The TMH Edit: five things to do and see this December
It’s December: a time of merrymaking and celebrations, which has come around once more ever-so quickly. Our handpicked seasonal happenings for this month’s The TMH Edit is sure to add some festive cheer to your December, from an exciting Christmas menu at a Taiwanese restaurant to a craft fair for sourcing gifts, plus the best mince pies to make at home. All that as well as an eagerly anticipated architecture book, and plenty of modern art thrown in for good measure.
Christmas Makers Market and Benk&Bo, London E1
On Saturday 4 December from 12.00-6.00pm, Benk&Bo, the creative hub championing sustainability, community and craftsmanship in east London, will host their annual Christmas Makers Market. Now in its fourth year, attendees can discover gift-worthy goods by some of the capital’s most exciting emerging craftspeople, including ceramics by Louise Madzia, hand-carved jewellery by Caro Rose and homeware by A Sustainable Department Store, among many others. Our hot tip? Don’t miss out on the mulled wine by Top Cuvée.
Make-at-home mince pies by Flor
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to get you into the festive spirit, it’s a good mince pie. This December, one of our favourite London-based bakeries, Flor, are not only selling the seasonal treat but have also produced mince pie kits so you can make your own at home and enjoy their recipe no matter where you live. Their secret ingredient? Aged beef mince from retired Jersey cows – a homage to the original pie, which included meat rather than the typical sweet filling of today. Each kit makes six or 12 pies and comes with mincemeat (along with beef, the mix includes dried fruit, citrus juice and wintery booze), pastry discs and tins. Bake away and impress friends at dinner parties and gatherings this holiday season.
‘Golden Lane Estate’ by Stefi Orazi
Chamberlin, Powell & Bon might be best known for the Barbican, but its predecessor and their first project as a trio, the Golden Lane Estate, is equally influential. This architecture tome, released on 16 December, titled Golden Lane Estate: An Urban Village by Stefi Orazi, is a testament to its legacy. Now Grade II- and Grade II*-listed, the Golden Lane Estate, born out of a need for homes following World War II, is thought of as the model for public housing architecture and is celebrated for its sense of community. This work, published by Batsford, tells the stories of the estate through a series of interviews with residents, shop owners and estate managers, which sit alongside writing by architecture historians and originally commissioned photography.
Christmas at BAO, London
This December, Taiwanese restaurant BAO is spreading holiday joy at all its branches in London with a new Christmas menu created by its founders Shing Tat Chung, Erchen Chang and Wai Ting Chung. It includes festive iterations of classic bao and sweet treats – think gua bao with veal stuffing, pickled brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce, served with crispy stuffing croquettes and a generous helping of homemade gravy. Let us not forget dessert: a mince pie bao pudding filled with a mix of citrus peel, a dash of brandy and tangy pineapple. Well, if you insist.
New Arrivals: From Salvador Dalí to Jenny Saville at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
Whether you’re a resident of Edinburgh or staying in the city that makes for the most wonderful winter escape, be sure to visit the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. As of 27 November, the gallery is showcasing its most recent acquisitions to its permanent collection. Over 100 works from artists including Salvador Dalí, Jenny Saville, Pablo Picasso and Bridget Riley, spanning painting, sculpture, film and more, will be on display on its ground floor. Highlights include Dalì and Edward James’s Lobster Telephone and Saville’s Nude (Study for ‘Branded’), which is the first of her works to be held in a UK public collection. Although the exhibition is free, booking a time in advance is recommended.
Pictured: Salvador Dalí (1904-89) and Edward James (1907-1984) Lobster Telephone, 1938. Collection: National Galleries of Scotland.
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