The Simple Things September 2021

It hasn’t necessarily been the summer of dreams, although in many ways it has, as dreaming, making plans and armchair travel have often stood in for physical journeys. September offers a fresh start, so we’re hoping that we can roam a little further this autumn. It’s not about distance or destination but the freedom of an impromptu change of scene. Letting your mind roam can never be lost, however, and even if it’s only our imagination taking flight, then that can still feel like a mental holiday. Inspiration is everywhere; women who challenge themselves to the creative geniuses who made works of art in their sheds. Moments of yoga woven into daily life or the solving of clues on a treasure hunt. These are all journeys of the imagination and…

A day out Silver screen sojourns If you visited Lyme Park (Pemberley in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice) to take a peek at that lake, why not combine a TV or film pilgrimage with a holiday? The National Trust has collated a list of its properties used on screen along with cottages nearby so you can make a week of it.(nationaltrust.org.uk/holiday-lists/holiday-to-a-film-location). PAPERCUTTING A new thing to learn September is all about new paper and pencils for us, and we still like to treat ourselves to some fresh stationery for the ‘start of term’. So it feels like the ideal time to learn a stationery-themed craft like papercutting. All you need really is a cutting mat, paper knife and some card, but a kit from Emily England Designs on Etsy will get you off to a…

Watching the boats go about their business and dangling your toes in the cool sea – there’s no better excuse to bypass the families on the beach and head to the harbour for a grown-up picnic with pals. Shop at harbourside stalls for local ingredients to add to your pre-made snacks, making your lunch extra fresh and super easy. If you’re feeling adventurous, take along a portable barbecue and grill some prawns while you listen to the wash from the passing boats, build your own bagels with the addition of fresh crab, or tuck into savoury pastries cooked at home and shared out (although cook gets to keep an extra couple – it’s the rule). Keep hydrated with flavoured water and follow it up with an Eton mess that just needs…

QUINTA DA CALÇADA ALVARINHO, £12.45 This Portuguese wine has beautiful aromas of tropical fruits and herbaceous notes, with lemon, grapefruit and subtle honey characters on the palate. A very subtle saline aftertaste is ideal for shellfish, as well as bringing out the flavours in the parsley and lime dip. CHARTHAM PINOT NOIR, £18.99 The red cherry flavours in this British wine cut through the rich cream cheese in the bagels without overpowering the delicate crab flavours. A wonderful silky summer red from Kent that beats a traditional Burgundy red. CHÂTEAU LES MINUTES SAUTERNES, £12.49 Intense flavours of caramelised fruits, pear, melon and almond work together to complement everything in an Eton Mess. The caramelised fruits counter the sweetness of the strawberries, the melon works with the cream and the almond to cut through it all. Wine…

The North American word fall always seems to do little justice to the season. Autumn is so much more than simply watching the leaves drift down. When the season starts to turn, even the air changes flavour; the summer scent of blossom merges into something sharper, more acidic. Nights draw in as if a flimsy blind has been replaced by velvet curtains. And while not as bombastic as the great spring reawakening, nature too is on the march. Come September you will spot swallows strung out restlessly on telephone wires, gathering in strength and numbers before their long journey south back to sub-Saharan Africa. Once they have departed, they will be replaced by other winter migrants that stream into the British Isles from the far North to take advantage of the…

WILD PLUM AND PISTACHIO CAKE Serves 6–8 175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing175g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinklingZest and juice of 1 lemon3 large eggs100g unsalted pistachio nuts, ground100g Doves Organic Self-Raising Flour, sifted500g wild plums*, halved and stones removedIcing sugar, for dusting 1 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150CF/ Gas 3. Grease a 20cm springform tin with butter and line the bottom with baking paper. 2 Cream the softened butter, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice until pale and fluffy, using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, alternating with a spoonful of the ground nuts. Add the remaining nuts and continue to whisk until fluffy. Lightly fold in the self-raising flour. 3 Spoon half the batter into the prepared cake tin. Cover with half the plums,…