Taking time to live well
WEAVE
Savoury scones & spiced biscuits
Red-leaf hunting
• Mending woollies • Domestic goddesses
Saving daylight • Pear & cheese toasties • Marvellous nights for moon walks
• How to stock a pantry • Fedges, mandrakes & fine swine
Life is brew-tiful
BRING OUT YOUR BEST CROCKERY, LIGHT A FEW CANDLES AND GATHER FRIENDS AT DUSK FOR A LATE-AFTERNOON TEA THAT MAKES THE MOST OF THE SEASON
Recipes & styling: KAY PRESTNEY Photography: REBECCA LEWIS
Afternoon tea doesn’t just have to be for high summer; as the leaves begin to fall, an autumn version celebrates the harvest and tastes of the season with a touch of savoury, a touch of sweet.
The nights get darker as October goes on, so gather friends for a cosy afternoon of eating, drinking and great company. Swap sandwiches for dainty cheese toasties with a pear crunch. Savoury scones replace the jam-and-cream variety and a creamy quiche is just the ticket before the sweet stuff – spiced biscuits and an apple cake with a hint of cinnamon (scrumping, optional).An apple-and-ginger-infused cocktail provides refreshement and, along with standard tea, try a spiced version that tastes like autumn in a fancy china cup. A sociable way to welcome in the season and practise a bit of hygge before winter. »
Table service – put on a show with a sparkling, sweet and savoury spread that reflects the season
October Almanac
THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE
Local lore
HINTON ST GEORGE PUNKIE NIGHT
On the last Thursday in October, the children of Hinton St George, in Somerset, take punkie lanterns (carved from mangold or mangelwurzels) around the town, stopping for morris dancing, songs and judging of the punkies. Legend says the original punkie lanterns were made by women out in search of their drunk husbands as they rolled home from Chiselborough Fair. As if the sight of hundreds of punkies weren’t terrifying enough when three sheets to the wind, imagine the horror of drawing nearer and finding it’s your wife and her friends carrying them…
OCTOBER’S STAR SIGN
LIBRA: 23 September – 22 October
The constellation Libra, meaning ‘weighing scales’ in Latin alludes to the shape of the stars as well as to the fact that when the sun entered this part of the ecliptic it is the autumnal equinox in which days and nights are equal. Librans are similarly said to be well-balanced, making things orderly and playing peacemaker. They are witty and outgoing, but with a firm sense of justice.
Field work
HEDGES
We love a good hedge and they’re full of colour in October. But how did our ancient hedgerows come Some are remaining bits of cleared woodland, left as a divide, others naturally regenerated at times when farming declined, and some were deliberately planted* with seedlings taken from local woods. Each county had its own style of hedgelaying, as well as its own billhook (a hedger’s tool). If you pass a hedge in the Cotswolds and say “Ah! I can see that’s the work of a Gloucestershire billhook!” no one will know you not, in fact, a hedgerow expert.
Nature spot
WILD BOAR
If you’re lucky enough to live near wild boar, this is the season when you may see them snuffling for food in woodland. Boar use their long noses to plough up the dirt in search of acorns, fungi, nuts and fruit. They’ll also scoff worms, birds’ eggs and small mammals. Sounders (groups of boar) only include young and females. Males snuffle solo once the piglets are a year old. There are some 2,600 wild boar currently in the UK, descended from captive animals that either escaped or were illegally released. The main colonies are in the Forest of Dean but also in Kent, Sussex, Dorset and South Wales and others have been spotted around the country. Visit theboaringtruth.org
THINGS TO PLAN AND DO
A DAY OUT : Live storytelling
Gather round as darkness falls, it’s surely time for a story around the fire? Verbal storytelling pre-dates the written (and definitely the printed) word by centuries and is a completely different experience to reading. Storytellers add sound effects, narrative voice, props and costumes, making them partly theatrical solo performances. Stories change with the venue and the audience, so each story is a unique experience, even if you hear the same tale twice.
You can go and listen to stories told live in local pubs and community spaces, or even join a storytelling club and give it a go yourself. You’ll find local clubs and events via The Society for Storytelling (sfs.org.uk), and you’ll live happily ever after…
A PODCAST FOR OCTOBER
Haptic & Hue Uncover the buried tales of textiles, from the Haute Couture embroiderers of Paris, to men learning to sew in prison. Listen on Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts. hapticandhue.com
Kitchen table project
POM-POM FLEECE BLANKET
You will need
A fleece blanket; three or four balls of wool (we like jewel colours, but match it to your blanket colour or decor maybe); pom-pom maker (optional); needle and thread; trim (optional); fabric glue
To make
1 Use your wool to make as many pom-poms as your wool will allow. You can buy a simple pom-pom maker or follow one of the many YouTube tutorials on making them
2 Lay your blanket flat on the floor and work out where you want your pom-poms to sit along the edge, and in what order.
3 Start by sewing a pom-pom onto each corner of the blanket. Then go round
Glue your trim (ric rac looks jolly) around
Ta dah! You’re now ready to snuggle.
N APP FOR THE SEASON
Cora Keep your fabric stash with you digitally when out shopping for patterns or planning projects. This clever app allows you to rifle through all your materials from your phone. Currently only on iOS. meetcora.com
HOME ECONOMICS
Mending woollens
HANNAH PORTER SHOWS HOW YOU CAN SAVE AND TRANSFORM YOUR KNITWEAR WITH SOME YARN AND A BIT OF TIME, AND SHARES WAYS TO KEEP THESE COSY FAVOURITES LOVED FOR LONGER, TOO
Photography: CATHERINE FRAWLEY
WOOL WORKBOOK
MEND: Swiss darning, weave darning
MAKE-DO: Embroidered embellishment
STASH: Unravelling
Wonderful woollens
I’ve always found beauty in mending clothes. For me, it was never an option to throw away a beloved vintage jumper because the moths got to it – not only because ‘throw away’ usually means landfill, but because I adore the process of upcycling and turning my clothing into bespoke pieces.
My journey started by fixing my knitwear jumpers by darning. Though an age-old technique, visible mending means it can look modern and allows for some creativity, as well as being useful.
A big part of making clothes last is looking after them properly – which is easy to forget with our busy lives. But investing the time in washing, storing and defending against moths will keep that favourite jumper looking good for longer.
Take your time over the mending, picking out your colours and materials, and popping the kettle on while you work. You’ll not only be rewarded with getting an item of clothing back in use, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing it’s unique to you, all for the price of the threads you stitch it with.
To start mending, it helps to know about the fabric of your clothes: here, I focus on wool
Home economics needn’t mean stretching the monthly budget while being tied to our work baskets – it can mean a new way of thinking about our wardrobes and homes, honing our skills and caring for our things so they last. Reviving time-honoured wisdom about household management means valuing all our resources: time, materials and the money we invest in them. And it makes us feel good, too. »
CARE: Washing and stowing; bobbles begone!
YOUR TOOLS
Darning needle(s)
Pair of snips/fabric scissors
Selection of wool
Wash-out fabric pen
Darning egg or mushroom
Sewing needle
Mercerised cotton yarn (cotton treated to give it an extra sheen and strength)
Souper Foods
IT’S SOUP SEASON. WHICH MEANS WARMING BOWLS OF COLOUR TO COMFORT AND LIFT THE SPIRITS. PLUS TOPPINGS THAT TURN THEM INTO KEEPERS
Recipes: KATHY SLACK Photography: KIRSTIE YOUNG
Beetroot soup with anchovy and caper breadcrumb topping
Blitz some beetroot for a sweet and velvety soup. The topping adds texture but also an umami pop.
Serves 2
500g whole, raw beetroot
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1 fat garlic clove, finely sliced
½ tsp anchovy paste (or 3-4 finely chopped anchovies)
Zest of ½ a lemon
1 tsp baby capers
2 tsp finely chopped parsley
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Wrap each beetroot in foil and roast for an hour or until cooked. (They must be well cooked; otherwise they won’t blend.) Unwrap and, once cool enough to handle, slide the skins from the beetroot.
2 Put the beetroot in a blender with 300ml water and a sprinkling of salt. Blitz to a smooth purée, adding a little more water if needed, to create a velvety-smooth soup. Pour the soup into a pan and warm through over a low heat while you make the topping.
3 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the breadcrumbs, garlic and anchovy paste (or chopped anchovies). Fry until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Keep the heat gentle to avoid the garlic browning. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, capers and parsley.
4 Spoon soup into bowls and finish with the crispy topping. »
“The key to a good soup lies not in the soup at all, but in a really smart topping. A crumble, crouton, swirl or splash of something clever brings a contrasting texture or flavour that will make a soup worth savouring.”
OVERNIGHT DELIVERY
THE EVENINGS ARE CLOSING IN, BUT THERE’S NO NEED TO STAY INDOORS, SAYS DAN RICHARDS, AS HE GUIDES US ON A NIGHT WALK IN GALLOWAY
Elizabeth draws our attention to the stars overhead, the great silver swoosh of the Milky Way and beyond that, the galaxy of Andromeda, smudged like a pale thumbprint in the sky and the furthest thing from Earth that’s discernible to the human eye. She’s a Biosphere Dark Sky Ranger in Galloway Forest Park, taking people outdoors to explore the night, year round. For the past few years, in early autumn, I’ve been leading groups with her on night walks during the Wigtown Book Festival. Galloway is known for its exceptionally dark night skies, and Galloway Forest Park became the UK’s first Dark Sky Park in 2009 in recognition of the exceptional stargazing conditions. There are now nine other Dark Sky Parks and Reserves in the UK. Throughout the nighttime walks we lead, I play music and spoken word recordings to the group. When planning them, I have in mind a mix of low-lit ramble and bedtime story, designed to induce wonder and renewed child-like appreciation for the nocturnal world. Once everyone has gotten to grips with their wireless headphones and red-light head-torches (white light would destroy our night vision), we walk towards the estuary looking like a low-budget Cyberman invasion out for a nocturnal donder. At this point we’ll be hearing John Martyn or the Icelandic hymn Heyr, himna smiður by the Härlanda Chamber Choir, the music swelling to soundtrack the view.
DARK SKY PARKS
l Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons, Wales)
l Cranborne Chase National Landscape (Dorset)
l The Yorkshire Dales
l Moore’s Reserve (South Downs, Sussex)
l Eryri (Snowdonia, Wales)
l Exmoor
l The North York Moors
Some nights Elizabeth will point out the rising moon or the Summer Triangle, a shape made by the three bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. Some nights it’s blowing a hoolie, so we keep walking, hoods luffing, rain pelting until we reach the relative shelter of the holloway down to the woods and salt-marshes. But hopefully, on a clear night, below the final streetlamp that marks the start of the darkness proper, I point out a bat, maybe two, flickering in circles to hoover up gnats or moths drawn to the halogen glow, and play the ultrasonic skittering sound of pipistrelles as reported by a bat detector and a recording of Kathleen Jamie’s poem Pipistrelles. I remember a warm night in spring 2021 at my local park, stood on a boardwalk across a dark boating lake,
l Kielder Water & Forest Park (Northumberland)
l Tomintoul & Glenlivet (Cairngorms National Park)
the sky above me full of wheeling bats. Dozens and dozens flashing across the heavens, then disappearing back into the shape of the lake. To stand there in their orbit was to feel immersed in a hive-mind. It was hard to reconcile these aerobatic creatures with those I’d seen the previous winter, when I’d descended into a flooded mine to take part in a bat survey, where we found these pendulous fluffy kiwi-fruits hibernating in the peace
“We walk towards the estuary looking like a low-budget Cyberman invasion out for a nocturnal donder”
National parks and nature reserves around the UK are renowned for their dark skies, due to their remote locations and lack of light pollution. Many host night walks and stargazing events.
MOODY COLOURS AND SALVAGED FINDS HELP CREATE A COSY COCOON IN THE NORTHERN IRISH COUNTRYSIDE
Words: MARZIA NICOLINI
Photos: RUTH MARIA MURPHY/LIVING INSIDE
ON THE DARK SIDE
Eniko Kirkwood knew she wanted to live in the cottage as soon as she saw the setting and the possibilities inside.
“This is it,” she told husband Michael
Gather here today GROWING FLOWERS FOR SOMEONE’S WEDDING CAN BE A CHALLENGE, BUT IT ALSO BRINGS MANY REWARDS
Words: JO MATTOCK
When my daughter
Sinead told me she was getting married, my first thought was, ‘I can do the flowers!’” says Maureen Lenehan, a passionate gardener and my mum (Sinead’s my sister). It’s not the first thing to occur to many mothersof-the-bride, but my mum grows flowers on her allotment – for decorating her house, and for selling in small bunches. It was something she could do for her daughter on her big day, but above all, she’d enjoy it. Weddings are about bringing people together and often that starts well before the ceremony, in helping the bride and groom with planning and preparation. It’s nice to be able to offer them your expertise, and so, for many gardeners, growing flowers for their own, a family member’s or friend’s wedding is a dream. Giving the happy couple a gift of homegrown flowers is truly special. They’re more sustainable
than imported stems, of course, but there’s also the joy of seeing your handiwork decorating the dining tables, lining the aisle or in the bride’s bouquet.
“It meant I was involved in the wedding from early on in planning until the actual day,” Maureen says. “Every time I watered the flowers, put up stakes for them as they grew, or cared for them, there was a destination – the wedding day, 19 October.”
SEASONALITY
Now, October isn’t the easiest month for growing flowers. Some of the things Maureen usually grows wouldn’t be in bloom – no sweet peas or ammi – nor would traditional bridal flowers such as roses, peonies or calla lilies. And there’d be few wild flowers to forage. When you’re growing your own – or choosing UK-grown flowers – seasonality is everything, as Hannah Best, founder of wedding florist Petal & Feast can attest. “There’s no point setting your heart on sunflowers if you’re growing for a spring wedding,” she says. “Working with the season will make your life so much easier.”
Petal & Feast has been growing flowers and creating natural-style arrangements for weddings for ten years. Its flower fields surround an old threshing barn at the foot of the South Downs, where it hosts and caters a limited number of weddings
Maureen’s passion for gardening meant that she could add something special to her daughter’s wedding day. Petal & Feast (far left) grows wedding flowers and arranges them at an old threshing barn in the
each year. “Using seasonal flowers is so important to us; not just for environmental reasons, but because fragrant, beautiful, locally grown flowers add further romance to the celebration,” says Hannah.
To find out what would be in season, Maureen turned to books – Sarah Raven’s The Cutting Garden and A Year Full Of Flowers, and Georgie Newbery’s Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers. She also spoke to friends and other allotment holders to get advice specific to the growing conditions of the area. She already grew dahlias and cosmos – which flower until there’s a hard frost – as well as purple top (Verbena bonariensis), Michaelmas daisies, rudbeckia and echinacea. She planted grasses, zinnias and chrysanthemums just for the wedding, and dried strawflowers (Helichrysum), poppy seed heads and lavender for table decorations. She also planted little terracotta pots with succulents to form table decorations and wedding favours.
This sounds like (and was) a lot of work. “The books suggested to think of how many flowers you’ll need – and triple it,” Maureen says. “I didn’t want to look around the
South Downs
MY CITY ALEXANDRIA
EGYPT’S COASTAL CITY HAS BEEN A MEETING POINT OF ARAB AND MEDITERRANEAN INFLUENCES FOR CENTURIES. LOCAL MATTHEW RAEF INTRODUCES US TO ANCIENT SITES, STREET FOOD AND SUNSET STROLLS
There’s no better way to get to the heart of a city than through the people who live there. This month, we’ve asked photographer and interior designer Matthew Raef to guide us around his home city. You may feel inspired to visit one day, but for now just sit back and enjoy some armchair travel.
How long have you lived in the city?
I was born in Alexandria and I’ve always lived here. I’m an interior designer, and have worked as a travel and documentary photographer for the last seven years, too. I’ve discovered a talent for pottery, so I also have a business designing home accessories such as table lamps, vases and pots.
Tell us what makes your city unique Alexandria’s weather brings lots of visitors, especially in the winter, when it’s still warm. But I think everything relating to Alexandria’s history is the best thing about it. Known as 'The bride of the Mediterranean', the city is one of the world’s oldest – its lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It was destroyed by earthquakes – its remains lie at the bottom of the sea – but there are many other historic sites – Pompey’s Pillar, for example, a 26m-tall pillar of red granite, which has stood in the same place since the third century AD.
What’s the city like in the autumn?
This is the best time to visit Alexandria, in my opinion. In the autumn, it barely rains, and the temperatures are warm late into the evening. The city is also calmer and quieter at night than it is in summer.
What time of day do you most enjoy and why?
I love early mornings on The Corniche, the road and promenade along the city’s seafront. At around 6am, it’s much less busy than during the day and I even get to catch the sunrise. It’s important to me to take my camera to capture it and the views of the sea.
Where are your favourite outdoor spaces?
I love Alexandria’s gardens because I feel connected with nature there. One of my favourites is Montaza Royal Gardens, which were the grounds of the summer residence of King Farouk. They’re now open to the public. I also like the Antoniades Gardens, the oldest gardens in the city – and among the oldest in the world. They’re famous for their full-size marble statues of mythical and historical figures.
Tell us about the colours of your city
Blue is the colour that best describes the city, because the sky and the sea take up so much of any view.
Tell us about the people who live in your city. Like the city, the people of Alexandria blend ancient
1 The magnificent Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque in the Raml Station area 2 Downtown Alexandria is home to some striking architecture.
3 Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, named after a 13th-century mystic
4 Koshari, Egypt’s national dish, and a street-food staple
5 The city’s black-andyellow Lada taxis are hard to miss
