Blog
Taking Time to Live Well
DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Anneliese Klos
Summer songs to lift the spirits – and a touch of summertime nostalgia – whether the sun is out or not. Take a listen on Spotify here. You’ll find this playlist in our August HAVEN issue, on sale from 24 July.
For more summer playlists, take a look at our Spotify profile, where we’ve got playlists for a barbecue, summer memories, midsummer magic and also for lazing on a sunny afternoon.
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.
In summer our thoughts are with light and sunshine. But here, we appreciate all that is wonderful about shade
Sunny days are wonderful but isn’t it lovely to step into the shade, too? To cool off, open ones eyes a little and appreciate the sunny side of the street from the shadier side?
In sunshine terms, it’s easy to forget that shade is not its own entity but merely a shadow. Its etymology is in the Old English sceadu, or ‘shadow’ . There is literally no shade without light.
Some of its meanings are darker still. In the 15th century, a ‘shade’ was a ghost - a shadow of a former person, if you like. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, his guide, Virgil is described as a ‘shade’. It was not necessarily something to be feared; more a fact of life. Or death. And the state of being dead was often described as being ‘in shadow’ as in ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…’ It was believed that the dead lived in shadow in the underworld, with only a very select through making it into heaven’s light. Well, we can’t all excel at everything.
Wander through a graveyard and you’ll see many an older stone referencing shade… ‘Peace to thy gentle shade and endless rest’, as Alexander Pope wrote. The idea of death here is as a place of rest and cool, somewhere to lay down your head and look back on the sunshine years of your life. Not something to be feared, merely to yang to life’s yin. The shade to the sunshine. It almost sounds a little lovely.
So next time you pass under a shady tree, sit down a moment and enjoy looking out at the sunshine from its shelter. Cool down, rest. Shade is not only the foil to the sunshine; it’s something to be treasured in itself.
In our August issue, our My Place feature is all about shady spots, such as the one pictured above, belonging to Liz Boyd, The Simple Things’ Picture Editor.
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Photography by Stocksy
Just like you’re meant to ‘build’ a cheeseboard, we reckon there’s a few select kinds of book that add up to a tasty summer reading selection. Our books editor, Eithne Farry recommends these for starters…
Because coming home feeling a little bit cleverer AND having enjoyed a book you suspected would be hard work is always very satisfying.
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics)
Moving, nuanced and intricately plotted, this is a glorious look at Victorian provincial life and the flawed, but unforgettable characters. A sweeping tale of bad marriages, emotional struggles and intellectual pursuits, it’s a classic for a reason.
More worthy additions: The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon (Penguin Classics); Beloved by Toni Morrison, (Vintage)
When you need a bit of page-turning intrigue but nothing that’ll give holiday nightmares.
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (Profile Books)
Red herrings, elegant puzzles, poised prose and engaging characters make for a mystery worth solving as ex-con Steven Smith attempts to unravel the secret code that marks the margins of a children’s book and solve the disappearance of his beloved teacher Miss Isles.
Also making a good case: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Sutano (Harper Collins); Look To The Lady by Margery Allingham (Vintage)
An epic saga always feels like good value suitcase-space-wise. (A weighty tome makes an excellent fly swat, too.)
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Faber)
Set in the Appalachian mountains, this is a stunning retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield. A coming-of-age tale, it charts the moving story of charismatic Demon and his embattled family as the opioid crisis wreaks havoc in the lives of their struggling community.
Or make room in the family suitcase for: Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow (John Murray); Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Bloomsbury)
Easy digestible and diverting, the palate cleanser you’ll want amid more worthy titles.
The List by Yomi Adegoke (Harper Collins)
A smart, savvy take on the dark side of social media as a young couple’s marriage plans are upended when the groom-to-be appears on an anonymous internet list, pitching his fiancée, ardent feminist Ola, into a tailspin of doubt about their relationship.
Or froth things up with: Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (4th Estate); Darling by India Knight (Penguin)
Read more of Eithne’s summer reading recommendations on our feature on Summer Reading in the August issue of The Simple Things.
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DJ: Frances Ambler
Our August playlist sees us take a trip down memory lane. Take a listen on Spotify here.
Have a browse of some of our other playlists, from a bit of midsummer magic to lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Photo by Irina Ermakova/Unsplash
Deck chairs are the ideal lounging situation, but once you’ve got comfy in one, physics can work against you and it’s not always easy to hop up again. Some might view this as an advantage… The key is to make sure you have everything you need to hand before collapsing into the canvas. Here are 10 things you should always be able to reach when lounging in a deck chair.
1. A good book. We recommend a copy of Death in a Deckchair by Peter Boon. When a Murder Mystery event at a swanky hotel goes exactly how we all know it will, reluctant amateur detective Edward Crisp finds his relaxing summer swiftly disappearing before his eyes. But you can still enjoy your relaxing summer over this light and rather charming whodunnit.
2. Sun protection cream. Very important. No one wants to emerge from a relaxing afternoon in the garden with burnt skin, or - perish the thought - to have to get up and go inside to top up on the Factor 50. Don’t forget to do your ears.
3. A battery-operated radio. The ideal companion for a garden afternoon. Plays, music and chat are all there at the touch of a button. And if there’s a national emergency, you’ll be able to tune in for all the essential information you need without having to stir from your seat.
4. A deck chair pillow. Deck chairs are very comfortable but even the most comfy of seating situations needs a little rearrangement now and then. A deck chair pillow straps handily to the top of your chair and allows for a snooze in between your various lounging activities.
5. A long, cool drink. If you’re really smart you’ll also take out a Thermos with another long, cool drink in it, topped up with ice cubes, for an easy refill.
6. A hat. Something in straw with a nice wide brim. For snoozing under, additional shade and generally wafting about as if you are in a Merchant Ivory film from the late 90s.
7. A fly swat. Because you don’t want to have to use your nice hat for seeing off ill-tempered wasps.
8. A copy of The Simple Things. And maybe a few summer back issues, too. We say this only for your benefit, you understand. This is shaping up to be a nice, long afternoon and you wouldn’t want to run out of reading matter.
9. A tinkly bell for attracting the attention of someone who can refresh your gin and tonic, swap the business section of the paper for the weekend magazine and answer the front door.
10. A pole, or large stick for hoiking yourself out of the chair, just in case the tinkly bell falls upon deaf ears. You just can’t always get the deck chair staff these days…
Our deck chair must-be-able-to-reach items were inspired by the ‘Looking Back’ feature on the history of the deck chair in our July issue. We hope you can enjoy the read from your very own deck chair this month.
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Photograpy by Jemma Watts
We’re all about celebrating the simple things in life. Here are a few things we love about summer
Picnics in odd places: on a tiny roof garden surrounded by tomato plants; in a tree house; on the kitchen floor. A familiar thing in a new place.
A neatly-packed suitcase: everything, for the moment; beautifully ordered; the ideal number of socks – not too many, nor too few; a smart jacket, well folded; more of life should be like this.
Celadon blue: or perhaps it is really more a shade of green; hard to decide; it’s serene without being passive; cool and ample – your gaze can rest in it.
Fresh French bread and butter: so simple, so reliably delicious, it’s the marriage that’s magical – the butter is salty and sleek, the bread is soft, yet chewy and filling.
The sound of cicadas: the ideal sound of summer, a hot day; work means making a salad for lunch, driving to glance at a ruined temple and an afternoon swim.
The heat as you step off the plane: it’s physical, in your lungs, on your forehead. It implies afternoon naps, ice, lemons. You’ll be someone slightly different here.
‘Summer’s tiny pleasures’ is taken from Small Pleasures (The School of Life Press) theschooloflife.com. Read more about putting first the things you love in our feature The Pursuit of Pleasure, in our August issue. And if you’re all about the simple pleasures of summer, you also will not want to miss our Gathering feature, Field Day, which includes lots of ideas and recipes for a simple summer picnic in a meadow… or anywhere you choose! From cocktails and chipolatas to toasting marshmallows and tucking into muffins - it’s a recipe for a jolly good summer’s day in the sunshine.
Photograph: Getty
When the temperature rises, there are plenty of places to enjoy the cool
It’s lovely to see the sunshine out but if you’re in need of a little relief from it, seek out the shade, the cool and the dark. Cold places that you might wrap up in during winter (or simply avoid), in summer become welcome retreats to relish. Here are a few places to enjoy the cool on hot days.
Churches
If the heat gives you the urge to throw yourself down on the nearest cold stone floor, get thee to the nearest church where being prostate is less likely to be frowned upon. Churches and cathedrals with cloisters, crypts and catacombs will win you extra cool points. But, not only do they provide a refreshingly cool environment, churches can be a quiet and soothing place to sit and think, as well as an opportunity to appreciate some of the most beautiful art and architecture on public display.
Caves
In the hot weather, it’s easy to understand why Bilbo Baggins was so reluctant to leave his hobbit hole. There’s a cave for every kind of troglodyte, whether you prefer your cavities natural or manmade, inland or on the seashore. Their temperatures of around 8 to 10C provide the necessity – nay giddy pleasure – of being able to pull on a pullover. Seek them out in the gardens of stately homes - a much cooler place to lounge than a chaise longue.
High places
If you want to catch a breeze, head to the top of a hill or – even better – the top of a tall tower on a tall hill. It doesn’t need to mean a hike up a mountain though - just an area that is slightly higher than average. According to the Met Office, temperatures fall by around 5 to 10C for every 1000 metres you go up, making somewhere like the Cotswolds, for example, significantly cooler than the nearby Severn Valley.
Someone else’s air con
Precious objects and manuscripts require carefully controlled temperatures, so galleries and museums also make for cultured and cool visitors. A well-timed trip to the cinema allows you the ultimate indulgence of a couple of hours in a properly cool room. You could even order an indecently icy slush drink and experience the thrill of added brain freeze. For the ultimate quick fix, take a trip to the supermarket. Skip straight to the chilled food aisle and devote some serious time to debating the merits of petit pois versus garden peas. The M&S picnic section is also a great place for the overheated to linger – although you’re likely to leave weighed down with fancy stuffed olives and the like, considerably lighter of purse.
Woods and forests
For sun that twinkles, rather than blazes, seek out the sanctuary of a secluded forest. Wooded areas create their own microclimates that make them particularly enticing in hotter weather. The natural filter of the leaves and branches make them seem cooler. They’re also less windy, as the trees act as a natural windbreak, making for ideal picnic conditions: just take a look at Manet’s 1860s painting Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe for inspiration (stripping off optional).
These ideas for cool places to spend hot days in were originally published in issue 38 of The Simple Things. For more ideas on places to stay cool this summer, don’t miss our feature on rivers, waterways and lakes in our current July issue, in shops now, or available from our online store.
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Photography: Jonathan Cherry
Only in Britain could posters go up all over the countryside for cheese-rolling contests, scarecrow competitions and lawnmower races, and no one turn a single hair. As a nation, we’ve proudly kept many of our stranger folk traditions, and added a few new ones along the way.
If you’re looking for a day out with a difference this summer (or even some that comply with social distancing or that you could recreate at home), we’ve gathered a few ideas here. If you thought well-dressing and morris dancing was niche, prepare to be folking astounded.
Toe Wrestling
The World Toe Wrestling Championships is held in Derbyshire every July. It began in 1976 when a few friends down the pub were lamenting Britain’s lack of athletics success. Forty-four years later, it’s going strong and is held in the Bentley Brook Inn in Fenny Bentley most years. Bare-footed participants lock big toes over a tiny wrestling arena and compete to wrangle the other’s foot to the side first. The rules are similar to arm wrestling and you start with right feet, then swap to left, then back again. Be warned - toe wrestling has regularly ended in injury and even broken toes, so go easy if you’re holding your own championships at home. Or perhaps try Thumb Wars instead.
Bog Snorkelling
What better way to spend August Bank Holiday than snorkelling in a peat bog? Don’t answer that, but in case you were wondering, bog snorkelling is an event during which participants compete to do two lengths (60 yards each) of a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog, wearing snorkels and flippers. Swimming strokes may not be used - you may travel by means of flipper power alone. The Waen Rhydd peat bog near Llanwrtyd Wells in mid Wales has hosted the annual World Bog Snorkelling Championship since 1985. If you can’t make it there, perhaps get the paddling pool out at home.
The Burryman’s Parade
At a loose end on the second Friday of August? Fancy seeing a grown man covered head to toe in sticky burrs paraded around for nine hours, his arms supported on poles decorated with flowers? Then head to South Queensferry on the south bank of the Firth of Forth, where the Burryman (a human covered in sticky flower and seed heads from the burdock plant is guided through town, stopping at inns and alehouses and given drinks of whisky (through a straw to avoid the burrs) at each. Folklore tells that bad luck will befall the town if the Burryman is not given whisky and money each year, in a tradition that’s thought to be thousands of years old. We’ll give the whisky a go and leave the burrs on the plant, we think - they’re a devil to get out of wool.
Hallaton Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle-Kicking
Once described as ‘the bloodiest event in England’ this contest between the villages of Medbourne and Hallaton in Leicestershire is not for the faint-hearted. The competition, on Easter Monday, opens with a parade and large hare pie being blessed by a vicar, then cut up and thrown into the assembled crowd. There follows a race to get one of the barrels of beer (a bottle) over the other village’s boundary by any means, including kicking, throwing and rolling. It’s a terrifying free-for-all that makes a game of rugby look like a crochet circle in a nunnery. We aren’t sure this is one you’d want to try at home but there’s nothing to stop you making a rabbit pie and playing skittles with some beer bottles in the garden.
Burning of Bartle
If Guy Fawkes’ Night is not enough dangerous drunken revelry close to open flames for you in one calendar year, you might like to mark Burning Bartle weekend, held on the Saturday closest to St Bartholomew’s Day (24th August) in West Witton, North Yorkshire. Bartle is thought to have been a sheep stealer who was caught some centuries back (us British do enjoy a grudge as well as a weird festival, don’t we?). Today the village marks it by creating a huge effigy of Bartle, much like a ‘Guy’, complete with mask, sheep’s wool hair and beard and glowing eyes (just to terrify any tourists not in the know, we suppose), which is then propped against a dry stone wall and set on fire to much singing and shouting, before everyone decamps to the pub. It’s certainly a niche celebration but we all have a Bartle in our lives, somewhere. Make your own effigy, have a bonfire and sit and enjoy your grudge over a beer or two in the comfort of your own garden. Glowing eyes optional.
In our July issue you’ll find the first in our new series, Modern Eccentrics, in which we celebrate people who are passionate about their pastimes and happily doing things a bit differently. This month, Julian Owen meets some thoroughly modern morris dancers.
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Photography: Cathy Pyle
Give the classic lemonade lolly a refreshing twist, and add a cheeky shot of gin if you like, too
Make your own sophisticated lollies and you’ll never again need to wait for the cacophanous tinkle of the ice-cream van, and be disappointed by its saccharine-sweet, slightly melty offerings. Fill your freezer instead with raspberry, bee pollen and honey yoghurt or mango, ginger and lime lollies, chunky orange dark chocolate ice cream or spiced berries sorbet. All the recipes, by Cathy Pyle, are in our July issue, which is on sale now. And because we can’t bear to see any grown-up without a lolly, here’s a recipe from the feature to whet your appetite:
Makes 6
350ml traditional lemonade (use a brand that contains real lemons if possible)
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
25g fresh mint leaves
1 Pour the lemonade into the moulds until they are half full.
2 Drop in 3-4 cucumber slices per lolly and some torn mint leaves.
3 Top up the moulds with lemonade and freeze overnight.
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Photography: Plain Picture
Because it’s a skill everyone should be able to surprise their friends with
Our July cover photo had us all wanting to invest in a hula hoop and rotate our hips like hula-pros. So we thought we’d put together a short guide on how to get started with hula hooping.
Invest in the correct-sized hula hoop - you need one that comes up to your belly button when it is standing on the floor in front of you.
Once you have your hula hoop, hold it in front of you and step inside the hoop with your feet towards the back. Bring the hoop to your waist level with two hands and stand your feet shoulder width apart.
Keep your body long and give the hoop a big flat spin and then start to push forwards and backwards. If you’re right-handed spin it anticlockwise. If you’re left-handed spin it clockwise. Keep your knees, chest and hips still and just move the belly and back if you can.
Move your waist in a circular motion, moving your belly froward as it crosses your front and pushing backwards as it crosses your back. You need to move the part of your body you want the hoop to sit on and keep the other areas still as much as you can.
Put one foot in front of the other if it feels easier. If you feel the hoop starting to drop, go faster, or turn your body in the same direction as the hoop is moving while pushing faster.
Once you’ve got the momentum and you can do a few hoops, you can start being fancy. Try taking a step forward and back or moving across the room. Try these tricks for beginners if you like.
Recipes: Annie Brettell. Photography: Ben Mostyn
These melt-in the mouth meringue kisses are great with berries… who needs Wimbledon to enjoy them?
Makes 20 kisses
2 egg whites
125g white caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract (1 tsp sifted cocoa powder, if making chocolate ones)
FOR THE KISS MIXTURE
100ml double cream
3 tbsp lemon curd
2 tbsp blackcurrant jam (Or 100ml double cream and a handful of strawberries, hulled and finely chopped)
1 Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk until they hold soft peaks.
2 Add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking in each spoonful as you go. Once all the sugar is combined and the egg whites are glossy and stiff, add the vanilla extract. If making the chocolate variety, now is the time to fold in the cocoa powder, too.
3 Preheat the oven to 120C/Fan 100C/ Gas ½. Fill a piping bag with the mix and pipe 40 little peaks about 2cm apart on a lined baking sheet.
4 Bake for approximately 1 hr, until dry and crisp. Allow the meringues to cool fully before removing them carefully from the baking sheet.
5 In a bowl, whisk the cream and add your chosen fruity component.
6 To serve, take a meringue and sandwich it together with a second meringue using about 1 tsp of filling.
This recipe is part of our June ‘Gathering’ pages, which features some of our most magical summer recipes. You can find the rest of the recipes, including crab toasts and elderflower fizz from page 36.
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Illustration: Kavel Rafferty
Impress your neighbours (that will be the squirrels then) with this simple campsite DIY
You will need:
Large rocks or green logs
Spade (optional)
Tinder, such as as dry leaves or grass
Dry twigs for kindling
Dry firewood
Grill
Water to hand
Pick a spot at least 3m from anything flammable and on exposed earth. Create a keyhole-shaped border from large rocks or green logs. Dig a shallow pit within main hole. Now assemble your fire. Tinder goes in the middle. Kindling is next: try a teepee or stacking method. Once it’s going, add your firewood – try to spread it out evenly. After the flames have died down, use the resulting coals to cook food (rake coals from the pit to the square section for more even heat). Lay a grill on top of the stones and get sizzling!
The soothing anti-inflammatory properties of chickweed and aloe mean these cubes are also good for easing the symptoms of rashes or bites, too.
100g fresh aloe vera gel (see method) or pre-mixed aloe vera gel
2 handfuls of fresh chickweed (see below)
1 If you’re making fresh, slice the gel from the inner aloe leaves, taking care to discard the inner green and yellow leaf lining. Measure the gel (you need 100g).
2 Put the gel into a blender with the chickweed and blitz until combined.
3 Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze until solid (the cubes will keep for up to a year in
the freezer).
4 To use, apply a frozen cube to the affected area as and when required.
Notes about chickweed: The plant has numerous tiny white flowers and is recognisable by a single line of hairs that grows up the stem between each leaf node and swaps over to a different side after each leaf. Chickweed works wonders for itchy or inflamed skin. Simply squeeze the fresh juice from the plant directly onto the skin to soothe nettle stings, skin rashes and eczema.
Recipe from Handmade Apothecary by Vicky Chown & Kim Walker (Kyle Books).
Summer hasn’t really arrived until you’ve worn your sandals for at least three days in a row. Those odd days when you optimistically whip them out only to have regrettably chilly toes by evening don’t count. The constant wearing of sandals is a surer indicator of summer than the arrival of the first swallow.
Like autumn boots and winter coats, sandals are a key seasonal item. As such, they benefit from a refresh each year: slipping freshly pedicured feet into a brand new pair will put a bounce in anybody’s step. (Providing they don’t rub, of course.) As with any other item of clothing, however, sandals are subject to the vagaries of fashion. We’ve all padded around in Birkenstocks and clopped about in wooden-soled Hasbeens. And which one of us hasn’t got a pair of gladiators, all leather straps and buckles, tucked away at the back of the wardrobe? Salt-water sandals, originally developed for post-war American children in the 1940s from leather scraps, have been the sandal de choix for the past couple of years, and show no sign of disappearing. Neither, unfortunately, do Crocs.
The popularity of flat sandals (high-heeled versions are also available, but do not concern us here) is due to the simple fact that they suit hot weather. By leaving most of the foot exposed, they keep it cool and dry. Feet confined by leather and without ventilation run the risk of Athlete’s Foot or simply becoming unbearably hot. Which is why sandals have always been with us – a pair discovered in Oregon, America, were estimated to be 10,000 years old, the earliest recorded footwear. It is why they were appreciated by Ancient Greeks of high rank who fashioned sandals from willow leaves that fastened up the leg, and by the Ancient Egyptians whose secured theirs with palm leaves and papyrus.
The only downside to wearing a pair of sandals is the state of the feet within. There is nowhere to hide calloused or grubby feet, and wearing socks with sandals although fashionable, is still best avoided. Fortunately, a cheery nail polish combined with a stylish sandal will distract most eyes away from any foot flaws. Nothing should come between you and summer’s essential shoe.
Sweet roots turned into a wonderfully crunchy snack
Serves 6
3 large parsnips
3 large beetroots
3 large sweet potatoes
Vegetable oil
Sea salt
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 Preheat oven to 150C/Fan 130C/ 300F. Line 4 baking sheets with baking parchment (or if short of space or trays, cook crisps in batches).
2 In a small bowl, mix 3–4 tbsp of vegetable oil, the fennel seeds and a good grind of salt. Lightly brush the baking parchment with the oil mixture. Set aside.
3 Use a mandolin or vegetable slicer attachment on a food processor or, failing that, slice all the vegetables as thinly as possible. Use kitchen towel to pat slices dry.
4 Place the vegetable slices on your baking sheets, making sure they don’t overlap. Then lightly brush the crisps with the oil mixture.
5 Bake for 1 hour; after an hour, remove the parsnips, returning the beetroot and potatoes to the oven for another 30 mins. Cool on a rack, and store in an airtight container.
Turn to page 24 of August's The Simple Things for more of our picnic in the park menu, including:
Image: Getty
There is little more English than a game of croquet – flamingos and hedgehogs optional. Or for an outdoor game that allows for standing about with a pastis in one had, Pétanque is your pastime
CROQUET
A cross between bowls, billiards and marquee erection, croquet is the feminist’s friend, being the first outdoor sport to allow women and men to play on an equal footing. It’s also an unusual game in that seemingly no one knows the rules, but because whacking balls through hoops with a mallet is such fun, nobody really cares. It’s a game long associated with the upper classes, and you can turn any old patch of grass into the sweeping lawn of a moneyed Victorian simply by having a friend run forward, urgently wave a piece of paper and call “Miss! News from
London, miss”. Remember, period-detail- lovers, attitudes to animal welfare were rather different in Lewis Carroll’s time and, today, use of live flamingos and hedgehogs is generally frowned upon.
PÉTANQUE
Derived from boules, a game traceable back to coin throwing in ancient Greece; Romans refined the concept to aiming at a target and the modern sport began to take shape. Pétanque itself only arrived in 1907, when rheumatic boules ace, Jules Lenoir, could no longer run and throw. Instead, he suggested this: stand inside a circle with both feet on the ground and toss hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball, or cochonnet. In contrast to the rolled, lawn-requiring British bowls, this throwing technique makes it the ideal game if your local open space is a little on the uneven side. Indeed, gravel or hard dirt is the customary playing surface. For extra Francophone authenticity, liberally punctuate play with exclamations of “Bof!”, “Très bon!”, “Merde!”, etc.
Turn to page 71 of August’s The Simple Things for more games, including toe wrestling, ping pong and crazy golf.
Illustration: Joe Snow
Branch out with this playful addition to a garden
You will need:
Wood that’s at least 2.5cm thick, avoid pine and damaged wood
Poly twist rope
Handsaw
Sandpaper
Drill
1 Find a thick, living branch, parallel to the ground.
2 Cut your board to measure 45 x 25cm and sandpaper it.
3 Drill four holes a little bigger than your rope width in each corner of the wood, 2.5cm in.
4 Cut rope into two lengths twice the height of the swing plus 3.5 m.
5 Take a piece of rope and double it over so cut ends are together.
6 Holding the looped end, place rope over branch and then thread the two cut ends to secure the loop against the tree branch. Repeat with the second bit of rope – the same distance apart as the holes on the seat.
7 Thread lengths through the four holes and adjust for height.
8 Tie each length in a figure eight stopper knot under the swing.
Photography: Tom Regester
The sharpness of the lime granita is a treat when balanced with lovely sweet fruit. Tastes of tropical beaches
Makes 700ml (6–8 servings)
180ml caster sugar
A pinch of coarse sea salt
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn to release their flavour
1 stick of lemongrass, bruised
150ml soda water
350ml lime juice (1 lime usually yields 20–25ml)
1⁄2 small pineapple (about 150g), peeled and roughly diced*
100ml coconut cream, to serve
1 In a large saucepan, heat 180ml water, the caster sugar, a pinch of salt, the lime leaves and lemongrass until the sugar has dissolved and the flavours have fused together; this should take 8–10 mins on a medium heat. Discard the lime leaves and lemongrass.
2 Add the soda water and lime juice to the pan and stir gently (try not to stir all the bubbles out of the soda water). Pour into a freezer-proof container with a lid and freeze. Take out every hour and, using a fork, scrape the granita so that you end up with fluffy ice, rather than one big block. It should take about four hours to freeze.
3 To serve, put a generous portion of pineapple in a bowl, top with a scoop of granita and pour over a little coconut cream. Sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt.
* This works well with any fresh fruit but if you find yourself near an Asian supermarket, stock up on rambutan, lychee or mangoes.
Recipe from Cook Thai by Sebby Holmes (Kyle Books).
Give these techniques a spin to improve your summer sporting chances
There are more than 100 possible frisbee throws (see YouTube to learn a few more), so a few sessions in the park will not a pro make. These tips, however, will teach old dogs and humans alike a few new tricks.
Bend your wrist, then snap it quickly to give lots of spin. The more spin, the more stable it will be and the more control you’ll have on its flight.
Bend your elbow during your throw to add power and increase accuracy.
When throwing, step towards where you’re aiming, or try moving your weight from your back foot on to your front. Twist your shoulder, hips and legs through to the point of release.
Stable throws are more accurate throws. Aim to keep the frisbee level and throw from just above your belly button for optimum stability.
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.
