Magical Midsummer - Epsiode 3 SHINE

Promise and Possibilities 

In the third episode of our magical midsummer season, Rebecca Frank, Wellbeing Editor of The Simple Things, and Jo Tinsley, regular contributor and author of The Slow Traveller are celebrating the first day of summer and the things that make us shine at this time of year. Join us on a nostalgic trip to the British seaside, pick up some useful knowledge for growing your own pick of salad ingredients in pots and hanging baskets, and take some wise advice from our pick of wellbeing books for different times of life. 

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

 Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett

On the blog

BBQ sides – because it’s all about the side dishes and pickles really

Broad bean guacamole and kohlrabi slaw

Salty dill cucumbers 

To read or listen to 

Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars (Skittledog) – we feature a different stretch in the Miscellany section of the magazine each month.

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown (Ebury)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Penguin)

The Lido Guide by Emma Pusill and Janet Wilkinson (Boundless)

To find out more

Lidos – Discover your nearest lido by visiting The Outdoor Swimming Society website and browse ‘The Big Lido Map’ at All The Lidos 

Visit the lidos mentioned in the episode:

Shepton Mallet Lido 

Saltdean Lido 

Hathersage Swimming Pool 

Brockwell Lido 

Silver Nutmeg jewellery on Folksy

In The Simple Things

From the May TEND issue (155)

One Pot Food Forest – a mini food forest where all the seeds are sown at once but have different harvest dates so the planter evolves over time, offering a constant crop. 

From My Plot: A Wilder Way with Poppy Okotcha, author of A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us (Bloomsbury)

Magical creatures: an appreciation of pondskaters

Buy the May issue here

From the June SOAR issue (156)

Shelf help – 18 classic wellbeing books recommended by our experts that offer wisdom throughout life’s changes and challenges. The collection includes Quiet by Susan Cain and Lost Connections by Johann Hari as mentioned in the podcast. 

Good vibrations – how chanting a mantra can help still a busy mind

Salad Days  - growing advice and recipes for homegrown salads from The Kew G

Transcript

Becs Frank (00:13):

Hello, welcome to The Small Ways To Live Well podcast. I'm Becs Frank, the wellbeing editor of The Simple Things, and this is episode three of our magical Mid-summer season. Today I'm joined by our regular co-host, Jo Tinsley, contributor to the Simple Things and author of The Slow Traveller. We're going to be calling this episode Shine, and as this is the first day of summer on the calendar, we're going to be celebrating the new season, taking a nostalgic trip to the British seaside, enjoying the first harvests from our veg patches and plant pots, and discussing simple pleasures that make us glow on the inside and out. And of course, we're going to be celebrating another magical creature as we have done in each of the episodes this season. This one is one of my particular favourites. Now, if you're not familiar with the simple things, we're a monthly magazine all about slowing down a little remembering and making time for what's really important and making the most of what you have and where you live. We're going to be mentioning several features during the podcast from the magazine. We'll make sure that details are in the show notes. And if you'd like to get your hands on a copy of the magazine, you can try taking out an immediate subscription, and if you do that, you'll get the latest issue sent out to you straight away. So just go to iceberg press.co.uk/subscribe for more details. Right, well, hi Jo. It's the first day of summer. Yay. Welcome back to the podcast. How are you?

Jo Tinsley (01:26):

I'm good. I'm good, thanks. Yeah, I'm very pleased that summer's arrived. Planning a day trip down to the Dorsett Coast this weekend, so yeah, making the most of it.

Becs Frank (01:34):

Oh, lovely. Yeah, I mean, it's funny because when we start thinking about our summer issues and planning them, we all get quite nostalgic and the first thing we all start talking about is going to the seaside.

Jo Tinsley (01:44):

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. There is something really nostalgic about it. I was thinking about the nostalgia of going for a promenade, these seaside problems, and I think it's a measure of the deep affection we have for these places that we call them the prom.

Becs Frank (01:57):

Yeah, yeah, the prom. Prom. I mean, they're so British, aren't they as well? And I love how that you get all types of people there. They're kind of slow, they're active, obviously you get the kind of runners and the cyclists and skateboarders, but you also get people just sitting on a bench, looking out at sea. You get bits of art and music.

Jo Tinsley (02:17):

Yeah, I think that's the thing. They're loved by all generations, aren't they? Yeah, because they provide this sort of flat surface, so they're easy access for everyone if it's prams or buggies or people on skateboards or whatever. Yeah. So you see all kinds of people hanging out, and it's a kind of place to see and be seen, if you know what I mean. Yes. And that's always kind of what they were as well. These were places that people went down to in the 18th and 19th century and just enjoyed being seen and parading in their refineries and looking out to sea. These were the places that were the borders between land and sea and just having that uninterrupted vista of the sea. It's a really lovely place to be.

Becs Frank (02:58):

It is. And it's kind of what made seaside towns a fashionable place to be in the 18th and 19th centuries was that sea, air and the health giving benefits, wasn't it, of being by the sea, looking out at sea, breathing in that lovely fresh air. And while there obviously Yeah, get dressed up, have parade, have a prom. Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (03:20):

Exactly. I think one thing of the things I also like about it is that it's a verb to promenade, which means to take a leisurely public walk or ride or drive so that it can be seen by others. There's a certain type of spending time that you only do there. It reminded me of this piece I wrote, I think last year about words for walking.

Becs Frank (03:37):

Oh, I remember that. It was great piece. Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (03:39):

Do you remember it had the word ple in it? Ple.

Becs Frank (03:44):

Ple, is it? Yeah, ple,

Jo Tinsley (03:47):

Which is an English phrase to sort of travel purposefully towards a vague destination, which very English thing. Yeah. But they had this Italian word pass, Jada, is that how you might say it? Yes.

Becs Frank (03:57):

Yeah. I have been to Italy several times and taken part in the passage yata. Yes.

Jo Tinsley (04:03):

Have you?

Becs Frank (04:04):

Not quite as well as the Italians, I don't think, because they just do it so well. Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (04:09):

No, well, it's like an institution, isn't it? Yeah. So it's to take a leisurely stroll in the evening for the purpose of socialising. And there's different words. There's a volta, I think, which is like, let's take a turn.

Becs Frank (04:22):

Right.

Jo Tinsley (04:22):

It's sort of slow paced. It's unhurried. It's to catch it with friends, to sort of soak up the last of the day's light. I

Becs Frank (04:30):

Scream in hand. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Maybe street

Jo Tinsley (04:33):

Food.

Becs Frank (04:34):

Yeah. Sit outside tables. You think of tables spilling outside of

Jo Tinsley (04:38):

Yes. Tables spilling out. Exactly. Yeah. It makes you think of places like Spain and things like that, but you can do this in the uk.

Becs Frank (04:45):

You can, and actually you don't have to be by the sea side to do it. Do you really? Where do I promenade? And I think I'd had to do it kind of along the canal in bath, actually, because it's a nice slow leisure place. There's things to look at and by the water, there's actually little pop-up boats doing little pop-up cafes or shops sometimes. And then you'll quite often see people I know and the dog have the dogs stop and have a little chat and then carry on.

Jo Tinsley (05:10):

Yeah. I used to do it in Bristol, and I lived in Bristol on a balmy summer evening.

Becs Frank (05:14):

Did you? Whereabouts

Jo Tinsley (05:15):

By the harbour. So everyone after work could all converge on the harbour outside the Arnold, and you just sort of swing your legs over the side, get a cider or just,

Becs Frank (05:26):

Yeah, lovely.

Jo Tinsley (05:27):

And just watch the rowers on the water and the floating harbour and meet it with people, like you say, bumping into people. And it had that vibe and people would just stay there until it got dark.

Becs Frank (05:37):

Has a holiday vibe, doesn't it? Yeah, exactly. Do you think you need water then to promenade? I mean,

Jo Tinsley (05:43):

I think water's ideal, but you could also do it on a long avenue for a city or a park. Oh,

Becs Frank (05:50):

Yes. Yeah. Those lovely, big wide Spanish avenues.

Jo Tinsley (05:53):

Yeah. I think it's somewhere you can have an uninterrupted walk. You're not worrying about directions because by water, you're not going to get lost by water because you're just going to follow the canal.

Becs Frank (06:03):

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you can just relax.

Jo Tinsley (06:06):

So yeah, if it was a park and you weren't worried about that, then you can kind of let yourself relax in that way.

Becs Frank (06:11):

Yeah. But it's funny actually, because I think there probably is a reason why water is typically where we do get drawn to and where we do sort of have spend this leisure time because there is quite a bit of research showing that being close to water helps us feel good. We're more active and playful near water. So that's the people walking, jogging, cycling thing. And obviously if you're in the water mucking about, or you see people roller blades and doing different activities, don't you? But also the sea does have benefits for respiration, so you get the little negative ions in the air that help you feel calmer.

Jo Tinsley (06:50):

Yeah, yeah, that's good.

Becs Frank (06:52):

And that's obviously what they knew in the 18th and 19th centuries as well. So it just really makes me very nostalgic, as we said, and it reminds me of being a child, but really I didn't go, I only went to the seaside on holidays probably when I was a child because I lived in Sheffield and we didn't have a coast that close. But what we did do is a lot of paddling pools and lidos.

Jo Tinsley (07:10):

Yes, I love

Becs Frank (07:12):

In the city and out in the peak district.

Jo Tinsley (07:14):

Where did you go? Where was your lido growing up?

Becs Frank (07:16):

So we had one in a park close by. It wasn't a particularly beautiful one, but it was used by everyone and it was really good fun. And all the kids were piled down there after school. And then at the weekends we would go out to Haage, which is, we've been

Jo Tinsley (07:29):

I love that Lido. Yeah, yeah. Right by Standard Edge.

Becs Frank (07:33):

Yes. Which is one of my favourite places.

Jo Tinsley (07:36):

No, no. I considered moving there once. Really? Yeah, because I was wanted to move back north and needed to have a Lido within walking distance, so took a few trips there.

Becs Frank (07:44):

I think I would, if I was going to move back north, that would be somewhere I'd look at. But you like Leidos, don't you?

Jo Tinsley (07:49):

I love Leidos.

Becs Frank (07:50):

Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (07:51):

Yeah. I mean, these are just my ideal place to swim of all the places. And I think you get that feelgood benefit of swimming outdoors, but it's also safe. But it's got this lovely friendly community. They're run by volunteers. They're sort of treasured by the local community. And when I lived in Brighton, there was this lovely one in Saltine. I mean, Brighton also has its own now called Sea Lanes. But back when I was there, and it was this fantastic art deco sort of style. And I know, isn't there an art deco feature coming up?

Becs Frank (08:19):

There is. There's an art deco feature coming up in our July issue actually, which is, it's a hundred years since the launch of the art deco kind of design movement. And it didn't become known as art deco for a little while after that. But that was when it was first officially launched this exhibition in Paris. And we are doing, I think it's kind of a looking back feature where we, so there'll be all sorts of different art deco examples that we'll talk about and the movement, but there will definitely be some gorgeous leidos in there because a lot of them were built around that time, weren't they? That sort of interwar period.

Jo Tinsley (08:51):

I love Leidos that look like that. They're really sort of special to visit. But I also like your down to earth basic on assuming down to earth Lido. So my local Lido, which is in Shepton mallet,

Becs Frank (09:02):

I've still to go to this and it sounds great. Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (09:05):

Yeah, because we're not far away from each of, are we? So yeah, it's everything a lido should be. It's not got the dazzling arc deco facade. It's not got bougie poolside, tapas bar. It's not going to be featured in a Sunday supplement. It's in the middle of a residential estate.

Becs Frank (09:18):

It might still,

Jo Tinsley (09:20):

Still maybe after this. And it used to be warmed by the recycled heat from the neighbouring cider and Perry factory. Oh, really? All along one side. It's got these kind of, I dunno if you call them stills or these big sort of tanks

Becs Frank (09:30):

Or

Jo Tinsley (09:31):

For producing the cider. And they're still there really? But it's now got its own heating.

Becs Frank (09:35):

So it is heated a little bit or Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (09:37):

It is heated. And this year it's really warm, actually. Yeah.

Becs Frank (09:40):

Oh really? Okay.

Jo Tinsley (09:42):

Yeah, the boiler's working

Becs Frank (09:43):

This year. Oh, see, I've only ever swam in quite cold lidos.

Jo Tinsley (09:46):

No, it's like 25 degrees.

Becs Frank (09:47):

Oh wow.

Jo Tinsley (09:48):

Yeah. And that's on a cool day.

Becs Frank (09:50):

Yeah, that's good. So you can do some proper swimming in there, but you can also just lark about have some funds

Jo Tinsley (09:55):

And they do full moon swims and social swims and things like that. But I think they just need to be these low cost, communal inclusive spaces. I don't think they should be fancy with waiting lists. I think they should be for everyone.

Becs Frank (10:06):

No, I completely agree. So yeah, check out your local lidar because, and also there are a lot more than you might find. There's one kind of narrative than you realise. There's a good website, isn't there, Joe, for finding out?

Jo Tinsley (10:17):

There's a few. We'll put them in the show notes. And there's the Lido Guide, which is a book, which is really good. And the Outdoor Swimming Society has got a list of Leidos that are open all year. And then there's websites like all the leidos.co uk, places like that where you can go through and look at maps and see where your local IDO is.

Becs Frank (10:32):

Well, we'll make sure all of that is in the show notes, won't we? So if you're not going to Seaside or the Lido, another lovely place to be in the summer is of course at gardens, isn't it? We've been so lucky. We've had so many lovely sunny days already this spring. We I know. I think we've used them all up. Oh God. Don't say that. Don't say that. But it means that I've been growing. Have you? And as I've said before, I don't have a huge veg patch or anything. I've got a couple of raised beds, but I've been quite focused this year and I've gone for growing the ingredients of what makes a great salad. I think so. Oh, nice. What have you been growing then? I've got beans and radishes and salad leaves and little baby corns and all these kind of nice things. And they're quite small things, so I can keep them contained. I've got 'em in pots as well.

Jo Tinsley (11:19):

I think that's the thing. You don't even need a large space too. You can do this on a balcony or in a sort of front yard.

Becs Frank (11:25):

Yeah, window

Jo Tinsley (11:26):

Cell. And you were telling me about this food forest idea. There was a feature in the magazine. I haven't seen it, but

Becs Frank (11:31):

Yeah. Yeah, that was in May issue. And it was my plot and it was a gardener poper culture who she had this great idea for creating this. So all you need is one large deep pot and she calls it a food forest. And basically you sow all these different seeds and the idea is that they all harvest at slightly different times. That's

Jo Tinsley (11:48):

Clever.

Becs Frank (11:49):

So you're going to get different things growing. So you've got broad beans, peas, mon to rocket, and then different kind of lettuce salad mixers. And then she said, well, you do water with some weight and then you just need to put up some support for your peas. But I think that's a fab idea. And we've also got, actually in the June issue, which is on sale now, a saw issue, SOAR, with a beautiful cover of the birds. There's a great piece on salad days, different sort of ideas on how to grow things for your summer salads and recipes and how to use them as well.

Jo Tinsley (12:20):

I think that's the thing. I haven't actually started planting things this year, but there is still time. There's still time to plant sort of cut and come again. Varieties of lettuce, maybe some Swiss chard if you want something that's really

Becs Frank (12:30):

Colourful. Yeah, there's a really nice recipe to do with Swiss chard actually. Yeah, in that piece.

Jo Tinsley (12:34):

Is there?

Becs Frank (12:35):

Yeah, that's a good idea. And it looks beautiful, doesn't it?

Jo Tinsley (12:37):

Yeah. I think it's really nice when they're all really colourful, but yeah, also don't forget, don't overlook the roots. Roots veg aren't just for winter. They're really good in a summer salad as well, so

Becs Frank (12:47):

Yeah, true, true little ones then.

Jo Tinsley (12:49):

Yeah, like baby beets, raddish, like fancy carrots. The carrots are all different colours.

Becs Frank (12:55):

They look so nice on a grazing board with one of the nice dips or something, don't they?

Jo Tinsley (13:00):

And there's still time to grow these, so yeah, it's a good time of year.

Becs Frank (13:05):

And then you've got the kind of all your barbecue side dishes sorted out. Of course we're going to be barbecuing. We,

Jo Tinsley (13:11):

It's all about the side dishes, isn't it? I think so, yeah. Because we've got some of those recipes. If you need some inspiration. We've got some recipes on the blog. We, there was a broad bean guacamole.

Becs Frank (13:21):

Yes.

Jo Tinsley (13:22):

And there was a kohlrabi slaw.

Becs Frank (13:23):

So it's some really inventive things to use up those different veg.

Jo Tinsley (13:27):

Yeah. Because normally I see those vegetables and I'm like, I get them in the veg box. It's like, I dunno what to do with you

Becs Frank (13:32):

That old. What do we do with the kohlrabi quandary? Yeah, exactly. Or what even is the kohlrabi.

Jo Tinsley (13:37):

Yeah, check the blog. We'll put that on the notes.

Becs Frank (13:39):

I always find like a coleslaw. You can just check anything in that. I know.

Jo Tinsley (13:43):

Yeah. But yeah, for me it's all about the relishes for a nice pickle or chetney. And there's recipes

Becs Frank (13:48):

Online. Do you make your own

Jo Tinsley (13:51):

Basic ones? Yeah, I'm making a really nice slow cooked red onion marmalade.

Becs Frank (13:55):

But

Jo Tinsley (13:55):

I actually, I saw, I think it's on the blog, but it's definitely in the magazine, the salty dill cucumbers. Oh, nice. Which looked really good. So that was just like, it's really simple, just cucumber, white vinegar, icing, sugar I think it was, and salt and pepper and dill. And then just place it in the fridge for a few days.

Becs Frank (14:13):

Really only needs a few days.

Jo Tinsley (14:14):

Yeah, yeah. Just two days.

Becs Frank (14:15):

Delicious. And how nice would they be on a burger? Exactly. Yeah. Lovely. Oh, check that out. And I think barbecues, summer salads, all the kind of lovely magical things about summer leads us into maybe talking about our magical creature.

Jo Tinsley (14:31):

Yes. Because doing one of these each time, aren't we now? Yeah.

Becs Frank (14:34):

Yeah. I love this one. So tell us about it, Joe. Go on.

Jo Tinsley (14:37):

Yeah, so this time we're talking about pond skaters and again, it's that nostalgic sort of childhood summer pond, dipping, messing around by the water. It kind of makes you think of that. It

Becs Frank (14:47):

Really, really reminds me of being a child. I remember them so vividly

Jo Tinsley (14:51):

And we see them because we've got 'em in the pond. But also when I take my daughter to forest school, we see them and they always feel really magical. And I think it's the way that if you look closely, they're living on the surface of the water and they've got these tiny little depressions around the edge of their legs that they're sitting on the water tension. It's like, yeah, it's incredible to watch and they can go so fast.

Becs Frank (15:10):

The writer really describes how they create this magical creatures, this series. We go into the wonders of this creature, but I mean it's quite incredible. These little four depressions they make in the water creates this film that not only enables them to move along the water are basically walk on water, but also catch all the falling insects that they can need.

Jo Tinsley (15:31):

Yeah, because they're hunting, aren't they? Yes. Genius,

Becs Frank (15:34):

Isn't

Jo Tinsley (15:34):

It? Yeah. So they're really fun to watch. I enjoy those.

Becs Frank (15:38):

So much magic about midsummer. And our story for this episode is also about a magical moment between a mother and a daughter. And so we're going to take a break now. So sit back, have a cup of tea and listen to our story

Speaker 3 (16:01):

Haircut. A short story by Anne Osby. The picture pops up in the early afternoon. The ping from her cell phone tells Sarah, it's from Millie. Each of their kids has their own ringtone. She eagerly grabs the phone. It's been days since she heard from her youngest daughter. The challenge is not to whine. Sarah thinks not to be the clingy mother who can't let go. Her youngest is at university. That's how it's supposed to be. Circle of life. Don't text or call her about the hazy loss that shrouds the day since she left. At first, she doesn't understand what she's looking at. Two red snakes on a table, a mirror, a brush. The snakes are red ropes of thick, soft, shiny hair. Then it occurs to Sarah that they are plats. What's on her cell phone screen is two actual plats of actual hair. She scrolls frantically.

(16:51):

Those are Millie's plats. They should be attached to Millie's head, but they're not Millie's plats lay their chopped off with hair ties at both ends on a console table in front of a mirror in a hair salon, 18 years of thick, glorious hair. The fear remain that's always made hands stretch out in curiosity. Wow, look at that hair that's made hairdressers smile sheepishly over the years. Just the split ends, right, the silky red locks. Sarah has run her fingers through thousands of times, tamed into tight braids and gathered in perky ponytails, adorned with glittery clips and a princess tiara, a sharp jab in her chest. An 18 year bond spun of ginger silk snipped off in an instant, a sharpened brutal step away from home, A wound in the road between them, hacked with a hairdresser sheers. The ballet slippers still hang on the wall of her bedroom.

(17:46):

Oh, how Sarah can picture her narrow shoulders beneath her leotard, blue silk ribbon around the graceful burn at the nape of her neck. Several rounds of hairspray were needed to hold it steadily in place during jettas and pirouettes. Sarah zooms in on the picture again and again. No accompanying message. No explanation. Just too lifeless severed tails in front of a mirror. She doesn't send a response, doesn't know what to say. Should she call Tom, seek an outlook for the storm within her, the feeling of abandonment? Is that what it is? Abandoned somewhere in the past where the magnificent Red Mane was something they had in common, something that was theirs. She has Tom's number on the screen but doesn't call. What are you talking about? He'll say, my God, it's only hair. The phone pings. Millie again, a message. Hundreds of people here, amazing crowd.

(18:39):

A video is slow to load. Sarah feels her anxiety growing. What's going on? Where is she? 22 breathless seconds later she has her answer. The camera that captures the crowd flips round and a redheaded young woman's smile beams at her green jacket and bulky scarf. She holds a sign in her hand. Climate change is real. We need action now. Her eyes are shining. There's fight in them. The will and power of a flower that's no longer a bud, but flourishing with its crown of outstretched leaves in the afternoon sun, A reddish gold halo, a shiny bob boldly and confidently skirting a face that looks familiar but is somehow new action now shouts as the chorus around her rises. We won't wait. This video ends and Sarah stares at the blank screen. Feels an astonished smile creep across her face as it echoes in the room. Her voice sounds not abandoned, but amazed, proud, my God. Sarah, it says it's only hair.

Jo Tinsley (19:52):

Oh, that was a really sweet story. Yeah. I guess with a 4-year-old, it's hard to imagine that that time will come, but I know you've got kids around that age, haven't you? Beck? So you must relate to

Becs Frank (20:01):

That. Yeah, I have. I can completely relate with one at uni and one about to go. You kind of aren't really trying to hang on to the way things were, and I can completely, completely relate to that. But it is a nice ending, isn't it? And you really get that sense of the glow and the warmth between the mother and daughter today. And she's very proud of her daughter, which you are. We all are. But yeah, we do.

Jo Tinsley (20:26):

It's nice to have those moments when it shines through, isn't it?

Becs Frank (20:29):

Yeah. So in this part of the episode, we're going to be talking about getting that sort of inner glow, but I guess with the Shine episode we need to talk a bit about sunshine, don't we? And get the outer glow as well.

Jo Tinsley (20:42):

Yeah, exactly. So I mean, we all know that some exposure can be harmful. We need to wear SPF of 30 above to stay safe, but it also has some great benefits. So even in the 1880s, it was found that UV light can kill bacteria and the bacteria that caused tb. And so people started having these therapies, they were sort of wheeled outside in carriages and to absorb the sunlight. And it was also shown that it was good for bone development as well. So we've had this knowledge for quite some time.

Becs Frank (21:13):

That's right.

Jo Tinsley (21:14):

But it's also really good to just get out in the morning light because it helps set up that sort of healthy circadian rhythm.

Becs Frank (21:21):

And then also the sun's not as strong. So at this time of year kind of going out, I mean it is really important for us to get sunlight on our skin, like you just said, for all the different reasons for our vitamin D production, I think is it something like 80% or 90% of vitamin D,

Jo Tinsley (21:37):

90%

Becs Frank (21:39):

Is absorbed through the skin through sun exposure and that's really better without SPF, but that is obviously not to be done when the sun is at its hottest.

Jo Tinsley (21:50):

No, I think it's good to do sort of early in the season when the sun's strong, but also early in the day or late in the day when you can just sit out and expose your skin. And it feels nice, doesn't it? Just to get some sunlight on your skin at those times.

Becs Frank (22:04):

Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (22:04):

No, it

Becs Frank (22:04):

Really does. Yeah. I think that for me, that feeling of the warmth on my skin, whether it's through a window, through an open window, or just sitting outside and having a cup of coffee in the morning and just feeling just having five or 10 minutes with the sun of my skin really, I don't feel like it really sets me up for the day. I love getting the clothes that we wear at this time of year. We've talked about wearing bright colours and how summer clothes we are a bit more free and inhibited. But it's as simple as I just really getting my feet out, these poor little feet that get covered up all year in thick socks and shoes and then it

Jo Tinsley (22:41):

Feels really nice to do, doesn't it? Yeah, definitely.

Becs Frank (22:44):

Yeah. The minute I can, the minute it's warm enough to, I've just written about this actually.

Jo Tinsley (22:48):

Are you a Birkenstock wearer? A saltwater sandal? Wearer flip flops?

Becs Frank (22:53):

Yeah, all of the above of the above.

(22:55):

I I've written about my sandal love of sandals in the June issue. Yeah, because I dunno, I think it's just something very liberating. It kind of takes me back to being a child and it's shopping for my summer sandals and being able to stop wearing those school shoes and couldn't wait to get the summer sandals on and then be able to kick them off and run around barefoot in the grass go paddling. But the Birkenstocks and the salt waters, that's what they're brilliant for, isn't it? Because they're waterproof. Well, the waterproof style of Birkenstock obviously, which I have. And shorts. You got your legs out yet, Joe? I've got them out right now. Yeah. Have you? I do. Nice. Well, I did this morning, but then it felt a little bit chilly and it's a bit chilly in the room. I'm recording, but I will be doing later. It's a really a nice kind of way to get yourself feeling ready for summer to give your wardrobe a bit of a declutter and get out your summer things. When it comes to other things that make me feel sort of glowing. I was thinking about this and I think probably for me it's yoga is probably the thing that I do most frequently for that glowing feeling.

Jo Tinsley (24:00):

Yeah, no, I mean I'm not doing it at the moment, but I completely agree. They do it in our local park for free and the idea of doing yoga outside,

Becs Frank (24:09):

It's so nice doing

Jo Tinsley (24:10):

It

Becs Frank (24:10):

Outside.

Jo Tinsley (24:10):

Yeah, it's

Becs Frank (24:11):

Really, really lovely. And at this time of year, if you're lucky enough to have the weather and so is there a nice little quiet spot where you can do

Jo Tinsley (24:18):

It? I think it's just in the middle of the park near the bandstand, so it's like, yeah, everyone's just bustling around and you have this moment of collective calm in the middle. It's really nice.

Becs Frank (24:28):

I think some people might feel self-conscious doing that.

Jo Tinsley (24:31):

So many people, I think it's fine.

Becs Frank (24:33):

Yeah. The thing is with yoga is that it does have that. I think people who worry that they're not going to be good enough at it or they don't know how to do it or they're not as flexible as the person next, it's something for every level. I think there is something for every level. And have you seen the new series that we're running in the cel section of the magazine?

Jo Tinsley (24:51):

Yeah, yeah, I did see that.

Becs Frank (24:53):

Yeah. Yeah, it's an extract from a book called Yoga for Stiff

Jo Tinsley (24:56):

Birds. Yes, I love that because it's just really brilliant. It helps you not take things too seriously. Like it's little stick birds, aren't they?

Becs Frank (25:04):

Yeah. Stick birds kind of demonstrating the most just simple yoga moves really. And it's just fun and lighthearted because sometimes I think people worry that yoga isn't very fun and lighthearted. So it's a book by Marianne Duchamp, I think you say. But we'll put that in the show notes as well. So that leads into, we were talking about another piece actually in the issue, which is on chanting, which might seem a little bit out there, but have you tried it?

Jo Tinsley (25:31):

I mean, I have at the end of a yoga session, a yoga teacher that I was seeing down in Brighton used to do it. And at first you feel quite self-conscious. I did. Anyway.

Becs Frank (25:43):

So was this a kind of, or was it a bit more? Yeah, it was literally just that.

Jo Tinsley (25:47):

I think there was some other mantras that we would say. It started with some ums and then it kind of went into some other things.

Becs Frank (25:52):

So the mantra is the thing that you say, isn't it? That's what you recite. So an OM is a mantra, just to be clear on that, because it's a slight bit confusing, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (26:01):

Yes. Yeah, exactly. It feels really transformative. It sort of triggers these kind of feel good endorphins in your body and it fires you up at the end of a, makes you feel energised as normally you end a yoga session feeling really sleepy, but it actually feels really nice. Do you do it?

Becs Frank (26:17):

So same really just as part of yoga classes. And I've done a little bit of it in sound baths, but what was interesting in this piece is they're saying that you actually, it's something you can do in a group and that is a really, really nice thing to do. And particularly if you want to be led by a teacher, but you can also just sit and do this at home. So you could just sit down quietly on a mat and it could be maybe your favourite line of a poem or just an m and the vibration of the sort of humming, exactly what you said is this thing that makes you feel sort of calm but energised. Like you said. It's a strange feeling, A very nice feeling.

Jo Tinsley (26:52):

I think it helps, it's meditation. It kind of helps that with, if you are prone to negative rumination.

Becs Frank (26:58):

That's correct.

Jo Tinsley (26:59):

Prone to rumination in general. But yeah, we've got these monkey minds that reach for anything to play with. I find it so hard for my mind to be still.

Becs Frank (27:07):

Yes.

Jo Tinsley (27:08):

So just having these things that you can reach for, whatever works for you, that you can practise and feel a little bit more calm and control of that I think is really useful.

Becs Frank (27:19):

Yeah, no, exactly. And of course it's a very old ritual that centuries old and will have been used in worship, celebration, healing ceremonies. So I think it's nice to think about that while you're doing it as well. And it's worth giving it a go. And certainly if you are somebody who experiences anxiety or overthinking, you might find it really helpful. Different things work for different people. And that's what I love about reading and digesting all these wellbeing books that I have the absolute pleasure and privilege of receiving and doing for my jobs. But I did a piece in the latest issue, which is all, it's kind of about compiling a library of wellbeing books, classic wellbeing books. I mean, some of them I knew, some of them have been around a long time. I started trying to do this by myself and then I realised that there was no way I was going to narrow down my list. So I went and spoke to quite a few different people about their and ask them what their favourite books were. And then I've compiled this kind of bookshelf of,

Jo Tinsley (28:20):

I think it's such a good idea to just have this library to hand so that whatever it is that you're dealing with, you've got the thing to reach for. Because a lot of these books you don't just read once, do you kind of dip back in? There's things that you kind have to keep going back over

Becs Frank (28:33):

And for certain times of life as well. Different stages, aren't they? Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (28:37):

Yeah. I like it. I've been through my time with self-help and wellbeing books. I'm not reading any at the moment. I feel like I get everything I need from romantic. But yeah, there was a time when I was reading quite a lot and I loved them because they gave you this permission. They give you permission to pause, to be slow, to be an introvert, to be compassionate towards yourself. When I was younger, these were things that I struggled with. And to have someone be saying it's okay to be these things. So the people that I loved would be like Brene Brown, who sounds even better on audio or

Becs Frank (29:08):

Podcasts,

Jo Tinsley (29:09):

But she's also got books I've got as well. And she's such a great storyteller and that's all about the power of vulnerability. And

Becs Frank (29:17):

So she did a really famous Ted Talk, didn't she? On vulnerability.

Jo Tinsley (29:21):

Yeah, it's one of the five most viewed TED Talks.

Becs Frank (29:24):

I've listened to that. It's incredible, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (29:27):

It's so moving. You get so caught up in the way she tells a story. But also, have you read Susan Kane's choir, the Power of Introverts?

Becs Frank (29:34):

Yes. That's mentioned in the piece, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (29:36):

It is,

Becs Frank (29:37):

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, such a great book and so spoke to so many people, didn't it? Did you find that?

Jo Tinsley (29:43):

Yeah, I did. I think it's again about giving yourself permission that you don't have to be something you're not, but also celebrating the differences that everyone brings to the workplace, to friendships. How shyness and sensitivity can be positive attributes, but not just that all of the different things introverts bring. It's like you don't need to try and be something that you're, you don't need to be thinking, is this just me really empowering

Becs Frank (30:04):

Stuff and celebrating all the brilliant kind of attributes that many introverts have.

(30:10):

No, I agree. I think that's a great book. A lot of them as well here often that we have a mental health crisis and there's limited access to help through your GP or through and these books given people a lifeline. There's a great author Johan Hari, I dunno if you've read any of his books. No, I haven't. No. And he's written one called Lost Connections, which is all about depression and anxiety, but not only written for people with that, but just about how connections to different things help to prevent and improve symptoms of depression. So connections with nature, connections with other people, connections with yourself. And it's very accessible and it's in this kind of era of medicating and depression. And it is interesting to think, find some things that people can also do for themselves

Jo Tinsley (30:56):

That you can proactively kind of put into your life and see what works. That's

Becs Frank (31:00):

Something. And there's loads of different books in that and there's lots more that we feature every issue. And almost every issue actually in our big idea slot, I've got a great one coming up, which a little kind of teaser, it's about dogs and the happiness of, it's called Happiness of Dogs. So we'll come back to that in another and what they can teach us, and I'm all for that. It's important, isn't it, that we just allow ourselves a bit of time just to do things that we find pleasurable and enjoy. And I think this is something that comes up again and again. And then the things that we write about in the Simple things, that's what we're about. It's about making time for yourself, making time for the things that you enjoy and why that's benefits.

Jo Tinsley (31:37):

Absolutely. And they don't even need to be, are you good at

Becs Frank (31:38):

Doing that,

Jo Tinsley (31:39):

Joe? Yeah, yeah. I didn't used to be, I didn't grow up in a house where that was a thing that people did, but I'm actually quite good at it now. I've put in the time and I'm good at it when I've got a busy or stressful week coming up, I book these things in first, whether it's a Swim in the Lido, it helps, it helps nowadays that you have to book in sessions places,

Becs Frank (31:59):

You have to actually schedule your leisure and pleasure as well, don't you? It helps.

Jo Tinsley (32:05):

Exactly. And I schedule it in first. It might just be cooking something that makes me feel happy, or it might be having half an hour to read in the Sunshine or something like that. Really small things. And you put them in first because otherwise your work and your life admin will never be done. You never get to the end of your list. I never do anyway, so you never going to get to this good stuff. So I think just put it first

Becs Frank (32:27):

And don't feel guilty about it. We're all guilty of feeling guilty. So it's kind of like going back to our could do list, isn't it? And I could do week, which we talked about last time, but the could do list that we publish every month and the simple things, which is just the little things, giving yourself permission to do those things that are going to benefit everyone in the long run and give you that glow. So every episode of This Magical Midsummer season, we've talked about a little magical moment that we've had. And if anything that's happened to you, Joe, since we last saw you.

Jo Tinsley (32:57):

Yeah, I had a really lovely magical moment this week. So I've been treating myself to some new pieces of jewellery lately, and I discovered this lovely maker on Instagram, Helen from Silver Nutmeg, and she makes, she handcraft jewellery with recycled silver. I found this, I dunno if you can see it, but it's like this silver disc pendant. It's called Winter solstice. So it's

Becs Frank (33:16):

Kind of textured, isn't

Jo Tinsley (33:18):

It? It's textured to look like frost. Yeah. Oh

Becs Frank (33:20):

Nice. That's beautiful.

Jo Tinsley (33:22):

But the really magical thing was that she listens. We got talking on Instagram and she listens to the podcast and she was saying that she made this no way while we were recording the last series. And I just think it's really nice that I'm now wearing it.

Becs Frank (33:35):

She made that for you while listening to the

Jo Tinsley (33:37):

Podcast. It was already made. She made it. She does her jewellery while listening to the podcast, which it just makes me really happy to think that people are working and listening to this and now I'm wearing it while we recording it. So yeah, that was my magical moment.

Becs Frank (33:50):

That feels very special and magical. Well, mine's quite different. And you'll relate to this, Joe, as a swimmer, I had my first wild swim this week.

Jo Tinsley (34:01):

Where did you go?

Becs Frank (34:02):

I went to a place called Farley. Oh, Farley Hungerford. Farley Hungerford, which is,

Jo Tinsley (34:06):

I go there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been there.

Becs Frank (34:08):

And a really nice little spot on the river. It's the

Jo Tinsley (34:11):

Oldest and only river swimming club left. It's definitely the oldest river swimming club.

Becs Frank (34:16):

So you pay a small nominal membership for the Yeah, really small, but it does mean that. And also it's kind of location. It's been really quiet. So I went once and I've been back, I've been three times now in the last, just over a week. I'm already hooked. That's great. Yeah. It's cold. It's cold, but it makes me feel alive and glowing. That's really good. Yeah. So I'm going to keep that up. Well, I think that brings us to the end of our Shine episode and I feel like I'm totally ready for summer now. I dunno about you.

Jo Tinsley (34:49):

Me too.

Becs Frank (34:50):

I hope you all are too. We've mentioned quite a few articles from the magazine from our June issue and also from the blog. So we'll put all of that into the show notes. The June issue is now on sale and as is our celebrations anthology, which we have mentioned before, which is a big magazine, a bookazine full of different reasons to celebrate and ideas for that. So all those details will be on the show notes. And don't forget to join us again next week. I won't be here next week, but it's going to be you and Lisa, isn't it, Jo? Yeah. We'll see you then discovering about the pleasures of being carefree in summer. So thank you very much for listening. Bye.