Some things that made me smile…. in June
Including pottery lessons, pastry perfection and the West Indian front room
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.
As I type, this month looks set to be the UK’s hottest June on record (not for the best of reasons, admittedly), so I’ve been getting my favourite summer dress out at every opportunity. But do you ever find that sometimes, the summer brings with it a sense of body anxiety? If so, then do have a read of this uplifting recent article in the Guardian by Viv Groskop. You’ll find some contributions from me in there too.
If you’ve been a regular reader of this Substack you might remember that I mentioned Viv’s brilliant podcast, How to Own The Room here in March.
Now Viv has a new book sharing more of her wisdom, Happy High Status (out on 29th June, so now!). Find out more and get your copy here.
Windrush: A Voyage Through The Generations
Windrush Day on 22nd June 2023 marked 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush landed at Tilbury Docks. On board were 802 passengers who had travelled, by invitation, to the UK from the Caribbean as British subjects to help rebuild the country after World War 2. The Windrush Generation are the people who made the journey from the Caribbean to the UK (my own parents included) between 1948 and 1973.
If I’m honest, my feelings were mixed on this day mainly because of the Windrush scandal and the on-going failures of the UK Home Office to right this horrendous wrong. But I have so much admiration for that whole generation, so I chose to focus on the pioneers who came to Britain during that time full of optimism and determination and everything they achieved. One of my favourite posts on social media was this one with an ode to the West Indian front room (if you know you know!) from Craig and Shaun McAnuff (Original Flava). For me, there are many familiar items in this video (a display curated by Tony Fairweather) that took me back to childhood.
When I heard about Jim Grover’s photography exhibition, Windrush: A Voyage Through The Generations, from the title alone I knew I had to see it. I made an impromptu trip to Clapham to visit. As I walked around looking at the photographs and reading the various stories I smiled in recognition and found a number of my own memories being sparked. You can really see the rapport and trust between the subjects and photographer which added to the intimacy of the images.
I’m second generation and a south Londoner, so am part of this legacy. I’m so happy to see stories of the Windrush Generation especially being shared more widely and more people being recognised.
Windrush: A Voyage Through The Generations is on at Clapham Library, Mary Seacole Centre, 91 Clapham High Street, SW4 until 2nd September 2023.
Find out more on the website here which includes a selection of the images and stories if you aren’t able to see the exhibition in person.
Throwing clay with Clover Lee
Why is it that doing any kind of practical activity with school friends means laughter is inevitable?
The last time I created anything with clay was for my art GCSE a loooong time ago when I made a large bust of Tutankhamun (a story for another day), so when a friend organised a group pottery class as a birthday surprise for one of us I was excited and trepidatious in equal measure.
I needn’t have worried. Our teacher, the highly talented and very patient Clover Lee was brilliant (especially while my friends and I cackled our way through our mistakes!). Over the course of two hours, Clover instructed us on how to use our pottery wheels and guided us through all the stages of preparing and working with our clay until we had all (miraculously) made two little pots each.
We really were in expert hands as Clover (who originally hails from Guangdong, China) has been pottery making in London since 2011 and was a finalist in The Great Pottery Throwdown TV series in 2017.
During the class, once I had settled into the process, I started to find it quite meditative. (Pictured above is me with one of my works in progress.) I can really see how pottery making can be a very mindful and soothing thing to do. I’m excited to get our pots back soon after firing and glazing.
This is a highly recommended, joyful way to spend an afternoon. Find out more about Clover Lee and her work via her website here: Clover Lee | Clover Pottery and Manga
Having coffee (and viennoiserie) with IRENE
I was passing through Brixton one morning when I spied a new coffee place. It was actually the incredible looking pastries I saw through the window that distracted me, so I took a detour from my grocery shop to go in and buy a pain au raisin and a coffee. It turned out my coffee was on the house! This was because I’d had happened to wander in on the opening day of IRENE’s new Brixton shop when the first 150 lucky customers were gifted a free coffee each.
IRENE is a family-owned artisanal bakery with its first location (opened in 2021) in Camberwell. They have another branch in Marylebone and now, as of June 2023, in Brixton Village. Their website reads,
“The family behind IRENE hails from Kazakhstan, and we’ve named our bakery after the owner’s mother to honour her incredible sense of hospitality and warmth. Our team is truly international, and we draw inspiration from a variety of cultures and baking techniques.”
My unexpected detour brightened my morning. The team at IRENE were friendly, the coffee was very good and my pain au raisin was even more delicious than it looked.
You can find IRENE at 77-78 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village SW9 8PR.
Ted Lasso
Yes, yes, I know I’m late to the party, but this show has totally won me over. Less than a month ago I’d never seen it. Now I’m easing my way through season three, rationing the episodes as there aren’t any more yet* (*she says hopefully). If you have access to Apple TV+ and, have yet to check Ted Lasso out, then I recommend adding it to your watchlist. I love that a show that, at its heart, appears to be about kindness can be so successful (as well as laugh out loud). It’s something we need more of, especially in these times.
Last but never least, is this month’s kitchen dance track. As a little girl I would dance around to Tina Turner in our living room. Now in my forties, I dance around to Tina Turner in my kitchen. Mostly to this song. RIP:
What’s been making you smile this month? Share in the comments below.