SCROLLING BACK THE YEARS
Words by Laura Bayliss
Let’s not pretend like we’ve not all been scrolling our way through the past year. Our online worlds have been saving the day, pretty much every day, keeping us powering through this nightmare with their 24-hour supply of brilliance, encouragement, inspiration and, most importantly, some much-needed laughs. When things get tough, it’s good to know we’re not alone in wanting to lie down on the sofa and wake up in 2022. We’re all just getting through it the best we can. And since we’re seeing a lot of our own four walls, it’s nice to have a nosy around someone else’s place for a change and check out their take on loungewear too. Here’s a roundup of the funny, creative and life-affirming people who are restoring our faith in the future, one square at a time.
@joshberrycomedy – In regular phone calls to the PM, as Rafe Hubris, lead advisor to the Conservative Party, we get behind-the-scenes Veep-meets-The-Thick-of-It blame shifting with Blow-Jo and Matt Cock-In-His-Hands. Hilarious, but also has you wondering if he was really in on those meetings…
@mamastillgotit – Louise Boyce, mum of three small children, working, home-schooling, being interrupted for the millionth time, keeps it real…ly hilarious while hanging on to her sanity. Louise is all about mums not losing their identity when they become a mum, so it’s not all about family, there’s plenty of kid-free content too.
@dj_fattony_ – With clubs closed, DJ Fat Tony AKA Tony Marnach has been saving our souls in other ways with his gallery of daily memes alongside the occasional fist bump positive affirmation.
@daisymaycooper – From how a trip to Asda is more exciting than Alton Towers when you’re in the middle of lockdown, to telling BoJo to get his shit together and have a bath when all he wants to do is watch Bargain Hunt because everyone hates him, Daisy May Cooper is like a medicinal midday glass of wine during the pandemic.
@jamessmithpt – Lots of us have made home gyms for ourselves with the aim of avoiding gaining a lockdown 10lb from all that baking. In his videos and posts, James Smith, personal trainer and coach, calls out the lies and misinformation doing the rounds in the diet and fitness industry. Expect lots swearing and no bullshit. Also, he lives in Australia so you get occasional glimpses of him in the SUN.
@influencersinthewild – While we still have the internet, we’ll still have people doing ridiculous things for the ’gram. This account catches all their attempts at yoga poses on the top of rocks, dancing in bikinis in the snow and those effortlessly chic beach shots at sunset while the waves lap around them, usually with their assistants taking the photos while they do it. It’s like a bloopers real for influencers. Oh, the glamour.
@jasperconran – I think it’s pretty safe to say that Jasper Conran does not generally eat cereal out of the box in bed while ‘working from home’. For images of his beautiful house, elegant interiors, Eden-esque garden and impeccable style, with captions that use words like sublime, you’ll be wearing proper clothes and eating off antique plates by lunchtime.
@nigelslater – When the world feels harsh and difficult, Nigel Slater is the soothing balm we all need. He passes his days as we would want to, pandemic lockdown or not: cooking wholesome seasonal food (of course), reading, gardening, inspecting his ceramic bowl collection, and reflecting on the seasons changing from the windows of his enviably stylish home. Spend some time looking through Nigel Slater’s Instagram and you will leave feeling calmer and breathing deeper.
@themontydon – Yes, Longmeadow might be just a touch different from our own scrappy patch of green space but Monty is still the original gardening pin up – even better, the man loves dogs. While we wait for Gardeners’ World to get back on our tellies, we’ll watch spring arrive in the corners of Monty’s garden. RIP Nigel…
@nigel.dunnett – With the job title Professor of Planting Design and Urban Horticulture Nigel Dunnett is someone we’d like to know. Prioritising ecology and longer-term sustainability, Nigel designs naturalistic planted spaces in built-up areas, gardens, parks, residential zones and other public places – he co-designed the planting at the Olympic Park. We’re all appreciating more of a back-to-nature kind of vibe right now, so for inspiration for your own wild planting, check out the images shared of his garden, as well as examples of plants in their new urban habitats.
@urbanjungleblog – You know how you said the other day that you didn’t need any more houseplants? No, us neither. At urban jungle blog you’ll have found your people. Featuring homes and workspaces around the world where more is definitely the merrier when it comes to adding new green pals to your plant gang.
@alanmeasles – Grayson Perry’s Art Club got us through the first lockdown, and it’s back for a new series later this month. Almost 10,000 people submitted artworks last time, showing that being creative helps many of us make sense of the world around us. Listening to Grayson and Philippa chat while eating sandwiches and drinking mugs of tea in their studio is just where you want to be when nothing else makes sense. ‘Art is good for you, whoever you are,’ says Grayson Perry, and we agree.
@windowwanderland – Originating in Bristol in 2015, this now award-winning project encourages people to turn their windows into artworks and our streets into outdoor galleries. With the aim of connecting people in the community to help combat loneliness and isolation, while bringing something joyful to look at on those daily walks, this is a celebration of people’s innate creativity. If you’re local to Grace & Thorn, there’s a new trail around Homerton and Clapton 13–16 February. See their website for more information.
@accidentallywesanderson – When everything feels chaotic, find harmony and balance in the symmetry, saturated colour palettes and time-warp architecture that epitomises everything we love about the master behind The Royal Tenenbaums and Bottle Rocket. Captured by fans around the world, each image feels like a portal into another world. A world full of art deco swimming pools and painted wooden houses in the snow.
@thehappynewspaper – If you need a break from the news (don’t we all), then this quarterly newspaper could be just the verbal remedy. It only publishes good news stories, reporting on positive events and celebrating everyday heroes from around the world. You can also learn some interesting facts for your next zoom quiz – did you know a group of pugs is called a grumble?
@condenasttraveller – Remember when you used to be able to get on a plane and GO ON HOLIDAY like it was no big deal? Those days will be back, and we’ll never take them for granted again. In the meantime, satisfy that wanderlust with pictures of luxe hotels, balconies overlooking piazzas and deserted sandy beaches.
