Walnut Magazine - A Journey of Discovery

A six page feature chronicling how my experience of farming has shaped the way I eat and my understanding of good food.

"All of this together has made eating a different experience. I cook a piece of meat and I
picture the land it was raised on and the person who reared it. I cut a slice of cheese and
understand how it was made and whose hands crafted it. I slice some vegetables and I think
of the soil it was grown in and the farmer whose sweat went into producing it. Behind every
meal is a story, a person. It’s brought a new joy to food for me and one that returns at every
meal. This food is about more than flavour and nutrients; it’s about connection."

Excerpt from Walnut Magazine, Issue 01, February 2017, Words and photographs

Let's Explore Magazine - The Two Places I Call Home

A four page feature looking at the notion of home and the process of decision making.

"It’s early July 2015. I don’t know the date because the days run into each other here, the number a measure that’s meaningless in this place. I’m sat by a river; the wide, slow moving Slocan River in British Columbia, Canada. It’s 35 degrees, and I’m cradling a beer as my skin dries off after a swim. Across the water, tree covered hills rise up the other side of the valley; the scenery a spectrum of greens in the summer sun.

The time has come to decide; the clock keeps ticking and visas need to be applied for or plane tickets bought. I can’t put it off any longer - I have to choose a path. But it’s not as simple as just staying or going. I’m picking between two places I call home; places that make me happy and fulfil me, but in very different ways. How do you make such a choice, when the two options lead in such different directions, and there’s no second chances?"

Excerpt from Let's Explore Magazine, October 2016. Words and photographs.

Ernest Journal - 30 hours off-grid

A travel feature, exploring the off-grid island of Lasqueti, nestled off the west coast of British Columbia.

"I immediately notice a Lasqueti institution that I’d read about online: the honesty-box cookie stand. It’s even more incredible than I’d imagined: shelf upon shelf of Rice Krispie squares, chewy ginger snaps, crack cookies (didn’t ask) and banana muffins. As I stand in awe (and
indecision), I get chatting to a young couple who are staring at “la shack” and ferreting around in their pockets for change. I treat them to a peanut butter cookie.

Ten minutes later, we’re crammed into the back of a pick-up, along with four other arrivals and a large shaggy dog. It appears I’ve arrived on a fortuitous day, as most of island’s 300 (often reclusive) residents are heading to the community hall to celebrate the Fall Fair, drink scrumpy and have an outer island knees-up.

We’re greeted by the smoky smell of roasting pig and the sound of fiddles and tin whistles on the porch."

Excerpt from Ernest Journal Issue 5, August 2016. Words and photographs.

Ernest Journal - Living Small

A feature exploring the lives of people who live in tiny homes, small micro-dwellings on trailer bases, on the west coast of Canada. 

"The first tiny home dwellers to open the doors of their micro- house to me were Max and Heidi, who have been living in their quirky 200ft-square house for just over two years. They built the whole thing themselves (albeit with a little help from their friends) for around £700, and every nook and cranny echoes their eccentric personalities. The fact that it ended up being a little shorter and a touch taller than they expected makes sense when you’ve spent more than five minutes with Max. And the hammock strung above the bed to dry nettles, toy figures balanced on wall boards, and the homemade cider stashed behind the loft ladder seem perfectly natural when you’ve seen Heidi’s creative side in action."

Exerpt from Ernest Journal Issue 2, August 2014, Words and photographs

Pretty Nostalgic - Pay it Forward

A six page article exploring collaborative consumption, a rising trend in the alternative economy. 

"In the last year, I’ve found myself couchsurfing in Spain, crowdfunding a community park in Berlin, lift sharing to a festival and borrowing a pressure washer off a complete stranger. Yes, this has been my initiation into a growing global phenomenon known as Collaborative Consumption.

So what precisely is Collaborative Consumption? It encompasses any kind of trading, swapping, lending, bartering and reuse of items, turning away from the idea that we need to all own our own things and focusing instead on collaboration and sharing. The ideas behind this movement are not new; during the first and second world wars there was a waste-not-want-not mentality, where people joined together to make sure nobody was without and nothing was wasted. But post-war, the emphasis shifted towards consumerism, with disposable belongings and generous spending indicating affluence and fuelling the growing economy."

Excerpt from Pretty Nostalgic Magazine, Issue 06, March 2013. 

Pretty Nostalgic - Up with the larks

A four page featuring chronicling my first WWOOFing experience and my learning along the way.

"It’s 7.45am on a beautiful autumnal morning, and I’m walking through a low mist on my way to feed the pigs. Pheasants scatter as I cross the field, and I can hear the geese honking in the distance. Somehow it’s hard to believe that I’m only half an hour from home and in just a few days I’ll be back at work in the centre of Bristol.

This is my first time participating in an activity known across the world as WWOOFing. For
the uninitiated, WWOOFing stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It's based
around the idea that you volunteer your time on a farm in exchange for food and board, learning all about organic farming and meet interesting people along the way. There's no cost involved, other than a £20 annual membership, which gives you access to hundreds of farms across the country. You're generally expected to work for between 25-35 hours per week, but on many farms you’re treated as a member of the family during your stay, eating and socialising alongside your hosts. People often use it as a way to travel abroad without breaking the bank, but in the UK there are hundreds of amazing opportunities just down the road."

Excerpt from Pretty Nostalgic Magazine, Issue 05, Jan 2013.