Competition | Mark Pyjama O' Clock with a £250 voucher for Yawn

With the softest of cottons, considered design and unique prints, Yawn nightwear will have you preparing for an early night

Surely one of the best things about the nights drawing in is that we all have a good excuse to get into our pyjamas just that little bit earlier. Alice Whitely knew this only too well and it was the catalyst for setting up Yawn, her beautiful nightwear business, back in 2014.

Alice’s vision was to create pyjamas that felt like a hug – characterful and colourful designs that made women feel happy and comfortable, both whilst sleeping and relaxing at home. Along with friends Roly and Phil, they searched fruitlessly for the ideal fabric, eventually opting to make their own, sourcing organic cotton to produce a fabric that’s naturally supersoft, temperate regulating and breathable. Add to that thoughtful designs with attention to even the smallest detail, such as French seams, reinforced buttonholes, corozo buttons and pockets (who doesn’t love a pocket, hey?). But what really makes Yawn pyjamas extra fun are their hand-drawn or painted prints, each with a hidden quirky detail, from whales hiding in stormy seas, to a forest fox, to a cheeky skinny dipper.

If you’re already checking your watch, wondering if it’s pyjama o’clock yet, then you’re in luck. The Simple Things has teamed up with Yawn to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a £250 voucher each. So, you too could soon be snuggled in the softest of jammies and enjoying that extra special Yawn hug. However, if you’re not a winner this time, might we suggest that they make a wonderful gift (hint, hint), whether treating a loved one… or yourself!

To see the full collection, visit loveyawn.com or follow on Instagram at: @yawnlondon.

How to enter

For your chance to win one of two £250 vouchers, enter our competition at thesimplethings.com/blog/yawn2023by clicking the button below by the closing date of 6 December 2023 and answering the following question.

Q: In which year was Yawn set up?

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 6 December 2023. Two winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winners cannot transfer their prize or swap for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Playlist | Threads

Our latest playlist celebrates the clothes that we wear. Take a listen here.
After more playlists? Visit our Spotify profile for a browse and find playlists on themes including Harvest and An autumn mood: both lovely for a listen this month.

Our November issue, THREAD, is on sale from 25 October. Visit picsandink.com to order a copy, or pick one up from your local shop.

Recipe | A Stir-Up Sunday Pudding

Sticky, sweet and steamy, this is a pudding packed with wintry flavours and spicy aromas to enjoy making now and then enjoy eating in a few short weeks.

Celebrating moments and traditions is a lovely way to mark the passing of the weeks in these last months of the year. One such tradition is Stir-Up Sunday, which this year falls on 26 November. If you fancy stirring up a pudding ready for Christmas, you might like this pudding with a fruity twist.

Ingredients

150g dried figs
150g Medjool dates
100g dried cranberries
100g raisins
200g Demerara sugar
3 tbsp rum, brandy or whisky
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
75g fresh white breadcrumbs
75g plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
50g almonds
100g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
2 large eggs

Method

1. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the dried figs into small pieces, about the size of a raisin. Squash the dates and pull out the stones, then finely chop the dates.

2. Pop the figs and dates in a large mixing bowl with the dried cranberries, raisins and Demerara sugar. Pour over the liquor and the juice of 2 oranges. Tip in the orange zest. Mix well and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave overnight (or for at least 6 hrs) to soak, so most of the liquid is absorbed and the sugar begins to dissolve.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice to the soaked fruit. Finely chop the almonds and add them to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

4. Add the room temperature butter to a separate bowl and beat till smooth and creamy. Crack in 1 egg and beat into the butter. Crack in the second egg and beat til combined – it will look a little lumpy, but don't worry. Add to the dried fruit mix and fold to combine. Try to mix in all the butter and not leave any unincorporated lumps.

5. Generously butter a 1 ltr pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover with a pleated piece of buttered foil (the fold in the foil allows for expansion) with the buttered side towards the pudding. Push the foil down around the edges of the basin and tie it in place with kitchen string, so no steam can escape. Make a string handle so it's easier to lift the whole thing out of the pan.

6. Place the basin in a steamer above some water or stand it on a rack in a large pan. Pour water into the pan so that it comes half way up the basin. Bring to the boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 6 hrs for a light pudding, or 8 hours for a darker one. Check the water level now and then as it may need to be topped up.

7. If you're not serving the pudding straight away, allow the pudding to cool completely. Replace the foil with a new piece and make sure it is well sealed. Store somewhere cool and dry for up to 1 year. To reheat the pudding, steam or simmer it in water for about 1 hr. Turn the warm pudding out onto a plate and serve with cream, custard or brandy butter.

Photography by Abel & Cole

This recipe is by Rachel de Thample for Abel & Cole. You can find this and more recipes on the Abel & Cole website. In our November issue, Lucy Brazier embraces the joy of marking traditions and making your own throughout the year, and shares her Stir-Up Sunday memories.

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Sponsored post | Visit Wales, the Land of Wellness and Wonder

Visit Wales during the quieter months for a getaway that will leave you recharged, refreshed and raring to return

As we navigate autumn and the ebb of seasons to cooler climes, it’s natural that our thoughts turn to a restorative getaway to lift the spirits ahead of the winter months. If you’re after a break that offers something different to the everyday, then forget waiting around in crowded departure lounges. Wales is easily accessible from all over the UK – in less than two hours by train from London, you could be enjoying great food, traditional delicacies, a rich tapestry of history and culture and dramatic scenery. You may be met with a cheerful Croeso i Gymru, too (that’s ‘welcome to Wales’ for those not in the know), as the locals proudly invite you to experience the best of their country.

Visit now and you’ll avoid the crowds while the mild weather means that you can still make the most of being outdoors. Whether it’s a gentle stroll or a more challenging hike that brings colour to your cheeks, 2023 is Wales’ Year of Trails and there are plenty of well-trodden routes to excite the senses. Perhaps you’ll head to Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth, for the chance to spot a graceful red kite, now thriving in the area after successful conservation measures. Or perhaps navigate a stretch of the Wales Coast Path – there’s 870 miles to choose from – where you might catch a glimpse of dolphins or porpoises – Cardigan Bay is ideal for this. Autumn’s the time to try and spot new seal pups basking on the shoreline, especially around Marloes Peninsula and the islands of Skomer (also home to puffins), Skokholm and Grassholm, off the Pembrokeshire coast. Just don’t forget the binoculars.

And should you find the clear, rippling waters too tempting to resist, then a wild swim may help to blow away the cobwebs. Wild swimming has many benefits, such as helping to boost mood, immunity and circulation while reducing stress and inflammation – however, it’s vital to find an experienced group, such as Wild Swim Wales, which can offer guided adventures to help you enjoy the experience safely.

Somewhere where you can enjoy wild bathing under the watchful eye of experts is The Dreaming (thedreaming.co.uk) in rural Powys, the wellness retreat set up by Charlotte Church. Here, you can digitally detox, with sessions created to help you rest and reconnect with nature. With offerings such as sound healing, nature crafting and woodland foraging, you can do as much or as little as suits. If this sounds tempting, then see our prize draw below for a chance to win a wellness retreat for two at The Dreaming.

Meanwhile, if good food and drink forms the basis of your ideal break, then you’ll be spoilt for choice with a plethora of eateries serving produce that’s been grown, reared or caught locally. Several food and drink festivals are taking place this season, including the Mid-Wales Beer Festival, with organised events including the Real Ale Ramble, which kicks off from Llanwrtyd Wells. A walk with a well-earned drink at the end? Now that really does sound like something to raise a glass and say Iechyd da! (your good health!) to.

For more information, see visitwales.com

Win a Wellness Retreat for Two at The Dreaming

Enter the prize draw below and you could win:

• A three-day midweek or weekend retreat, staying in the Dawn Room

• All nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners included

• All refreshments

• Specialist retreat sessions and workshops

• Two natural plunge pools for wild bathing

• Free roam of all 47 acres, including ancient woodland

• Digital detox and cleanse

• Nature crafting sessions

How to enter

For a chance to win a wellness retreat at The Dreaming, enter at visitwales.com/simplethings by the closing date of 5pm on 7 January 2024.

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 5pm on 7 January 2024. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The prize draw is open to all UK residents aged over the age of 18 years. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of the full terms and conditions can be found at visitwales.com/simplethings.

Learn to | Dance on a Longboard

If you like the idea of longboard skating but fancy something a little more elegant than laser flips and pops, you could learn to dance on your longboard.

There are lots of steps and routines you can incorporate into longboard skating but if you’re new to it the one step you need to know is the cross-step. It’s a basic piece of footwork that you can then add steps and moves into and use it to link sequences. Here’s how you do it. 

1. Choose a flat, smooth piece of ground. Start with your feet wide apart in a normal skating position, and start skating to pick up a bit of speed. 

2. Move your front foot back towards the end of the board next to your back foot, taking your weight to the back of the board, and using your arms for balance. 

3. Move your back foot slowly around your front foot, up the board, so your back foot becomes your front foot. 

4. Shift your weight onto your ‘new front foot’ and then smoothly swing your ‘new back foot’ around it up to the nose of the board. 

5. Enjoy looking cool, skating at the front of the board.

6. Do the same in reverse until you’re back at the back of the board. 

7. Max out the car park and feel pretty rad with your gnarly new dance steps.

Who says you can’t be a skate longboarder? In our October issue’s Modern Eccentics feature, Julian Owen met a group of women from Bristol Girls Longboard. Jonathan Cherry took the photos and did the Ollies. You can read all about them from page 76.

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Recipe | Roasted Squash Polenta

SERVES 4 (as a side with leftovers, or two as a main)

1 large or 2 smaller squash, such as Butternut, Crown Prince or Kuri (approx 1kg)
1 bulb of garlic
A handful of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay ~
1.5ltr chicken or veg stock
2 tbsp butter
12 sage leaves (optional)
200g instant cook polenta
75–100g freshly grated cheese, such as parmesan or a nuttier, creamier, fondue-style cheese, like gruyère

1 Preheat your oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a roasting tin in the oven, on the top shelf, to warm up.

2 Carefully halve your squash. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or save for roasting or grow to make pumpkin microgreens). Season the squash. Halve the garlic bulb horizontally. Tuck the garlic halves and herbs in the ‘bowl’ of the squash. Slide into the oven and roast for 45 mins, or until the squash is tender and nicely coloured. Check a few times during cooking. Remove the garlic once it’s squeezably tender as it may finish cooking before the squash.

3 Once the squash is cooked, bring your stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Scoop the squash flesh out, discarding the herbs. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins. Mash the squash and garlic with the back of a fork; set aside.

4 Heat a large saucepan or pot. Add 2 tbsp butter. Gently fry the sage leaves in the melted butter until just crisp. Remove the leaves with a fork, leaving any residual butter in the pan.

5 Add the polenta and half of the simmering stock to the sage buttered pan or pot. Whisk until smooth, slowly adding more stock until it’s a nice texture – like a creamy maize porridge. Fold in the mashed garlicky squash and most of the grated cheese. Add more stock to ensure a smooth, creamy consistency, as needed.

6 Take off the heat if it thickens too quickly. Pour the polenta into dishes or on to a platter. Top with crispy sage leaves, extra pepper and the remaining cheese.

Cook’s note: While heavenly with autumnal game or red meat dishes, you could also serve this as a vegetarian main (just check that your cheese has vegetarian rennet).

This polenta recipe is from our regular Home Economics series by Rachel de Thample. The feature includes a recipe for Polenta Gnocchi, which you can make with the leftovers from your roasted squash polenta, as well as a raft of ideas using autumnal venison, mushrooms, hazelnuts and more.

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Learn | To Tell Moth Jokes

Longer evenings and lights on indoors mean we see a bit more of moths at this time of year. In case you meet a moth, here are a few of our favourite moth jokes to share with her

Why was the moth unpopular?

He kept picking holes in everything.

A man walks into a dentist’s surgery and says “Help! I think I’m a moth!”

The dentist replies "You shouldn't be here. You should be seeing a psychiatrist..."

The man replies, "I am seeing a psychiatrist."

The dentist asks, "Well, then what are you doing here?"

The man says, "Well, your light was on."

Why do moths like the light?

Because if they liked the dark, they’d be goths. 

Where do moths buy their suits?

Moth Bros.

What’s a moth’s favourite type of glasses?

Lamp shades.

What is the biggest moth called?

A mammoth.

Why did one moth kill the other moth?

He was a member of the mothia.

What did Mick Jagger do when he found moths in his wardrobe?

Nothing. A Rolling Stone gathers no moths. 

What do insects learn at school?

Mothematics.

A man in the cinema notices a moth sitting next to him. “Are you a moth?” he asks. “Yes,” replies the moth. “What are you doing at the cinema?” the man asks. “Well, I enjoyed the book,” says the moth. 

If you’d like to learn more about moths, you might like to read our Magical Creatures feature in our October issue. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Recipe | Bobbing Apples Cake

An excellent cake for October, or any time really. Good warm or cold

Serves 10-12

150g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3-4 large dessert apples
1 lemon, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
150g golden caster sugar, plus 4 tsp
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml soured cream
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150ml double cream
2 tbsp Calvados

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin.

2 Use a melon baller to make rounds of apple (keep the skin on). Aim for 36 balls.

3 Mix the lemon juice with 3 tsp of caster sugar; stir through the apple balls. Set aside.

4 Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract and 200ml soured cream.

5 Fold in the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and push the apple balls into the cake mix, skin-side up. Bake for 50 mins until firm to the touch.

6 As soon as the cake is out of the oven, sprinkle over 1 tsp of caster sugar. Leave to cool for 15 mins then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

7 Whip the double cream to soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining soured cream and Calvados. Serve the slices of cool or warmed cake with the Calvados cream.

Cook’s note: If you don’t have a melon baller, you can cut the apple into chunks. You can also add a little ground cinnamon to the cake mixture if you like. If you don’t have Calvados, you could mix the cream with elderflower cordial instead.

Taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients and reflect the influence of the seasons. By Emily Davenport, Kathryn Hawkins, Clare Lewis and Wendy Veale. Photography by Steve Lee. Available from dairydiary.co.uk

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Competition | Win a Bundle of Organic Goodies from Doves Farm

Bake it organic and win a bundle of organic goodies from Doves Farm – there are four to win, each worth £70

Did you know the flour you use in your favourite everyday recipes can make a positive difference to the planet? The UK’s no.1 organic flour brand, Doves Farm, grows its grain as nature intended, working in harmony with the environment and not against it. It results in flour which has been produced with higher levels of environmental welfare, lower levels of pesticides and no genetically modified ingredients or artificial fertilisers.

With 24 different flours to choose from in the Doves Farm organic flour range - including options for traditional home baking such as plain white, plain wholemeal and bread flour, as well as ancient grains like Spelt and Rye, and Speciality Flours including Teff, Coconut and Oat Flour, there is a flour for every baker and recipe. Doves Farm has also created a free library of more than 400 different recipes to inspire at dovesfarm.co.uk.

 To help you bake it organic they’re giving you the chance to win one of four bundles packed with Doves Farm organic flours. The bundle includes a selection of everyday organic, ancient grain and speciality flours along with delicious organic biscuits and breakfast cereals.

How to enter

To be in with a chance of winning just click the button below and answer the following question:

Q: How many different flours are within the Dove's Farm organic flour range?

Terms & conditions
For our main terms and conditions, please visit icebergpress.co.uk/tandc.
1. Entrants and winner must be aged 18 or over and be residents of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2. The winner will receive the following (subject to availability): Organic Plain White Flour 1kg; Organic Self Raising White Flour 1kg; Organic Fine Plain Wholemeal Flour 1kg; Organic Self Raising Wholemeal Flour 1kg; Organic Strong White Bread Flour 1.5kg; Organic Malthouse Bread Flour 1kg; Organic Wholemeal Spelt Flour 1kg; Organic White Spelt Flour 1kg; Organic Wholemeal Rye Flour 1kg; Organic White Rye Flour 1kg; Organic Heritage Seeded Bread Flour 1kg; Organic Oat Flour 500g; Organic Coconut Flour 500g; Organic Teff Flour 325g; Organic Wholemeal Digestive Biscuits 200g; Organic Ginger Oat Biscuits 200g; Organic Fruity Oat Biscuits 200g; Baking Powder 130g; Bicarbonate of Soda 200g;  Organic Cornflour 110g; Vitamin C 120g; Quick Yeast 125g; Organic Ancient Grain Fruit & Fibre Flakes 375g; Organic Wholegrain Cocoa Rice Pops 300g. 3. The prize will be delivered within one month of receiving the recipient’s delivery address.

October | Things to Appreciate

The leaves are turning and falling, so why not find a weekend afternoon to visit an arboretum and see how many of the things on our back cover nature table you can spot in the wild?

The leaves are turning but there are still plenty of good weather days to be had. One way to make the most of the last warmish weekends, and embrace autumn, too, is to pack up your camera and a picnic and head to an arboretum. With the trees turning orange, red and gold, you should be able to capture lots of amazing pictures of the autumn colour on display. Many of the big arboreta have trails you can follow to make sure you don’t miss any of the more unusual or special specimens growing there. An outing to an arboretum is also a chance to connect with nature and improve your wellbeing. You don’t have to go in for a full tree hug (though we would encourage it!) but some light forest bathing, just sitting at the foot of a tree, looking up at the canopy, can help to reduce stress and boost your mood. And if not, a flask of soup on a blanket alongside a spot of leaf identification is sure to leave you in mood for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

This idea for a day out was featured on our Almanac Pages, where each month we collate a few seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do. The nature table image above was taken by Alice Tatham of The Wildwood Moth who takes a photograph for our back cover each month, featuring things to appreciate in nature. She also runs workshops on seasonal photography and publishes seasonal journal stories from her home in Dorset.

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Wellbeing | How to let go of Being Busy

As the trees shed their leaves, and everything is laid a little bare, can we take something from their example and let go of our ‘busyness’ too?

Are you always ‘busy’? Do you find it hard to relax? Do you worry about letting people and yourself down if you’re not on top of everything?

Dr Meg Arroll, author of Tiny Traumas (Thorsons), identifies these as symptoms of high-functioning anxiety or ‘busy-itis’ in which we keep constantly busy, often to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts. Judith Kleinman, Alexander Technique teacher and author of Finding Quiet Strength (Quickthorn) says that this can be especially true for women when we have had to juggle so many responsibilities and “find it hard to let go of these mental burdens as though everything might fall apart if we don’t worry about it all the time.”

Letting go

Overcome the urge to multi-task and create chunks of time where you can concentrate on just one thing in order to prevent mental fatigue and brain fog.

“Finding a balance of work, rest and play is so important and easy to forget when we are conscientious, helpful people,” says Kleinman. “However, if we can shift our motivational goals to include enjoying simple things like sleeping enough, drinking plenty of water, eating well and being with friends and family, research shows that we will be more effective in our work life balance.”

Doing some physical exercise can also help to manage feelings of stress. If you’ve got a stressful event that day, do something that makes your heart pump for around 20 minutes and the calming effect will last for hours.

These ideas for being less busy are from our wellbeing feature ‘Letting Go’ in our October issue by Rebecca Frank, which is full of wise advice on ways to let go of whatever is holding you back.

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Tipple | Hedgerow Fruits Gin

You might find windfall fruit on your adventures, or snaffle some sloes to make a gin – a bottle has great gift potential.

Makes 34 servings

You will need

600ml good quality gin

150g light brown muscovado sugar

Plums or damsons (about 450g, halved, stoned and sliced; you could also use bullaces which are in season from October to November), or sloes (approx 500g, each pricked with a fork; like rosehips, sloes should be picked after the first frosts)

How to make

1 Pour the gin into a large sterilised jar and add the sugar. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.

2 Wash the fruit and add to the jar then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months, stirring weekly.

3 When the gin has developed a good, fruity flavour, strain it through muslin, discard the fruit and pour into sterilised bottles. Store for at least 1 month before drinking.

4 Serve the gin chilled, over ice. For a long drink, top up a shot of the fruity gin with apple juice or elderflower tonic, or add a dash of cherry brandy and pour in champagne for a cocktail.

Cook’s note: Sloes are tarter than plums/damsons, so you may want to increase the sugar to 225g. If you don’t want to prick the sloes, you can freeze them overnight to split the skins.

Tipple taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients. Available from dairydiary.co.uk. Our Gathering pages feature recipes by Matt Long and photography by Jonathan Cherry.

The Hedgerow Fruits Gin is just one of the recipes from our October Gathering pages, which we’ve called ‘To The Woods!’ The ideas are inspired by Scouting adventures and include Pickled Elderberry Capers, Hot Rosehip Drink, Potato Salad, White Cabbage Sauerkraut, and Walnut & Tahini Brownies, as well as plenty of things to make, do and play out in the woods this autumn.

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Sponsored post | Flaming Fabulous

Warm your home – and your heart – with a stylish wood-burning stove from Charnwood’s impressive collection

With the clocks going back this month, and the weather growing colder, now’s the ideal time to dial up the cosiness at home. Experience the allure of a real fire for yourself, while enjoying the convenience and eco-friendly benefits of Charnwood wood-burning stoves. For more than 50 years, the company (based on the Isle of Wight) has been refining the art of this timeless pleasure, producing models that are stylish, efficient and low maintenance. This makes them an excellent choice for both urban and rural living.

Crafted from cast iron and plate steel, Charnwood stoves feature ceramic-glass picture windows, giving you a glimpse into the mesmerising flames. Available in a range of sizes, they are suitable for snug spaces or larger open-plan layouts. Meanwhile, the cool-to-the-touch handle and single air control adds to the list of user-friendly features.

What’s more, the latest designs take Charnwood’s commitment to eco-consciousness and clean burning to new heights. With most models receiving a five-star ‘ClearSkies’ rating, they all comply with the European-wide Ecodesign regulation, releasing minimal emissions while maximising efficiency.

In fact, says the company, these stoves perform 80–84% better than older models. In response to the trend for open-plan living, this year saw the arrival of the new Haven Cook Stove (RRP £4,128), a log-burning range cooker which is 90% efficient and can be fired up to cooking temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It’s also completely independent of gas, oil or electricity, which can be reassuring in these days of unpredictable energy prices and supplies. Next year, Charnwood is due to launch a new app-controlled stove that monitors the fire and adjusts airflow accordingly for the most efficient burn. All you have to do is load it, strike a match and close the door – the stove does the rest and even notifies you when it needs another log!

Charnwood stoves are available through 180 stockists nationwide. For more details, call 01983 537780 or visit charnwood.com

Sponsored post | Home is Where the Hut Is

Get away from it all – without leaving the garden – with your own beautiful Blackdown Shepherd Hut

As autumn starts to weave her web of slower days, and the thought of lighting the fire no longer seems such a distant prospect, do you catch yourself dreaming about a place where you can curl up and unwind? A space of your own to relax, read, chat with loved ones or simply enjoy a warming cuppa in peace? That idyllic escape could be closer than you think with Blackdown Shepherd Huts.

At this time of year our thoughts tend to drift towards leisurely pursuits. Outdoor activities revolve around harvesting the last from the garden and sweeping up leaves, all heart-filling activities. But it’s then, with a good dose of invigorating work behind them, that many Blackdown customers find that the urge to light up the log burner, pull a good book down from the shelf and settle with a cup of tea inside their hut becomes quite irresistible. Once inside, the soft pitter-patter of an unannounced rain shower on the roof can easily cause the book to slide, as drowsy eyelids gently close and a stolen hour drifts by in the secret pleasure of a frivolous snooze.

Then, an awakening… footsteps followed by cheerful shouts as family return from an invigorating walk. As they sit on the steps, removing muddy boots and chattering contentedly, the shepherd hut shakes off its sleepy reverie and becomes a cosy hub for excited walk stories, served up with lashings of tea and maybe a cheeky biscuit or two.

Jobs done, a restorative nap and another precious family memory to treasure? That sounds like a day well spent to us.

For more information and inspiration, visit blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk or follow on Instagram @blackdownshepherdhuts

Project | Build a Garden Swimming Pond

If you want to attract wildlife to your garden and have somewhere to take a cold water dip, then nothing beats installing a swim pond. It is, however, worth thinking about the following:

• A swimming depth of at least two metres will stop your pond overheating during the summer.

• Hand-digging your pond is a lot of work! Use an excavator if you can fit one in your garden – you can hire ones that are less than 700mm wide.

• Nutrients produce algae, yet nutrient levels can take few years to settle in your pond. Avoid fish, which eat algae-eating organisms and produce a lot of poo, too. Also, remove dead leaves from the surface regularly, and plant directly into the pebbles (don’t use soil).

• Barley straw in net bags is an effective way of reducing algae, but this can make a mess when the bags decompose. You could use plastic net bags, but would you want microplastics in your pond?

A garden swim pond is quite an undertaking but the above advice will help you get started. The picture above is of Fiona McWilliam’s swim pond in her garden in Sussex. You can read the whole story of its design and conception in our September issue.

More inspiring plots…

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How to | Speak Like a Glaswegian

In our September issue, we visited Glasgow in our My City pages. If you were inspired to a visit yourself, here’s a little primer on how to speak like a true Weegie while you’re there. 

Awa' an bile yer heid
Meaning: ‘Go away and boil your head.’ Or get lost, take a hike, etc etc. 

Baltic

Meaning: Cold (etymology fairly obvious, and Glaswegians know a thing or two about the cold, so if THEY say it’s Baltic out there, we believe them.)

Bampot

Meaning: Idiot, probably derived from the English word ‘barmpot’, a pot for storing yeast.

Coupon

Meaning: Face, likely from the French ‘couper’, meaning ‘to cut. It’s thought French soldiers in battle referred to decapitated heads of the enemy as ‘coupons’, and that somehow filtered through to the streets of Glasgow, 

Hee-haw

Meaning: Nothing. The sound a donkey would make, or a loud laugh. As in “how much is in your wallet?” “Absolute hee haw!”

Wean

Meaning: child, as in a baby who would be weaned off the breast. 

Scunnered

Meaning: Disgusted. From the old Scots ‘skunnyr’ meaning to flinch or shrink back from. 

Piece
Meaning: a sandwich or slice of bread. As in a ‘jeely piece’ (jam sandwich). A piece referred to a piece of bread but it came to mean a sandwich, too. Not that a true ‘piece’ is not a tidily cut-up sarnie but a couple of slices of bread, stuffed with filling that probably falls on your top as you eat it. 

Haud yer wheest

Meaning: shut up. Wheesht once existed in English as ‘whisht’ and both simply mean ‘shush’. 

Greet

Meaning: To cry, coming from the Old English ‘gret’. A ‘greetin’ face’ is a cry baby.

You can read all about Anna Pande’s Glasgow in our armchair travel pages, My City, in our September issue.

More from My City…

More from our September issue…

Wellbeing | UK Spa Towns

Thinking of taking the waters? There are around 50 towns associated with springs in the UK, some remaining active, some very much gone to ground. However, these are still well worth a visit.

BATH Take a tour around the Roman Baths, bathe in the geothermal waters at the Thermae Spa and taste the waters in the Pump Room in this World Heritage city.

BUXTON Restore yourself at the luxuriously restored Buxton Crescent Hotel. You can also explore Poole’s Cavern, and sip the water straight from St Ann’s Well in England’s highest market town on the edge of the Peak District.

CHELTENHAM Enjoy the Austen-like atmosphere of this Cotswolds-edge town, renowned for its Regency architecture. Unfortunately, you can’t bathe in or drink the waters these days, however, the Pittville Pump Room, overlooking picturesque Pittville Park, still remains and Cheltenham itself is awash with culture.

DROITWICH SPA Priding itself on being the only saltwater spa town in the UK, its waters come directly from brine springs and contain 30% natural salts – making them ten times more concentrated than sea water. Visit during the summer and you can bob around in the saltwater lido.

HARROGATE Crescent Gardens holds the main attractions, including The Royal Pump Room (housing Europe’s strongest sulphur well, alongside a museum). Nowadays it’s not advised to drink the water.

MALVERN Most of Malvern’s many historic hydrotherapy hotels were converted into schools when the spa industry collapsed. However you can still drink the water: pick up a map from the tourist office and sip from the many spouts and fountains.

The above spa town suggestions are taken from our feature Healing Waters in our September issue. You can read the whole feature from page 52.

More ways water makes you well…

More from our September issue…

Playlist | Colours

Embrace a rainbow of colours with our October playlist. Take a listen on Spotify here.
We publish a playlist every month: you can browse through them all here.

Our October issue, SEED, is on sale from 27 October. Visit picsandink.com to order a copy, or pick one up in your local shop.

Recipe | Green Tomato Salsa

This simple side dish adds some gentle heat and vivid colour to any meal, from barbecued fish and meats to an omelette or cheese on toast. Best eaten in the garden.

Serves 1, or 2 as a garnish

125g green tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine everything in a bowl and leave for 10 mins so the flavours can mingle before serving.

This recipe is from our Veg Patch Pantry feature in our September issue. The recipes, which use seasonal vegetables, include a Traybake of White Fish with Courgettes, Tomatoes and Peppers, Hedgerow Blondies and Thyme Buttered Plums with No-Churn Plum and Clotted Cream Ice Cream. The recipes are by Kathy Slack and the photography by Kirstie Young.

More ideas for a glut of tomatoes…

More from our September issue…

A Brief History | Dolls' Houses

Tiny things hold a special sort of charm. It’s no wonder dolls’ houses have been popular for centuries. Join us on a journey through dolls’ houses across the years. 

In the beginning

No one is quite sure when the first dolls’ house was created but it may be as early as the 16th century and the earliest were likely made in Germany. Probably originally known as ‘dockenhaus’ or ‘miniature houses’, these were not toys, but statements of wealth. In Holland they were known as ‘cabinet houses’ and they were essentially posh storage for all your expensive treasures. They had glass fronts on hinges, and inside, a rabbit warren of ‘rooms’ in which to display your precious and tiny things. 

Dolls’ houses in education

Their next incarnation was as an educational tool for young ladies. Dolls’ houses were an ideal way to show them how to run a household, deal with servants and generally become au fait with being the lady of the house - all in miniature. They would have contained all the usual furniture as well as brooms, cooking pots and other practical pieces. Like Upstairs Downstairs but REALLY small. 

Baby steps

By the 18th century, the next step in the development of the dolls’ house was the ‘Baby House’, an exact replica of the owner’s home, down to the furniture in every room. Like the original cabinet houses, they were created in order to show off the owner’s fabulous wealth (but without having to let your friends nose about your actual house). 

Play houses

It was not until the 19th century that dolls’ houses became objects for children to play with. And it took an industrial revolution for them to become mass-produced enough for anyone but the incredibly rich to own one. In the aftermath of World War II, manufacturers got up and running again, plastic was suddenly becoming available and many toy producers began their own dolls’ house lines, which began to sport ‘working’ parts, such as washing machines that span, doors that opened and shut and taps that turned on and off. 

Life in Plastic

The 1960s to the 1990s was a bit of a boom time for dolls’ houses. With Playmobil, Barbie and other toy brands producing their own houses in increasingly different themes and styles, suddenly there was a dolls’ house for everyone. Leaving the traditional Victorian town house look behind, now you could have houses for dollies that dwelt in Miami apartments, bungalows, tree houses and more. 

Dolls’ house reboot

Was it Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist that did it? Or were dolls’ houses in all their tiny glory just always waiting in the (miniature) wings, ready to return to popularity? Dolls’ house enthusiasts, and miniature model-makers are big news on Instagram and you could lose yourself for hours in the impossibly tiny worlds of accounts such as @daily mini, @theclaykitchen and @nunushouse. 

If you’re inspired to see more tiny things, The National Trust website has a list of their properties that feature dolls’ houses for you to visit. You might also like to read our Modern Eccentrics feature ‘The Miniaturist’ in our September issue, which features Elizabeth Joseph, Resident Miniaturist at London’s Museum of the Home.  

More historical fun…

More from our September issue…