Federico García Lorca

I am in Granada again this Christmas visiting my sister and brother-in-law, and today I walked up to the majestic palace of Alhambra. On my walk down I came across some small cafes and little shops, and it was there I came across some more postcards to rival the already beautiful images of Granada and flamenco dancers that I found yesterday at another little shop near my sister's house. The postcards I found were of this captivating young man that just looked back at me so elegantly and with such style I just needed to learn more about him. I asked my sister who he was, and she said he was a famous gay poet from Granada; Federico García Lorca. 

(below left) Salvador Dalí y Federico García 
Lorca  - Cadaqués, Girona 1927
On further research at home, I found out he was in fact possibly the most important Spanish poet and dramatist of the twentieth century. He was a member of the 'Generation of 1927', a group of writers who advocated avant-gardism in literature. He worked on film productions alongside Dalí and Louis Buñuel, forming a strong and passionate friendship with Dalí, which then led to Dalí refusing these advances. He later interpreted that Dalí and Buñuel's short film Un Chien Andalou (1928) was based on him, which he saw as an attack upon himself, and his homosexuality.

Sadly, García Lorca was assassinated by Nationalist militia a month after the Spanish Civil War broke out, in August 1936. It is thought the motives of his death were due to his left-wing views, Republican sympathies and homosexuality - all of which made him a target for followers of Franco at the start of the civil war.

His place of rest is still unknown, although it was presumed he was placed beside a winding mountain road that connects the villages of Viznar and Alfácar. Archaeologists from Granada started to excavate the grave just a couple of months ago, in October. Sadly, only a week ago nothing was found, and so they gave up the search, failing to find his grave. The mystery remains unsolved.

 

"You will never understand that I love you/ because you sleep in me and are asleep./I hide you, weeping, persecuted/ by a voice of penetrating steel."
-  Sonetos del Amor Oscuro, Federico García Lorca

Postcards from Granada

Secret Cinema presents: Bugsy Malone

A Rose-Coloured Life

Eyes which (make love to) (kiss) mine,
A laugh that is lost from his mouth,
This is the portrait, without retouching,
Of the man to whom I belong.

Sunday = Funday

On Sunday Warp Films threw a "credit crunch" party for the UK screening premiere of Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee. Lucky for us, favourite z-lister Vanessa Feltz made an appearance (pushing me out the way twice - firstly when the vodka jelly shots were served up, and secondly when Domino's Pizza arrived). Amongst the live rapping entertainment at the Soho community centre (which was decked out with copious bunting and washing-lines of pants) there was a tombola, splat the rat, hoopla and even pin the tail on Le Donk.
Paddling pools had also been filled with beer and ice. We won a cheap bottle of Tesco own branded Baileys in the Tombola, and lucky for us, everyone was given a pot noodle to take home.

Look pa! I made it onto a poster!

Synth Britannia

This is going to air from next Friday... cannot wait!


Friday nights from now on will be about staying in wrapped up on the sofa and watching this.

Snail mail

I love writing and sending snail mail. It gives me such a thrill to send something - particularly overseas - that I have created.

Red Head Day

I wish I could go to this!

My family in the 1950-1960s

When I vistied my Nan in Yorkshire at the weekend, she showed me photos of my Grandad, Dad and Aunty during the 1950's and 60's. My Aunty, aged about 14 or 15 in the photo below, looks beautiful with her incredible beehive. The clothing that both her and my Nan are wearing were hand-made from scratch by my Nan.
It conjours all sorts of images in my head - my little working-class Yorkshire family scraping by on my Grandad's earnings down the mine, my Nan staying at home as a classic housewife, raising the children and making the clothes that they wear. She would write off to different pattern companies, getting the latest dress designs, so her children could be in fashion.

ATP New York

I went to New York for about 10 days for the second ATP NY which took place at Kutshers, in upstate New York. We came in a week early, to get acclimatised and to relax/party before the intense working weekend begins!

Nichole took some really great polaroids which have nabbed and uploaded here:

 

Snapshots from summer

My favourite photos I took this summer with my Holga camera.











All photos © me.

All Tomorrow's Parties Preview Screening

Elderflower cordial

I realised maybe I should post the recipe for the Elderflower cordial I made from scratch, for the Madhatter's tea party a few weeks ago. I only discovered this recently - you'll be surprised how many times in London you have probably walked past an elderflower bush and not realised that these beauties are what make the gorgeous cordial.



It's so simple!

Ingredients

* 1.5 litres of boiling water
* 1 kilo of white granulated sugar
* 20 large elderflower heads (if they are small, pick more)
* 4 lemons
* 55g of citric acid

Method:

1. In a Pyrex bowl (or deep saucepan) pour the boiling water onto the sugar and stir. Leave to cool, stirring every now and then to dissolve the sugar.
2. When cool add the citric acid, the lemons (zested and sliced) and the elderflower heads.
3. Leave to steep for 48 hours.
4. Strain twice through sterilised muslin
5. Using a jug and funnel carefully pour into hot sterilised* bottles

*to sterilise the bottles, wash and rinse the bottles and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160c (140c fan-assisted). When the oven has reached the right temperature turn off the heat. The bottles will stay warm for quite a while. Sterilise the lids by boiling these for a few minutes in water.

Thanks Fiona!

Look out for elderflowers on your daily travels. They are usually around from May-July. You could also use them to make jam (matched nicely with gooseberry) or champagne or jelly.


Top image © me.

Winners vs. Losers

Hamburg

All photos © me.

Berry and white chocolate cheesecake

I made this for my Dad for Father's Day - and it went down a treat! I actually found the recipe in the Metro surprisingly - a recipe by supermodel Lorraine Pascal - and it ain't half bad. I used this recipe to make two small cheesecakes, but obviously you could just make one big one...

Lorraine Pascale's berry and white chocolate cheesecake

1. Grind 100g gingernut biscuits and 100g digestives in a food processor or put them in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Melt 100g melted butter in a small pan, combine with the biscuits. Squash into the base of a loose-bottom sandwich tin or a pie dish (about 23cm [9in] in diameter).

2. Melt 500g white chocolate. Heat at 30second intervals in the microwave carefully. Stir. Be careful as it burns really easily. Leave to cool.

3. Meanwhile, mix 250g
cream cheese, 250g mascarpone and 200ml whipping or double cream and 70g icing sugar. Add the seeds of one vanilla pod. Rub in the cooled white chocolate. Stir. Cover your base with mix.

4. Finally, push 300g raspberries or blueberries into the topping so they do not leak their juices. Refrigerate overnight (or ideally 24 hours).

NB: You can use all cream cheese or mascarpone. If you want to be a bit self-righteous, use low-fat cream cheese so you can eat two slices instead of one.

Lorraine owns this gorgeous bakery in Central London. I'm sure it's wonderful (if not a tad expensive!)

French Fancies

One of the nicest presents I received for my birthday were these incredible french fancies, hand-crafted (box and all) by Becky.
I was so amazed at the time and effort put into this gift, and the fact that they tasted soooo good (right down to the lime icing inbetween) that I wanted to find the recipe myself.

However, I have decided they are too fiddly to make, so I found a nice and easy recipe here which shows you how it can be done with a few 'packet' ingredients and nicely budgeted by Asda :-)

Tie dyeing

On Sunday I indulged in some post-birthday party tie-dyeing fun. It was a relaxing way to make the most of a hangover day, as it doesn't require too much attention. or maybe it should really - you don't want to ruin your favourite white t-shirt! It currently seems like those old tie-dye and hypercolour 90s t-shirts have made a comeback this summer, people are digging out those old t-shirts we wore in our youth (or in my case they were sent straight to charity as soon as that fad was done).

We threw a tie-dye party at my friend Camille's house. All you need is a group of great friends, a jug of Pimms, snacks, music, gloves, blanket, apron, dye... well the rest of the ingredients I'll write below!

What You Need

* Plain material
* Elastic bands or string
* Dyes appropriate to the fabric you are using
* Rubber gloves
* Plastic sheet & apron
* Brush



Step 1
Moisten the fabric with clean water. Wring it out so it is not too wet.

Step 2
Grab a piece of material where you want the centre of the spiral to be. Twist the fabric round and round, then put several rubber bands around the fabric. Make sure the bands are spaced along the fabric and very tight. You can make as many or few spirals as you wish. Where the material is tied the dye won't reach, so it will remain the original colour, or be a lighter colour.

Step 3
Wearing rubber gloves now apply the dye to the fabric. You can dilute the dyes if they are water based or apply neat for a stronger colour. Because the fabric is moist the dyes will blend into each other.


Step 4
You can remove the elastic bands and hang it out to dry or leave the fabric to dry with the bands on. If your fabric is dripping it may be best to leave to dry with the bands on so the dyes don't run together. Opening the fabric is the fun part to see what patterns have been made. Some dyes require to be 'fixed' by ironing so remember to read the instructions on the packet or your next whole washing load will come out in the same colours!

You can achieve dyed circles by using marbles. Place the marble in the fabric and gather the fabric underneath, then wrap an elastic band around it.

all photos above are mine - please email me for perimssion if you would like to use them

TIE-DYING IS FUN!