Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i The Simple Things

First cuppa of the day and where can we find you? It’s freshly squeezed lemon and ginger. I drink it while snuggled up, reading with my daughter. It’s still dark. We hate to disturb you, but tell us a bit about yourself I’m the Founder and Creative Director of Victoria Eggs. I work from home and I start each day with a single important task that I need to achieve - anything from designing to inventory forecasting. Fancy a quick drink first? Rooibos green tea please, with a crumpet or biscuit if you’ve got one. We’ll have a look. Favourite mug? The Santa’s Sleigh mug from my Christmas collection. It was inspired by my childhood memories of the season’s anticipation and magic. When do you stop for Christmas? I’ll take…

Zimbabwe has become the first African country to approve a WHO-approved HIV prevention drug. Globally, it follows Australia and the US, and is part of strategy to end AIDS by 2030. 600 Watts of thermal energy can be produced by dancers, so Glasgow-based SWG3 has installed a dancefloor to absorb and convert body heat, which it’ll use to regulate the club's temperature. COASTAL CLEAN-UP The Wadi Gaza wetlands area in the Mediterranean is making a comeback after decades of pollution by sewage, thanks to a UN-backed clean-up effort. Clean water activists EcoPeace Middle East have been uniting people from across geo-political divides to restore the habitat.…

This festive season, find luxury in the little things, Whether that’s time spent with loved ones, cosy nights in, the twinkle of candles or memorable Christmas decorations hanging from the tree. A planet conscious Christmas Shopkeeper of the month A new way of selling, with community at its heart MIMMO Studios, founded by Lil Gardiner and Katie Brown in 2021, sells womenswear and homewares with a focus on quality. Aware that the fashion industry is directly contributing to the climate crisis, the pair set out to prove there’s another way of doing things, without harming the planet. Each brand has a purpose, story and a very good reason for being in store. Super local brands from as close as Stroud include Mussi knitwear, Maisie Pack prints and Couper et Coudre…

Middleport Artisan Market Showcasing the best makers, bakers and creators, in partnership with Re-Form Heritage at the award-winning Middleport Pottery in Staffordshire. The event takes place on 3/4 and 10/11 December. re-form.org/middleportpottery London Makers Market at House of Vans > Set under Waterloo station and spread across 5 railway arches, House of Vans is an atmospheric venue for a festive market. Expect to see unique, ecoconscious, handmade items. The market takes place 3 December, 11-5pm. londonmakersmarket.com Cardiff Christmas Market This well-established Christmas Market, situated in the city centre, has over 200 businesses selling diverse arts and crafts interspersed with seasonal food and drink. Running continuously from 10 November until Christmas Eve. cardiffchristmasmarket.com Waddesdon Christmas Fair Set against the backdrop of Waddesdon Manor, Bucks, this annual fair sees a host of…

My treasure is a mini time machine, taking me back to a time and place with amazing accuracy - Christmas day, 1970, and I’m in our living room. It’s a small round tape measure, with a Scottie dog on one side and a gold button on the other which, when pressed, automatically (and thrillingly) winds the tape into its case with a pleasing whoosh. We didn’t have central heating back then, but that Christmas day the living room was warm and toasty, courtesy of a coal fire. Every so often my dad would open a small glass door to feed coal to the fiery roar, withdrawing his hand rapidly, as if from the jaws of a tiger. After a few hours a distant rumbling would reach our ears from upstairs.…

Tis the season DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL It won’t make the washing up go down any quicker but surely this robin and holly design will make it that bit jollier? Matching gloves and apron also available. £12, thornbackandpeel.co.uk WHEEL WORDS Create as many words of four letters or more using the given letters once only but always including the middle letter. Do not use proper names or plurals. See if you can find the nine-letter word using up all letters. (answers on page 120) "Do anything, but let it produce joy" Walt Whitman A key symbol of alchemy, where a guiding aim was turning lesser metals into this: gold. In use from the 7th century, the symbols helped hide formulas from prying eyes. Classed as a ‘planetary metal’, gold's…

ACROSS 2. Hook-shaped confectionery, … cane 4. Spheres 5. Satin strip for a present 8. Twists 9. Christmas tree topper 12. Tiny twinkling ornaments, … lights 14. Wine gums & fruit drops 16. Heavenly being 17. “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks; Dressed in holiday style; In the air; There’s a feeling of Christmas,” begins the song … Bells 20. Crackers (3, 4) 23. “All I want for Christmas is my … front teeth” 24. Wax light 25. How many drummers were drumming (along with the eleven pipers piping) 26. The Holly and the … 27. Wreath colour DOWN 1. Who, according to the song, was kissing mommy underneath the mistletoe 3. Reply to Virginia’s famous letter to the New York Sun 4. Small fruits 6. Christmas song, Jingle … 7. Handheld firework 8. What you hang by the chimney 10. “And so up to the housetop the reindeer soon flew, with the…

The phrase ‘pleasure is found first in anticipation, later in memory’ is made for Christmas, and Christmas Eve specifically. If you can get to the 24th without losing it, then this is the day to stop and smell the Christmas roses*. There are time-honoured rituals to be followed today. The hanging of the stockings; Leaving out a bite to eat and a warming tot for Father Christmas, and carrots for his reindeer; And poring over the double issue Radio Times with a highlighter in hand. The day is often busy with last minute preparations (and finding ways to wipe children out before bedtime) But sometimes the most magical part of Christmas is spending an hour or two when the house is quiet, the tree is trimmed and every present is…

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE nature Project Mistletoe kissing ball Bring lots of greenery and a little Victorian romance to your home. Take either a piece of gardening wire, or some long, bendy twigs such as willow, and fashion into a circle. If you want a ring shape to hang, just weave a few more branches or pieces of wire around it for a more rounded, rustic look. If you want a ball, you’ll need to make two rings and fit them together to form a globe. Once your basic shape is made, poke greenery into the gaps between the wires or branches until the whole frame is covered. For a ring, hang a sprig of mistletoe in the centre. For a ball, hang a good bunch from the bottom…

Joy Milne always knew she had an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell. For many years it was inconvenient, meaning she had to avoid the supermarket detergent aisle. But in recent years, her skill has taken a life-changing turn. In the early 1980s she noticed a change in the way her late husband smelled. She didn’t think much of it at the time, but nine years later, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she realised that other people with the illness all smelled the same. She mentioned it in passing to a university researcher who was intrigued enough to follow up. Scientists devised an experiment where she had to sniff T-shirts and say whether the owners had Parkinson’s or not. “Joy’s observations have led to research into finding a simple…

COMPETITION The festive season - many of us spend all year looking forward to the final crescendo of the year, when celebrations fill the social calendar and spending valuable time with loved ones takes centre-stage. Whether it’s sipping bubbles at parties or bracing winter walks followed by cosy afternoons in front of the fire, life is full. But as we move into a new year, things slow down to a more sustainable pace and thoughts tend to turn to plans and ambitions for the year ahead. If you’re longing to pencil in a treat on the horizon - but something a little more peaceful than activities of late - then a glamping break might be just what you’re after. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Blackdown Shepherd Huts and…

A long time fan of a late night stroll, awardwinning nature writer John Lewis-Stempel gathers four seasonal forays in four terrains – wood, river, hill and field – in his home county of Herefordshire. He describes the allure of an after dark stroll with typical poetic aplomb. The darkened world becomes ‘a dark adventurous continent, from which one returns with explorers’ tales of wonder’ such as seeing a bold badger, boxing hares, glow worms, and hearing the ghostly screech of a tawny owl, and wind-whipped hawthorn bushes. Evocative and encouraging, it’s an invitation to head off on your own midnight meander. It’s time to become a creature of the night. (Doubleday)…

Advent Street by Carol Ann Duffy; Illustrated by Yelena Bryksenkova There’s a melancholy beauty to Carol Ann Duffy’s December poem. It tells of a brokenhearted person coming to live above a corner shop on the ever-lively Advent Street. Dressed in a shadow coat and at a loss to know what to do with their sadness, they take to wandering the street at night, looking in windows. The sights they see - an old man whistling to a tiny tangerine bird, happy neighbours and a little girl practising the piano - mend their heart as the December days pass. Beautifully illustrated by TST contributor Yelena Bryksenkova - whose pictures glow and gleam with life - Advent Street is just glorious. (Picador)…

COMPETITION Ooh, we love a good short story. And the Christmas holidays often offer a little respite with more time for reading and writing. So, here’s your New Year challenge; write a piece of microfiction and enter our competition. Microfiction is short… really short. You have just 100 words to tell a whole story, so it’s important to make every word count. We’re giving you a subject - DECEMBER - but the subject and mood of your story is up to you. You may decide on the magic of midwinter, or go full-on Christmas as your setting. We’ll print our favourites in next year’s December edition of The Simple Things. Microfiction may be short but it can be full of comedy, tragedy and wit. A nice twist never hurts and…

“The unadulterated joy for Christmas that you have as a child has stayed with me and I have absolutely no time for any grinch-like nonsense. In the UK, it seems to be frowned upon to go crazy decorating the outside of your house. It can be seen as tacky, but I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be! I used an old sleigh, a set of wooden skis and an old pair of ice skating boots, all found at antique fairs. Two pre-lit pine garlands adorn the porch gable and there’s a festive wreath to match. In times such as these, I think it’s more important than ever to spread the joy.” JP Clark, Emsworth, Hampshire @jpslifeandloves "I always choose a theme for my festive door - this…

Stood in her fragrant kitchen, under a garland of twinkling fairy lights, Rose drops cloves, orange slices, star anise and cinnamon into a pan for mulled wine. On a stool beside her, Bea is a Christmas angel in Rose’s too long apron and a halo of flour. Amid the mess of pastry and icing sugar, Rose heaves the box of decorations onto the table, and they begin. Excitedly, Bea’s sugary fingers dive for the three kings she made out of clothes pegs with Granny: glued on crowns of tin foil and cheerful crayoned faces. Rose unwraps the hand-blown glass bauble she brought back from Venice, years ago: before Ben, before Bea. They marvel at its beauty and hang it in the kitchen window to watch it spin in the pale…

Gruffydd had always thought that winter made the past feel closer, its golden light magnifying every yesterday. Perhaps it was the way the trees longed for their lost leaves that made him feel that way, the wood’s melancholy yearning for the fullness of summer. He stood by the hives a moment before opening the smoker and rummaging in the canvass bag at his feet for the old egg box he’d put there. He ripped it up before pushing the pieces into the canister, lighting a match and watching as the flames took hold. He had experimented over the years, tried dried grasses, pinecones, decaying wood; and had at last perfected the art of producing clean white smoke that did not catch in your throat as you worked. The aim was…

CUT OUT AND KEEP Leftovers Christmas pie There’s surely not much that’s as satisfying as whacking your leftovers into a hearty pie to feed you in the lull before New Year. Leftovers Christmas pie Serves 4 200g butter 300g stoneground unbleached white flour 500ml whole milk 200g Cheddar cheese (or any leftover Christmas cheese), grated ½ nutmeg, grated 300g brussels sprouts, sliced (or any leftover veg) 200g leftover ham, shredded (or use bacon lardons) 300g leftover turkey 500g rough puff pastry 1 egg, beaten 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, beating it into the butter to make a paste. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go, to make a silky white sauce. 2 Add the grated cheese to the sauce, along…

REFLECTION Honesty boxes hold a special place in my heart - simple unmanned spaces selling home grown and handmade produce with a jam jar for a till. Both a national treasure and a global movement, these tiny beacons of trust are powerful symbols of a generous, hopeful humanity. I can’t think of a better antidote to current times. The realisation that I should set up my own honesty box came at the end of a long day’s hike through tiny villages on the edge of Dartmoor. I stopped at every roadside stall we passed and crammed my rucksack with jars of chilli-flecked marrow relish, pots of jewel berry jam and a sticky lemon drizzle cake. The eggs we bought from a rickety table outside a farm gate were nestled precariously…

GOOD THINGS TO EAT Welcome to my veg patch Take a stroll with me through my garden and watch it change through the seasons. I’ll share what I’m planting, harvesting and cooking - I’ll also share my successes… and my failures. We’ll gather the goodies in a muddy bucket and head to the kitchen to make joyful meals (we’ll even use the slug-nibbled ones). These are the simple, seasonal recipes I make after a day in the garden. I hope they inspire and give you some new ways to celebrate nature’s bounty. The dog’s name is Hadleigh, by the way. The season of goodwill There’s nothing lovelier than giving someone a gift you’ve grown. You arrive at their house with a bag of goodies - full of life, colour and…

PAVING THE WAY How one artist is taking street art quite literally A ll across Europe, potholes are being repaired with beautiful mosaics and tiling. They’re the work of French street artist EMemem, who calls the art of making the bright patches in paving Flacking, a play on the French word flaque, which means puddle. It’s a kind of kintsugi for streets, repairing a breach in a way that makes it more beautiful rather than disguising it. “I repair the wounds but at the same time I open a breach into what is possible,” he explains. “Perhaps it makes places seem more open and more tolerant, but in any case, I hope these works of art make the experience of walking the urban landscape less impersonal.” “Jin - JIYAN -…

What happens to well-loved soft toys and teddies when their owners grow out of them? When volunteer charity shop worker Charlotte Liebling saw them going to landfill she decided something had to change. She set up Loved Before, where old toys could get a new lease of life… and love. Toy donations - which often arrive with a little story of their past life - are washed and restored before being listed on Loved Before’s website (lovedbefore.london). Half of all profits have also been donated to charities, including Make-A-Wish UK. “At Christmas, millions of toys will be bought and millions more pumped out by factories, while toys still perfect for love, play and plenty more adventures go to landfill,” explains Charlotte. “Giving a once-loved toy another life isn’t just a…

Spice: A Cook’s Companion by Mark Diacono Cheeky, cheerful and brimful of enthusiasm, Mark Diacono celebrates a cavalcade of international spices, from the gentle earthiness of South American achiote, and the sweetly aromatic Caribbean allspice to the instantly recognisable vanilla and the less familiar verbena berries with their lemon sherbet zing. He uses these dried seeds and berries to embellish and enhance a range of dishes, adding flavour, savour and delicious scent to recipes, which include festive Seven-Spiced Roast Sprouts, which aim to ‘transform the life-giving act of feeding into the lifeenhancing pleasure of eating.’ (Quadrille)…

This season, immerse yourself in Gudrun Sjöden’s latest collection - a gorgeous love letter to the brand's heritage of Nordic folklore and textile arts. A rich range bursting with pattern joy, swirling botanical motifs and bold stripes, all in a palette of frosty white, tomato red, aubergine and golden citrus, be creative with winter layering and play with combining warming, tactile materials, contrasting block colours and patterns. If all this inspires you, enter our competition to win one of two vouchers - each worth £200 - to spend online or in store. FRUITFUL FASHION Included in the collection is the cosy Apelsin sweater with its lustrous citrus print, which is sure to inject some vitamin C into your wardrobe, while the Orsa dress makes the ideal Christmas outfit and comes…

Pine When Victoria and Albert brought the German tradition of the Christmas tree into Windsor Castle in 1841, they knew little of the folklore they were creating, or the multi-million pound industry that would follow. Today, no festive home is complete without a Christmas tree, often a Norway spruce. It’s this type of tree that has stood in London’s Trafalgar Square every year since 1947, given by the city of Oslo as thanks for British assistance in World War Two. Our British counterpart to the Norway pine, the Scots pine, covered much of the Scottish Highlands until the industry and clearances of the 17th century. Now only tiny fragments of these ancient forests remain, although rewilding projects are regenerating new pinewoods. Tree dressing traditions go back as far as the…

PINES COME IN PACKETS Long, pointy needles held together in groups FIRS ARE FRIENDLY & FLAT Flat, bLunt needles that are soft and bend easiLy SPRUCE ARE SQUARE & SHARP Long, squared needles with sharp ends JUNIPERS JUT OUT IN SCALY JAGS Scaly Looking needles that branch off repeatedly CEDARS ARE SOFT & CYAN Soft, scaly, feathery blue to green needles BALD CYPRESS GO BROWN & SHED Soft, scaly, feathery needles brown and fall annually LOCKS OF LARCH LOSE THEIR LEAVES Soft tufts of needles that yellow and fall in autumn These clever clues have been devised by Megan Kuhlenschmidt of Wild Prairie images, a graphic designer based in Illinois, United States, who creates ID prints and planners ready to download from her Etsy shop, wildprairieimages.etsy.com…

The model village wasn’t usually open at night. The Christmas evenings had been Ivy’s idea - an attempt to avoid going out of business. The one-twelfth scale shops and houses had all been dressed in their festive finest, with tiny wreaths hung upon the doors and miniature Christmas trees in every garden. Ivy had spent hours bent over the workbench, using tweezers to place the smallest strings of tinsel and hang mini baubles and candy canes. Every tree was topped with a gold star that sparkled in the lamplight. There was a new hot chocolate menu, too: everything from spiced nutmeg to white peppermint. Mugs piled high with whipped cream, marshmallows and sprinkles. Now the opening night was finally here, and everything was prettier than Ivy could have imagined. Snow…

PLAYLIST Carol of the Bells The O'Pears Winter Wonderland Darlene Love What Christmas means to me Stevie Wonder Who Took the merry Out of Christmas The Staple Singers I Wish it Was Christmas Today Julian Casablancas Ding Dong Bell The Ethiopians Little Saint nick The Beach Boys merry Christmas Baby Otis Redding Gee Whiz, it's Christmas Carla Thomas It's a Marshmallow World Jo Stafford Christmas All Over Again Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Driving Under Stars marika Hackman 25th December Everything But The Girl Glittery Kacey musgraves, ft Troye Sivan I Saw mommy Kissing Santa Claus Amy Winehouse Hear the Bells Calexico Christmas Always Finds me Ingrid Andress For the full playlist, take a listen at: thesimplethings.com/blog/achristmasmood stop look listen “Later on, we’ll conspire As we dream by the fire…