Andy loves cooking with Indian spices and has been experimenting with a Gajar Matar dish. Fresh peas and dried pomegranate (usually found in the dish) are difficult to find all year round on the road so he’s adapted it to just have carrots and stirs fresh pomegranate in at the end for a burst of sweet flavour. Andy’s adapted dish is absolutely delicious and it’s vegan. Served with crispy fried tofu and chapati. for the carrots4 large carrots, diced 1 small…
Sophie McKeand as one voice in an ocean, she holds no power you shape her, fold wave / within wave. when contained by hydro-dams, or stifled in water butts her energy is stagnated potential sluiced through the gutter press & out into a wild night her mouth is wicked you source her surface for erotic inspiration hold her accountable for awkward erections pressure memories underground until the earth frAct/ures once she was a goddess formless / in form, your ancestors worshipped her free & unfettered.…
The ceremony of fire
October 1, 2019Words: Sophie McKeand Photos: Sophie McKeand & Andy Garside I am learning the art of firebuilding. Of connecting with the landscape through the creation of flames. There are scant times and places for this most soulful activity after the summer’s heatwave so when these luminous moments present themselves, like the discovery of a host of multicoloured European bee-eaters or the sudden appearance of the shy hummingbird hawk-moth, we take time to savour each honey-filled moment as it drips by golden…
translating the blessings of the trees
September 14, 2019It was a honour to create a ring ceremony for the wedding of two friends in Bute Park, Cardiff this summer. Aidan and Darren both spend a lot of time in the park, the place was instrumental in the early years of their relationship coming together, so it made sense to affirm their love for each other there. I know the trees of Bute Park, I’ve sat with them, dreamed with them, held heart & mind still with them, and…
I love the simplicity of life on the road. It feeds so effortlessly into the food we eat. Foraging is a skill I’m acquiring as we travel, but being a novice, I tend to stick to what I know, working to discover the properties of a new plant, flower or tree every few months before adding them to my repertoire. I tend to forage mint from the gardens of people we visit as it’s ubiquitous in some gardens. The mint…
Creating a hand-stitched pamphlet
September 14, 2019Producing your own work can be a daunting prospect but it also allows the space to fully immerse in the words and creation. Sometimes a publisher (or record label) is the way forward with a piece, but occasionally (about every four years) I enjoy re-grounding in the practice of producing an entire pamphlet from scratch, including the hand-stitching. If you are also adept at design (which I’m not) then that’s great, otherwise you might want to approach a friend or…
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Returning to Cymru, the land of my birth, has been a different experience this time around. We’re better at travelling in the van. Old skins have been sloughed off, new dreams have been forged in other lands; but still Cymru calls. I am surprised at how she catches me off guard, how deep this soul-filled love for one relatively small part of our expansive earth is. There is something special in the people here, in their generosity & openness that…