The bucolic town of Eyam is nestled in the gently rolling hills of the Derbyshire dales. With its rambling roses and stone cottages, there isn’t much to differentiate its quaintness from other small towns in the area—except that Eyam has a tragic tale to tell. In 1664 the deadly plague known as the Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, had returned once again to bedevil. It was to be the last major outbreak of the disease in England, but as it went on its way, it took 100,000 Londoners with it: one quarter of the city’s population at the time. For the…
Years ago, for kids everywhere in England, the turning of leaves from green to brown meant only one thing: conker season. School playgrounds would be filled with the swinging of chestnut brown conkers as children vied to attain superior conker status. I can’t say I played it much myself, but my younger brother was a huge fan. In an attempt to garner a champion conker he was forever soaking them in vinegar, or baking them in the oven where they would generally catch fire. The game of conkers is played by threading a string through the conker and holding it…
Jasper Conran’s stunning Dorset garden. The worst celebrity TV cameos ever! For some lovely, summery Wimbledon fashion see here and here. If you’re in the mood for a nostalgic look at the Royals at Wimbledon, see here While The Gilded Age doesn’t make my top 10 favourite period pieces, I enjoyed it nonetheless and will certainly be tuning in to the soon- to-be released second season. When all you want is spinach and you end up with a frog. A pleasant and engaging summer read with fairytale vibes. Bringing the wonderful world of Barbie to life. Apparently Americans are very,…
May Day in Britain is a kinda/sorta/not really unofficial start to summer. Well, not summer exactly, more the fact that by May 1st the British have endured a long, long spate of grey, drizzly, cold weather and are desperate to celebrate the promise of warmth and sunshine which hangs (albeit delicately) on the horizon. May Day is the harbinger of a summer that should be making its triumphant return in a couple of months. Or three. Or possibly not at all. Where do you think that British stiff upper lip comes from? May Day celebrations have been observed for over…
~If you missed the fab hats at Ascot last week, take a butcher’s, here, here and here. ~And while we’re on the subject of the Royals, there’s perfection and then there’s taking an hour to iron a sheet. ~This review of Trader Joe’s new products, courtesy of Bon Appetit, is laugh out loud hilarious. ~There really are no words for this craziness. ~And this craziness? Wow. Plenty of words. None of them good. ~How is this even possible? ~Why a teacher quits. ~Pulled by the allure of great packaging I recently bought these chips. Fabulous chips, amazing flavours. Bubbly and…
~Continually decreasing levels of play have coincided with increases in depression and anxiety among young people. ~Someone’s having a whole lot of googly eyed fun in Bulgaria. ~Several years ago my local store was out of helium when I needed balloons. I was a little shocked to hear there was a helium shortage but the issue hasn’t come up since. Apparently, it’s very real. ~Religion is for everyone who wants it. ~A soldier faints from the heat at a crucial moment during the Trooping the Colour in 1970. ~And while we’re on the subject of royalty, Princess Diana’s most iconic…
~Apparently black dogs and cats get a bad rap. This article hopes to change that. Beautiful photographs, hilarious commentary. ~The New York Times posted this little gem of heresy. Rebuttals here. Recipe here. ~Fun video from the Hong Kong Ballet. Unfortunately, I can never hear Ravel’s Bolero without playing the entirety of Torvill and Dean’s mesmerizing ice dance in my head. Just me? ~I struggle to find decent yogurt at the supermarket, but these two have proven to be winners. Noosa is dessert worthy. ~Equity vs Equality. A small but mighty subtlety. ~Two shows on Sundance: The Split Nicola Walker…
~Food for thought this Earth Day. ~The awkwardness of families and politics. ~I’ll be making this again this week, just in time for summer. ~I’m a complete sucker for good branding so when I saw this cat food at the supermarket and it made me laugh, I knew it was coming home with me. It’s not cheap but it is real. My cat seemed to love it and she’s finicky. Then again, she’s a cat. ~What 39 celebrities wore to meet the Queen. ~Black Earth Rising on Netflix. Kate Ashby is a thirty something Rwandan Tutsi rescued as a little…
~The 91st Academy Awards are this weekend. Nominations here, if you’re in need of a reminder. ~I have yet to watch Roma which seems to be a strong contender for best picture. It’s on Netflix, so I’ll definitely be watching it before Sunday, but also hoping to squeeze in Green Book as well. ~Personally I’m a big fan of The Favourite and Olivia Colman, but I just read that Glenn Close has been nominated for an Oscar several times and has never won, so I wouldn’t be at all disappointed if she nabbed the statue this time around: she was…
A big old goofy grin for the weekend, because: only 49 more to go before Christmas. ~The immigrant who mows the lawn of the nuclear physicist indirectly helps to unlock the secrets of the universe. With all the talk of The Wall, an eye-opening look at the opposite approach. ~Be still my beating heart. I now have plans to chop down the tree at the bottom of my garden so I can have one of these for myself. ~Go and see this movie this weekend. Wonderfully written, brilliantly acted and marvelously off-kilter the whole way through. ~Just finished watching season…
