We took a wander out into the woods near Maidenhead last week, as an attempt to keep some sort of exercise regime running. The weather was greyer than expected, but the colour of the leaves and foliage, all golds and postbox reds, provided a splash of warmth.
On our way home we dropped into Wargrave Nurseries, who have regular open weekends. They specialise in giant pumpkins at this time of year, and some of the examples on offer are extraordinary. One in particular, which spilled off the sides of the Europallet it was placed upon, was on sale for £1250. That’s a lot of soup. Seems ridiculous, but some slightly smaller ones had sold for a few hundred quid, so there’s clearly a market. We bought some colourful gourds for an autumn display instead, spending a tenner. That’s quite enough outlay on seasonal decoration, thank you.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
The Pivot, in which Charlie Stross takes a forensic look at how the future might actually play out. It’s weirdly optimistic, as long as we assume some of the more illogical voices on climate change and energy matters actually see a bit of sense.
Rob is watching…
I enjoyed Tron: Ares on Thursday. Solidly made, some clever ideas on the fragility of the man-machine interface and a worryingly likable performance from Jared Leto as the titular digital warrior. Gorgeous looking, as you’d expect, although some of the visual flair of Joseph Kosinski’s Legacy is lost purely by having so much of the film set out of The Grid. Perfectly acceptable mid-week entertainment.
Rob is listening…
To Soft Cell, following the passing of Dave Ball. Always more than just The Bloke At The Back, he was the heart and northern soul of the sound. I’d missed this brilliant version of The Night, but it’s right on trend for Dave and Mark’s mix of goth/noir dancefloor beats.
Rob is eating…
Morrisons do some clever product development around fish and seafood and are, I think, the only major supermarket chain to maintain a wet counter. Their latest idea is a good one—a whitefish garlic Kiev. A long thin bass fillet is folded in three, with garlic butter dotted into the pockets. Topped with a sourdough crumb, it’s a dense, chunky lump of protein with a nice crunchy top. I made a sort of katsu from them, pairing with a tomato/curry sauce, rice and a soy/vinegar spiked slaw of peak Choi, savoy cabbage and green onion. Bang on for Fishy Friday. If you see the Kievs, give them a go—although they seem pretty straightforward to make at home.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
I guarantee you won’t figure out what’s being restored here until the final seconds. I was convinced it was some sort of guitar pickup.
We live in anxious times, and it can be difficult to manage the demands of modern life without sometimes feeling my heart wanting to hammer out of my chest while a sick wave of panic swells up. If you feel the same, hopefully some of the techniques listed below could help. I swear by box breathing, personally.
Are you ever bewildered by the tasting notes wine experts give on any given bottle? Are you flummoxed by how a red can be said to taste like tobacco or leather, or a dry white like hot stones? Well, it seems the experts don’t have that much of an idea themselves, and there’s more than a hint of bullshit on the nose. Short conclusion—if you like the taste of a particular wine, that’s all you need to worry about.
This review of the controversial iPhone Air pivots pretty quickly into a useful overview of photographic history and theory. It’s a little bit techy but pretty approachable, and well worth a look if you want to dig into what the camera you always have in your pocket is actually capable of capturing.
A lovely Google Arts And Culture presentation in association with the Derbyshire Records Office on different styles of professional handwriting over the centuries. That is, the sort of penmanship which would be expected for bills of sale, contracts or other official documents. This was a big fat wallow for me and made me want to get the italic nibs out again. I hope you enjoy it too.
The Pellicle continues to lead the herd in British drinks writing. Please enjoy this long, loving celebration of Mackintosh Ales, and the simple but precise vision of its landlord and head brewer. If you’re the sort of person who can see themselves settling in here for a sunny afternoon’s pinting, then you are my kind of person. I’ll have the bitter, thanks.
From pal Zav, a look at one of the great film archive discoveries of the 21st century. Often, incredible insights into the way we used to lived are found like this—in attics, hidden at the back of a garage or farm building, a treasure box offering from the past, waiting patiently to be brought back into the light.
I count my blessings that TLC qualifies us for a Costco membership. I buy my petrol at our local outlet and would be in there weekly if we had the cupboard and freezer space. The fact that Costco is, will hopefully remain, a caring and ethical employer just makes the inevitable hefty bill at the checkout all the more worth it.
The Most Wonderful Place In The World
Horror movies are having a renaissance period. Who better than the great Anne Billson to guide us gently into the dark woods and show us the form and substance of our fears?
Last up, Marie Le Conte opens up about her early days as a self-actuating music journalist in France. This is a fantastic bit of memoir, and feels like an elegy to times past in a way that stories from the early 2000s simply shouldn’t. Oh well, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, I suppose.
One last thing.
To Outro, a couple of tracks from The Queens Of The Stone Age, which seem particularly appropriate for the season.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 