Creature Comforts
Seeking cosiness in a hectic world
On reflection, the second half of March has been a period of comfort. I’ve been on a welcome period of annual leave, leading me to seek comfort above all else. One of the ways I have sought comfort is through reading one of my favourite genres, murder mystery.
I have a particular fondness for ‘cosy’ murder mysteries, the kind where the ending is wrapped up in a neat bow. The murderer was an estranged lover, a mysterious figure from the past or a jealous neighbour.
I finished the excellent, Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw on Friday morning and I enjoyed it immensely and certainly falls into the Agatha Christie tradition with a few of my favourite traits, set in rural middle England, starring an unlikely couple and an uplifting ending which makes sense. It was also a bonus that there was no upsetting content which is often found in modern crime novels.
I look forward to following the novel up with Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced and Rev. Richard Coles debut novel, Murder Before Evensong.
I was particularly pleased to find Murder Before Evensong as part of the ‘buy one, get one half-price’ offer in Waterstones on Saturday afternoon. I paired it with Bookstagram favourite, Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors.
On the topic of comfort, I have found myself leaning into the familiar and that for me often means comfort. I am a creature of habit and find great solace in routine and the familiar as well as finding change very difficult. My Tiktok FYP has been spammed with Scandal content which led me to binge-watch the second half of season two which has some of the greatest series’ greatest moments in it, such as the infamous ‘A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot and a Liar’ monologue beloved by Tiktok (and mostly by me).
I think in our fast-paced, 24-7 world we need to make more time for comfort and relaxation. Autumn and winter are often seen as a time for embracing cosiness but I think we can find ways to be cosy throughout the year. Seek it in your reading material, the shows you watch (or re-watch) and in your surroundings.
Things I have liked…
I enjoyed a wonderful meal last week at Paget Lane in Enniskillen, the restaurant is the brainchild of Marty McAdam and is excellent. I am a fan of Marty’s street food offering by day and have been chomping at the bit to try his 15-course-tasting menu.
The menu is compromised of snack courses, fish courses, meat courses, a palette cleanser, a cheese course and desserts. We were not told what each course was until it was served to us, all we knew upon entering the restaurant was an ingredients list which added an element of surprise. We took the wine pairing which was very boozy and complimented the food beautifully.
If you are not from our little part of the world, please consider visiting and sampling some of our gorgeous food offerings. Fermanagh was actually highlighted last weekend in the travel section of the Sunday Times and it is worth reading as The Times declares Fermanagh as ‘The UK’s best-kept foodie secret’ as well as being crowned one of the best places to live in the UK.
I was whisked away on a belated birthday present to the Galgorm Resort and Spa. I came out of the place floating on air after spending hours becoming a prune in the hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas in the outdoor thermal village.
The following day, we visited Streamvale Open Farm outside Dundonald which was a total joy. I am a farmer’s daughter and take great joy in being near animals. I took a particular fondness for both the rabbits and the goats, they loved the attention given to them by visitors.
Things I can’t stop thinking about…
You know at this stage, I love a bit of pop culture and I feel like the standout pop-culture moment of the last fortnight and maybe 2023 was the Gwyneth Paltrow trial.
Her outfits were *chef’s kiss* and covered frequently by the media with many deep dives into what Gwyneth was saying with her clothes. My personal favourite accessory was her giant notebook, I had hoped that it was a Moleskin but I believe the dodgy lighting of the courtroom disguised the iconic shade of Panama designed by Smythson and GQ and Twitter have ID’d the notebook as such.
There were some iconic moments in the trial, however, as a Swifie I took particular interest in the questioning surrounding Miss Taylor Alison Swift. I also enjoyed the fangirling of Terry Sanderson's attorney Kristin VanOrman toward Gwyneth.
I am hoping that Ryan Murphy is in negotiation with Netflix to have this trial adapted for TV. I just hope Gwyneth will play herself.
Did you read that Gweneths witty, off the cuff demeanour was what caused the jury to whole heartedly find your man at fault? Compared to Amber Herds rehearsed crying? She looked so much craic!