Tat London Journal

Escaping the relentless heatwave for a day at The Weald and Downland Museum, Blue Firth finds sixty years of rescued vernacular architecture roaming across 40 acres of the South Downs, from a 15th century hall saved from demolition to a farmhouse spared from the Channel Tunnel. Equal parts open-air time machine and Jurassic Park for houses, it's a masterclass in wattle, daub and why our forebears were cleverer than we give them credit for.

I can't say I enjoyed creating these room sets not nearly as much as I do when we're dealing in antiques. Much of the high street leaves me cold, and of course I have no idea of the quality of many of these pieces let alone any idea of where they are made. All this is to say I would try my hardest to always go vintage, but obviously sometimes we need to crowbar a bit of high street into our homes.

I love August and, if I’m being honest, it can also make me feel a little morose. The evenings have become noticeably cooler after the fierce heat of June and July and the evening light is drawing in; the heavy dew on the ground in the mornings has also returned. We have long since crested the longest day. So now what? We desperately need rain, and yet, I want to cling on to these long summer days that August feels synonymous with.