Last year, the Oxford-based academic Sarah Lidwell-Durnin gave up a PhD in 15th-century poetry to pursue her passion for combining the whimsical with the practical, and launched the online mail-order shop Natural History.
Inspired by countless visits to the Natural History Museum in Dublin during her childhood, Sarah's home accessories collection conveys her fascination for all things peculiar and macabre. "Hurrah for Victorian taxidermy!" she declares on the website, which she has bravely subtitled "The Origin of Style".
Shopping here is the online equivalent of browsing dusty display cases; you never know what you'll find next. I love the ocean-themed cushions, covered in creeping orange and teal tentacles, with fabulously specific and scientific names such as Strange and Scintillating Seaweed (Gelidum), or Curious and Uncommon Coral (Red).
This is a personal, hand-picked selection. Sarah stocks fine linen tablecloths, cushions and bed sheets from Belgium, soft cashmere blankets from Scotland and porcelain drawer knobs from France. Her latest addition is a range of Ice Milk aprons from the US. Made of luxurious silk and linen and tied with pretty bows, they look more like cocktail dresses than kitchen clobber. The designs have cutie-pie names such as Morning Bun Moments and Bowls of Batter. Even if you're more domestic disaster than domestic goddess, it's enough to make you want to embrace your inner Stepford wife and bake some cupcakes.
For stationery fiends, there are beautiful notebooks decorated with deep-sea squid and dainty hummingbirds. Don't miss the latest tea towel design with an enormous black beetle on it - the kind you'd expect to find pinned in a case and labelled in Latin. It's striking enough to frame as wall art or back with black fabric and sew into a cushion cover.
For unusual gifts, check out the Artefacts department, where you'll find plaster busts, glass laboratory flask vases, scented candles and rustic French soaps. As if that wasn't enough, there's gorgeous tissue paper covered in scrawled handwriting for quirky wrapping. It's all strangely irresistible.
For shipping rates to the UAE, visit origin-of-style.com or e-mail info@origin-of-style.com
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport