The Notebook — Newsletter #1

The Poem: Everyone Sang — Siegfried Sassoon

Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight
As prisoned birds must find in freedom,
Winging wildly across the white
Orchards and dark-green fields; on - on - and out of sight.

Everyone's voice was suddenly lifted;
And beauty came like the setting sun:
My heart was shaken with tears; and horror
Drifted away ... O, but Everyone
Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.

Do:

If you live in London there's just enough time to sign up for Wine Tasting this Friday (13th November) with The Grape Gals in aid of The Charlie Watkins Foundation. Ida and Paige will guide you through the virtual tasting and are offering 3 delicious reds and 3 different price brackets for an amazing cause close to our hearts. DM @thegrapegalstastings for details and read more about the foundation and the amazing work they do here.

Also if you can spare a fiver, please donate to my wonderful friends Ali and Sam who are running the length of the central line (50 miles) in one go! They are doing it for our superstar friend Emily and raising funds for The Lady Garden Foundation. They're another incredible charity who raise awareness for gynaecological cancers and funds for The Royal Marsden — where Emily has been treated at least once a week since 2019.  GiveMe5 is as much about raising awareness as funds so please spread the word and share far and wide. You can also read Emily's story here and my interview with her here.

Read: 

This long read for WePresent by James Cartwright in which he explains how baking saved his career as well as speaking to others about the joy and distraction of hobbies and juggling jobs. “But as with anything that’s pursued for 10 hours a day, five days a week, year after year, it does have a tendency to get a bit boring.”

The poet Caleb Femi's interview for the Guardian talking about his life and inspiration for his debut poetry Poor.

Listen: 

To Jamie Dornan on How To Fail with Elizabeth Day — I absolutely loved this episode. And another brilliant Off Menu this time with hilarious Claudia Winkleman.

Watch:

The Undoing on Sky — based on the 2014 novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz and created by Big Little Lies writer David E. Kelley, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, Grace’s (Kidman) world unravels in the wake of a gruesome murder and suspicious affair. It’s so good.

 I miss the theatre and this video for Vogue is a lovely reminder of its importance.