High summer this year brings that perfect combination of drizzly days and dazzling heat that keeps alive our appreciation for summer sunshine. As lockdown continues to ease it’s been a joy to welcome back visitors to Botelet, all in need of open spaces, fresh air and down-time after the intensity of city life over the past few months.
Whilst we still aren’t yet ready to re-open Botelet Breakfast Club due to the intimate nature of the setting, it has been wonderful to again reach out to members of the Breakfast Club community to hear more about their experiences of the past few months, united as we have been by the pandemic yet totally unique in how it has played out for each and every one of us. Hearing these voices - shared in the conversations below - has reminded us of the importance of holding onto those reflections and learnings from lockdown so that even as we feel the pull back to ‘normality’ we try to play an active role in consciously re-creating what that will mean for us.
We are so thrilled to share conversations with three more brilliant Breakfast Clubbers this month: Kris Hallenga who discusses the experience of quarantining as someone who is not new to enforced isolation, and sheds light on the impact of C-19 on cancer care; Nell Smirthwaite who reflects on the possibilities for a more sustainable future post C-19; and our very own Richard Tamblyn who shares, amongst other things, the joys of eating home-made cream that comes from the family’s house cow. A huge, huge thanks to Kris, Nell (and Richard!) for taking the time to share their thoughts with us, so grab a cuppa - we’re sure you’ll love reading these breakfast conversations as much as we have.
For our July Breakfast Club recipe, we have for you a gooseberry and mint compote - making the most of the summer bounty and delicious served for breakfast (or pudding) with granola and yogurt. This recipe takes ‘simple’ to a new level - we hope you enjoy.
Stay well, sending love from us all here at Botelet x
Introducing Botelet Breakfast Clubber Kris Hallenga …
Kris (right) with twin sister Maren (left)
I met Kris - rather fittingly - at Botelet Breakfast Club a few years ago. She came along with her lovely mother and twin sister, Maren. I loved chatting, especially (as a mother of twins) talking with Kris and Maren about their experience of growing up with a buddy-from-birth, but it wasn’t until they had left that I came to realise Kris’s story. And my, what a story. But before I get to that … by bringing her story into the public eye through her campaigning work, a lot has already been written about Kris and the insanely inspiring, dedicated, fun and creative person that she is. She has won multiple award, scrolls through numerous A-listers in her contacts, and is in hot demand as a guest célèbre. But through the huge privilege I’ve had of getting to know Kris since we first met at Breakfast Club, what I find most powerful is her humble charm, her witty words, her grounded, toes-in-the-sand vibe and her willingness to be open and share her vulnerability in a way that catches your breath and makes you confront very directly what is - and is not - important in life; how to look past the heavy stuff and focus on the light. Or, as Kris so eloquently puts it: how to glitter a turd.
And so to Kris’s story. Kris has Stage 4 breast cancer. She was diagnosed age 23 after finding a lump, visiting her doctor three times then finally being diagnosed with incurable breast cancer. Kris was unaware that breast cancer could affect people in their twenties and knew very little about the disease, finding that there was little information to support young people with diagnoses of breast cancer, which led to Kris along with twin sister Maren founding the charity Coppafeel! in 2009 to address this gap - sharing information to support young people with catching cancer early in order to improve survival and recovery rates. Since 2009 both Kris and Maren have dedicated so much of their energy to raising awareness and funds to increase understanding of the symptoms of breast cancer and support early diagnoses, having a phenomenal impact upon the health of so many people, and being open about their experiences in a bid to inform and empower others. For more about Kris’s story, the charity Coppafeel! and to watch the BBC documentary ‘Dying to Live’ that was made about Kris in 2014 see https://coppafeel.org/our-charity/kris-story/.
As well as relishing the opportunity to catch up with Kris during our conversation for this blog, I was really keen to hear about Kris’s experience of lockdown as someone who relies on regular access to healthcare, and who understands from the inside through her work with Coppafeel! how Covid has impacted upon the charities that support cancer care.
We are so grateful to Kris for taking the time to contribute to this month’s Breakfast Club blog - in amongst, as well as many other things, writing her first book (which I for one am ridiculously excited to read, see Unbound for details) - and for sharing her story so that countless of us along with those we hold dear are educated about breast cancer and supported in the journey through diagnosis and beyond. And more than that - for breaking down taboos, opening up conversations, and creating a friendly, fun and welcoming platform for us to engage and learn, and from which so many draw hope and positivity. You see what I mean - pretty hard to sum up a human like this one! Basically Kris, thanks for bringing a sparkle into our lives as you do for so many millions of others. We’re so glad you came for breakfast. And that you have written a book. Oh, and guys and girls - check your boobs.
Our conversation with Kris …
Where do you call home?
Right now it’s in my little pink semi-detached cottage in Newquay. I rent but I have a great landlord who basically lets me feel like/believe the house is my own. During lockdown I decided I wanted to live in a pink house so it got painted and now I do. I’d like more landlords to be as open minded as mine and allow for some autonomy, they would probably find that their tenants would look after the property much better too. I moved to Cornwall from London four years ago and it was the best decision ever.
What’s your occupation?
WELL. I’m the founder of a charity called CoppaFeel! that I now work part time for as an ambassador and celebrity liaison (although currently furloughed). The rest of my time is filled working with my twin sister Maren in our vintage cake and coffee truck, called Beyonce, serving up delicious freshly ground coffees and our home baked German style mini bundt cakes. Right now you can find us in the Harbour in Newquay every weekend but we can also be found at events around the county - the van is over 50 years old so she’s pretty slow and doesn’t like to leave Cornwall if she can help it. Oh and I’ve just written a book abut my life.
What do you love to eat for breakfast?
I don’t have much of a breakfast routine as I pretty much fancy something different for breakfast every day. On the first day of me quarantining (before the official lockdown) I decided to eat rhubarb crumble and clotted cream at around 8.30am because it seemed nothing was normal anymore so why should breakfast be? My ideal breakfast is a brunch, with favourite people, involving a fresh pastry starter, followed by a savoury dish that involves eggs followed by something sweet like waffles and a huge coffee - ok that sounds like a lot but this whole scenario might be stretched across the entire day!
How would you describe your lockdown experience - what have you found most challenging, and are there positive takeaways for you?
I think on the whole it’s hard to complain about my situation. Living on my own anyway it didn’t feel like a big shift and because I have cancer I already know ALL about quarantining and being socially distant and dealing with cancelled social events and missing people! If anything it was fascinating to see people around me dealing with stuff that I had already experienced many times over and in a way it was reassuring that I wasn’t the only one going through it, that we were ALL facing the same problems. I have been on the official “shielding” list as I have active cancer in my bones and liver and have ongoing oral chemotherapy making me more susceptible to horrible viruses. I’ve had an army of people helping with shopping and I get weekly meal deliveries. I am walking distance from the beach which I think is the main reason I haven’t gone completely mad. I also had to focus on getting my book written. When I first got my book commission I didn’t in a million years expect to be writing it during a global pandemic but in a way it’s forced me to spend a lot more time in my head and in my home. It’s not been easy by any stretch as I was still so massively distracted by global pains - from the daily death tolls and the Black Lives Matter movement. It often felt so selfish and self serving to be writing a book about me. But alas I did.
Your work is dedicated to raising awareness of health issues, specifically around young people and breast cancer. In your experience, how has Covid has impacted on this work which helps lead to earlier diagnoses and therefore improved prognoses, and what has the impact been in terms of accessing healthcare during lockdown - and as lockdown begins to ease?
Covid-19 has impacted charities so much more than I think we’ve heard about on the news. The fact that our biggest cancer research charity in the UK has had to let a quarter of its workforce go is pretty horrific and has set us back in terms of drug developments and treatments hugely. It’s quite frightening that a lot of cancer research labs were taken over for Covid testing and that thousands of cancer patients have had to delay curative operations and treatments. This year alone we will see an increase of around 8,000 cancer related deaths. On top of that we will see a spike in late diagnoses. My charity CoppaFeel! tries to ensure breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible, when treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. This is only possible if people speak to their doctors. Sadly people are delaying GP appointments and therefore referrals are at an all time low. It will be charities like CoppaFeel! who will be picking up the pieces of this pandemic long after all industries and everyone’s beloved Nandos has reopened. It’s a scary time. Please know that GPs have not stopped cancer referrals and will listen to anyone with any suspected cancer symptoms. If this is you, give them a call NOW.
How do you feel about moving forwards as lockdown eases?
I feel nervous to be honest, not helped by the hoards of people who are now in Newquay. I am of course glad because our local economy relies so heavily on visitors but we’re not out of the woods yet. I feel nervous about CoppaFeel!’s financial future and I feel nervous about the state of event fundraising for the charity sector as a whole. HOWEVER we are adaptable creatures and one of the things we as a charity are good at is adapting and innovating very quickly. At the start of lockdown we hosted a months worth of online events called the Sofa Series that included quizzes, game shows, breathing sessions and film screenings. In total we raised over £30k which helped plug a hole that cancelled events caused. Going forward we will continue to find work-arounds which I actually find quite exciting. I have learned SO much about online streaming and have immersed myself in tiktok - still deciding if that latter is a good thing or not, it’s made me laugh during some of the lowest times if nothing else.
Do you have any top seasonal tips to share with the Botelet community?
SEA SWIMMING! It’s the best cure for just about anything. Also stand up paddle boarding down the Gannel estuary with a beer during sunset is the best tonic too.
Introducing Botelet Breakfast Clubber Nell Smirthwaite …
Nell Smirthwaite
Since my first conversations with Nell at playgroup sessions in a loud and brightly lit community hall with babies and toddlers crawling all over us, I have been captivated by Nell’s interest in sustainability. In her understated way, Nell has dedicated the past few years (alongside bringing up her two adorable girls) to harnessing her interest in sustainable living and sharing this informally within her friend and community groups, along with supporting local businesses through workshops and written materials - and she is now taking this a step further in her Masters studies. What for me makes Nell’s approach as an advocate for sustainable living so persuasive is that she meets people - and businesses - where they are at, acknowledging rather than playing down the complexities of taking a more ‘sustainable’ approach, and offering solutions that are both practical as well as compassionate.
As a Breakfast Clubber who has broken bread round the table with others as well as hosted various sustainability workshops with us here at Botelet, I was fascinated to hear more about Nell’s experience of lockdown, and her thoughts on the possibilities that the Covid era might hold for a more sustainable future.
Our conversation with Nell …
Where do you call home?
Home is Cornwall. I grew up in St Austell and spent my teenage years aching to get away, but I didn’t realise how lucky I was. My husband and I lived in various places during our twenties, but after our first daughter was born, we made the decision to come ‘home’. My Mum grew up in Hong Kong and I always assumed that I would settle in a different area to the place I grew up; I loved the sense of adventure that idea would bring, but after a year’s travelling with a one way ticket I yearned for home, and what I have learned is that bringing your children up in the place you grew up is incredibly grounding and gives you a deep sense of having roots. One of my favourite things to do is show them where I went to school and where we used to go as children. Not sure if they enjoy the stories as much as me but they endure them with good humour!
What’s your occupation?
I’m currently studying for an MSc in Sustainable Development and was very fortunate to secure a three-month contract as a Research Assistant in a partnership project between Cornwall Council and Exeter University. Cornwall Council has recently committed to implementing Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics model, which places social and environmental goals at the centre of policy making. Kate Raworth is my absolute hero and her book was my main inspiration to undertake the course, so this opportunity has been truly incredible!
What do you love to eat for breakfast?
I have to say I’m a marmite on toast girl! A freshly baked farmhouse loaf, lightly toasted with real butter and smidge of marmite will always make me smile!
How would you describe your lockdown experience - what have you found most challenging, and are there positive takeaways for you?
From a personal perspective our lock down experience was positive. We spent a lot of time in the garden and I felt like I learned a lot about new ways to enjoy spending time with the girls. I have always been an advocate for slow living but the reality is life throws so many pressures your way - not just for work but also wanting to give your children a broad range of experiences and memories, which for us normally means getting in the van and heading to the coast, or racing around to various ballet, swimming and drama groups, but we found genuine contentment in staying home. Our challenge is one that is shared by many; finding a way to make our business survive in the new world. My husband is a dentist and dentistry has been hugely impacted by Covid. However, our saving grace is that people will always need a dentist, so we will find a way to make it work one way or another!
As someone working in the sustainability sector, what are your thoughts on whether the impact of Covid is likely to shift us forwards in terms of sustainability?
Well I actually wrote my last assignment on just this! We are living through a global paradigm shift and if ever there was a time to break from the old and start anew, now is it. There are huge opportunities for our leaders to kick start the economy in a way that lays the foundations for a more sustainable future, from withdrawing subsidising the fossil fuel sector and reinvesting those funds into renewable technology, to carefully selecting which sectors to financially support going forward. There are lessons to learn about the way we practice agriculture, the way we travel, the way we trade and what we value in society; and models are emerging that provide a framework for governments to implement change by prioritising social values and the environment in policy making. Scotland, New Zealand and Iceland are leading the way in this area; so is Amsterdam, and I’m very proud to say, Cornwall too!
From an individual perspective I think the biggest shift is people’s ability to work and carry out meetings from their home, making huge savings in time, money and of course impacting positively on the environment. There are also huge opportunities for schools to adapt and embrace a more outdoors-based learning style in response to Covid; rather than plastic shielding screens and isolated work spaces, those that are able to could build outdoor classrooms, reducing the Covid risk at the same time as making nature more integral to learning. This would bring great benefits to both the children and, I believe, teachers too.
Do you have any top seasonal living tips to share with the Botelet community?
Always keep some grapes in your freezer to drop in your drink on those long hot sunny days - a great way to cool your drink without diluting it!
Introducing Botelet Breakfast Clubber Richard Tamblyn ….
Richard Tamblyn
Curator of spaces and chief barista at Botelet Breakfast Club yet mostly to be found behind-the-scenes, I thought the Breakfast Club blog might prove to be a chance to share Richard’s thoughts on lockdown living and beyond.
Some who visit Botelet will have met Richard, if his head isn’t in a plumbing or fencing project; but all who visit will have stepped into his hand-crafted spaces - from barns to boiler rooms - that represent a lifetime’s work of restoration underpinned with a timeless, functional aesthetic.
Often heard saying “Mind the paint!” as the kids tear through the house dragging a trail of toys behind them, the most reliable time to catch Richard is 10.30am - crib time at Botelet - as he powers up the coffee machine…
Where do you call home?
No surprise, 57 years on it’s right here at Botelet, though I have a little way to go to catch my father’s 93 years or my grandfather’s 102 years living in the same farmhouse.
What’s your occupation?
Farmer - with all its diversifications … sometimes architect, plumber, stonemason, light maker, decorator, barista, and ultimate catch-all. I have spent many years focusing on repairing the old, with a little injection of modern design. Creating spaces, working with timeless materials and nurturing the landscape for future generations makes me tick.
What do you love to eat for breakfast?
Sugar puffs with mother’s scalded cream, though I haven’t tried this since 1985. My father milked a house cow and mum would spend two days separating the cream from the milk. The milk ended up so thin that the only thing to do was add the cream back on top.
How would you describe your lockdown experience - what have you found the most challenging, and are there positive takeaways for you?
It felt like heaven for a tiny period, like rewinding the clocks to a slower and more caring society, when the summers were always sunny.
Mentally doom was never far away but it became a rewarding challenge to live more raw, eating what was left on the shelves or growing nearby, making do and repairing, forming routines with the family and exploring what is right outside the door rather than driving around in circles in search of something new.
I have found the easing of lockdown challenging, especially thinking of those that may be suffering or just forgotten in the rush back to a faster, digital spin and consumer-based lifestyle. Many other toxic global issues seem to be raising their head under the smoke screen of Covid. I worry we’re not going to hold on to many of the lessons learnt living through that strange, unique and borrowed time.
Do you have any top seasonal tips to share with the Botelet community?
Get outside and get going with one of the trickier tasks on your list, often the best ideas come with doing rather than whilst planning, my father used to say “a job started is a job half done”.