Magzter Gold (Sitewide CA)

Magzter Gold (Sitewide CA)

Digital Delivery

The Simple Things March 1st, 2022 Digital Back Issue Cover

The Simple Things March 2022 (Digital)

(1)

Single Digital Issue

March 2022

$5.46

Powered By Zinio

Zinio

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Instant Start

Subscribe Instead

1 Year Subscription

12 digital issues

$33.90

($2.82/issue)

Go to Subscription

View Subscription Options

Also available on ZINIO Unlimited logo

Get unlimited access to The Simple Things (Digital) + Back Issues & 5000+ other magazines

1-month free trial

Renews at $8.99/month after trial.
Cancel anytime.

Get unlimited access to The Simple Things (Digital) + Back Issues & 5000+ other magazines. Renews at just $8.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Start Trial Learn more

50 Articles

Spring is a like a tonic after the long months of winter. Except it doesn’t always deliver as advertised; there are spring flowers and sunny spells but also cold winds, blustery rain, and we have to wait until the end of March for lighter evenings. So, we look elsewhere for pick-me-ups as the season catches up with the calendar. And they may not always be where and when we expect them – a walk in the rain can become an exhilarating experience or, if you’re craving colour, serving dinner on bright crockery can help if your garden isn’t yet in bloom. Meanwhile, cake (or a brownie) is guaranteed to lift sagging spirits. Most of us have a growing urge after a quiet winter to ‘do things’. We recommend devoting a…

HOME ECONOMICS Early spring kitchen

Dipping a toe into spring I always feel a new wave of energy in March as we dip into spring. The kitchen palate still ebbs toward winter, with roots, tubers and brassicas still starring but knowing lighter ingredients will soon take the stage makes me embrace the end of hearty roasts and warming soups. I’ve woven Spanish touches into the recipes to brighten them but also because a few really fun pantry items, like Marcona almonds, smoked paprika and sherry vinegar, can truly transform a dish. This is mindful cooking that avoids waste and is not only about making the most of your ingredients, but also about cleverly using your time and energy. Utilising the residual heat from your oven to dry leftover ingredients for use later is just one idea. You…

HOME ECONOMICS Early spring kitchen

MAKING MEALS OF IT

MAIN EVENT Thyme & 40 clove roast chicken with sweet potato wedges; cheat’s aioli; lemon kale with Marcona almonds NEXT DAY Kale caesar with chicken crackling FREEZER Spanish sweet potato soup; easy chicken bone broth; anchovy butter PANTRY Garlic & thyme oil; kale stalk powder Home economics needn’t mean stretching the monthly budget while being tied to the stove – but it can mean a new approach to the way we plan our meals. Reviving age-old wisdom about household management means deeply valuing all our resources: our time, ingredients and the money we invest in them. And it makes us feel good, too.…

MAKING MEALS OF IT

When was the last time you gave yourself a day off just to do ‘lovely things’? Often days off are taken up by going away (good, of course, but their own specific thing), or laden down with chores. So, find an otherwise unpromising day, star it in your diary, and turn it over to something that you really want to do: whether that’s getting stuck into a new project, spending a few hours absorbed in a hobby or simply curling up with a book in your favourite cosy spot. It’s a day to be spent without guilt. A day to dispose of just as you please might sound like a bit of a luxury, so all the more reason to ring-fence it, enjoy the planning of it and then make the…

magical creatives AN APPRECIATION OF THE TOAD

As I lift the discarded pond liner, she shifts, trying to get back into the shadows. Sadly, if the pond is to be finished, she must move. I lift her, cradling her in my palms. Her mottled, warty skin is surprisingly soft, and she has a grumpy expression. She shuffles a little, causing streaks of copper in her bewitching eyes to glimmer in the late winter sunshine. At this time of year, toads usually seek solace in dead wood, log piles or compost – dark, cool places. This muddy liner has probably been just right. Although I’ve disturbed her, it’s shortly time for her to emerge anyway. Soon, adult toads will face an arduous journey as they migrate to ponds to breed. Unlike frogs, toads don’t jump much, even though they…

magical creatives AN APPRECIATION OF THE TOAD

Things to want and wish for

At the start of spring, it still pays to have something cosy within arm’s reach. These sofa snugglers are made from the softest lambswool, knitted and woven in Scotland, and finished by hand in London. Forager cushion > £70; Cottage cushion > £74.50; Hue cushion > £84; Forager throw > £269, all donnawilson.com…

Things to want and wish for

Bookshop browse A WOMAN’S WORK The Suffragette Cookbook Introduced by Kate Williams ➛First published in America in 1915, The Suffragette Cookbook offers a fascinating glimpse into a world where women were fighting for the right to vote. It’s brimful of recipes, but alongside the crisp, careful instructions for Cornbread, Crab Gumbo and Strawberry Shortcake, is a more ironic set of steps for making ‘A Pie for a Suffragette’s Doubting Husband’ designed to encourage solidarity from the men at home. The cookbook’s main aim was to raise funds for the movement, but it was also a subtle way of demonstrating that gaining the right to vote didn’t mean the rack and ruin of family life; dinner could still be made alongside history. (Hodder Studio) Shopkeeper of the month Seaside treasures Minimal and meaningful jewellery by the sea ➛ Wanderlust Life…

Maker of the month

A brush with colour Natural brushes made by hand in Wales ➛ Rosa Harradine’s techniques for making her brushes are unique: first the thread is wound around a rolling pin, held in place by (slippered) feet. The fibres are then bound with the thread before it is locked into place. Finally, any trimmings are added to Rosa’s compost heap. “My products are completely plastic free and compostable at end of life,” she explains. Rosa, who offers custom brush colours, only launched her online shop last year but her designs were an instant hit and she has big plans. “I own a small patch of land in the Carmarthenshire countryside and hope my woodland will provide one-of-a-kind sticks for the full-size broom handles. I strive to leave a small impact on the earth…

Maker of the month

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE Birdwatch Treecreepers live in the UK all year round, but they’re hard to spot so many people mistakenly consider them to be rare. Look for: A brown, speckled back and a white undercarriage, as well as a distinctive long, curved beak for winkling insects out of the bark of trees. Spot them: Distinctively climbing upwards on the trunks of trees, in woodland all over the UK. You’ll need to look carefully, though, as they’re well camouflaged. Listen for: A trilling, high-pitched ‘see-see-see-see’ sound. Nature Project Grow a garden house Sunflowers and beans both shoot up quick enough to grow your own ‘room’ for summer. Once the last frosts are out of the way, mark out a floorplan in a flat spot in full sun. It should be at least 2.5m square. Dig a small…

CAKE IN THE HOUSE

GIN & TONIC LOAF CAKE Serves 8-10 250g unsalted butter250g caster sugar250g self-raising flour5 eggsZest of 1 lime For the G&T drizzle: 75g caster sugar5 tbsp gin5 tbsp tonic water For the decoration: 200g icing sugar3-4 tbsp ginLime slicesZest of 1 lime 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. 2 In a bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour, eggs and lime zest and mix until combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45-50 mins. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. 3 To make the drizzle, add the caster sugar, gin and tonic water to a small pan and place over a low-medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved and then turn off the heat. 4…

CAKE IN THE HOUSE

My day in cups of tea

Morning! When do you enjoy your first cuppa? Usually after the school run and dog walk. I sit down with a strong tea before starting work at about 10am. Tell us a bit about where you work I live in the Vale of Glamorgan. We converted the garage of our home into my studio, so I’ve a super short commute: ideal for juggling childcare and a business. Now fill us in on your business I’m a ceramicist and printmaker. Some weeks I make new pieces, some are spent decorating them, and others are taken up by photography, admin and packing orders. How did you get into that? I took a pottery course and got hooked on making ceramics with a carved surface. I posted some early pieces on Instagram and enough people showed an interest that I…

My day in cups of tea

MY CITY* SEATTLE

How long have you lived in the city? I’ve lived in the great Seattle area for more than 30 years, but I was born and raised in Leavenworth – a tiny Alpine-esque town near the Cascade mountains. Tell us what makes your city unique Seattle is a water-loving, creativity-feeding, food-enthusiast’s dream. It’s surrounded by the waters of Puget Sound (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean) to the west and the 22-mile-long Lake Washington to the east. It’s a hilly city with views of the water, and of the two mountain ranges that bookend the area: the Olympic mountains to the west and the Cascades to the east. What’s it like in March? March is on the cusp of spring in the Pacific Northwest. The city’s at sea-level, and with that comes coastal weather – think…

MY CITY* SEATTLE

ANN’S PERSONAL TOUR

Favourite shops EIGHTH GENERATION Operated by the Snoqualmie tribe. Native-designed art, blankets and one-of-a-kind items make for some of the city’s most unique shopping.eighthgeneration.com ELLIOTT BAY BOOKS The area’s go-to independent bookseller – it’s easy for a quick stop to turn into an afternoon spent relaxing and reading.elliottbaybook.com Favourite gallery PATRICIA ROVZAR GALLERY One of my favourites because of the broad scope of artists represented and the area’s largest collection of Z Z Wei’s Pacific Northwest depictions.rovzargallery.com Favourite bar PIONEER SQUARE D&E Tucked in the shadow of the historic Smith Tower, this bar serves craft cocktails and a simple Pacific Northwest-inspired menu.pioneersquarede.com Favourite restaurants BEN PARIS This place has nailed adventurous comfort food. Can’t decide? Ask about the ‘Tour the Menu’ option.benparis.com CAFÉ CAMPAGNE Chef Daisley Gordon brings approachable French cuisine to the heart of Pike Place Market. Warm up with his cassoulet on a…

ANN’S PERSONAL TOUR

The future’s bright

Modern Mexican food is a blend of indigenous and Spanish cuisine, making the most of beans, corn, avocados, plenty of meat and cheese, plus lots of smoky flavours and warming spices. Coupled with the bright colours on the plate, it'll help lift the mood as we head into spring, bringing the hues of Cinco de Mayo* directly to your dinner table. Vibrant, flavoursome and fresh, Mexican food is made for sharing. Kick off with a margarita, before tucking into soft crab tostadas and nibbles on some street-style corn. Then it’s time to get filling your tortillas with pulled pork, cauliflower – or both – slathering on plenty of warming mole sauce, smoky chipotle mayo and your own homemade guacamole. If you’ve any room left at the end of the evening, there’s…

The future’s bright

“People are becoming so much more clued up about where their food comes from, and about seasonality, but when it comes to flowers, we forget all about those things,” says Lulu Cox (pictured above left). Alongside Jess Geissendorfer (above right), Lulu is one of the founders of SSAW Collective – standing for Spring Summer Autumn and Winter – which advocates for positive change in the provenance of our food and flowers. “I’d been working in floristry for maybe six or seven years,” says Jess, “but all the romance was being stripped away by the budgets, the waste and the plastic that we were using. I was increasingly horrified. I didn’t feel like I was working with a natural product anymore.” Jess gave up her job at a florist’s to volunteer on a…

Cats sleep anywhere,Any table, any chair,Top of piano,Window-ledge,In the middle,On the edge,Open drawer,Empty shoe,Anybody’s lap will do,Fitted in a cardboard box,In the cupboardWith your frocks –Anywhere.They don’t care!Cats sleep anywhere. About the author: Eleanor Farjeon, poet, composer, children’s author and keen rambler grew up in a family of writers, actors and musicians and was surrounded by books – there were 8,000 volumes in their home library! She published her first collection of poetry when she was 28, and her wryly observant work made her a best seller in her heyday. Taken from The Book of Cat Poems, edited by Ana Sampson (Laurence King Publishing).…

Walk with a map Every walk is an opportunity to grow our brain and the easiest and simplest way to do this is to walk with a paper map. Neuroscience suggests that the part of our brain used for navigation – the hippocampus – grows as we use it and withers when we don’t. Studies of London black-cab drivers famously found them in possession of impressively large posterior hippocampi, thanks to the navigational demands of learning the whereabouts of every London street. Researchers now speculate that the region of our brain responsible for spatial navigation also plays a part in more conceptual types of navigation, like prediction, imagination and creativity, where we use our mind’s eye to help make decisions. This same brain region may also be involved in social navigation,…

Ways to walk well

• Lengthen your neck and swing your arms freely from the shoulders with loose hands, not bunched fists. • Greet fellow walkers with a smile – it will create a cascade effect as they feel more encouraged to smile at others. • Short of time? Studies show just 12 minutes of brisk walking alters 522 metabolites in our blood, dramatically impacting our health. • Want to walk faster? Fixing your gaze on something immediately ahead (such as a tree) causes us to accelerate by 23% and with greater ease than if we look around. • Take a flask of water or tea out with you, even if it’s cold outdoors – we often get dehydrated in cold weather. • Sweep your eyes horizontally along the skyline to induce feelings of calm.…

WHAT I TREASURE

Fiercely proud of my heritage, I was born and raised in England to my Irish father and my mother, whose family mainly came from Ireland, too. Growing up I always felt that an immense part of my identity was Irish – reflected in my appearance with pale skin, dark hair and a face covered in freckles. I bought this Claddagh ring as a teenager, saving pocket money for months leading up to the eagerly awaited trip to stay with my beloved grandmother. I’d been educated about the symbolism regarding the Claddagh ring: the crown for loyalty, the hands for friendship and the heart for love. To 13-year-old me, the notion of this ring was wonderfully intricate and enormously romantic, so naturally I was ecstatic when my parents took me to…

WHAT I TREASURE

GONE WITH THE WIND

For several centuries, windmills have dotted the landscape in the UK, and by 1840 there were more than 10,000 mills here. Today it’s believed only 140 remain, with just 40 of these still in working order. Some have been lovingly restored as visitor attractions, while others continue the ancient tradition of stone-grinding grain to produce flour. With so few left to see, whether in working order or not, it’s always a treat to spot one on your travels, or to plan an outing around a visit – especially those that promise a beautiful view from the top. Like a land-locked sailboat, a windmill is always known by the feminine pronoun, and as with ships at sea, extreme weather is her greatest foe. The tallest structures for miles around, windmills were vulnerable…

GONE WITH THE WIND

Windmills of note

With so many now demolished, dilapidated or converted, let’s remember to celebrate those windmills still standing, both as a testament to our agricultural past and mechanical ingenuity, and as things of beauty. • Last in class Heage Mill in Derbyshire is the only working six-sailed stone tower mill left in the UK. Built in the 1790s, she was originally a four-sail design, but after the cap and sails were blown off and smashed to smithereens in a violent storm in 1894, six sails were added during the restoration to provide greater power. A gale in 1919 finished off her commercial life, and she was abandoned. After several decades of painstaking restoration, Heage was opened to the public in 2002. Today you can pick up a bag of the mill’s stoneground organic…

Windmills of note

Try as I might, I will never truly be a jumper person. That doesn’t stop me making doe eyes at every Fair Isle, Aran and Guernsey I meet, but deep down I know I’m not the one for them. I’ll overheat and start tugging at the hem; I lack the nonchalance and fully functioning internal thermostat of a dyed-in-the-wool sweater-wearer. Instead, like Coco Chanel, I turn to cardigans to keep me warm (but not too warm) throughout the seasons. The fashion designer favoured them because she didn’t like ruining her hairdo by pulling a sweater over her head, but there are plenty of other reasons to choose a cardi. Despite what the naysayers believe – that they should only be worn by schoolgirls, grannies and prim ladies who lunch – cardigans have…

A spritz of your favourite perfume, a dab of your trusty face cream or a swipe of your failsafe lippy – our beauty choices play a big part in our lives. For a lot of us, these moments offer precious time out from the busyness of daily life – whether stood at the sink to wash the day away, or feeling our shoulders drop as we slip into a steamy tub: beauty can make us feel better. But when it comes to the beauty industry, it isn’t always a pretty picture. The global cosmetics industry is worth around an eye-watering £350 billion, and with that comes a big impact – socially, environmentally and economically. Yep, it’s more than a little bit ironic that an industry built on beautifying is one of the…

What’s in the logo?

• COSMOS Founded in 2010 by the Soil Association, the logo can be found on natural and organic cosmetics that meet exacting criteria. cosmos-standard.org • NATRUE An international non-profit association centred around sustainability and ethics.natrue.org • B Corp Works to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact with the aim of supporting an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative global economy. bcorporation.net • Fairtrade Commonly found in the food aisle, the logo denotes the fair price paid to farmers and investment in community projects. fairtrade.org.uk • Leaping Bunny A trustworthy cruelty-free certification which guarantees that no animal testing has taken place. • Positive Luxury’s ‘Butterfly Mark’ On luxury products that meet sustainability criteria. • The Vegan Society Found on products that contain no animal product, by-product or derivative, and are 100% cruelty-free from development to manufacture.…

Forager’s beauty

Nettle purifying facial steam This ever-abundant plant, often found growing in poor-soil areas, is a brilliant beauty ingredient. In spring, pick the fresh bright green tips of the plants (best to wear gloves). Pop a generous handful into a bowl of hot water and let them infuse to create a steam. Place a towel over your head (you’ll want clean, make-up-free skin) and steam for five minutes. Finish with a splash of cold water, followed by your usual skincare. Dandelion tea for clear skin Much like nettle, this helpful flower supports inner cleansing. Fresh dandelion tea can help with skincare – pick fresh young flowers and leaves, leave to one side for any bugs to escape, then rinse well. Once clean, pop into a teapot of boiling water and let steep for three…

Cosmetics with a conscience

Free reads The Planet Positive Beauty Guide is a free guide created by the British Beauty Council which looks at factors to consider when purchasing beauty products. It’s available to download at: britishbeautycouncil.com. Meanwhile, Pebble magazine (pebblemag.com), a resource for ethical consumers, also has a really helpful free Sustainable Beauty e-book, and website ethicalunicorn.com is packed with unaffiliated, objective advice and reviews. Other sites that are worth bookmarking include eco-age.com, EWG.org and ethicalconsumer.org. Simply swap Swap disposable cleansing wipes and cotton pads for reusable bamboo wash cloths and fabric rounds. Look for organic cotton and bamboo, which you can wash and reuse ad infinitum. Try the selection at Tabitha Eve.tabithaeve.co.uk Buy with confidence Need an easy ethical buy? Head to destinations who’ve done the legwork for you, such as contentbeautywellbeing.com. Its founder Imelda Burke is…

70 new rogue planets – they don’t orbit a star but roam freely in space – have been discovered in our galaxy using data from several European Southern Observatory telescopes and other facilities, the largest number discovered to date. 700 miles– the distance trekked by Preet Chandi, the first woman of colour to ski solo to the South Pole. ‘Polar Preet’ said, “I want to act as a role model to young people, women and those from ethnic backgrounds.” 33 per cent of the Saudi workforce is now women – almost double the number it was nearly five years ago, and an encouraging sign of ongoing change for women living in the Middle Eastern kingdom.…

Taking flight Once the stuff of science fiction, flying cars are now a reality. The world’s first flying car, the AirCar, received its airworthiness certificate from the Slovakian air authority after proving its safety across 70 flight hours. The car has retractable wings and can reach over 100mph, and 8,000 feet of altitude. Justice served Pakistan’s top judicial commission has nominated a female judge to the supreme court for the first time in the country’s history. Justice Ayesha Malik’s appointment will mark a defining moment in gender rights, paving the way for other women working in law. Big comeback Once considered an extremely rare sight in UK waters, humpback whales have been increasingly spotted in the past few years, a sign their populations are bouncing back after the ban on commercial whaling. Since 2019, 75…

Kung-Fu fighting

Traditionally in Buddhism, women cannot achieve enlightenment unless they are reincarnated as a man. But the nuns of the Drukpa lineage, in the Himalayas, beg to differ. In 2010, their founder The Gyalwang Drukpa introduced the women of the order to Kung Fu, training them in the martial art. Ever since, the nuns of Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery have gained a reputation around the world, both for their strength and their selflessness. Twenty years ago, there were only 30 members of the nunnery. As their skills became known, that number grew to 800, and now there’s a waiting list to join. The nuns offer self defence classes to local women and make bicycle pilgrimages throughout the country warning people in rural villages about scams promising them money and ‘opportunities’ for their daughters, which…

Kung-Fu fighting

EXCELLENT WOMEN

STACY OWINO was a high school student in Kenya in 2018 when she entered the global Technovation challenge, a program in which teams of girls apply their technological skills to solve real-world problems. Alongside friends Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Macrine Atieno and Ivy Akinyi, she came up with an app to tackle an issue facing millions of girls and young women in African communities – female genital mutilation (FGM). Dubbing themselves, ‘The Restorers’, they developed the iCut app; which identifies nearby rescue centres, police stations and health facilities for survivors of FGM. It also has a distress button feature which allows users to speak to someone directly, or send a message highlighting plans for FGM ceremonies, so that local authorities can take preventative action. Over three years on, Stacy Owino is studying…

EXCELLENT WOMEN

What first piqued botanical artist Susan Ogilvy’s interest in birds’ nests was a chaffinch’s nest. In fact, it was the neat nest, pictured right, which she found in her garden while clearing up after a storm. She took it inside and, as it dried out, she became more and more enchanted by it – and was inspired to paint it. As these images, taken from Susan’s book Nests (Particular Books) reveal, while we all probably think we know what a nest looks like, our imaginations probably do a disservice to these achievements of construction. With her commitment to only paint from life, Susan was rewarded by being able to pay attention to the care with which the chaffinch had neatly made her (in the case of this species) nest. Rather than…

Why a brownie will help

Brownies are irresistible. Densely and damply chocolatey, their fudgy interior barely holding together under a crinkly top, they exert a dark magic that is harder to say no to than a big- eyed puppy or free samples at the supermarket. I only have to glimpse a stack of brownies in a bakery window and I go as gooey as the treats I've spied. Like their key ingredient – chocolate – brownies have a near-miraculous ability to make us feel good. A single bite sends sugar and serotonin racing through the body, ready to patch up confidence or piece together a shattered heart. Brownies – and their white chocolate cousins, blondies – make bad days better, and good days even happier. A brownie can say a lot of things, very easily and very…

Why a brownie will help

GO WITH THE FLOW

BATHTUB WATER FEATURE Even the smallest garden or balcony can attract wildlife with a micro pond. This tiny body of water will attract birds to drink, plus dragonflies may visit if you’re near a larger body of water. To help bees, leave a bit of moss on the edge so they have somewhere to land and drink, or add some stones to make a very shallow area and see who turns up. You will need: An old, galvanized steel bathtub or bucket (or any watertight container) Oxygenating plants, such as hornwort Marginal plants, such as water-crowfoot and slender club-rush Gravel or small stones 1 Choose a galvanized steel vessel that doesn’t have any holes in it. Ideally, it should be at least 40cm deep, since most aquatic plants need about 30cm of water to grow…

GO WITH THE FLOW

A life in a handbag

Like many women, my mum is pretty specific about what makes a good handbag. Top of the list, soft leather, a decent shoulder strap and a zippy inside pocket to hold her brown envelope of housekeeping money. Fall short of these and expect to be asked if you’ve kept the receipt. To me, her bags have always felt like some kind of portal. As a child, mum’s stash of handbags was a door into my very own personal land of make believe. Accessorised by her navy bobble carpet bag I became a doctor curing my teddy of exotic aliments. Unsteady and in a pair of clicky-clacky heels, with the gold chain of her black patent clutch draped over my shoulder, I transformed into an organised teacher of toys, chalking up lists of spellings…

A life in a handbag

In a nutshell We have on average a ‘terrifyingly, insultingly short’ 4,000 weeks on this earth, so using our time well is vital. However, that doesn’t mean managing your time better so you can fit everything in but accepting that you can only ever do so much. What’s behind it? When Burkeman asked his friends how many weeks they thought they’d spend on this earth, they hugely overestimated it. In fact, if you live until the ripe old age of 80, that’s just four thousand weeks. Given this relatively short time frame he says that ‘time management is all life is.’ Yet most advice on the subject is designed to help us squeeze more out, which is leading us to feel busier and more overwhelmed. Why now? This ‘strange moment in history when time feels…

LADY OF THE LAKES

‘Little rabbits cannot afford to spend 6 shillings on one book’ ‘Idon’t know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits, whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.’ That was the first time Beatrix Potter made Peter Rabbit bounce onto the page, but it wasn’t as a book. Instead, it was in a funny tale written by Beatrix to amuse her friend’s son, five-year-old Noel Moore, who was laid up in bed with scarlet fever. That 1893 letter sparked something in Beatrix. Long after Noel was better, she still wrote him stories, littered with illustrations of Peter Rabbit, Mr Jeremy Fisher and an ‘excessively impertinent’ fellow called Squirrel Nutkin. In fact, it wasn’t until 1902 that Peter Rabbit found his way into print,…

LADY OF THE LAKES

A MAGNIFICENT MYCOLOGIST

If Beatrix had been born today it’s likely she would have been a botanist, specialising in fungi. However, when in 1896 she presented 250 detailed scientific illustrations of fungi to the leading botanists and director of Kew, she felt that her work was overlooked because of her sex and age, furiously writing of Kew’s director in her journal; ‘I fancy he may be something of a misogynist.’ A year later she was more successful when her academic paper on fungi was presented to The Linnean Society. This time, her work was discussed and well received (despite women being barred from the Linnean research library and her being unable to present her work in person due to her sex), although it was never put forward for publication.…

A MAGNIFICENT MYCOLOGIST

Pottering on Beatrix in numbers

14: farms bequeathed by Beatrix to the National Trust, as well as more than 4,000 acres. 15: years after her death, before the secret code* used in some of her private journals was cracked. 28: books written by Beatrix. 119:number of years ‘Little Peter Rabbit’ has been an officially licensed character – making him the oldest of his kind in the world. 250: initial print run of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, when it was first self-published. 28,000:number of copies sold of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in its first year. 13975 Beatrixpotter: the 1992 asteroid named in her honour. *This code, devised when Beatrix was 14, was kept up for more than 15 years and allowed her to keep a journal away from any prying eyes. ‘No one will read this,’ she confidently wrote in an…

“WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT HISTORICAL HERITAGE – THERE HAS TO BE A SOUL IN THE HOUSE” Picture waking up every morning and looking out over a vast nature reserve with its calming river valley. The only major traffic is the constant stream of cyclists on the old railway line – now a bicycle highway that links the Belgian cities of Tienen and Diest. It almost seems too good to be true. So much so, the new residents of the former Oplinter station, architect couple Pieter-Jan Peeters and Stefanie Weckx, along with baby daughter Loes, still regularly pinch themselves at their luck at landing such a unique place to live. “Where else in Flanders can you live so close to nature? And in such a beautiful little station, too,” enthuses Pieter-Jan. “I sometimes dream…

The appliance of science

Originally from Sweden, Hanna Sjoberg works as a research scientist in oncology at the University of Oxford – a role that influences her no-nonsense approach to growing vegetables on her plot near the city. She shares her findings at hannasjoberg.com, where you can sign up to her allotment4life mailing list and join online community, The Veg Plotters. You can also follow her on Instagram: @allotment4life. The story so far I caught the veg-growing bug while we were living in Liverpool, planting in pots and growing tomatoes in hanging baskets. We moved to our village near Oxford mainly due to the allotments nearby and we got access to our plot in February 2018 – it was largely covered in grass and tree saplings. It’s located outside the city and is owned by the…

The appliance of science

• March is the time for lots of sowing! Brassicas, peas, celeriac, fennel, potatoes, lettuce, herbs and tomatoes among others – I’ve created a free sowing plan for my followers to download via my mailing list. Also, keep harvesting overwintering greens. • Buy some good horticultural fleece – 30g thickness minimum – to protect your seedlings and get them off to a good start. Cold winds are worse than frosts, but both can set the growth back. • Think about treating your plot with slug controlling nematodes. This is a biological control that’s harmless to humans and insects, but contains a natural enemy to slugs and snails. • And don’t stress if you feel behind on your sowing. In spring, the increasing light levels mean that later sowings often catch up with and…

“Our approach to plants is more about the practical than the design. They’re up high to keep them away from curious cats (and a toddler) and are moved around until I find a space that they thrive in. Monsteras, for example, can grow a bit wild but I like that – it’s a reminder that not everything in life needs to be controlled. The plants are a good indication of how I’m doing as a person, so when I have time to take care of them, that’s usually also when I’m making time and looking after myself, too. The real joy of plants is being able to take a cutting and grow another one! I feel a sense of achievement when I see a cutting growing, especially when those new…

Have you ever dreamed of living the Oxbridge life, striding through the hallowed college corridors, dining in Hall and going for a punt and a pint? If so, then a B&B break at an Oxford college (out of term times) is a fun and less academically arduous way to live out the fantasy – or just enjoy an excellent-value getaway in a beautiful city. Whether you’d like to follow in the footsteps of Morse, drink in pubs favoured by scholars and lecturers alike, or go off in search of legendary film locations, Oxford has history, art and culture around every corner. Where we stayed With its striking Victorian Gothic architecture, beautifully landscaped grounds and just slightly off-the-beaten-track setting, Keble is one of the newer Oxford colleges, having opened in 1870. The distinctive…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL A refreshing design from Joanne de Pace – also available on aprons, notebooks and more. And, if this really is the tonic for you, Joanne has another tea towel design featuring a G'n'T recipe. £10, joannedepace.com MATCHBOXES PUZZLE “March is the month of expectation”Emily Dickinson The ‘at’ symbol has a longer tale than you might think. Though its origins are disputed, a 16th-century letter by a Florentine wine merchant shows it indicating a unit of measure, as was common before its launch into computer messaging in the 1970s. The PRACTICAL, the PLAYFUL and the SILLY Vaseline: ready this jelly… PRACTICAL Got chewing gum stuck in/on something? Rubbing vaseline around the offender usually gets rid of it. PLAYFUL Customise a lip balm: melt in a microwave (or bain-marie) with a sliver of lippie for…

Pickled cauliflower

Store CUPBOARD SUMS… Turmeric pickled cauliflower & chilli Makes two jars. Break 1 head of cauliflower into florets, halving or quartering the larger ones so that each is bite sized. Slice 4 chilli peppers in half and scoop out and discard the seeds (unless you want a very fiery pickle, in which case leave them). Pack these into sterilised jars. In a pan, gently heat 400ml distilled vinegar, 400ml water, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1½ tsp salt, 2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp coriander seeds until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Pour the hot liquid over the veg, making sure they’re completely covered. Seal and store in a cool, dark place. You can eat this after a week, but flavours develop…

Pickled cauliflower

Green roof bike shed

THE STORY OF SONGS ‘WHISKEY IN THE JAR’ BY THIN LIZZY Though Thin Lizzy’s treatment of it took it up a rock level, the story of Whiskey in the Jar was well worn. Not just that, The Dubliners charted with it only a few years prior – rather that it existed as a popular Irish folk ballad at least as far back as the 18th century. The folk ballad was possibly inspired by a real life 17th-century highwayman, Patrick Fleming, but what’s probably more key to its popularity is how infinitely adaptable the storyline is – the highwayman that runs up against authority, takes his bounty back to his sweetheart, only for her to betray him – especially in places where British ruling forces weren’t proving to be so popular, whether that’s…

Green roof bike shed

IDENTIFIER Ducks

Northern pintail Northern breeders, but tail it over to sunnier climes in the winter. Should be returning to a coastline or estuary near you just about now. Mandarin Northeast Asian natives, once captive in the UK (proving orange is the new black), but now number around 7,000 in the wild. Runner duck Brought from Southeast Asia and hugely popular in 19th century Britain, these are upright citizens of the duck world: the males stand (or run) up to 75cm high. Green-winged teal North Americans found in the UK. While the females are tricky to identify, the male has a distinctive vertical white stripe, thank duck. Hooded merganser A fairly recent arrival to our hood, first recorded in 2000 in North Uist. Let’s be clear: it’s murk-free deep water they like, for its fishy feasts. Eurasian wigeon Come winter, around a fifth…

IDENTIFIER Ducks

Soundtrack to February FEEL GOOD TUNES

Java Jive The Ink Spots One Mint Julep The Clovers Tequila The Champs Milkshake Kelis Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please Splodgenessabounds Gin Soaked Boy The Divine Comedy Orange Crush R.E.M. Have a Cuppa Tea The Kinks Whiskey in the Jar Thin Lizzy One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer Amos Milburn Rum and Coca-Cola Lord Invader Red Red Wine UB40 Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Rupert Holmes Coffee Beabadoobee Champagne Supernova Oasis thesimplethings.com/blog/drinksplaylist stop look listen “I love coffee, I love tea I love the java jive and it loves me”…

Soundtrack to February FEEL GOOD TUNES

Green mac ’n’ cheese Serves 4-5 350g macaroni100g sourdough, torn into pieces30g blanched almonds50g butter1 small brown onion, chopped2 garlic cloves, finely chopped30g plain flour700ml milk100g mature cheddar, grated½ tbsp dijon mustard1 tsp thyme leaves65g vegetarian grating cheese, grated150g frozen peas, defrosted30g baby spinach6g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked6g basil leavesSea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180CFan/Gas 6. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 2 mins less than the instructions on the packet, then drain under cold water to stop the pasta cooking further. 2 Meanwhile, whizz the sourdough and almonds in a food processor until a smallish crumb forms, then set aside. 3 Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 2 mins until soft. Add the flour and cook, stirring,…

Kirsty trudged through the wood. It was a cold spring morning and the frost still silvered the uppermost branches of the trees. She’d had a hectic few months, with her dad being ill, and her boss being difficult about the time she’d had to take off work. Having come for a walk to clear her head, she only felt more fed up with every step. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the dog until the last moment. “Oh!” she gulped. It was a young Golden Retriever, long-legged and bouncy, charging up with a tennis ball in its mouth. “Hello,” Kirsty said, glancing around. “Where did you come from?” There was nobody in sight, just the sound of the wind in the trees. The dog dropped the ball at her feet, tail wagging…

In This Issue

Description

Details

Reviews

Recent Digital Issues Browse all

Recent The Simple Things Digital Issues Browse all back issues

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription October 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) October 2024: $5.57

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription September 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) September 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) August 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription July 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) July 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) April 2025: $5.23

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) March 2025: $5.23

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription February 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) February 2025: $5.16

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription January 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) January 2025: $5.21

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription December 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) December 2024: $5.30

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription November 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) November 2024: $5.37

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription October 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) October 2024: $5.57

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription September 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) September 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription August 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) August 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription July 1st, 2024 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) July 2024: $5.46

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) April 2025: $5.23

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription March 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) March 2025: $5.23

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription February 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) February 2025: $5.16

The Simple Things (Digital) Subscription January 1st, 2025 Issue

The Simple Things (Digital) January 2025: $5.21

Customers Also Viewed

The Brain (Digital) Subscription September 14th, 2012 Issue

The Brain (Digital)

Fall-12: $7.99

カリフォルニアスタイル CALIFORNIA STYLE (Digital) Subscription

カリフォルニアスタイル CALIFORNIA STYLE (Digital)

7005260-Vol21: $10.14

Answers To Life's Big Questions Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2017 Issue

Answers To Life's Big Questions Magazine (Digital)

Answers to Lifes Big Questions: $10.39

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics Magazine (Digital) Subscription November 14th, 2017 Issue

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics Magazine (Digital)

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics: $7.28

Cyclist Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Cyclist Magazine (Digital)

11 Issues: $56.83 ~~$85.14~~

Riders Club　ライダースクラブ Magazine (Digital) Subscription March 26th, 2025 Issue

Riders Club　ライダースクラブ Magazine (Digital)

12 Issues: $76.80 ~~$96.00~~

What's on TV Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 5th, 2025 Issue

What's on TV Magazine (Digital)

(1)

51 Issues: $32.30 ~~$45.90~~

The Brain (Digital) Subscription September 14th, 2012 Issue

The Brain (Digital)

Fall-12: $7.99

カリフォルニアスタイル CALIFORNIA STYLE (Digital) Subscription

カリフォルニアスタイル CALIFORNIA STYLE (Digital)

7005260-Vol21: $10.14

Answers To Life's Big Questions Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2017 Issue

Answers To Life's Big Questions Magazine (Digital)

Answers to Lifes Big Questions: $10.39

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics Magazine (Digital) Subscription November 14th, 2017 Issue

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics Magazine (Digital)

All About History: Iconic Moments In Politics: $7.28

Cyclist Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 1st, 2025 Issue

Cyclist Magazine (Digital)

11 Issues: $56.83 ~~$85.14~~

Riders Club　ライダースクラブ Magazine (Digital) Subscription March 26th, 2025 Issue

Riders Club　ライダースクラブ Magazine (Digital)

12 Issues: $76.80 ~~$96.00~~

What's on TV Magazine (Digital) Subscription April 5th, 2025 Issue

What's on TV Magazine (Digital)

(1)

51 Issues: $32.30 ~~$45.90~~

The Brain (Digital) Subscription September 14th, 2012 Issue

The Brain (Digital)

Fall-12: $7.99

Reviews