My Plot | Daily life at Freedom Cove

As innovative gardens go, this water-borne home and veg patch takes some beating. In western Canada, Freedom Cove is a world filled with greenhouses, produce and art

Catherine King and Wayne Adams met in 1987 and immediately felt a connection through a shared love of nature and art. When they came across a pile of storm-strewn lumber in Cypress Bay, on Vancouver Island, they saw an opportunity to turn it into a home. Today, Freedom Cove has a lighthouse, four greenhouses, a dance platform, smokehouse and a candle-making workshop.

Daily life at Freedom Cove

We both get up around 7–8 am. In spring and summer, the first thing I do is check my plants to make sure they have enough water, open my greenhouses, and water any plants in propagators in the house while Wayne gets the fire going.

We eat breakfast together, then I do household chores and Wayne tends to the generator or solar system. Once I have done my bodywork – pilates, tai chi, or yoga – I head out to the garden to pot up plants, sow seeds, weed, prune, and do general maintenance.

We have lunch together and then focus on our art. We both carve, and I write, paint, dance, play musical instruments and sing. I am also a healer, so people come out to Freedom Cove to see me or we speak over Skype.

Wayne is constantly repairing water lines, painting, rebuilding damaged areas, repairing greenhouses, doing boat- and chainsaw-maintenance and getting firewood. He is also a fisherman, so spends a lot of time out on his boat. I am a vegetarian.

From June until September, tours come out to visit and we both show people around. We also make moulds of our carvings and turn them into beeswax candles, which we give to anyone who visits. In the evenings, after dinner, we’ll either work on a creative project, Skype with family and friends, or watch a movie.

Turn to page 110 for more from Freedom Cove.

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Seaside snacks for a stroll along the prom

With the sea beside you, an ice-cream in hand and attractions all around, proms offer a fun coastal walk without the hike

Six snacks for promenaders

Cockles
Skewer a few of these vinegary delicacies from a cardboard tub with a cocktail stick for maximum seaside snack authenticity.

Ice-cream
Wherever you find a prom, you will find an ice-cream parlour. It would be a crime not to indulge, whether you go for a simple cornet or a sundae.

Doughnuts
Sharing a bag of freshly-fried, sugar-coated doughnuts is an ideal accompaniment to a seaside stroll. Let an increase in appetite caused by the sea air be your excuse.

Fish and chips
A piece of sustainably sourced haddock in a light batter with a tray of fat chips and mushy peas? Yes, please.

Milkshake
This frothy glass of flavoured milk has bounded into the modern age with new flavours like Oreo Cookies and Cream, and Peanut Butter Fudge. Yum.

Rock
Teeth-splintering it may be, yet a sucking a piece of this usually-mint-flavoured pulled sugar is an essential seaside experience.

Turn to page 66 of June's The Simple Things for more of our seaside prom feature.

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The bizarre art of vegetable carving

Some people insist that a contest fashioning vegetables into weird and wonderful shapes is child’s play. Others, for shame, feel it is a “novelty”. Tell that to the competitor at last year’s Lambeth Country Show who fashioned her veg into a wan woman carrying a basket of greens while clad in shapeless red robe and big white bonnet, and called the entry ‘The Handmaid’s Kale’. She was no uniquely skilled chard chiseller, but a solitary example of a nationwide craft. Walk past the vegetable-carving tent of your local village show and you’re likely missing some of the most inspired work on site.

Turn to page 68 of May's The Simple Things for more of our country show feature.

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Exploring Wales and the West Country by bike

Spring is the time to explore Wales and the West Country - regions that are especially beautiful when explored by bike, says cyclist and author Jack Thurston

"There was a time when I would cycle to Cornwall every summer from my home in London, to join friends in a holiday cottage on the beach. Each year I took a slightly different route, staying overnight with people I knew along the way, or just sleeping out in the open. It usually took me four full days. By train it’s just a few hours. My average speed on those summer rides was about 12 miles an hour, which sounds slow but by historical standards, the bicycle is actually pretty quick. It’s four times walking pace and double the speed of a horse-drawn carriage.

"The bicycle, and only the bicycle, combines speed, efficiency and freedom with a total immersion in the world around us. Riding through the sun, the wind and the rain, every sight, sound and smell is as vivid and immediate as it can be. Cyclists experience the landscape with a detail and definition that is just a blur when travelling by car or train. As Ernest Hemingway puts it, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.”

Jack Thurston is author of Lost Lanes West and Lost Lanes Wales (Wild Things Publishing)

Turn to page 79 of May's The Simple Things for more of Jack's springtime cycling advice.

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Growing | Ways to attract wildlife to your patch

The Butterfly Brothers aka Jim and Joel Ashton have been designing, building and taking care of wildlife gardens, often in urban areas, since 2006. Find out more in our feature on page 116 of May's The Simple Things or read on to discover 12 ways to attract wildlife to your patch. 

1 A patch of nettles can support more than 40 kinds of insects, as well as birds, which come for the autumn seeds. They’re also a food source for peacock butterfly larvae.
2 A feeder close to shrub cover is a safe place for birds to feed.
3 Hoverflies love the flowers of the native guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), and birds, its red berries.
4 Rowan trees are valuable to a number of moths, their caterpillars feeding on the leaves; the spring flowers attract pollinating insects, while birds love its autumn berries.
5 A variety of sprawling trees, shrubs and climbers attract foraging and sheltering birds, as well as provide potential nest sites.
6 A small pond in a sunny spot is a haven for all kinds of wildlife, including frogs, toads and newts.
7 Hops are a rich source of nectar for all kinds of insects, while the dense growth provides birds with shelter and nesting opportunities.
8 Long-flowering valerian is a good steady source of nectar for bees, butterflies and moths.
9 Essential for the humans: a seating area from which to watch the creatures’ comings and goings.
10 An alder tree attracts birds such as goldfinches and siskins with its seeds; caterpillars love the leaves.
11 A lawn left to flower is a haven for bees and other pollinators.
12 Open fences let hedgehogs roam.

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My Plot | Greenhouse advice

Every gardener craves a big, beautiful greenhouse. Julie King, who owns an enviable one in Suffolk, tells us how it gives her year-round blooms and much pleasure

• Decide how you are going to use your greenhouse before you plan it. I like to grow flowers in a greenhouse bed, so only have staging (a shelf on legs) down one side. You might want more floor area for seating or more staging for seed sowing.
• Choose your site carefully. My greenhouse faces south but is shaded by a tree on summer afternoons so it doesn’t overheat.
• Try to include water and electricity in your plan. Being able to have lighting and a heatmator propagator will extend the winter use of your greenhouse greatly.
• If your budget extends to blinds, fit them on the outside of the glass. Your greenhouse will be much cooler if you can stop the glass from heating up too much.
• Most flowers find the heat of the greenhouse too much in summer, but tender vegetables, such as chillies, peppers, tomatoes and aubergines, thrive in the hot, humid environment. l Herbs that are grown in pots outside can be brought inside and will continue to grow all winter if you place them on a heat mat. Rhubarb and strawberries can also be brought inside in January for an early crop.
• Include as many cold frames as possible in your greenhouse plan. Young seedlings that are kept in a greenhouse too long will be very tender and may not thrive when planted outside. Cold frames are basically mini unheated greenhouses sitting directly over the soil and are an ideal place to harden off your young plants.

Turn to page 106 for more greenhouse advice from this month's My Plot. 

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Beautiful bluebells

You can have a mindful walk in any woodland, but a bluebell wood is one of the sights of spring that never fails to bring joy. About half the world’s population of bluebells (hyacinthoides) grow in the UK; they love our ancient woodland, where the ground has been undisturbed for many years. Never be tempted to pick wild bluebells down to the root – they take five years to grow from seed into bulb and native bluebells are a protected species in the UK.

If planting bluebells, make sure they are natives (var. non scripta), as they’re under threat from their interloper cousins. Bluebells flower from early April, before the trees come into full leaf and the sunlight from the woodland floor.

Find your nearest wood at woodlandtrust.org.uk. Join its Big Bluebell Watch by recording your sightings and help to monitor the status of UK bluebells.

Turn to page 76 for more on our walk in the woods feature.

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Grand days out

Think stately homes - think splendid architecture, immaculate gardens, tempting tea rooms and the chance for a good nose around

Easter is traditionally the date in the calendar when stately homes, dormant over winter, come back to life and open their doors for us to visit. 

Recognise any of these great houses of literature?

Manderley 
‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ The evocative first line of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca sets the tone for this atmospheric story. And while the house was based on Milton Hall near Peterborough, the longing was taken from du Maurier’s own desire for Menabilly near Fowey in Cornwall. 

Thornfield Hall 
Who hasn’t been haunted by the idea of the mad woman, hiding the attic at Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre? Many believe Charlotte Brontë based her fictional house on Norton Conyers, near Ripon. 

Satis House
The faded grandeur of Miss Havisham’s house in Great Expectations is chilling, with its grand gates and dark, dusty rooms. Restoration House in Rochester, Kent – a beautiful Tudor building – lays claim to being Dickens’ inspiration. 

Glamis Castle 
Most of the action in Shakespeare’s Macbeth takes place at Glamis Castle. The castle isn’t fictional, and neither is the story of the killing of Duncan by Macbeth, but the bard did take some poetic licence in placing the murder at the castle.

Turn to page 64 of April's The Simple Things for more of our Grand Days Out feature.

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What it's really like to live in the woods

Jessica lives in the middle of a wood in Kent with her husband, Paul, an oak framer, and her daughter. Previously a graphic designer, Jessica now chronicles her outdoor life spent living slowly with her family, and in tune with nature and the seasons, on her blog, thewoodlandwife.co.uk. 

Turn to page 106 of the March issue for more about the joys and the hard work of life beneath the boughs.

What it’s really like to live in the woods

• You never get bored
  There’s always something to do, whether for pleasure or out of necessity.
• Woods are a daily inspiration
  Nothing inspires me more than the smallest things I see here; from morning birdsong to the gentle rustle of the trees.
• Daily routines have built-in health benefits
  Pushing wheelbarrows, shifting timber, running chainsaws and swinging the odd axe involves a lot of physical labour. While the monotony of the work can get testing, it has a great pace which does its part in keeping us all fit.
• We live simply
  We also live with a lot less than others – owning somewhere like this in the South East of England comes at a price. But we are more than happy, as this gives us more freedom.

Buying woodland is a dream held by many, with numbers of private owners growing year by year. According to the Forestry Commission, there are more than 40,000 small woods of less than ten hectares in England, and these make up 17% of England’s woodlands. 

Once you have decided on the area and what acreage you can afford, it is relatively easy to buy woodland as there is no chain and most are freehold. 

Run by small woodland ownership evangelist Angus Hanton, woodlands.co.uk is a good place to find one. 

Managing woodland is less simple, as Jessica points out. The Forestry Commission’s Land Information Search (forestry.gov.uk) produces a useful free booklet, ‘So You Own a Woodland’, which has advice. 

Small Woods Association (smallwoods.org.uk) offers courses on managing a woodland and is a generally useful resource.
 

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Floral delights to brighten up February

Awe-inspiring orchids

For an uplifting dose of warmth and colour head to Kew Gardens’ Thai-inspired orchid festival inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory. A magnificent display of orchids among the sights and sounds of Thailand provides a welcome reprieve from the British winter.
10 February–11 March.
kew.org

White carpet walks

Marvel at the first signs of spring during a snowdrop walk at Rode Hall, Cheshire. With around 70 varieties of this much-loved flower, it can’t fail to make you feel optimistic.
rodehall.co.uk

Early bloomers

If you want a glimpse of spring, look out for
the National Trust Valentine’s Day Flower Count. Last year, Saltram in Devon had the highest number of flowers on 14 February (176 blooms) for the second year running. Gardens in the South West are usually the furthest ahead in the UK.
nationaltrust.org.uk

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Escape | Head for the (little) hills

Often overshadowed by mountains, our lesser peaks are easier to get to, take less time to climb, and are, of course, masses of fun

Entice the unwilling
Ways to ensure your outing isn’t all an uphill struggle

Make it a treasure hunt
Do the walk yourself first and hide sweets or treats under rocks or in trees, and then draw a map. Kids will love it.

Share your kit
It’s hard to surrender your favourite waterproof, but you want your friends/family to have a great time and come again, so make sure they stay warm and dry.

Plan rewards
Surprise companions with their favourite chocolate bar or sandwich – or take them to an unexpected point of interest or time your arrival for sunset – it will make them yearn for more.

Turn to page 69 of January's The Simple Things for more on our guide to climbing hills.

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How to travel like a twentysomething

Embracing travel as a mindful, life-enhancing activity means recapturing a bit of the adventurous spirit of youth. In January's The Simple Things, Erin Spens (founder and editor of BOAT magazine) shares her travel secrets 

How to travel like a twentysomething (sort of)

Erin’s ways to make grown-up backpacking a little easier

• Ditch the wheelie bag and dig out the backpack. I’m not saying you have to stay in a hostel (though you’ll socialise more and pay less), but there’s no denying: the lighter your bag, the longer your days feel.
• Pack light, then cut that in half. It’s hard to be in the moment when your bag is digging into your shoulder.
• Try not to plan, at least not every minute of every day. Leave some time to wander. You’ll see a different side to a place this way. l Book accommodation that you’re comfortable in. If it’s a challenge to show up to a new place without all the details planned, I’d let where you stay be your respite from days with less structure than you’re used to.
• Bring a towel. More than anything else, it’s changed the way I travel. I have a thin Turkish hammam-style towel that packs up super small and can be used for anything – wiping things down, as a blanket or a bunched-up pillow on a bus, to wrap things in when you pack, or to take to the beach.
• To cut down on packing, I simplify my skin and hair care by replacing practically everything with coconut oil. It can remove make-up, moisturise, serve as shaving gel, condition wet hair...
• Take just one book. I have only recently become more realistic about how much I actually read when I’m travelling.
• Set a goal for phone time. I actually feel less stressed when I am away if I allow myself to check and respond to emails every so often. Do whatever works best for you, but have a loose plan so you don’t end up down an Instagram hole in the middle of a beautiful foreign city.
• And finally: be totally and utterly present. Breathe deeply. Walk slowly. Take pictures. Listen more and talk less. Look up.

Turn to page 81 of January's The Simple Things for more of Erin's advice.
 

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How to hold a Wassail

Singing to apple trees to encourage a bountiful harvest is making a comeback. Look out for a wassail in an orchard or allotment near you

For many of us, Twelfth Night signifies little more than the deadline for taking down the Christmas decorations. For others, however, it’s an occasion to pull on the wellies, head out into the cold and wake the fruit trees from their winter slumber through songs, offerings and some cider-fuelled revelry. In orchards and allotments across the country, the ancient tradition of wassailing is making an unexpected comeback.

Hold your own wassail

Traditionally, the wassail takes place on Twelfth Night – either 5, 6 or 17* January, but modern versions can take place at any point between these dates.

A back garden can work just as well as an orchard. 

Torches, wellies and warm coats are a must.

Involve the kids. Deck them out with face paint, feathers and foliage and they can lead the parade as the wassail King or Queen. 

Ensure there’s a generous supply of mulled cider as well as juice for little ones, and encourage participants to bring snacks, such as home-baked apple muffins, to share with the group. 

Drive out evil spirits by banging pots and pans together before serenading the tree with a wassail song.

* 17 January is Twelfth Night, or ‘Old Twelvey’, following the pre-Gregorian calendar.

More on Wassails in the January issue - turn to page 116.

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Travel | The other Algarve

Explore the quiet side of south-west Portugal with Inntravel

The Algarve’s more obvious attractions are well known: sun, sea and sandcastles, villas with pools and water parks galore. And while there’s nothing wrong with these, Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people, take a different approach to this beguiling corner of southwesternmost Europe. They get well off the beaten track, and use footpaths – and some wonderful places to stay – to help you discover some of Portugal’s lesser-spotted delights.

COAST OF MANY COLOURS

Inntravel are the UK’s leading provider of self-guided walking holidays. Their hotel-to-hotel route, A Coast of Many Colours, takes you across the Algarve - from its honeyed, southern coast through an agricultural heartland to the wilder, western shores - and is one of the most enticing in their entire collection.

A world away from the region’s busy resorts, you can discover for yourself the unspoiled landscapes of the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, characterised by dramatic cliffs, pristine coves and quiet, rolling pastures. The colours are many and varied: long stretches of golden sand give way to grey-and-red jagged rocks before softening to a paler orange and rose as the coastal edge turns northwards.

Inland, the green hills are home to drifts of winter blossom, plantations of quince and oranges, and flower meadows carpeted with citrus-yellow Bermuda buttercups. It all feels delightfully remote.

FROM RUINS TO RETREAT

When he first set eyes on the village of Aldeia da Pedralva, visionary developer António Ferreira saw past the deserted houses, decaying walls and neglected streets... “I discovered Aldeia da Pedralva when I was looking for a holiday house. I worked in advertising, which was very stressful. I felt tired and my health wasn’t brilliant, so I thought that renovating a holiday home would be a good project to distract me. A colleague told me to go and see Aldeia da Pedralva, an oldrural village in ruins, where he had already bought a house to rebuild.

“I went there with my wife and we instantly fell in love with the place, so much so that we actually bought three houses. It made me look at the village from a different perspective and made me realise that there must be other workaholic people like me who need to disconnect from the real world. Pedralva (pictured above) was the perfect place to make this happen – a tourist project based around nature, detoxing – and surfing. Pedralva lies in the ‘other’ Algarve, part of a Natural Park with amazing wildlife, landscapes and wild beaches. It’s a place where you really feel that time has stopped.”

Today, António’s dream has become a reality, though it remains fundamentally a traditional place at heart – the houses are simply furnished in keeping with the spirit of the original village. Thanks to the vision, passion and tireless work of one man, Aldeia da Pedralva is alive once more...

SEE FOR YOURSELF...

Choose Inntravel’s walking holiday, A Coast of Many Colours (including a night in Pedralva), to discover the Algarve’s ‘quiet side’. From £670pp, inc 7 nights’ B&B,

4 dinners, 3 picnics & detailed route notes. Until 31 May 2018. Visit inntravel.co.uk or call 01653 617000; visitalgarve.pt.

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Escape | A secret 16th century apartment in Hay-on-Wye

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Jen Chillingsworth heads to a book-lovers nook in Hay.

Our regular travel series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things – turn to page 68 of the October issue for more of this urban adventure – and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Jen Chillingsworth is a visual storyteller. She is a regular contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. More stories can be found on her blog little-birdie.com or on Instagram @jenlittlebirdie

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Escape | A hipster hideaway in London

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Lottie Storey heads to The Culpeper, London - much more than a pub with rooms

Our regular travel series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things – turn to page 62 of the September issue for more of this urban adventure – and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Lottie Storey is The Simple Things’ digital editor and a contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. Find her on Instagram @lottie_storey and her Bristol-based travel and lifestyle blog, oysterandpearl.co.uk. 

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My city | Venice

In this months The Simple Things, come with us through the winding streets, sunny squares and cool canals of Venice

There’s no better way to get to the heart of a city than through the people who live there. Every month, we ask someone, clearly in love with their city, to take us on a personal tour and tell us what makes it so special. You may feel inspired to visit one day or to rediscover the charms of a city closer to you, but for now just sit back, relax and enjoy some armchair travel.

This month, Iris Loredana takes us on a tour of her city, Venice.

How long have you lived in the city?
I grew up in Venice and went to university here. I’m passionate about my city, I did my thesis on ecology and the urbanisation of the Venetian Lagoon. I currently live and work in both Venice and Vienna.

Tell us what makes your city unique.
One thing is the light, which you can’t help noticing even on a rainy day. It’s a kind of translucent light that changes rapidly, as does its shimmering reflection on the water, making Venice look like she’s wearing a different dress several times a day. In late summer the sun’s rays immerse the buildings in brilliant sparkles.

What’s it like in September?
Warm and calm. Venice sits in the midst of a vast lagoon and this large water basin stores warmth. This means that summer lasts a little bit longer here. In late summer (we call September ‘summer with a bonus’), the colours become sharper. Early autumn is called ‘Canaletto season’ because the Venetian painters used to benefit from this mesmerising light and clear skies. It’s a great time of the year to go for long walks. The scent of the summer flowers is strong because the heat has abated. On a bright September morning you’ll notice the scents of wisteria, blossoming for the third time and oleander growing in the campi (squares) with its irresistible vanilla-lemon balm fragrance.

Tell us about the light and colours of your city.
In September, the early morning light has a rose gold hue. This colour is accentuated by the red brick façades and many buildings in town that are painted in rosso Veneziano (Venetian red). Towards noon, the sky turns 2 cobalt blue, shifting to emerald by late afternoon. If you’re lucky, your September evening sky will glow rose, pink and dark gold intermingled with light blue.

Turn to page 54 of September’s The Simple Things for more of Iris’s Venice secrets or look out for My City in every issue (and search previous posts here).

Iris Loredana founded website and blog La Venessiana: The Fragrant World of Venice, along with her grandmother, Lina, in 2015. They write about life in the Lagoon, and the city’s private homes, kitchens and secret gardens. Find them at lavenessiana.com.

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Escape | A Welsh eco retreat with room to roam

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Nina Nixon heads to Wales for a weekend retreat 

Our regular travel series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things – turn to page 76 of the August issue for more of this outdoors adventure – and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Nina Nixon is a contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. She has a passion for photography, capturing moods and making memories. More of Nina’s work can be found on her blog ninanixon.co.uk and on Instagram @nina_nixon

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Escape | Outing to the sea

For a truly nostalgic day trip to the seaside, track down a steam train special. On page 60 of July’s The Simple Things, Travis Elborough takes a train to the sea.

‘As someone who grew up by the seaside but has lived in two landlocked cities over the past three decades, I need few excuses to head to the
coast on a whim or having spotted a decent weather report. Like Ishmael in Moby Dick, I am occasionally gripped by an almost uncontrollable urge to ‘get to sea’. And my preferred means of reaching these longed-for shores is invariably a train.

‘Although railway stations can be the stuff of humdrum commutes,disruptions
and disputes, I treasure the possibilities they offer as means of escape to coastal adventure. The destination boards at Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, Chester, London’s St Pancras and Fenchurch Street proffering the options, respectively, of visits to Blackpool or Morecambe, Scarborough, Llandudno, Broadstairs and Margate, Southend and Leigh-on-Sea.

‘Here a railway ticket can serve as a passport to a place of sights (if not actually sun), sea and vinegary fish and chips, where parking is no concern of mine. Travelling light on these occasions only helps to add a certain devil-may-care air of fleetfootedness to the whole affair.’

Read more in July’s The Simple Things.

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Escape | How to be a fearless traveller

Life coach Lou Hamilton offers the following advice to take the stress out of solo travel

1 Have a sense of purpose. A reason you want to do it that’s bigger than your fear.
2 Be prepared. Double-check everything.
3 Walk yourself through the trip in your mind’s eye and imagine success.
4 Organise the first few trips with a reason to interact with people, such as a retreat or creative course or a family-run B&B or homestay.
5 Don’t spend your time staring at your phone – look up, make eye contact, introduce yourself, and smile.
6 Take safety precautions but don’t let fear stop you taking calculated risks.

Things to read

Roam Alone, Inspiring Tales by Reluctant Solo Travellers (Bradt)
40 tales of adventure by people who took the plunge and never looked back.

Solitude by Michael Harris (Random House)
Get inspired to set off.

Without Reservations: The Travel of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach (Bantam).
An US journalist travels Europe alone after her kids have flown the nest.

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Things to download

Zipskee
The app that connects you with like-minded locals around the world.

Triplt
This clever app replaces the travel companion who reminds you to pack your passport, book that transfer, and so on.

Google Translate
Will encourage you to interact with locals and decipher menus. 

Turn to page 87 of July's The Simple Things for more on how to travel alone - buy your copy now (it also makes for an excellent holiday read).

 

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