It’s still September

I know this because my mother is wearing her cotton shirts...

It’s still September. I know this because my mother is wearing her cotton shirts despite the sudden September chill. She was shivering the other day. “Mum, it’s time to put on a cardigan.” “Oh no darling,” she said, teeth almost chattering, “I only start to wear those in October. Otherwise, how would I know what month it is?”

After David hijacked my Instagram Live a few weeks ago, which was meant to be introducing my linen collection but turned out to be a masterclass in rum, I thought I needed to set the record straight… my Wildflower Linen Collection has returned this Autumn, even before cardigans in October, in a new cream and chocolate brown color-way.

Inspired by a conversation between my father, David Hicks, and garden designer Rosemary Verey, the collection draws on the contrasts of my parents’ Oxfordshire garden—its clipped hornbeam avenues and bold geometry softened by the unexpected appearance of wildflowers. Just as my father said, “the test of a good garden is seeing it in winter,” these hand-block printed linens are designed to be enjoyed in every season. But apologies if you tuned into the LIVE for linens and got rum.

Domino, David and I just spent the weekend in the English countryside with cousins: home cooking, Racing Demon bloodshed, weighted-vest walks (edging me more towards Karen-hood), and watching A Handful of Dust by the fire, Evelyn Waugh’s story about the slow fraying of life, and the quiet disasters of marriage and misunderstandings (the minor chaos of a hijacked Instagram live does NOT count).

Whilst we sat by the fire, Wesley—who was across the pond—sent me photographs of his weekend in Florida with micro ponies (?!) and my other lads were in Madison Square Garden watching Eric Clapton perform. They said the arena was throbbing with raw, unforgettable energy. I love this photo that Elle sent me, snapped backstage. Can’t resist sharing it.

I also wanted to share Claire, our Top Banana’s, Thai beef salad recipe, because it’s delicious and not too complicated and looks so tempting, especially on the Wildflower tablecloth.

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Much more significantly than any of this is news from the Global Empowerment Mission field team in Gaza, who have distributed bottled water to tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing south. This is a notable achievement: the safe and successful distribution of bottled water to IDPs. And no small feat. It required precise coordination, immense physical effort, and a steadfast focus on safety for both our team and the IDPs. The GEM team managed it flawlessly and the positive impact made is immediate and life-sustaining.

Meanwhile in Ukraine, our friends had another shitty, brutal night of attacks which left shattered homes, terrified families scrambling for cover, and hearts heavy with grief. Vitaly sent us this message “It was a really horrible night and morning. Everything was flying overhead and exploding absolutely everywhere”

For live updates on all our recovery efforts please visit the GEM website here.