A Smorgasbord of Flavours on Leather Lane

Holborn is not an area I am very familiar with, but yesterday, I stumbled upon the Leather Lane weekday market. It was lunch time and the three block strip of food stalls and coffee shops unfolded to a delectable smorgasbord of flavours and cuisines; many of them cooked before my eyes and served up on steaming paper plates.

You could easily find a different something from spicy to sweet, from succulent to crispy, from decadent to meat or gluten-free. Or all of the above.

The punters were a happy mix of office workers , tradesmen and accidental visitors like myself criss-crossing from stand to stand, all wondering which delicious choice to make. Queues of people waited patiently in line at the most popular stalls. But the best bit was seeing them walking off with their tasty trophies filling both hands and a jubilant smile on their face.

Here are some impressions of these food artists at work.

It’s all about the swim

I like swimming. Not the competitive, endurance training kind of swimming or the summer splashing in the pool with a million other people kind. No, my ideal swim is in a cool, calm and uncrowded environment. I like the quiet, thought-free motion of going back and forth along the same lane, cutting through the water without a single splash, hearing only the muted lapping of the water along the edges and the silky feel of it against my skin.

So it was inevitable that I would feature one of my fellow swimmers on these pages. Today it is Rachael Dickens an ex-SE Londoner who is now based in the seaside town of Herne Bay in Kent. She takes swimming much more seriously than I do. It all started in her childhood with her first swims in the River Swale during family boat trips. Then when she had kids of her own, she took them to swimming lessons and following the tips given by the instructor, she improved her technique and confidence and fell in love again. Swimming has now become a daily routine, come rain, shine, sun or wintry weather. It is her recreation, her exercise, her meditation and her muse. It has permeated her thoughts, her imagination and emerges in many forms and materials in her work as an artist.

Rachael doesn’t really consider herself an artist, but a maker. For her, “artist” sounds too pretentious. She prefers instead to follow her own path, working with ceramics to recreate the distinctive 1930s architecture of the lido; blending photographic prints with her paintings to create a collage of memories and media; creating sculptural snapshots of swimming scenes using vintage model figures and materials gathered from the beach.

While she was still living in London, the recurring theme was often the typical UK lido with its historic architecture, its blueness, and clearly defined boundaries. She would create wistful collages of memories and photographs, often of herself, surrounded by and immersed in the mesmerising blue of the water and a moody sky.

Today, the sea and the coastline set the tone: ceramic divers suspended in mid-motion, tiny swimmers floating in resin water with their flailing legs visible beneath the surface, shells and driftwood evoking the smells and the sounds of the beach. And now, large format abstract oil paintings inspired by the sea.

When we met, we shared a fantastic swim at high tide. The water was soft and warm and buoyant and salty and a deep, murky green. And I too became one of those swimmers in one of Rachael’s paintings, a tiny figure flailing in the endless expanse of sea and sky.

Summer Days = Salad Days

Earlier this week, the UK experienced the hottest July day on record. It was a whopping 36.7C (98F) on Wednesday. This might not impress those who live along the Equator, but for me it was enough already. So my daily strategy to keep cool has been to become semi-nocturnal and eat lots of cooling foods like salads leaves and greens.

In fact salad has become such a staple that I am beginning to covet some new kit. I fancy a collection of bowls to match each kind of salad I’ve been preparing and consuming in such volume. These are the beauties that have really caught my eye:

Black ceramic salad bowl by Laurie G Ceramics

These bowls are so elegant that I can almost see them striking a pose in my glass cabinet waiting for a special occasion. Green salad leaves or pasta would contrast beautifully with the black glaze.

Wooden bowls with non-toxic colour strips by Nicole Porter Design

The traditional wooden bowl is an inevitable addition to this list, but what I love about these are the swathes of pastel running across the curves. Who doesn’t love a bit of whoosh?

Made-to-order ceramic bowl by Little Wren Pottery

The simple, white bowl is a thing of beauty when design, texture and tone align so well, as they do here. And if you find this version too beige, the designer can also glaze it in the colour of your choice. Mmmmm.

My Etsy shoe picks for the summer

There’s nothing wrong with the high street. It is the place where global brands present themselves to the mass market. You can shop for basics, get inspiration for the season’s fashion pieces, try different styles for fit or or just meet a friend for a coffee.

But if you are looking for something truly unique, something you can show off to your friends with a bit of a swagger, then Etsy is the place to be. This is basically an online marketplace for creative entrepreneurs selling beautifully crafted artisan products covering a wide range of materials, designs and price tags. You will find me regularly drooling all over it.

As British summer weather has finally caught the sun, I am currently salivating over these Etsy shoe stores which are selling the most amazing holiday-ready and home appropriate summer sandals. Currently, it looks like Israel and Greece are sharing the monopoly on extreme coolness. Here are three of my favourites:

Anne sandals by abramey

Flat, black sandals with a closed almond shaped toe.

Grey, leather cut-out sandals by BangiShop

Grey, cut-out leather sandals with a black, t-bar buckle.

Strappy leather sandals by NikolaSandals

Strappy leather toe-wrap sandals in various colours.

Tan flat-forms by Twininas

Tan, flat-form sandals with white sole.

(Feature image courtesy of Brooklyn Morgan on Unsplash)