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Contents NOTES FROM THE COUCH Idler’s Diary 8 Arthur Smith On his lifelong friend, Dennis the Diabetes Menace 14 How I Live Jon Glover, Actor, Voiceover, Writer 16 Philosophy An Ode to the Poet, that most magical of souls, by Mark Vernon 20 Idler Heroes Raise a glass of lighter fluid to the real Withnail, says Alex Johnson 24 Odium Why Stephen Bayley will not be having the lobster 28 FEATURES Wire in the Blood Actor Dominic West t alks Tom Hodgkinson through the most rewarding – and disturbing – roles of his life 32 Going Postal The little red boxes that unite our land celebrated by James Thelluson 40 All The World’s a Stage The life of the travelling troubadour by busker Robin Timmis 44 Here Be Monsters! Mary Ruskin on Medieval Essex’s foremost chronicler of the bizarre 48 Poetry With Edward Thomas 52 STYLE Hearth of the Matter The art of the mantelpiece celebrated by Orlando Gili 54 Santa’s Little Helpers Our complete Christmas gift guide 60 Idle Home Georgina Williams salutes mosiacist Carrie Reichardt’s suburban subversion 66 The Good Stuff Victoria Hull discovers an idle tipple, elegant t ableware, the greatest gloves, funky coffee grinders and tequila made by bees 72 Slow Tech David Bailey loved his Olympus Trip 35. Lee Osborne knows why 78 ARTS & BOOKS Art Flâneur Tim Richardson on the secrets of the Isokon, north London’s modernist house of spies 82 Books: Lead Review Clare Pollard is delighted by an illuminating map of the minds of poets 92
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contents Books: Style & Design Snoop around some enchanting country piles 96 Bibliotherapy Make room for the mushrooms, says Ella Berthold 98 Music Stewart Lee chases ghosts of post-punk dreamers and lonesome cowboys 101 Classical Music Georgia Mann t akes you on a musical sleigh-ride 108 IDLE PURSUITS Pilgrimage On the mystic peaks of the Black Mountains with Guy Hayward 112 Gardening Build your own micro-arboretum with Graham Burnett 116 Beekeeping It’s bonfire night for bees, says Bill Anderson 119 Sheds How to light up your inner sanctum with Alex Johnson 121 Travel Kate Morris spends a week without WiFi in deepest Devon 124 Recipe Cranberries are not just for Christmas, says Lindsey Bareham 128 MERRIMENT Eating Out Victoria Hull enjoys a trattoria treat in Florence 130 Beer A tour of the hop spots of Windsor with Oli Meade 133 Ukulele Remembering tons of fun with Tessie O’Shea by Cameron Murray 136 Spirits Christmas gifts to raise the spirits with Joseph Piercy 138 SELF Being Well Your New Year’s diet for better mental health by Rachel Kelly 142 Fun and Frugality Why credit cards are a con, by the Money-Saving Amateurs 145 Easy Money Make Christmas a more charitable occasion with Michael Gilmore 146 Problems With Virginia Ironside 149 Readers’ Letters 152 Puzzle A portmanteau of possibilities from Alex Bellos 156 Idle Pets 160 Puzzle Answers 160 READER OFFERS … Page 31 Order your copy of XXX: Thirty Years of the Idler Page 111 Get your Idler T-shirts Page 157 Join the Idler Academy

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Contents

NOTES FROM THE COUCH Idler’s Diary 8 Arthur Smith On his lifelong friend, Dennis the Diabetes Menace 14 How I Live Jon Glover, Actor, Voiceover, Writer 16 Philosophy An Ode to the Poet, that most magical of souls, by Mark Vernon 20 Idler Heroes Raise a glass of lighter fluid to the real Withnail, says Alex Johnson 24 Odium Why Stephen Bayley will not be having the lobster 28

FEATURES Wire in the Blood Actor Dominic West t alks Tom Hodgkinson through the most rewarding – and disturbing – roles of his life 32 Going Postal The little red boxes that unite our land celebrated by James Thelluson 40 All The World’s a Stage The life of the travelling troubadour by busker Robin Timmis 44 Here Be Monsters! Mary Ruskin on Medieval Essex’s foremost chronicler of the bizarre 48

Poetry With Edward Thomas

52

STYLE Hearth of the Matter The art of the mantelpiece celebrated by Orlando Gili

54

Santa’s Little Helpers Our complete Christmas gift guide 60 Idle Home Georgina Williams salutes mosiacist Carrie Reichardt’s suburban subversion 66 The Good Stuff Victoria Hull discovers an idle tipple, elegant t ableware, the greatest gloves, funky coffee grinders and tequila made by bees 72 Slow Tech David Bailey loved his Olympus Trip 35. Lee Osborne knows why 78

ARTS & BOOKS Art Flâneur Tim Richardson on the secrets of the Isokon, north London’s modernist house of spies 82 Books: Lead Review Clare Pollard is delighted by an illuminating map of the minds of poets 92

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