Nature | Pond-Dipping for Grown-ups

Illustration by Zuza Misko

No longer the preserve of primary school children, pond dipping is a simple and mindful pastime that is fascinating and fun. Here’s how to get started

You will need

A flat plastic tray (white is best for spotting pond life); a small net or sieve; a magnifying glass, a spoon. 

How to pond dip

1. Approach the pond slowly and quietly so you don’t scare off the wildlife. Lower the plastic tray into the water and fill it half full with pond water to put your ‘finds’ into. 

2. Using the sieve, scoop through the water nearish to the bottom of the pond and then quickly empty it into your plastic tray. Leave the tray of water to settle a bit.

3. Carefully and gently use the spoon to search through the water and weed for any wildlife. Use the magnifying glass for a closer look. You can photograph any interesting finds if you wish, and maybe sketch them later. 

4. If you have regular access to the pond you might like to start a notebook and date and log your finds along with any photos or sketches to allow you to track the pond’s wildlife across a year. 

5. Once you’ve finished, carefully lower the tray back into the water to let your finds go. Make sure nothing gets left behind in the tray.

What you might find

Water boatmen, leeches, water snails, diving beetles, dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, whirligig beetles, tadpoles, newts, toads, sticklebacks, backswimmers, pond skaters and much more… 

If you’d like to learn more about some of our native pondlife, don’t miss our Magical Creatures page this month, which is all about water boatmen.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our May issue…

More of our magical creatures…

Outdoors | Camping Truths

Camping is full of highs and lows but somehow it’s always worth it. Here, some of the Simple Things team - at least the more seasoned campers - share some of their most memorable camping moments.

You’ve not been camping until…

“...the airbed deflates in the night. It happens every time - and somehow you forget until the next time you're sleeping on one. The most memorable occasion, camping in north Wales, the tent was leaking too. My friend and I gave up and retreated to the car, where we reclined the front seats and slept there.” 

Jo Mattock, Commissioning Editor

You’ve not been camping until…

“...you try and put up a tent on the edge of a cliff in a gale. We bought a new tent for the kids when we went to Dorset and were staying on a campsite that went ups to the cliff edge. Our bell tent went up fine, but when we tried to put up the new one (which obviously we didn’t look at before, seasoned campers that we are) it was a lightweight nightmare. The kids hid in the car as we were nearly blown away and took about three attempts to get it pitched correctly. We had an audience of other unhelpful campers who cheered when we finally got it up and didn’t go off the edge of the cliff (it felt like the same cheer when you’re working in a pub and drop some glasses, I was not very amused).”

Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor

You’ve not been camping until…

“you’ve gone glamping with friends in September in ‘Jane Austen country’ and listened to the sound of deer rutting in the field next door ALL night, with eight inquisitive children all asking what that noise is and why the stag is called ‘Mr Darcy’.”

Iona Bower, Editor at Large

You’ve not been camping until…

“...you've eaten brioche rolls for three days solid and shared the last tea bag between three.”

Rebecca Frank, Wellbeing Editor

You’ve not been camping until…

“...you've found ingenious ways to utilise every bit of kit. Growing up, we had a yellow plastic crate that was used to ship all the food needed for our holiday. And once in situ, it was turned upside down and used as a side table (all the home comforts!), a portable washing up station and a toddler bath/paddling pool for my younger sister. It even became a makeshift potty at one point, when she climbed in, squatted down, then stood up and proudly remarked ‘Now that's what I call a real tortoise!’ It's now family folklore and still laughed about some 35 years later.”

And finally, from TST’s most seasoned camper… you’ve not been camping until…

“...You’ve watched the stars while having a wee in the middle of the night, you’ve made ‘second breakfast’, you’ve won the prize of ‘the one comfy camp chair’, you’ve listened to the rain ping off the tent and know it is not leaking, you’ve sipped a whisky by the light of the campfire, you’ve not seen the kids for at least an hour, you’ve packed the tent up before the rain arrives. Less positively: you’ve had to retrieve the dog from someone else’s camp larder, you’ve had a six-hour drive and then had a row while putting up the tent, there’s ice on the inside of the tent.”

Lisa Sykes, Editor

This blog was inspired by our ‘Looking Back’ feature, which we’ve called ‘Happy Campers’ from our May issue. You can read it from page 70 of the issue. 

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More camping fun…

More from our May issue…

Nature | Why Birds Sing at Dawn

Photo by Alamy

In the UK, it’s almost exclusively the males that sing, though recent studies reveal that females of many species also sing to their mates and nestlings, especially in the tropics.

But why sing at dawn? In fact, most songsters perform throughout the day, but they save their most forceful, committed singing for the early morning. This may be because there’s less human and other sound at that time and, being cooler, there are fewer insects and other food to find, too. Singing takes a lot of energy, so the male may as well do it when food is less available and his voice travels further in the still morning air. The end result is a torrent of glorious song cascading over park, garden and meadow in the early hours. By April, resident birds are joined by migrant singers such as the warblers who, as their name suggests, add their own melodies to the mix. By early May, the full choir of breeding songbirds is in voice.

Read more about the dawn chorus in our feature ‘The Early Bird’ from our May issue.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More birdsong to enjoy…

More from our blog…

Recipe | Spring Beans on Toast

The classiest kind of beans on toast – using broad beans and elderflower as the secret stars.

Serves 4

1.5kg broad beans in pods

Bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Bunch of fresh chives, chopped

115g ricotta cheese

1 lemon, zested

4 slices sourdough bread

Fresh chive flowers, optional

For the elderflower dressing:

2 tsp djion mustard

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp elderflower vinegar

100ml olive oil

To make

1 Pod the broad beans and bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the beans and cook for about 3 mins.

2 Drain the beans and skin them if the beans are large. Place in a bowl, adding chopped mint and chives.

3 To make the dressing, place the mustard, honey and vinegar into a mixing bowl and season with

salt and pepper. Whisk together and slowly pour in the oil, whisking until it becomes emulsified. Taste

the dressing and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add enough to coat the broad beans and herbs.

4 Mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest and season to taste.

5 Toast the bread and spread with ricotta cheese before spooning the beans on top. Drizzle with dressing and top with chive flowers, if using.

This recipe is taken from our feature, Respect Your Elders, in our May issue, which includes lots of recipes for using elderflowers, including cakes, cordials, curd and vinegar. The recipes are by Philippa Vine and photography by Anna Rubingh.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More things to forage…

More from our blog…

Folklore | Guernsey Superstitions

Islands tend to be rich in folklore and perhaps nowhere more than Guernsey. Perhaps it’s due to being even more at the mercy of the weather and other elements than most of us… Maybe some of the stories were simply invented to discourage islanders from venturing to the caves and other spots where smugglers and pirates hung out. But they’re great tales either way. Here are a few of the superstitions and folktales that have shaped the island. 

1. Guernsey fishers believe it’s unlucky to say they’re ‘going fishing’ as the fish may hear. They say they’re ‘off out on the boat’ instead. 

2. Herbs are often believed to hold cures for all manner of ills but Guernsey gardeners believe their magic will only work if you swear as you plant the herbs. So much for gardening being good for your wellbeing.

3. Apparently if you walk around the fairy ring at Pleinmont three times and make a wish, it will come true. 

4. In the west of the island, many of the houses have seats outside for witches. They were built in times when witches were prolific on Guernsey, so locals built seats so they could stop and rest, rather than create more mayhem. 

5. Friday is believed to be an unlucky day, partly because Christ was crucified on a Friday and partly because that was the day the witches met. Superstitious Guernsey dwellers tend not to have a hair cut, use a new tool or try any new venture on a Friday. 

6. Sore throat sufferers wrap a worn sock around their necks as they sleep at night to cure it by morning.

7. Islanders ‘let the bees know’ of any big family news. Bees and their honey were much prized in the Guernsey countryside historicaly, with many having a hive in their gardens, and folk still ‘let the bees know’ of any big news today. 

8. Great attention is paid to the colour of flames inside the home. If the fire or a candle in a Guernsey home burns green rather than orange it’s said to be caused by the presence of evil. We’d argue it was caused by the presence of copper, but we’ll keep that to ourselves in case the witches hear.

If the superstitions above have inspired you to plan a trip or just learn more about this beautiful spot, don’t miss our ‘My Island’ feature in our May issue, in which Holly Farrell shows us around a few of her favourite island haunts, including the neolithic statue called ‘The Grandmother’ pictured above.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More folklore fun…

More from our blog…

How to | Brocante Successfully

Planning to hit the flea markets and vintage stalls this summer? We enjoyed a day trip to a French ‘brocante’ in our Home Tour pages in our May issue. If you’re inspired to try a bit of vintage market shopping yourself, here are a few tips to get you started, whether you’re mooching in Maroilles or pottering in Paignton

Be prepared

If you’re in France there’s a small book that you can get from a newsagent (tabac) which lists where all the local markets are, or see brocanciel.fr or brocabrac.fr. Wear comfy shoes, and bring a tape measure, bags and packaging to take any items home with you. In the UK try fleamapket.com.

Arrive early or late

The best items are often snapped up quickly, so arrive as sellers are unpacking to get the best finds – or at the end, as prices will drop because the sellers want to get rid of things. If something catches your eye, don’t hang around, items go quickly.

Don’t be afraid to dig

Check out the baskets and boxes alongside the stalls. This is where treasures are often found.

Take cash and negotiate gently

Make sure you’ve plenty of cash as many brocantes and flea markets are in the countryside with no cash machines or card purchases available. Always smile and ask a few questions about the item before negotiating. Only offer a little lower than what you would want to pay.

How to speak second-hand in France

Brocante: Open-air flea market or bricks-and-mortar antique shop Marché aux puces: Flea market Vide grenier: Loft clearances Foire à tout: Similar to a car boot sale Depôts vente: Buildings where second-hand goods are sold.

If the French country lifestyle appeals, don’t miss our feature The French Connection in our May issue, in which we meet Cathy and Peter Bullen and have a nose around their house and home town. The words are by Kay Prestney and photography by Brent Darby.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More ideas for vintage fans…

More from our blog…

How hard can it be | To Maypole Dance

What do you mean you’ve never danced around a maypole? What kind of misspent youth did you have? Don’t worry; we have some simple step-by-step instructions just in time

First, catch your maypole
If you’ve access to an already-standing pole, you can skip (hop and dance) this step. Otherwise, get a pole of at least 4m (try B&Q) and attach a number of long ribbons to it. You’ll need one ribbon per dancer, of which you’ll need eight, including yourself if dancing. Are you dancing? (Response: Are you asking?) Sink your pole firmly into some soil. In front of a church looks pretty but you’ll need to work with what you have.

Start choreographing
Gather your dancers and split them into an A team and a B team. Stand them around the pole at equal intervals from alternate teams, so A, B, A, B and so on. Brook no complaints from dancers; things are about to get a lot trickier.

Go in, out, in, out (but don’t shake it all about)
Concentrate now – this is no May Day Picnic. The A team dancers should skip clockwise around the maypole and B team dancers, anticlockwise. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t collide because… Dancers should skip alternately left and then right of the dancers they pass, going ‘over, under, over, under’ with their ribbons. Still with us? Good. On an ‘over’, pass your ribbon over the dancer coming towards you. On an ‘under’ duck under the ribbon of the dancer coming towards you. If you’re untangled at the end treat yourself to a flagon of mead.

The instructions above are from our May issue’s Miscellany pages, which are packed with seasonal silliness each month.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More fun for May Day…

More from our blog…

Recipe | Bakewell Tart Squares

These sweet squares can be eaten on the hoof or while reclined on a picnic blanket. Cream optional but very much recommended

Serves 6-8

For the pastry:
150g butter or margarine (margarine makes an easier to handle pastry, but use butter if you prefer)
300g plain flour
50g caster sugar
1 egg

For the filling:
5 tbsp raspberry jam
200g raspberries
250g butter, softened
250g ground almonds
250g caster sugar
5 eggs
50g flaked almonds

To serve:
Icing sugar
Whipped cream
Mint leaves

1 Start off by making the pastry. Rub the butter/margarine into the flour and sugar until you have a sand-like consistency.

2 Beat the egg and then bring it together with the flour mixture on a lightly floured surface to form a smooth pastry.

3 Roll the pastry out to fit the tin you’re using – you can use a 30cm diameter round tin or a 22 x 33cm tin. It should be about 3mm thick but make it 5mm if you love pastry!

4 Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan 160C/Gas 4. Place baking beans or rice on top of the pastry and bake for 45 mins, or until pale golden.

5 Once baked, remove the beans or rice and allow the pastry to cool, although keep the oven on.

6 Once cooled, spread the jam over the base and distribute the raspberries evenly.

7 Put the butter, ground almonds and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Dollop the mixture into the pastry case and smooth out, then sprinkle the almonds over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 45 mins more, or until golden and set.

8 Once cooled, dust with icing sugar, cut into squares or slices and serve with whipped cream, fresh berries and mint leaves.

This recipe is taken from our May ‘Gathering’ feature, which this month is a menu for a woodland picnic. It also includes recipes for Cornflake Chicken, Egg, Beetroot & Potato Salad with Dill, Baby Carrots with Whipped Feta and Apple & Mint Punch. The recipes are by Becky Cook and the photography is by Will Heap.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More things for picnics…

More from our blog…

Crafting | How to Whittle

With a little knowhow you can make skewers for smores or even a useful extra tent peg

Whittling requires as little as a pen knife and some imagination, along with some young, fresh wood that hasn’t dried out and has fallen from the tree naturally – no chopping down branches. Pieces without knots are easier to work with, too.

While, when used with supervision, a pen knife is the best whittling tool, a vegetable peeler works well, too. You could even bring along some sandpaper to smooth your stick.

Begin by removing the bark, then cut the wood using a push stroke – this means cutting away from your body (with no fingers in the way). Never cut on your lap, always have the wood past your knees or to the side of your body for safety (and bring a first aid kit, just in case).

What you choose to whittle is up to you, but a suitable stick for toasting marshmallows, or a wand to wave around are good ways to add a little extra magic to your day out.

The instructions for whittling are taken from our May ‘Gathering’ feature, Whittle Down the Woods, which includes a menu for a late spring picnic along with ideas on things to make and do outdoors. The recipes are by Becky Cook and the photography by Will Heap.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More things to make outdoors…

More from our blog…