I'm Nicky Schlegel...

Do you remember the Schlegel sisters from Howards End? 

If you're not familiar with the book you might remember Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter from the 1992 film, or if you saw the 2017 mini-series, Hayley Atwell and Phillipa Coulthard? The Schlegels are described as 'intellectual and idealistic' on Wikipedia, and 'left-leaning, concerned with equality, feminism, and women's suffrage but also profoundly attached to culture and the arts, and the world of ideas and intellect' on the blog linked to that quote. We see them host discussion forums in their home for likeminded women, and attend recitals and cultural events out in the world. 

So why am I telling you this now? Well, all I can say is that in recent weeks, I have never felt more like a Schlegel sister. It's true! Because of several things happening at once, I've been out in the world, hoovering up culture, hearing people share ideas, and reflecting on the big issues with like-minded people. 

Remember I told you about my night with Rachel Reid in Montreal? Where she discussed her books while a bunch of bands played and I experienced Quebec's indie music scene without even planning to? That was the start, but it didn't stop there. Last week, Manchester Literature Festival began and a friend suggested going to one of the events. The one we picked was Russell T Davies being interviewed by Bernadine Evaristo. It was epic. I've been in the same room as Russell T Davies before, but that was when we were in the audience of a play. I desperately wanted to tell him how Queer as Folk had blown me away but I didn't. I'm not that person. (Like when I saw Jonathan Harvey in the Tesco fruit and veg and I wanted to explain that Beautiful People was a perfect TV show that captured the essence of my own family without it being specifically similar.) I'm rubbish at fan-girling in the flesh, but I digress. Sitting in the audience, listening to gossipy insider snippets from Russell, and hearing about his writing process and body of work, was marvellous. I felt invigorated and refreshed for my own writing shiz.

I've deliberately cut off the top
of the photo because the 
only  picture I took
made the most
charismatic and attractive
political leader of our time look
an absolute show. 

That was a week ago. But that's not all. Last Thursday, I was back in Manchester for the next thing. I'd had tickets for ages, and it'd been one of those things that crept up without me realising. Suddenly, Thursday had arrived and I was back on a train for... an evening with President Barack Obama. 

I won't lie, this wasn't the 'An Evening With...' format pioneered by ITV in the eighties. This was an interview with Afua Hirsch, that gave Obama the best part of ninety minutes to explore ideas relating to the future of democracy. He wasn't promoting a book or campaigning for a particular election, he just talked. That meant it was broad strokes in terms of topics - a big picture of the world rather than drilling down into specifics - but it was enthralling and oddly calming. A brilliant person clearly explaining how the world is and how it can be. No bombast, no denigrating others, no anger and bitterness. He just talked and it was great. 

I've nothing in the diary now. No cultural events and not one piano recital in my future. My Schlegel sister vibes are going to melt away. But honestly, the past few weeks have been pure EM Forster, no mess.

Just some of my active folders

Writing News

We're into the final days of  Leeza McAuliffe is Branching Out. And what does that mean? Well, since its release in May, I've still had a few bits and pieces to do. That means the folder (LEEZA BOOK 3) is still on my Desktop, along with the other active folders in my life. This week I read the penultimate reading of Leeza McAuliffe is Branching Out to the writing group I attend. Next time, it will be done. The final 1500 words will be read and I'll have finished reading the entire book. It's taken me eighteen months to do that; fair play to the rest of the group for their feedback and comments. Once the next meet up is over, I will conduct the official ceremony to remove LEEZA BOOK 3 from my Desktop and into my Documents where she will retire. If you strain your ears enough you might hear the distant crowds... LEEZA BOOK 3 is dead, long live LEEZA BOOK 4.

Adults is loads of fun

Culture

I'm not sure I can add much more than the opening paragraphs. I'm a Schlegel sister, didn't you read? It's also fair to share that I'm rereading Dick Francis' The Edge (set in Canada on a train, you see) and I'm excited that the next series of The Diplomat has dropped. Finally, for Gen Z and their fans, I absolutely hoovered up Adults on Disney earlier this year, and found myself revisiting it in the week. A funny house-share sit-com. Love it.

Food and Drink

As sure as night follows day, mashed potato and gravy follows the start of drizzly autumn. Not as pithy a phrase but no matter. I've been craving a proper gravy tea for days so this is Saturday night's. Also, randomly, I was talking to a woman in Canada - a student tasked with guiding the food tour around Halifax - who explained her Mum was English and she loved Yorkshire puddings. This is my first YP since that chat, but she planted the seed that made me cook this over the weekend. It was fit.

Out and About

So let's talk specifics. Russell T Davies was at the Royal Northern College of Music and Barack Obama was at the Co-op Live Arena - both venues I'd never visited before. I was also reminded that Manchester's trams are amazing and I wish Liverpool had a similar system. I had lunch with a friend, a mani with someone I can chat to forever, and a dash for a late-night Maccies when I missed a meal with all my gadding about. Fun.

A quieter week awaits. That's good. I need to get back to LEEZA BOOK 4 and fill that folder with all my ideas. Meanwhile, I'll continue to be left-leaning, concerned with equality, feminism, and women's suffrage but also profoundly attached to culture and the arts, and the world of ideas and intellect.' That's a plan, isn't it.

Have a lovely week, folks.

Together in Autumnal Dreams...

I'm not saying it's because I was in Canada, recently, but that's definitely part of it. 

Morning! There's a teaser for you. What is it that Canada may or may not be responsible for? Why, it's the fact I'm full of the joys of autumn now. I was almost in the zone before I left, but now I'm fully immersed.

The reason it's Canada's fault is clear. They do it so much better. Pumpkins on doorsteps, golden-leafed wreaths, pumpkin ale served in bars, apples and cinnamon flavours all over the place, and you can't pass a tree without seeing a healthy percentage of orange. I've come home and want it all to continue. 

pumpkin ale = fit

I've tried, honestly. In a bid to stave off jet lag on my first day back, I went to The Range to find some autumnal decor. I must have missed the boat. It was Halloween heavy, but much less generically seasonal. I did find a pumpkin spiced candle in TK Maxx so that ticked a partial box. I'm not hopeful about the hunt for pumpkin ale, but I made some apple granola bars to try and scratch this particular itch. It feels a bit performative to be honest. What was freely flowing in Montreal and Halifax, is coming off as forced now I'm home. The good news is, as I type these words, I'm looking out at a grey, rainy day. Forget your orange leaves and pumpkins, that's a proper UK autumn right there.

Not a thought in my head

Writing News

I did wonder if I'd be hit by a load of ideas while I was away. Particularly on the sleeper train. That's when I had twenty-four hours to look out of the window, take in the scenery, and think. As it turns out, what with the steady stream of books I devoured, the regular trips to the dining car, and general chitchat with other passengers, I had zero thoughts about Leeza McAuliffe and the new book I'm planning. In fact, I forgot every thought I'd had prior to the holiday. That's a good thing. It means when I next open the planning file and look at what I'd come up with before I left, I've got some distance. I can decide whether it's a load of old nonsense or if there's something there that works. Soon enough I'll know every part of it off by heart and a fresh perspective will be gone. I need to dispassionately assess it, while I still can.

Montreal Canadiens
v
Pittsburg Penguins

Culture

Obviously I'm obsessed with Celebrity Traitors. That's a given. I read nine books while I was away (everything Rachel Reid has written, plus I finished Midnight Express by Monisha Rajesh). I've also come back with a hunger for hockey. After watching Montreal Canadiens play in their stadium, plus another match on TV in a Halifax bar, I've got the bug. That means a subscription to NHL.TV for all my Canadiens needs. So far, they've had a shaky start to their season but I can only assume, with my transatlantic support, they'll work it out soon enough and make the playoffs. (Do I sound like a fan? Hopefully.)

Salmon kilaw
and oysters

Food and Drink

It's fair to say I ate a lot of fish on holiday. Montreal was the place for smoked salmon bagels, and Halifax was the place for seafood chowder. There were multiple versions of both those things on my travels. Now I'm back, I'm all about recreating versions of the stuff I enjoyed. So far I've done salmon tacos and maple glazed salmon. The thing is, I returned with two bottles of dark maple syrup in my case. Right now I'm happy to glaze just about anything, and am looking for recipes that do just that.

Out and About

Like I said, I had a bone-weary wander around the Range while I tried to stay awake. TK Maxx and Home Sense also got a look in. Then, once I was fully rested and back up to speed, I had my weekly brunch, and a lash lift. A trip to the garage for car admin was also squeezed in, and that was my week. 

I'll continue chasing my autumn-core dreams. I won't be beaten. It's far too early for Christmas, but I'm determined to season up my home now summer is done. I hope all your Octobers turn out to be as bouyant and life-giving as mine is so far.

Have a lovely week, folks.

Serendipitous Mindfulness...

Hey, you're back! After last week's half-assed offering, I wasn't sure. Thank you! I promise this week will be better.

I'm currently heading to the airport. At least if you read this the moment it drops online, I am. Any time after that, I could be doing anything. Exciting! But back to the point. It's Monday morning, I'm about to get on a plane, and if this is scheduled correctly, you'll be reading it as I head home from my adventures. 

I've been in Canada. Largely because I love Canada. That's all that matters, right? This trip was my third visit, and ever since I returned a few years ago, I've been waiting for the next opportunity to go. That being said, the trigger was back in January this year. The TV show Heated Rivalry dropped on Sky. On the surface, it was a sexy romance about rival ice hockey players. So what? But dig the tiniest bit deeper and it was a tender love story about yearning, masculinity, and breaking free of the shackles society imposes. I binged the show when it dropped, then binged the six part book series afterwards.

The whole thing is set in North America. Like I said, Canada was on the to-do list and had been for a while. Yet it was no coincidence that I booked this trip within a couple of weeks of watching the show. I was all in. I loved being immersed in the locations via the small screen and page, and now I was going to see them myself. Whoop! Beyond that I had no plans. The flights and hotel were sorted, I decided to reread the books while I was there, and that was it. Until a couple of months ago. Now, this is where it gets interesting. 

I was going to be in Montreal at the end of September. I'd only passed through the place before, it looked beautiful, and quite a few scenes in Heated Rivalry were set there. What was not to love? At the time, I idly pondered how great it would be to see a hockey match, but how unlikely that would be? I'd no idea of when the season ran, nor whether it would be realistic. I kept thinking about the impossibility of getting a one-off ticket for Anfield, for example. There was no way. Montreal hockey matches were probably the same.

Or not! It turns out, via my online investigations, the season was starting in October, but there were a couple of pre-season friendlies beforehand. Then - in a truly thrilling moment - I read that one of the friendlies was on the Saturday night I was there. Can you believe it? I was in Montreal for five days of the year and one of them was when a match was taking place. I waited for the tickets to go on sale, saw they were non-crazily priced, so made the purchase. Serendipitously boss!

Rachel Reid

But that's not all. A month ago, I was scrolling Instagram and a post stood out. The writer of the Heated Rivalry books - Rachel Reid - shared that she was kicking off her North American tour in Montreal. Cool, I thought. Good for her. Then I saw the dates. It was two days after my hockey match. Last Monday to be exact. I could actually be there! Yes, last Monday night, I saw Rachel Reid do a Q&A in the Rialto Theatre, Montreal, alongside the guy who scored the show (Peter Peter) the actor who played Kip (Robbie G.K.) and four bands who featured on the soundtrack. It was another 'the planets have aligned for me' moment. So, SO, cool. 

Montreal Canadiens
 v Ottawa Senators.
It was a 4-2 win
 to the Habs. 

And now I'm on my way home and I haven't even told you about the hockey match or the author Q&A. I mean, what can I say? Both experiences would have been brilliant regardless of being on holiday. The hockey was crazy-fast, thrillingly brutal, and an absolute event. I loved every second. Then, two days later, the Rachel Reid night was gorgeous. Literary chat, live music from cool Quebec indie artists, and the combined good vibes of a theatre full of people who all love the exact same thing . 

Robbie G.K and
Rachel Reid.

Live sport and culture in one weekend - of course I had a ball. But experiencing them in Montreal itself? All a bit tingly and ethereal, I think. I kept looking around at my surroundings - whether that was the Bell Centre for the hockey or the Rialto Theatre for the arts night - not quite believing I was there. Maybe that's how Canadian Beatles fans feel when they visit Liverpool. They hug themselves on Menlove Avenue and can't believe their luck. That was me last week. All I know was that I've never been more mindful. Being aware of a brilliant thing, while it's happening is such a unique pleasure. Those memories have been locked in forever. 

I suppose that's the life lesson right there. Appreciate your surroundings, be mindful, and take a moment to recognise the feelings you're having while you're having them. I'm not sure how realistic that is, when I'm walking round the Asda, or driving around Merseyside. The run of the mill, mundane stuff doesn't quite offer the same tingles. Still, it's an aim. An aim that doesn't need the planets to align for it to happen. It's up to me and my own efforts. So once I'm home, I've got my plan. Look up, breathe in, and notice shit. It's always good to have an aim.

Have a lovely week, folks.