Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i The Simple Things

ELLA YOUNG is a yoga teacher in Leeds and founder of Rasa Teas. Her simple thing is reading beside her partner. @rasateas / @ellayoung wellness How do you spend the first hours of the day? Mornings are special. As a yoga and ayurveda practitioner, they're about purifying my body. The first thing I do is scrape my tongue with a copper tool. Then I'll have hot water. I leave water in my copper flask overnight (an ancient ayurvedic ritual), then drink it warm. Then what's next? After a run or Pilates, I'll have porridge: oats in hazelnut milk with chopped medjool dates and tahini, finished off with honey and more. A Chocolate Chai infusion is a great accompaniment. Then I'll walk or cycle to a studio to teach. How do…

It neither was the words nor yet the tune. Any tune would have done and any words. Any listener or no listener at all. As nightingales in rocks or a child crooning in its own world of strange awakening or larks for no reason but themselves. So on the bus through late November running by yellow lights tormented, darkness falling, the two girls sang for miles and miles together and it wasn't the words or tune. It was the singing. It was the human sweetness in that yellow, the unpredicted voices of our kind. “We need a new music, not new imagery but a new music,” mused the poet and author lain Crichton Smith, who grew up as a Gaelic speaker, on the Isle of Lewis, near Stornaway. His lyrical,…

Life expectancy in Africa has risen by ten years since 2000. The World Health Organisation credits improvements in many health services, as well as progress in the fight against diseases like HIV. $3bn is the value of clothing company Patagonia, which has recently been donated to a charitable trust by its founder Yvon Chouinard to help in the fight against climate change. RARE CITY SPOT Pine martens are critically endangered in the UK - only regularly spotted in the New Forest and in Scotland. But cameras set up to keep an eye on hedgehogs have clocked them in London, the first time they've been seen in the region for 100 years.…

Queen Elizabeth 1 used silk girdles to hold her menstrual pads in place - as it was commonplace to go knickerless, this was the only way to keep them secure. Period blood was once used medicinally as it was believed to have ‘rejuvenating' properties. In Ancient Greece, if a girl's period didn't arrive, she'd be bled from the veins as a build-up of ‘maddening' blood was thought to make a person crazy and aggressive (later known as ‘hysteria' named after the Greek term for womb, hystera). In Medieval Europe, it was thought that menstruation brought evil, supernatural powers, so herbs were worn around the waist in an attempt to disguise periods. Periods are viewed by different cultures and religions in different ways, but many religions have traditionally seen them as…

People often describe what I do as origami but it's completely different, it's closer to sculpture. I use crepe paper - but not the thin, flimsy kind you might've used at school I started making flowers in 2013. Originally, I did a fine art degree and was working a lot with digital photography, but I felt restless and wanted to go back to working with my hands. I came across crepe paper flowers and was instantly drawn to them - I couldn't believe how realistic they could be. I took an online class and bought a vintage booklet, which taught me more of the traditional techniques. After some great feedback on social media, I set up my studio, A Petal Unfolds, in 2016. How long each one takes really depends…

Blanket > €149, lapuankankurit.fi Shopkeeper of the month Northern lights Showcasing the work of creatives from the North East of England Run by husband-and-wife team Paul and Lucy Hull, For The Love of the North, which resides beneath the iconic white dome of the Spanish City in Whitley Bay, stocks a collection of sustainable gifts, prints and cards that showcase local coastlines, countryside, towns and cities. With a range of Christmas cards and decorations for those who wish to add a unique North East twist to the coming festivities - wrapped in brown paper, tied up with string and finished with their very own ‘Tourist Tip' - it's a great place to start your Christmas shopping. For The Love of the North actively support their local community by championing a…

Winter Artisan Market >For four days, 100 local makers will fill Harewood House's North Park Walk for a seasonal market. As well as starting your Christmas shopping, you can also take in the stunning grounds during your visit. Taking place 3-6 November at Harewood House, Leeds, with entry £5. harewood.org/whats-on Liverpool Print Fair >The bi-annual art market, with original prints by independent artists, is a celebration of printmaking. A place to buy affordable artwork and meet the makers, it takes place 5-6 November at Chapters of Us, 44 Simpson Street. liverpoolprintfair.co.uk Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors Fair >With up to 1,700 stalls selling thousands of goods, this is a huge antiques fair not to be missed. The next fair takes place over two days, 1-2 November, at the South of…

GROWING There's something kid-in-the-candyshop about the soft fruit season. Bushes blanketed in pink, red and black berries like boiled sweets, glistening in the late summer sun. But why stop at raspberries and blackcurrants? More unusual varieties of soft fruit bring exoticism and a heady perfume to the garden or vegetable plot. And they provide berries that you simply can't buy in the shops. Aromatic ‘Black Jewel' raspberries with their ebony fruits and blush-white canes, for example, and plump jostaberries - a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry, but with none of the thorns. Or wineberries, with fruits encased in monster-like jaws of thick orange-red bristles - straight out of The Gruffalo. These 'calyx' protect the fruits until they're ripe and then… pop! They gape open to reveal a juicy…

GAMES Artful play Forget about keeping within the lines, these games encourage carefree creativity, and perhaps some contemplation, too DRAW WITH A BLINDFOLD Or draw a subject you can see (such as flowers) on paper hidden from your sight. DRAW WHILE ARM WRESTLING Or performing some other physical task, or draw upwards, for example while lying underneath a table, or with your non-dominant hand. DRAW TO ORDER Find someone to draw what you want. THE EXQUISITE CORPSE Each participant takes turns drawing on a sheet of paper, folding it to conceal his or her contribution, and then passing it to the next player for a further contribution. This game gained popularity in creative circles during the 1920s when adopted as a technique by artists of the Surrealist movement to generate…

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE Birdwatch Once endangered, siskins are now thriving in the UK. These finches are resident all year but are joined by visiting cousins from Scandinavia in winter so you're more likely to see one now. Look for: Canary yellow feathers with black stripes on the side (which helps you tell them apart from a greenfinch) and a curved beak. Males have a black cap, too. Spot them: In gardens - they love a bird table, particularly one with niger seed on offer. They also love alder, pine and spruce cones, so look out for them in those trees. Listen for: A rather harmonious &tilu, tilu' call. FOLKLORE: Turning thr Devil's Stone, Shebbear On 5 November as the rest of us are enjoying bonfire and firework displays,…

How to spot sloe Blackthorn grows up to 5m tall as a shrub or small tree, with dark, spiky branches and small, serrated leaves. The berries are round, black or dulled purple, and around 1-1.5cm across. Forage in woodlands, hedges, along riverbanks, scrublands, rocky places, dry coppices and meadows in mid-autumn. Pick after the first frost (with gloved hands), when the fruits tend to be softer and sweeter. Though you can pick them earlier and freeze to ‘fake' this stage. Sloe treacle tart A hearty treat for colder months with a beautifully crumbly oatmeal pastry. Tastes like an autumn afternoon in a slice. Serves 8-10 90g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 90g wholemeal flour 2 tbsp soft brown sugar (optional) 50g oatmeal 125g butter, cut into cubes 400ml sloe…

Threads of Survival started as a lockdown project in 2020 and is now an ongoing document of history and protest. Using textiles and stitching, 160 quilters have shared their experiences, telling the story of our times. The 28 quilts are part of a roaming exhibition, and work continues, providing comments on healthcare, community and politics through craft. They're open to new collaborators, too. “The quilts and textile pieces are records of a very important historical era and we are continuing to record our social history,” explains Steve Carne, co-founder of the project. “Like all good art they create their own emotional connection with those who come to see them. We've had people burst into tears, have arguments and talk with us and one another. The exhibition has proved to us…

In a nutshell Author Jasreen Mayal Khanna explores the Sikh nature of doing good, otherwise known as seva - or selfless service. She describes this ‘fearless generosity in helping absolute strangers without any expectation of reward or personal gain' as the most impactful thing the Sikh community does. There's much historical evidence of Sikh volunteers rallying at times of disaster, most recently during the pandemic where free food (langar) and access to vaccines and healthcare was offered by Sikh volunteers around the world. What's behind it? To understand seva it helps to understand the origins of Sikhism. Around 550 years old, its founder Guru Nanak preached about kindness, equality and hard work at a time when the Hindu caste system was prevalent in Punjab, India. He created a religion to…

We've come a long way since periods were mentioned in whispers, and referred to in code, ranging from the mildly amusing to the more macabre (‘Aunty Flo', ‘on the blob' or ‘The Curse' anyone?) Period is, thankfully, no longer a dirty word. But let's not forget that it wasn't even said on television until spoken by Courteney Cox in a 1985 Tampax ad and we didn't see the first actual sanitary pad until 2016. Period drama has taken on a whole new meaning with demonstrations against period shaming and poverty, including the likes of poet Rupi Kaur's image of her period-stained jogging bottoms – which has been removed by Instagram multiple times – and marathon runner Kiran Gandhi who completed a race in blood-stained leggings. There are new and innovative…

1 Plastic-free periods Plastic tampon applicators are one of the most common waste items washed up on our beaches They can be substituted for re-usable or bio-degradable cardboard applicators. Try natracare.com for organic tampons and pads, wearedame.co for reusable applicators and period underwear and totm.com for menstrual cups. 2 Period pants We're not talking about the old pair of pants at the back of your drawer! Period underwear looks like normal pants but with a discreet absorbable lining so you can wear, wash and re-use. They're available for different flow levels and in varying styles, machine washable at cool temperature. Check out modibodi.co.uk or wuka.co.uk. 3 Tracking apps Get to know your cycle better including the average length, flow and any accompanying physical and emotional symptoms you experience by logging details onto an app.…

At37, I'm not ashamed to admit that one of my greatest sources of comfort is still a set of illustrations and stories from my childhood. As a little girl, Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge stories - my favourite being Winter Story - were very precious to me, so much so, that in all my original copies, I wrote ‘Keep out, these books belong to Frances, you need a key to open them (you didn't) and it's top secret.' Hours were spent poring over the intricate designs of houses built into trees for the mousey characters, cosy bedtimes by open fires and secret staircases. Even then, I knew there was something special about these books, even if it is only now - 27 years later - that lean put it in to…

→ Becca Rea-Tucker's novel take on therapeutic baking marries the sensory delight of making cakes with a corresponding emotion. Dividing the recipes into five feelings - happy, sad, mad, anxious and hopeful - she's created a bake with each one in mind. Contentment comes in the shape of Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies - a burst of flavour in every happy bite. Banish boredom with CoffeeGlazed Cinnamon Rolls; vengefulness is vanquished by fiery Black Pepper Snowballs, as bitterness is baked away in Chocolate Espresso Shortbread, and for those days when everything is just too much, Coconut No Bakes, for a little bit of effort and a lot of reward. (Harper Wave)…

Days Like These: An Alternative Guide To The Year in 366 Poems by Brian Bilston → Funny, poignant and righteously furious, the brilliant Brian Bilston has composed a calendar's worth of poems. He celebrates International Women's Day with a list of poets to check out, composes a cheeky ode to mark the day the Sistine Chapel first opened to visitors - You've Lost Your Love of Ceiling, 5th November is about ‘giant bonfires, spectacular fireworks, terrified pets and some very worried hedgehogs,' while the 24th is dedicated to the day On The Origin of Species was published; entitled A Short Poem for Creationists, it begins with the line: 'The only thing which has not evolved…' (Picador)…

“This table is over 35 years old and has been all around the world with us. It lived with us in New Zealand when my children were small, then on to Canada. It came with us to Qatar and now has its final resting place in our old barn. The chunky table legs have been chewed by all of my dogs and puppies and, along with the tabletop, have been stripped and painted several times due to so many spills and stains from years of glitter and glue, food and drink. I've often debated buying a new table, but it holds sentimental value as it's older than all my children. We have so many fond memories of birthday parties and family and friends gathered around it. Whenever my children return…

We've got soul DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL We‘d love to get our claws on this charming crustacean. printed onto crisp cotton. Pick up the matching gloves and apron for the ultimate in lobster love. £12 from thonbackandpeel.co.uk MATCHBOXES PUZZLE “Books are the mirrors of the soul”Virginia Woolf in Between the Acts Virginia Woolf in Between the Acts {#} Exact origins unknown, but 1800s typewriter manuals suggest it meant both ‘number' and ‘pound'. Used in 1970s computer programming to group things. In 2007, a similar Twitter use was proposed to help filter topics. The rest is #history. WHAT TO DO WITH… A PAIR OF TIGHTS PRACTICAL: slip over the end of your Hoover nozzle to find small, lost items. Or cut off feet and fill with them with lavender for…

Dip netting Birds like the pelican can use their lower mandible like a fishing net -with an in-built pouch helping them hold the catch of the day. Grain eating Darwin's evolution theories have engrained finches in history books, as he noted the shorter, conical beaks most suited to grain grazers. Filter feeding The only time you might want hairs in your food. In the likes of flamingos, hairy 'lamellae' in beaks help filter food from any debris. Fruit eating Not big headed: it's disproportionately small compared to the beak. But can be smug about the serrations that work as a built-in fruit peeler. Chiselling Something of a bore, using their long, strong beak to chisel into trees to find insects. Keep their pecker up thanks to extra layers of keratin.…

CUT OUT AND KEEP Char siu puffs Moreish little morsels of succulently aromatic Chinese roast pork wrapped in puff pastry, for eating cold, or straight off the cooling rack. Char siu puffs Makes 12-15 1kg pork shoulder 500ml Chinese BBQ Sauce (shopbought or homemade) 2 star anise 375g ready-rolled puff pastry 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water 1 Cut the pork into 2 equal pieces and place on a large baking tray along with the Chinese BBQ Sauce and star anise, massaging the sauce into the meat. Cover and leave for at least 2 hrs in the fridge. 2 Remove the pork from the fridge at least 1-2 hrs before you want to roast it to allow it to return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6,…

SHOTLEY PINOT NOIR, 2020, £19.49 So smooth we even put Barry White on to listen to while enjoying this lovely little Pinot Noir. It's beautifully balanced, a fantastic easy drinking red, which would go rather well with the Bean harvest stew. DAVENPORT HORSMONDEN, £18.99 An amazing organic white from Sussex. This medium-bodied white has a peach and floral aroma, and is a real treat that will go wonderfully with the roast chicken. RED BROOK ESTATE BACCHUS, 2021, £18.99 A fantastic example of an English Bacchus from East Anglia - and in a paper bottle, too, so you're saving the environment at the same time. Will be a fantastic pairing with the Sweet potato gratin. Best served super chilled. Recommendations by Neil Walker, founder of The English Vine. For more information…

MULLED WINE AND CRANBERRY TEA BREAD Serves 12 A wine-mulling spice bag* 200ml light, fruity red wine 1 tbsp clear honey 75g ready-to-eat dried figs, chopped 50g crystallised stem ginger, chopped 75g blanched almonds, chopped 50g dried cranberries 50g dried sour cherries 100g light brown soft sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Zest of 2 oranges 100g fresh cranberries 225g self-raising flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground allspiceFOR THE TOPPING: 75g dried cranberries (or dried sour cherries, or sultanas) 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice 4 tbsp redcurrant jam 1 Start by lining a buttered 7cm deep loaf tin with baking paper. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 2-3. 2 Place the spice bag in a pan with the red wine and honey and slowly bring to a…

Do what frightens you “Sometimes writing is scary and it feels like I can't do it, but I have to take myself there to feel fulfilled, for my sense of curiosity.” Be present “It's so easy in life to feel like we're working towards this golden place in the future where life will start, but recognising that this is your life right now, this moment, it's a constant practice. It's hard but important.” There's no right way to do things “I loved having children young. Your life is less stable, but you have this energy - everything's chaotic and messy anyway. There's a slight stigma about being a young mum, like you're missing out on your life, but I'm so close to my older kids, it breaks a generational barrier…

HERITAGE Donetsk in the late 1980s may have been a crumbling steel and coal town in eastern Ukraine and the subject of a TV documentary I was producing, but, for me at least, it took on a far greater significance as the place where my passion for seeking out, sowing, savouring and sharing rare and delicious vegetables started. Forced by circumstance to take over the kitchen in our hotel in order to feed my crew, I visited the only place where you could buy fresh food: the market. An elderly woman was selling produce from her garden, which included a luscious deep red pepper. Once in the kitchen, I took a bite. The pepper was sweet, but also had a spicy kick to it. I was hooked, and the next…

When Marcelina Bautista left her indigenous community in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, aged 14 and speaking no Spanish, to work in domestic service, she couldn't have known the impact that she'd have on improving domestic workers' rights. Campaigning since she was 17, her activism has led to better social security for domestic workers, and reform of Mexican labour laws. In 2000, she set up the Center for Support and Training of Domestic Workers (CACEH) to defend the rights of domestic workers. Since the pandemic, her work has sparked change across Latin America. In response to huge employment abuses through lockdown, CACEH created an app called Dignas, which calculates what is legally owed to domestic workers if they're dismissed. It's been so successful that non-profits led by domestic workers are…

WARM THE HEARTS - AND WINE OF LOVED ONES WITH THIS PRETTY SPICE MIX PROUDLY HOMEMADE MULLING SPICES FOR WINE It's often small, heartfelt gestures that mean the most, and this spice mix certainly ticks that box. YOU WILL NEED:1 lemon 2 orange slices (sliced thinly) 1 large cinnamon stick, or 2 small ones 2 star anise 4 whole cloves 1 nutmeg, grated 1 vanilla pod, split 5 cardamom seeds, crushed 1 bay leaf 4 tbsp caster sugarEQUIPMENT:Peeler Sharp knife Wire rack Baking tray Baking paperSmall Mason jar or herb jarFOR GIVING:Ribbon and gift tag 1 Use a vegetable peeler to remove two strips of lemon rind, then slice into smaller strips. 2 Place the lemon rind and orange slices on a wire rack over a baking tray lined with baking…

Endometrium The lining of the womb, which swells and thickens from 4mm to 18mm in preparation for possible implantation of the fertilised egg. Endometriosis Where endometrium grows outside the womb, often on the wall of the pelvis, bladder or bowel. Symptoms include pelvic pain, pain during sex and when opening the bowels. Endometriosis can also affect fertility. Oestradiol The main type of the reproductive hormone oestrogen (there are three types). It triggers the maturation and release of the egg and thickening of the endometrium. An imbalance can lead to irregular periods, light or heavy bleeding, more severe PMS or menopausal symptoms. Ovaries The two ovaries produce eggs and the hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Up to our 30s we usually release eggs from alternate ovaries; beyond that it's more likely to…

Little did they know at the time, but this property was to solve an ongoing dilemma for Ana Perez and husband Alan. Having always intended to move a little further out of London, city-girl Ana was reluctant to leave, while Alan was questioning whether suburban life could ever satisfy his yen for the countryside. “We decided to buy a holiday home instead,” says Ana. “We'd fallen in love with N or folk and visited at weekends before finding this place online. It's in a lovely hamlet backing on to a forest and has a stream running down the side - it's quite magical.” But the more they visited, the more that magic worked its charms on the couple and they were soon persuaded to make the big move and leave…

Wild Light: A Printmaker's Day and Night by Angela Harding → Angela Harding's delicate detailed prints and drawings celebrate light and how it changes throughout a day, transforming the world around us. She lives in Wing, three miles from Rutland Water and delights in the “flatter, quieter light of Central England,” while loving the brighter gleam of other places. The book opens at “First Light” and closes with “Wakeful Darkness” and covers all the hours in between as she creates vivid illustrations from her observations of ruddy red buntings on a salt marsh, choughs in Cornwall, a night-singing robin or the plumage of a male pheasant, his feathers aglow in the fading light. (Sphere)…

Planning on an interior revamp soon? Or perhaps you have cause to paint a nursery or redecorate a child's bedroom? Then you could be in luck. Earthborn are all about environmentally friendly paints that are better for you, your home and the environment. And they're giving two lucky readers the chance to win 12.5ltr of paint - in any one of the 72 beautiful shades in their palette. You can choose from Claypaint, a super-breathable ultra-matt, ideal for walls and ceilings, or Lifestyle, a hard-wearing washable emulsion that hits the mark in busy homes. A spot of decorating can be a calming and uplifting task - especially when you're working on children's rooms. It brings with it the hope of a brighter future, as well as the satisfaction of a…

When you live in the city it's not always possible to see the stars. However, if you live in one of the UK's seven protected Dark Sky Reserves - Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, Moore's Reserve in the South Downs, Cranbourne Chase, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales - the universe is yours to marvel at on a clear night. Living in east London, I wanted in on this exceptional stargazing action, so we found a hidden-away cabin on Exmoor so that we could gaze at the skies before falling asleep under the watchful eye of a giant bear… Where we stayed Ursabear cabin was hand-built with love and comes with its own giant cuddly bear (Ursa, wearing a rather fetching stargazing waistcoat). The ultimate romantic retreat, there's…

PLAYLIST Look into my Heart Ree Flores Just Say You're Wanted and Needed Gwen Owens What Good Am I Without You Darrow Fletcher I Really Love You The Tomangoes True True Love Tobi Lark She's Fire The C.O.D's Sweep It Out in the Shed Little Ann I'm Coming Home September Jones Let Our Love Grow Higher Eula Cooper Make up Your Mind The San Francisco TKOs For the Rest of My Life Out of Sights Glamour Girl Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds Baby You're Alive The Styles Tears Running and Falling From my Eyes James Lately I Ain't Lying Ty Karim My Lonely Feeling Milton James Stubborn Heart The Sheppards It's Just Gotta Be That Way Bobby Angelle *# For the full playlist, take a listen at: thesimplethings.com/blog/northernsoul stop…

I'm going to give my Liverpool bag to the boy from infants who has to go to a different country for an operation. It'll fit loads of his stuff. My Liverpool bag is my favourite thing that I own and it makes me feel really happy so I'll be giving that feeling to the boy and he mightn't be as scared then about his operation. I saw him in the newspaper and then in real life in the shopping centre last week. His mum was with him, but not his dad. She was wearing a very short skirt. My mum got really cross with Dad, saying “Put your eyes back in, Hughie!” Then she wouldn't talk to him for ages, all while we were shopping. Dad brought my bag home…