New products line the shelves at The Stuff of Life.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen a number of new products filling our shelves at The Stuff of Life. There are now several new brands to discover as well as a fresh offering of products from some our most popular brands. 

How about a new art print for the bedroom or a set of knitted cushions to revive a tired sofa? Maybe your kitchen is crying out for a new set of chopping boards, or how about replacing those greying tea towels with a linen roller towel? All these products are on my wish list.

The Stuff of Life has new products across all its departments that include Wellbeing, Style, Escaping, Reading and Making. Browse the shop for yourself and let us know what’s on your wish list. Happy Shopping!

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Images from top, left to right: For Rest Print by One Must Dash, from £35.00 | Small Ash & Brass Trug by Jane Crisp Bespoke Designer Maker, from £175.00 | Russian Cushion by Hattie Kerrs Knitwear, from £52.00 | Linen Roller Towel by The Linen Works, from £29.00 | Recycled Pickle Jar Light by Cachette, from £42.31 | Hand-carved Trees by Forge Creative, from £36.00 | Porcelain Hanging Planter by From Victoria, from £24.00 | Autumn Wallpaper by Sian Zeng, from £250.00 | Serving Boards by Forge Creative, from £40.00 each.

Save it for a Sunday: Internet-free days

Step away from your touch-screen devices for a more retro, less stressful weekend all round

Having an internet-free day will help you realise how much you unthinkingly use it. When you feel the need to visit your usual go-to sites, find an alternative. Buy a newspaper instead of Googling, meet with a friend and set the world to rights rather than browsing Twitter. At the end of the day, ask yourself, what did you miss? Where did you go or what did you do instead? How many emails did you get and how many were important?

For more ideas, read How to be Happy by Lee Crutchley (Ebury Press) 

Like this? You might also like our Sunday Best campaign. 

We believe ‘the simple things’ are all about taking time to live well, to enjoy the now, slow down a little and remember moments that matter. Throughout the magazine, we'll be putting our Sunday Best logo on cakes, things to plan and do and mini-projects for in and around the home. Tell us your #sundaysuggestions of what makes you happy at the weekend - share them on Twitter or snap them on Instagram. We’ll share the best ones every Friday.

Read more:

From the October issue

Sunday Best ideas

Good reads

October's The Simple Things is on sale- buy, download or subscribe now.

Recipe: Rosehip syrup and Sloe gin

Transform your autumn walks into an altogether more productive and entertaining outing by foraging for ingredients to use in your own beers, wines and spirits.

This month, says wild food expert and brewer Andy Hamilton, is the ideal time to find fruits and plants among the hedgerows and use them to create home brews.

“In October, rosehips* are plentiful and they’re great in cocktails,” says Andy. “Simply boil a handful in 550ml water, strain, and then stir in 500g sugar until fully dissolved. Allow to cool, add a splash of vodka (which acts as a preservative) and refrigerate.” (Straining twice will ensure that none of the fine hairs inside the hips remain.)

Perhaps one of the easiest fruits to identify is sloes. “If you stumble upon some sloes, fill a jar with them, cover with the strongest vodka you can get hold of and seal. To make a sloe gin like no other, leave for six months, strain, then leave for another two years. Just try it without sugar, you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Andy promises.  

* Rosehips look like small red berries. They have a distinctive shape and are only found growing on rose bushes. They are not to be confused with other small red berries, which may be poisonous. Try to pick wild hips away from roads as they will be less likely to have been exposed to exhaust or other pollutants. If you pick from your own garden, make sure they are from plants that haven't been sprayed with pesticides.

Read more:

From the October issue

More foraged fruit recipes

Recipe: Saffron G&Ts

October's The Simple Things is on sale- buy, download or subscribe now.

Wisdom: Woodland life with Ben Law

'We came from the woods, and the need to build shelter and understand our surroundings is still strong in us' - Ben Law

Remember the house in the forest on Grand Designs? There was something about its sense of place that captivated us all. Turn to page 36 of October's The Simple Things to read the interview with its creator, woodsman Ben Law. Ben shares what he's learned from building a house - and a life - in the woods.

Much of Ben's work revolves around helping people to bring an understanding of how managing a woodland resonates with how to manage the wider world, and their everyday lives. At the root of this is craft: using your hands to make something that's come from the woods fosters this connection.

"There's something about getting your hands involved with a piece of wood," he says, and simple projects, such as spoon carving, can be a welcoming entry point. Makers like EJ of Hatchet & Bear offer spoon carving courses from her Wiltshire woodland.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, we're mesmerised by the wattle and daub hut made from just materials found in the forest by David from Primitive Technology. Take a look...

Read more:

From the October issue

Wisdom posts

Turning leaves - why they change colour and where to see them

October's The Simple Things is on sale- buy, download or subscribe now.

Recipe: Smoked toffee apple bourbon

What’s the only thing better than a sticky toffee apple? This tipsy toffee apple brew, especially when sipped beside the fire

There are a few stages to this, but once made the syrups will last a few weeks in the fridge, so there’s no need to rush through it. The first step is to make a simple syrup, which you will then use to make a caramelised simple syrup that will give the bourbon a beautiful toffee taste.
 

Simple syrup

‘Cups’ are used here not in any exact way, but merely to show that we want the volume of sugar and water to be the same, and so you may as well pour each into the same cup to measure out.

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar

1 Heat water and sugar gently in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid turns clear.

2 When completely cool, pour into a jar and store in the fridge.
 

Caramelised simple syrup

This caramelised syrup recipe is adapted from Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits by Andrew Schloss (Storey Publishing).

1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups simple syrup

1 Heat the sugar in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat until it starts to turn brown at the edges. Stir with a wooden spoon. The sugar will turn lumpy. Keep on stirring for a few mins until it turns deep orange and completely liquid.

2 Stand back and carefully pour in the simple syrup. The mixture will bubble furiously and the sugar will turn solid. Keep heating and stirring and the lump of caramelised sugar will slowly dissolve into the syrup.

3 When cool, pour through a strainer into a jar and store in the fridge. Eat the pieces of caramel left behind in the strainer.
 

Bourbon

This infused bourbon combines the tastes and scents of the moment. Caramelised simple syrup is combined with grated apple and the whole given a note of smokiness with the addition of a teaspoon or so of Lapsang Souchong tea.

3 apples
360ml caramelised simple syrup
480ml bourbon
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp lapsang souchong

1 Grate the apples into a large, sterilised, sealable jar and pour in the syrup.

2 Muddle together and then add all the other ingredients and mix well. Leave to infuse for five days.

3 After five days, strain through a muslin into another sterilised, sealable jar. Leave to drip through the muslin for a few hours rather than squeezing it, for a clearer result.

4 You can drink immediately, or seal and store somewhere cool and dark for up to a year. 

Read more:

From the October issue

Seed to Stove recipes

Warming drinks

October's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

Tips: How to taste wine

It might not be the first thing you associate with the local countryside, but our green and pleasant lands make ideal terroir for sparkling wine. On page 72 of October's The Simple Things, Johanna Derry takes on the tough job of tasting wine among the vines.

Vineyards are popping up all over Britain, as growers learn to use our cooler climate to their advantage. But how best to taste the spoils?

Tips on how to taste wine from top English winemaker Owen Elias

• Serve white or sparkling wine in a tulip-shaped glass between 8 and 10C. The shape of the glass traps in the aromatics giving the wine a good 'nose'. 
• Hold the glass by the stem so you don't warm the wine, give it a swirl and a sniff, and pay attention to what you can smell.
• Taste the wine and, as you do, take a little air into your mouth to release the flavours. You'll get the acidic ones first and then the rest will appear afterwards. It's not necessary to spit it out. Unless you're the designated driver, of course.  

Find out more about English wine in this video:

Read more:

From the October issue

More wine posts

Try a saffron G&T

October's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

Event: Stylist Live PLUS ticket offer

Cocktails, catwalks, culture and conversation – what’s not to like?

Come and meet The Simple Things (among other interesting people) at Stylist Live from 15-18 October at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London, just up the road from our offices in Clerkenwell.

We have a special ticket offer for readers of The Simple Things – get 2 for 1 (£25 instead of £50). Click here for tickets and quote code SLOFFER29

Bringing the pages of witty, intelligent weekly magazine, Stylist, to life, the four-day urban festival is hosted by Edith Bowman and Dawn O’Porter. It’s open until 9pm on Thursday and Friday, so plenty of time to listen in on inspiring talks from Davina McCall, Caitlin Moran, Katie Piper and someone from Sherlock (though sadly not Mr Cumberbatch himself), plus culinary advice from Yotam Ottolenghi, Hemsley & Hemsley and others. You can also attend practical workshops on everything from how to sleep like a baby to launching a business for under £100, watch a live fashion show enjoy gourmet food and drinks and shop over 100 pop-up boutiques handpicked by the Stylist team.

Discover the full line-up here.

See you there!

October's The Simple Things PLUS pressed leaves craft ideas

On sale now, October's The Simple Things is all about the FORAGE. With such a beautiful cover, we've been inspired to get outside, hunt for colourful leaves and put them to crafty use. 

Try one of the ideas from our pressed leaves Pinterest board and let us know how you get on - share your pictures with us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Follow The Simple Things's board Pressed leaves on Pinterest.

Read more:

From the October issue

Make a homemade reed diffuser

Pinterest ideas

October's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

The Stuff of Life celebrates Wool Week

From the 5th – 11th October, retailers and leading fashion and interiors brands will unite for Wool Week UK to celebrate everything woolly with a week of activities that will run across the UK. Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, tells us more.

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With October just around the corner it’s time to add an extra layer or two – from a warm scarf to keep chills at bay to a generous throw on the sofa in the evening. Whatever your extra layer is, the chances are it will be made from wool.

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Wool Week events taking place this year include the transformation of the iconic Savile Row into a luscious green pasture (complete with sheep), a 'Wool Talk' at Heals and, on the 9th October, 'Woolly Hat Day'.

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To get you in the mood, I’ve selected some of my favourite woolly products from The Stuff of Life. There are hats, scarves and gloves knitted in Scotland, cushions and throws crafted from spun yarn from Donegal and for those who prefer to knit-their-own, Romney Marsh Wool skeins.

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See a full list of Wool Week events here.

Images from top. left to right: Selections of throws by Mourne Textiles, from £96.00 | Hat, Scarf and Gloves by Story Horse, £15.00 - £25.00| Twist Cushion by From Brighton With Love, £80.00 | Nova Rug by Olli Ella, £175.00 | Noughts and Crosses Throw by Stuff of Dreams, £60.00 | Horizon Cushion by From Brighton With Love, £22.00 | Martha Tea Cosy by Ulster Weavers, £20.00 | Hot Water Bottle Cover by From Brighton With Love, £25.00 | Romney Chunky Wool Ball by Romney Marsh Wools, £4.50.

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Chalkboard art PLUS win one of five tote bags (closed)

From signage to prints to The Simple Things’ own back cover, chalkboard art is enjoying a bit of a revival. Requiring only chalk, a blackboard surface and a spot of creativity, it’s easy to understand its appeal. In the October issue of The Simple Things we share the step-by-step instructions for creating a chalkboard party invite, taken from Valerie McKeehan’s The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering.

The book is filled with helpful tips for aspiring chalkers, and projects ranging from birthday greetings to vintage-style store signs. If you enjoy that, we recommend you also taking a look at the incredible 1909 Blackboard Sketching book by Frederick Whitney (discovered through The Public Domain Review).

Bulrushes and baskets, cosy fireside scenes and glimpses of the great outdoors all come to life through Whitney’s mastery of chalk. With the whole book available to read online, it may help equip you with the skills to sketch up a quick igloo. At the very least, it should give you a few “wow” moments.

As Whitney describes, “Such drawing is a language which never fails to hold attention and awaken delighted interest”.

Competition

We’ve got five tote bags celebrating The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering to give away. Enter below

Read more:

From the October issue

More chalkboard back covers

More competitions 

Win! £500 to spend at Anthropologie (closed 31 Oct 2015)

Get ready for the chill with Anthropologie's cosy new autumn range

Inspired by the worlds of art, design, entertaining and individual style, Anthropologie is a one-of-a-kind shopping destination, offering an aspirational assortment of home décor, fashion accessories and gifts. Whether it be a renowned illustrator, emerging ceramicist or far-flung designer, exclusive collaborations and a penchant for unexpected finishes lay at the heart of its house and home collection. The result? Witty twists on everyday items and covetable pieces to treasure.

As the new season arrives and autumn’s transition takes hold, Anthropologie turns its attention to helping you create the cosiest, and most unique, of homes. Paying special attention to snug elements for every room, the collection brims with knitted throws and textured cushions to add extra layers to sofas, handmade quilts imbued with the richest hues to add warmth to bedrooms, and delicate accessories to transform your bathroom into a restorative spa.
anthropologie.com

We have two £500 vouchers for Anthropologie to give away. The winner will be selected at random from all completed entries. An e-voucher will be emailed to each winner. It can be redeemed in store or online and can be spent on clothes or homeware.

Competition closes at 23:59 on 31 October 2015. View Iceberg Press’ full terms and conditions on page 129 of October’s The Simple Things and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

Read more:

More from the October issue

More competitions

More interiors posts

Recipe: Saffron G&Ts

Saffron G&Ts

Add a golden hue to your gin and tonic with a pinch of saffron and slices of fresh mango

Serves 4–6

pinch of saffron
pinch of sugar
crushed ice
slices of fresh mango
handful of fresh mint
250ml gin
500ml tonic or sparkling water to top up

1 Crush saffron with a pinch of sugar in a pestle and mortar – or you can use the back of a spoon and a small bowl.

2 Shake the saffron with the gin and leave to infuse for as long as you can.

3 Pour the gin into an ice-filled jug or tumblers packed with slices of fresh mango and mint. Top up with tonic or sparkling water.

Read more:

From the October issue

Cocktail recipes

More saffron recipes

Recipe: Raspberry vinegar

From Fern Verrow: Recipes from a Biodynamic Farm by Jane Scotter and Harry Astley. 

Raspberry vinegar

Makes 6 x 250ml bottles

1kg berries
600ml cider vinegar
granulated sugar

Always use the freshest fruit you can get hold of, but remember it doesn’t matter what the fruit looks like, as you’re going to mash it up for its juice. It is important that the fruit is dry, especially if you are using strawberries and raspberries, so try not to wash it. You can also use a mixture of elderberries and wild blackberries for a foraged, more savoury vinegar.

1 Put the berries into a large ceramic or glass bowl. Add the vinegar and gently crush the fruit with a potato masher or a large fork. Cover tightly and leave in a cool room for at least 5 days, stirring once each day.

2 Line a sieve with a piece of sterilised muslin, set it over a bowl and pour the fruit and vinegar into it. Tie the corners of the muslin together and suspend the bag over the bowl for 12 hours for the juice to drip through.

3 Measure the juice and allow 450g sugar for every 500ml. Put the juice and sugar into a large stainless steel saucepan, place over a low heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal straightaway. It should keep for at least a year. 

Read more:

From the October issue

Preserving recipes

Fruit recipes

Recipe: Hardwick lamb curry in a hurry

Lamb curry and a decent beer is hard to beat. This is camping-friendly lamb curry doesn’t take hours and all goes in one pot. If you are in the Lake District, seek out Herdwick lamb and a local ale for a campsite meal to remember. Discover more in Pitch Up Eat Local by Ali Ray (AA Publishing). 

Herdwick Lamb Curry in a Hurry

Serves 4

vegetable oil
2 tsp each of ground turmeric and garam masala
1 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder
500g lamb leg steak, cut into bite-sized cubes
a small handful of green beans (about 8), trimmed and cut in half
a bunch of spring onions, sliced, including the green bits
350g basmati rice
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
100ml vegetable stock (made with a cube)
a small bunch of fresh coriander (mint will also work nicely), chopped
salt and pepper
a big knob of butter

1 Heat a glug of oil in a large saucepan with a lid, and stir in the spices for a minute.

2 Add the lamb, beans and spring onions, and jostle them about in the pan so that the lamb browns, about 2 minutes.

3 Now add the rice to the pan, stir well, and then add the coconut milk and the stock.  Bring up to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, put the lid on and leave for 10 minutes.

4 After 10 minutes, check that the rice has cooked, but don’t stir it. If it’s not done, let it cook for another couple of minutes.

5 When ready, stir in the fresh coriander (or mint), keeping a little back to garnish at the end.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the butter and gently stir through.

6 Serve with the remaining herbs sprinkled on top, accompanied by a good local ale. 

Read more: 

From the October issue

Camping recipes

Curry recipes

Recipe: Smoked garlic and tomato relish

This relish will use up your tomato glut and, possibly, tempt you to buy some cheese and biscuits to go with it.

Says Lia Leendertz, ‘I made this relish with some smoked garlic I picked up at my local greengrocer which gave a gentle smoky taste, but it works well with ordinary garlic, too.’

Makes 4 jars
1 onion
6 smoked garlic cloves, sliced oil for frying
1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
800g chopped tomatoes, seeds removed
200ml red wine vinegar
200g sugar
50g capers, rinsed

1 In a large pan, heat a little oil and gently fry the onions until they start to soften. Add the garlic and chilli and slowly soften these too.
2 When the onion is turning translucent add the tomatoes, stir and cook gently for a few minutes. Then pour in the vinegar and the sugar.
3 On a low heat, stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer. Simmer and stir for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the mixture turns jammy. It is ready when you can draw a brief line across the bottom with a wooden spoon.
4 Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the capers and add plenty of salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into warmed jars and seal. 

Sterilising for preserves
If you don’t sterilise your jars before you seal your preserves then they will quickly go off. I tend to go a bit belt and braces and use both sterilising tablets and a warm oven. This usually involves dissolving sterilising tablets in warm water and then bathing the jars in the water for around ten minutes, but check instructions on your particular product. I then rinse them off (you don’t have to, but they can leave a slight taste) and put them in a low oven for about half an hour. This has the added benefit that the jars come out completely dry and warm, so you can pour warm preserve into them and get a better seal. Seal while still warm, label when cold.

September's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

Read more

From the September issue

Seed to Stove recipes

Tomato recipes

Event: The Nomad Cinema

The roaming pop-up that gives back! 

With 100% of profits going to edu-environmental charity The Sustainability Institute, The Nomad Cinema creates memorable cinematic events in unique and quirky locations across the capital, all for a good cause! With a host of indoor and outdoor venues including the Royal Academy of Arts, Meantime Brewery, Fulham Palace, Brompton Cemetery, Grosvenor Square and many more, The Nomad’s festival atmosphere creates film magic wherever it roams, then disappears into the night, leaving no trace…

The Nomad is the sister cinema to North-West London’s critically acclaimed community indie cinema The Lexi – a truly independent, volunteer-run film-lover’s gem in the heart of up-and-coming cultural hub, Kensal Rise. A state-of the art boutique digital cinema with good old-fashioned heart and soul, the Lexi hosts regular Q&As, special events, outreach projects, as well as exhibitions in the gallery bar!

The Nomad’s September highlights include Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel at Fulham Palace, Little Miss Sunshine and Withnail & I in Queen’s Park, as well as fashion doc IRIS in hipster hangout, The Hoxton Hotel. October features a new indoor venue in King’s Cross with a brand new back-to-back two-screen format, as well as a creepy Halloween programme in Hyde Park’s The LookOut – a treehouse-inspired cabin, hidden in a copse of trees… Looking further ahead, the Nomad’s ever-popular Christmas season will this year be hosted in another new venue, this time in Victoria, with something for everyone – from feel-good classics to alternative wintry titles.

www.whereisthenomad.com

Think: Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet, but most of her 1800 works remained undiscovered during her lifetime. After her death, her sister Lavinia found a cache of her work and set about publishing the poems, with their unconventional punctuation and capitalization, and their themes of loss, love, death and immortality.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314)
By Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

Read more:

From the September issue

Things to make you think

More Books posts

September's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

Recipe: Veg patch curry

British veg patch meets Indian flavours for a fusion curry with a taste of mellow sunshine

A celebration of early autumn’s harvest. Use fresh, seasonal veg from your patch or local farm shop for this delicious veg patch curry.

Serves 4–6
1kg fresh tomatoes
350g onions
1 bulb of garlic
4 bay leaves
5cm piece of ginger
2 red chillies
1 star anise
200g coconut milk
small pumpkin or squash
handful of French or runner beans
2 courgettes or yellow summer squash
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 corn on the cob
2 tsp fennel seeds
handful of fresh coriander or parsley

1 Preheat your oven to 200C/Fan 180/400F.
2 Halve the tomatoes – or quarter them if you’re using bigger ones. Peel and chop the onions into halves or quarters. Tumble everything into a large roasting tin.
3 Slice 1cm from the pointy tip of your garlic. Put it into the tin, still whole, with the bay leaves. Roast for 30 mins or until the tomatoes have a golden edge to them.
4 Remove the bulb of garlic and bay leaves. Tip tomatoes and onions into a food processor or blender. Squeeze in the garlic cloves from the bulb.
5 Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Thinly slice the chillies. Grind the star anise to a powder. Add the ginger, a good pinch of the chilli and the star anise, plus the coconut milk, to the tomato-and-onion mixture. Blend until smooth.
6 Gently simmer the sauce on the hob while you cook the veg.
7 Cut pumpkin (or squash), beans and courgette into bite-sized hunks. Peel the summer squash if you like. The skin is edible if it’s not too thick.
8 Season the vegetables and toss with a little oil. Grill your veg on the barbecue until it’s lightly charred all over. Or if you prefer, set a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the veg to the pan in a single layer when it’s smoking hot – don’t add any oil to the pan. Cook the veg in batches until it’s tender and lightly charred all over. To get the pumpkin and squash soft, you may have to add a few splashes of water. Put the veg in a low oven or next to the barbecue to keep it warm. 9 Cut the corn kernels from the cob. Fry the sweetcorn, remaining chilli pieces and fennel seeds in a little oil until fragrant and a little crisp around the edges.
10 Spoon the simmered curry sauce into a large bowl or platter. Arrange the grilled or griddled veg on top. Finish with the sizzled and spiced sweetcorn and some fresh herbs.

Turn to page 24 of September's The Simple Things for the rest of this Indian summer menu, including Saffron G&Ts, Herb & spiced lamb lollies with cardamom yoghurt, Golden roti, Thyme and griddled spring onion rice, and Rosy apple tarts.

September's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.

Read more:

From the September issue

Autumn roots

More Gathering recipes

September: Why we love stationery

Shopping doesn’t get much better than a visit to a stationery shop. Who can resist those shelves of sketchbooks, pots of gel pens, neon highlighters and banks of Post-it Notes? They all promise so much!

Those black Moleskine notebooks with their rounded corners and twangy elastic page holders are just waiting for Big Thoughts, novel outlines, haikus and sketches to be scribbled on their pages (preferably with a Kaweco foundation pen). And that set of highlighter pens and pad of Post-its have the potential to banish a world of chaos and discord, replacing it with calm orderliness.

This love of stationery is firmly rooted in childhood. The purchase of a new pencil case filled with coloured felt pens, a propelling pencil, Bic biro and animal-shaped rubbers was one of the few consolations of going back to school. Zipped up in their carefully chose case, the new stationery items whispered of a fresh start and the promise of triumphs ahead. (The same applies, of course, to the first day in a new job: a smart pen and notebook always cuts the mustard.)

It’s reassuring in a world of technological devices, that stationery has never been more popular: John Lewis reports an increase of 10% in sales of notebooks and journals, and a 12% increase in Filofax purchases, since last year. It seems that we can’t get enough of multi-coloured paper clips, ring binders and hole punches. Lucy Edmonds of cool online stationers Quill London puts this down to an increase in home working: “People are giving more thought to their home office spaces, which means they’re willing to spend a little bit more on stationery they’ll enjoy using and that won’t get pinched.” She also suggests it’s an opportunity to accessorise: “Stationery is a great little everyday vehicle for design, pattern and colour,” she says. “Whether it’s a patterned notebook in your handbag or a brass pencil-holder on your desk.”

Read more:

From the September issue

Back to school picks from our shop

Download our free colouring card

Turn to page 43 of September’s The Simple Things for our picks for filling your satchel and feeding your stationery habit from four excellent small companies.

September's The Simple Things is on sale - buy, download or subscribe now.