Wild camping: the best places in Britain

Can you hear it? The unzipping of a sleeping bag, crackling fires and chirping crickets. It's the distinctive call of the wild. Telling us its time to dust of our tents and get out into the British countryside. Inspired by our wild camping feature inside issue 10, we've picked out five of our favourite sites in Britain for an adventure under canvas.

* Note Scotland and Dartmoor are the only places to legally wild camp in Britain. If you wish to set up tent anywhere else, always seek permission from the landowner first.

1. Dartmoor

Heather clad moorland, wide open spaces - Dartmoor is the perfect place for wild camping. The right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, and the local association even provide a guide on where to pitch up in the area. Just watch out for the army - who often use the park for fire practice.

2. The Scottish highlands

Remote, with high peaks and stunning views. The current access legislation is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land as long as the camping rules are followed.

3. Lake District

The woodlands, the lakes, the fells, idyllic. Legally wherever you camp you must have the permission of a landowner to camp on their land, though there is a tradition of wild camping in the Lake District.

4. Berwyn Mountains

The Berwyn mountains, North Wales. Some absolutely spectacular views, not for the faint of heart though if you believe the rumours of the suspected UFO landing.

5. The South Downs

Easily accessible places like Springhead Hill make this is good beginner's territory as you won't be far from civilisation if things go tent-up.

Don't forget to pick up your copy of issue 10 for more tips on wild camping, including what to pack and eat, plus tips on the type of tent to take, and how to keep warm.

Spend a day with Wayward Daughter (closed)

Wayward_Daughter

Take a glimpse into everyday city life in Edinburgh, as Cait from Wayward Daughter shows us round her home city, and how to style Barbour's new Dress Tartan collection...

Don't forget we're giving away a His and Hers Barbour outfitinside issue 10, so make sure you pick up your copy for a chance to win!

Fabric fields: Anna Maria Horner

Some of you may recognise this gorgeous bit of fabric from the inside cover of our May issue. It comes from a collection of fabrics called 'Field Study' by Anna Maria Horner.

A sense of adventure and the idea of investigating the natural world up close and from afar were at the core of every print that I designed for Field Study. Yet there were very specific inspirations as well. I got to know moths quite intimately after researching how to cure an infestation in our kitchen pantry- though the beauties that appear in "Sinister Swarm" look nothing like our household variety. Global bird migration maps that I came across inspired "Migratory Lace," and botanical reference drawings gave birth to prints like "Specimen." My "Cell Structure" floral, while cute and fashionable, was conceived by looking through plant DNA slides. All this artwork came about in less than obvious or typical ways for me, and the collection itself is just the same- unexpected and entirely exciting! ~Anna Maria

My City: Helsinki

Take a special tour around blogger Lauren Memarian's home city of Helsinki not seen inside this month's magazine...

What’s your best discovery about your city? We’re still discovering new things every day about this little city- that’s one of the great things about here. I suppose the best discovery so far though has been the people! People really make a city, and the people in Helsinki make it a great place to live- especially for a foreigner who is trying to learn Finnish! Thankfully nearly everyone here speaks almost perfect English- which is helpful when words are about 30 letters long sometimes and look like the noise you make when you stub your toe. Riiuuyoaie. See?

Tell us about the colours of your city? The city’s colours are quite understated. The architecture tends to favour muted olive greens, blues, yellows and pinks, and stone doorways and building facades are common. Even the sea is a pale slate-grey. In stark contrast are the flowers outside of shops and in window boxes - they overflow with colour, and the Relandersgrund café boat is a welcome splash of bright red in the harbour.

What is the light like? Do you have long, light summer evenings, etc? The light here is fascinating. Though the winter days are short and cold, once summer arrives the days become nearly 20 hours long and we’re rewarded with beautiful, pure light. As the sun sets it gives everything a soft glow that lasts for a few hours and always makes me think of Sofia Coppola’s films!

What types of shop do you most like to visit? Have you discovered anything really special or different? I can usually be found poking about in fusty old second- hand shops, digging through old vinyl records to find that one horrendous album I can’t live without (last week it was Pia Zadora and Jermaine Jackson- the Rock Aliens soundtrack!). I also have a sad fascination with the kitchen appliance section of our local department store. They have a gadget for everything! There are so many tiny and interesting shops in Helsinki that it’s hard to narrow it down to a few favourites. Pino (Frederikinkatu 22) is a great place for design-led storage solutions, while Papershop (Mariankatu 15) is a perfect little place to find letterpressed cards and printed wrapping papers.

Do you like people watching? I am an obsessive people watcher! I like to draw the people I see, and try to work out as many details about them as I can- while trying not to totally creep them out, of course.

What games do you play as you go about your everyday life? There’s a city webcam mounted to a building looking over the harbour, and I always stop and wave to it when I walk by. I know my family like to peek in at the feed sometimes, and I always wonder if we’ll catch each other.

What keeps you in the city now? The supremely addictive cinnamon buns! (But really my husband’s job.) We’ve also made a great group of Finnish friends, and they act as our surrogate family as we’re so far from ours.

If you could change one thing about the city, what would it be? Ok, this may sound petty, but I would make at least one decent take-away. Unfortunately, while Helsinki’s restaurant scene is bubbling over with talent, the take- aways are sorely lacking. Sometimes I do miss a good Chinese...

Don't miss the rest of the tour in this month's issue of The Simple Things.

Blog exclusive! My day in cups of tea

To celebrate the fact issue 10 is out tomorrow we thought we'd give you a blog exclusive and invite Maria Whiteman of www.cordial-and-grace.co.uk to share some secret glimpses into her day in cups of tea....

Describe your home town

Bristol is a vibrant & creative city - a mix of green open spaces & local communities each with a unique character & independent spirit.

What’s your favourite receptacle and where did it come from?

I have a red & green thing going on in my kitchen at home so when I spotted these mugs (pictured), whilst visiting a Bristol friend in Melbourne, I just had to buy them. It wasn't just the colours & the funky Australian design, but the shape, size & fine china are all just my cup of tea! I love that they are both a useful & beautiful momento of that trip and they are quite precious to me! So much so that when my flatmate had an unfortunate breakage she went to great trouble to seek out replacements to be packed into the friend's suitcase on her next trip home!

I think a favourite or jolly mug can really enhance the enjoyment of your drink, which is why I have chosen colourful mugs for the tea rooms - they regularly receive admiration!

What’s your first break?

My day is no longer structured by breaks. it's quite liberating! I just grab my drinks & lunch on the go at any time, which does often mean I drink the second half cold!

What’s for lunch?

Usually soup or a sandwich but sometimes I treat myself to something scrummy from our brunch menu.

Are you a tea dependant?

Well it would be extremely strange for me to get through the day without drinking at least one tea of some description or other - so I guess so!

Did you drink tea as a child?

Oh yes! It's recorded in my baby book that I was given my first cup of tea by a family friend when I was just 7 months old and I haven't stopped drinking it since! I guess then it's no great surprise that I ended up running a tea shop!

Do you drink different teas at different times of day?

Yes, even more so these days after trying and choosing our range of loose leaf teas. Good quality loose leaf teas are like wines, full of interesting & distinctive flavours. People are discovering that loose leaf teas are just as much of an affordable treat as a well made coffee and it always gives me a thrill to hear people say 'Ah, that's a good cup of tea'.

Who are your favourite tea companions and what do you talk about?

I do love to share a pot with colleagues, family or friends but most often these days my tea (or coffee) drinking companions are my lovely customers. I decided on the name Cordial & Grace because I wanted words to convey bringing people together to enjoy the pleasant surroundings & the company of others. I wanted it to be a place where people made friends and could find a moment of calm no matter what else is going on in their busy lives. I'm thrilled to see that happening and I'm making some great new friends too.

Have you ever made strong, sugary tea for yourself or someone else to cope with shock or a crisis? What was the crisis, and did the tea help?

A girl wondered in last year in a state of shock, she was really out of sorts and had maybe fallen over but I really couldn't make sense of what she was saying so I did the only practical thing I could do, made her a strong sugary tea! I refused to take any money & wanted her to stay to calm down but she quickly left. She did pop in a few days later to thank me for being so kind.

Can you say no to biscuits or cake? And are you a dunker?

Why have biscuits when you can have homemade cake? I'm often asked how I cope with the daily temptation of different cakes on our counter and the answer is I don't! However, thanks to the drastic change in my working lifestyle (on my feet all day) and probably the stress of running my first business it's had the opposite effect on my waistline. Who would of thought that you could open a cake shop & lose weight?

And your last cup?

Something herbal - I quite like to have a peppermint tea after a late meal.

Which is your favourite cuppa of the day?

Probably mid-afternoon as that's when I'm most likely to take the time to pick a different tea, such as darjeeling or jasmine, and make it as I do for my customers. I'm also quite likely to treat myself to cake then too!

Is there one break that’s non-negotiable?

Not anymore - I guess that's one of the great things I've discovered working for myself I no longer feel the need for breaks to get me through the day!

And finally, milk or tea in the cup first?

These days I'm a convert to tea first so that I can see the tea & decide if I want to add milk. It's also much easier to add just a drop of milk this way, which is often all that loose leaf teas need.

And really, really finally, what’s your favourite ‘simple thing’?

Flowers picked by my mum from her garden for me! Like these hellebores that she rescued from under the snow, displayed simply in a recycled glass bottle, tied with a cheery ribbon!

If you'd like to see more of Maria's day don't forget to pick up your copy of issue 10 available in UK shops and ready for download from tomorrow.

**Why not share your cup of tea with us on Twitter or Facebook?

Win a His and Hers outfit from Barbour with issue 10! (closed)

Barbour Dress Tartan

Issue 10 lands in UK shops and is available to download from tomorrow, but we just couldn't wait that long to tell you about our fantastic competition with British heritage brand Barbour. Together, we are giving you the chance to win a His and Hers outfit worth £1000 from their new Dress Tartan collection.

Check out blogger Carrie from 'Wish Wish Wish' for inspiration on how to style your new outfit, as she spends the day as a tourist in her home town of London -  and make sure you don't miss issue 10 for all the details of the giveaway, you can find us in shops or download the digital mag through Apple Newsstand, Zinio, Google Play and on your Nook device.

What I Always Wanted: celebrate their Birthday with 20% off

Whatialwayswanted.com is an online marketplace selling gifts and homeware by British designer-makers. The company celebrates its first birthday this month, was set up by friends Deborah Bancroft and Ann Ellison. Many of the products they sell are handmade from locally sourced or recycled materials and some are exclusive to their site - perfect if you are looking for something a little different for that special gift!

To celebrate their birthday, the people at What I Always Wanted are offering our readers 20% off everything on the site up to 19th May. Just enter the code ‘SIMPLY BIRTHDAY’ at the checkout www.whatialwayswanted.com

Things to do this bank holiday weekend

Three days to forget about work, remove yourself from the sofa and go out and find adventures in new places. If you're stuck for what to do this weekend, fear not. Our friends at The National Trust have put together the perfect guide to events happening up and down the country.

Here's three of our favourite activities for the weekend...

Parade along the bluebells- nothing says British springtime quite like a sea of bluebells. Find your nearest bluebell walk here.

Cheshire's Victorian May Day - from maypole dancing to Punch and Judy, and a whole host of activities in between.

May Fayre - Morden Hall Park, London - stalls, crafts, shows and live music throughout the entire weekend.

Click here to find an event in your area.

Have a happy bank holiday!

Pork, apple & cheddar burgers

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 500g pork mince 1 Cox or Braeburn apple, peeled & grated 4 spring onions, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten Fresh sage or parsley, finely chopped 40g Cheddar cheese, cut into four even pieces 4 ciabatta or burger rolls

Spiced cider & apple salsa 3 Cox or Braeburn apples, cut into small cubes, not peeled 150ml medium cider 1tbsp cider vinegar 1⁄2tsp ground cinnamon 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method: Mix together the mince, grated apple, spring onions, beaten egg and herbs. Form into patties, placing a piece of cheese in the middle of each one. Place in the fridge for approx. 20 mins to firm up. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Place the cubed apples in a small saucepan with the cider, vinegar and cinnamon. Cook over a gentle heat until the apple has softened, add the finely chopped spring onions, cool. Barbeque or griddle the burgers for approx. 7-8 mins on each side until cooked through. Serve in the rolls topped with the salsa with a green salad.

This recipe was kindly shared with us from the people at Merrydown cider, to see more of their summer recipes click here.

Wordless Wednesdays: purple fields

Looking forward to summer walks in gorgeous fields of amethyst.

Have you good a favourite trail upon which to wander? Share them with us in the comments below and we'll create a top 10!

Visit Inntravel at www.inntravel.co.uk/

Cakes in the house

You readers have been making our tummies rumble this week by sending us in pictures of the cake in your house. If the following confections don't have you reaching for the flour and eggs in your kitchen, we don't know what will.

Top: Hannah Jade sent in this 3 layered cake of chocolate delight, yum, bottom left: a delicious looking baked blueberry and coconut cake with lemon glaze from Chelsea and mini Victoria sponges from Ailie.

Left column: the recipe for this rhubarb cake was left on our Facebook wall by Margarida, Tipple Tails has a lovely fruit cake in the house, Toni's home is currently occupied by every chocoholics' dream - you can see more of her cakes here, and this classic carrot cake belongs to Katie Knott - can we have a slice?

Right column: a lovingly baked birthday cake from Libby Hayes, a scrummy looking chocolate cake from Laura Dodimead, and some cantucci from Ria Berends not cake but delicious too.

My City: Rue Cavallotti art

Writer and photographer Nichole Robertson shows us round her favourite free art show in the city of Paris. It occurs twice a day on rue Cavalotti (close to Monmarte) at dawn and closing time...

Fall in love with more of hidden Paris inside Issue 9.

May's book club

We've got some absolute corkers in this month's book club, from chilling fairytales to chasing the red-eyed damselfly we've got a good read for all interests.

Cook with Love - Pete Evans

   "Cook with love and laughter" is Aussie chef and outdoors enthusiast Pete Evans' mantra, and he applies it liberally to his new book. There are 150 recipes to choose from, with chapters on breakfast, lunch, seafood, vegetables, canapes, desserts, dinner parties and 'family feasts'. Highlights include the crispy prawn and tapioca betel leaf recipe for posh parties, and yoghurt panna cotta with blueberries as an easy pud, while French toast with figs makes a naturally sweet start to the day.

Patisserie at Home - Will Torrent

  Torrent expertly explains the basics, from choux pastry to ganache, then guides would-be chefs through the delicate step-by-steps. The instructions are in-depth, but there's nothing intimidating about this book. Soon you will be whipping up chocolate coffee eclairs, classic millefeuille and show-stopping gateaux.

Where to See Wildlife in Britain and Ireland - Christopher Somerville

  This treasury of the creatures, plants and landscapes of Britain and Ireland is both a practical guide and a hymn to nature. More than 800 of the British Isles' best wildlife spots are carefully documented, including travel tips and snippets of ecology, history and myth.

The Man Who Plants Trees - Jim Robbins

  Jim Robbins' account of the passions and pitfalls of David Milarch's mission to clone the best tree specimens he could find to save the planet is both sobering and inspiring.

Homecoming - Susie Steiner

  The Archers meets Anne Enright in former Guardian journalist Susie Steiner's involving debut novel, set on the Yorkshire moors. Steiner's novel skilfully captures Yorkshire in all its ordinay beauty - lonesome fells and pastel twilights, swirly-carpeted pubs and rusting tractors and her plot is satisfyingly complex. Homecoming is readable, heart-breaking and true.

The Deception Artist - Fayette Fox

  Eight-year-old Ivy loves to daydream and make up stories, but in reality her brother's ill, her parents squabble and she's lost her best friend. Then she begins to suspect her father of having an affair. Ivy is an appealing narrator, an innocent in a world that wants children to grow up. Although her naivety in the face of adult dilemmas is at times frustrating, The Deception Artist reminds us that the real truths are in how we love each other.

Cooking with Bones - Jess Richards

Sisters Amber and Maya are on the run. They've found refuge in an empty cottage, where Amber discovers a forgotten cookbook and learns how to bake magical cakes. A mix of unsettling fairytale, female power games and helter-skelter dialect with which it's worth perserving.

Was She Pretty? - Leanne Shapton

  The pains, peculiarities and pleasures of modern relationships are gently skewered in Canadian artist and graphic novelist Leanne Shapton's new book. Was She Pretty? is a sequence of wry observations about that most haunting of creatures - the ex.

The first signs of spring

How lovely has it been to see a bit of sunshine hit the old streets of Britain this week? If you left the house without a jacket, spotted the first blossoms on a tree or hung your washing on the line of the first time this year, then join us in celebrating the much anticipated arrival of spring, we've missed you. Conscious of the fickle nature of the weather in Britain we asked our friends on Twitter and Facebook to snap a sign of Spring and share it with us, here are some of our favourites...

Pictures: Wakehurst Place, The National Trust Emma-Louise Newlyn, sunshine in the allotment Madeline Norris, spring flowers from Oak & Rope, bottom right - chicks in the sunshine from Ginger & Mora

Pictures: top - crocuses in Montreal from Lori Perkins, bottom left - blossoms on Ithaca Commons Wendy Houseworth, breakfast in a treehouse Duck Pond Markets.

Thank you to everyone who shared their pictures of Spring with us online, to check out the rest or send us your own join us on Twitter or Facebook.

The carpet that caused a stir

We were chatting with wedding photographer Emma Case recently about all the special weddings she has attended, and we wanted to share one of her stories with you today. This is a wedding tale with a difference, as it is less about the beautiful wedding of Jen & Chris as a whole (which you can see here) and more about reactions to a particular photo. This photo, of the staircase is Jen's house, which Emma chose to present at the Folio tour.

Here is Emma's explanation as to why she chose it:

This image is from Jen and Chris' wedding in April... it's Jen's Nan's house which Jen and Chris now live in (and where Jen and all her bridesmaids got ready in the morning) For some reason I just really love this picture.  The stillness of the stairs... constantly there... so many events, babies' born... celebrations got ready for, weddings, funerals... so many different outfits and shoes passed over that amazing carpet... so much history... :)

Lots of people had a lot of nasty things to say about this photo in the wedding community, so Emma sent Jen an explanation of what was happening, here is a small extract from Jen's reply*:

The carpets although not to every persons taste & although worn & thread bare in some parts I have elected not to change. We love them. When I think about my childhood in this house so many memories relate to the carpet! As children my younger brother & I played hopscotch on the carpet pattern, we used to slide down the stairs on our bums (& then get told off), we used to roll on the floor in the hall with the dogs, we used to sprawl out on the front room floor & do jigsaws with Nana, we have had countless family photos in the living room – kids all lined up on the floor whilst adults sat on the sofa, there have been many Christmas trees with presents piled on the carpet underneath. Ironically my Nana remembers these things too, it’s her short term not long term memory she loses. I adore vintage things, this carpet is as vintage as it gets! When Chris & I moved into the house we had to move a lot of Nanas stuff out (people collect a lot of crap when they live in a house for more than 60years). Slight confession some of the things my mum put into charity bags I rescued. I kept some of Nanas blouses, pleated knee length skirts, leather & suede lined handbags & floppy felt hats which I love to wear & use! Like you & your photos I am confident enough to choose my own style, I don’t have to conform to anyone else’s ideal of what I should wear or look like & it’s pathetic when people feel the need to mock that individuality. I look back at photos of Nana when she was my age & think “God she looks great”! When I wear her clothes I can’t help but think of her & think what she achieved in life. Not everybody sees inanimate objects the way you do, some people look at on old hat & see an old hat. Like you I like to think about where it has been, what it has seen. The rips & tears give it character, they are the story & that is what makes it uniquely beautiful. This is why for Chris & I you were the perfect photographer. With our wedding you captured the sentiment & beauty of the things around you with such a natural ease. I don’t even think you realise how spot on you got it. We put so much thought into the things we decided to include in our wedding, the objects you photographed were belongings we had carefully selected for their story & sentiment & a lot of them were influenced by my wonderful Nana Muriel. 

The old china tea set in the cabinet belonged to my Nana. She gifted it to Chris & I when we got engaged because she knew I collected tea cups from charity shops.

The old leather bound books which I stacked on the tables belonged to my mum & uncle as children. Nana used to read them to my brother & I when we were little.

The old music reel which we had to peel away from Pete, belongs to my mum, she used to dance around the house to it as a teenager in the early 70’s.

The old vintage leather suitcase which we stacked the cards in belonged to my great granddad. God knows the places that that has been & seen. When mum found it had his old ration books & RAF papers in it.

The old sewing machine, my Nana tried to teach me to stitch with it when I was a girl. 

The old Guernsey Tomato crate we found in the garage full of Granddads old gardening tools covered in cob webs. Also Chris once grew a ridiculous freaky tomato plant which grew taller than he is & tomato plants were the speciality of Chris’ Nona who grew hundreds in Italy.

The lemon cheese favours were homemade by my mother from an old family recipe. My Nana used to make it & we would spread lashings of it on toast when we had breakfast here as kids.

The old school desk was a present to me on my Birthday from my parents when I was 8 or 9. My dad rescued it from a tip & polished it up.

My something blue, borrowed & old was my Nanas own Diamond & Sapphire engagement ring. I remember her on the day holding my hand, noticing it & saying “ooo this looks just like the ring I used to have”! She was genuinely happy it was being used.

The magic thing is Emma, I didn’t even ask you to take photos of these things, you just did it! Chris & I adore these photos they are something so personal to us. They are absolutely beautiful pictures of such treasured sentimental belongings.

On the morning of my wedding day, my house was full of my favourite ladies, we were all so excited & happy, the adrenaline was pumping. I was running late & I was a tad overwhelmed. I remember taking myself off upstairs to the bedroom (which was once my Nanas room & then my Mums & is now mine) to start doing my make-up. I felt too excited & jittery to even start my make-up. So I turned the radio on & decided to just take a few minutes to breathe. It was my wedding day! I was about to marry my best friend. I was feeling incredibly lucky (I even feel tingly now as I re-live how happy I was feeling that morning). The sun was shining for what felt like the first time in weeks, I realised that I had the best friends & family & they were all going to be there at the church waiting to celebrate with us. I was just completely overcome with joy & excitement. I remember vividly that the song on the radio was Jason Mraz “I Wont Give Up On Us”, the words of that song at that moment felt so appropriate. Chris & I both come from divorced parent families & one of the reasons Chris & I had put so much emphasis on my Grandparents is that we decided that their marriage is the type of marriage we want for ourselves. My Granddad died 10 years ago. Even now my Nana cannot talk about him without telling us just how wonderful he was, what a good man he was. They loved each other unconditionally. They had such a good partnership through thick & thin, richer, poorer, in sickness & health. They loved each other even after death parted them. They had a long & happy life together (I’m not sure how many exactly but I do remember a family photo on the carpet for a golden wedding anniversary). I want that so much for Chris & I. They are our role models. 

As I was having this little epiphany on my wedding morning, I could hear my mum & bridesmaids chatting & giggling downstairs. I could hear Lily the 2 year old flower girl looking for Molly the cat & at this moment this overwhelming sense of calm came over me. With every ounce of sincerity I have to tell you, the thing I decided to do then was to go & sit at the top of the stairs!! Seriously!! Cross my heart & hope to die honest!! I sat on the top step for about 5 minutes & just listened to everything going on around me. For those few minutes I was on my own & I was so peaceful. 

When you first sent us the link to the photos, I couldn’t help but notice that photo. I didn’t think it would be a particularly exciting photo to anyone else but I think you should know Ems that photo completely takes me back to one of the most precious moments of my day & I am sure it will turn out to be one of the most precious moments in my life. It was at that moment in the day when I thought “today I’m getting married to my best friend & it’s going to be friggin perfect”!!! 

If this story touched you like it did us,tell us the story behind a special object kept in your home in the comments below.

***Spot Emma Case in this month's issue of The Simple Things out today!

*Read Jen's full reply here.

Ten wandering songs...

Taken from Issue 07, here is our perfect playlist for stomping over hills and across the moors. Enjoy...

Put needle to groove: Record Store Day 2013

"Is it wrong, wanting to be at home with your record collection?' No Nick Hornby it's not, unless that means missing Record Store Day on the 20th April.

What is it we all love about vinyl? The sound quality, the cover art, the nostalgia? Or simply the pleasure of watching that record spin and when the time comes to flip it over. The experience is so important, and an integral part of that is the ritualistic visit to your favourite record shop. The original idea for Record Store Day came about in 2007  as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding  independently owned record stores. On this day stores around the world come together with musicians to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day, and hundreds of artists across the globe make special appearances and performances. “Record Store Day is a welcome reminder of the quirkiness, the passion and the individuality of the indie record shop.” Spencer Hickman To celebrate this year over 450 limited edition records will hit the shelves of independent shops across the UK on Saturday including music from the likes of David Bowie, Pulp, Paul Weller and Nick Cave. As well as this, many local shops will be hosting special events and live performances over the weekend. Click here for the list of participating shops and events in your area and support your local record store.

"It’s great to do a record that’s released specifically for Record Store Day. There's so few record shops left that we should all treasure those remaining." Hear! Hear! Paul Weller.

Click here for more photography by Stephen Van Es

Introducing Issue 9...

Issue 9 hits the UK newsstands next week, though some of you lucky subscribers may have already received your copies. In the meantime, here's a peek at the front cover to whet your appetite.

Fabrics we're coveting: Tula Pink

Awaken your inner swashbuckler and fall in love with Tula Pink's Salt Water Fabric collection.

To see more click here.

Make your own homemade dry shampoo

Experiement with your hair this weekend and try an all-natural alternative to dry shampoo...

Using your own homemade dry shampoo is a great way to cut back on the toxins you put onto your body, a good alternative to expensive products found in shops and a simple way to start living more cleanly with less impact on our beautiful Earth.

You can find lots of 'recipes' for dry shampoo across the internet including ingredients such as corn flour, cocoa powder, orris root and essential oils, but we particularly like this recipe from Sincerely Kinsey which, with a small adaptation, is suitable for both light and dark haired beauties!