Kerry Law - Goodtrippers

Book review: Moon Gardening by John Harris

Is it ‘lunacy’? This new book promises to reveal the secrets to lunar gardening for plots of all sizes…

John Harris, author of ‘Moon Gardening‘, is head gardener at Tresillian House and Gardens, one of Cornwall’s most attractive and visited estates. Many years ago Harris took on the job of restoring Tresillian’s kitchen garden under the condition that he be allowed to apply the principles of moon or lunar gardening – and today the results speak for themselves.

Throughout the book, Harris shares credible horticultural knowledge that will surely dispel any fears that lunar gardening is simply “hocus pocus or hippy nonsense” – Harris himself has appeared on BBC Gardener’s World and been featured in several national newspaper gardening columns. This technique is all about planting to the cycles of the moon, taking advantage of optimum soil conditions and moisture levels. It’s about helping you grow more and better for less effort and less cost – sounds like a good plan!

Lunar gardening is an ancient technique (the book refers to how New Zealand’s Maoris have used moon gardening for thousands of years) and Harris encourages us to respect ancient knowledge and use it to our advantage today. Colour photographs of some of the abundant produce grown by this method at Tesillian (including some enormous, and we’re assured flavoursome, garlic bulbs) provide compelling evidence.

It goes without saying that by practicing moon gardening, you’ll almost certainly be gardening organically, or at least with minimal chemicals – Harris also covers more commonly known wildlife gardening methods such as compatable planting.

Gardener’s sketches, charts and calendar plans throughout the book ensure it remains a handy and practical guide, rather than simply an interesting read about ancient lore. John Harris is a trustworthy author and peppers the narrative with charming tales of his own childhood, his first forays into gardening, his family influences and his motivations today.

All in all, a comforting gardener’s handbook full of fascinating (almost magical) techniques that we can’t wait to experiment with!

‘Moon Gardening’ by John Harris (with Jim Rickards) is available in hardback, priced £12.99, from 20th October 2016 (published by John Blake Publishing).

Buy at: Moon Gardening: Ancient and Natural Ways to Grow Healthier, Tastier Food

Join a pop-up walking event (and eat free cake!)

Before the summer holidays are out, get the family into their walking shoes and try these two pop-up walks (free cake included…)

Two guided walks, one in the south of England, one in the north, led by local experts promise a great and free opportunity for families and other small groups to get outside in the open air, enjoy beautiful scenery, and treat themselves to some (also free) homemade cake!

On Saturday 27th August, you can join a tour of the dramatic landscape of Exmoor. Meet at Holnicote House, located near the village of Selworthy in the heart of Exmoor National Park, at 10am for a 6 mile (10km) walk to the summit of Selworthy Beacon, which offers stunning views over the Bristol Channel and Porlock Bay.

If you’re in the north of England, head to the Peak District National Park on Saturday 3 September for a guided walk over hill and dale. Meet at country house, The Peveril of the Peak, at 10am for the start of a 5.5 mile (9km) walk across the limestone plateau, past the rocky outcrops of the Nabs to Dove Holes and along the river to the famous stepping stones at Dovedale Gorge.

To ensure that there is enough cake and local leaders on hand for each event, walkers are encouraged to register their attendance:

To register for the Exmoor pop-up walk visit: www.meetup.com/HF-Holidays-Pop-Up-Walk/events/232775968/

To register for the Peak District pop-up walk visit: www.meetup.com/HF-Holidays-Pop-Up-Walk/events/232863197/

The free walks have been organised by walking holiday provider HF Holidays. For more information visit www.hfholidays.co.uk or call 020 3424 6162.

Take the Bee Trail around King’s Cross, London

There’s a real buzz (ahem…) around King’s Cross right now – take this new tech-enhanced walk around the city’s regenerated area to find out why…

On a sunny Sunday in King’s Cross last week, we tried out the BeeTrail app, created by social enterprise The Honey Club. With a mission to create the largest bee-friendly network in the world, The Honey Club encourages people to get involved with helping vulnerable bee communities in our cities and beyond. This new app, free for iPhone or Android, is part of that mission.

The Bee Trail app takes you on a 45min walk around some of the ‘buzziest’ spots in King’s Cross. Starting at restaurant The German Gymnasium, into Granary Square, down to the canalside, up to the community gardens, past the outdoor swimming pond and ending at the fantastic Skip Garden – the walk takes in eight stops. Turn on your Bluetooth and at each stop the app will automatically ‘unlock’ the next stage (or you can manually type in a code found at each check-in point).

Each stop unlocks a few pages of fascinating bee facts and more about how London’s biodiversity supports the bee population. We learnt a few new things including the stunning fact that there are around 250 different species of bee in the UK!

Several of the stops prompt a ‘bee count’ task – start the app timer and count how many honeybees, solitary bees and two types of bumblebee you can spot within 30 seconds (a pictorial ID guide is provided if your bee knowledge is a bit rusty). On our sunny afternoon, some of these spots were surprisingly light on bees, except for two hotspots literally humming with activity. All counts are recorded as part of a wider survey on bee populations, so your ‘game’ is also a very useful bit of research.

As a thank you, each completed count unlocks rewards in the form of vouchers for discounts or freebies from some of our favourite places in the area including Dishoom, Caravan, The Grain Store, The Skip Garden, German Gymnasium, The Greek Larder, Rotunda and The Lighterman. We recommend ‘eating and drinking’ your way along the trail as you win your reward vouchers (not filling up on lunch beforehand like us – although vouchers are valid until 4th September). As an aside, do make sure you take your time at The Skip Garden – this excellent community garden has been made almost entirely with reclaimed, salvaged and recycled materials. They grow their own produce and have a cute little cafe serving great coffee and cake (and they have a covetable outdoor pizza oven!).

Exploring the redevelopment of King’s Cross, with its influx of new restaurants, bars and event spaces, you can’t help but be impressed with the fact that nature has not been forgotten in this part of the capital. Flowerbeds and window boxes full of bee-friendly plants are found all over the place – along lavender-scented pathways, within playgrounds, and lining the outdoor dining areas of restaurants. It’s a buzzy slice of nature in the city.

The Bee Trail runs until 4th September 2016 – download the app for free at www.beetrail.co.uk.

Back to nature at Eco Camp UK, Sussex

Move over glamorous yurts with your flat-screen TVs, real glamping is about going off-grid, getting back to nature and leaving all mod cons behind – welcome to Eco Camp UK…

There’s nothing like arriving at a beautiful campsite knowing that you don’t have to spend the next two hours grappling with tent poles and blowing up airbeds. At Eco Camp’s Wild Boar Wood campsite, in the heart of Sussex, all the hard work has been done for you. Just step inside your kitted-out and cosy bell tent within your own woodland clearing, and you’re already camping without having to lift a finger!

A hidden woodland home

Well, it’s not entirely without effort (but that’s all part of the fun). Wild Boar Wood campsite is hidden (literally – directions are only given to guests) within a small wood in the middle of farmland, just outside the village of Horsted Keynes and Ashdown Forest. On arrival, campsite wardens Pete and Amy meet you at the car park with huge wheelbarrows ready to take all of your luggage down the track and into the campsite.

The wood is very pretty – bluebells carpet the ground during springtime – and wildlife takes priority at this sustainable site. Several bell tents are dotted around, each with their own fire pit and eating area. We were there in during a quiet mid-week but the campsite does get busy at weekends and during holidays, although most tents are quite private from neighbouring campers.

Furnished bell tents and campfires

The campsite boasts flushing loos and hot water ‘bucket showers’, plus washing up facilities. As expected, everyone is encouraged to use water (especially hot water) wisely, and make use of the recycling and composting bins. A small shed houses information and maps about the local area, plus lots of books to borrow during your stay. Amy and Pete are incredibly helpful and friendly, and live on-site in their own caravan. They’re happy to chat about the bird life and other wildlife their share their woodland home with (and help light a fire if, like us, those bush craft skills desert you!).

Our bell tent was furnished with a double memory foam mattress, spare beds (although we moved in our own travel cot), crockery, cutlery and cooking equipment, wind-up torches and lamps. The ‘dining’ area was large with a fire pit for cooking plus a small camp stove, table and chairs – the area was sheltered with a tarpaulin (useful as we experienced some light showers during our stay, although not that noticeable through the tree canopy).

There are several farm shops nearby so you can purchase local meats, vegetables and diary products (plenty of choice for the campfire).

A heritage railway to visit

One surprise treat found at this camp’s location, is the heritage Bluebell Railway. Steam trains run daily along the track at the far side of an adjoining field – give them a wave from the campsite and you may even get a ‘toot’ back! The Bluebell Railway stations (of Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes) are a short drive away. You can buy a ticket to ride the train, or (as we did) purchase a station-only ticket (just £3 for adults) and watch old steam trains arriving and departing. Old locomotives are also available to view inside the station sheds.

The surrounding area is all bucolic countryside, farmland and forest so perfect for country walks and basic exploring. Ashdown Forest is famous as the setting for Winnie the Pooh – you can even find ‘Pooh bridge’ to play a game of authentic ‘Pooh Sticks’.

A bell tent at Wild Boar Wood in mid-week costs £65 for two people per night, rising to £90 at weekends (extra child £12 per night, under 3s go free). For booking and more information visit www.ecocampuk.co.uk.

Bloomon beautiful! Get seasonal blooms to your door

A new way to enjoy fresh flowers has arrived from the Netherlands to the UK – Goodtrippers experiences Bloomon…

We received a beautiful pick-me-up at Goodtrippers HQ this week – a beautiful fresh floral bouquet from Bloomon. This is a florist with a difference – a company that wants to reconnect us to nature, shake-up the floristry industry, innovate with style and imagination, and bring a smile to everyone’s face via the simple pleasure of receiving pretty flowers straight to your door.

Bloomon, founded by industry “rebels” (their words) Patrick, Bart and Koen, cut out the middle man by dealing direct with growers. They source their flowers from expert growers, only selecting seasonal blooms and ensuring they are picked at the best time. This ensures extra days of freshness.

Enter Anton, their floral artisan, to help design some of the most original bouquets you’ll find via a delivery service. Taking inspiration from the Scandinavian school, Bloomon bouquets make the most of individual flower and leaf shapes, colours, movement and scent. The ‘New Bohemian’ bouquet of the week that Goodtrippers received was loose and romantic, full of blues, purples and pinks including peony, rose and brodea.

We love the ‘cheeky’ branding – the recycled wrapping (extra points there) is covered with positive phrases and cute reminders about how science says that flowers trigger happy emotions. The accompanying card also waxed lyrical about ‘the butterfly effect’ which inspired the bouquet design – a reminder of how small acts of kindness, words or gestures can have a wonderful knock-on effect. This really is a ‘feel good’ florist!

Bring fresh flowers to your home – how it works

Bloomon works on a subscription model – select your preferred size (small, medium or large), choose how often (weekly, fortnightly, monthly – you can pause if you’re on holiday), select a convenient delivery time (morning, afternoon, evening), then receive your new seasonal bouquets direct to your door. Prices range from £20.95 to £31.95 and you can also request the matching hand-blown glass vase.

Exclusive workshops – how to design your own

This summer (July-August) Bloomon are also running a series of exclusive flower arranging workshops in London. For £25 you can learn a new skill, enjoy complimentary refreshments and take home your very own bouquet and vase. However, be quick, at time of writing workshops were almost all sold out – keep your eyes peeled for possible future dates.

For more information on Bloomon and to order your own bouquets (or buy a one-off gift), visit www.bloomon.co.uk.

A walking tour of East London’s street art

The street art scene is alive and kicking in London’s Shoreditch – join a tour with a local social enterprise to discover the alternative side of the city…

Meeting under the ‘goat’ sculpture at Spitalfields, we meet Keir and begin our discovery of Shoreditch and Spitalfields’ street art scene. Keir, an artist himself, is a guide with social enterprise Alternative London – a tour operator that supports artists and other young creatives. They may be small but they’ve been number one on TripAdvisor’s London tours list and featured in the Guardian’s top 10 tours in the world!

Keir of Alternative London leads the group

Our two hour walking tour took a loop through Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Shoreditch, taking in some of the area’s most creative ‘street canvas’ but also disovering some fascinating insights into how this multicultural area of the city has changed over the past 350 years. It was an eye-opener to hear that the building which is currently Brick Lane was once a Jewish synagogue and a Catholic church!

Getting under the skin of the street art scene

Being part of the scene himself, and close friends with many of the artists whose work we viewed, Keir was able to give some insider knowledge (did you know that street artist Stik made £50K from a limited edition print and gave it all away to charity?). Keir also knows that every tour will be different as the landscape is changing daily – new works pop up, literally, overnight.

What a walking tour also teaches you is that you should always look up, and look down. We spotted the small bronze sculptures of Jonesy on top of sign-posts. We saw tree roots transformed into snakes. We saw ‘No Entry’ signs comically ‘defaced’. We saw Invader’s famous mosaics on street corners. We didn’t just see ROA’s awe-inspiring bird and other huge murals but also found out more about how the area, and spots such as Hanbury Street in particular, are magnets for street artists.

Such is the sheer volume of artworks in this area, your guide can’t stop and talk about each and every one. This leaves plenty of opportunities for rewalking the route (backwards?) or taking another tour on another day. This is simply a two-hour snapshot of the scene on that one day.

Walking, cycling, drinking, eating, art(ing?)

Alternative London now run a whole wealth of tours so you can discover the many layers of this neighbourhood. Try a street art bike tour, a pub and craft beer tour, or an East London food tour. They also run street art workshops (which can also be combined with a walking tour) so you can learn how to create your own spray paint masterpiece.

As a social enterprise, Alternative London directs a portion of its profits into youth art workshops, free to budding street artists, and helps fund some of the largest street murals in London’s East End.

When/How to book

The Alternative London Walking Tour lasts 1.5-2hrs and runs Mon-Sat with multiple departure times on some days. For full dates/times and booking, plus more details of all of the tours and workshops on offer, visit www.alternativeldn.co.uk.

A picture perfect trip to Iceland

Right now, Iceland is where it’s at! After a team of part-time footballers dashed England’s Euro dreams, all eyes have turned north to this unique country. Now you can fill your Instagram feed with some amazing pictures on a new photography tour of Iceland.

Tour operators Off the Map Travel have teamed up with two professional Arctic photographers, both renowned for their images of the Northern Lights and the Arctic wilderness, to offer an exclusive and intimate photography experience designed to capture the history, culture and natural beauty of Iceland.

The new Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure was created by two leading British born nature photographers, Oliver Wright and Matt Richardson, who met in Northern Sweden over their shared love of the Arctic. The new itinerary will run over two initial dates in September (02 Sept – 10 Sept 2016 or 10 Sept – 18 Sept 2016) and uses local knowledge and off the beaten track locations to give the best possible photographic opportunities for guests on the trip.

Oliver explains, “Iceland is one of the best places in the world for photography. The raw natural beauty attracts the world’s leading photographers who come to capture everything from landscapes to Northern Lights. Both Matt and myself have spent a lot of time shooting in the area and have uncovered some incredible spots only really known by the locals. This trip is all about giving our guests the chance to work in these incredible isolated locations, where we will help our guests get those dream shots.”

The charming coastal town of Akureyri in Northern Iceland, where the majority of the itinerary is based, is arguably one of the best places in Iceland for photography with pristine Icelandic wilderness and rugged coastline. Guests will stay in a 150-year-old historic Icelandic house lovingly restored with a luxurious, typically Icelandic, finish.

There is no set itinerary for the tour which allows the guides to adapt locations to the weather conditions and interests of the group. With room for just six on each trip, two expert photography guides and two vehicles there is plenty of room for equipment and the chance to split and visit different locations simultaneously, depending on the interests of the group.

Additional excursions include whale watching and a trip to the Myvatn Geothermal Nature Baths, as well as a visit to the Blue Lagoon. There is also a slim chance (being early in the season) of seeing the famous Northern Lights (both Matt and Oliver specialise in photographing the Aurora Borealis so will be on hand to help guests snap their own beautiful photographs).

A nine night Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure, suitable for both beginners and more established photographers, including a night in Reykjavik and eight nights in Akureyri with Off the Map Travel (www.offthemaptravel.co.uk) costs from £2799 per person, excluding flights. This includes all transfers, a night in a 4* central Reykjavik hotel on a bed and breakfast basis with an Aurora Hunt and a visit to the Blue Lagoon; eight nights at the luxury Icelandic historic house in Akureyri including all meals and transfers, expert photography guiding, photography workshops, Whale Watching and the Myvatn Geothermal Nature Baths trips.

For more information about Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call +44 (0) 800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk

The ultimate guide to vegan tapas in Spain

If you ever needed an excuse to indulge in tasty Spanish tapas, then summer is it (and did you know, 16th June is World Tapas Day?)

Eating tapas is more than just the delicious morsels on your plate – it’s also about the atmosphere and company, a Spanish way of life. But if you are vegetarian, vegan or suffer from any food intolerances, choosing the right tapas dishes (particularly if Spanish is not your forte), can be a bit of a minefield.

Now rental specialist Spain-Holiday.com has created handy cut-out-and-carry food allergy transalation cards in Spanish for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those suffering from allergies to nuts, gluten, shellfish, dairy and egg.

Jannich Peterson, COO of Spain-Holiday.com, said, “Even though restaurants and bars in Spain are becoming more accommodating to dietary requirements such as offering gluten-free options for celiac sufferers, and Barcelona recently being named the first Veg-Friendly City, eating out with special dietary requirements can be stressful. [We have] created this Tasty Tapas Guide to help people suffering from food allergies enjoy the delights of tapas in Spain.”

Take a look at the guide – and enjoy your tapas!

World Tapas Day – Vegan

An infographic by the team at Spain-Holiday.com

‘Elly Pear’s Fast Days & Feast Days’ reviewed

New cookbook Fast Days & Feast Days by Elly Curshen (or ‘Elly Pear’ of Bristol’s Pear Cafe) is out now. We took a look…

If you’re not a resident of Bristol, you may not have heard of Elly Pear and her hugely popular Pear Cafe. But now everyone can benefit from her creative foodie mind with the new book Fast Days & Feast Days (published by Harper Collins).

Don’t be put off by the title’s reference to the 5:2 diet – yes, it is designed to help you stick to this fasting/feasting eating plan (Elly herself tried it with success when she found herself ‘eating’ her way through all the exercise she was doing!), but you hardly notice when all of the recipes sound so wholesome and delicious. Most recipes are vegetarian, some vegan, and some with fish. This is health food for 2016 – a book full of vibrant colour and Elly’s passion for food which almost leaps off the page.

Getting started guide to kitchen essentials

The book starts off with a few pages dedicated to storecupboard and kitchen equipment essentials (some obvious pulses, herbs and condiments, but also healthfood staples you may need to stock up on such as buckwheat, raw cacao powder and smoked tofu).

Elly also offers our kind of handy tips including using leftovers, shopping local (and in small, independents including corner shops and online suppliers), using organic, and organising your weekly shopping, cooking and eating to help minimise waste.

From breakfasts and brunches to weekend entertaining

Now to the food…I couldn’t help lingering on every page as I (initially) flicked through the book to get an overview. Stopping at each page, there’s something new and interesting to devour in each recipe. I couldn’t even tell on first look which recipes were for fast or feast days.

My first attempts at a recipe will most certainly be the brunches – ‘Avocado and miso butter on toast’ and ‘Italian-style baked egg’. Or perhaps one of the salads (‘Smoked trout and cauliflower rice salad’ sounding particularly good) – drizzled with some of the ‘Golden Amazing Sauce’ which sounds so simple, yet totally new.

Weeknight dinners include a fab sounding ‘Sweet potato, lentil, kale and coconut curry’ and ‘Cornershop stew’, for those very “too tired to cook” evenings.

Weekend entertaining offers the opportunity to really impress with ‘Tofu and kale gyoza’, ‘Sea bream in crazy water’ (yes, really), and ‘Blue cheese polenta with mushrooms and hazelnuts’.

After sauces and dips, the book ends on puddings and other sweet treats with ‘Rosemary and lemon posset’ sounding fresh but indulgent, although not as indulgent as ‘Fatty’s salted caramel sauce’ (surely for a feast day!). For little ones, the ‘Banana and oat bars’ sound like a good, homemade alternative to a certain organic supermarket brand…

Beautiful photography and styling

Like any great cook book worth its (Himalayan) salt, Fast Days & Feast Days is full of beautiful photography and fabulous food styling. Has it been designed with the Instagram generation in mind? Whether that’s so or not, this is a great book packed with natural, sustainable food advice, and, most importantly of all, delicious and super healthy recipes!

Elly Pear’s Fast Days & Feast Days by Elly Curshen is available now, priced £20.

All rise for Real Bread Week (14-22 May)

Are you ‘doughing it’ for the kids? Sourdough, rye or wholemeal, learn to bake a real loaf and get the kids involved in a celebration of our daily crust…

Take a slice of Real Bread Week, returning for an eight year from 14-22 May 2016. Part of the Real Bread Campaign, this is a week celebrating additive-free loaves and the people who make them. The theme this year is sharing the delicious delights of real bread with children and encouraging baking skills and real food knowledge.

Campaign ambassador, and Fabulous Baker Brother, Tom Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery said: “Real Bread has the power to thrill taste buds and transform lives. Real Bread Week is the number one time of the year when bread lovers go all out, showing off delicious loaves, and winning people over.”

Campaign supporters are organising events including:

Cucina Restaurants: after-school family bread making sessions at many of the 40 schools it caters for around England
Bridging the Gap (an organisation that trains 15- and 16-year olds to mentor younger students): Real Bread making and storytelling class at St. Francis Primary School in Gorbals, Glasgow
The Hearth: afternoon of drop-in pizza making sessions for children in Lewes
Fordhall Community Land Initiative: Learn to build and use a cob (mud or clay) bread oven in Market Drayton

To help people dress for the part and raise some dough, Balcony Shirts has created limited edition On The Rise aprons and organic cotton t-shirts, making a donation to the campaign for each one sold.

Follow the action on Twitter using hashtag #RealBreadWeek. For full details of Real Bread Week including many more public events, local Real Bread bakeries and classes, and how to join the campaign to enjoy a range of special offers, visit realbreadcampaign.org.

The Real Bread Campaign is part of the food and farming charity Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, with supporters around the UK and in more than 20 other countries.

Starting from a basic definition of real bread as made without any artificial additives, the campaign’s mission is to find and share ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet.

Other highlights of the week include:

Saturday 14th May – Jo Bottrill will be serving up and talking about her Real Bread at Michelin-starred chef Bruno Loubet’s pop-up restaurant at the Parkside Farm Shop in Bedfordshire.

Sunday 15th – To mark both Real Bread Week and Dying Matters Week, this workshop in Pembrokeshire will explore good bread baking and good funerals that celebrate life and the role of the community.

Sunday 15th – To celebrate National Mills Weekend, the wheels of Cogglesford Mill will be turning to produce stoneground flour and Greenfield Bakers will be selling Real Bread.

Tuesday 17th – Love Bread Bakery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, is running a free family learning breadmaking class for parents and pre-school children. It will teach families the Real Bread basics, with recipes they can try together at home.

All week (14-22 May) – Emma’s Bakery is running workshops at the Real Food Store in Exeter through the week, with a view to setting up a scheme to get more Devonshire kids into bread.

All month – On Monday 16^th, Hobbs House Bakery launches its annual #KingOfTheSourdough competition runs, with a weekly winner being announced every Monday. It culminates in a final bake off at Hobbs House Cookery School during Sourdough September.