Competition | Win a Brother Sewing Machine worth £499

We are delighted to have teamed up with Brother to offer readers the chance to win this fabulous prize. Smart sewing made simple!

 No matter where you are in your sewing journey, the Innov-is A series has you covered. Easy to use and packed with features, allowing you to enjoy smooth sewing on all types of fabric, including stretchy jersey and thick denim.

The prize, worth £499

The Brother Innov-is A65 features 60 stitches, including six one-step buttonholes, ensuring you can always find the perfect stitch for any project. Its convenient features, such as an automatic thread cutter, advanced one-action needle threader, lockstitch button, quick-set bobbin, Start/Stop button, and adjustable speed control, make the Innov-is A65 easy to set up and a joy to sew with.

This sleek, compact, and sturdy sewing machine is lightweight and comes with a handy hard cover, making it perfect for those who love to sew on the go. Whether you're heading to a friend's house, attending university classes, or participating in busy sewing workshops, you can easily take your talent wherever you go.

 How to enter

For your chance to win a Brother sewing machine, please press the button below and answer the following question by the closing date of 22 April 2025.
Q: How many one-step buttonholes does the Brother Inn-is A65 have?

Find your local Brother retailer here to see and try the Brother range

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 22 April 2025. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. If a UK mainland address then Brother will post the machine out free of charge to the winner. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Sponsored Post | Pause for Reflection with Mind

A monthly subscription box packed with fun activities to help your wellbeing, while supporting the mental health charity, Mind

How wonderful would it be if you could pause everything, take a deep breath, and give yourself a moment of calm every month? Well now you can – with Pause.

Pause is a subscription box that provides you with a monthly moment of mindfulness, creativity and calm, delivered straight to your door. Designed to boost your wellbeing, it also helps support Mind, the mental health charity, too.

With a wide range of relaxing activities, each one tailored to provide something fun and calming, Pause enables you to focus on a unique activity – many of which you may not have tried before – and it will help you to reflect, relax and get creative, too.

An ideal opportunity to set aside some time every month to acknowledge how you’re feeling and to check in with yourself, each Pause box can also help you to learn a fun, new skill and encourage you to try new activities – something that has a positive impact on self-esteem and wellbeing.

It’s easy to feel disconnected at times. However, Pause can help you to share, talk and connect with friends and family, as you can share a Pause box or teach your newfound skills to family and friends.

You can also gift a subscription and help a loved one to also enjoy a monthly moment of calm. From just £7.50 a month, over the course of a year, each box includes a free gift message and free delivery to their home, so they can enjoy your gift in their own comfort. We all want to give our loved ones a little time to help slow down. Pause encourages time for reflection, for quiet and peace – now isn’t that a gift.

Every year, one in four people will experience a mental health problem. By subscribing to Pause, all of your donation will go to Mind, meaning you’ll be helping those who need it, as well as giving yourself or a loved one a wellbeing boost. Mind could help someone access life-saving information through booklets, its website and help lines. Or help to support someone through Side by Side, its 24/7 online community. It could also help campaign for better mental health services. All donations help Mind continue its vital work. So pause, take a moment to yourself, and treat yourself or someone you love to a more mindful future – and help make sure that no one has to face a mental health problem alone. Start a Pause subscription today.

For more information on Pause, please visit pauseformind.org.uk/simple.

Recipe | Pepper, aubergine & feta pithivier

This is a Mediterranean take on pie – a delicate puff pastry pithivier filled with peppers, aubergines and feta. It doesn’t need a hefty potato mash, but sweet potato and olive oil mash suits it very well indeed.

Makes 2
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
4 sweet peppers, sliced
1 aubergine, diced
50g feta cheese, crumbled
1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Gently heat half the olive oil in a pan and add the onions and peppers. Season and cook gently for at least 30 mins, stirring as you go, until the peppers are collapsed and slippery.
2 In the meantime, heat the rest of the oil gently in another pan, tip in the aubergine, and season; then cook until it is soft and has lost all ‘bounce’. Remove both pans from the heat until you are ready to fill your pithiviers.
3 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry until it is around half the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out two circles, around 15cm across, and two more, around 17cm across.
4 Lay baking parchment onto a baking tray and then place the smaller circles on it. Divide the pepper and onion mixture between them, placing it centrally, and then do the same with the aubergine. Sprinkle feta on top.
5 Paint egg around the exposed edge of the pastry, then drape the larger circle of pastry over the mound and trim any excess. Paint egg all over the mound, then use a sharp knife to make a pattern on top. A small hole at the top will help steam to escape.
6 Bake for 35–45 mins, or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe was first published in issue 69 of The Simple Things. National Pie Week runs from 3-9 March. To mark it, we have collated some of favourite Simple Things pies from across the years in our March issue. Pick up a copy to find the other recipes, which include Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Spanakopita, Fish Pie with Crunchy Salmon & Leek Topping, Picnic Pie and Pork & Egg Lattice Pie.

More from the March issue…

More pies…

How to | Improve Your Pancake Toss

Illustration by Kavel Rafferty

There’s still time to sneak in a bit of pancake day training…

Easy wins

Use a non-stick pan, and don’t add too much oil. Brad Jolly, a chef with the World Record for most tosses of a pancake in one minute (140), says you don’t want too thick a batter and should wait until air bubbles form before tossing. Shake or tap the pan to loosen, then slip the pancake towards the side before you flip.

All in the wrist

Grip the handle close to the edge of the pan. You want a flick of the wrist rather than involving your forearm, or whole arm. Gordon Ramsay says to “push away, and flip back up with your wrist.”

Employ science

Dr Mark Hadley, of Warwick University’s Physics department, estimates that to get your pancake up to half a metre in the air, you need to launch at 3m per second. Pan-handling practice Mike Cuzzacrea – who runs marathons while tossing pancakes and has over three decades of records to his name – practises daily. He uses his maple tree to judge flip height (we don’t know if maple syrup is his topping of choice). He also trains toget “the arm strength and the right technique ... I practise the movement bending up and down.”

Be inventive

Even Mike relies on more than skill. To help his pancakes survive marathons, he glues a few together and wraps them in plastic. Not something we advise if you also fancy eating them.

These instructions for improving your pancake tossing skills come from our March Miscellany pages, which are always full of topical information and seasonal silliness.

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Wellbeing | Say 'Sorry' Well

Illustration by Anneliese Klos

Knowing how to make a good apology is good for both the giver and the receiver of the ‘sorry’

Whether you have regrets you wish to make amends for, or simply want to express solidarity and sympathy for a no-blame situation, knowing ‘how’ to apologise well is key. Sorry might be the hardest word but giving it your all and doing it properly can make it feel so much easier and hopefully allow both parties to move on positively. Here are a few things to bear in mind before you begin…

• Avoid over-use of “sorry”. The habitual “I’m sorry” detracts from meaningful and needed apologies.

• Ask for the other person’s perspective and listen to it. Understanding their point of view can help you to both make sense of the situation.

• Forget about blame and whose fault it is or was; an apology needn’t be an admission of guilt.

• Show empathy by making it about the other person, not you. “I realise that something has upset you, and I’m sorry.”

• Use an apology as an opportunity for positive change rather than simply as a plea for forgiveness.

• Make any intentions to change as concrete and as realistic as possible.

The advice above is taken from our feature, ‘Making Amends’ by Rebecca Frank in our March issue.

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More ways to feel better…

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Tipple | Orangey Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate’s great, but add orange (and perhaps a splash of Cointreau) and it’s hard to go back.

Serves 6

2ltr whole milk
1 large orange
6 tbsp dark hot chocolate powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated fresh nutmeg Cointreau (optional)

1 Warm the milk in a large saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.

2 Cut the orange in half, cutting each half into half-moon slices. Put six aside and add the rest to the saucepan, along with the hot chocolate powder, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

3 Simmer gently for 5 mins, keeping the heat low to prevent it from boiling. Stir frequently to avoid the milk from catching on the pan. Once ready, discard the orange segments.

4 To serve, pour into cups and add a shot of Cointreau for a boozy extra, if desired. Garnish each cup with one of the orange slices set aside earlier.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our March ‘gathering’ pages, which this month is a menu for a crafternoon of ‘loose ends’ projects. It also includes recipes for Carrot & Ginger Soup, Spiced Chicken Skewers, Roast Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges, Whipped Feta & Pistachio Dip and Pear, Dark Chocolate and Cardamom Muffins. Recipes are by Kay Prestney and photography by Rebecca Lewis. Ceramics kindly supplied by Francesca Atkinson of Frankie’s Ceramics @frankieceramics.

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More hot drinks for cold days…

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Sponsored post | Pause with Mind

Enjoy a monthly subscription packed with fun activities to boost wellbeing, while supporting the mental health charity Mind 

Life can get busy, so how wonderful would it be to pause everything, take a deep breath and give yourself a moment of calm every month? Well now you can with Pause, a monthly subscription box delivered direct to your door, which provides a mindful, creative and relaxing outlet. Designed to boost wellbeing, it helps to support Mind, the mental health charity, too.

Each Pause box provides a fun and calming activity, enabling you to take time out and focus fully on a unique craft or hobby. With something different every month, there will undoubtedly be new ideas you may not have tried before, each designed to help you relax, reflect and get creative.

A little something to look forward to and delivered straight to your home, Pause is an ideal opportunity to take time to acknowledge how you’re feeling every month and to check in with yourself. The simple act of completing an activity or learning something new can give you a boost, helping to improve self-esteem and wellbeing. Not only that, by sharing your newfound skills or simply talking about them to others can also help to alleviate any disconnection you may be feeling.

You could also gift a loved one a regular moment of calm with a Pause subscription. Starting from just £8 a month over the course of a year, each subscription includes a free gift message and free delivery to their home, so they can enjoy discovering new activities at their leisure.

Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. By subscribing to Pause, all of your donation will go to Mind, meaning you’ll be helping those who need it, as well as giving yourself or a loved one a wellbeing boost. Your donation could help someone access life-saving information through booklets, Mind’s website or help lines. Or it could help fund Side by Side, Mind’s 24/7 online community. It could also help to campaign for better mental health services. All donations help Mind continue its vital work.

So pause, take a moment and treat yourself or a loved one to a more mindful future – and help make sure that no one has to face a mental health problem alone. Start a Pause subscription today.

For more information on Pause, visit pauseformind.org.uk/simple

Sponsored Post | Meet the Team at Collacott Farm

We meet Tam and Ants Bennett to find out about Collacott Farm, their Devon retreat which focuses on the restorative connection that horses have to offer

“We’re passionate about creating a space where you can slow down and reconnect”

Hi Tam and Ants, tell us a bit about Collacott Farm

Ants: We run self-catering family holidays in north Devon. Guests can stay in a cosy cottage and will enjoy Horse Connection experiences, craft activities and outdoor pursuits. Last year we also held some individual connection retreats, which have proved hugely popular.

That sounds like a dream. How did it come about?

Tam: Ants grew up in Somerset surrounded by animals and I’d enjoyed idyllic childhood holidays in Cornwall. However, we’d both ended up in corporate careers in London, juggling the endless distractions of urban living – we hankered after a slower pace of life. In 2019, we took a road trip around Devon and Cornwall and were captivated by north Devon. Then 2020 hit and we discovered a new appreciation for long walks in nature. That was the catalyst for bringing our countryside dream forward and, in 2022, we took charge of a riding stables and several holiday cottages.

That’s a big leap! How’s life changed since then?

Ants: We realised that the riding stables needed a lot of investment and care, so we launched Horse Connection with the sole aim of connecting humans with horses.

Tell us more…

Ants: Previously, customers would turn up and get straight on a horse, often without much understanding. Nowadays, our guests first learn about the history of the horse, horse language and communication, safety, and how to connect with them. This provides for those who simply want to connect with horses without getting on one, but also for those keen on riding.

Tam: Horses are wonderfully sentient animals – did you know that they can hear your heartbeat from up to four metres away? It’s just one of the ways they sense and respond to human emotions.

That must be incredibly rewarding

Ants: It is – the world can be challenging, but the more we’re able to help people reconnect with themselves, the better. Too often we look externally for support and solutions, when everyone has what they need within them to thrive rather than just survive, once they reframe how they see the world. I’ve qualified in the IFEEL Method in Equine Facilitated Human Development, while Tam, a real people person, has studied coaching, breathwork, Human Design, Gene Keys, nutrition and holistic medicine. Together, through Horse Connection experiences and our new brand, MY Connection, we offer a unique way to support wellbeing.

You must be so proud

Tam: Absolutely. We’re passionate about creating a space where people can slow down and reconnect – not just with nature, but with themselves and their loved ones. We want our guests to take a break from the demands of modern life, to switch off and lose themselves in simpler pleasures, like curling up with a good book or simply enjoying the surrounds. On clear nights, the stars are spectacular and its always a joy when guests get to experience a truly dark sky for the first time.

So, what’s next for Collacott Farm?

Ants: We’re currently exploring further opportunities to work with corporate businesses to assist with leadership training, and from this we hope to set up a bursary to support vulnerable young people, offering similar experiences. The future is very exciting.

For more information, visit collacott.uk or follow on Instagram: @collacottfarm

Fun | Lost Library Books

Ever felt the burning shame of the words “I’m afraid this is overdue so… there’s a fine unfortunately…” Feel instantly better with our countdown of some of the most overdue books in British history.

• In at number five is The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collidi. Clearly the borrower learned nothing about lying well from reading the book, since he sheepishly returned it 63 years late to Rugby Library. Cleverly, he returned it during an eight-day amnesty on fines as it would have set him back more than £400 at a rate of 18p per day. 

• Climbing the ladder of shame at number four is Stanley Timber by Rupert Hughes, which was borrowed from Dunfermline Central Library. Again, during a fines amnesty during the COVID pandemic, the daughter of the dastardly borrower posted it back to the library, 73 years overdue, avoiding the £2,847 fine. 

• At number three, it’s our first school library crime. Edward Ewbank (stay behind after school please, Ewbank) borrowed The Poetry of Lord Byron from St Bees School in Cumbria  on 25 September 1911. It was returned 113 years overdue. Ewbank was sadly killed at the Battled of Ypres in 1916, so did not return the book himself, and avoided a detention. 

• Just missing out on the top spot is The Microscope and its Revelations by Willian B Carpenter, which was borrowed by Arthur Boycott of Hereford Cathedral School at some point between 1886 and 1894. In Boycott’s defence, clearly he read the book carefully as he went on to become an eminent naturalist and pathologist. His granddaughter returned the book to the school some 122-130 years later. The school generously waived the fine of £7,446. 

• And finally, at number one… a mysterious entry with no title, but known to be a German book about the Archbishop of Bremen, was borrowed by Robert Walpole from Sidney Sussex College’s library in Cambridge. It was discovered in the library of the Marquess of Cholmondley at Houghton Hall in Norfolk and returned to its rightful home between 287 and 288 years overdue. Despite not having a title of its own it is now the proud owner of the title Most Overdue Library Book in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

You can read a personal reflection on why we love a library by Frances Ambler in the February issue of The Simple Things.

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More fun for bookworms…

More from our February issue…

Competition | Win a Six-Month Subscription to Famileo

Many of us live far away from older relatives and it can be hard to meaningfully connect between visits, particularly if they’re not part of the family Whatsapp group.

Enter Famileo, a truly unique way of sharing your day-to-day, their way. Famileo automatically turns the whole family’s shared photos and messages into a personalised family magazine and posts it to your loved one, each month.

And it’s so easy to do. Once you have an account, simply download the app, invite each member of the family to do the same, and there you will find your own secure, private space in which to share photos and messages (very much like a family Whatsapp group).

What makes Famileo unique is that on your chosen date each month, your family feed is automatically formatted into a family magazine. A PDF copy is immediately available via your account, and up to a 16-page, colour, A4 magazine is printed and posted to your older relative.

 A French company, Famileo is now available in the UK and with over a quarter of a million older relatives already receiving their own monthly magazine, now is the perfect time to see for yourself the joy that regular family news, printed and posted to their doorstep, brings to older generations. Family news they can look forward to and keep going back to.

 So if you have an older loved one who is not tech-savvy, or who just prefers the tangible charm of print, then consider Famileo as a thoughtful way to share family news they can look forward to receiving each month. 

A Famileo subscription costs just £5.99 a month and allows an unlimited number of family members to join the account and a family magazine to be printed and posted anywhere (in the world), monthly. For more information and inspiration, please visit famileo.com or follow @famileo_uk

 How to enter

We have six-month subscriptions, worth £36 each (normally £5.99 a month), to give away to 5 lucky winners. To have a chance of winning, just click the button below by the closing date of 12 April 2025 and answer the follwing question…

Q: Up to how many colour pages are there in the monthly magazine?

Terms and conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 12 April 2025. Five winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at: icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

How To | Keep a Nature Diary

As signs of spring begin to appear, keeping a nature diary is a great way to log the changes in the air at this time of year

Unlike a standard diary, a nature diary needn’t be personal so it can feel much easier to get started, by simply observing what you see. There are many ways you can do it. If you’re feeling ambitious you can make a few notes each day but once a week is a good aim. Or you could make it something you sit down at once a month but really give it some time, and then end the year with a beautiful record in 12 parts. 

Similarly, consider where you want to observe nature. It makes sense to take the same walk each time you journal so that you can see the subtle changes at work, but if that might drive you mad, you could vary your nature walks and maybe even include maps to document what you saw and where. Certainly it makes sense to pick areas where you know there will be things of interest to note. A location near water or with a very ‘active’ hedge will always yield plenty of wildlife to spot, but you’ll be surprised at what forces its way up even through cracks in city paving slabs. Somehow, nature always finds a way. 

Now you’ve made the mental commitment, it’s time to think about what form your nature diary will take. Here are a few ideas.

1. A physical sketchbook in which you can draw and maybe shade with coloured pencils or paint with watercolours is a lovely keepsake. You can label the plants and wildlife you see or write a bit more by each illustration of your experience that day. 

2. If you like the idea of a notebook in your hand but aren’t an arty type, you could simply log your nature sightings in pencil or pen with a time and date. Maybe look your sightings up when you get home and add Latin names or interesting facts as you learn them.

3. Should you fancy getting really down and dirty with nature, your book could include natural dyes and pigments made from the plants and earth you happen upon. You can find out how to make natural dyes from nature with a quick internet search. 

4. Another visual sort of nature diary, but a little easier for those of us not blessed with a single artistic bone in our bodies, is a scrapbook. You can press and dry leaves and flowers, stick in seeds under sellotape and add pieces cut from maps. Then add labels in your very best handwriting.

5. Go digital and record your nature walks using photos. You could print out your favourites or simply upload them to a blog or Instagram account. 

Our blog today was inspired by a feature in our February issue in which we met Jenny Coats, whose nature diaries can be followed on her account @jenny.coats.created.

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More ways to appreciate nature…

More from our February issue…

Competition | Win a Weekend Stay in Whitstable worth £1,400

You could win a two-night break in Whitstable, a town loved for its oysters, sunsets, beach walks and indie shops 

Ask anyone who has been to Whitstable what they loved about their visit, and they will undoubtedly say the beach walks, local food and hospitality, independent shops and the incredible sunsets. Just an hour from London, on the north Kent coast, the charming town of Whitstable has become a year-round destination for food lovers, families and those seeking a little weekend escape to the seaside.

With longer days and lighter evenings upon us, there’s never been a better time to visit. If you’ve never visited or would love to return, then enter our competition to win a seaside escape thanks to Whitstable Holiday Homes. The prize is a two-night stay – worth up to £1,400 – at So Ho House, a stylish and spacious house in the heart of the town.

The house name is derived from the owner, Solange’s, initials and she has been the creative heart behind its beautiful interiors and furnishings. You and up to seven guests, plus pooch, can relax and catch up in the huge kitchen, dine al fresco in the garden, chill in one of the two lounges and enjoy a great night’s sleep in one of the four bedrooms. Located near the harbour and beach, it’s just a short stroll to the shops and amazing foodie places. To ensure you’re well looked after during your stay, Whitstable Holiday Homes’ owner Gail will be on hand to offer personal recommendations on how
to make the most of your visit.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic break, a family holiday, birthday celebration, or a dog-friendly stay, Whitstable Holiday Homes has over 25 charming properties to choose from, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Visit whitstableholidayhomes.co.uk for more information, or follow on Instagram: @whitstableholidayhomes. To see more information about So Ho House, visit whitstableholidayhomes.co.uk/so-ho-house.

How to enter

For your chance to win a two-night stay in So Ho House (for up to eight people and one dog), enter our competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 9 April 2025.

Q: Whitstable is on the coast of which English county?

Terms and conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 9 April 2025. One winner selected at random from all correct entries. Prize must be taken before 31 March 2026 and excludes school and Bank Holidays. The winner is responsible for transport to and from So Ho House and will need to pay a Refundable Security Deposit of £300 prior to arrival to cover any loss or damage to the property. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap for cash. The winner may be required to participate in publicity. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Competition | Win an Esse 1 stove worth £695

Combining style, environmental responsibility and over 170 years of experience, ESSE stoves are something to get fired up about

March can be a funny old month, and the weather is often reliably unreliable, as the adage suggests – in like a lion and out like a lamb. But despite spring sending snippets of brighter and warmer days, we know that once the sun goes down, the chill will return. So what could be more inviting after a day spent getting out and about or pottering in the garden than retreating inside to the warmth of an ESSE 1 stove.

Hand-built in Britain, ESSE stoves have been in production since 1854, and the small and mighty ESSE 1 model is a cosy classic. It can burn either wood or solid fuel and has an impressive 5kW output. Clean burning and efficient, it’s EcoDesign compliant and approved for burning wood in smoke control zones. Simple yet sophisticated, the cast iron ESSE 1 is easy to use and features adjustable feet, tertiary air supply, top or rear flue options, and a cooler-touch handle. Its compact design – 510mm (h) x 380mm (w) x 322mm (d) – also makes it a welcome addition to any home.

If you’re warming to the idea, then we have one ESSE 1*, worth £695, up for grabs. Simply enter our competition and you could soon be snuggling up next to your own ESSE 1 stove, book and cuppa in hand. Good luck.

For more information, visit esse.com or follow on Instagram: @esse1854.

How to enter 

For your chance to win an ESSE 1 stove, worth £695, click the button below and answer the following question by the closing date of 9th April 2025.

Q: Esse stoves have been in production since which year?

Terms and conditions:

*The prize includes doorstep delivery of the ESSE 1 only. Installation by an approved local company will be the winner’s responsibility. The competition closes at 11.59pm on 9th April 2025. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules. 

Playlist | All apologies

In our March 2025 MEND issue we learn how to say sorry.

For our playlist, we’ve taken inspiration from musicians who’ve tried to put their regrets and apologies into words. You can take a listen on Spotify here.

Or we have playlists for every kind of mood – we publish one in each issue of The Simple Things. Have a browse of them here.

Wellbeing | Eye Spy Glimmers

If winter is wintering a little too long for your liking, start spotting glimmers to get you
through until spring.

We went on a Glimmer Hunt in our February issue, noticing the small things that make us feel safe and calm. One of the things we loved most was the idea of compiling a Glimmer Library; a list in a notebook, on your phone or just in your head of the glimmers you have seen to refer back to when you need a boost. To help get you started with your Glimmer Library, we’ve collated a few glimmers here that you might like to spot this month…

• Snowdrops in full bloom

• Sticky buds on trees

• The smell of fresh lemons on pancakes

• The sound of rain on your roof when you’re cosy inside

• A perfectly formed spider web

• Sinking into a bed with new sheets on

• Tea in your favourite mug

• The crackle of logs on a fire

• Suddenly noticing how light the evenings are

• Winter birdsong

See how many of our Eye Spy Glimmers you can spot this month and add more of your own as you notice them to create your Glimmer Library. 

You can read more about seeking out glimmers in our feature by Lottie Storey in our February issues, which is in shops now. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More things to make you feel good…

More from our February issue…

Tipple | Ginger & Maple Hot Toddy

Sweet, spicy and soothing, this cocktail also eases a sore throat and helps clear the sinuses. In fact it’s practically medicinal. Best enjoyed on a bracing walk by the sea

Makes 1 cup

3 slices of fresh ginger

1 ginger teabag

1 tsp maple syrup

Lemon slice

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

A shot of brandy or whisky (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a mug and top up with boiling water – use the cinnamon stick to stir it all together. If you plan to serve the hot toddy while out, make the ginger tea and add to a flask with the maple syrup and brandy or whisky, if using. To serve, pop the ginger, lemon slices, star anise and cinnamon sticks into each mug, pour over the ginger tea and enjoy.

This recipe is taken from our ‘gathering’ feature, which in our February issue is a bracing walk on the beach with hot drinks and snacks, followed by a make-ahead lunch at home. You’ll find all the recipes, including Granola Bars, White Bean Puree with Crunchy Topping, Mushroom Ragout, Gremolata and Jam Crumble Tart from page 6. The recipes are by Louise Gorrod and the photography by Emma Croman.

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More tipples to warm up winter…

Nature | Waterfowl Valentines

You dancing? You asking?… All good relationships start with a bit of flirting, even in the
natural world

Mute swans entwine together to form heart-shapes with their graceful necks, jackdaws preen each other, and great crested grebes dance.

Typically, only faithful for a season (although there are exceptions to the rule, as there often are in the animal kingdom), the great crested grebe (pictured above) is intense when it comes to first impressions. Meeting a potential mate, the birds rise up to mirror each other’s moves, shaking their rust-coloured ruff as they bow their heads. The crescendo of their dance is a charge towards each other, waving water weed, before coming together to hold the same piece of weed in their beaks.

And the common crane is a real flirt. Harsh, honking calls float across the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire as the UK’s tallest birds show off their courtship choreography. Their head bobbing, wing stretching, and jumping is contagious – when one pair start, others quickly join in, the flock turning into a flash mob of long legs, red crests and spilling tail feathers.

The extract above is taken from our feature ‘Love is All Around’ by Jeni Bell, from our February issue. Read more love stories from the animal kingdom from page 50.

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More from our February issue…

More reads for Valentine’s Day…

Nest | 5 Famous Chairs

Photography by @mycambridgefairytale

One should never underestimate the value of an excellent chair. Here, we look at a few chairs that have made history…

1. King Edward’s Chair

Used for every English monarch’s coronation (other than Mary II since she was crowned jointly with William II) since the 14th century this is quite a place to rest one’s royal bottom. Edward I commissioned the grand wooden throne to house the Stone of Scone (on which Scottish monarchs were crowned) after he stole it from Scone Abbey in Perthshire in 1296. It was rightfully returned to Scotland in 1996. One less thing for His Majesty to dust, too. It was originally gilded and covered with glass mosaic. Four gilt lions were added as feet in the 16th century. Today, it basically looks very old and very wooden but you can still just about make out animals and foliage depicted on the back. 

2. Christine Keeler’s chair

The most iconic image of the Profumo Affair, which brought down Harold Macmillan’s government, is of Christine Keeler sitting astride a back-to-front chair, naked, and looking slightly over the whole thing, we might add. But the chair is as much the star of the photo as Keeler. It’s an imitation of a design by Danish artist Arne Jacobsen, who later created the iconic ‘Egg’ chair, too. Keeler’s chair was a cheap copy of Jacobsen’s Model 3107, bought from Heal’s in London. The photo caused national outrage… imagine if he hadn’t turned the chair back to front…

3. The Mastermind Chair

Striking fear into the hearts of quiz-goers for decades, the black ‘soft pad lounge chair’ was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1969. Two of them were originally bought for the first 25-year run of Mastermind and they would travel the country with the show by lorry. In 1979 one of them was held to ransom by students of the University of Ulster to demand money for their Cambodia Relief Fund. The chair was eventually negotiated to freedom without the exchange of any cash, 

4. Roald Dahl’s Writing Chair

Seated in his large, brown wingback chair, which once belonged to his mother, Dahl created entire worlds that have enchanted generations of children ever since. The chair was the basis of a very particular writing set up. Dahl wrote for two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. Having got comfy, Dahl would prop a rolled up piece of corrugated cardboard on his knees, and on top of that he rested a board he’d made himself, covered in green baize. He would then sharpen six Dixon Ticonderoga pencils and write on yellow legal paper. The chair, in its now threadbare state, can be seen in the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden.  

5. Blofeld’s Swivel Chair

Which of us can honestly say we haven’t at some point sat in an office chair and swung it round dramatically, while stroking a pretend fluffy white cat just for laughs? We have the G Plan 6250 to thank for that. Arguably the most famous chair ever to appear on the silver screen, and housing Blofeld’s behind admirably, this large, black, iconic winged design has always been in its Villain Era. As well as being one of the stars of You Only Live Twice (with Donald Pleasance playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the chair has also made guest appearances in Farenheit 451 and the Beatles’ film Help!

This blog was inspired by our February issue’s My Place pages, which this month looks at ‘cosy spots to sit’, including the very comfy looking armchair above which belongs to Paola Salvaire.

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Cake | Chocolate Coconut Squares

When only chocolate will do, bake these moist, coconutty squares for an oh-so-satisfying
cocoa nibble

Serves 9

150g coconut oil, melted and cooled

200g soft light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

60g plain flour

45g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

40g desiccated coconut, plus extra

for scattering (optional)

For the topping:

100g dark chocolate

100g soft, but not liquid, coconut oil

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Using a little of the coconut oil, grease and line a 20x20cm tin.

2 Place the rest of the coconut oil, the sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir until combined.

3 Whisk the flours and cocoa in a separate bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the desiccated coconut. Make a well in the centre, pour in the coconut oil mixture and stir until completely combined.

4 Spread the mixture evenly into the lined tin and bake for 25–30 mins, or until just firm. Leave to cool in the tin.

5 Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in the cooling oven, then beat in the soft coconut oil until it’s a thick icing.

6 When the base is cool, spread over the icing and leave to set. Cut into 9 squares and scatter extra coconut on top, if you like. This will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Cook’s note: Coconut oil can be used like-for-like to replace butter in recipes. Depending on what temperature you store it at, it can also be solid in the same way as butter. The more refined coconut oil doesn’t have a distinctive coconut flavour and so works well in dishes that you don’t want to taste of coconut.

This recipe from our February issue is taken from Every Last Bite by Rosie Sykes (Quadrille). Photography: Patricia Niven

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