Return of the Light Episode 3 - BALM

If you’re looking for ways to comfort and soothe your winter weary mind and body, then pop the kettle on, curl up and join us.

The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Wellbeing Editor, Rebecca Frank, are talking pies, toast and other comfort foods, and how growing veg is a mental and physical tonic. We’ll also be discussing sunrooms and citrus trees and the pillars of good health that will help to keep us on track as winter draws to a close.

Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett. Season 5: Return of the light is supported by Blackdown Shepherd Huts 

Season 5: Return of the light is supported by Blackdown Shepherd Huts

If you are in the UK, you can choose an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here. 

To read:

Rough Patch: How a Year in The Garden Brought Me Back To Life by Kathy Slack (Robinson) 

How to Sleep Like a Caveman: Ancient Wisdom for a Better Night’s Rest by Merijn van de Laar (William Collins)

On the blog:

Marmite and cheddar Welsh Rarebit

Nettle rarebit

Reinventing the toastie

Easter pie (Torta Pasqualina)

Root veg, Marmite & cheddar pie

Picnic pie

Spring slaw

To do:

British Pie Week (3-9 March 2025)

From The Simple Things:

Issue 141 – Growing a lemon tree

In the new March MEND issue (order via picsandink.com)

Life of pies - our favourite pies for picnics, parties, handy lunches and hearty dinners

Things I learned from the soil: Between the bare beds of winter and the abundance of spring - Kathy Slack finds hope in the veg patch cycle

Transcript

Lisa Sykes (00:12):

Welcome to Small Ways to Live Well from the Simple Things magazine. I'm Lisa Sykes, the editor, and this is our return of the light season in which we're looking forward to spring. And in this episode, wellbeing editor Becs Frank and I are applying some balm to our winter weary minds and bodies in the form of comforting foods, safe spaces, healing habits, spring flowers and sunrooms and all. Because it may now be almost March, but the season has not yet caught up to the calendar, which is never much fun. It's still winter out there and we need things that comfort and soothe us, don't we be?

Becs Frank (00:47):

Yeah, I really feel like that's sta, I love seeing all the signs of spring. It's a really cold day today. It

Lisa Sykes (00:52):

It really is. Yeah, it's a northerly wind and it's chill out there.

(00:57):

But that's the thing, isn't it? It's the shortest month February, but it can feel so long and the temptation to hibernate till spring is really hard to shake off. But in fact, if it's your retreat you're after, then look no further than our supporter this season. Blackdown Shepherds Huts make the most beautifully crafted places to curl up at the end of your garden or possibly to hole up and write that novel or maybe just somewhere to listen to the rain pattering on the roof. Blackdown makes huts for all seasons and they've got wood burners and they're insulated with sheep's wool to stay super cosy and they like to call themselves makers of magical spaces, which I really like and I haven't stayed in one myself. I would say that's exactly what they are. And you can find out more and see which particular incarnation works for you at blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk. The links are in our show notes and we'll be speaking to Emma from Blackdown a bit later on in today's episode. But for now, I dunno about you Becs, but when my thoughts turn to comfort, it's often about food.

Becs Frank (01:54):

Yep. Well, same for me. I think I've basically been comfort eating my way through winter. It does probably need to stop at some point. I've actually been really enjoying not just eating, but cooking, shopping for food, reading, finding new recipes, thinking a lot about what I'm going to eat for my next meal.

Lisa Sykes (02:11):

It's good that the recipes inspire you.

Becs Frank (02:14):

Yeah, the recipes in the magazine actually, I always find them really quite achievable and I generally always find one that I cook sort of straight away as soon as the issue comes out and then I come back to things depending on the season.

Lisa Sykes (02:26):

That's very good. I'm impressed. You see? Okay, I've got a problem and I think you can probably help me out here. So when I'm making the issue, I think, oh yes, I'll do this one and that one, and then as we do on a monthly magazine, we move on to the next issue. And that issue hasn't even come out yet, but it's hard to feel like you haven't already lived the months of the issue you've just made. So what advice can you give me for staying more in the moment here?

Becs Frank (02:50):

It's funny, I think this applies to anyone because we're always kind of looking ahead, aren't we? And anticipating the next thing like we are with Spring at the moment. But I mean I find the easiest way to kind of feel in the moment and to be present is to get outside and get out into nature and just notice

Lisa Sykes (03:05):

Things. I think that's really good advice actually, isn't it? Because it's only by being in the moment, literally in the moment outside where you can see things changing around you that you know where you are. It grounds you, doesn't it? Yeah, I do like this idea that some readers do though. So our subscribers obviously get the magazine just before the end of the month and a few of them to save it for the first of the month and read it on as the month starts,

Becs Frank (03:30):

Which

Lisa Sykes (03:30):

I think is a really nice idea. And some people get their whole set of all their October issues out at the beginning of October or whatever, and I think immerse themselves, which I also think is a nice thing to do.

Becs Frank (03:41):

That is what I would do with a recipe. So if I was thinking, oh, I'm having an Easter lunch or something, I know we've done some brilliant features on this before, so I will go back and I do keep them quite in their order, in their boxes so I can go and kind of pick one out.

Lisa Sykes (03:54):

I know we really do need to produce an index at some point. We've talked about this for a long time, so many great recipes.

Becs Frank (04:00):

Anyway,

Lisa Sykes (04:01):

We're going to talk more about some recipes in the mag later, but let's talk about toast first because that is probably my go-to choice for something quick. And so comforting, isn't it? Just the word toast makes you feel better.

Becs Frank (04:14):

Yeah, toast always makes things better as far as I'm concerned.

Lisa Sykes (04:18):

One

Becs Frank (04:18):

Of my best toast moments ever was after the birth of my first child when had been a long labour as many people have with their first babies. And I remember the midwife coming to me with a plate of hot toast and literally it's up there with my best meals ever.

Lisa Sykes (04:32):

Oh, you're not going to believe this, but I have exactly the same memory. Yeah, I didn't know you were going to tell me that. Actually. That is exactly the same experience. It was the best toast I've ever, and I'm sure it wasn't, sure wasn't like nice sourdough with fresh salted butter, but it was just like nectar, isn't it?

Becs Frank (04:51):

Yeah. But that's a funny thing, isn't it? I love a delicious sourdough loaf for as much as anyone, but there are certain types of toast aren't there for me for moments and for certain toppings I really like white bread and Marmite for example, but sourdough, I'd love with marmalade.

Lisa Sykes (05:06):

Okay, yeah.

Becs Frank (05:08):

Yeah. And like a nice brown seedy loaf with some sort of berry jam.

Lisa Sykes (05:12):

I do love a white loaf with a good crust on it, but a nice soft crumb, so it's quite chewy.

Becs Frank (05:19):

Yeah, me too. What topping?

Lisa Sykes (05:21):

Well, I mean I love a rare bit. I really do love a rare bit.

Becs Frank (05:27):

Yes. Well that's a bit posh. We've gone from Jan to rabbit bits quite quickly.

Lisa Sykes (05:34):

Okay, well we'll talk about some other ones as well, but can I just tell you this though first because I'd forgotten about this and we used to run these chalkboards on the back cover of the magazine, do you remember? And now they're packed to postcards that we sell on the shop, but my favourite ever one is bread and water can so easily be tea and toast and that's like a mantra for life right there, isn't it? So

Becs Frank (05:56):

True. Tea toast. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (05:58):

But anyway, back to Rarebit. We've done some pieces on this in the past, but I looked it up the other day and there's some folklore about cheese dreams.

Becs Frank (06:05):

Oh yeah, fever Dreams. Yeah. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (06:07):

It's supposed to be from eating a lot of cheese. Well, apparently there's a book that was written in 1902 called Wel Rarebit Tales, and they were actually short horror stories by writers who ate rare bit before going to bed and it inspired their dreams. No,

Becs Frank (06:24):

You kidding. Really? Wow. I don't think I've ever had rare bit at bedtime, so I wouldn't know if

Lisa Sykes (06:29):

It No, me too. It's not a bedtime thing. Quite

Becs Frank (06:31):

Tempted to try it, although I don't want a bad dream, but I mean you've just got to look at the ingredients for a rabbit to know that it's going to be good mustard ale Worcester au cheese.

Lisa Sykes (06:40):

Yeah, you've got to have a bit of bite in it, haven't you? Yeah, definitely.

Becs Frank (06:43):

Yeah. Yeah. I love a rabbit too.

Lisa Sykes (06:46):

The thing about anything to do with toast, right? It sort of elevates lunch from just a sandwich, doesn't it? To almost a hot meal. They are genius. I remember we did posh beans on toast. Do you remember? We did Smoky canone beans on toast, on garlic toast. Actually

Becs Frank (07:02):

I've made this quite often or a variation of it for lunch. Yeah, it's so easy. Nice.

Lisa Sykes (07:06):

Do you put tomato sauce in it or what's the liquid for the beans?

Becs Frank (07:10):

Yeah, so it depends. Either chopped up fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce and then a little bit of paprika and some herbs, just whatever. I've got kind lying around really, really easy and it's really easy to make it taste so good and it taste baked beans to a whole other level. Definitely.

Lisa Sykes (07:25):

Well, I do like anchovy on toast.

Becs Frank (07:27):

What? No, sorry,

Lisa Sykes (07:30):

People can't see your face, but there was genuine horror there. Like I was going to force feeder anchovies

Becs Frank (07:36):

An you getting a tin?

Lisa Sykes (07:37):

No. Well like in oil, yeah, I do love

Becs Frank (07:41):

Anchovies, but

Lisa Sykes (07:42):

Just the saltiness of it. Nice.

Becs Frank (07:45):

I can put up with those kind of chopped up to add riches into a stew, but nothing could make me have those. I'm ruining a perfectly good piece of

Lisa Sykes (07:53):

Toast. I'm going to give you a couple of good toast facts though. Toast comes from the Latin to them. I dunno whether I'm saying that right. It means to burn or scorch and they used to make it on a hot stone in Roman times they would make their toast on the hot stones. But the first toasts, do you know roughly when they came about I a guess?

Becs Frank (08:12):

I don't know, maybe the twenties, 1920s. Was

Lisa Sykes (08:15):

It before that? 19 hundreds. Oh really? They only did one side of the bread. I'm not sure why. And they were a bit of a hellier

Becs Frank (08:22):

Hazard. So you had one side and then you had to flip

Lisa Sykes (08:23):

It? Yeah, I think so. They weren't great. Yeah, the first popup was in 1919. So you were pretty good pop-up toasters, which always makes me think of the more a wise get where they do the drip tease dance to the toaster. You're not with me here. No I'm not. You've got to go YouTube it because it is still, I mean it's obviously very dated, but it's very funny.

Becs Frank (08:42):

I'm actually a surprise that pop-up toasters were that early. Really?

Lisa Sykes (08:46):

Yeah, I know it's quite early, isn't it? But also I like this, it's actually true. The idea that buttered toast always falls buttered if you drop it. Yeah, it's true. They did some research and apparently it's to do with the height of the table. The kind of way you hold it in your hand means it only really has time to do a half turn before it hits the

Becs Frank (09:06):

Floor is so funny. I know. Every time that happens, you think it's going to land up. I know.

Lisa Sykes (09:14):

And it nearly always does, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (09:16):

Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (09:16):

Anyway, there we go. So that's toast.

Becs Frank (09:18):

I really want some toast now,

Lisa Sykes (09:20):

But yeah, I'm going to move on to something even better now though, because March the third to the ninth, which is coming up, if you're listening to this episode where we've just released it is British Pie Week and in our new March issue, which is available direct from us already, we've got pre-orders open and it's going to be in supermarkets and newsagent next week. We have dug out into our archives for a favourite simple things pie recipes.

Becs Frank (09:44):

Great.

Lisa Sykes (09:44):

So

Becs Frank (09:45):

A

Lisa Sykes (09:45):

Lot of discussion about this though, wasn't they? About what makes a pie, what doesn't make a pie?

Becs Frank (09:50):

I remember hearing about a lot of this, but the pie feature is quite a surprise to me to be honest. But I love a pie.

Lisa Sykes (09:57):

Right? I'm going to quiz you and together we will define the pie. Okay? Alright, you ready?

Becs Frank (10:02):

Okay.

Lisa Sykes (10:03):

Is a pasty a pie like a Cornish pasty?

Becs Frank (10:06):

Yes. Yes.

Lisa Sykes (10:09):

I mean I think it's, it's got a crust because some people think a pie has to be something that you can hold in your hands to eat, which I don't really hold with that, but I think a Cornish pasty probably does make pie status.

Becs Frank (10:22):

Oh no, I've not heard that before. No,

Lisa Sykes (10:24):

But not a sausage roll though.

Becs Frank (10:26):

No, definitely not. No. And I wouldn't say, I mean obviously it's a small pie, Cornish pasty, but I'd say it's a pie. It's surrounded by pastry.

Lisa Sykes (10:34):

Okay. Flaky or short crust? I think both of those. Do you think they're kind of both on a pie?

Becs Frank (10:42):

Yes. Or puff? Yeah, I think all of those.

Lisa Sykes (10:45):

Oh yeah, all puff. Yeah. But what about mashed potato top pies?

Becs Frank (10:48):

No, they're not pies.

Lisa Sykes (10:49):

Yeah, but you've got to say fish pie. Fish pie. It's a classic pie, isn't it?

Becs Frank (10:55):

Yes. But if I said to my family we're having pie for dinner and then I put a fish pie on the table, they'd be like, what? No.

Lisa Sykes (11:01):

Oh really? They'd be disappointed.

Becs Frank (11:03):

I think so. I think

Lisa Sykes (11:04):

Might would be disappointed in many because most of them don't really like fish pie.

Becs Frank (11:07):

And I guess it's a pie because it's called fish pie. But I wouldn't say in the

Lisa Sykes (11:10):

Well with the amount of time it takes you to make a fish pie, I think it definitely qualifies as a pie. It uses virtually every pan in your kitchen, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (11:19):

Yeah, that's true.

Lisa Sykes (11:20):

But I do making one though. I always feel like I'm a proper cook when I've made a fish pie.

Becs Frank (11:25):

Oh see, I feel more like that with making a pie with pastry.

Lisa Sykes (11:28):

Do you? Especially if I

Becs Frank (11:29):

Make my own

Lisa Sykes (11:29):

Pastry. So does a pie have to have a bottom as well as a top?

Becs Frank (11:33):

Not in my house, no, because I never make them with bottoms.

Lisa Sykes (11:36):

Yeah, well I think you've got to be quite pro, haven't you? To do a good pie with a bottom. I like this though, because a pie always has to have a

Becs Frank (11:44):

Top,

Lisa Sykes (11:45):

So if you're just doing, but a tart always has to have a bottom.

Becs Frank (11:48):

Yeah, yeah, true. There's the definition.

Lisa Sykes (11:51):

Yeah, that feels quite good to me. Yeah, so it needs a crust because actually you get pot pies, don't you? And they're just like, you get in pubs often, don't you, where they've just got a pie crust on top?

Becs Frank (12:01):

Well, that's what I would make at home.

Lisa Sykes (12:02):

Yes.

Becs Frank (12:03):

I love a pie with a bottom definitely. But I would be too worried about the soggy bottom effect.

Lisa Sykes (12:08):

I think we've got to a fairly good definition. Maybe there's a bit of debate about fish pies, but apart from that,

Becs Frank (12:14):

And I think a pie you need to kind, I like to put a little bit of decoration on the top, bring it proudly to the table. That's why I don't think a pie in your hand is quite the same. Really.

Lisa Sykes (12:25):

No, I know what you mean. I dunno if you know this actually, but because the British Pie Awards take place in British Pie Week, and I got to judge this a few years back,

Becs Frank (12:33):

Joe, I do remember you doing this. We always send somebody, don't we? From the magazine?

Lisa Sykes (12:38):

Yeah, yeah, it's great. We've had a representative of the simple things there every year for the last few years and this year it's Rob, our commercial director who's very excited about it, who's going to be doing this time love, and they hold it in a big church in Melton Modbury, which is obviously the home of the pork pie and it's got protected name, status and everything. And basically you get assigned a table with a head judge and the head judge actually knows a bit about the type of pie, but the rest of you are just enthusiastic eaters of pies really? But it's proper. You've got a chart you've got to fill in, you've got to score it and everything else. The slightly disappointing thing for me when I got to do it was I was thinking, oh, maybe I'll get a nice steak and ale pie or my favourite chicken mushroom. I got the gluten-free pies, which this was a few years ago, and actually gluten-free flowers. I've come on loads, haven't they since then.

Becs Frank (13:28):

Were you a bit disappointed?

Lisa Sykes (13:30):

There was only really a couple of good ones then. And so I was a little, the woman behind me had got football pies, which is pies they sell at football stadiums and she really wanted to swap.

Becs Frank (13:40):

Did she?

Lisa Sykes (13:41):

Yeah. But yeah, the biggest entries usually a steak and ale and they get like 150 of those or something.

Becs Frank (13:46):

I think that's my favourite pie steak and ale actually.

Lisa Sykes (13:49):

Is it? Yeah,

Becs Frank (13:49):

Yeah, yeah.

Lisa Sykes (13:50):

But controversially, a Cornish pasty actually won the year I was a judge. Did it really? So yeah, I know. I think there was much discussion. Yeah,

Becs Frank (13:59):

There's the answer to our question then it is a pie.

Lisa Sykes (14:02):

Well, that's true. That's true. And I do like a cold pie the next day as well, don't you?

Becs Frank (14:07):

Well, yeah, I was just about to say that because while steak and nails probably my favourite pie, hot chicken pie cold is unbeatable I think. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (14:15):

Nothing says proudly homemade more than a pie. Funny enough, my daughter's just started, Judy sent me a picture the other day. She said, mom, I've made a pie. And I was really impressed she had bought the pastry, but she'd made all the she'd done a chicken and mushroom pie and I was like, yeah, you can tell this is the beginning of term because by the end of term, she'll be on chicken nuggets and noodles like everybody

Becs Frank (14:37):

Else. I don't think that would've happened at our student days.

Lisa Sykes (14:40):

No, I know. But she was quite impressed with herself. As I say, the marches, she's got some great pie recipes. And we've also got some on our blog as well. There's something called a, do you know what a pit

Becs Frank (14:50):

Is? I don't think I do. No.

Lisa Sykes (14:51):

Well, apparently it's a round enclosed pie made of puff pastry and you can have various fillings in it. I think our was, I can't remember what is. I think it's a cheesy one actually.

Becs Frank (15:01):

Nice.

Lisa Sykes (15:01):

Yeah. Oh, we've got something else on there that I'll put a link in the show notes to this. It's a torta pascal, which is an Italian Easter pie, which is spinach and ricotta and stuff. It's very good.

Becs Frank (15:12):

Wow. Pie heaven. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (15:14):

I'm getting hungry now. We're recording this just before lunchtime as well.

Becs Frank (15:18):

Perhaps we should move outside. Should we

Lisa Sykes (15:20):

Walk

Becs Frank (15:21):

Off

Lisa Sykes (15:21):

Our pies? We could. I think getting outside is definitely another bomb, isn't it? We need to walk off those pies. Yeah,

Becs Frank (15:28):

Yeah. No, it's funny actually, we touched on this a bit last week in the episode Joe and I about getting outside, but the thing that really struck me in the March issue was a piece by Kathy Slack, who's one of our regular contributors, isn't she? And she's got a new book out called Rough Patch, is that right? She's written a piece for us, an extract from her book, and it's all about how her gardening and her experience with growing helped her through a really rough time, isn't it?

Lisa Sykes (15:52):

Yeah, no, she spent a year in the garden, she'd given up a really high powered career and it got a lost herself really. But I think what was really interesting, and it's why we run it in this March issue just at the very beginning of spring, was she felt she learned more at this time of year than any other time because when nothing is really happening, you learn more lessons from it. She said it's easier to learn about gratitude and simplicity and self-sufficiency when the sun's shining and you've got a wheelbarrow full of produce, the harvest scarce and everything's gloomy and waterlogged.

Becs Frank (16:26):

You

Lisa Sykes (16:26):

Just have to sit and watch. And she basically did a lot of that and she basically realised that nature doesn't judge you and no one cares how you pass your time.

Becs Frank (16:36):

That's so interesting.

Lisa Sykes (16:37):

Yeah, just a really grounding lesson, isn't it?

Becs Frank (16:39):

Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (16:40):

And humbling as well. Actually.

Becs Frank (16:41):

I think it's because also we've obviously got that time now of sitting and contemplating, which she found so helpful, noticing, which is what we just talked about, bringing you back into the moment. And then of course once you start to sow those seeds and start to see things, there's that immense satisfaction isn't there of growing something yourself. And she said that gives you hope and important sense of achievement when things weren't going so well. So I think there's a lesson for us all in there.

Lisa Sykes (17:07):

Definitely. I think it is hugely important and it brings me in mind of another piece we did. Do you remember? And that was about cold comfort bal, where we talked about the things we need to flourish and we're a look like plants, aren't we?

Becs Frank (17:22):

Yeah, exactly. I mean if you think about what plants need to flourish, light, nutrients, water, there are three of our probably five or six pillars of health that we talk about in that piece. I think we also talk about sleep, of course, connections with other people, movement. So interestingly, actually, I think because everybody will find that you're doing okay in some areas more than others of these things, maybe you're not sleeping so great at the moment. Maybe you are busy or you've got a lot in your mind so you're not exercising. So for me, it's been helpful to focus on one or two things where yeah, I think actually I could do with paying a bit more attention to this. And for me it's been movement.

Lisa Sykes (18:01):

It's interesting, isn't it? Because you do get stuck into the one thing you do, whatever that is. I know for me, I do my ballet class and I know you do yoga and maybe we ought to swap, maybe we ought to do a week where we try each other's hobby or something or form of exercise because

Becs Frank (18:20):

Do you know that's a really good idea.

Lisa Sykes (18:22):

Otherwise you just do. And you do it because you like it and you, if you've been doing it a while, you've got a little bit better at it or whatever. But actually you need something to just snap you out of that, I think occasionally, don't you, for a new sort of boom about it.

Becs Frank (18:36):

Yeah, exactly. Variety I think is really important. Not only challenging the body in different ways when we're talking about exercise, but also the brain learning something new. You, I'm sure if I went along to your ballet class, my brain would be kind of like in hyper mode taking

Lisa Sykes (18:54):

It. Yeah, because you've got to concentrate really hard. And likewise, yoga. I mean, I don't even know which type of yoga I should do. It's kind of like it would definitely sharpen me up and probably re-energize me, actually. But sleep's important too though, isn't it?

Becs Frank (19:09):

Yeah. So sleep is one of the really important pillars of health and I think it's one that we often think unless we've got a really bad problem with sleep, we're probably doing okay. Getting six hours sleep rather than recommended seven to eight is not okay. And that is going to create a deficit. So it's worth paying some attention to your sleep if that's a problem. Do you know, I've read this really interesting book called How to Sleep Like a Caveman. One of the things I really took out of it is that we're kind of a caveman, didn't go into this sort of deep sleep because they were on alert for danger and things like that.

Lisa Sykes (19:39):

ODing beasts and things and yeah,

Becs Frank (19:41):

Exactly. But they would have sort of rituals of winding down at the end of the day. So they would stop their hunting, they would stop there, they would sit round a fire and they would tell stories and they would maybe go to bed early, but after a couple of hours of winding down, whereas we're on alert all the time because we're stimulated all the time and our brains think we're in danger. It's the same kind of reaction to,

Lisa Sykes (20:03):

So we have to find a way to trick it into feeling we're in a safe, calm place, right?

Becs Frank (20:08):

Yeah. So just like you can take it into a state of alert to danger by reading about something or watching something that's very stimulating or worrying, anxiety provoking, we can make it think it's in a safe place by just trying to visualise yourself in a safe place.

Lisa Sykes (20:23):

Well, that is a very nice segue into our story, this episode, Bex, because regular listeners will know. We always read aloud a short story in every episode and print one in every issue. But this one is about someone in their safe place beneath the bench. A short story by Marianne crooning beneath the bench. There is a fox glove way out of season, certainly doesn't belong there, but the here it is, violet and defiant. He doesn't disturb it as he sits down on the bench with her name on it. Geraldine Ann Johnson, beloved wife of Gerald, 1941 to 2019, people never failed to be amused by their names, husband and wife, Geraldine and Gerald. She would always laugh along too. Gerald's pencil, he never writes a first draught in ink, hovers above the two lines on his notepad. Come sit beside me, my old friend. There is so much to say, but he can't find the next line.

(21:33):

All he can think to say is that he barely recognises the grumpy old man he's become since she started hiding. He likes hiding, prefers it to dead because she's hiding with him and yet not here, but tucked out of sight always just beyond the next corner. Gerald writes another line and then crosses it out rubbish. He closes his eyes and then into the quiet corner of the graveyard comes a small voice, the tiniest meow. A cat small, dirty white with black patches appears in the hedge row beside the bench. Hello. Gerald says, who do we have here? The cat stares at him. Gerald knows nothing about cats or any animal really. He was always against them. No matter how many times Geraldine asked didn't want them. Tracking dirt inside the cat speaks another tiny meow. All Gerald has in his bag is a ham sandwich wrapped in cling film crush cut off just like Geraldine used to make.

(22:34):

So he takes the ham from between the bread and holds it out to the cat. The cat sniffs the air but doesn't move. Come on lad. Gerald says, holding you very still. Slowly the cat approaches and takes a little bite, and as he eats, he begins to purr. The next day when Gerald returns to Geraldine's bench, the cat is waiting for him, sitting with his front paws neatly together. He gives another of his tiny meows when Gerald comes into view. So Gerald and the cat now have a standing engagement. And each morning Gerald does something to look forward to his little monochromatic friend who is so very fond of ham. The vet clearly finds Gerald adorable, which Gerald does not enjoy having grey hair using a walking stick and taking your flat cap off when you come inside. Do not make one adorable. It is all just time and good manners.

(23:25):

Such a sweet Marky on his leg. The vet says as she checks the cat for a microchip, looks like half a love heart. Fox glove, nicknamed Foxy moves into Gerald's house the following day when foxy tyres of his toys. Gerald looks for something to entertain him. The string he seeks in the message drawer. It's out there as it should be, but something else catches his eye at the bottom of the drawer under the spent batteries and unmarked keys to old garages and sheds. Unremembered is an envelope on the front in her neat writing are the words for Gerald on the subject of my passing. And inside Geraldine has written on a small sheet of paper. Do you remember when my mother was dying and she said that she would send a dove when she was gone to let me know she was okay. Well, a few weeks after her funeral, when I went to her house to begin packing up her things, I took a break in the garden and on the bench beside me there settled a morning dove. And I knew it was my mother's way of saying hello. Now I know you don't like pets, but I've always thought you'd suit one. So darling Gerald, when I am gone, I shall send a cat.

Becs Frank (24:43):

Oh, that's a sad but heartwarming story as well, isn't it?

Lisa Sykes (24:47):

I know. It's really just an emotional story, isn't it?

Becs Frank (24:50):

Yeah, it is. I think it will touch a lot of people because it reminds me, because I've written a piece about grief and our February issue, and it's such a big topic and it's universal emotion. We'll all experience it at some point in our lives, but it can be and often is very solitary as we saw with this in the story.

Lisa Sykes (25:09):

But look how having a pet, I guess, or a friend to share and talk to makes such a difference, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (25:17):

Yeah. And I think one of the messages that comes through from the piece is the importance of talking about grief and not feeling You need to sort of batten down the hatches and struggle and suffer through it on your own. And I mean there's lots of advice in the piece and a lot about there is what are the different stages of grief, which is very interesting and about how they don't always follow the same pattern or the same line, and every experience of grief is different. Even your own experiences of grief will be different.

Lisa Sykes (25:43):

I really liked the line about, it was probably a quote, wasn't it? That grief doesn't get smaller, but you get bigger than grief.

Becs Frank (25:51):

Yes.

Lisa Sykes (25:52):

And actually that's such an important thing to remember, isn't it? You're not trying to minimise it. No,

Becs Frank (25:57):

And

Lisa Sykes (25:58):

The other thing that it struck me was it's not always grief about the loss of a person. It could be the loss of a pet, or you can actually grieve a relationship or even the person you used to be a different stage of your life and you don't really think about those as grief.

Becs Frank (26:15):

I mean, you could have this sort of secondary grief as well, so you can enter different chapters of your life and then it can bring back feelings of grief. So I think it's an important thing to try and understand and not be afraid of talking to people who are grieving about as well. But I think it's something we often find hard and there's advice in the piece about how to do that because it can be incredibly hard to know what to say to somebody, can't it?

Lisa Sykes (26:36):

Yeah, definitely.

Becs Frank (26:38):

One of the things I think a lot of people is the little things, little small steps, little healing habits that can help you if you are going through grief and talking and listening is one of them. So talking to people, also maybe listening to, listening to some great podcasts of which I mentioned, and that can just be voice and a companion to you as well.

Lisa Sykes (27:00):

Yeah, we'll put some links in the show notes to those because I thought it was a really interesting article and there were lots of things I hadn't thought about grief at all, but letting people in is key, isn't it? And not isolating yourself and doing mindful things like walking and reading and colouring. But also it is about gestures, isn't it? To cheer people up. Yeah, maybe that's as simple as the jug of flowers or Exactly,

Becs Frank (27:26):

Exactly. Let them know you're thinking of them

Lisa Sykes (27:28):

Talking of flowers. I mean, what better time than spring to celebrate flowers or to give someone flowers? It's just the best bit of spring, isn't it? Seen all those shoots come up and I mean, the first flower to spot in your garden are obviously snowdrops, but the daffodils are coming up round by me. Actually you are in the southwest be I bet they're already pretty much out by you, aren't they?

Becs Frank (27:49):

Yeah, yeah. There are some daffodils out and the tulips are coming right up. There's blue bell shoots in the woods.

Lisa Sykes (27:55):

Yeah, nice.

Becs Frank (27:57):

We see it every year, but it never fails to bring about those same feelings of happiness does it? And hope

Lisa Sykes (28:03):

We have this almanack section. As you know, we've been doing birth flows this year in that

Becs Frank (28:07):

Yes,

Lisa Sykes (28:08):

Birth flow for February, which is quite interesting, is Violets, which are a symbol of modesty in Victorian times. And hence the phrase shrinking violet, you see, because apparently it was about how they clinging to the forest floor and sort of shy away. So that was where that phrase come from. But obviously daffodils are the ones for March, and they're all about rebirth and new beginnings.

Becs Frank (28:31):

Did you look up your birth flower?

Lisa Sykes (28:33):

I did. And it's a daisy, which I'm quite pleased about.

Becs Frank (28:36):

Oh, nice. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (28:38):

But apparently, and this is a good fact, I like a bit of geography. Apparently daisies grew everywhere in the world apart from Antarctica,

Becs Frank (28:45):

Is that right?

Lisa Sykes (28:45):

They are, yes.

Becs Frank (28:47):

Wow.

Lisa Sykes (28:47):

Easy of some type. So there you go.

Becs Frank (28:49):

That's a good

Lisa Sykes (28:50):

Thing. Well, of course what you need really need to enjoy flowers is a room writing amongst nature, don't you? To be able to watch the season come from the comfort of your armchair, and that's where a Blackdown Shepherd Hut comes into its own. So I'm here with Emma Warren from Blackdown Shepherd Huts, who are longtime supporters of the Simple Things magazine, and they're our partner for season five of this Small Ways to Live Well podcast. Thanks Emma. We appreciate Blackdown to help make this happen.

Emma Warren (29:24):

Hello, good to be here. Thank you.

Lisa Sykes (29:26):

No worries. And for the benefit of anyone who hasn't yet been tempted to your website and picked out their ideal hut, can you tell people what they are and just why you think they're so special?

Emma Warren (29:37):

Well, Blackdown Shepherd Huts are based on the original Shepherd Huts that you would've seen on a farm hundreds of years ago in the Victorian ages. They would've taken anything that they could find on the farm to build some shelter. So inspired by that, we now have some rather more luxurious ones for

Lisa Sykes (29:53):

I was going to say Shepherds didn't really live like this did. No?

Emma Warren (29:57):

They didn't. No. And there's no lambs

Lisa Sykes (29:59):

Under the bed. They're so beautiful. And I think it's the craftsmanship that you really notice when you've seen one, isn't it?

Emma Warren (30:06):

Yeah, absolutely. We've always, very first thing ever was said about it was quality is really key to Blackdown, and we've carried on with that value all the way through. So we do try to make a really special experience for customers,

Lisa Sykes (30:19):

And they're made in Somerset. That's where the workshop is.

Emma Warren (30:22):

Yep. We've got a large workshop based on a farm in Somerset. There's a team of 18 of us here now. And yeah, absolutely love the area that we're in and very inspired by the Blackdown Hills, obviously.

Lisa Sykes (30:34):

Yeah, and I know you try and use local suppliers for some of the furnishings inside as well, don't you?

Emma Warren (30:40):

Yeah, local suppliers and also artisan makers. So the latest hat that we've just launched has got potters. We've got some vintage from much pottery in there. We've got local potters up in Bristol, UK made bed linen. So we try and make it that it also inspires people when they come round to try other brands, local brands, artisan brands that they might not use normally.

Lisa Sykes (31:01):

That's great. And actually that's the thing to emphasise really, is you can just buy a fairly bare hut, can't you? On, I say bare, it's still got beautiful wood floors and insulation and all that sort of stuff, but all you can have it fully kitted out with all the interior designed. And for you, you can pick and mix a bit, can you?

Emma Warren (31:20):

Absolutely. So it starts with the retreat, which is a bare hut, effectively not loads of joinery and furniture inside often for people for yoga studios or contemplation spaces, which is really lovely

Lisa Sykes (31:32):

Oh, I love the idea of a contemplation space. Yeah, isn't it? That would be what I'd have, I think.

Emma Warren (31:38):

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's just really lovely space to sit in. It's very calming, then right up to Copper Bath at the end of the bed, shower, en suite, kitchen, everything you need for a space to be outside.

Lisa Sykes (31:53):

So what do people use their huts for?

Emma Warren (31:56):

All sorts. We have glamping businesses. I'm sitting in the Meridian, which is our office Shepherd Hut at the moment, so-called because there's two energy zones in it. So you have a workspace and a muse space, we believe very much...

Lisa Sykes (32:09):

I wonder because you have those great desks, don't you? The rise and fall desks as well? Yeah,

Emma Warren (32:14):

Yeah. The rise and fall desks and the horizon window.

Lisa Sykes (32:17):

I really fancy one of those

Emma Warren (32:20):

Hotels, we are at Another Place up in the lakes and The Fish in the Cotsworlds, garden rooms, spare rooms for relatives coming to stay. A lot of multi-generational living. And granny and grandpa don't actually want to be in the hub of every day, but do have to go and see their grandchildren. So imagination.

Lisa Sykes (32:39):

That's nice. And tell me about your newest hut, because I know you're very pleased with this one, and we featured it in the magazine and it's the sauna and cold plunge, isn't it?

Emma Warren (32:49):

Yeah, absolutely. Well, the thing about Shepherd Hus is they're so connected to the outside that you really do get a lovely nature experience, and we wanted to take that one step further and help people with their wellbeing. Will, our founder is very keen on cold plunges and saunas and things like that. So we thought why not bring a sauna into a shepherd hut? And it's been really popular. So we have a little cabin, which is for two people, and then we have a sauna deck, which can be up to six people outside, shower, cold plunge, all undercover star lights on the ceiling. Yeah, lovely.

Lisa Sykes (33:22):

Wow. I imagine they are just, people can't get enough of those at the moment. We did a feature once in the magazine that had ice bathing and people are getting into barrels of water buts in their garden. This sounds a little bit more luxurious than that,

Emma Warren (33:38):

But you could just put a water but on there if you felt like it.

Lisa Sykes (33:41):

That's true. And you can build your own, can't you, which I didn't realise until recently that you literally load it all on a sort of flat pack almost, but Well, not quite a flat pack. That makes it sound a bit Ikea, which definitely isn't. Yeah. Tell me about the build your own hut.

Emma Warren (33:56):

So one of the things, nearly everybody who's worked here has been an apprentice at one point in another, and we're quite passionate about keeping the skills of the countryside

(34:05):

The old fashioned skills going. So we wanted to give people something where they could have all the support and all the parts from Blackdown, but build it themselves and create their own thing to be really proud of. So the task self build is just perfect for that. We give them video support, they get everything that we make the huts with, and they can make their own space and make it really, really

Lisa Sykes (34:26):

Special. And if people really customise those and done amazing things with them,

Emma Warren (34:31):

Yeah, we've seen gyms, we've seen fishing huts, we've seen all sorts of things, extra bedrooms, the imagination of people is really, really quite awe inspiring sometimes.

Lisa Sykes (34:42):

Now I know you've got, well, a couple of huts yourself, haven't you? Because I think you were one of the first customers of Blackdown, and you liked them so much, you joined the company, right?

Emma Warren (34:52):

Yeah, that sort of thing. Will and George's cousin started the business originally, and I saw their very first hut back in 2011, which was a retreat, just a very basic hut. And I did business development. So they rang me up for a coffee afterwards and said, can we chat to you about growing businesses? And it all started from there. And then I got my first hut in 2015, and I have three down at Dempsey in Somerset now for people to come and stay in, sit on the top step and watch the countryside go by.

Lisa Sykes (35:19):

I will admit here that I have actually stayed there. We reviewed it for the magazine and it was glorious. I mean, I think for me it was all the little details that I loved, the little clever storage, the well-designed kitchen lamps in all the right places. It just felt so beautifully made. And that's something very special. But you like this try before you buy idea, don't you? And you can stay at hooks all over the country, can't you?

Emma Warren (35:46):

Yeah, we are very proud of our owners who share their Blackdown spaces with people. So we have a website for them called Shepherd Hut Breaks, and a lot of our owners have their huts listed on there. So we have about 500 fully built huts out there at the moment. Wow. Some of which are glamping spaces or at hotels. So lots of chance everywhere from Scotland, we've got huts in Ibiza, through in France and Cornwall just all over the place.

Lisa Sykes (36:12):

That sounds amazing. And actually, you don't have to be a customer to go and stay there. You can just go as a visitor, can't you?

Emma Warren (36:19):

Yeah, absolutely.

Lisa Sykes (36:20):

Absolutely. Great. Because you do have to wait a little while for your hut, don't you? Because all that craftsmanship takes time and presumably you've got a waiting list and an order list.

Emma Warren (36:31):

Yeah, we like to build what the customers want, and quite often we're well known for being bespoke and allowing customers to indulge their dreams and what they want to have. So the waiting list can vary at times from three months, six months during lockdown, I think we were out at about 18 months, it went bananas then.

Lisa Sykes (36:48):

Wow. But very much worth the wait, so if you are waiting for that garden retreat or Oh, the one I would have actually is one, I dunno what you call your glass ceiling, where you can see the sky through it, but

Emma Warren (37:01):

Oh, the stargazer.

Lisa Sykes (37:03):

That's what I would have. I think that's beautiful. But being in the garden with a shelter to take account of the British weather, but being able to see nature all around you, a garden retreat is right at the top of my list.

Emma Warren (37:16):

Well, you'll like what we've got coming out very soon, Lisa. We've got a cabin, which is a ground-based no wheels. Oh, garden room. About to launch very, very soon. And you've got the scoop on that.

Lisa Sykes (37:28):

Excellent. Well, we're looking forward to that. And thanks so much for joining us, Emma, and thank you again for supporting this season of the podcast. Without this help and support, we wouldn't be able to chat to all our readers and listeners. So thank you very much and lovely to have you with us.

Emma Warren (37:45):

Thank You, Lisa, and

(37:45):

Thanks so much. We love working with you.

Lisa Sykes (37:56):

Oh, I love the idea of a sunroom, don't you? Somewhere where you can really let it soak in. But also, I mean, they come into their own in spring in the uk, don't they? Because the weather's obviously not obviously, but quite often really grotty.

Becs Frank (38:13):

It'd be nice and warm place to sit.

Lisa Sykes (38:15):

Yeah. You can watch it from the comfort of your armchair, can't you? Yeah,

Becs Frank (38:18):

Yeah. You can get a citrus tree growing in like a warm corner of a room, can't

Lisa Sykes (38:23):

You? Well, that's why they're called orange injuries, isn't it? I think. Yeah.

Becs Frank (38:26):

Yeah. I mean, you possibly don't even need an orangery, but great if you can have one. It's funny actually, because I was reading something about orange the other day because they're really popular, aren't they at the moment? Yeah, their origins are way right back in the 17th century. And now you can imagine people wandering around sort of pig things from their orange trees apparently after Bridgeton. So people, there was a big peak in planning applications for orange.

Lisa Sykes (38:52):

For orange is everyone's trying to reenact the 18th century and grow a citrusy.

Becs Frank (39:00):

Exactly. Most of us don't probably have space for an orange extension. I definitely don't. I was very inspired by a piece we did where, I mean, I think someone had grown a lemon tree just in a sunny corner of the room.

Lisa Sykes (39:12):

I always want one. It's on my list of things I will do at some point. But they can be a bit tricky. But so long as you've got somewhere where the temperature doesn't fall, I think is it 14 degrees? It's got to stay above that.

Becs Frank (39:24):

I think that's ideal. Yeah. I mean you could have it outside obviously in the warmer in the

Lisa Sykes (39:29):

Summer,

Becs Frank (39:30):

Depending where you live. It can stay out there for quite a while. But you do need to bring it in even.

Lisa Sykes (39:35):

Definitely

Becs Frank (39:36):

Bring it into a shed if you don't have anywhere us but some kind of greenhouse or sunroom.

Lisa Sykes (39:41):

And the important thing is not having it near a radiator, isn't it? Because the thing about conservatories or porches or injuries, they're generally not that heated so that they don't overheat because they're glass, aren't they? And so actually that's pretty crucial I think. You can't read have one in your living room, even if you've got a light space in there.

Becs Frank (40:02):

No, no.

Lisa Sykes (40:03):

But yeah, no, I definitely, I'm going to put that on my little to-do list. I think garden ambitions, but actually I'm going to plug my place actually, because everybody likes a little through the keyhole moment, don't they? To someone else's house. And one of the most popular features we run in the magazine is called My Place. It's about celebrating the corners of our homes that we love and we take a little theme and then we ask readers to send us pictures of their homes. And there's some amazing homes amongst our readers, but they're not always grand. They're just special spaces. They're corners that they've made. Lovely. I think it is about, it's really easy to do that, isn't it? You don't have to have a whole beautifully decorated

Becs Frank (40:44):

Home. No, exactly. And I love the way that it can be one person's corner is completely different from somebody. So I've actually kind of done this unintentionally myself in there. We have a really sunny spot in our dining room, which we actually don't use that much because who uses dining room? I've put one of those ladder shelves in there and Oh, nice. It started off with one plant on that seems to do quite well. Then I thought, oh, I'll put another couple there. Suddenly it's become where all my house plans go when they're not doing very well anywhere else and they're all thriving there. And so now I've got a little rocking chair, which I've put in there as well. And I've just actually started. This is like my place.

Lisa Sykes (41:22):

Well, but we'll be featuring that in the next issue, be reckon.

Becs Frank (41:25):

Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (41:26):

And I bet your dog likes it as well. She does. She cosy up in there in the sunshine.

Becs Frank (41:30):

So when I come in and think, oh, going to water my plants, then I like, oh, I'll sit down. Oh no, there's a dog on the rocking chair. I have to boot off first.

Lisa Sykes (41:39):

Well, as we're talking about sunlight, I think this is probably the right time to talk about us seeing the light moment for this episode. So these are the things that we've come to realise through chatting that we would like to do or do more of or do less of. I don't know, what's yours for this episode that breaks?

Becs Frank (41:57):

So I think now we've really noticed the mornings getting lighter, haven't you? And it inspires me to get up a bit earlier and do something for me before the day starts and before everybody else gets up in the house. And on the subject of movement that we were talking about earlier, thinking, I'm going to get up and do something, whether it's a few ballet moves, Lisa, I think it ticks off some of my pillars of health. If I get outside or by a window, I'll get some daylight, I'll get some movement, and I'll probably have better sleep as well because I'll maybe go to bed earlier.

Lisa Sykes (42:26):

Excellent. Well, I am a bit out of love with my garden. I think it's because I just haven't been spending enough time in it. Life has got in the way really,

Emma Warren (42:36):

And

Lisa Sykes (42:37):

It's definitely my happy place. So I'm going to try and find a little bit of space in each day to do something in the garden, which is a much better plan than going this weekend. I will sort my garden out because it never happens. So idea that is my new thing, to just find a little bit of time each day in the garden.

Becs Frank (42:55):

That sounds great.

Lisa Sykes (42:57):

So all, I hope you are also feeling that this podcast is applied a little bomb to your life, and you're enjoying the return of the light season and which will be at your side to take us all through to spring. The previous episodes are all still available to download through your app, and I'll be back with the next one along with my co-host, Joe Tinsley, when we'll be enjoying pancakes, nature's awakening and Feeling. Our energy levels begin to rise. Our March mend issue of the Simple Things is on sale from the 26th of February next week, and it feels very spring-like. So we'll be sure to help you shrug off winter, and you can also buy direct from us or try an immediate start subscription and you'll get sent it straight away. Thanks so much to Blackdown for support in this season. You can find more about their beautifully crafted hoods on their website and a link for that, and all of the above and the various things we talked about are all in our show notes on the app. So it's bye from me and from you, BX. Bye. See you soon. Thanks for listening. Bye.