Sunday Smörgåsbord #053
Hopeless romantics, hidden figures, and tropical modernism. Plus - who are you grateful for?
Hi friends,
I’ve been in London this last week and it’s been a whirlwind few days as we celebrated my Dad’s 70th birthday this weekend. He explicitly said no speeches, but at the last minute I caved and stood to say a few words. It’s always nerve-wracking, not least because as soon as you sit down you remember all the things you should have said but forgot to - sorry Mum!
When we talk about ‘saying the hard things out loud’ we often mean the criticisms or constructive feedback, overlooking how hard it can be to say the wonderful things about someone too. We get embarrassed, think we will look ‘soft’ or, worse, say the wrong thing completely. Brits especially would rather show their affection for someone by lobbing an insult at them or using their ‘endearing’ childhood nickname: it can feel vulnerable for us to share our real feelings - for them, as well as us.
But as I get older I’m trying to get better at saying what I love about people to their faces - keenly aware it’s far better to let them hear it than to save it for the day they’re not around. Luckily I had an easy job: many shared with me stories of my Dad’s generosity, his sense of humour, the sacrifices he’s made to build his future - and there was also some envy of his full head of hair!
So why not take this opportunity to tell someone you care about what you love about them? Take five minutes tomorrow morning to start someone’s week off with a smile. I can guarantee you’ll only feel glad that you did it.
Have a wonderful week ahead
Emma x
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
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📰 Features & Podcasts
‘I think we inspired the knickerless couple’: the story of the Guardian Blind date duo who tied the knot, six years after that first kiss’, The Guardian. As a self-confessed hopeless romantic, I have such a soft spot for the weekly Guardian Blind Date column (see also: the meetcutesnyc Tiktok and MAFS weddings). A 8+ score or, even better, a closing kiss and I’m grinning like a cheshire cat, so this Blind Date wedding update was like Christmas came early. Now I’m just holding out for an update on the knickerless couple.
‘Sandi Toksvig officiates wedding of Abba's Björn Ulvaeus’, BBC News. Purely included for the ‘WTF’ moment I had on reading it - I quickly learnt that not only is Sandi Toksvig available to officiate weddings, she’s also close enough friends with Björn to do his! And top marks for the subeditor of this piece for not going with the accurate, amusing but confusing alternative: ‘Sandi Toksvig marries Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus’.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Now you see us: Women artists in Britain 1520 - 1920, Tate Britain, until 13 October. I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to Tate Britain and it’s lucky I made it there this week after only realising halfway to see this exhibition that it was not actually on at the Tate Modern to which I was heading! Route swiftly diverted I felt lucky to be strolling along the river from Vauxhall to the museum on one of the nice last evenings of the British Summer. I was thinking, like I so often do when I’m by the Thames, about all the men and women who have trod this path before, even up to the very doors of the Tate, which was opened back in 1897. I wonder what they would have thought about this exhibition, all about the unsung women artists of four hundred years. It’s impossible to neatly distil all I saw and learnt in this exhibition into a short (or rather long now…) paragraph. Best to say this: even as a staunch feminist, I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that because I didn’t see women’s historical artworks, that they didn’t happen. This exhibition is a bittersweet reminder of how untrue that is. Favourites of mine included Maria Moser’s flower paintings and Maria Cosway’s portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire imagining her as Diana, Goddess of the Moon. Georgiana, an It girl of her time, is depicted floating in the clouds, her hand raised mystically, eyes gazing directly at the viewer. I can only imagine the society talk it must have garnered at the time! There’s so much to see and learn from this varied and important exhibition - and you still have a few weeks more to see it.
Tropical Modernism, The V&A, now closed. Another sunny day, another museum trip - this time to my absolute favourite in the land, the V&A. I’ve always loved its eclecticism - of exhibits but also of the stories it tells about them. I always come out of there with a perspective I’d not even seen coming. This time it was an introduction to ‘Tropical Modernism’, a style of architecture borne from the dying days of the British Empire mixed with Le Corbusier’s modernism. This style focused on how to build for warmer, and wetter, climates, and though it began as a paternalistic colonial experiment by the British it was later proudly reclaimed by newly-independent countries as part of their journey to find a modern, post-colonial identity. The exhibition focuses on the impact of the architecture in Ghana and India - in the latter, specifically the city of Chandigarh, a 1950s paean to urban planning designed by Le Corbusier but championed by Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. Sadly the exhibition closed today, but having never heard of Tropical Modernism before I wanted to include it.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
Hoppers, Unit 3, 4 Pancras Sq, London N1C 4AG. Most plans in London need three months and a Doodle, minimum, so imagine my absolute glee this Thursday evening when a last minute ‘Fancy meeting for dinner tonight?’ text led to
sitting opposite me over watermelon margaritas a mere four hours later. Hoppers was a great spot to meet for it: right next to King’s Cross station for easier to-ing, and fro-ing, a menu full of rich and delectable Sri Lankan specials (we wholly recommend the hot butter squid and prawn kuri), plus, yes, those margaritas. A good meal with great company and a proper chinwag, all without the weeks of Whatsapp correspondence? I’d love to make a habit of it.
That’s it for this week. I hope you find something in this list that sparks joy or curiosity.
If you’ve got any recommendations on articles, podcasts, Substacks or shows for me to dive into, please drop them in the comments. Until next time!
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Both of those museum exhibitions sound amazing. Shame I’ll not be in London for work until December! I’ve yet to go to that V&A and it’s always on my to do list!
I always love the food at Hoppers!
And I both loved and was absolutely enraged by the Women Artist exhibition - the absolute gall of men (at the time and onwards)... urgh.