October 2018 Issue 1
hood STYLE AND LIVING SCOTLAND
WOMEN ON TOP
Celebrating Scotland’s most fabulous females
FEELING FLEXY Is it time to say goodbye to the 9 to 5?
PICK ME UP, I’M
FREE
50+
FASHION AND BEAUTY BUYS TO SEE YOU INTO THE NEW SEASON
EDITOR’S LETTER
WELCOME TO THE HOOD. I can’t tell you how much pleasure it gives me to say that – or how long I’ve waited to do so! You see, while I always wanted to head up a project like this, like so many other Scots before me, when I decided I wanted to pursue a creative career I did what was expected of me and headed for the seemingly gold-plated streets of London, later moving on to the often actually gold-plated streets of Dubai, where I first achieved my dream of becoming a magazine editor. So far, so not relevant, you say. But here’s the thing – also like so many other Scots before me, I couldn’t get home out of my head. There’s a puzzling dichotomy about Scotland, a feeling of contrast everywhere you look. It’s in the landscape – from the wild green of the highlands and islands, to the manicured terraces of Edinburgh, industrial heartlands of Glasgow and granite grandeur of Aberdeen. It’s in the people – singularly friendly, warm, inviting and funny, yet chippy as all hell at times. And it’s in our attitude to self – for a nation responsible for so many of the world’s great inventions, a country that played home to The Enlightenment, we don’t half fear getting ideas above our stations… Until now. For what I’ve found on my return to our fair homeland is a new-found confidence. These days, it seems, more and more people are saying ‘no’ to the idea they have to become part of the diaspora to pursue their ambitions and realising that there’s no compromise in being here. That staying in Scotland and thriving isn’t just possible, it’s a privilege. From fabulous female entrepreneurs like Marisa Giannasi (p25), hysterically witty writers such as Ashley Davies (p23), and our heading-for-greatheights cover girl Florence Millar, the women in this issue prove Scotland is punching well above its weight when it comes to talent – and it’s starting to recognise that once again. And that’s where we come in. We believe you, the modern women of Scotland, are seeking a magazine that really speaks to you,
in your own accent. That celebrates all of your favourite things – fashion, beauty, food, interiors, travel – but that also makes you think. A publication that truly celebrates each and every one of you in all your garrulous glory. This is your magazine, and its success will come down to your being a part of it. Tell us what you think. Introduce us to your own favourite, fierce females. Join in the conversation. We can’t wait for you to be a part of our hood. Until next month,
Jennifer Crichton-Gibson Editor
THIS MONTH I’VE BEEN
Flouncing about in my favourite new leopard wrap skirt from Whistles – well worth the restock wait. Singing my heart out to KT Tunstall’s new single The River and thinking how good it is to have her back. Staying up too late reading Catherine Gray’s superbly funny and astute bestseller The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. Instagramming @hood_mag_jen
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CONTRIBUTORS
Journalist ASHLEY DAVIES joins us as a columnist on page 23 My favourite ever job was… Interviewing The League of Gentlemen or John Cooper Clarke. Please don't make me choose. My strangest assignment… was interviewing an extreme female wrestler while a man stood behind her picking thumb tacks out of another wrestler's bleeding back. I’m currently reading… The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan. Her writing is magic and I'm trying to make it last as long as possible.
Photographer ALEKSANDRA MODRZEJEWSKA shoots Florence Millar on page 40 My favourite shoots are… when I get to photograph people, not things. I love to catch a little bit of soul in a portrait, not just a pretty face. My strangest assignment… has been making a portrait of myself for this! I’m currently reading… The Hobbit My Spotify is blasting… Led Zeppelin
My Spotify is blasting… The National - always, obsessively. I'm addicted.
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Our contributing beauty editor SARA HILL creates chic make-up looks on page 50 My favourite job was… shooting at Pierre Cardin’s mansion in Cannes for Strathberry. My strangest ever assignment… is hard to pick as I’ve had many. I’d probably have to say body painting completely naked men and women as different fruits at Manumission nightclub in Ibiza in the ‘90s. I’m currently reading… The Awakened Ape by Jevan Pradvas, though I’m listening to it more than reading it. I’m an audiobook gal! My Spotify is blasting… anything house and soul.
Published by Miller Mitchell Media Limited, The Drying House, Eskmills, Station Road, Musselburgh, EH21 7PB Tel: 0131 273 5245. Email: accounts@hoodmagazine.co.uk Website: hoodmagazine.co.uk Printed in Scotland by Allander Print Limited. Distributed by Take One Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices are correct at time of going to press but subject to change. Hood Magazine cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. The views and opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. Hood Magazine takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication. ©Miller Mitchell Media 2018
October 2018
CONTENTS 64
40
54 THIS MONTH IN THE ‘HOOD
LIVELIHOOD
FOOD IN THE ‘HOOD
7 This month’s must do 8 The hood to do list 10 The style chart 12 Downtime 15 Sisters of ‘Insta
30 Let’s talk about Flex The women campaigning to change the world of work 33 Money matters IFA Julie Mitchell talks female finance
54 Borough the brave Will the capital’s newest hotspot live up to the hype? 56 Chic suppers Easy-but-impressive eats to wow your guests
SISTERHOOD
WOMANHOOD
NEIGHBOURHOOD
35 This month’s must buy 37 Wear it three ways The leather biker jacket is a savvy staple 40 Suits you Florence Millar wears autumn’s statement co-ords 50 In the pink Sara Hill uses the season’s hottest hue
60 Light my fire A former fire station transforms into a chic highland bolthole 62 Lady of the manor A private castle in Argyll makes a luxe long weekend spot 64 48 hours in…Copenhagen An itinerary to make the most of the Danish capital
17 Bloody good news. Period Scottish schools in world-leading free sanitary wares scheme 20 Healing Wax Comedian Ruby’s Frazzled Café comes to Scotland 23 Ashley Davies On the joys of grown-up friendship 25 (wood)working woman We meet carpentry maven Marisa Giannasi
MANHOOD 70 Iain Stirling On the downsides of social media hood • 5
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This month in the
‘hood
MIX IT UP
Grab your pals and head for the capital for a week of cocktail drinking and mixology masterclasses at Edinburgh Cocktail Week this month. Over 80 of the city’s finest bars will be serving up £4 signature drinks for wristband-holders, while this year’s programme also sees the addition of an exciting new 15-bar pop-up at Festival Square, brought to you by the likes of Edinburgh Gin, Belvedere Vodka, Porter’s Gin and St Germain. Want to recreate the vibe at home? Learn the art of mixology at the ‘Secret Spirits Study’ pop-up on Queen Street – a classroom hub by day and hidden underground bar by night, hosted by Wemyss Malts and Darnley’s Gin.
Treacle
October 15 to 21 Festival Square, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9SR. edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk
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The hood to do list
© Rapid Visual Media
Our pick of the concerts, festivals, events and happenings you won’t want to miss this October
ENJOY A BOOZE-FREE BEVVY MARVEL AT FINE DESIGN WITH THE V&A
It’s been a long time coming, but the V&A Dundee finally opened to the public late last month, welcoming crowds of over 20,000 on its opening weekend and, now that the chaos has subsided somewhat, it’s the perfect time to take it all in. The museum’s debut exhibition, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, is a perfect opening gambit given its waterfront location, while Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s building is worthy of a visit in itself. Don’t miss the on-site shop, which is showcasing a host of products by some of Scotland’s most talented designers. Open now, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, free. vam.ac.uk
SING ALONG WITH A SCOTTISH SUPERSTAR GET YOURSELF A CAFFEINE BUZZ
Now in its fourth year, the Edinburgh Coffee Festival returns this month in a celebration of all things beanrelated. Learn about sustainable sourcing, take part in a cupping session or simply enjoy tastings with some of Scotland’s most successful roasteries. October 6, Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 10 New Market Road, Edinburgh, £9. edinburghcoffeefestival.co.uk 8 • hood
Best known as the frontman of Scottish indie giants Idlewild, the brilliantly-monikered Roddy Woomble will take to the stage in Perth this month to celebrate ten-years since his debut as a solo artist. Expect plenty of catchy riffs and post-grunge classics, as well as some dark lo-fi samplings from his latest album. October 1, Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, £17.50. roddywoomble.net
If you’ve jumped on the quit lit bandwagon and fancy trying life on the dry side, Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking Festival is the place to be. Featuring a host of leading west-coast venues and mixologists showcasing the very best of Scotland’s alcohol-free drinks options, including Scottish firm Left Field’s award-winning kombucha, the aim is to prove that there’s plenty of fun still to be had even if you’ve decided to cut back on booze or stop drinking altogether. Cheers! October 13, The Briggait, 147 Bridgegait, Glasgow, free. joinclubsoda.co.uk
THIS MONTH IN THE ‘HOOD
LAUGH OUT LOUD WITH LIVE COMEDY
Whether you skipped the Edinburgh Fringe altogether, or missed out on tickets for your favourite comedy star, you’ll likely want to take a look at the line-up for this year’s Aberdeen Comedy Festival. Boasting big name stars including Reginald D Hunter, Phil Jupitus and Larry Dean, but none of the capital’s queues, it’s a great opportunity to catch some real comic gems up close. Our pick is The Guilty Feminist regular Desiree Burch… October 4 to 13, Prices and venues vary. aberdeencomedyfestival.com
GO BAVARIAN WITH BEER AND BRATWURST
Germany comes to the borders this month, with the arrival of Oktoberfest in Kelso. Enjoy steins of ale and lager, grilled meats from the swing BBQ and a lively atmosphere courtesy of the live oompah band (and, let’s face it, the beverages). We understand the wearing of lederhosen is optional… October 4 to 6, Springwood Park, Kelso, free on Thurs, £4 Fri & Sat. oktoberfestkelso.com
ENTER THE ENCHANTED FOREST
TAKE IN SOME CLASSICAL MUSIC
Celebrate Scotland in its most spectacular season this month, with the return of Perthshire’s award-winning Enchanted Forest. Set amidst the stunning autumn woodland of Forestry Commission Scotland’s Faskally Wood, this annual light and sound event is expected to attract more than 80,000 people throughout its month long-run. Advance booking is essential. October 4 to November 4, Meeting point is The Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry, £20, advance booking essential. enchantedforest.org.uk
Created with the aim of making classical music as accessible as possible, the Usher Hall’s Sunday Classics season will be bringing some of the world’s most renowned orchestras and soloists to Edinburgh for a series of Sunday afternoon concerts running right through until June next year. This month, the series will host both the Russian State Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra. Impressive. October 14 and 28, The Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, from £13.50. usherhall.co.uk
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THE
STYLE CHART Your must-have fashion and beauty buys in store, and online, now
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Chantecaille Le Chrome Luxe Duo in Kenya Inspired by the Kenyan sunset, this earthy plum and antique rose duo is the perfect way to experiment with pink eyeshadow. The silky soft formula is super-blendable and makes light work of a subtle smoky eye. £48. chantecaille.com
MAC X Jamie Genevieve lipstick Glaswegian beauty vlogger Jamie Genevieve has created the perfect nude lipstick in collaboration with MAC. With beige undertones and a creamy satin finish, it’s the ideal hue to wear with statement eye makeup. £17.50. selfridges.com
2 Elemis Peptide 4 Thousand Flower Facial Mask Rejuvenate tired skin with this cooling, illuminating mask. Packed with organic flower petals, Nordic peat and Brazilian black clay, pop it on weekly for a fresh and glowing complexion. £37. elemis.com
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Herbivore Prism Exfoliating Glow Potion Is this the most Instagrammable facial serum ever? Packed with natural fruit acids and botanical ingredients, Herbivore’s essence-serum-potion hybrid exfoliates, brightens, hydrates and clarifies, all in one fell swoop. £52. herbivorebotanicals.com
THIS MONTH IN THE ‘HOOD
Oliver Bonas Lola Wave cross body bag Throw this chic pink and red bag on over jeans and a jumper, or take it out on the town with an all-black ensemble and a pop of pink lippy. It’s an ideal size for all of your essentials, and we love this colour clash combo. £39.50. oliverbonas.com
Benefit Brow Contour Pro Remember those four-colour pens you had at high school? This clever contouring eyebrow pen uses the same gadgetry to offer two complementary brow shades, an edge defining pen and a highlighter for extra precision. Killer brows and a dose of nostalgia? Sold! £28.50. benefitcosmetics.com
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Warehouse tartan trousers Put all images of the Bay City Rollers out of your mind – AW18’s tartan trews are cropped, close-cut and most importantly, chic. Rock this cigarette style with a black knit and gold jewellery, with trainers, heels or studded ankle boots. £42. warehouse.co.uk
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River Island diamante drop earrings Jazz up a simple daytime look with these dazzling gold-toned diamante earrings – no one needs to know they’re faux! £10. riverisland.com
Kiko Dark Treasure Blush in Switching Coral Enriched with diamond dust – no, really – this compact glowing peach blush enhances the complexion and creates a flush of healthy colour in just one sweep. £10.90. kikocosmetics.com
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Dial up your downtime
Don’t waste your precious free hours. These are the TV shows, movies and books worth dropping everything for this month…
CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA Everyone’s favourite teenage witch is getting a makeover. Reimagining the much-loved ‘90s sitcom as a dark coming-of-age tale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina features Mad Men star Kiernan Shipka as the young half-witch, half-mortal, trying to navigate her teenage years while fighting the evil forces that threaten her friends, family and the mortal world. Streaming on Netflix from October 26
THE ROMANOFFS Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner makes his longawaited return to television with new contemporary anthology series The Romanoffs this month. Each episode revolves around a motley crew of present day characters who each claim to be descendants of the infamous Romanov dynasty, the Russian royal family who were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Spanning three continents, seven countries and eight stories, and featuring stars such as Christina Hendricks, Aaron Eckhart and Amanda Peet, it’s definitely one to set your alarm for. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video from October 12
MANIAC Two broken strangers, played by Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, find themselves caught up in a mysterious pharmaceutical trial which promises to solve all their problems. The scheme’s mastermind, Dr James K. Mantleray, chillingly played by Justin Theroux, claims his radical new pills can repair everything from mental illness to heartbreak, offering participants the chance of a new life. But, of course, things do not go as planned. Streaming on Netflix now
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THIS MONTH IN THE ‘HOOD
SALT FAT ACID HEAT
hoodreads
Seek lessons in life from the trials and triumphs of the women behind our favourite biographical page-turners
Based on Samin Nosrat’s award-winning book of the same name, Salt Fat Acid Heat is the ultimate guide to the basic elements of good cooking. Each episode follows Samin as she journeys to different corners of the world – from the home kitchens of rural Italy to the southern islands of Japan – to find out exactly what makes food delicious – and to explain how humble home cooks can apply the principals in their own kitchen. Streaming on Netflix from October 19
Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After Heather Harpham Heather Harpham’s partner didn’t want children, so when she decided to continue with an unplanned pregnancy, he reluctantly walked out. This tale of her subsequent battle to raise a critically-ill child alone, her moral dilemma over whether a sibling could save her daughter, and her subsequent recoupling with her estranged partner, is one of the most poignant and moving portraits of family life we’ve ever read (in one lengthy sitting). The Rules Do Not Apply Ariel Levy “I wanted what we all want: everything,” explains award-winning New Yorker journalist Ariel Levy. Indeed, she thought she had her life sorted – a great job, a loving partner and a future full of adventure and excitement. And then it all unravelled. This tale of one woman hell-bent on standing up in a world intent on toppling her over won’t just make you laugh and cry, it’ll make you look afresh at how we each overcome adversity.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Rami Malek takes on one of the most iconic roles in rock as he portrays Queen’s Freddie Mercury in new biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. The film follows the band from their formation in the 1970s until their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. With Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor acting as the film’s music producers, iconic hits are intertwined with the incredible story of Freddie’s life and legacy. In cinemas from October 24
Everything I Know About Love Dolly Alderton Brilliantly funny, insightful, at times heart wrenching and always entertaining, Dolly Alderton’s account of life as a young adult covers everything from finding a job, getting drunk, Tinder dating and heartbreak with comic aplomb. But it’s the abiding message – that no matter how messy the night or how bad the break-up, it’s your girl gang who’ll be there to pick up the pieces – that really won our hearts.
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THIS MONTH IN THE ‘HOOD BEX ROBB
Edinburgh-native Bex is renowned for her daily Instagram posts in which she shares her #OOTD (outfit of the day, keep up at the back) alongside laughout-loud funny captions and brutally honest insights into her day-to-day life. Adopting a quirky-yet-classic uniform blending frills, tailoring, colour-blocking and a healthy dose of animal print, Bex shows that being petite doesn’t mean you need to be a shrinking violet. Follow for: style inspiration, whatever your size petitestylediaries.com, @bexrobb
SISTERS OF ‘INSTA Our pick of the women shaking up Scotland’s blogging scene this month
WENDY H GILMOUR
Veteran Scottish fashion blogger Wendy has been sharing her daily style snaps since 2011, garnering a huge number of followers thanks to her effortlessly elegant style. These days, she’s also impressing us with updates on the renovation of her new family home in Kilmacolm, as well as snaps of her envy-inducing travels, her beautiful baby boy and, of course, her beloved Finnish Lapphunds, Mr K and Tux. Follow for: a reminder that motherhood needn’t mean a less stylish life (most of the time) thankfifi.com, @thankfifi
CLAIRE STEWART
Liverpudlian Claire visited Edinburgh one day and, as she puts it, ‘forgot to come home’. Her blog This Little House, and accompanying Instagram feed, chart her life as a busy mum of two boys, while also showcasing her swoon-worthy home, mixing Scandinavian influences with bohemian elements and touches of luxe. Follow for: Pinterest-worthy interiors that will make you want to redecorate instantly thislittlehouse.co.uk, @thislittlehouse
CHRISTINA MILLER Based in Dundee, mumof-one-with-one-onthe-way Christina is a communications expert, freelance writer and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. The Daydreamer blends city guides and travel tips with style advice and insights into her daily life in Scotland’s most up-and-coming city. Follow for: Insider advice on Dundee’s social scene thedaydreamer.net, @thedaydreameruk
ANASTASIA FOUNTOULI
Explorer Anastasia may be based in Aberdeen, but she’s passionate about travel the world over, creating extensive guides to many of the places likely topping your bucket list. Her site, NatBees also shares the very best of the Granite City, alongside fashion, food and lifestyle advice, and beautiful photography. Follow for: Aberdeen’s best-kept secrets and global travel guides natbees.com, @natbeestravels
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SISTERHOOD
BLOODY GOOD NEWS. PERIOD. As women’s rights campaigners celebrate the Scottish Government’s decision to provide free sanitary products to all girls and women in education, the issue of period poverty is in the spotlight like never before. But what is its true impact, and does this initiative go far enough? Hood meets the women on the period poverty frontline… hood • 17
P
eriods. They’re a nuisance. They’re messy. They can be painful and, for some, they can be downright debilitating – despite what the adverts full of women in white shorts riding bikes would suggest. Nonetheless, for most of us, they are a fairly normal occurrence and not something that keeps us housebound. But how differently would we view the arrival of our periods if we couldn’t afford the pads and tampons that ensure we can carry on our day to day lives without fear or embarrassment? It’s a situation that many of us might struggle to imagine, not least given how little public airing the problem of period poverty receives. But it is a real enough issue that, just months after announcing the national roll out of a scheme to provide free sanitary wares to those on low incomes, the Scottish Government unveiled a £5.2 million initiative to make sanitary products freely available in every school, college and university across the country. Introducing the strategy in September, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “In a country as rich as Scotland it’s unacceptable that anyone should struggle to buy basic sanitary products. “Our £5.2 million investment will mean these essential products will be available to those who need them in a sensitive and dignified way, which will make it easier for students to fully focus on their studies.” It’s a bold move, a world-first, but while it has been universally hailed as a significant step in the right direction, for many, it doesn’t go far enough. Among those campaigning for further change is Labour MSP Monica Lennon, who has brought forward a Member’s Bill calling for the Scottish government to provide free female sanitary products “for anyone who needs them”. While praising the move as “another great step forward in the campaign against period poverty,” Lennon went further, declaring: “Access to period products should be a right, regardless of your income, which is why I am moving ahead with plans for legislation to introduce a universal system of free access to period products for everyone in Scotland. No-one should face the indignity of being unable to access these essential products to manage their period.” But just how common is period poverty? It’s certainly significant enough to have long been of concern to the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), which published good practice guidance on the distribution of sanitary wares in schools back in 2017. As part of its Get It Right For Girls campaign, the EIS wrote: “In 2017, a safer schools officer working at a school in the UK discovered 18 • hood
that a large number of female pupils were truanting because they were unable to buy or access products during their menstrual cycle.” The report continued: “It may improve accessibility of education if products are more widely available, as for some learners who experience low-income poverty, period products can be an expense that is difficult to meet. Initiatives to make products more widely available can involve very low costs, especially when bulk buying is used, and generate significant benefits and goodwill.” It’s a level of concern that may have surprised many unaware of the impact of period poverty. But it certainly wasn’t news to Gabby Edlin, the CEO and founder of charitable initiative Bloody Good Period, who created her organisation after volunteering at a centre for asylum seekers and refugees in London and discovering that sanitary products were classified as an ‘emergency product’, handed out only on a case by case basis.
SISTERHOOD
While her charity focuses primarily on handing out essential sanitary supplies to those seeking refuge in the UK, she says she has had a number of enquiries from young girls and women in full time education, whose budgets simply don’t stretch to buying sanitary wares each month. “Sanitary products should be one of those things absolutely everybody has access to, in the way that we have toilet paper and hand wash in bathrooms. People who want to buy specific products will continue to buy them, but we need to get rid of this whole idea that this is an area in which to make profit, rather than just a basic necessity. Menstruation is not an activity, as it’s being marketed as at the moment, and the idea that we have to pay a tax for menstruating, simply for being women, that’s just outrageous. If it were men who menstruated this would have been sorted millennia ago, and I really firmly don’t doubt that for a second.”
IT’S NOT AN AREA IN WHICH TO MAKE PROFIT, IT’S A BASIC NECESSITY
The difficulty in tackling period poverty, she says, is that campaigners are dealing with a double dose of shame which prevents women from seeking help – shame about menstruation but, more crucially, shame about being in poverty generally. “It’s something that people just don’t talk about,” she says. “We’ve heard women tell us that before they found us, they just wouldn’t leave the house. Or if they had to, they were doing so using wads of toilet paper in lieu of real sanitary wares. I can only imagine the anxiety that must cause. But to be honest, these women don’t view period poverty in isolation, more as part of a wider problem, namely, not being able to afford anything.” As such, she, like the EIS, believes that the success of the Scottish Government’s initiative will rest largely on the way the distribution of products is handled by teachers, lecturers and school staff. Will the products be freely available in toilet cubicles, normalising their use by everybody, or will low income students have to request them, or visit the school nurse for access? This, Gabby says, is a make or break issue. “I really hope that by making these available at a very young age, this can help normalise and really remove that level of shame around menstruation. We find that people get over the embarrassment around periods pretty quickly once it’s normalised, but the shame of poverty and not being able to afford things is much more palpable, which is why it’s so important not to leave any level of shame around having to request access.” How the scheme will roll out and how readily it will be received by young women remains to be seen. But, coming so quickly on the back of the Scottish Government’s decision to provide more than £500,000 in funding to charity FareShare to distribute sanitary products to an estimated 18,800 low income women across Scotland, it suggests a level of commitment to tackling period poverty here that is so far unmatched elsewhere in the UK. And that, Gabby says, is very good news indeed. “I would like to see this being made universal, and while it may be that we’re moving towards it bit by bit, the concern is ensuring that no-one is left behind. But we’re not getting any indication that the UK government is going to do anything about this at this point in time. We’ve got a good platform, and I hope the UK government feels real pressure as a result of this decision in Scotland. But they’ve been given a really good chance already and they haven’t done anything about it so far, so what does that say? It’s frankly embarrassing and shameful that Scotland is so far ahead on this, so the Scottish Government earns some very serious respect from Bloody Good Period.” To donate to Bloody Good Period, visit justgiving.com/ bloodygoodperiod
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H E A L I N G WA X She might be known for her outrageous on-screen persona, awkward interview technique and eye-catching appearance, but in her new role as a mental health expert, Ruby Wax is taking a quieter approach‌
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SISTERHOOD
or many people with depression, fading into the background would be desirous, drawing attention, anathema. But what do you do when you’re a celebrity, the sort of household name (and instantly recognisable face) that can barely walk down a street undisturbed, and you find yourself struck down with the black dog? What do you do when there’s nowhere to hide? “You can’t go on TV if you’ve got depression,” Ruby Wax insists, as she sips a cup of tea in the upmarket surrounds of Edinburgh’s Ivy On The Square and tries to ignore the whispers of recognition that surround her at all times. “Saying you have depression, it should be like saying you’ve had a heart attack, you know, it’s a disease. So I would just not show up, or I’d lie and say I had, you know, an accident or a virus. But I couldn’t be on TV. Your insides don’t know what the outside’s doing. “So when I was filming, I was generally in good health. I was a little neurotic, because you really know how to get caught in narcissism when you’re on TV and you don’t wanna be fired and you’re constantly asking ‘is this good enough?’. And I pushed it. You can really push the boat out when you’re 30, and you should. But at a later age, I came to realise I’d always had episodes of depression, even as a kid, we just didn’t know it had a name. And then, finally, I crashed. And badly.” While these days the comedian is reluctant to dwell too long on that ‘crash’, which occurred at her daughter’s sports day, she is nothing but open about the impact her subsequent treatment at The Priory had on her – so much so that when she was later awarded an OBE, she chose to accept it at the very hospital she had been treated in. Startled by what she learned at The Priory, Wax decided she wanted to learn more about the machinations of mental ill health, and in 2006, went back to college to gain a postgraduate diploma in psychotherapy and counselling. Later, in 2010, she began a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy at Oxford University. “I don’t like waving angel cards, I’m not new age, but Oxford isn’t teaching witchcraft. I learned I could see [depression and mental illness] on a brain scanner, and, you know, I can buy it if I can see it.” All of which leads us to 2018’s Edinburgh Festival where, in addition to performing her one woman show Frazzled, a funny but fierce exploration of society-wide stress, Ruby is also introducing her very own charitable initiative, Frazzled Café, to Scotland for the first time. Built vaguely around the principal of Alcoholics Anonymous, in the sense that what is said in the room, stays in the room, Frazzled Café aims to provide a safe space for today’s overworked, over-teched and over-stimulated professionals to share their thoughts, fears and pressures in a sympathetic environment. Sponsored by Marks & Spencer, which opens its cafes out of hours for the groups to meet in, the initiative already runs ten fortnightly events across England and, in early 2019, will expand to Edinburgh, and then Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Wax is eager to stress that Frazzled Café is “not about mental illness” though. “This is not therapy. It’s a place where humans can talk, and I mean anybody. People like us. The Frazzled. We’re all overloaded. Maybe you don’t want to tell your friends or bother your family with how you’re feeling, but talking is half the cure. When you hit burn out, your cortisol levels are too high, so you start ruminating and churning, trying to work out why you’re in that state and then that starts stress about stress. Frazzled is the neuro-biological word for that state and anyone in this room could feel that at any time.” While the cafes provide an invaluable support network, their very existence also serves the purpose of bringing the wide-reaching ramifications of modern day stress out into the open and encouraging a dialogue around how harmful our always-on lifestyles can be to our wellbeing. “If I had a heart attack people would be like, ‘oh wow, you’re doing so well’. There’s a prestige in saying ‘I’m so stressed’, but if you keep loading it on, stressing about stress, it will kill you. It’s more dangerous than smoking. And I really have to point out, stress we need. If we didn’t have stress we wouldn’t have evolved. But it’s the churning. Nobody ever died of stress in the past and now they do.” How big a role, I ask, does technology play in this? Is our inability to switch off from work when we leave the office driving us to higher and higher levels of stress? In a word, yes, says Wax, but this is where mindfulness becomes key. “Clearly something’s not right [with our attitude to technology] but it will only accelerate,” Wax rails. “People in my show complain about technology. Well it’s not going anywhere, so do you want to waste your energy complaining? Because believe me, sweetheart, it’s speeding up and you’re going to be left behind if you don’t know how to mentally deal with the question of how much you need. Use it, but don’t let it use you. “Technology is addictive and advertisers know how to addict us. Your own human race is working against you, so they can take your attention and turn it into money. But if you’re hip to that, you start recognising that constant logging on is an addiction, it’s adrenaline. Then you’re on the front foot.” That said, tech is far from the most commonly raised issue at Frazzled Café. Instead, says Wax, despite our social media addiction, it is loneliness that bothers café attendees more than anything else. “There are high achievers who feel that they’re not heard by their co-workers, that people don’t want to know. They think ‘I need a showbiz personality’, but it’s hard to keep the mask up. So now you have an hour and a half to take it down. If community was the way it used to be, you wouldn’t need a Frazzled Café. But it is, so this is about creating the village again. About saying it’s ok to not be ok.”
THERE’S A PRESTIGE IN SAYING ‘I’M SO STRESSED’, BUT IF YOU KEEP LOADING IT ON, IT WILL KILL YOU
For more information, or to register for your nearest event, visit frazzledcafe.org
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CHRISTMAS AT APEX GOOD TIMES, DONE WELL.
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3 MONTHS OUT • Ask for suggestions to give you an idea of what your colleagues have in mind • Use your contacts – there’s always a free starter or complimentary glass of bubbly to be had! • Book Apex Hotels quoting ‘HOOD Magazine’ and enjoy complimentary bubbles on arrival
2 MONTHS OUT
• Start shopping for suitable festive jumpers and sparkly dresses • Identify prime candidate for morning after breakfast roll run Whether you opt for a Party Night featuring mesmerising sights over a magical, wintery Edinburgh, or choose to let loose in Dundee’s newest events venue, our events elves will make sure you’re seen as the Party Planner Extraordinaire! All that remains is for you to get your elf skates on and start planning! Call 0800 049 8301 or email events@apexhotels.co.uk
• Set a budget for Secret Santa • Share festive soirée details with team and set final deadline for payment apexhotels.co.uk
@apexhotels
SISTERHOOD
A SH L EY DAV I E S Should I be bashful about my continuing need to have a bestie?
A
few weeks ago something went wrong with my online banking password: the system wanted the name of my best friend but decided my answer was incorrect. Instead of realising I’d typed it in wrong, my initial instinct was a panicky: “Waaah, Brigid’s dumped me!” I am fully aware of how ridiculous it sounds for a woman of my age to define someone as a “best friend” but, hey, this is a safe space, right? RIGHT? For a long time I’d refer to her as my BF, while she’d call me her “best friend in Scotland” (she had a better quality one in Ireland, apparently). I’ve since been promoted and she’s discarded the geographical qualification, and it gives me a feeling of immense – if childish – security. Lots of schools these days try to discourage kids – girls in particular – from having a single best friend, and you can see why. It’s as bad an idea to put all your affection eggs in one chum basket as it is to elongate a clumsy metaphor such as this. There’s nothing quite as intense as a friendship between two young girls, and as they grow older these relationships help them learn how to negotiate issues of trust, sharing and fun. At their best they help them develop their personalities, interests and skills, and at their worst can lead to political entanglements of jealousy, suspicion and plotting complex enough to have Hilary Mantel screaming for an explanatory diagram. If you’re very lucky, as an adult you’ll have a friend for different aspects of your personality: one who brings out the best in you and one who brings out the worst (the latter can be a lot of fun but, like nutmeg and Channel 5, is best in small doses). It’s good to have someone around who you’ve known forever, and who knows the real you, but it’s also lovely getting to know a person whose values and qualities more accurately reflect who you are now. I used to worry that I compartmentalised too much; fearful, for example, that perhaps foul-
IT’S GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU’VE KNOWN FOREVER, AND WHO KNOWS THE REAL YOU
mouthed work friends would offend those I’d known for many years, or that somehow people wouldn’t make an effort with each other, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? People will gravitate towards those they get on with and it’s pointless trying to control that. There are loads of people who I love spending time with, but I only have the emotional bandwidth to maintain genuinely close relationships with two: my husband and my bestie. To find out whether this was common, I conducted some scientific research on the subject (ie, I did a Twitter poll and asked some pals) and here are my watertight findings: about half the people who answered said that yes, they had a best friend (about a quarter described their partner as their BF). Most of those had met their best friend as an adult, and nearly all of those who said they didn’t have a bestie wished they did. It’s clearly something a lot of us need. And some of us just need to change our passwords. @msashleydavies (Twitter)
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SISTERHOOD
(wood)working woman It’s the carpentry brand that’s taken the fashion world by storm, creating custom products for lines ranging from Bentley to Burberry, Jaguar to Jo Malone. But Method is so rooted in Scotland that when it came to opening its first store for Joe Bloggs, entitled M74, the company chose Linlithgow. Jennifer Crichton-Gibson meets Marisa Giannasi, one half of the husband and wife team making woodwork lustworthy… hood • 25
Carpentry still isn’t a hugely common career choice for women. How did you end up in the field? When I met [my husband] Callum in 2007, I had trained as an architect and he’d learned all his skills from his father, who’s a wonderful wood carver. Initially, we went travelling around the world together. But this was just before the recession hit and when we came back, there were no jobs. We ran away up to Oban and cleaned hotel rooms together, which was wonderful, but during our weekends we used to walk through Glencoe and talk about how about we could merge our skills and try something ourselves. So, in 2009 we started our business, Method. He taught me about construction techniques and I taught him about design and creative projects, those core skills of project management. Callum initially made everything, but we designed together. And while we’re now inseparable, the first few years it was like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. It was just two worlds trying to figure out how to work together. A lot of people would think it’s very difficult to work with a spouse… It was, in a lot of ways, at the start. I think our egos at the time would get in the way, and being in a relationship, we were both very persistent. But when we start something, we both want to be able to finish it. So, we just had to learn, in a kind of awkward way, how to get along and work together. You’ve done a lot of work in the fashion world. How did that come about? Being ‘a brand’ was important to us because we really liked the way fashion approached selling product. Furniture, especially cabinet-making, can be a bit oldfashioned, but we were in our late 20s and we wanted to have a cool company and brand. So, we looked at the ways the fashion houses were doing it right, then we did a little exhibition in 2009 in Cruise in Edinburgh alongside some cool brands. That’s when we discovered that if you put furniture in a clothes shop, or anywhere really, it just becomes furniture. It sounds hilarious, but people sit on it and put their coffee on it and they don’t really see it, it just disappears. The positive, though, was that when Callum then wrote emails to the other brands involved, suggesting that if we worked together, we could do something extraordinary, one of them, Denham, said yes. So we did a tailor’s trunk for them, then their creative director worked with other brands and, through doing that, then Jaguar Land Rover called. Then we worked with Bentley and Burberry, and it grew from there. Our own persistence in becoming a brand that people could rely upon meant we became more than just some cabinet-makers in Linlithgow. It was really important that those brands were happy to put our name beside it. But our love for good detailing and good design and beautiful materials means we’ve ended up in a luxury price point in a luxury world, which wasn’t where we thought we’d head. 26 • hood
SISTERHOOD
What’s been the most memorable or challenging collaboration so far? There have been many, but I guess Ecco Leather’s Nomadic Artisan workshop space would be up there. It was a leather workshop where any person could pick their leather, finish it, stitch it and basically make a leather bag from start to finish in 40 minutes using a portable workshop we had designed and created. There were seven trunks, hydraulics and the director of Ecco leather, a mad genius called Panos, wanted theatre and surprise. He wanted something that could be set up by shop staff anywhere in the world so, after creating the workshop, we had to customise a container so all of this gear could slot in and move. That was a crazy brief, absolutely mental, but the architectural background really helps. Technically, that didn’t exist anywhere in the world, so you just have figure it out. It’s not just carpentry, it’s engineering and invention as well. I think, given the people you’re working with, it’s perhaps surprising you’re in Linlithgow and not London. How long have you been here? We’ve been here eight years. Originally, when we came back to Scotland, I had three jobs in the west and Callum was building everything in East Lothian at his dad’s workshops to start funding a company. Any extra time we had was just full time making, making, making. We looked at the map for halfway, saw a wee house nearby and it has had our heart ever since. It’s just the most beautiful place and we are lucky to have our workshop and design studio within Beecraigs Country Park, which is such a romantic, inspiring place to work. Usually, if you make things, you are relegated to industrial units with no windows, but our workshop is a real destination and brand HQ. We’ve brought big brands here and it communicates our message better than any industrial unit could. How important is it to be in a place that you find inspiring? It’s essential. We are bringing the forest to the high street, but more than that, for mental health and wellbeing purposes, can you imagine going to work in a windowless shed every day? Life is short and Callum and I both wanted to go to work every day, enjoy being there and have everyone we work with feel the same way. Our team are are all wonderful cabinet-makers but they also have to be inventors, they have to create, so it makes us happy when, at lunchtime, someone suggests we all go for a big walk in the woods or gets the guitar out and enjoys the space. It’s magical. It must be difficult to staff that – it sounds like you need a very particular type of person? We’ve learned it’s more to do with character than skills – the person needs to be open-minded. Our work can be frustrating, because we don’t have the answers, so anyone who joins us needs to enjoy inventing, to be excited rather than frustrated. That’s a sort of design mentality, that there’s no right or wrong, just testing and trying. It is tricky, but we’ve got such a great team now I think we’ve finally nailed it. I hope they all stay forever.
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Given all the custom work, how has the shop come about? When we started, we didn’t intend to be working business-to-business, but Method became that and we’ve found it can be quite intimidating for ordinary customers. So we took some deep breaths and we thought about how to design the furniture range we always wanted to. We’ve got so much more experience now, it’s the right time to engage private customers. Method does international, but we both think Scotland is ready for this store experience, for handmade, really nicely designed furniture. In the past, a lot of cabinet making relied so heavily on the material being beautiful itself that the design sometimes fell to the wayside. We want to create the kind of furniture we’d like to have in our own home, to offer something new. Did you ever feel the need to move your business to London? No, I don’t think there has ever been a need. We often have meetings there but we’re down one day and come back in the night. Where we are is perfect, with the airport 15 minutes away, and modern technology means we have done entire client projects and never met the team. If you’re good at interpreting your client’s needs, it works. The overheads are great here if you are a start-up company. All we do is reinvest every year, slowly put profit back in, make sure we are always stable. Perhaps if this store goes well, we’ll open another in London, but we’ll still be here. Recent studies suggest people, particularly those under-45, are spending more on their homes and interiors than ever before. Are you seeing evidence of that? To be honest, our customers are a pretty constant type – they value the process – but we definitely see people who really care about their purchases. Many of them want to go all the way from the beginning, get all dusty and dirty picking the wood, come up to the workshop and see the process, and there’s great joy in thinking our piece is going to be in the family forever. We will never make throwaway items. At the moment we are designing a table for a husband and wife in Linlithgow and they want it in two parts as they’ve got two children. They’ll use the table as one piece, but in future they want each daughter to have half for their own family home. That kind of project creates an emotional connection with our customers.
WE WANT TO CREATE FURNITURE WE’D LIKE TO HAVE IN OUR OWN HOME, TO OFFER SOMETHING THAT’S NEW
Given that connection with the process, how do you find a work/life balance and plan for the business potentially expanding? We had to ask each other some big questions this year in terms of investment, but right now we don’t want external investment because this is our world. We created it and I’d rather we just all enjoy our jobs and not to be profit-orientated. I wouldn’t say it feels like we’ve not worked a day in our lives – anyone who has started their own business will say it’s massively straining and stressful, and any idea that you’re going to make much money in the first five years, forget it – but you have to just love it, to want to do it so bad, you make it work. In ten years, if we are all earning a wage and happy, I’d be absolutely delighted. M74.co.uk
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Let’s talk about flex
With a staggering 44 per cent of mums saying they earn less than they did pre-parenthood, and uptake of shared parental leave estimated at a woeful two per cent, how is business getting it so wrong by working parents? Hood meets the women campaigning for change…
D
ame Jenny Murray might be a household name, among the BBC’s most recognisable and outspoken stars, but despite her fiercely feminist history, she would be the first to admit that her current campaign for fairer working practices for families is driven by men. More specifically, by having adult sons, who she believes should be able to take substantial parental leave and then work more flexibly after the arrival of children.
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“For me, feminism has always been about having the choice. If you’re a man who wants to stay home and look after your kids, that’s fine. If you’re a woman who wants to stay home and look after your kids, that’s also fine. But you must both have the right to follow your own ambition, whatever that ambition is. “It’s always been assumed that when a woman has children, she goes part-time and she’s no longer
LIVELIHOOD
taken seriously. And what we really need to do is to take part-time work seriously, and make it available to men as well. Because today’s men don’t want to be the men their fathers were, going out at 7am, coming back at 7pm and just seeing their sleeping children in bed. They want to play a more active role in taking care of their children..” It’s an admirable aim, but one which remains a long way from reality. The UK government recently admitted uptake of its shared parental leave scheme “could be as low as two per cent”, while in Scotland, the government has warned that demand for flexible working vastly outstrips supply. Indeed, a study of more than 230,000 job adverts north of the border by recruitment agency Timewise found that just 11.9% of jobs were advertised as flexible, while 34% of jobless Scots sought flexible work. Charity Family Friendly Working Scotland warns there is now a significant bottle-neck of those seeking work but unable to find opportunities which offer the flexibility that they need. It does, however, feel as though the clamour for a change in our working practices is reaching a critical mass. Take wildly-popular parenting blogger-turned-activist Anna Whitehouse, better known as Mother Pukka, whose Flex Appeal campaign recently partnered with McDonald’s to better spread the word about worker’s rights to request flexible working, whatever their gender. The campaign has already recruited John Lewis, BT, BP, Virgin Money and more than 70 other firms, in a bid to encourage more favourable working conditions, and Whitehouse will shortly be taking it on the road, with a series of Let’s Talk About Flex events aimed at providing working parents with advice on how to secure themselves flexibility. “We’re pushing for someone being judged on their ability to produce good work, not sit on a chair past 6pm,” she writes. “In most cases, flexible working means happier staff, lower costs and greater productivity.”
The question, really, is why campaigners are having to have these arguments in the first place, when the evidence in favour of flexible working speaks so strongly for itself. While the largest costs for many businesses are people and property, firms that offer more opportunities to work remotely can save on the latter. London’s Lambeth Council, which recently rolled out flexible working across its entire staff, says it stands to save around £4.5 million pounds per year by ensuring no more than 60% of its staff are in house at any one time. It costs around £5000 to hire a new employee on average in the UK – yet 54,000 women say they are pushed out of their jobs each year due to pregnancy and maternity leave, their employers seemingly oblivious to the fact they are not only removing experience from their workforce but incurring further hiring and training costs. Then there’s the fact that businesses which do encourage flexible working say the practice actually improves productivity – when one company in New Zealand recently trialled giving all employees a four-day week on full salary, senior managers were so impressed with the impact they asked the firm’s board to roll out the move on a permanent basis. Perpetual Guardian’s employees said the scheme offered them better work/life balance, reduced stress and more time for hobbies, community and volunteer work. CEO Andrew Barnes, meanwhile, says "What happens is you get a motivated, energised, stimulated, loyal work force. I have ended up with statistics that indicate my staff are fiercely proud of the company they work for – because it gives a damn." Perhaps it’s time other companies started giving a damn too.
For more information on flexible working, visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Working Forward campaign website at equalityhumanrights.com
Working parents: The stats • According to the EHRC, 54,000 women a year are pushed out of their jobs due to pregnancy or maternity leave. Additionally, the commission says 77% of working mums have encountered negative or discriminatory treatment at work. • While 2.2 million people stay at home to look after children in the UK currently, 60% of them say they want to get back to work. That’s according to the My Family Care Survey.
• A recent government capital and wellbeing report said the UK economy would be £165 million richer and more productive if all businesses offered flexible working for families. • 2017’s annual survey by website workingmums. co.uk found nearly half of working mums think working flexibly has affected their ability to progress their career, with 44% saying they earn less than before they had children.
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FEATURES
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LIVELIHOOD
Further recent statistics point to the glaring fact that one in three Millennials will never own their own home, while most will take home salaries that are disproportionately low compared to the UK average and around 20 per cent lower than baby boomers’ salaries when they were the same age.
Opinion expressed here is that of the author and does not constitute advice. Julie Mitchell is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Let’s flip this. We need to be more positive in the ways we talk and think about money…
Money matters Flummoxed by finance? In dread over debt? You’re not alone, but help is at hand. Julie Mitchell, an independent financial advisor with female money specialists Independent Women, tackles some of your most common cash concerns each month, ensuring you feel empowered about investment. This issue, she asks, are today’s 20 and 30-somethings being financially swindled, or are they redefining having it all?
Y
ou don’t need to go far to find an article centring on the harsh financial realities for Millennials. Time and again we hear that it’s the unlucky generation – born into a time of job insecurity, stagnant wages, an inflated housing market and a significant reduction in final salary pension schemes in comparison with previous generations. The property market is fraught with issues. If we are not caught out by offers flying over the home report value on closing day, then the aspirational are powerless to rising tax levies, such as the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax which replaced UK Stamp Duty in Scotland and resulted in a substantially higher tax for home purchases over £325,000. Slowly but surely, companies are altering components of their final salary pension schemes if not closing them down entirely, meaning access to such a scheme is becoming as rare for our age group as a selfie-free day is for a Kardashian. Meanwhile, the private sector equivalent, ‘money purchase’ schemes, look set to generate final salaries that may prove unrealistic after household bills and living costs are paid.
Other than throwing our toys out of the pram and waiting to inherit from the baby boomers, we have started to see a fundamental shift in what this generation thinks of as important, suggesting that, with a few financial tweaks, we could stand to have it all, after all. In a recent survey conducted by Powwownow, 70 per cent of millennials said they were looking for flexible working options, while 81 per cent of women say flexible working would make a job more appealing. We are shifting to part-time, freelance, or reduced hours to gain a much greater work/life balance and, as a result, we have key financial planning issues to consider. Those venturing out into the self-employed world lose the safety net provided by employers, such as pension schemes and additional protection benefits such as death in service and sick pay. Therefore, there are three key factors when switching across to freelance work: protect your home, protect your family and income, and plan now for your future. The positive flip side to being in the younger age groups is that protection contracts are substantially cheaper, so the earlier we look to take out such cover, the better for our purse strings. Life cover costs can more than quadruple for those who effect no protection until thay are into their 40’s, when compared with the costs experienced by those savvy enough to plan ahead and fix premiums during their 20’s. Self-employed individuals paying into a personal pension will continue to receive 20% tax relief on pension contributions for starter rate and basic rate taxpayers, though the figure increases for intermediate, higher and top rate taxpayers. For those in permanent employment, the government’s introduction of NEST means that employers must now provide their workers with a pension scheme. This at least provides for modest payments – currently two per cent employer requiring a three per cent contribution from the employee. Given final salary schemes on average contribute around 20 per cent per month between employee and employer, you can start to see how different retirement will look for today’s young professionals. So, can Millennials become the generation that all others measure themselves by in the future? Only you will know how much you need for the future, but the take-away is that the earlier we actually plan, the greater the chance we have of giving ourselves options later in life. Usually, the greatest priority is not to make millions, but to guarantee security, protection and choice. It is difficult to see a situation whereby today’s twenty and thirty-somethings could ever compete with the financial offering of previous generations, through no fault of their own. But, with a bit of planning as outlined here you could find yourself as close to financial utopia as you could hope for. independentwomen.co.uk
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Woman hood
PHILANTHROPIC FRAGRANCE October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to support the initiative, Jo Malone has unveiled this special edition Red Roses cologne. A voluptuous yet surprisingly clean scent, Red Roses is inspired by seven of the world’s most exquisite blooms, blended with crushed violet leaves, rich honeycomb and a hint of fresh lemon. Unfolding like an oversized bouquet, the scent’s creators describe it as ‘the essence of modern romance’, but we like to think of it as a gorgeous way to treat yourself - and raise money for a very good cause at the same time. A whopping £20 from every sale of a 100ml bottle this month will be donated to the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. Red Roses Cologne 100ml, £94, Jo Malone. jomalone.co.uk
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WOMANHOOD
Wear it three ways Real women need versatile pieces that work for real life, no matter what their day holds. And a classic biker is the style staple you’ll reach for again and again…
Melanie Rae, 42, is an Instagrammer and mum-of-two from Edinburgh. Find her on Instagram @roseandthetote
Work
Faux leather biker jacket (used throughout), £35, finditstyleit.com. Polo neck, £17.50, Marks & Spencer. Trousers, £22.99, New Look. Boots, £40, River Island. Bag, £8, Primark. hood • 37
Rest
Biker jacket, as before. Jumper, £12.50, and trousers, £35, Marks & Spencer. Trainers, £19.99, New Look.
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WOMANHOOD
Play
Biker jacket, as before. Dress, £118, and shoes, £138, Anthropologie.
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FEATURES
SUITS
Up the ante on your workwear wardrobe this season with colourful co-ords, slick suiting and animal accents
YOU
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Photography Aleksandra Modrzejewska
WOMANHOOD FEATURES
Blazer, £370, and culottes, £209, Maje at Harvey Nichols. Blouse, £35, Marks & Spencer.
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FEATURES
Blazer, £65, and trousers, £45, both Topshop. Earrings, £9, River Island.
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WOMANHOOD
Coat, £335, Harris Wharf at Harvey Nichols. Blouse, £160, Gestuz at Harvey Nichols. Beret, £38, Anthropologie.
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WOMANHOOD
Trench, £168, Anthropologie.
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FEATURES
Blazer, £70, and trousers, £38, River Island. Shoes, £65, Marks & Spencer.
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FEATURES
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WOMANHOOD
Opposite page: Coat, £85, and necklace, £12, both River Island. Blazer, £59, and polo neck, £17.50, both Marks & Spencer. This page: Blazer, £369, and skirt, £175, Sandro at Harvey Nichols. Shoes, stylist’s own.
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WOMANHOOD
Blazer, £20, trousers, £15, and blouse, £12, all Primark. Earrings, £8, New Look. Model: Florence Millar at Colours Agency. Hair and make-up: Sara Hill, assisted by Gosia Majewska. Location: Mountjoy House
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WOMANHOOD
Fake it ‘til you make it Don’t wake up with a youthful rosy glow and a sprinkling of freckles? No problem! Simply fake freckles using a brow pencil dotted at random over the face, pressing into the skin for a realistic fade. Sweep on a rose gold blusher to lift the complexion and give a radiant glow, then finish the look with a volumising brow gel to tame, tint and fill out your brows to supermodel proportions.
In the pink
Most of us love a little pop of pink on our cheeks or lips, but would you dare to wear it across your whole face? It might seem daunting, but the sugary shade could well prove the most versatile in your cosmetics bag this autumn. Make-up maestro Sara Hill shows us how… Photography Maja Jankowska 50 • hood
Feeling flush This look is all about creating a fresh, outdoorsy effect, like the flush you get from a brisk walk on a bright autumn day. Brush up your brows – we love Soap Brows to add some density – then add lashings of mascara for a wide-awake look. To finish, simply make your lipstick a multitasker, using a suitsall nude pink and smudging it lightly across the lids and cheeks as well as the lips.
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Mrs Magenta Feeling brave? Crank your pink up a notch and use it across your face for a truly rosy glow. Create a twist on the classic smoky eye by bringing a deep, rich pink or burgundy shade out towards the brow bone and smudging under the lash line, before adding a touch of shimmer with a paler rose hue in the inner corners and centre. Swirl blush across the cheeks too, and finish with a slick of nude-pink lipstick.
Model: Simone Murphy at Nemesis Models Hair: Jack Baxter Nails: Lia at Swoon Nails
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WOMANHOOD
Get the look Fake it ‘til you make it Hourglass Arch Brow Volumising Fibre Gel in Dark Brunette, £25, John Lewis Barry M Brow Wow in Light/ Medium £3.99, Superdrug. Benefit Gold Rush Blush £25.50, benefitcosmetics.com
Feeling flush Soap Brows, £12.99, westbarnco.com Benefit BADGal Bang! Mascara in Black, £21.50, benefitcosmetics.com Lipstick Queen Method in the Madness in Nonsense Nude £22, Space NK
Mrs Magenta Givenchy La Palette in Midnight Skies £38, Debenhams, NARS Single Eyeshadow in Verona £16, narscosmetics.co.uk, Too Faced Natural Nude Lipstick in Birthday Suit £18, www.cultbeauty.co.uk
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BOROUGH THE BRAVE Its predecessor, Norn, was one of Edinburgh’s true destination restaurants, so opening on the same site takes courage. Can Borough live up to expectation? Jennifer Crichton-Gibson finds out…
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’m convinced that music can make or break a restaurant. I’ve been known to walk in and straight back out of supposedly hot new spots due to, in no particular order, high volume house, elevator music and the sort of reverential quiet that means you hear every scrape of a fork. It is in this context that Borough charms me the moment I walk through the door. The staff’s mix of cool, modern tracks and old soul classics, playing at precisely the right volume, is the ideal accompaniment to an exceptionally friendly welcome from 54 • hood
restaurant manager Richard Kyle. Formerly of Fisher’s In the City, Kyle brings that same chirpy, relaxed atmosphere with him to Borough, previously home to Norn and, before that, The Plumed Horse – both acclaimed spots, though not exactly known for their laidback attitude. This more free and easy approach continues through Chef Darren Murray’s menu. While he’s stayed on since the building’s Norn days, he’s ditched its seven-course tasting menus in favour of an ever-changing selection of ingredient-led small and large plates.
FOOD IN THE ‘HOOD
Three more to try THE GANNET Glasgow The six-course summer tasting menu at this acclaimed spot features some of Scotland’s finest produce – think herring and hake from Shetland and pigeon from Perthshire – though the cool setting ensures it’s far from stuffy… thegannetgla.com
I COULD EAT THIS EVERY DAY UNTIL I HAD TO BE LIFTED OUT BY CRANE
Want to share? No problem. Want to treat them as starters and mains? That’s welcome too. We began with a teeny taster plate of pickled sole with mange tout (£3), a very simple little tangle of greens atop a trio of fish slivers, the combination so fresh and light it could have happily stood duty as a palate cleanser. Our next plate, smoked coley with tomato and crowdie (£7), couldn’t have been more different, the strong saltiness of the fish and accompanying roe offset beautifully by the creamy sourness of the Scottish cheese. A final small dish of pumpkin risotto with gorgonzola (£9) was a delight too, perfectly creamy in texture with a hint of citrus flavour cutting through the sweetness of the squash. For mains, we opted to share salt baked lamb leg with yoghurt and dill (£19) and a tranche of plaice with a seaweed beurre blanc (£17) – a combination which could have caused a headache for many a sommelier. Not so Kyle, whose suggestion we stick with sauvignon blanc was spot on. While both dishes were perfectly executed and flavourful, the fish especially so, it is no exaggeration to say they were overshadowed by our sides. A bowl of roasted carrots (£4) sitting
in a puddle of vibrant green lovage puree was a sweet love letter to the very best Scotland’s terrain has to offer, while the potato puree with bottarga (£4.50) was nothing short of a triumph. We ordered it largely through intrigue – ‘do we want dried fish roe on our mash?’ we asked. Turns out, yes. Yes, we do. Having sounded odd, it actually added a perfect salty crunch of texture to what I believe must have otherwise been a fifty-fifty mix of potato and butter. Apparently, the staff often opt for a simple bowl of this for their dinner. I couldn’t blame them. I could eat this every day until I had to be lifted out by crane. For dessert, I opted for the chocolate, stout and bramble (£6.50), a heady, rich combination, the underlying bitterness of the ale cut through with the juice of the fresh berries. My dining partner, meanwhile, declared her plate of Picos Blue and Flower Marie cheeses (£10) delicious. All this, plus friendly staff, stylishly unfussy surroundings and a playlist 6Music would be proud of? We’ll be back.
MOONFISH CAFÉ Aberdeen While there’s a hint of street food influence on the menu here (chicken corndog, anyone?) there’s undeniable skill in the kitchen. Don’t miss the Arbroath smokie with curried rice and lavosh, an upmarket upgrading of comfort-food fave kedgeree. moonfishcafe.co.uk
THE TAYBERRY Broughty Ferry Award-winning chef Adam Newth takes his inspiration from Scotland’s natural larder, serving up seasonal plates that look Insta-worthy and taste delicious to boot. Don’t miss the pan-seared monkfish cheek with cauliflower, capers and raisins. tayberryrestaurant.co.uk
50-54 Henderson Street, Edinburgh boroughrestaurant.com
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CHIC SUPPER
You needn’t be a master chef to rustle up a delicious Mediterranean-inspired menu, thanks to these simple recipes from Edinburgh-based restaurant Otro. But hey, your guests don’t need to know it was easy…
Tomato gazpacho with burrata and heritage tomatoes • • • • • • • • • • • • •
2 balls of burrata A mix of heritage tomatoes 1kg cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 1 bunch of spring onions, white parts only, finely chopped 1 cucumber, sliced 5 basil leaves 5 coriander leaves 100g olive oil 3 tbsp sherry vinegar Salt, to taste Black olive tapenade, to serve
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1. Place all of the ingredients, except the heritage tomatoes and burrata, in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and leave to infuse overnight. 2. The next day, transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until thoroughly combined. 3. Pass the blended soup through a fine sieve to ensure it is completely smooth, then season to taste and chill in the fridge until required. 4. To serve, core and cut the heritage tomatoes into small wedges, and season them with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Tear your burrata and arrange with your tomatoes in serving bowls. 5. Pour your gazpacho over the top of the cheese and tomatoes and garnish with basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a spoonful of black olive tapenade.
otrorestaurant.co.uk
FOOD IN THE ‘HOOD
Falafel with beetroot hummus, halloumi fries and tahini dressing For the dressing: • 250g Greek yoghurt • 50g tahini • 1 clove garlic, minced • Half lemon, juiced • 20g honey For the falafel: • 400g can chickpeas, drained and washed • 1 red onion, diced • 1 small courgette, grated • 1 small bunch coriander, leaves only, chopped • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 1 tbsp sriracha • 50g smooth peanut butter • 1 tsp ground cumin • 2 garlic cloves, chopped • 2 tbsp gram or plain flour • Salt and pepper, to taste
For the hummus: • 400g can chickpeas, drained and washed • 400g cooked beetroot • Half lemon, juiced • 100g tahini • 2 garlic cloves • 1 tsp ground cumin • 100ml olive oil • 2 tbsp creamed horseradish For the fries: • 250g halloumi • 50g semolina • 1 tbsp Za’atar
1. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together well and refrigerate until needed. 2. Mix all of the hummus ingredients together well in the bowl of a blender. Blitz until smooth and set aside. 3. To make the falafel, roughly crush the chickpeas by hand, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Season well and then shape into small balls. Set aside. 4. Cut the cheese into thick fries. Mix the semolina and Za’atar, and roll the cheese in the mixture. To serve, fry the falafel in hot oil until golden brown, followed by the coated halloumi fries. Serve with the beetroot hummus, tahini yoghurt and some salad leaves.
Baked vanilla cheesecake For the cheesecake base: • 60g plain flour • 60g sugar • 60g ground almonds • 6g salt • 60g butter For the cream cheese topping: • 650g cream cheese • 150g mascarpone • 190g sugar • 1 vanilla pod, halved and scraped • 2 eggs • 8 egg yolks 1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. 2. To make the base, mix together the flour, sugar, almonds and salt. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients, then mix well. Press the mix into an ovenproof tin and bake until golden. Set aside to cool. 3. Turn the oven down to 110°C. 4. Combine the topping ingredients and whisk together. Pour on top of the cooled cheesecake base and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until firm. Set aside to cool. 5. When ready to serve, cut the cheesecake and plate alongside some chopped tropical fruit – try mango with lime zest – and ice cream.
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FEATURES
While the Miami-style villa may well be in the centre of a small Victorian seaside resort, Mark had no problems getting planning permission. “The locals were all really supportive of the project, it is a local landmark now.” The fire engine red front door is a tongue in cheek reference to the history of the building, but otherwise, the architecture and the landscaping are definitely evocative of sunnier climes, with pebbles, grasses and palm trees all adding to the exotic seaside vibe.
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FIRE LIGHT MY
Having fallen in love with the idyllic yachting village of Tignabruaich, Mark and Rhonda Brunjes set about converting the town’s disused fire station into a stunning, modernist holiday home Feature & Styling Alison Gibb Photography Douglas Gibb
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he story of Mark and Rhonda Brunjes’ dream renovation project was so nearly a very different one. After years of visiting Tignabruaich, in the idyllic Cowal Peninsula, for holidays with their daughter Eva, and Mark’s older children, Emma and Max, the couple dreamed of finding the perfect property there. So when the for sale sign went up on the town’s fire station, built in 1964 and recently left empty following the construction of a new station at nearby Kames, Mark immediately put an ambitious offer in. “I did not get it though,” he explains. “The agents had 85 enquiries, there were 30 viewings and I am certain that everyone who viewed the property will have offered. It was just the perfect size for a small family home and enjoyed a great location in the centre of the village. With great views to the south, overlooking the water. It just totally caught everyone’s imagination.” A few months later, Mark received a call from the seller’s solicitors asking if he was still interested – his offer had been second and the top offer had fallen through. Delighted, the purchase went through successfully and the hard work started. “I came up with the design, created a scale model of how I wanted the building to look and approached the planning department myself,” Mark recalls. Having received a positive reaction, he then employed an architect friend to do the detailed structural drawings, as well as a structural engineer and a quantity surveyor. Once he had full planning
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THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA
KAMES HOTEL This friendly spot enjoys the nickname ‘the gluepot’ – because no one ever wants to leave the bar once they’ve sat down… kames-hotel.com permission, he put the project out to tender. “I was quite surprised at how high the various builders came in at, I guess they maybe knew the cost of skips, scaffolding and delivering steel frames to a remote, rural location such as this,” he laughs. Hoping he could do better, Mark decided to project manage the whole thing himself. As an interior designer, specialising in hospitality, he had years of experience of hotel, bar and restaurant refurbishments, brought in on time on a tight schedule and commercial budget. Nonetheless, “doing something for myself, remotely, in my spare time was a different matter,” he admits. “Building costs are always going to be more than you expect in a remote spot.” A huge challenge to the project was that a nearby electrical power line meant craning the steel frame into place on top of the original building was not possible. Instead, scaffolding had to be erected that was twice the height of the building and a temporary roof constructed to allow the existing one to be removed. Concrete pads to support the
THE TIGNABRUAICH GALLERY Contemporary and selective, the team here puts on a fresh show every month, so there’s always something new to see.’ tiggallery.com TIGNABRUAICH SAILING SCHOOL New to the water? The coaches here will help you find your sea legs. tssargyll.co.uk BOTANICA This pretty restaurant on the town’s main street serves up seasonal Scottish fare, including impeccably fresh seafood. botanicafood.co.uk THE TEAROOM This quaint café on Shore street is unbeatable for home baking and a leisurely cuppa thetearoom-tig.com
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Above: The spiral staircase is a fun focal point and hints at a fireman’s pole, though the fire station itself, built in 1964, never had a pole, Mark reveals. “The building was originally a single-storey. The framed prints are 1970’s New York Subway blinds, the stone cradled in steel, the spear and the engraved piece of slate are all by the iconic Glasgow artist and sculptor, the late George Wylie, and the blue velvet ‘Glasgow Toile’ cushion is £99 by Timorous Beasties. Centre: The galleried, open-plan living, kitchen and dining room is drenched in sunlight from the wall of south-facing glass. “You can just throw open the sliding doors so it never gets too hot,” Rhonda says. Mark has carefully designed the lighting throughout the house. “Always light the edges of the room and make sure it can be dimmed,” he advises.
new steel frame had to be built, and the site needed to be protected from the worst of the elements for the process – all major expenses. The challenges continued to mount. The huge and heavy upstairs windows had to be winched up by hand – “we hired a special lifting machine, but it was not easy,” Mark recalls. The roof structure, too, presented similar problems, and “the access to the site, up a small road, is not great for large trucks. It would have been cheaper and easier to have demolished the original building and built a new house, but it would not have been the same. I wanted locals to refer to the old fire station building.” It took two years to finalise the plans and drawings, and another two years to complete the project. But what was a single-storey 1960's building, divided into a garage, offices and storage, is now a stunning, contemporary, seaside home, with distinctly Ibizan overtones. By the side entrance sits 60 • hood
HOMEOWNER Q&A Describe your style in 5 words... Simple, fresh, minimal, Miami, Mediterranean. What’s your favourite home buy and why? The Morso stove – it’s so beautifully designed and so cosy in the winter. What’s your favourite interiors shop and why? Habitat. The furniture is both modern and classic. What’s been your worst decorating disaster? ‘We painted the exterior before the plaster was fully dried out – we need to scrape it off, seal it properly and start again.’ What’s your decorating secret? ‘White walls and artwork are a great way to make your home really individual. It always looks good.’ What item inspired you most? ‘The view is the best feature – we just took it from there!’
NEIGHBOURHOOD
The stunning south facing terrace is a big draw in the summer. The Philippe Starck ‘Bubble’ sofas are £450 each by Kartel, the rainbow print cushions are £14 each by Ikea and the ‘Alibi’ cushions in apple green are £33 each from Natasha Marshall. The granite slabs are £75 per square metre from Marshalls.
STOCKISTS
The master bedroom has a romantic four poster bed. “The neon artwork above it is by an artist friend in London called Frances Coleman,” Mark shares. The ‘Dormir’ four poster bed was £1,295, the bedside tables £250, both by Pavillion Rattan. The ‘Union Jackass’ cushions are £90 each by Timorous Beasties.
Pavillion Rattan 01623 847 030 prhome.co.uk Natasha Marshall 0141 339 0120 natashamashall.com Habitat 0844 499 1111 habitat.co.uk Porcelanosa 0141 533 1000 porcelanosa.co.uk Timorous Beasties 020 7833 5010 timorousbeasties.com Pedlars 01330 826 735 pedlars.co.uk Marshalls marshalls.co.uk
a large double height window, originally the entrance for the fire engine, while the three bedrooms and bathrooms are all downstairs, overlooking the bay. Upstairs sits a fabulous open plan living space that opens out onto the sundrenched patio. “It is a great party house,” Rhonda admits. “We have installed a Sonos sound system into the ceilings and you can remotely control different sounds to different rooms. It is great throwing the doors open on a summer’s evening and enjoying the views and the music – Mark has designed beautiful lighting for the terrace and it looks gorgeous at night.” Mark says he wanted to create an upside-down house to take advantage of the stunning views, and with his modernist, clean-lined interior, that vision has been brilliantly realized – the views are breathtaking. A keen art collector with a love of contemporary art, both Scottish and American, Mark wanted the house to have a feel of a gallery and says paining it white was the obvious solution. Cushions by Glasgow based designers, Natasha Marshall and iconic Scottish design house Timorous Beasties add punchy accents of colour. “Timorous Beasties have an annual sale in their factory in the West End of Glasgow and the proceeds all go to charity. We go every year and buy a few bits and pieces,” Mark shares. Primarily, however, what Mark has created is a comfortable holiday house, popular with guests from across Scotland and beyond when the family is not using it themselves. “We use it as a base for activities – sailing, beach walks, golf and tennis,” says Mark. “It is completely different from our home in Glasgow, yet it is only an hour and half’s drive away. We just love it. The locals are so friendly and it is so peaceful here, you can really unscramble your brain.” To stay in the Old Fire Station, visit cottages-and-castles.co.uk
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LADY OF THE MANOR Ever fancied swanning around your own private castle? You can, in Argyll, but you’ll have to move fast…
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tef Burgon and Simon Hunt don’t look like you’d expect the owners of a castle to look. In fact, with their hipster garb and his not-unimpressive beard, they look like they’ve been beamed into Argyll and Bute from Shoreditch. And yet, despite appearances, since 2015 they’ve been the proud owners of one of Scotland’s best-kept privately-owned castles. An English radio presenter and Aussie creative director respectively, the couple were living and working in Dubai when they first visited Scotland on holiday. “We stumbled into the world of castle ownership during that road trip in 2014,” Simon explains. “It was January. It was cold, it was wet and it was windy, but we fell head over heels in love with Scotland. Then, back in Dubai, we saw an ad that said ‘Buy a castle in Scotland for the same price as an apartment in London' and we couldn't resist.” Within months, the couple had taken ownership of Kilmartin Castle, only the fourth people to do so since its construction in 1550. Built for John Carswell, the Rector of Kilmartin Glen and later Bishop of the Isles, the property was next held by Clan Campbell, before being abandoned for 200 years. It was later taken into private ownership and underwent extensive renovation in the 1990s, before Stef and Simon stepped in to take over the project. The couple visited regularly in the first few months, lovingly furnishing the place with a cool but cosy mix of vintage and modern furniture, and finding a property manager, Karen, to keep things ticking over in their absence. Then, after bringing their friends over from Dubai and marrying at Kilmartin (substantially increasing the tiny village’s population for the weekend), they returned to work in Dubai and put the castle up on Airbnb, where it has been available for private rental ever since.
Currently sleeping six across three completed bedrooms, the property rents for £380 a night for exclusive use, and has proved wildly popular with groups of friends, couples, walkers and history buffs looking to experience life as landed gentry. Upon arrival, guests are invited to help themselves to a shot of Scotch before being shown how to build a real fire. Everything needed for selfcatering is provided, though for those looking to truly relax and unwind, a local chef, Ali, can be booked to provide private catering within the castle’s walls. All this is set to change, however, for nearly four years after taking ownership of the castle, Stef and Simon are ready to call it home. Having left their jobs in Dubai, the pair are currently roadtripping around Europe in an upgraded camper van with their cat, Frank, in tow, on route to Scotland where final renovations await. Upon completion, while the couple will continue to offer exclusive lets when they travel in future, their evolving business plan is centred largely around running the castle as a guesthouse, hosting visitors in four bedrooms while they sleep in the fifth, as well as hosting pop-up dinners and events on an ad hoc basis. “Come January, we’ll be taking six months out to help this ancient building move into a greener, more efficient time, as well as carrying out a total makeover of the bathrooms and remaining rooms,” Simon reveals. “Then, we can't wait to open as a B&B in June 2019 and put our residential hosting and breakfast-making skills to the test.” Kilmartin Castle is available for exclusive use rentals until the end of December, 2018, priced from £380 per night and sleeping six people. For more information, or to book, visit Airbnb.com
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Copenhagen 48 hours in…
As the capital of the happiest country on Earth, Copenhagen makes for a chic and cheery city break. We asked the experts at travel planning service Story Unheard to create a 48-hour itinerary aimed at unveiling the Danish city’s cosiest corners for a truly feel-good Autumn escape. Hygge, here we come! 64 • hood
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DAY ONE 9am The Danes swear by a healthy breakfast. Start your day the wholesome way with Copenhagen’s most photographed avocado on toast at Café Atelier September, head to Apollo Café for its wow-factor interiors or make a beeline for Sonny, which serves some of the city’s best coffee. 10am Opt for a dose of culture at Denmark’s largest art museum, the Statens Museum for Kunst, or National Gallery of Denmark, for some awe-inspiring Danish and Nordic classics, as well as work by the European masters. 11.30am Take a moment to marvel at King Christian IV’s impressive renaissance Rosenborg Castle on route towards the 17th century observatory, Rundetaarn, or Round Tower. We’d highly recommend buying a ticket to ascend the sweeping spiral walkway to the top, where you can enjoy some spectacular vistas of old Copenhagen. 1pm If you’re visiting on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, enjoy a leisurely weekend-only lunch at seafood phenomenon Fiskebar in the heart of Vesterbro. Alternatively, why not savour the best street-food fare in Europe? Hijaz de Sanchez has created quite a stir with her buzzing outdoor Mexican tacqueria in Torvehallerne food market. 3pm If you want to shop and sightsee simultaneously, Strøget has a wealth of shops, from high street to high fashion – in fact, there’s very little you won’t find here. For character though, we prefer to wander along Jægersborggade, home to some of Copenhagen’s best shops, trendy cafes, art galleries and restaurants. Found in Nørrebro – one of the city’s most exciting and colourful neighbourhoods – this super-happening street has cool written all over it. Pop into nearby Vanishing Point for special handcrafted gifts or, for fashion finds, hit Adélie or pick up past pieces at reduced prices at the Acne Archive boutique. A hop skip and a jump over the Sortedams Sø you’ll find By Malene Birger,
Strøget
Henrik Vibskov Boutique and STINE GOYA, each home to some truly avantgarde Danish design. Bags and shoes? It’s a no brainer – YVONNE KONÉ. For edgy streetwear, Wood Wood is a favourite among the hipster crowd, you can pick up some seriously cool shades at Han Kjøbenhavn, or head to ARKK and NAKED for swish sneaks. Being in the design capital of the world, it would be a shame to bypass Copenhagen’s many eclectic design and lifestyle stores. Interiors lovers, swing by Stilleben, DANSKmadeforrooms and Frama (a must-visit), for contemporary Danish designs. You’ll also find trendy ceramics at MK Studio, art at ultra-cool print store Kortkartellet and coffee table tomes at bookshop Cinnober. 5pm Amble along the glittering canals of Nyhavn, via Amalieborg Palace– come Autumn, this picturesque old harbour fringed with colourful houses is the spot to lap up some much-needed hygge. For a savoury late afternoon treat, order a selection of the tasty Danish smørrebrød, or open-faced sandwiches, at Aamanns 1921 or Restaurant Kompasset.
FLYING FROM SCOTLAND Norwegian Air, EasyJet and Ryanair all fly to Copenhagen direct from Edinburgh, while SAS offers a direct route from Aberdeen.
Toothsome afternoon delights can be found at Juno the Bakery – they do the best cinnamon buns in town. Head to Meyers Bageri on Jægersborggade for Blåbærsnurre – trust us – and the pretty Mirabelle for mind-blowing croissants baked by ex-Noma Chef Christian Puglisi. For gifts, Leckerbaer has the prettiest gourmet treats in the city – buy a box of småkager to impress loved ones back home. 9pm For dinner, head to Relæ, a casual but gastronomically-thrilling gem set up by two former Noma acolytes on the outskirts of the Nørrebro. Or head to super-stylish Höst with its award-winning interiors and innovative Scandinavian dishes. And, of course, there’s chef-owner René Redzepi’s new Noma 2.0 – the world’s most talked about restaurant. Though you might need to wait until next Autumn to get a table… Wee hours Don’t want to call it a night quite yet? Stop by Lidkoeb or Ruby for guaranteed fun and some of the best cocktails in town. For a more relaxed vibe, wind down the evening at cosy wine bar Ancestrale or canal-side cool spot Nærvær.
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DAY TWO 9am Pick up a vintage Achielle bike and a coffee from cool concept store WeCycle – come rain or shine, you can still explore this city on two wheels – then pedal over to Grød for a quick and delicious porridge or acai bowl. 10am Take some Instagram-worthy snaps in the sparkling interiors of Christiansborg Slot before heading to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Pass by Tivoli Gardens to see what all the Halloween fuss is this season. 1pm It’s only open for lunch Friday to Sunday, but Barr is well worth a visit if you’re on a weekend break. Otherwise, head to the popular harbour front food market Reffen for its endless choice of groundbreaking-but-tasty street food fare. 3pm Explore the colourful Freetown Christiania, followed by a visit to the top of Church of our Saviour, where the 66 • hood
cityscape views are out of this world. While you’re in the area dip, into chic concept store The Apartment. 5.30pm Grab a quick pick-me-up at The Corner at 108 – a cute walk-in café tucked into the corner of the mother restaurant – or at Coffee Collective, where the Godthåbsvej and Jægersborggade cafés are our favourites. 9pm Insanely good pizza is what Bæst does best, while Michelin-starred Kiin Kiin’s hot little sister in snazzy Vesterbro, Kiin Kiin Bao Bao, won’t disappoint with its tasty modern Asian tapas Wee hours Make your way to wine bar Manfreds, popular hostelry The Bird, or lively craft gin and beer house The Churchkey. Up for a big one? Cocktail bar Duck and Cover will continue the merriment.
Looking to linger longer? If you’ve 72 hours or longer to spend, add on visits to The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Designmuseum Danmark, The Botanical Garden, Grundtvig’s Church (this is definitely one for the design nerds out there), the artsy Superkilen urban park, The Little Mermaid statue, Ordrupgaard, Frederiksborg Castle and Kronborg Castle.
Story Unheard produces seriously in-theknow digital travel guides and personalised ‘U-tineraries’, with prices starting from just £8. Discover more at storyunheard.com
Your little black book of Copenhagen Top five food and drink spots cafeatelierseptember.com fiskebaren.dk hijazdesanchez.dk noma.dk coffeecollective.dk Must-not-miss boutiques vanishing-point.dk adelie.dk acnestudios.com stinegoya.com yvonnekone.com
WHERE TO STAY $$ Nobis Hotel Copenhagen Design fiends will love this cutting-edge contemporary spot, a fusion of Danish classism and Swedish sophistication situated right at the heart of the city centre. With floor-to-ceiling Byredostocked marble bathrooms and a first-class restaurant and bar, Niels, it’s little wonder the hotel is the hip new locus of the city’s creative downtown scene. nobishotel.dk Manon les Suites Made for wanderlusters, while the outside of this former factory is nothing to rave about, its dramatic interiors don’t disappoint. Built to a quirky riad-style design, the funky spacious rooms are set around a leafy and super-grammable central pool area, while the hip roof terrace boasts city lake views. A character-packed, trendy hideaway. guldsmedenhotels.com
Axel Guldsmeden A haven of calm on the edge of Copenhagen’s trendiest district, Vesterbro, this candle-lit and cushion-strewn hotel has everything you could want and more, with its mix of Balinese, Persian and Mexican vibes and a touch of Scandi-chic. Try the organic spa products, made every morning in the kitchen. guldsmedenhotels.com
Nimb History buffs need look no further than the fairytale façade of this boutique hotel, housed in a 19th century Moorish-inspired palace overlooking Tivoli gardens. Rooms here come with access to a swish rooftop pool, the pastry wonderland Cakenhagen, and an organic veggie restaurant, Gemyse, set within a cute greenhouse. nimb.dk
$$$
The Krane Elevating suite dreams to a whole new level, Klaus Kastbjerg and Arcagency have transformed an old crane in the Northern Harbour into a private retreat for two. No, really. Set over four storeys and boasting coal-dark interiors, floor to ceiling glass windows and a pretty sensational spa, this not-the-norm slice of heaven comes at a price. thekrane.dk
Sanders Just 650 feet from Nyhavn is this graceful boutique hotel, created by one of Denmark’s most iconic ballet dancers, Alexander Kølpin, behind the Royal Danish Theatre. Marvellously family friendly and a design haven to boot, this is a gorgeous base from which to discover the city by bike, before cosying up by your very own crackling fire. hotelsanders.com
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T S I R CH MAS D E T S T WI FEATURES
ADITION R T H T I W K BREA TYLE S N I E T A R B E AND CEL WITH S A M T IS R H C THIS ENU M S N IO T A R B E OUR CEL 25* FROM JUST £ To book, call Aberdeen 01224 507 097
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hood • 69
MANHOOD
IAIN STI R L I NG I miss missing people
I
n this world of instant communication, no one is ever more than a call away. Less than that, really. A text. A simple DM. You could even just double click an Insta’ post to remind Claire from Pilates that you’re still not only following her every move, but liking them too. What a great friend you are! Hell, in a few years’ time we’ll probably all have government-issued chips installed in our heads, and all you’ll need to do in order to contact a loved one is think of them fondly so those emotions can be zipped straight into their skulls. So long as you can remember the pub’s Wi-Fi password... But do you know what I miss because of all this instant communication? Missing people. Like, do you know when you’ve not seen someone for a bit – say they’ve gone on holiday for the week – and then you meet them again and you get to be all happy they’re back and excited to find out what happened when they were away? With social media, that’s nothing more than a pipe dream, as undoubtedly, you’ve been kept regularly up-to-date with their vacation comings and goings, thanks to the numerous pictures they’ve posted the previous seven days. Isn’t it weird to think that now you don’t ask people how their holidays went, you tell them. “That Church in Spain looked amazing!” “How the hell do you know I went to a church!? Oh, that’s right, I put up that photo of me doing an inappropriate pose next to that Jesus painted on the stained-glass window…” That lad bloody loves a window. Now I come to think of it, the whole thing was fairly blasphemous. Still though, 103 likes, not bad. Not bad at all. Maybe you’ve got some juicy gossip for your best mate on their return home. Once, at high school, my mate Craig went into hospital for four days with a broken ankle, and when he got out I got to tell him about Gary and Kerry getting to second base in the park and then some teachers catching them. I know! Imagine how much fun that was for the 14-year-old me. It would have been ruined if it was just another bit of information plastered on his twitter feed along with the football scores and Katie Hopkins being knowingly cruel for money. I got to tell Craig, Me. 70 • hood
HOW MANY SPECIAL MOMENTS HAVE YOU HAD RUINED BY THINKING ‘WHERE IS MY PHONE?’
I got to see his little face light up, his head tilt back and the tears of laughter cascade down his face. We exchanged a properly human moment: physical, palpable, real. Christ I’d missed him. Plus, second base is a really funny concept when you’re 14. We live in an age now where every relationship we’ve ever had resides in our pocket, so the temptation to keep those we love in the loop will always be present, whatever we do. Whenever something newsworthy happens, we can grab our devices and show family and friends the whole thing unfolding live. But is that the best way to keep people up to date? How many special moments have you had ruined by thinking to yourself “where is my phone?”. Maybe, just maybe, it’s best every now and again to leave your phone at home and just live your life. Have adventures. Maybe even get to second base in a park. You can tell the world about it after. It’ll feel great, I promise. Iain’s stand-up show U Ok Hun? x is on tour until December 2, and his first book Not Ready To Adult Yet is out now. Find out more at iaindoesjokes.com