I really, really enjoy cooking dinner. There’s something wonderful about looking into your fridge and cupboards, picking a few things out, and after some time and swearing, producing a tasty meal. However, I come from the Jamie Oliver school of cooking – not the real one, of course. You know, back when he was a young lispy whippersnap and not a National Treasure? When he rode around East London on that little moped? Yeah, that. I’m not proud. My cooking generally involves chopping various vegetables into approximate sizes (“daaan’t have to be too accurate”), throwing whatever herbs and spices happen … Continue reading Fake It ‘Til You Bake It

For the last few years, I’ve felt a curious compulsion to watch the Tour de France, having previously shown no interest in it at all. Ever. Maybe it’s the comparative lack of football that’s on (this summer being a glorious exception). Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t quite afford to go on holiday to France for four weeks at a time. Or possibly it’s to do with the sheer brilliance, oddness, tradition and spirit evoked by approximately 200 lycra-clad blokes cycling approximately 2500km, the majority of which seems to be uphill in the rain. It is thrillingly bonkers. Since … Continue reading Chain Reaction

“I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN” A chant often heard at collegiate sporting events in the United States has now become the rally cry for an overachieving football team, with the hopes of eager fans continuing to grow in number with the unprecedented success of this overlooked, starless, enigmatic American team. Soccer, previously a sport overshadowed by America’s four major sports, has been derided for its low goal count, pace of play and as a child’s game. How is it that decades of trying to push the sport to a country that would not budge, be eclipsed in a matter … Continue reading The land of the free (kick)

Ah, Eurovision. It is a time of great joy across our fair landmass, a time when people from all creeds and nations can come together as one, to compete in the greatest (and only) continent-wide song contest and, most importantly, to laugh at the United Kingdom and its pitifully bland music. Every year the same thing happens: while the rest of Europe are gamely celebrating the most ridiculous aspects of their own cultures – throwing on elderly gangsta rappers, black metal druids and neon-painted techno matadors – there is an audible lull in proceedings as the UK entrant emerges. Quivery … Continue reading Swede Surrender

In a machine-groaning world of microwavable roast dinners, flat-pack Billy Bookcases and mass-produced Primark garb, it’s strange to think that traditional crafts are enjoying a comeback. Considering the flood of convenience products, I think it’s rather nice that in our spare time we like to go the long way round by making and baking.  The world’s craftmania has produced a whole gallery of weird and wonderful handmade creations, which nimble-fingered crafters proudly showcase online.  Here, pop culture meets traditional craft in a bizarrely pleasing mash-up: a crochet Gangham Style beanie hat, an Xbox controller made of soap, a set of Metallica Russian … Continue reading What a Load of Craft! The Most Unusual and Original Craft Guides

Hearing about The Titanic is unavoidable this year, as the weather outside gets sunnier, the images on our screens and on our bookshelves get icier. With the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on the night of April 14th, books on the subject are swamping the market with sales for Titanic books and films remaining far more buoyant than their tragic namesake. With Julian Fellowes current Titanic mini-series dividing the critics and a flurry of new exhibitions on the Titanic, the ship remains relevant 100 years later. Indeed the cultural impact of the sinking of the Titanic cannot … Continue reading Exploring the Hidden Depths of Titanic’s Facts and Fiction