Photograph courtesy of Paul Harris, National Trust Images
If you’ve ever felt like you’d like to read more poetry but weren’t sure where to start, or even fancied penning a few lines yourself, here’s advice on how to begin from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage
Despite it possibly being more accessible than many other forms of writing, being short and easy to dip in and out of, it seems that many of us don’t read much poetry beyond school. Where’s a good place for a poetry newbie to begin?
“There are some really good anthologies, which are kind of portfolio collections that have lots of different poets writing in lots of different styles. I would probably start with one of those.
“There’s a very good anthology edited by Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney called The Rattle Bag.
“Bloodaxe have published a really great series of anthologies known as Staying Alive that’s also really good [The collections are edited by Neil Astley and include Staying Alive, Being Alive, Being Human and Staying Human].
“I also like the anthology Andrew Motion edited when he was Poet Laureate called Here to Eternity.
“So I’d try any one of them. Anthologies are like samplers really. You get a little bit of everything. If you find something you like, you might be inclined to follow up that point with more of that poet’s work. But I’d also say don't feel bad if you don't get on with a poem. Remember, it might well be the poem’s fault rather than yours.”
How would you encourage someone who has never done so to begin to write poetry themselves?
“I'd encourage them to, to collect words around the subjects they’re interested in first. So make yourself an inventory of words that you can use. Because when you’re writing poetry, there is always a better word; there’s always a word that will do a bit more work or have a better sound, if you can find it.
“Sometimes people come to me and say, ‘I want to write poems, because I've got something to say’. And I always think ‘Oh, no, that's no good’. You know, we've all got something to say. Even if it's just ‘I took the bin out today’. The point is, if you want to be a writer, it's because you want to work with language. You can have something to say as a painter. You can have something to say as a potter, and you can have something to say as a racing car driver, but you've really got to be interested in language to be a poet.”
You can read more of Simon Armitage’s thoughts in our Wisdom feature in our May issue. Simon’s latest anthology, Blossomise, illustrated by Angela Harding, is available now, too.
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Tell us what you think! Fill in our survey for a chance to win £50 worth of wellbeing books and £50 to spend at Seasalt Cornwall, too!
We’ve now been publishing The Simple Things for 10 amazing years, so it feels like a good time to ask you a few questions to help us plan the next 10!
We hope you’ll find just 10 minutes to put the kettle on and take part in our survey. We want to know a little bit more about you, what you like to do and, most importantly, your opinions on the magazine we make for you each month.
There are now more of you buying and subscribing to The Simple Things than ever before. And we can’t tell you how grateful we are for that support. Running an independent magazine is no easy business but your feedback and loyalty make it all worthwhile.
By taking part you will be helping to shape your magazine, but should you need further persuasion, you’ll also be entered into our prize draw! Our good friends at Watkins Publishing are giving away a £50 voucher to spend on wellbeing books – from food and science to journals and psychology. And we know you love to shop at Seasalt Cornwall, so they are also offering a £50 voucher to spend online or in store. New stripy top, anyone?
Take part below before 12 July 2024 and answer our questions by clicking the link below...
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
One winner will be selected at random from all completed surveys received and notified soon after. The prizes cannot be transferred or swapped for cash. Seasalt Cornwall gift vouchers are valid for 24 months. You’ll find our full terms and conditions on page 125 and online at: icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.
IMAGE: Shutterstock
While our unreliable weather means that we don’t have a great culinary tradition of barbecuing, we do have a great tradition of spontaneous barbecuing. It doesn’t matter if it’s just you, or you manage to gather a gang together – when the sun’s out, it’s time to seize the opportunity for some al fresco cooking. And even better if you pop some sunny tunes on too – just like our new ‘songs for a barbecue’ playlist.
You can take a listen on Spotify here. Or have a browse of all our previous playlists here. We compile a playlist for every issue of the magazine.
We’ve teamed up with iconic Swedish brand, Gudrun Sjödén, to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a voucher to update their wardrobes
Summer is here and with it, a chance to refresh your wardrobe thanks to Gudrun Sjödén’s colourful summer offerings. Fusing artistic expressions with Nordic simplicity, Gudrun’s latest collections flirt with luscious nature from around the world and lets natural and recycled fibres shine through its different design chapters. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then enter our competition for your chance to win one of two vouchers, worth £200 each, to spend at Gudrun Sjödén.
Gudrun’s linen capsule takes its cue from the colours and handicrafts of Gujurat, while the Mediterranean gardens of Villa San Michele, abundant with lemons, evoke the bold, zesty prints and botanical patterns of several of this season’s pieces. Swedish painter, Bror Hjorth, lends inspiration to a collection with vivid prints and palettes and a 1950s retro feel, creating wardrobe staples that cry out to make an appearance at any summer party.
The stunning colours, prints and designs aside, the real beauty of Gudrun Sjödén pieces is their timelessness. Always designing responsibly for both people and the planet, with sustainability at its core, the clothes are made to stand out, whatever the season. Their longevity and versatility makes them instant classics and pieces that can be worn, loved, and passed down from generation to generation.
For more, visit gudrunsjoden.com or follow on Instagram: @gudrunsjoden.ldn. You can also visit its London store at 65-67 Monmouth Street, W2H 9DG.
For your chance to win one of two Gudrun Sjödén vouchers*, each worth £200, press the button below and answer the following question by the closing date of 10 July 2024.
Q: Which Swedish painter inspired some of this season’s designs by Gudrun Sjödén?
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 10 July 2024. Two winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. *Vouchers are not valid for carpets or rugs. The winners cannot transfer their prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.
You could win a two-night stay in Whitstable, famed for its breathtaking beaches, independent shops and tasty local seafood
With its tranquil beach walks, independent shops and galleries and an enviable offering of eateries, the charming coastal town of Whitstable in Kent is an idyllic weekend away destination at any time of year. But with hazy summer days and longer, lighter evenings, there’s never been a better time to visit. If Whitstable has caught your attention, then enter our competition to win a seaside escape with Whitstable Holiday Homes.
Up for grabs is a two-night stay – worth £715 – at Seaside House, a stylish cottage in the heart of Whitstable’s conservation area. Here, you and up to five guests, plus one four-legged friend, can relax and explore the local charm and foodie delights of the area. Bright and contemporary, Seaside House has three comfortable bedrooms, a lounge with a wood-burning stove and plenty of books and games, plus, dependent on weather, you could enjoy any local delicacies picked up on your travels in either the cottage’s dining room or eaten al fresco in the south-facing courtyard.
To ensure that you get the most out of your stay, Whitstable Holiday Homes’ owner Gail is on hand to offer personalised recommendations on the best places to explore, dine and unwind for a fully restorative couple of nights away.
Whether you’re after a beachfront retreat, a family home-from-home or a dog-friendly stay, Whitstable Holiday Homes has over 25 stunning properties to choose from, meaning you’ll be spoilt for choice. For more information, visit whitstableholidayhomes.co.uk or follow on Instagram: @whitstableholidayhomes
For more information on Seaside House, visit whitstableholidayhomes.co.uk/seaside-house
For your chance to win a two-night stay in Seaside House (for up to six people and one dog), click the button and answer the question below by the closing date of 10 July 2024.
Q: What is the name of the cottage you could win a weekend in?
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 10 July 2024. One winner selected at random from all correct entries. Prize must be taken before 31 March 2025 and excludes school or Bank Holidays. Subject to availability. The winner is responsible for transport to and from Seaside House. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap for cash. The winner may be required to participate in publicity. Details of our full T&Cs are on p125 and online at: icebergpress.co.uk/comprules
Photography by Rebecca Lewis
Blending the sweetness of the fruits and dark chocolate with the savoury base to prove that pizzas don’t just have to be for mains.
Makes 1 pizza
1 ball of homemade pizza dough (see the May issue for the recipe or make to your own recipe or buy)
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 large fresh nectarine, stoned and cut into 1cm thick segments
1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
2 tsp icing sugar
1 One a lightly-floured surface to stop it from sticking, roll out your dough to create a thin base.
2 Spread the jam on top, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge. Place the nectarine on top of the jam, then sprinkle over the chocolate chips.
3 Use a floured pizza peel to carefully place the pizza in a pizza oven (the temp should be around 400C). Check it every minute and turn halfway through cooking. It should take around 2-3 mins and is ready once the chocolate starts to melt and the edges turn golden.
4 To serve, place on a board and dust with icing sugar.
Cook’s note: To cook in the oven, place on a lined baking tray in a preheated oven at 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6 for 8-10 mins, or until the edges begin to brown.
This pudding pizza is just one of the pizza ideas from our May issue feature, Pizza Piazza. Pick up a copy of the May issue for the other recipes, which include homemade pizza dough, homemade tomato sauce, chilli spiced aubergines, Spring Shoots Pizza, Chilli & Paprika Spicy Pizza Bread. The recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography by Rebecca Lewis.
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Win a year’s supply of coffee with Taylors of Harrogate, just by choosing your own adventure
Longer, warmer days mean more opportunities for exploring the outdoors. And what could be better than taking in your favourite mountain view, warming up after a dip in the sea or enjoying a backyard campout with a delicious cup of coffee?
If you fancy a great coffee to accompany you on your next adventure then make sure you pack some Taylors Coffee Bags in your rucksack.
Taylors Coffee Bags are simply delicious ground coffee in a bag, for when you want all the flavour without the fuss. Each little bag begins with high quality beans, roasted to release the flavour and blended and ground to give the perfect result. They’re perfectly portable and just need some boiled water to make a decent coffee on the go. Once you’re finished, just pop your coffee bag in your food or garden waste bin for composting.
They’re made by Taylors of Harrogate, the independent Yorkshire family coffee company who have been sourcing, roasting and blending the highest quality coffee for over 130 years. The family extends beyond their Harrogate home to the coffee growers they source from and their communities.
Their unique approach to buying, Taylors Sourcing Approach, puts relationships at the heart of how they source their coffee. They work in close partnership with their suppliers to build contracts, improve quality and find solutions to sustainability issues – helping to support communities and protect landscapes around the world.
It’s this shared sense of family values that means everyone goes the extra mile to make the best possible coffee.
Taylors Coffee Bags come in a range of well-loved blends from smooth Rich Italian and smoky, powerful Hot Lava Java to a great tasting Decaf and rich and chocolatey Flying Start.
We have a year’s worth of coffee, including a range of coffee bags, roast or ground beans and two travel cups, worth over £250, to give away. To win, all you have to do is click the button below and tell us: If you were taking Taylors Coffee Bags on your next adventure, where would you go?
Photography courtesy of readersheds.co.uk
Sheds on allotments should be a sanctuary as well as a storage space. Tools are clearly important but there’s much more to an allotment shed. Here are a few of our favourite
‘could-haves’ for yours.
Whether you have a shed on your own allotment, a working shed for your own veg patch, or are just dreaming… you’ll know that sheds are small spaces that can easily become overrun. Here are a few things we think an allotment shed can’t do without, from the most useful tools to the best items to make your shed a little haven.
1. A few good tools. Otherwise, let’s face it, what you have is a Wendy house. A spade, fork, rake, hoe and some secateurs or a good knife should cover most bases and do all the jobs you need throughout the year.
2. Planting aids. A ball of string or planting line for planting those rows of radishes nice and straight, and a ruler if precise spacing is important to you. A pencil for ‘dibbing’ and writing on seed packets. A small trowel for planting out seedlings. And, of course, a watering can.
3. Harvest help. This is what allotments are all about isn’t it? We know an ice cream tub will do but treat yourself to a lovely trug so you can feel properly pleased with your homegrown spoils when you bring them in. A few empty tubs will be useful too, particularly for small, soft fruit.
4. Outdoor comforts. A kneeler makes a lot of allotment jobs easier, and easily slides into a corner of your shed. Worth making room for is a decent deck chair, from which to sit back and admire your work. A wool blanket is a sensible addition too - good for draping over chilly knees or shoulders as the sun sets or for spreading on the ground in the event of an impromptu allotment picnic.
5. Crossword solver. Because everyone knows the best way to do a crossword is while watching over the veg beds on a Sunday morning. Bonus points for managing to pick up the Sunday papers on your way to the allotment, but you can always keep a book of crosswords in your shed, too, for puzzle emergencies. Use your dibbing pencil for your crossword or keep a spare in your crossword solver.
6. Radio. Quiet enough not to disturb your fellow allotment-owners, of course, but a little battery-powered radio is a nice bit of company in your shed if the rain clouds roll in. Bring on the afternoon play!
7. Comestibles. A tin of good biscuits is an allotment shed staple. You need biscuits that are a bit more than your usual workaday fare - definitely at the lavender shortbread side of the spectrum rather than the plain digestive side. Get a selection if you can, too. Biscuits are a great way to make friends with your allotment neighbours. A selection of fruit teas is a good idea, too. Bring a flask of boiled water and a couple of tin mugs with you and you’ll always have freshly made hot drinks on tap.
8. A battery-powered lantern. Inevitably, you will at some point take on a job that’s too long for the day. When you realise the sun has got the better of you, a small lantern will help you close up your shed and find your way back home safely.
The allotment shed pictured above belongs to Kelly Haworth (@ohhomelygirl) and is one of the sheds featured in our May issue in ‘Shed Ahead’ by Julian Owen.
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Photography by Jonathan Cherry
Colourful spring veg bring sunshine to your May table. They’re delcious with a slathering of butter on thin slices of rye bread
Serves 6
250g radishes
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp fennel or mustard seeds
Loaf of rye bread
Unsalted butter
1 Trim the ends of the radishes before slicing them, no thicker than a pound coin, and put them in a sterilised jam jar with a vinegar-proof lid.
2 Put the vinegar, sugar and seeds in a pan and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and pour over the radishes. Stir and leave to cool before storing it in the fridge. Use within a week.
3 Serve on rye or sourdough, thinly sliced and thickly spread with butter.
Cook’s note: You can add flavour to the butter by softening it and stirring in chopped herbs, crushed garlic or anchovies. For easy canapés, cut the bread into bite-size pieces and top with a couple of slices of radish.
Find this and more ideas for a Whitsun gathering from page 6 in our May ‘Folk’ issue, in shops now. The recipes are by Lucy Brazier and the photographs by Jonathan Cherry.
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Illustration by Hülya Ozdemir
Sorry to bother, but we just wondered whether you find yourself apologising too often. No worries at all if you don’t have time to think about this…
If you recognise that you regularly use apologetic language, pause and take a moment to read back over your emails or messages before you press send, and tweak them to ensure that you’re not devaluing your needs.
Positive psychology practitioner and coach, Ruth Cooper-Dickson says we should also take a moment before responding if somebody asks something of us, especially if it’s a colleague, client or even a friend who we always say yes to. This is obviously easier if the request comes in by email or text message, but if you’re speaking directly, you could simply say that you need to check your workload or diary, and you’ll get back to them as soon as you can.
Ruth says: “Be honest and assertive, sometimes you really do need to put yourself first.” My own experiences of over-apologising led to me write a novel appropriately entitled No Worries If Not! (HarperNorth) about one woman’s mission to stop saying sorry. And while I never use that phrase to sign off emails any more, I know I still apologise when I needn’t.
The key is not to beat yourself up over it. As Ruth says, self-compassion is about recognising when we over apologise, but being kind to ourselves when we slip up. She said: “Instead of hitting ourselves over the head with the proverbial stick when we catch ourselves needlessly apologising, we should see it as a learning exercise and move on.” Besides, as Charlotte finds out in my book, sometimes there is a place for an apology. Do it less often and it can pack a much greater punch.
This was an extract from our wellbeing feature ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ from our May issue. Read more about why we tend to over-apologise and how to stop from page 48.
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Photography by Matt Russell
Inspired by the spices used in Caribbean dishes, this rich and sticky celebration ham makes a tasty spring Sunday roast.
Serves 7-8
Ingredients
2.5kg unsmoked or smoked boned and rolled gammon joint
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
1 scotch bonnet chilli, halved
½ bunch of thyme, tied together
For the glaze:
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
100g clear runny honey
½ scotch bonnet chilli
50g pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the rice:
80g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic granules
1½ tsp allspice
2 tsp dried thyme
400g long-grain rice
300g pineapple, cubed
2×400g tins kidney beans, drained
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 Place the ham in a deep pan and add the veg, chilli and herbs. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook gently for 1hr 40 mins. Turn off the heat and leave for 30 mins.
2 Line a roasting tin with foil, add the ham and leave to cool. Retain the cooking water – you’ll need 650ml, so top it up if needed.
3 Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7. Using a knife, remove the ham skin, then score the fat.
4 For the glaze, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Brush half over the ham and roast for 15 mins. Brush again with the remaining glaze and roast for a further 10–15 mins. Leave to rest, but keep the oven on.
5 For the rice, heat the butter in an ovenproof pan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 15 mins. Add the garlic granules, allspice and dried thyme, and cook for 1 min more. Stir through the rice, pineapple and kidney beans, then pour over the reserved ham stock and bring to a simmer.
6 Once simmering, cover and transfer to the oven for 20 mins, then remove from the oven and leave the lid on for 10 mins. Fluff the rice, stir through the spring onions and season with salt.
7 Slice the ham and serve it alongside the pineapple rice.
Cook’s note: Bring the ham to room temp 2 hours before cooking to help it cook more evenly. It’ll keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Taken from The Modern Spice Rack by Esther Clark and Rachel Walker (Hardie Grant). Photography: Matt Russell
We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.
