Some things that made me smile in… October 2024
Including solo culture trips, rarely told tales and celebratory gatherings
If you’re a regular here, welcome back! If you’re new, this is my round up of some of the things that have made me smile over the past month. Please feel free to share in the comments anything that’s brought you joy too, whether big or small! Are you currently a free subscriber but would like to upgrade? You can do that here.
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The yin time of year is undeniably here.
Here in the UK now that the clocks have changed there’s a lot of very British commentary on the fact that it’s SO dark at 4.30pm (as though it doesn’t happen every year!) I’m guilty of it too, but I kind of love the ritual. For me, this means its candle season – time to get the blankets out and invite cosiness in where I can. The cold and the shorter days might not be my favourite, but I still like to embrace the positives that each season brings. Plus, with the reduced daylight and off the back of Menopause Awareness Month I’m trying to be particularly mindful about magnesium and vitamin D.
Here’s just a few of the things that I’ve enjoyed this month:
Mr Loverman
This TV adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s 2013 novel of the same name debuted this month on the BBC. I saw the first two episodes on BBC1 then proceeded to binge the rest of the series over the next two days.
I had a lot of feels about this. The story is such a rare one to see depicted on screen.
At the centre of Mr Loverman is 74-four-year old dapper, charismatic Antiguan-born Londoner, Barry, whose wife Carmel believes he’s keeping a secret. Carmel is right but not even close to the truth. Little does she know that Barry has been in a relationship with his best friend, Morris for decades. Now, regretting living a lie for so long, Barry wants to live out his last days with the man he loves. But the question is, will Barry have the courage to finally tell the truth and face the fallout?
This story is set in Hackney and though I’m not an east Londoner, the world in this story felt very much like the London that I know, inhabited by characters that felt incredibly familiar.
There are fantastic performances from the cast and I like that the episodes are half hours - it was structured in a way that really suited the format, I feel (brilliantly adapted for the screen by Nathaniel Price.)
I’m so glad this made it to the screen. As someone with experience of working in script development, it also made me sad for the number of diverse stories don’t get that far, not because they or the writers aren’t good enough, but because they aren’t deemed ‘marketable’. I’m not remotely surprised that Bernardine Evaristo was at one time told that Mr Loverman was too niche for TV. Thankfully, things seem to be changing, gradually.
Watch all episodes of Mr Loverman on BBC iPlayer here.
Happy Book Publication to Karen Arthur – Grandma’s Locs
“Grandma has beautiful locs. Whenever she comes to visit, she wears them in so many wonderful ways!”
Happy book publication month to Karen Arthur!
Grandma’s Locs (Tate Publishing) is a brand new picture book, ideal for children of ages 5-7, written by
and illustrated by Camilla Ru.If you’re looking for a joyful, heartwarming tale for the little ones in your life, find out more about Grandma’s Locs and purchase here.
I followed you to the end…
I took myself on a solo trip to White Cube on an unseasonably sunny Friday morning to see this new exhibition from Tracey Emin.
This was just as much about taking myself out of my day-to-day routine and getting out of a funk as it was to see this particular exhibition.
It can be hard to fully articulate the feelings that art can evoke and we all have our own different experiences and interpretations. The paintings and sculptures in this installation are intimate and – to me – deeply thought provoking. A number of the works made me think a lot about loss, not in a way that felt depressing but more from a place of reflecting and accepting. The website describes I followed you to the end as a:
“…journey through love and loss, mortality and rebirth. Drawing from a recent, transformative experience, Emin continues her exploration of life’s most profound and intimate moments, with renewed intensity.”
I’d say that’s very accurate. The transformative experience Tracey Emin went through was being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer in 2020. As part of the exhibition there is a self-filmed video of the stoma that Emin now lives with.
It may seem strange to say, given some of the themes in this exhibition, but I came away feeling more settled for having seen it.
Also, the joy in sitting a coffee shop up the road afterwards, taking my time, watching the world go by (especially in such a busy city) is a simple pleasure I never get bored of.
‘I followed you to the end’ is on at White Cube in Bermondsey until 10 November 2024. (FREE to visit.) Find more information and see some of the featured art works here.
Fragile Beauty
I tagged along with a friend to see this. She had expressed an interest in going so I must admit, I may not have been aware of Fragile Beauty otherwise.
This exhibition is comprised of rare photographs from the collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish and it is VAST! There are over 300 images (just a snippet of their private collection of over 7000 photographs). Divided into eight sections covering themes including celebrity, fashion, the male body, reportage and – with a big nod to Sir Elton’s time living in America – there’s a lot of US photography too.
I’m not going to lie – I didn’t love all parts of this exhibition (for instance, graphic images showing substance use were too much for me, personally) and with some of the subject matter/ adult themes, this isn’t one to bring children along to. However, there are some incredible and iconic images – some you’d probably recognise and a number of which are on display publicly for the first time – featuring some key historic moments and figures from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Fragile Beauty is on at the V&A South Kensington until 5 January 2025. Tickets £22 or free if you’re a V&A member. Details here.
Squerryes Winery & Vineyard
A childhood friend’s special birthday celebrations brought me to this delightful venue located in Sevenoaks.
Friends, food, laughter - and in this instance, a good dose of wine – made for a wonderful day creating fond memories.
As part of the day we were guided through a fun, informal and very informative tasting of some of the English sparkling wines produced on the estate.
Squerryes host tours and tastings all year round. Find out more about what they have to offer here.
Saoirse Ronan’s mic drop moment
“That’s what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?” – Saoirse Ronan
In recent days this clip from The Graham Norton Show went viral. This comment came off the back of Eddie Redmayne discussing training he did in preparation for his role in the upcoming TV series, Day Of The Jackal, where he described his coach explaining how a mobile phone could be used as a weapon in the event of trying to escape an attacker. (It’s worth watching the whole conversation in context if you can.)
I was watching this episode of The Graham Norton Show in real time, and when Eddie Redmayne mentioned the phone tip I simply thought, “Yep.” (While knowing countless other women would be watching this thinking exactly the same.)
Online commentary about this moment afterwards led me to a post by
(Give A Sh*t) highlighting this campaign launched by the UN to support women to feel safer on the streets.“Gendered violence happens on the streets and in the home no matter the time of day. Black and brown women, LGBTQI+ people, refugees and disabled women all face disproportionate levels of gendered violence.” – United Nations
Find out more about and share Right to Move – UN Women UK here. #StopSupportReport (You can sign up for bystander intervention training or register your organisation for training via the above link too.)
Here are some other causes you may wish to support / learn more about:
EVENT: Coming Together For The Congo - Sunday 3 November at Yoga Point, 122 Dalberg Road London SW2 1AP. 2-4pm
EVENT: Turn Up for Gaza - Tuesday 19 November at Colour Factory, 8 Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN. Doors open 7pm.
Last but never least, this month’s kitchen dance track… is a nostalgic one sparked by the rediscovery of one of my old CDs (who remembers those?) and one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to (many moons ago in a then derelict Battersea Power Station):
Stay This Way by The Brand New Heavies:
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE YOGA WITH ME:
In-Person:
Hatha Flow, Wednesdays 9.30-10.30am at Yoga Point, Brixton. Book here.
Wake-Up Hatha Flow, Thursdays 8.30-9.30am at MIND Yoga & Pilates, Forest Hill. Book here.
Rest + Restore, 8 November 6.30-8.30pm at Embody Wellness, Vauxhall. Find full details and book here.
The Rest Sessions: A Rest + Calm Mini-Retreat, 9 November 2.30-4.45pm at Yoga Point, Brixton. Find full details and book here.
Online:
Not able to join me in-person? There’s now more than 18 months worth of yoga and meditation practices from me here on Substack in The Reset and A Peaceful Pause.
Try my latest on-demand class available on the YogaEasy platform:
Over to you:
What’s brought you joy this month? Let me know in the comments below.
LOVE these posts Paula! Yes have said before 🤣 Appreciate all lovely shares & insights💜 One of my faves this month was too seeing Karen Arthur in her splendiferous Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts dress reading from the fabulous Grandma's Loc to thoroughly engaged children & adults was truly special 🙌🏾🥳