Taking it out on the socks

It's been a stressful time, necessitating measures beyond the hanging out of laundry.  

Bicycle Ethnography Along the Taff Trail

Walter Benjamin used strolling through the city of Paris as the means by which to understand the night life of its streets.  In this sunnier account I'm reflecting on a bike ride I did one day down through the Valleys of South Wales and a sort of canine observation exercise which unfolded naturally before me as I cycled along.  The anthropologist Bourdieu in his Distinction describes how social class is expressed in a myriad of small cultural choices and I'm sure he would have regarded the kind of dog we like to have around as part of this habitus.  

The Two Worlds of Charlie F - review

The Two Worlds of Charlie F, produced by Bravo 22 Company is an extraordinary piece of work;  for a number of reasons.  

When the Chips are Down: An Ethnography of the Potato

I have an extensive cultural understanding of rice.  I know how to distinguish between Basmati, Arborio, Thai Fragrant and pudding rice. 

A Lost Generation

 I graduated in the Thatcher years, the 1980s, into high unemployment and a sense of shame as people working in car factories and mines were pushed out by glittering city bankers.  

Horseradish flourishes

On the left a healthy vibrant horseradish plant, which established itself by accident through the bottom of the pot.  It grows happily in some gravel by the back door in spite of attempts to dig it out and eat it. 

Tuna pasta sweetcorn recipe

This is possibly the quickest easiest supper to make in the whole world.