Style | Wear a Pinafore Like...

Pinafore by Toast

In our September issue, editor Lisa Sykes takes a look at the not-so-humble pinafore. Beloved of school girls and style icons alike, here’s how to channel some famous pinafore-wearers.

Wear your pinafore like…

…Dorothy (of Oz fame)

Blow into town in your blue gingham pinafore (handy for gathering up to carry your dog in) and bring new friends out of their shells with your endless positivity and practical attire. Pair your pinafore with ruby slippers for a pop of colour.

… Pippi Longstocking

Primary colours and patch pockets give this short pinafore a carefree, can-do attitude. Plait your hair at a jaunty angle to further this effect and casually lift horses in a display of Scandi strength that says ‘this pinafore is ready for anything’.

…Jane Eyre

For this pinafore style, adopt an attitude of humility with an undercurrent of quiet defiance. During Jane’s time at Lowood School, the girls were ‘uniformly dressed in brown stuff frocks of quaint fashion and long Holland pinafores’, Charlotte Bronte tells us. St Trinians is NOT the look you are aiming for. Try to look downtrodden and sorry for your very existence - don’t worry: this pinafore will do most of the work for you.

…Alice Liddell

John Tenniel, who illustrated Lewis Carroll’s tale, did not base his ‘Alice’ on the real Alice Liddell but on a model called Mary Badcock, after Lewis asked for a fair-haired child for the illustrations. Her blue dress with white pinafore was completely fictional but designed to give Alice the look of a girl ready for any adventure. We can’t help feeling that falling down a rabbit hole and playing croquet with live flamingos may all have been better undertaken in a nice, practical pair of slacks but at least she looked stylish while being inadvisedly curious. 

…Goldilocks

If you’re going to steal porridge from wild bears, best do it in a pretty, puff-sleeved dress paired with a practical pinny you can wipe your hands on quickly before making good your escape. And definitely don’t hang about or fall asleep in the medium-sized, medium-softness bed or you’ll never get the creases out of that nice cotton pinafore…

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Fun | Summer Games You're Never Too Old For

We’re firm believers that play is important no matter what your age. Here are a few games for grown-ups to play outdoors this summer. Some are more sophisticated in tone than games of your youth - others are ‘throw caution to the wind and get grass cuttings in your hair’ kind of games. From the beach to the park and woods to campsites, we’ve got you covered. Let The Games commence!

Games for the Park

Kubb

We have the rules and also instructions on how to make your very own Kubb set in our August issue. Cut and paint your own and then head out with a gang of friends to play the game known as ‘Viking Chess’!

Frisbee Golf

All you need is  frisbee. Design a ‘course’ with targets to hit such as a bench, a large tree or a sign post. Try to avoid hitting the general public. The winner is the person to complete the course, hitting the most targets.

Games for the Beach

Sand Pictionary

Just like the game Pictionary (you can take the cards or make up your own) but you draw the pictures with a stick in the sand instead of on paper - all against a time, of course. 

Driftwood Build Challenge

Split into teams, then each team has 20 minutes to build something (maybe a castle or sculpture of a specific object) using driftwood, shells and other natural materials. Add an element of excitement by building as the tide comes in so you have to finish before the waves sweep it all away. 

Games for the Woods

Capture the Flag

This is a classic woodlands game and can get very rowdy as teams compete to capture the other team’s flag and bring it to their base. Find all the rules on the Scouts’ website: https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/capture-the-flag/ 

Forest Bingo

Make everyone a Bingo card of things you might find in the forest. Hand them out and the first to fill out their card by photographing each item on their phone is the winner. Feel free to go funny with it if you like, eg ‘a face in a tree that looks like a former Prime Minister’, ‘a rampant squirrel’, ‘startled picnickers’ etc. 

Games for the Campsite

Campsite Olympics

Gather everyone together for races in camping-themed activities such as Fastest Tent Erection, Ooziest Marshmallow, Quickest Sleeping Bag Rolling and Most Efficient Fire-Lighting. Smores all round for the winners. 

Glow Stick Ring Toss

We have instructions for making your own Quoits set in our August issue. Simply replace the rope quoits with glow sticks made into circles with some gaffa tape nd you have yourself a night-time version of this classic game.

The instructions to make your own Kubb and Quoits sets are in our August issue’s Weekend Project pages, which we’ve called ‘Summer Throwdown’ and is in shops now. The ideas and photography are by Zoe Bateman. Follow Zoe on Instagram at @toocutecrafting.

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Culture | Films to Watch Outdoors

Like good food, good films feel a little different when watched outdoors. Here are our favourite films to watch en plein air

Family movie nights

There are so many great films you can watch with a gang of kids but you can’t go wrong with Jurassic Park or The Goonies for an adventure-filled feelgood film. 

Girls back garden film

Thelma and Louise is, of course, the classic female-centred flick. But if you need a film to put the world (and men) to rights, John Tucker Must Die is a great bond-over-it watch for your back garden cinema with the gals.

Films for thrill-seekers

If you want to really scare the wits out of everyone in attendance, The Blair Witch Project will do it. Especially if you have trees nearby to rustle ominously in the wind. Good for drive-thru horror fans is Stephen King’s Christine, the tale of a haunted car. 

Retro movies for outdoor screens

The Sandlot is a heartwarming baseball film that has all the summer feelgood mood you could hope for. Want to go a bit more upmarket? Try The Graduate for that classic end-of-summer coming-of-age feel - with a cracking soundtrack.

Best drive-thru screenings

To really make the most of the atmosphere, if you’re heading to a drive-thru event, you want a film with a classic drive-thru scene. We recommend Grease or One Crazy Summer.

Outdoor big screen ideas

If you’re choosing which big outdoor screening event you’re going to watch our advice is to pick a film that really goes big or goes home visually. The Greatest Showman and E.T. would both be excellent choices.

Outdoor couples film nights

Snuggling up under a blanket with a loved one and a shared bag of popcorn? Up the romance stakes with Roman Holiday Or Baz Lurman’s Romeo + Juliet. 

Movies to watch while camping

American Graffiti says ‘summer’ like almost no other film, set in one night just before a group of high-schoolers make their first moves into adulthood. If you’re arguing over the firelighters and tent pegs, The Great Outdoors will have you all chortling along at camping mishaps. 

To watch on the beach

Well, obviously it’s Jaws isn’t it? Dare you to go for a midnight wild swim after watching. For a less fishy thriller, but with lots of beautiful sea scenery, try The Beach, based on the novel by Alex Garland.

Classic back garden cinema

For hot summer nights, Rear Window with its simmering heat will have you on the edge of your deck chair. Or pick a classic crowd pleaser such as The Wizard of Oz for sing-along fun that everyone can join in with. 

Holding a back garden cinema night? You won’t want to miss our feature ‘Setting the Scene’ with photography and recipes by Catherine Frawley in our August issue. It features a menu of Greek dishes to serve along with your movie. 

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Style | 10 Iconic Band T-shirts

T-shirt from Hollister

More than just a T-shirt, Band tees are a way to signal your undying fandom as well as a
being a piece of artwork in themselves.

Rolling Stones, Tongue and Lips tee

Designed by John Pasche, the lips logo is from the album Sticky Fingers. It’s since been voted the best band logo of all time and became a T-shirt classic.

Wham! Choose Life tee

Made famous when Wham! wore them in the Wake Me Up Before You Go Go video, this tee was designed by Katharine Hamnet to raise awareness for the large number of deaths from drugs and suicide at the time. 

Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Frankie Say Relax tee

An homage (or rip-off) of Katharine Hamnett’s creation above, using a very similar font and identical colours, the Frankie Say Relax tee is arguably more widely recognised than its inspiration. It was designed by journalist Paul Morley who also co-founded Frankie’s record label, ZZT. 

ACDC, Lightning Bolt tee

The first use of the famous lightning bolt logo was by AC/DC, who swapped the ‘forward slash’ in their band name for a lightning bolt, making them the first band to make money from merch. 

Nirvana, Yellow Smiley Face tee

When Nirvana launched Nevermind in 1991, the goofy yellow face with crosses for eyes appeared on the posters and flyers advertising the event. It’s appeared on countless button badges, stickers and T-shirts since and has been the subject of much controversy over who designed it. The band maintains it was the work of Kurt Cobain himself. 

The Smiths, The Queen is Dead tee

The iconic image of Alain Delon from the film L’Insoumis featured on the cover of the album The Queen is Dead and migrated to the T-shirt. The image was created by Morrissey. 

Oasis, ‘Oasis’ tee

From the band’s ‘Definitely Maybe’ period, this plain tee featuring the band’s logo by Brian Cannon in black-and-white on a blue background is a 90s classic. 

Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon tee

The famous ‘prism’ illustration is still a best-seller and these days is more recognisable as a T-shirt than it is as an album cover. 

The Ramones, Presidential Seal tee

Designed by Arturo Vega, charged with creating a logo to establish the band as THE all-American rock band, the logo is inspired by the Seal of the President of The United States. 

Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures tee

Another iconic record cover that become an iconic T-shirt. Unknown Pleasures’ depicts the radio emissions from the rotating neutron star Pulsar CP 1919. The star turns, giving out electromagnetic radiation in a beam that can be picked up by radio telescopes. Each line represents an individual pulse. 

The image above is of a Hollister ‘Fleetwood Mac’ T-shirt. The image was inspired by the lyric about a white winged dove in Stevie Nicks’ song, Edge of Seventeen. Read more about inspiring T-shirts in our July issue’s ‘Wearing Well’ page.

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Wonder | The Lost Giants

Meet some of the characters created by artists collective The Lost Giants…

Giants Wotholga and Tregona, inspired by Stephen Polglase’s book The Last Giants Of Kernow, appearing as part of a Lantern Parade in Godolphin, Cornwall. Tregona was created with local primary school pupils, while the parade was accompanied by tin punch lanterns, reflecting the area’s mining heritage and folklore. “Giants don’t exist without collective effort,” says Lost Giants founder Amy Webb. “They require many hands to build, carry and care for them, but they also rely on shared belief. A giant only really comes to life when people gather around it, whether that’s in the making or out in the streets during a procession.”

Wotholga and Tregona were both made by the project The Lost Giants. Formed in 2023 after over a decade of making together, The Lost Giants was founded by Amy and Ruth Webb as a collective of artists from diverse creative backgrounds, united by a passion for giants, procession, and the living traditions of folk. Meet more of the Lost Giants in our June issue or visit thelostgiants.co.uk.

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Language | Talk Like a Cowboy

Photography by Unsplash

Know your buckaroos from your ballyhoos with our short guide to talkin’ like a cowboy

Howdy Hi

Yee haw! Hooray!

Giddy up! Let’s go!

All hat no cattle All style no substance

Pony up Hurry up

Varmint A pest or unsavoury character

Fixin’ to Getting ready to

Ballyhoo Exaggeration

Hobble your lip Shut up

Shoot the crow To get a drink in a pub and leave without paying

Now you can talk the talk, learn to walk the walk by reading our ‘Wearing Well’ feature all about cowboy boots in our April issue.

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History | Letters that Changed the World

Sometimes a phone call or email just doesn’t have the gravitas of a weighty letter that arrives with a thud on the doormat or is put into your hand. Here are a few letters from history that might just inspire you to put pen to paper, whether your aim is to change Government policy, declare your love or just to cheer someone’s day. 

Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

What began as a mere love letter went on to change the shape of Britain for ever. When the infatuated Henry wrote to Anne Boleyn begging her to return his love in 1527, he was in fact still married to Catherine of Aragon. He was unlikely to have been the first or last to philander on the throne, but he was certainly the first to divorce and so this letter marks the beginning of the Reformation. It is signed “written with the hand of him who wishes he were yours”. It sounds like the words of a man who has entirely lost his head to love… sadly, that was precisely the case for poor Anne as it turned out. 

Charles Darwin to Joseph Hooker

Darwin and his friend the botanist, Joseph Hooker exchanged some 1,400 letters with each other but one he wrote in January of 1844 stands out as a bit of a game-changer for science. He wrote: “At last gleams of light have come, and I am almost convinced (quite contrary to opinion I started with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable… I think I have found out (here’s presumption!) the simple way by which species become exquisitely adapted to various ends. - You will now groan and think to yourself ‘on what a man have I been wasting my time in writing to…” Fifteen years later, that letter became the basis of On The Origin of Species.

Siegfried Sassoon to his Commanding Officer

While recovering from injury in hospital, poet and soldier Sassoon met some pacifists and began to think more about the horrors he had witnessed on the battlefields. He wrote to his Commanding Officer to express his beliefs in a letter that became known as ‘A Soldier’s Declaration’. “I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it… I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops and I can no longer be a party to prolonging those sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.” A month later, the letter made it into the British newspapers and was read in Parliament to the horror of the upper classes, but by speaking out in letter form, Sassoon began to change the opinion of the public who ceased to see war as romantic and noble, and began to see the damage it caused.

Winston Churchill to Eliot Crawshay-Williams

When Churchill took power in May 1940, his private secretary, Crawshay-Williams, wrote to him entreating him to make a deal with the Nazis and end the war. He was not alone. Churchill was under enormous pressure to do a deal quickly. Had Churchill done as his secretary suggested, we might be living in a very different Europe now. Instead, he wrote back, by hand. The letter in its entirety read: “I am ashamed of you for writing such a letter. I return it to you - to burn and forget.” Short and to the point.

Marcus Rashford to Parliament

In June 2020 in the midst of the Covid pandemic, England footballer, Marcus Rashford, then 22 years old, wrote to ‘all MPs in Parliament’ to urge the Government to change its mind on its plans to stop school meals for children in poverty over the summer holidays. He wrote: “Understand: without the kindness and generosity of the community I had around me there wouldn’t be the Marcus Rashford you see today: a 22-year-old Black man lucky enough to make a career playing a game I love. My story to get here is all-too-familiar for families in England: my mum worked full-time, earning minimum wage to make sure we always had a good evening meal on the table. But it was not enough. The system was not built for families like mine to succeed, regardless of how hard my mum worked.” His campaign forced the Government into a u-turn and secured free meal vouchers for 1.3 million children in poverty across the country over school holidays. 

If this has left you inspired to pen an important letter of your own - or to simply drop a mate a line - you might like to read our feature, All the Letter, in our April issue, which is all about the joy of letter-writing.

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Eye Spy | On Our April Cover

We hope you’ve spotted our April cover out in the wild, which is full of signs of spring to notice. We’ve put together an Eye Spy type guide to help you spot all our spring cover stars from wildflowers to wildlife. Tick them off as you go - Spring has truly sprung!

Cowslips

Spot cowslips from April to May, depending on where you are in the country and how warm it’s been. You’ll notice them in woods, grasslands and meadows, as well as on grass verges and even gardens, particularly in areas that have chalky soil.

Blackbird, wren and robin eggs

Blackbirds breed from March to the end of July and they tend to have two or three broods, each with a clutch of three to five eggs. Chicks hatch after two weeks. Wrens breed in early spring, laying five to seven eggs but will also often have a second brood. Robins can begin their breeding season as early as January if it’s been mild but usually lay eggs from mid-April to mid-August. Each clutch is made up of four to six eggs. 

The RSPB reminds us that it’s absolutely not ok to go out hunting for nests that are in use and nesting birds should never be disturbed as the parent birds may abandon the nest. So stay right away from nests, but if you find the remnants of a hatched egg on the floor below a nesting site, they’re fine to take for your nature table. 

Lambs

The lambing season runs from February to April, indeed some farmers will lamb before Christmas. However, peak lambing season is March and April, since rams are put in with ewes for tupping from October onwards. A sheep’s gestation is around 145 days and sheep farmers will tell you that if a ram goes in with the ewes on Bonfire Night, the lambs will arrive on April 1st (“in with a bang and out like fools”). Search for local lambing events near you - lots of farms now open for lambing season and even do yoga with lambs and other similar events in spring. 

Violets

There are two types of violet growing in the UK: sweet violets and dog violets. They look almost identical with their distinctive five purple petals but sweet violets smell, well… sweet, while dog violets are unscented. Sweet violets bloom from March to May and dog violets from April to June, so we’re treated to a nice smattering of purple in woodlands from early Spring to early Summer. Sweet violets can occasionally appear in a white or lilac variety, too. Extra points if you spot one of those. 

Wild garlic

This is around from the end of March until as late as early July but if you’re after foraging its leaves to eat, they’re best picked young, almost as soon as they appear. April is generally a good time to forage wild garlic; look in woodlands, particularly where there is chalky soil, and damp areas such as near riverbanks. The tiny white flowers bloom a little later, and should be checked carefully before picking as they’re easily mistaken for Lily of the Valley, which is poisonous. Lily of the Valley, however, has distinctive bell-shaped flowers, which wild garlic does not, and wild garlic leaves will have an obvious garlic scent. 

Swallows

These fork-tailed beauties arrive from southern Africa in April and stay all summer. They can usually be spotted on farmland (they’re sometimes called Barn Swallows) or near open water where they can find lots of insects to eat on the wing, swooping over water with their beaks open. They can be distinguished from the similar-looking swifts by their upbeat, chattering call. 

Rabbits

Does bring their first litters of kittens (no, not ‘bunnies’ thank you) above ground in March but will continue to have litters through spring and summer, so keep an eye open for flashes of little white cottontails as they dash along fields or through woodlands, or tall brown ears poking up in grasslands. The best time to spot them is early morning or late evening when they’ll be out grazing. 

These illustrations are all taken from our April cover, pictured above, and are by the talented illustrator Claire Fletcher. See more of her work on Instagram (@clairefletcherillustration).

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Fiction | Our Favourite Time Travellers from Film & TV

Defying the laws of physics for decades (or was it only minutes?) meet some of our favourite time travellers from film and TV 

Marty McFly, Back to the Future

A salutary reminder to us all to remain below 88 miles per hour at all times, the first Back to the Future film saw Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) accidentally travel from 1985 back to 1955, nearly mess everything up and then save Doc Brown and return them both to the eighties safely. We’re trying hard not to think about the fact that 1985, when the film was released, is now more than ten years further away from us than 1955 was when Marty made his first journey through time. It’s enough to make you feel very old indeed. 

Phil Connors, Groundhog Day

Weatherman Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself waking up again and again (to ‘I Got You Babe’ by Sonny and Cher) on February 2nd, known as Groundhog Day. At first, he lives fast and loose, but slowly he realises that in repeating this day over and over he might be able to become a better person and improve the lives of others. Eventually, he gets the girl and time once again moves on. 

Henry de Tamble, The Time Traveler’s Wife

De Tamble (Eric Bana) is a librarian with a genetic disorder that allows him to travel in time. Unfortunately, whenever he does so, he arrives in the new time stark naked. Awkward. Eventually, the love of his life, Clare, who met him as a child, learns to always be wherever he arrives with a bundle of clothes for him and many other bittersweet life lessons are learned along the way.

The Doctor, Dr Who

Travelling in time and space on our TVs since 1963, Dr Who is a Time Lord who fled his planet (Gallifrey) in a stolen time machine with a ‘chameleon circuit’ that allows it to take on the appearance of objects in whatever destination it appears. Sadly, it has malfunctioned and is stuck in the shape of a blue British police box… not at all obvious when one has landed in Giza as the pyramids are being constructed. William Hartnell played the first Doctor and he is currently played by Ncuti Gatwa (the 15th Doctor), with many more, we are sure, to come. 

Dr Sam Beckett, Quantum Leap

Scott Bakula plays Dr Sam Beckett, who travels through time by ‘leaping’ into various people’s bodies in order to right the wrongs of history, hoping that each leap might be his leap home. Spoiler: he’s not going home any time soon,

DCI Sam Tyler, Life on Mars

After being hit by a car, Manchester police officer Sam Tyler (John Simm) wakes up in 1973. Unclear as to whether he has time travelled or is in fact dead or in a coma, Sam continues to work the same beat, one rank lower, solving crime while trying to work his way out of his time travelling predicament. 

Claire Randall, Outlander

Representing for all the time travelling women out there, Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) is a combat nurse in 1945 who mysteriously travels back in time to 1743, meets and marries Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior and becomes involved in the Jacobite rising. Part history, part fantasy, the series is based on the books by Diana Gabaldon and is not to be confused with the sci-fi film of the same name. 

William S Preston Esq and Theodore Logan, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Because every Time Traveller needs a best friend to keep them company, Bill and Ted  (Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) are whisked off by the mysterious Rufus in order to teach them a bit about history in 24 hours (before they fail their history paper and Ted is doomed to military academy). After rubbing shoulders with historical figures from Billy the Kid to Beethoven, the pair return, pass their history paper and ensure the success of their band, Wyld Stallyns, for the future good of the world. Bodacious!

Our time-travelling blog was inspired by our feature ‘Watching the Clocks’ in our March issue, which takes a look at famous public clocks and the people who keep them ticking. Don’t forget the clocks go forward (but just by an hour) on Sunday 29 March.

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Books | Japanese Cat Fiction

The ancient art of cat fiction is enjoying a resurgence in the UK. If you’ve missed it so far, here’s all you need to kniaow

Japanese cat fiction, also known as ‘healing fiction’ and ‘cosy fiction’ if you’re looking for it in book shops had a long history, dating back more than a thousand years. 

They’re whimsical, comforting stories that provide escapism and generally feature bookshops, libraries, coffee houses… and cats, obviously. They’re usually contemporary and set in Japanese cityscapes but often have a magic-realist or time-travel element to them.

The first piece of Japanese cat fiction is arguably The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, written in the early 11th century, and is quite likely the world’s first novel, too, so definitely set a trend. 

In modern terms, however, it was I Am A Cat by Soseki Natsume published in 1905 and in English in 1961 that really kick-started the healing/cosy/cat genre. I Am A Cat eventually spawned ten books in the series. 

In the last few years, you may have noticed Japanese cat fiction piling up on bookshops’ ‘recommended’ tables with titles such as We’ll Prescribe You A Cat and Days At The Morisaki Bookshop flying off shelves in the UK. And with our long, cold winters, frankly we don’t know how we’ve done without books about cats in bookshops and coffee shops for so long. 

5 Japanese Cat Books to get you started

1. I Am A Cat by Natsumi Soseki

2. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

3. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

4. The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

5. If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura

If you’d like to read more about cats in culture, you might enjoy our February issue’s ‘Know A Thing or Two’ feature by Iona Bower, which is all about cats. The issue is in shops now and available from our online store. 

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Magic | Love Potions

Who needs aphrodisiacs and foods of love when you can use a love potion?

Back in the mists of time, this was often the answer to a romantic conundrum. Through folklore, history and literature (think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) weird and wonderful concoctions were used to encourage a heart pounding attachment. Legend has it that French beauty, Madame de Montespan seduced King Louis XIV by spiking his food with a tincture which included blood, intestines and bits of toad. She went on to have seven children by him, so maybe there was something in it. Should you wish to investigate without sorceress support, start with a liquid, like water, tea or wine, before adding herbs and mythical ingredients that you may be hard pressed to find in the supermarket. The rare and lethal mandrake, perhaps? Or sparrow’s liver, dove’s heart, swallow’s womb and hare’s kidney, ground into a powder. A small vial added to a drink and your beloved is sure to swoon. Possibly for the wrong reasons.

Thanks to Bring Me Love by Icy Sedgwick (Watkins)

If you’d like to woo a lover with something more tasty and less off-putting, you might like to read our feature ‘Foods of Love’ by Lucy Brazier in our February issue, which is on shelf now.

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Fiction | Top Towers from Books

Symbols of power, loneliness and mystery, towers feature almost as characters themselves in many stories. Here are a few that have stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Rapunzel’s Tower

Part prison, part enchanted home, Rapunzel’s woodland tower (as well as her hair) is very much the main character in this fairy tale. Locked in a tower with no stairs and no door by an evil witch, Rapunzel is about to make good her escape with her prince. But their plan is discovered by the witch, and the unfortunate prince leaps from the tower, landing in a patch of thorns which blind him. (Spoiler: don’t worry - it’s a happy ending). In some versions of the tale, the witch ends up stuck at the top of the tower herself, so the tower is at some point gaoler to all three characters. Apart from anything, the tale is responsible for the fact that almost all of us will find it impossible not to shout “Rapunzel, rapunzel! Let down your hair!” whenever passing a tall, thin building. It’s the law.

The Two Towers in Lord of the Rings

Although these two towers are the title of the second of the Lord of the Rings books, no one is quite sure which two towers exactly are referred to. There is a confusing plethora of towers in the novels ait turns out. Most readers assume the towers are Barad Dur (the dark tower) and the opposing Minas Tirith (tower of the watch). Tolkien himself foresaw this confusion and wrote to his publisher, confirming that he referred rather to Orthanc (Saruman’s tower) and Cirith Ungol (an entrance to Mordor). More confusingly still, the illustration Tolkien chose for the original book jacket pictured what is clearly Orthanc alongside Minas Morgul. Struggling to follow? Don’t worry - even Gandalf is confused at this point. Anyway, the important thing about the Two (or possibly five) Towers is that they are symbols of might and magic. In a land of hobbits and other very small people, towers are pretty awesome. 

Malory Towers

If you were once a fan of boarding school books, you’ll no doubt have been charmed firstly by Malory Towers’ swimming pool (naturally carved from the rocks and filled with sea water) but secondly by the building’s architecture with its four towers at each of the corners. North Tower, South Tower, East Tower and West Tower house the boarding accommodation for around 60 Malory Towers girls each and represent a haven for its inhabitants, who formed strong bonds to the pupils and teachers they shared a tower with. Blyton knew what she was up to. If you’re going to write about a wonderful boarding school, you definitely need it to have fairytale towers and endless spiralling staircases. The plot of the stories follows the girls in North Tower more or less exclusively. South Tower girls get an occasional mention. If you were West or East you’re basically a baddy. Like in The Wizard of Oz. 

The Tower of Flints, Gormenghast 

Mervyn Peake’s eerie trilogy is set in the castle of Gormenghast, and rising out of it ‘like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry’ is the Tower of Flints, covered in patches of black ivy and inhabited by owls. A symbol of profanity as well as decay, it’s a microcosm of the Groan family itself and also represents a place of escape both to and from madness for the characters. Let’s be honest; every completely bonkers Gothic trilogy needs a completely bonkers Gothic tower in it. 

The Tower (or tunnel) in Annihilation 

It’s true that towers are never quite what they seem in fiction, and in the strange, almost post-apocalyptic world created by Jeff Vandermeer, it makes sense that everything is inverted and unexpected. So what is referred to as ‘the tower’ is in fact a tunnel that plunges deep into the earth, inhabited by a weird creature that writes in moss on its walls. If you feel like this is cheating in tower terms, don’t worry - there’s a towering and equally creepy lighthouse in this novel, too. 

If you’re feeling inspired to visit a tower in real life, don’t miss our ‘Outing’ in our January issue that is all about towers from follies and monuments to lighthouses and churches. The issue is in shops now. 

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Reading | Cosier Crime

December days are made for snuggling up with a good book and a Christmas mystery might be just the ticket. Here are a few of our favourite Cosy Crime reads for the season

Another Little Christmas Murder by Lorna Nicholl Morgan (Sphere)

Set in the run-up to Christmas, this Golden Age mystery has the classic setting of a snowbound English country house party. Young, intrepid Dylis Hughes is driving through Yorkshire on the way back to London when her car breaks down. She accepts help from a passing motorist, Inigo Brown, and agrees to seek refuge at his uncle’s house, Wintry Wold.

Once there, Dylis is surprised by the strange behaviour of Inigo’s (very young) aunt, who has only recently married his much older uncle. Dylis’ suspicions are fully awakened when Inigo’s uncle dies suddenly in the night and other strangers arrive at the house to ask for shelter from the blizzard. Are

all these unexpected guests who they claim to be? Dylis and Inigo decide to investigate, and the result is an exciting mystery tinged with romance, which will keep you guessing until the end.

ALSO TRY: A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer (Arrow)

The mistletoe is hung at Lexham Manor, but Christmas cheer is lacking among the guests. Perhaps the grumpiest of the lot is their host, Nathaniel Herriard, and when he is murdered, each guest falls under suspicion in this clever locked-room puzzle.

Five more cosy crime novels for keen Christmas bookworms

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, a short story collection by Agatha Christie

Mystery in White, by J Jefferson Farjeon

The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay

Carol, by Patricia Highsmith

The Long Shadow, by Celia Fremlin

If you’re looking for a festive read for December, you might enjoy our feature A Winter’s Tale by Miranda Mills in our latest issue. Whether you’re looking for seasonal anthologies, winter feast inspiration, spooky season reads, stories for snow days or childhood classics, there’s a page-turner waiting for you.

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How to | Solve an Agatha Christie Novel

Obviously you can simply skip to the last chapter, but here are a few clues that might help you work out by yourself who dunnit before the denouement.

Be suspicious early

The murderer is always introduced in the first half of the book so keep your eyes peeled early doors. HOWEVER, you’re not looking for a typical criminal. Christie’s murderers are usually unlikely, so watch out for any pillars of the community: vicars, doctors, etc, or anyone with a watertight alibi.

Heed the mid-way clue

Christie didn’t want her readers to feel cheated, so often drops an absolute clanger of a clue about halfway through the book. It’s usually so quickly glossed over that you don’t take much note until the killer is unmasked and you remember and kick yourself.

Spot the devil in the detail

Big Data on Christie novels shows up all sorts of interesting coincidences but you need to be in the know to use them to your advantage, so listen up. If it’s set in a country house or there are lots of cars featured, the murderer is almost certain to be female. If cause of death is strangulation, the killer will be male. Christie regularly uses the word ‘interesting’ to describe a clue that is a red herring and glosses over the ‘real’ clues. Yep, we only said she was a great novelist, not a great poker player.

You can find more miscellaneous fun and games on our monthly Miscellany pages at the back of every issue of The Simple Things.

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Nature | Almost Mythical Sea Creatures

From merfolk to megalodons, sea serpents to Scylla, scary sea creatures have long haunted fiction and film… but do some of them actually haunt our sea beds, too? Let’s meet a few and find out… are they FISH or FAIRYTALE?

Kraken

The Kraken is reported to be a huge (and we really mean HUGE) octopussy creature, that lurked off the coast of Norway and Greenland, sinking entire ships with a single swipe of a tentacle. The Kraken is taken from Norse mythology and its inspiration was probably the giant squid that lived in these waters and sometimes grew up to 13 metres in length. That’s quite a calamari dinner. So. Inspired by actual fish but ultimately fairytale, probably. 

Sea Serpents

These slithery sea-going beasts have appeared on maps and in fiction since the dawn of time, with the most well-known, Leviathan, appearing in the Hebrew Bible. But is there any truth in the myth? Could there really be giant snakes hiding in dark waters? Well, probably not, but we do know that oarfish can grow up to eight metres, with a face like a horse and a bright red crest all the way down its body. Sounds like a sea monster to us. Fish, for sure. 

Giant killer sharks

Sharks are pretty scary for sure, and pretty amazing, too. But where fish end and fiction begins is sometimes hard to tell. Clearly sharks are real but watch and of the ‘Meg’ or ‘Shark Attack’ films and you’d think giant shark, the size of your house were lurking around every pier just waiting to pounce. The inspiration behind these giant shark films is the Megalodon, a type of extinct mackerel shark that existed millions of years ago.  Estimated to have grown to up to 23 metres, even its teeth can be 18cm long. No wonder ‘megalodon’ means ‘big tooth’.  We’re voting ‘fish’ on this one. 

Mermaids (and mermen)

Half folk, half fish, these sirens of the sea were said to lure sailors to their death. Now, you’d think that there was little debate about how real merfolk actually are, but then ‘real mermaids’ began to turn up in the cabinets of 18th-century collectors of curios. Fishy, no? Well, quite fishy as it turns out but probably not real. They turned out to be the work of cryptozoologists who stitched together monkeys’ torsos and fish tails to make the sort of seaside souvenirs that send a chill through one’s spine. Fairytale. Thankfully. 

Kelpies

These equine shapeshifters live in Scottish lochs and rivers and take the form of huge, dark horses with manes wet from the waters. They’re said to lure children in to drown them, or shape-shift into young men to seduce women and lure them to their deaths, eviscerating them so that only their guts make it back to land. Brutal stuff. The truth is probably less dramatic; the Kelpies were simply a good story to stop kids straying too close to the water… and to stop young women having their heads turned by young men in swimming trunks.

In our October issue, we meet the real monster hunters, including a Nessie investigator and those who have tracked Bigfoot. Buy this month's The Simple Things -buy, download or subscribe

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Stationery | Good Uses for Best Notebooks

If you’re a lover of stationery we’re willing to bet you have a secret stash of ‘too beautiful to use’ notebooks somewhere. Now’s the time to let them shine. Here are several ways to actually use your best notebooks and show them some love rather than let them languish in a drawer.

1. A Could-do list notebook

Here at The Simple Things, we don’t believe in ‘to-do lists’ but we are big fans of ‘could-do lists’. In fact, we print one at the front of each and every issue. Beautiful notebooks are just made for Could-do lists - notes about things you might like to do, things that bring joy, allow you to enjoy the moment and mark the passing of the seasons. Ours are relevant to the month of the year, but yours could be weekly or even daily. They could be themed by subject rather than seasonally. Or they could be relevant to particular times in your life - perhaps a travel Could-do list or one for planning a party or days out with friends. The main thing to remember is they should be pressure free. You don’t need to tick them off; you don’t actually need to ‘do’ any of them. It’s all about the planning and dreaming. 

2. Bullet journalling

Bullet journalling has been around for many a year and is a pleasing way of keeping track of everything in your life using symbols to denote appointments, tasks and notes. Many people make them more of a craft project, using beautiful letters, doodles and illustrations to make them a visual record of everything going on in their lives. 

3. Personal almanac

Almanacs are a collection of (usually) meteorological or astronomical data to help farmers, sailors and their ilk in day-to-day life. They might include sunrise and sunset hours, tide times, or agricultural information. You can create your own almanac by using a notebook to collate information that’s specific to you and your area. Maybe what time to catch the best sunsets in September, good dark places to go stargazing in meteorite showers, when the tide is far out enough for sandcastles at your local beach (and where to get the best ice creams, too).

4. Nature journals

This one’s almanac-adjacent, but more specific. You’re simply noting down all the changes in nature you see in the same spot, every day or every week over a year. By the end of the year you’ll have a complete record of when the snowdrops peek out, when the first swifts can be seen, when blackberries are ripe, and so on.

5. Morning pages

Great for writers and other creatives or anyone who just needs to clear their heads, this writing practice invented by Julia Cameron in ‘The Artist’s Way’ simply means getting up each morning and writing three stream-of-consciousness pages before doing anything else. The idea is to clear space in your head ready for the day but every now and then your semi-conscious mind produces something surprisingly good. 

6. Reading record

Quite simply, a notebook in which to record everything you read. Never again will you struggle for inspiration when someone asks if you can recommend anything good, and never again will you get halfway through an Agatha Christie before realising you’ve already read the blinking thing and remember who dunnit. 

7. Food and friends notes

Can’t remember if you did your lamb navarin the last time Bryan and Sarah came for dinner? Feel like you’re sure Laura and Kate loved that salad you did two summers ago but can’t for the life of you remember what was in it? Keep a record of every meal you cooked, for whom and where you found the recipe and you’ll feel like the hostess with the mostess. Plus it’s a lovely thing to look back on and remember all those happy times around your table. 

8. Positivity pages

Sometimes it’s just nice to have something to lift your spirits in dark times. Keep a journal of ‘gratitude’ ie things you are grateful for, or simply add happy memories, things that made you smile or funny stories you’ve read about or been told. Then when you’re having a down day you can dip in for a dose of positivity. 

9. Dream diary

Whether you believe in dream interpretation or are simply interested in the way your mind works while you snooze, keeping a diary of dreams next to your bed so you can write them down before you forget them can be a fascinating exercise. (And saves you boring other people with them, too!)

10. Commonplace book

A commonplace book is a notebook used to record favourite quotes, excerpts from books and letters, poems and proverbs, wise sayings and song lyrics. They can be collated on a theme or you can simply note down anything that ‘speaks to you’ for a bit of inspiration whenever you need it. You can read all about them in our feature ‘Chapter and Verse’ by Miranda Mills in our October issue, or in Miranda’s book ‘The Country Commonplace Book’ (Batsford). 

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History | Five Memorable Garden Parties

There’s something magical about a gathering in a beautiful garden. Here we remember five backyard bashes that have gone down in history

Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee

You may not know, but it was Queen Victoria who hosted the first ever Buckingham Palace Garden Party in 1868. But it took her a few years to hit peak party person at her Golden Jubilee celebration in 1887. As well as several banquets, a parade and two days of festivities, around 6,000 illustrious guests (including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Leopold II of Belgium and Emperor Frederik III of Germany) enjoyed a buffet in a tent in Buckingham Palace gardens, alongside music provided by the Royal Marines. The day was captured in oil on canvas by the artist Frederick Sargent in the painting ‘The Garden Party at Buckingham Palace’, which was bought for Queen Elizabeth’s collection in 1994… Perhaps it was the inspiration for her own ‘Platty Jubes’ celebrations…

Second Earl of Dudley’s 21st at Witley Court

Whether your 21st was a posh bash at the golf club or a few jars at the men’s working club and a homemade cake, it will have paled in comparison to the 21st birthday celebrations of William Ward, Second Earl of Dudley in 1888. The party was a three-day event comprising a ball for 214 with a music marquee as well as a separate marquee for coachmen and a temporary stable to accommodate 100 horses. But the party piece de resistance was Day Three when 900 of his tenants and workers lunched in a massive marquee in his park, after which guests enjoyed ‘swings and roundabouts and boats on the lakes, sports races and music’. Bunting hung all over the drive, the fountains were lit and the night ended with ‘one of the most splendid displays of fireworks ever seen in this country’. Inviting absolutely everyone in the vicinity including women, children and servants worked well in ensuring there were no complaints about the noise!

The Party of the Delights of the Enchanted Island, Versailles

One way to make a party memorable is a quirky theme, which is clearly what Louis XIV had in mind when he threw a party for his mother based on the story of Alcine the Magician from the book Roland Furieux by Ariosto. The party included a horseback parade, in which the King took part, playing the part of ‘Roger’ from the book, followed by Apollo’s Chariot down to ‘Alcine’s Palace’ built especially for the occasion. There were horse-riding competitions, operas, comedies, readings, shepherds and shepherdesses dancing while surrounded by animals… The King himself starred in a ballet just for the ladies, written for him by none other than Moliere and feasts were served by masked and costumed servants. On the third day, Alcine’s Palace was lit up by a firework display during which a floating ‘whale’ and two whale calves took Alcine and her servants away across the water. 

We don’t even want to think about how many bin liners it took to clear that little bash up. 

MOMA’s Party in the Garden 2022

MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) in New York City has held an annual fundraiser every year since 1969. Sadly the party was cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020 and in 2021 it had to be held as an online-only event. So by the time the Party in the Garden returned in June 2022 everyone was even more excited than usual to be together in beautiful surroundings, raising money for the museum which had been closed to visitors for so long. New York’s arty types enthusiastically filled MOMA’s modern sculpture garden that evening to honour film-maker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson. The couple told the assembled crowd how they had enjoyed one of their first dates in the museum, everyone dined on a meal of halibut and burrata and then finished a magical evening dancing to rapper Anderson Paak and DJ Michael Brun. Sometimes the best garden parties are the ones you’ve waited the longest for.

Secret Garden Party

The indie arts and music festival, Secret Garden Party (SGP) was launched in 2004 by DJ and art student Fred Fellowes (SGP’s Head Gardener) and James Whewell, heir to Wyresdale Park, to be an alternative to the larger, mainstream music festivals. It began with just 300 revellers, growing to welcome some 35,000 people 13 years after its inception. As well as live music, art installations and performances, guests can take part in everything from outdoor swimming to parades to workshops, all in the magical setting of Abbots Ripton in Cambridgeshire in the grounds of a Georgian farmhouse, taking in lakes, a river, and beautiful landscaped gardens. Each year has a ‘theme’ that binds together all the acts and offerings and every year is special in its own way, but 2012 is generally accepted to have been the best SGP of all time, with acts including Orbital, KT Tunstall, Lamb and Tim Minchin. The festival is all about ‘secrets’ though, with one of the best being that the acts are not disclosed before the day itself, so you never know quite what sort of garden party you might get!

If you’re feeling inspired by garden parties and secret gardens you might enjoy our feature, Plot Twist, in our September issue, which is all about gardens from fiction. The illustration by Lucille Clerc, above, is taken from Literary Gardens: The Imaginary Gardens Of Writers And Poets by Sandra Lawrence (Frances Lincoln), and depicts a scene from the short story, The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield.
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Miscellany | Hats of Note

A hat always adds an element of distinction. In our September issue, we visited the Bridport Hat Festival and photographed some of the most creative chapeaus we found there. As the festival opens again, we thought we would bring you a few facts about some well known hats and their wearers. 

Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker

Conan Doyle’s much-loved detective is known for his deerstalker hat, but in fact the author never described him wearing such a hat. Holmes himself would rarely have worn such as hat as it wasn’t city attire. The deerstalker was an addition by the illustrator Sydney Paget for a Holmes story that took place in the countryside (The Boscombe Valley Mystery) and the image became synonymous in our minds with the great detective himself. 

Indiana Jones’s Fedora

The fictional archaeologist’s hat was a central part of his character, often being grabbed in improbably dangerous manner as he narrowly escaped rolling boulders, closing doors and historical baddies. In fact, the purpose of the hat was to shade Harrison Ford’s face in order to make it easier to swap in a stunt man. 

Carmen Miranda’s Fruit Hat

Miranda’s fruit hats were inspired by the clothes worn by Afro Brazilian Baianas (street vendors) in colonial Brazil. For her song ‘What Does the Baiana Have?’ she wore a cloth turban and added an imitation basket of fruit in homage to the trays of fruit Baianas carried on their heads. While the look understandably caused controversy back in her home country of Brazil, it was a style that made Miranda an icon. 

Jacqueline Kennedy’s Pillbox Hat

Jackie O catapulted the pillbox to fame (or perhaps it catapulted her, who knows?). The pink pillbox she was wearing on the day of her husband’s assasination was to be beamed across the globe for all the wrong reasons. But it’s the pillbox she wore on the day of the Presidential inauguration that is perhaps the more interesting. Most people remember it as being a baby blue but in fact the hat, and the whole outfit, was a light faun shade. It’s thought that a shadow cast on her in the (very early colour) photos made it look as though it had a blue-ish hue. 

The Mad Hatter’s Silk Topper

Silk toppers had mostly replaced beaver fur top hats by 1865 when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published. But it’s the piece of paper stuck into the silk by illustrator Tenniel that made it famous. The paper reads 10/6 (ten shillings and sixpence), and was presumably a sign that the Hatter, high on the mercury used to stabilise wool for felting, was so forgetful he’d failed to remove the price when he plucked the hat from his shop’s shelf and headed to the tea party. 

If you’d like to see more hats like the one pictured above, you might enjoy our ‘modern eccentrics’ piece on the Bridport Hat Festival in our September issue. Photography by Jonathan Cherry.

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Fun | Games for Round the Fire

Run out of marshmallows but the flames are still high? Fed up with Eye Spy? Here are some fun fireside games you might not know to pass the time

1. Pass the Carrot

Everyone sits in a circle with hands behind their backs. A carrot is passed between them. One person sits in the middle of the circle and has to guess where the carrot is. If they guess correctly they switch places with that person. The aim of the game is to ‘disappear’ the carrot by taking a bite whenever the person in the middle is not looking. If you get caught with the carrot, you’re ‘out’. 

2. Repeat the Beat

Sitting in a circle around the fire, one person taps out a beat using their hands on their knees. The person to their right has to repeat the beat, and then add a bit more. The game continues, moving to the right, until someone fails to repeat the beat. 

3. Fortunately Unfortunately

The first player begins a story with an opening sentence, for example, “I opened the door and found a bear standing on the door mat.” The person to their right begins the next sentence with ‘fortunately’... “Fortunately the bear was friendly!” The next player starts their sentence with ‘unfortunately’... “Unfortunately he was also starving hungry.” The next player begins with fortunately again: “Fortunately I had an enormous packet of bear snacks in the kitchen” and so on and so on. 

4. In the Pond

This is great for a big group. One person is the ‘caller’. Everyone else sits around the fire and follows the instructions. The caller shouts one of three instructions. If they shout “In the pond” everyone has to put their hands into the circle (the pond). If they shout “Out of the pond!” everyone has to put their hands up above their heads. If they should “On the bank” everyone puts their hands on their thighs. When you get the hand position wrong, you’re out and have to sit on your hands until the end of the day. 

5. The Vegetable Game

Every person names themselves after a vegetable and shares their new name with the group. Theyoungest person in the circles says their vegetable name twice, followed by another player’s vegetable name. So ‘Potato’ might call out “Potato, Potato, Aubergine”. ‘Aubergine’ might then say “Aubergine, aubergine, carrot” and play would pass to carrot. To make it trickier, when anyone is speaking they are not allowed to show their teeth. If they do show their teeth or call out a vegetable that is no longer or was never in the game, they’re out. 

If you’re feeling inspired to gather round the firepit with friends, you might like our My Place pages in our September issue, which feature lots more beautiful firepit set-ups.

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Who's Who | Punch and Judy

In case it’s a while since you sat in front of a stripy tent and some puppets, we’ve put together a reminder of who’s who in the story of Punch and Judy. That’s the way to do it!

Mr Punch

Motivation: To shirk babysitting responsibilities and consume sausages left in his care.

Catchphrase: “That’s the way to do it!”

Fun fact: Mr Punch originates from the Italian 16th-century Commedia dell’Arte, in which he was a marionette called Pulcinella. 

Mrs Punch (Judy)

Motivation: To find two minutes’ peace, while leaving her feckless husband in charge of her precious baby. As you do.

Catchphrase: “Oh Mr Punch! You are a nasty, nasty and WICKED man!”

Fun fact: Judy was originally known as ‘Joan’ in early versions of the play.

Toby the Dog

Motivation: To cause havoc and eat sausages (if the crocodile has not got there first).

Catchphrase: “Bow Wow Wow!”

Fun fact: Until animal welfare sensibly stepped in, Toby was sometimes played by a real dog in Punch and Judy shows.

The Crocodile

Character motivation: To steal the sausages from Mr Punch and devour them in one bite. 

Catchphrase: SNAP SNAP!

Fun fact: No one is entirely sure why the crocodile was written in but it might be to do with the Victorians’ fascination with exotic animals. 

The Policeman

Character motivation: To lay down the law wearing a very tall hat.

Catchphrase: Ello ello ello. What ‘ave we got ‘ere then?

Fun fact: Originally the police officer was a ‘beadle’, a sort of religious Community Support Officer. 

The Ghost

Character motivation: To teach Punch a lesson. In most versions, there is a slapstick tussle and Mr Punch is the victor.

Catchphrase: “I hAVe CoMe tO haAAAUUUUuunnNt yOOOOoooOOU Mr pUuuunncCCHh!”

Fun fact: The ghost sometimes appears as the Devil, and ghost story writer, MR James cites the Ghost in Punch and Judy as his earliest inspiration.

Joey the Clown

Character motivation: A friend to Mr Punch, but one who likes to outwit him and make the audience laugh by doing so. Also wants his sausages looked after by him.

Catchphrase: “Has anybody seen Mr Punch and my sausages? (Cue: He’s behiiiiiiiinnd yoooooouuuu).”

Fun fact: Joey is named for the famous Victorian clown, Joseph Grimaldi. 

The String of Sausages

Motivation: To be eaten by the clown, the crocodile or the dog, rather than by Mr Punch. We like to think the string of sausages has a moral motivation here. 

Catchphrase: Not applicable. He’s the strong silent type.

Fun fact: The sausages usually belong to Joey the Clown, who entrusts their safety to Mr Punch, against all good sense, frankly. The sausages’ arrival in the cast of Punch and Judy is probably related to a plotline from one of clown Joseph Grimaldi’s acts. 

If you’d like to find out more about Punch and Judy and how it’s growing and changing for modern audiences, don’t miss our Modern Eccentrics pages in our August issue, in which we meet some real life Punch and Judy people.
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