Some things that made me smile in… January
Including weekday museum visits, saying Hi to Harry Styles and being nourished by creativity
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.
How has your start to 2024 been? Mine has been happily and consciously slow. If you’ve been here a while you might have noticed that there was no monthly round-up in December. I took my own advice and gave myself time to rest at the end of the year and I’m glad I did because it meant I was able to enter January with clarity and contentment. So now Some things is back!
As I’m still in semi-hibernation mode I’ve relished mostly working from home over the past month. Accepting and appreciating the season, I’ve been finding comfort in simple things like winter walks, enjoying this ethical hot chocolate from Lucocoa, returning to knitting (when I thought grief meant I never would), these carrot cake overnight oats courtesy of specialist menopause nutritionist, Emma Bardwell, listening to podcasts (like this great episode of Menopause Whilst Black where
is in conversation with Vanessa Afful of Made By Pure Hands Aromatherapy) and (after initially laughing at the idea!) soaking up the surprisingly cosy vibes of the Netflix fireplace - the closest I’ll ever get to such a fireplace in a little London flat!Here’s just a few of the other things that have made me smile during this first month of the year:
Remembering the brilliance and kindness of Benjamin Zephaniah - “Poet, writer, lyricist, musician and naughty boy.”
I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Benjamin Zephaniah in December. Years ago I had the great privilege of working on a project of Professor Zephaniah’s and I will never forget his kindness and generosity. I certainly wasn’t alone in this experience as in the days following his death I saw countless accounts of the kindness, support and encouragement he had shown to people of all ages and walks of life. Yes, he was celebrated for his work, extraordinary talent and integrity, but he was clearly a great human being beyond his achievements.
I am certain that his incredible legacy will live on for generations.
One of my favourite Benjamin Zephaniah interviews is this conversation on one of my favourite podcasts, How to Fail with Elizabeth Day. If you haven’t listened to it before you’re in for a treat, and if you have it’s definitely worth revisiting.
Also, you can listen to him read his autobiography The Life & Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah here.
Discovering Connecting Gaza
The feelings of horror at what has been and is happening in Gaza are something I know I’m far from alone in experiencing. With this and all the humanitarian crises currently taking place it often feels insane that life elsewhere carries on ‘as normal’. Maybe you’re already elevating the voices of those impacted, calling for ceasefire and the release of all hostages, writing to your MP, donating, protesting and still feeling helpless. If you haven’t already heard about Connecting Gaza, you might be interested to know, as explained here by founder, Mirna El Helbawi that by donating e-Sims you can connect people with their loved ones as well as help make it possible for medical staff and journalists to continue reporting what’s happening on the ground.
Find out how to donate an e-Sim here.
Saying “Hi” to Harry Styles (sort of)
I love taking weekday trips to museums – always much calmer than weekends – and in the first week of 2024 I did just that.
A friend who wanted to see the David Hockney exhibition, Drawing from Life asked if I’d like to come with. Full disclosure, I’m not really a massive Hockney fan (probably sacrilege to admit), but I hadn’t visited The National Portrait Gallery since its refurbishment, so I tagged along.
Once there I remembered this cheeky story from last year and realised I’d get to see THAT Harry Styles portrait IRL. Alas, Joe Lycett’s version wasn’t there too (it’s probably hanging on Harry’s wall in pride of place after purchasing it for £6 and a Kit Cat Chunky Peanut Butter), but seeing Mr. Hockney’s version among the Normandy Portraits was great and tickled me nonetheless.
Unfortunately, this exhibition has now finished, but I really recommend a visit to the National Portrait Gallery if you get the chance and haven’t been before or recently. There are lots of fantastic images you can see for free (one of my favourites was this of Doreen Lawrence) and it’s a lovely place to pop into if you’re near Trafalgar Square. There’s plenty more coming up in 2024. I’d like to head back soon to see this exhibition curated by Ekow Eshun.
Not able to visit in-person? Explore the online collections.
With regard to Harry Styles you can see the Normandy Portraits image I’m referring to here.
And Joe Lycett’s version here.
Who do you think captured Harry best?
Re:Imagining Musicals
An exhibition that is still on as I write this (until 4th Feb), and free to visit is this celebration of musical theatre at the V&A. NB - You don’t have to be musicals fan to appreciate this.
For me, this was a great way to spend a rainy Tuesday London morning with a friend. I loved seeing the intricate detailing in the stage costumes and sets up close. There’s so much talent and skill involved and I find that creativity inspiring.
You can see a snippet of some of the exhibits and find out more about Re:Imagining Musicals here.
And see what’s on at the V&A in 2024 here.
Feelgood TV
There’s been a lot of TV watching recently (possibly too much, having got totally into The Traitors). I started off by getting up to speed with Slow Horses and the final part of Lupin and I really enjoyed these one-off programmes:
RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall
Recorded in September 2023, RAYE (currently nominated for a record-breaking seven BRIT awards) performs songs from her Mercury nominated album 21st Century Blues with The Heritage Orchestra, Flames Collective Gospel Choir and organist Anna Lapwood.
This was joyous to watch and beautiful to see this talented young artist realising a big dream.
Watch on BBC iPlayer here.
American Symphony
Just as Jon Batiste sets out to compose a symphony, his wife Suleika Jaouad learns that her cancer has returned. This documentary sensitively follows their year, portraying their experiences of this exceptional period. There is something about witnessing how deeply their lives and love for each other are rooted in creativity - and how creativity appears even more important for them at this time - that’s hard to put into words with any justice.
In the documentary Suleika says, “We both see survival as its own kind of creative act.” That much is clear from the portrait of this chapter of their lives.
Watch American Symphony on Netflix.
Some things I’ve enjoyed on Substack
Far too many to mention, but a few favourites over the past month include:
’s article in light of Dry January might prompt you to re-examine your relationship with alcohol:
This from
Bell on living alone: ’s photo challenge – stunning images plus you might find some new favourite Substacks:
Also, welcome
to Substack and check out her fantastic jackfruit biryani recipe here!
Last but not least, this month’s kitchen dance track is Worth It by RAYE with a video that shows a little bit of the behind the scenes at The Royal Albert Hall:
What’s made you smile this month?
Let me know in the comments.