Tips for walking to work

Hola! So, as I wrote last time, I’m now in a new job! Most days, I walk to work and very often walk back too (childcare pick up allowing…) This is fine, except it’s just short of 3 miles each way. I like to walk- I like to see the seasons changing and stomp out any tension. Plus, I had to decide whether I was willing to pay gym fees or after school club fees and, as it’s generally frowned upon to to send your kid to the pub for a few hours after school, my money goes on having him looked after.

I am very much dressed for the weather here, although I look miserable.

I’ve been walking to work since I was temping in September and I do really love it- but there are a few things that have made my life easier and more comfortable, which is super important when you’re walking so much everyday.

• Breakfast- I will usually have a cup of tea and a smoothie made of Adagio’s Chocolate Matcha, banana and oat milk. This is good, because a) it means I have a banana before I’ve even woken up properly and b) I like to think that the matcha does me *some* good. It doesn’t have an overly chocolatey taste, but gives it a nice sweetness- just enough for the morning. I might also try and have something like toast or I’ll take something like oatcakes to eat at work, especially as the walk can make me really hungry. I also like using oat milk because it gives the smoothie a bit of a porridgey flavour and a bit of a fibre hit, which is obviously good (I think.)

• What I wear on my feet is very important, especially on a long walk. I will wear Doc Martens if the weather is bad, but they’re heavy. My go-to boots and shoes are Sketchers- they have memory foam and are lightweight, meaning I feel lighter on my feet and my legs don’t ache at the end of the day. (Benn bought me some Sketchers slippers for Christmas too. My feet feel permanently heavenly- and my posture is good as a result, too.)
• I’d also recommend a good backpack- I hate my arms being restricted! I currently use one I picked up ages ago from the Ollie and Nic sale, but I’m on the hunt for something bigger- along the the lines of the Jansport bag I coveted at school but never got.

The biggest things that have made the most difference to my walking commute though, are the following:

• A good antiperspirant- no-one wants to be stinky! I experimented with different brands and found that this one is the best. Also, there’s no point wearing fancy perfume when you’re walking. I’ve resorted to bodysprays and lament the fact that Impuse no longer make Zen and/or O2 scents. Considering a Twitter campaign.
• Keep Cup– I bought mine in November and I use it mostly on cold days, when I need warming up. With Pret and Costa offering money off hot drinks, and concern about the environment, this is just a bit of a no-brainer for me. Fun fact: as a result of taking this into work, I have caused six other people to buy one. Am awaiting my commission.
• Bluetooth headphones and Spotify- I used to have rubbish headphones and a rubbish phone. It took ages to listen to anything and I spent a long time trying to get anything to work. My in-laws bought me a great pair of headphones and I treated myself to Spotify Premium and it has honestly improved my commute no end. I have podcasts and playlists and I can honestly say that I look forward to my walk to work every day. I don’t think I’ve ever said that before.

*All of these products are here because I love them- there are no affiliate links on this post. I was sent the matcha to review, but will be purchasing this once my sample runs out!

 

 

 

Bronte Project: Visiting the Parsonage

The Parsonage (and a a rare photo of Benn!)

I’ve been to the Parsonage so many times (it’s one of the things that happens when you grow up in a bookish family in West Yorkshire…) but I never get bored. I was especially interested in the Bronte 200 celebrations, which aim to mark the 200th anniversaries of the births of Charlotte (2016), Branwell (this year), Mr Bronte arriving in Haworth (2018) and the birth of Anne (2019). I was especially keen to visit after we found Anne Bronte’s grave last year.

Of course, when you’re in Yorkshire, you should really start off your lunch with rhubarb gin…

One thing that was really exciting was that the Parsonage now has the ACTUAL table that the sisters wrote at. It was acquired in 2015 and it was the first time I’d seen it. Imagine- the ACTUAL table that Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall were written on. This was the table the sisters paced round as they discussed their projects. There’s even an E carved into the wood.

I am aware that this is a rubbish photo. It is actually quite impressive in real life.

Throughout the house, there are costumes from To Walk Invisible, the Sally Wainwright drama that was shown over Christmas. The attention to detal was so amazing- it’s a shame my photography couldn’t do it justice.

This year is all about Branwell, the tragic Bronte brother, who should have been a great success but instead fell from grace. There are dedicated exhibitions: one is a recreation of his bedroom during the last years of his life, which was surprisingy melancholic. Branwell has been painted as a ne’er-do-well, but he was also a bit of an unfortunate soul and the bedroom really reflects this.

There’s also a dedicated area to Branwell’s written work, with new poetry by Simon Armitage. The best bit is seeing stuff in ‘the flesh’ that you’ve only ever seen in books- one of these was the famous Branwell sketch ‘A Parody’, which he drew in a fit of self-pity whilst ill. It was genuinely a bit of a thrill for a Bronte nerd.

One of the things I was desperate to do was to participate in an art project by artist Clare Twomey, in which visitors to the Parsonage are invited to write a line from Wuthering Heights into a new manuscript. This is because the original, handwritten by Emily Bronte, has been lost. Each participant is asked to write a line from the novel with a pencil (you get to keep the pencil at the end, to encourage you to continue writing.) I was given a line from chapter 27, in which Linton begs Catherine not to leave, or else he’ll die.I was a bit miffed I got a horrible character, but hey ho, that’s the luck of the draw. I wrote VERY carefully, so that a) my writing was legible and b) I didn’t make a mistake. Anyway, I managed it and I’m quite chuffed that my name is in something that’s sort of historical.

Part of my Haworth tradition is making a pilgrimage to the church where the family are buried (without Anne, who is buried in Scarborough.) Although the Brontes would not have recognised the church as it is now- it was remodelled after Mr Bronte’s death- there is a sense of tranquility and history.

Note the vase of heather from the moors

It was a lovely day- and to mark it, I HAD to buy something that combined two of my favourite things (there should be more book-based tea blends, IMHO):

I’ll report back on the tea ASAP.

Some thoughts on detox teas

A few years ago, I had a nerdy tea blog (you can read it here.) It really was the start of my tea obsession- I mean, I reviewed sixteen types of Earl Grey as an experiment- and it’s really interesting to note how massive tea has become since I wrote it.

Every now and then, though, I find myself going back to it when I see the expensive detox teas doing giveaways. I did a detailed breakdown of what went into these teas and why they really aren’t worth the money; they are pretty much the modern equivalent of snake oil in some cases. The case I looked at back then was a spectacularly dodgy-looking outfit (there were accusations of fraud and over-charging) and, while I’m not accusing any of the newer brands of doing anything like that, I do think it’s important to research what goes into this often very expensive, highly marketed teas.

If you want to see my whole post, it’s here– but I’ve also cut and pasted the breakdown of ingredients in that particular tea, which are pretty common in the ‘detox regime’ teas. You could have similar effects with bog-standard (read: cheap) herbal teas. The teas promise fast results for a very expensive system (this one was offering a two-week course for £40); in fact they won’t do much.

BTW, I’m not a scientist. I Googled. Check with your doctor if you intend to do anything health-related, obviously. I’m just trying to save you some money.

Oolong tea: on its own, oolong is used as a weight loss aid. So you could pick up a decent packet of this for around four quid (you’d get more than thirty cups out of it too…)

Hawthorn: Again, another ingredient that is used in Eastern medicine for digestion. You can buy tablets from Holland and Barratt if you really want to try this (but fennel and peppermint are much cheaper and nicer as teas)

Lotus leaves: basically another digestive aid, with added roughage.

Alisma rhizome: stimulates the kidneys and makes you pee. So you’ll lose water weight. Which you would put back on really easily. You could just drink more liquids (including green tea and water) if you want to cut down on  bloating.

Cassia seeds- most commonly used in laxatives.

Gynostemma Pentaphyllum- this may lower cholesterol. But so do apples, brown rice and avocados. Still not seeing how this tea is worth eighty quid a month.

Poria- another pee-inducing ingredient

Anyway. Nothing will ‘detox’ you except your liver and kidneys. You could have these effects by eating better, upping your water intake and exercising. I get it that these are attractive (I would love to be able to not worry about my weight!), but please think before you give up your money for a silver bullet that just isn’t worth it.

January Blues (AKA why I wish I could hibernate)

I hate January. I always have. It’s cold, it’s miserable and there are no twinkly lights to distract from the misery outside. I don’t hold much belief in that ‘Blue Monday’ thing (although I like the New Order song), but I do think January could learn from its more cheerful friends. Such as March. Add to this that the last week has been awful, especially Thursday and Friday and it’s made me desperate for a) a series of snow days so I can stay at home legitimately and b) February.

I’ve agreed to trial an online stress management course with Yoga in Sardinia. I have practised yoga in the past, but don’t have time these days for a full class. The course is designed to help more with mindfulness rather than the physical aspects of yoga. Ironically, I wanted to start this a couple of weeks ago, but work and other things made me too stressed to remember to start! Anyway, I look forward to the next eight weeks of trying to be mindful. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

Image: http://www.enthusiasticbuddhist.com

I have also been stockpiling books since my book buying ban ended on Christmas Day (although it did feel weird to be buying them again and I may have gone a tad overboard. Oops.) I am reading like it’s going out of fashion and I think I will probably do the ban again later in the year when my ‘to-read’ pile becomes huge again.

Image: http://www.booktryst.com

At least the TV is better- one of my favourite drama series ever, The Bridge, is back on. I love Saga and Martin.

Image: The Guardian

I also have stocked up on teas from Whittards and Palais des Thes. So, snow, make your entrance whenever you like. Just make sure you arrive on the days I’m supposed to be at work, yeah? Thanks.

How are you getting through January?

 

George Orwell and the modern tea drinker

I am a massive Orwell fan, particularly of his essays. One of my favourites is ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’, which you can read here.

In the essay, which Orwell wrote in 1946 at the height of rationing, he provides the reader with his eleven tips for the perfect cup of tea. He admits that some will provide agreement and that some will be controversial, which I think they still might be today!

He advocates using either Indian (which I assume means Assam) or Ceylon tea, and dismisses ‘China tea’; “One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it.” I think, though, that Orwell would be dumbfounded by the range of teas offered to modern consumers. He was clearly a man who liked his tea-and he liked his tea strong. He would have so much more choice now and I think he would probably enjoy some of the stronger blends that are around these days, maybe a nice Lapsang Souchong,which  personally I hate as I think it tastes like ash. But George was a heavy smoker, so maybe it would be up his street…

Secondly, he thinks weak tea is a complete no-no, so I don’t think he would approve of green and white teas with their delicate flavours and notes. But maybe if he were alive today, he would be tempted to try them. After all, he was a man of bravery and adventure, and I’m sure he could find something to like in these varieties? I suppose, though, a generation used to having tea rationed and not really having a choice would see these varieties as new-fangled and unnecessary.

Orwell is a fan of loose leaf tea, as would most of his generation be- teabags had not really become as popular as they are today. However, most people still use teabags or filters, as otherwise it’s a bit of a faff to constantly wash teapots etc. Also, who has time to prepare a teapot EVERY time they want a cuppa? In our faster paced world, Orwell’s guide just isn’t always practical.

Two areas we agree on, though, are milk and sugar. Orwell says that milk should be poured into the tea after the water has been added to the cup. For both Orwell and me, this is practical; how else can you know when the tea is the right strength for your taste? In my house, there’s always milk in my tea (unless green or white) and none in Benn’s, no matter what the variety. I would never get the ratios right for visitors if I couldn’t see the colour of the tea!

I also don’t take sugar in my tea, like Orwell. I haven’t for about ten years. I prefer to taste the flavour of the tea and I can’t understand why someone would have more than one sugar in their tea, if at all. Orwell’s argument is that you might as well make a drink by putting sugar in some hot water. It’s a bit extreme (as you still get some benefits from the tea even if it’s sweetened), but you see his point.

Overall, I think Orwell would enjoy the varieties of strong black teas, but would be a bit suspicious at first… until you produced a teapot for him!

How to: Make the perfect cup of green tea

Green tea is really good for you. It must be- it’s a trendy ingredient in makeup and skincare products and it’s always being lauded as a brilliant way of increasing general health. As someone who used to write a tea blog (and will start up blogging about tea once I can have caffeine regularly again!), I have drunk a lot of it. It got to the point, at one stage, that I could tell the difference on sight and taste between Japanese and Chinese green teas*.

The one thing I hear most, though, when discussing green tea is: “Oh, it tastes horrible!” or “It’s really bitter!” Green tea shouldn’t be bitter if it’s brewed properly. The main reasons your green tea is bitter are either:

• You’re brewing at the wrong temperature
• You’re leaving the bag in too long

So, to avoid this, I don’t brew with boiling water- either stop the kettle boiling by switching it off just as it sounds like it’s bubbling, mix boiling water with cold water or leave boiled water to cool before you add your tea. You should leave your teabag in for no more than two minutes (I tend to take mine out after about a minute-ish.) Bear in mind, this is the way I make green tea, after making many, many bitter, horrible green teas.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a tea snob and prefer my green teas from tea houses such as Tea Palace and, my favourite, Le Palais des Thes, who make my favourite green tea, Fleur de Geisha, a Japanese green tea flavoured with cherry blossom.

Do you like green tea? How do you make yours?

*If you’re interested, Japanese green tea is more yellow than its Chinese counterpart and tastes ‘grassier’ when it’s unflavoured.