Blog
Taking Time to Live Well
DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Adobe Stock
We put together a fruity playlist to accompany our new July FRUIT issue. Have a listen here.
An easy way to get in your 17-a-day.
We compile a playlist for every issue of the magazine. Have a browse of them all here.
With great food, music and scenery, the Kent coast has so much to offer – including Updown, where we have a one-night stay to be won
This summer, if you’re after a dose of pure escapism and plenty of vitamin sea, Deal, on the Kent coast, has everything you’re after and more.
With its award-winning high street, lanes of quaint fishermen’s cottages and well-preserved Georgian houses, it’s one of the UK’s prettiest seaside destinations and the ideal location for a long weekend away.
This tiny but terrific town has a history as colourful as the buildings that line the seafront and it’s fast becoming one of the country’s most popular seaside spots thanks to its cultural vibe and thriving music and food scenes. With excellent road and rail connections to the capital, plus its proximity to the port at Dover, Deal is easy to get to, but a world away from the hum-drum of the everyday.
Wonderful in summer with the beach, pier, plenty of al fresco eating and drinking spots, and a busy seasonal events programme, it’s equally beguiling in winter with cosy pubs, cafés and restaurants, plus independent theatre, galleries and music venues.
A few miles inland is the beautiful 17th century former farmstead of Updown, the much-lauded restaurant with sumptuous rooms owned by Oli Brown and Ruth Leigh. With acres of well-tended gardens and woodland to explore, it’s an idyllic spot to relax and unwind after a day spent sightseeing. Guests are encouraged to treat the house as a home from home, so you’ll find a library with books, games and newspapers, as well as a fully-stocked honesty bar for guests.
If Updown has now leapfrogged its way up your bucket list, then this competition is for you. The Simple Things has a one-night dinner, bed and breakfast package* at Updown to be won, worth up to £450. Dinner will be served in the conservatory restaurant, where you can watch the chefs create your meal in the open kitchen. Menus are small, hyper seasonal and use the very best of local and European produce. There’s also a list of exciting wines, local beers and seasonal cocktails to choose from. Afterwards, wend your way to bed in one of the luxuriously appointed bedrooms for a peaceful night’s sleep before breakfast the following morning, setting you up for another day of exploring the glorious Kent coast.
For more on Deal and the surrounding area, visit: whitecliffscountry.org.uk
or follow @visitdover. For more on Updown, visit: updownfarmhouse.com or follow @updownfarmhouse_
For your chance to win a one-night stay at Updown Farmhouse with dinner, bed and breakfast, enter our competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 6 August 2025.
Q: Deal is on the coast of which UK county?
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 6 August 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. *The prize is for two people and must be redeemed within a year of receipt (excludes 23-25 Aug 2025; 20 Dec 2025 - 1 Jan 2026; 14 Feb 2026 and 3-6 April 2026). The winner is responsible for transport to and from the venue. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at: icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.
Make the most of your outdoor space, with great food and warmth, thanks to ESSE’s garden stove and built-in pizza oven
Summer’s here and it’s time to embrace it, whatever the British weather may throw at us. Whether that’s enjoying homemade pizza in the bright sunshine, or cosying up on cool evenings around the fire.
To help make the most of this cherished, yet changeable, season, master British stove maker ESSE has unveiled its Garden Stove with pizza oven and hotplate. Along with welcome warmth and a clear view of the flames, al fresco diners can also enjoy large pizzas in just two minutes, with an authentic wood-fired flavour.
Ever versatile, wheels mean that, unlike a built-in pizza oven, you can easily move it from place to place – to chase the sunny spots, escape wet weather, or simply to store it away. It also comes with a 1000mm flue pipe to take smoke up away from garden gatherings and has a built-in rear air slide to control the burn rate. There’s a grate log bed with ash pan, and it comes supplied with a heat-proof leather mitt
The wood-fired pizza oven provides a sustainable, hassle-free way of producing restaurant-quality pizzas with a delicious charred crust. High temperatures also burn off residue, leaving a clean cooking surface ready for the next use.
ESSE’s Garden Stove with pizza oven isn’t restricted to just the warm weather months, either. Once the nights start to draw in again, this traditional-looking stove enables you to stay outdoors for longer, enjoying its flickering flames and welcome warmth, with plenty of surface space to rest your hot drinks on.
For information, inspiration, or to find a local showroom, visit: esse.com.
Photography by Emma and Gordon Taylor
If you’re diving in for the first time, here’s how to get started on your snorkelling adventures
• Exploring rockpools from dry land is a great way to learn about the marine environment and requires no special skills or equipment. Adding goggles or a mask and snorkel to get a closer view is the logical next step – perhaps trying a larger tidal pool, or finding a shallow, sheltered bay with no currents where you can explore in calm, waist-deep water. Relax, take a few slow, deep breaths and then lower your face into the water to enjoy those first few breaths with the snorkel.
• Remember to stay shallow while you build up your experience and confidence.
• Another great way to get started is to join an organised snorkel tour. This will introduce you to basic snorkelling skills while learning about the marine life you see. Many instructors and organisations including The Wildlife Trusts offer guided excursions.
• You can also take a formal snorkelling qualification. This will teach you how to select the correct equipment, assess a site for suitability and build a greater understanding of what it takes to be safe in the water. If you are looking to buy your own mask and snorkel do make sure it’s from a reputable manufacture since cheap, poorly-designed equipment can be dangerous.
You can read more about great places to snorkel around Britain in our feature, ‘Down Under’, in our June issue. It’s an extract from Snorkelling Britain: 100 Marine Adventures by Emma and Gordon Taylor (Wild Things). Readers can get 20%* off and free P&P with discount code SIMPLETHINGS at wildthingspublishing.com
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Photography by Hugh Johnson
This recipe is all about the crunch. Thanks to the red cabbage and beetroot, it’s striking, too.
Serves 4–6
3 radishes, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
¼ red or white cabbage, finely chopped
2 gherkins, finely diced
1 mini cucumber or ¼ cucumber, diced
2 cooked beets, diced
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 apple, finely chopped, tossed
with the juice of ½ lemon
For the dressing:
½ lemon, juiced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp creamed horseradish or
wholegrain mustard
1 tsp thyme leaves
½ tsp sugar
1 Start by making the dressing. Place the lemon juice, olive oil, creamed horseradish or mustard, thyme leaves and sugar into a jar. Screw on the lid and shake well to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2 Mix the salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Taken from The Kew Gardens Salad Book by Jenny Linford (Kew Publishing). Recipe photography: Hugh Johnson. For more salads from Kew, don’t miss our feature, Salad Days, in our June issue.
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Sea Change is the wine brand with a conscience – and The Simple Things has four cases of eco-friendly wine up for grabs, worth £77.49 each.
Love wine and care deeply about our planet? You’ll find the perfect harmony in Sea Change Wine. Each bottle represents sustainable wine making at its best, crafted not only for taste but also with respect for the environment.
Sea Change has combined its passion for great wine with its love for the ocean. Sea Change is committed to combatting the ongoing threat of ocean pollution and single-use plastics; every bottle of Sea Change sold supports marine conservation projects globally. The wines are thoughtfully packaged to minimise environmental impact - they’ve removed the unnecessary plastic wrap around the corks, and use recycled materials, lighter-weight glass, and labels made partly from grape waste, ensuring your enjoyment doesn't come at nature's expense.
In addition, by choosing Sea Change, you not only enjoy exceptional, beautifully crafted wines but also actively contribute to protecting our ocean and marine wildlife. Every bottle purchased results in a donation to a range of charities dedicated to defending and nurturing our ocean. With more than €600,000 raised to date, each sip you take helps fund initiatives aimed at preserving our rivers, waterways, coastlines, and seas for generations to come.
Sea Change has white, rosé, red, sparkling, organic and 0% alcohol free wines available in its range. Visit the website to explore the selection, choose your favourites, and enjoy convenient delivery directly to your door. These wines also make an ideal gift for any occasion.
Raise your glass to delicious wines, ocean conservation, and a healthier planet—choose Sea Change Wine.
We’re delighted to offer you an opportunity to experience Sea Change’s award-winning wines. To be in with a chance of winning a case of Sea Change wine just click the button below and answer the following question:
Q: To date, how much have Sea Change Wine raised and donated to a range of charities from their sales?
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 21st July 2025. Four winners 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. The winner must be 18 years or over since the prize incorporates alcohol. Identification will be requested when delivering the prizes. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online
at: icebergpress.co.uk/comprules
For more information visit seachangewine.com or follow on Instagram and Facebook @seachangewine
Photography by Karen Dunn
We shine a light on a few of our favourite books set in lighthouses
There’s definitely something about a lighthouse that appeals to authors. Perhaps it’s the solitude and nature of life lived in a liminal space right on the edge of land. They certainly are a very visual literary trope - we all know what a lighthouse looks like, and they cut a dramatic figure on the landscape. It’s perhaps no wonder they feature in so many works of fiction. Here are a few of the most well-loved…
To The Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness novel follows the Ramsay family across several years and a trip to a lighthouse that feels like it may never come. We’ll be honest, the lighthouse trip itself is a bit underwhelming in the end, but the novel is so different to anything that had come before and is still in a league of its own.
Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer
This deliciously creepy novel follows four women who have been sent to investigate ‘Area X’. They are the 12th team to have been sent; the previous 11 teams either did not return or returned utterly changed. Within Area X is a lighthouse in which they find unfinished journals and signs of a struggle…
The Lighthouse, Edgar Allen Poe
If you enjoy ‘creepy’ no one does it like the master, Edgar Allen Poe. Perhaps the creepiest thing about this work of fiction is that it is unfinished; Poe died while he was writing it. The book takes the form of a ‘diary’ belonging to the solo keeper of the lighthouse, who takes enormous pleasure in his solitude.
Lighthouse Keeping, Jeanette Winterson
Winterson’s novel is a beautiful and intriguing tale of orphan girl, Silver, who is taken in by a blind lighthouse keeper on the coast of Scotland.
The Lighthouse, PD James
An Inspector Dalgliesh novel, which takes place on the slightly claustrophobic Combe Island, where a novelist is found dead, hanging in the renovated lighthouse.
The Light Between Oceans, M L Stedman
A moving and poignant story about a childless lighthouse keeper and his wife on an isolated island off Australia who rescue a baby adrift at sea and raise her as their own. Years later her parentage is discovered. A proper tale of love, loss, justice and tragedy.
The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, Rhonda and David Armitage
One to prove that not all lighthouses are creepy… Mr Girling and his wife live in a lighthouse keeper’s cottage from which he rows out to the lighthouse each day. Mrs Girling sends his lunch over in a basket on a rope each day but have to find an ingenious way of preventing the seagulls from eating the ham sandwiches.
The Puffin Keeper, Michael Morpurgo
A beautiful adventure for children, that begins with a shipwreck at a lighthouse and evolves into an unlikely but wonderful friendship. It’s also a homage to Allen Lane, the founder of puffin books.
Mind the Light, Katie, Mary Louise Clifford
A historical account of 33 female lighthouse keepers. Brilliantly researched and totally fascinating.
If you’re inspired to a lighthouse adventure of your own, don’t miss our ‘Weekend Away’ feature from our June issue in which Karen Dunn stays in a lighthouse.
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Photography by Rebecca Lewis
Portable puddings mean you can enjoy your dessert whenever you fancy – so start saving your jam jars now
Serves 6
300g fresh cherries, destoned
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 lemon, juiced
180g mixed nuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp honey
450g natural yogurt
15 passion fruits
100g dark chocolate chips
12 edible flowers, optional
6 empty jam jars to serve
1 Heat the cherries, 1 tbsp of the maple syrup and the juice of half of the lemon in a small pan over a medium heat. Stir gently for 5 mins until the start to soften, then set aside to cool.
2 Meanwhile, place the nuts, cinnamon and seeds in a blender and blitz until they’ve formed a crumble-like consistency. Add the honey and give it another quick blitz to combine.
3 Place a layer of the nut crumble (using up half the mix) into the base of each jam jar, then add a layer of natural yogurt.
4 Cut and scrape out 12 of the passion fruits and divide equally between the jams jars, followed by another layer of natural yogurt.
5 Finally, add a layer of the cherry compote and top with the rest of the nut crumble.
6 Cut the last three passion fruits in half and top each jar with one half along with a couple of edible flowers.
This recipe is from our feature ‘A Lovely Arrangement’ in our June issue, a menu for a picnic surrounded by spring blooms. It also includes recipes for Rye Bread & Smoked Salmon Floral Squares, Summer Rolls, Edible Flower Salad, Pea & Goat’s Cheese Quiche and Lavender Lemonade. The recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.
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Illustration by Kavel Rafferty
Skipping is a skill worth honing: it’s fantastic exercise, you can do it anywhere and it looks pretty cool, especially if you can throw a move or two.
The basics
Get these down and it’ll feel like less effort. • Jump low: jumping too high wastes energy and stresses the joints. • Keep on the balls of the feet: avoid kicking your feet back and up as you jump (bending the knees only slightly prevents this). • Keep elbows pointing back, hands close to the body, next to your hips. • Rotate the rope with your wrists not your arms. • Keep your rope shorter: it’s more efficient. • Avoid the double jump if your aim is harder moves.
The trickier bits
Whatever feat you’re tackling, practise without the rope first to get your rhythm right. Start by jumping side to side or forwards and backwards as you skip. Then try jumping toes and heels together (the ‘wounded duck’). The enviable boxer’s skip is simply jumping from side to side (jump right, tap left, jump left, tap right). Once you’re comfortable with your feet, play with the arms: crossing and swinging the rope and the 180˚ turn. And when you get really confident, try doing it with your dog: Purin, a beagle from Japan, holds the record for ‘Most skips by a dog and a person in one minute – single rope’ managing 58 in a minute.
If you like skipping, you might like to get back into these childhood games, this bank holiday
French elastic
Grab two friends and a length of elastic and start chanting: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Inside, outside, inside, ON! You can learn to do it at the Scouts’ website.
Hopscotch
All you need is a piece of chalk, a pebble and to be able to count to ten and you have yourself aan afternoon of back garden entertainment. Learn to hopscotch here.
Cat’s Cradle
Find a length of string, look up the rules and get looping with a cat’s cradle partner.
Hula-hooping
Here’s one you can do alone (and you WILL want to do it alone until you get a bit good and can show off in the park. You can find instructions on how to hula hoop on our blog.
You can find more merriment and silliness in our Miscellany pages each month.
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Photograph by iStock
Make Tuesdays a Choose Day and feel instantly less ‘beginning of the week’ about it
Let’s be honest, Tuesday often isn’t much better than Monday. In fact, research from the London School of Economics found it to be the most miserable day of the week. So we propose reframing Tuesday into Choose Day, where you decide how you’re going to feel and what you’re going to get out of the day.
Start as you mean to go on by doing something you enjoy as soon as you wake up. If your normal routine doesn’t allow for that, set the alarm a bit earlier – even 10 minutes gives you a chance to do some breathing or stretches, write a few pages of a journal, read your book, or whatever makes you feel content. Now you’re feeling calm and alert, set an intention for the day. It might be, “I’m going to listen with an open mind to those I tend to disagree with in my meeting.” Or it might be more about your mindset, for example, “I’m going to think kind thoughts about myself and others.” Writing it down will help to affirm your intention. Before bed, reflect on your intention and whether it made you feel or act differently, noticing any achievements, however small, and how you have the power to shape your day.
To get you started, here are a few intentions you could choose this Chooseday…
1. Choose a change. Walk a new route to work, get your lunch from somewhere you’ve not tried before, or start a TV series that a friend has recommended but you wouldn’t normally have considered.
2. Choose peace. Make this a day when you just let things go. Choose not to respond to an aggressive comment, or to allow something small to get under your skin. Choose to be a bit zen all day and accept whatever life throws at you with grace.
3. Choose new adventures. Make this the day you sign up for that course in Thai cookery, book a holiday, or join a sports team. If you need to start small that’s fine, too. Take a friend on a microadventure. Maybe hire a boat for an afternoon or climb a hill together.
4. Choose to be easy on yourself. Give yourself an extra five minutes in bed, delegate a few chores, choose a meal for dinner that only takes five minutes to prepare and doesn’t involve much washing up. Sometimes a poached egg on toast is its own reward.
5. Choose to be creative. Go cloud spotting, make words from car numberplates, doodle in the margins in your meeting and spend your lunchtime reading a book or painting rather than tackling life admin. Just take every opportunity Tuesday gives you to indulge in some creativity.
Be inspired by new ways to experience every day of the week with our feature ‘Could-do Week’ by Rebecca Frank in our June issue, which is in shops now.
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See the difference in your dog with 80% off 100% tailored nutrition
As spring arrives, our gardens come alive. New buds burst into bloom, lawns turn a lush green, and mornings are filled with birdsong and soft sunshine. With every sign of growth, one thing stays the same - our loyal canine companions, always ready for a new adventure.
Whether they’re keeping a watchful eye on our planting or bounding ahead on woodland walks, dogs bring springtime to life. Because our dogs are more than just pets; they are our most loyal friends. It’s often their boundless enthusiasm that inspires us to step outside and make the most of the longer days. Whether that's in our own backyard or beyond.
We all know getting out into nature is essential for physical and mental wellbeing. And that goes for our dogs too. New sights and smells are the height of enrichment for our pups. Watching them napping in the sun-dappled grass or going on sniffari walks reminds us to pause and enjoy the season. They remind us to savour every season.
Owning a dog enriches our lives in a million different ways. And Tails.com knows every dog is one in a million. That's why they do dog food differently. Tell Tails.com all about your dog's breed, age, activity level and health needs. They’ll create their 100% tailored kibble blend, carefully selecting the right ingredients to give your dog everything they need to thrive - and a flavour they’ll love. Think of them as a nutritionist, just for your pet.
As our gardens grow and change, so do our dogs. Which is why at Tails.com, their blend changes with them. Ensuring they get the right nutrition in every season of life. We deliver their personalised meal plan to your door, along with any other essentials you need, like wet food, treats and more. So you can spend less time on the to-do list and more time in the garden. With Tails.com, your dog has everything they need to enjoy the great outdoors by your side - whether they’re ‘helping’ in the flowerbeds, leading the way on your next trail, or simply waiting for the hose to turn on…
Tell Tails about your dog - their breed, age, activity level and health - and they create their personalised kibble blend, delivered to your door. It’s expert nutrition, made easy. Right now, you can get 80% off your first box. Because every dog is one in a million - and their food should be too.
If you were inspired by our ‘Scrappy Do’ projects to make a belt bag and lanyard for Summer days out in our June issue, here’s another similar, simple make you might like
You will need:
Cotton fabric scraps in a selection of prints, each minimum size 7.5 x 46cm
Medium-weight non-woven fusible interlining, 7.5 x 117cm
Coordinating thread
Key fob hardware, 2.5cm wide
Pliers for affixing key fob hardware
Tailor’s awl (optional)
Cutting instructions:
Print cotton fabric scraps:
Cut a selection of strips, each 6.5cm wide x 4–7.5cm long
Medium-weight non-woven fusible interlining:
Cut one strip measuring 2.5 x 26cm, for the key fob.
1 Lay out a selection of print-cotton strips with the right sides uppermost to create a strip measuring 30cm. Arrange the fabrics until you are happy with the placement.
2 Begin joining the pieces of the strip together. Working from left to right, place the first two pieces together with right sides facing. Align the raw edges, pin or clip in place, and sew together. Press the seam neatly open. Continue joining each square in turn..Using the rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat, trim the strip to measure 26.5cm.
3 Place the interlining strip on the strip so the adhesive side is facing the wrong side of the fabric. Position the interlining strip 5mm away from one long raw edge and 5mm away from each short raw edge. Cover with a pressing cloth and iron to fuse in place.
4 Fold each long side of one of the strips to the wrong side by 5mm and press. Fold the strip in half so that the two long sides meet and press. The raw edges are now concealed inside the folded strip. Pin or clip in place. Make sure the sewing machine stitch length to 3. Taking a 3mm seam allowance from the edges, topstitch along each long side. Zigzag stitch across each short end to neaten.
5 Fold the key fob strip in half and align the two short edges. Place the short edges inside the key fob hardware and secure in place using the pliers.
Taken from Mini Quilting by Laura Strutt (CICO Books). Photography by James Gardiner © CICO Books
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Photography by Kym Grimshaw
Taking a giant spoon and smashing into a pavlova you’ve spent hours constructing feels like a radical act. But finding that child-like glee is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Bring on the spring silliness!
Serves 8
For the meringue:
4 egg whites
250g caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
250g strawberries, hulled and halved
250g raspberries
200g blueberries
3 tbsp icing sugar
350ml double cream
3 tsp rose water
Rose petals, to decorate
1Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/ Gas 2. Using a pencil, draw around a dinner plate on baking paper and use to line a baking tray.
2 Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in the caster sugar, one spoonful at a time, until the meringue looks glossy.
3 Whisk in the white wine vinegar, cornflour and vanilla extract.
4 Using a spoon or spatula, spread the meringue onto the baking paper, using the circle as your template. Make the sides higher than the middle so you have a dip for your filling.
5 Bake the meringue for 1 hr before turning off the oven and leaving it inside to cool completely.
6 For the pavlova, make a berry sauce by putting 100g of the strawberries, 100g of the raspberries and 2 tbsp icing sugar in a food processor. Blitz, then push through a sieve.
7 Whip together the double cream, rose water and remaining 1 tbsp icing sugar. When soft peaks form, spread it over the meringue, top with the berries and drizzle with the sauce. Scatter rose petals over to finish.
The pavlova recipe is one of the ideas from our ‘Kitchen Therapy’ feature ‘Take It Outside’ from our June issue, which includes recipes inspired by the outdoors and that can be partly created (and definitely eaten!) outside. The recipes are by Lottie Storey and the photography is by Kym Grimshaw.
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Illustration by Zuza Misko
No longer the preserve of primary school children, pond dipping is a simple and mindful pastime that is fascinating and fun. Here’s how to get started
You will need
A flat plastic tray (white is best for spotting pond life); a small net or sieve; a magnifying glass, a spoon.
How to pond dip
Approach the pond slowly and quietly so you don’t scare off the wildlife. Lower the plastic tray into the water and fill it half full with pond water to put your ‘finds’ into.
Using the sieve, scoop through the water nearish to the bottom of the pond and then quickly empty it into your plastic tray. Leave the tray of water to settle a bit.
Carefully and gently use the spoon to search through the water and weed for any wildlife. Use the magnifying glass for a closer look. You can photograph any interesting finds if you wish, and maybe sketch them later.
If you have regular access to the pond you might like to start a notebook and date and log your finds along with any photos or sketches to allow you to track the pond’s wildlife across a year.
Once you’ve finished, carefully lower the tray back into the water to let your finds go. Make sure nothing gets left behind in the tray.
What you might find
Water boatmen, leeches, water snails, diving beetles, dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, whirligig beetles, tadpoles, newts, toads, sticklebacks, backswimmers, pond skaters and much more…
If you’d like to learn more about some of our native pondlife, don’t miss our Magical Creatures page this month, which is all about water boatmen.
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Learn how small moves can make a big difference with the Youth Sport Trust
National School Sports Week is back from 16–22 June 2025, and this year we’re celebrating 30 years of helping children be Always Active.
We know life is busy. But being active every day isn’t about perfection — it’s about small, joyful moments that add up. Whether it’s a five-minute dance-off before dinner or a walk to the park after school, it all counts towards the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
That’s why the Youth Sport Trust is inviting families across the UK to sign up and take part in their annual celebration of play and sport. It’s free to join and packed with quick, fun ideas to help your family move more — together.
And here’s the bonus — when you sign up, you’ll be in with a chance to WIN a £250 Sports Direct voucher to kit your family out for a summer full of activity.
Don’t miss Sports Star Friday on 20 June: it’s like World Book Day… but for sport! Encourage your school to sign up and get the whole family involved by dressing up as your favourite sports hero and sharing your outfit on social, it’s a fun way to celebrate movement and the people who inspire us. #YSTSportsStarFriday #NSSW2025
Make movement a part of your family’s story this summer. Sign up, get active, and let’s create lifelong memories — one joyful moment at a time.
DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Shutterstock
We’re reaching great heights for our latest playlist, taken from our June 2025 SOAR issue (on sale from 28 May).
Have a listen to our playlist here.
We compile a playlist for each issue of The Simple Things: have a browse of them here.
Enter now for your chance to win a feelgood break at Watergate Bay Hotel, worth up to £2,500, plus land&water skincare, worth £300
What makes your dream getaway? A sea-view lie-in or a sunrise swim? A stress-relieving massage or a skin-reviving facial? Perhaps sunset cocktails on The Living Space deck or sinking your
teeth into an ‘Extreme burger’ in The Beach Hut? If this has captured your imagination, then you’ll be pleased to hear we’ve teamed up with our friends at Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall to offer one lucky reader of The Simple Things a naturally rejuvenating two-night stay, plus some land&water treatments and products.
Set on a wide, sandy, surfing beach, Watergate Bay Hotel is all about the balance in life. Big skies, fresh air, exhilarating days in the elements, plus good food, drink and conversation. Born on the shores of Watergate Bay, natural bath and body brand land&water captures the essence of this ‘active relaxation’ lifestyle in its range of products.
Bursting with essential oils and botanical actives, land&water products are made in small batches in the British Isles, using sustainably sourced, ethical ingredients to evoke the therapeutic benefits of time outdoors. Launched this spring, land&water’s new skincare collection extends this idea to recreate the natural radiance and fresh skin invigoration we feel on the shoreline. Used in Watergate Bay’s Swim Club treatment rooms, land&water products stir a warm glow and an elevated sense of wellbeing – from body wraps to reflexology, facials and massages.
The prize includes a two-night bed & breakfast stay for two at Watergate Bay Hotel, two land&water treatments of your choice, plus a land&water skincare bundle worth £300. Best of luck!
For more information, visit watergatebay.co.uk; @watergatebay, plus land-and-water.co.uk;
@landandwater_
How to enter
For your chance to win a two-night stay at Watergate Bay Hotel, enter our competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 9 July 2025.
Q: What is the name of the luxury product range used in Watergate Bay’s Swim Club treatment rooms?
Terms and conditions
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 9 July 2025. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Prize must be taken by 30.06.26, and excludes school holidays. Subject to availability. The winner is responsible for transport to and from the hotel. 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.
Looking for the template to make our bag from the June issue? You’re in the right place
You can make the bag pictured above from a selection of material scraps using the instructions and kit list from our Weekend Project in our June issue. But first you’ll need the template for the bag strap tabs (the orange pieces connecting the bag to the strap) which you can click to print below and then cut out.
Click here to download the bag tab template
You can find all the instructions to make this belt bag, as well as a matching lanyard in our June issue. And look out for a similar project to make a key fob on our blog soon!
Camping is full of highs and lows but somehow it’s always worth it. Here, some of the Simple Things team - at least the more seasoned campers - share some of their most memorable camping moments.
You’ve not been camping until…
“...the airbed deflates in the night. It happens every time - and somehow you forget until the next time you're sleeping on one. The most memorable occasion, camping in north Wales, the tent was leaking too. My friend and I gave up and retreated to the car, where we reclined the front seats and slept there.”
Jo Mattock, Commissioning Editor
You’ve not been camping until…
“...you try and put up a tent on the edge of a cliff in a gale. We bought a new tent for the kids when we went to Dorset and were staying on a campsite that went ups to the cliff edge. Our bell tent went up fine, but when we tried to put up the new one (which obviously we didn’t look at before, seasoned campers that we are) it was a lightweight nightmare. The kids hid in the car as we were nearly blown away and took about three attempts to get it pitched correctly. We had an audience of other unhelpful campers who cheered when we finally got it up and didn’t go off the edge of the cliff (it felt like the same cheer when you’re working in a pub and drop some glasses, I was not very amused).”
Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor
You’ve not been camping until…
“you’ve gone glamping with friends in September in ‘Jane Austen country’ and listened to the sound of deer rutting in the field next door ALL night, with eight inquisitive children all asking what that noise is and why the stag is called ‘Mr Darcy’.”
Iona Bower, Editor at Large
You’ve not been camping until…
“...you've eaten brioche rolls for three days solid and shared the last tea bag between three.”
Rebecca Frank, Wellbeing Editor
You’ve not been camping until…
“...you've found ingenious ways to utilise every bit of kit. Growing up, we had a yellow plastic crate that was used to ship all the food needed for our holiday. And once in situ, it was turned upside down and used as a side table (all the home comforts!), a portable washing up station and a toddler bath/paddling pool for my younger sister. It even became a makeshift potty at one point, when she climbed in, squatted down, then stood up and proudly remarked ‘Now that's what I call a real tortoise!’ It's now family folklore and still laughed about some 35 years later.”
And finally, from TST’s most seasoned camper… you’ve not been camping until…
“...You’ve watched the stars while having a wee in the middle of the night, you’ve made ‘second breakfast’, you’ve won the prize of ‘the one comfy camp chair’, you’ve listened to the rain ping off the tent and know it is not leaking, you’ve sipped a whisky by the light of the campfire, you’ve not seen the kids for at least an hour, you’ve packed the tent up before the rain arrives. Less positively: you’ve had to retrieve the dog from someone else’s camp larder, you’ve had a six-hour drive and then had a row while putting up the tent, there’s ice on the inside of the tent.”
Lisa Sykes, Editor
This blog was inspired by our ‘Looking Back’ feature, which we’ve called ‘Happy Campers’ from our May issue. You can read it from page 70 of the issue.
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Photo by Alamy
In the UK, it’s almost exclusively the males that sing, though recent studies reveal that females of many species also sing to their mates and nestlings, especially in the tropics.
But why sing at dawn? In fact, most songsters perform throughout the day, but they save their most forceful, committed singing for the early morning. This may be because there’s less human and other sound at that time and, being cooler, there are fewer insects and other food to find, too. Singing takes a lot of energy, so the male may as well do it when food is less available and his voice travels further in the still morning air. The end result is a torrent of glorious song cascading over park, garden and meadow in the early hours. By April, resident birds are joined by migrant singers such as the warblers who, as their name suggests, add their own melodies to the mix. By early May, the full choir of breeding songbirds is in voice.
Read more about the dawn chorus in our feature ‘The Early Bird’ from our May issue.
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We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.
