This week we are lucky enough to have Toby, the man behind Two Poems, take the reigns of This & Tat Round Up.
"Reading some poetry early in the morning is a habit - I read it before I start work. Whenever people say, Nobody reads poetry anymore, I think, Well, I do. - Mavis Gallant
I remember first getting into reading poetry and discovering the work of the late American poet, Tony Hoagland. His words could make you laugh and cry at the same time. His poem 'Special
Problems In Vocabulary' which you can read here * is the piece I always associate
with my falling in love with poetry.
They say they don't teach poetry at schools anymore because it would be like giving drugs out to the kids. I guess that's because poetry can be a real joy. "It jimmies open the imagination" as Nick Cave once said.
Coffee. Sunlight. A croissant... and a book of poems by Tony Hoagland. What a wonderful way to start the day.
I love all things rocks and stones. I don't know what it is, I just can't get enough of them. Bl0ckbuster is the perfect place to go for rock goodness. It is hands down my favourite account on Instagram and also happens to be run by my friend Maxime Fisher (@Beau_Traps).
Now, I know promoting a mainstream cinema franchise might not be the chicest thing to have ever appeared on This or That but as a self-confessed cinephile, I will preach the Odeon Limitless deal whenever I can. £9.99 for unlimited cinema tickets! It just doesn't get any better than that. I go to the movies at least 2-3 times a week and it's a sort of mediation for me.
p.s - I really recommend the Swiss Cottage one or the gem that is the Odeon London Haymarket if you're in Central. It's tucked away just behind Leicester Square and always seems to be incredibly quiet which, for someone who loves being alone in the cinema as much as me, is an absolute dream.
I've been going to Bruno's in Soho ever since I moved to London 5 years ago. Jacket potato with extra cheese and beans (plus a little cucumber on the side) is my go-to on a wet Tuesday afternoon before the movies. Sometimes I wait outside until my beloved booth at the back right becomes available. It's a people-watchers dream.
Takuya, the man behind Essential Store in Japan is probably my favourite dealer/collector out there. I love the way he operates. Big buying road trips that span the width of America before shipping it all back to Japan and displaying his finds in an exhibition setting. It seems a beautiful, slower process as he closes in between each instalment and conducts silent auctions to buy his beautiful things.
He's not so active on Instagram these days as I assume he's between Essential Store instalments but I'd highly recommend checking out his buying trip stories that are archived in his highlights.
I love Ben Arnup's work. I think he's a rather underrated British potter. His ceramics are absolutely charming and his hand is remarkably skilled. They're also relatively affordable still, which is a big plus! I hope to have many more pieces in my collection one day.
I only went to Daphne's, a cosy little Greek taverna in Camden, for the first time a matter of months ago and it's shot right up near the top in my favourite places to eat notes page. I went back 3 times in the same week after I first went. Everyone in there has been going for 20 years. There's barely a soul who walks in who isn't greeted by their first name. It's perfect.
The Films of Franco Piavoli
The greatest filmmaker no one has ever really heard of. If you would like 90 minutes of pure beauty, please see here.
The former home of an Italian collector now turned gallery and cafe. The Estorick Collection in the heart of Islington is an absolute gem of a museum and is also a lovely place for a quiet coffee just off the busyness of Upper Street.
The New Wave of London Dealers
I'm going to cheat and do like 10 in one to end but wow. It's kind of a what a time to be alive moment in the dealer scene. I think we'll look back at this period in a decade's time and realise how thriving this community of people finding and selling beautiful things was. Most of us are just within a few miles of one another too.
@Max_keys , @shopmantel , @_ocu_lus , @mkardana_ , @dudleywaltzer , @spazioleone , @punchtheclock , @open_by_appointment , @januarytamarind , @monument_store , @the.peanut.vendor , @sauce.ldn
I meant the list goes on... there's too many to mention. You can't go wrong buying anything from these people.
In objects we trust!