How long do you spend in the shower? I am a dreadful dawdler when it comes to my ablutions. I would happily stand under the faucet for several hours if time were not a concern and I didn’t always have to drag myself away. Nevertheless, having discovered that an eight-minute shower can squander more than 100 litres of water (more than a bath, which uses around 80 litres), I’ve had to have a sharp word with my inner water baby about cutting back.
Water scarcity has become an urgent topic, especially in light of the California wildfires. Although I am currently peering at a miasma of drizzle that seems to have hung heavy over the UK for weeks now, the likelihood of drought for millions of people across the planet has become a near-inevitability as each year temperatures hit new record highs. The two-minute shower, which first gained traction in Cape Town during that city’s chronic water crisis in 2018, is one of the tiny adjustments we can make that, if we all did it, would make a massive difference. And, as water bills are set to increase (in the UK at least), it’s also a habit that could make a significant impact on the household purse. Clara Baldock finds out about the best practices: interestingly, the force of a power shower can encourage people to get their washing done far quicker. But please do send us your thoughts as to how to wash your hair in 120 seconds or less.
Warsaw has been enjoying a fresh cultural focus lately. The city forms the backdrop to the Oscar-nominated film A Real Pain, in which Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins on a tour of Poland in honour of their late grandmother. It’s also home to a new modern art museum and, perhaps by association, a revived artistic energy. As Josh Hickey reports, this effervescence is largely attributed to Polish creatives who have decided to return to their home city. One of these returnees is Małgosia Bela, the model and regular HTSI contributor, who has put together a fashionable tour of her home city for our cover shoot. It offers a tantalising glimpse of a place I soon hope to see for myself.
In another insider’s guide, the poet and author Cleo Wade gives us a personal portrait of New Orleans and, more importantly, New Orleans during the jazz festival. For Wade, the annual event – which takes place in April – is “almost a spiritual pilgrimage”: it’s the source of her earliest memories and the place where she experienced live music for the first time – in the womb. “[New Orleans] was built for enjoying the day,” she tells Rosanna Dodds. “You don’t want to go anywhere too quickly because there’s music in the streets and, as you’re moving through it, you might see a balcony with a beautiful iron design and flowers hanging over it. Those kinds of sensory elements demand that you slow down and enjoy it.” It’s enough to persuade me to book a one-way ticket right away.
Instead I’ve saved my spiritual pilgrimage for somewhere a bit closer, and a trip to north-west London and my favourite grocer Panzer’s in St John’s Wood. First established in 1944 by Austrian refugee Mr Panzer and his Czechoslovak business partner Walter Vogl, the store has been serving its exemplary smoked salmon, bagels and deli staples to its customers for 80 years. It’s now run by David Josephs, who bought it from the Vogl family in 2015, and who has since overseen a gradual renovation of the premises. It has culminated in a shiny new configuration, extended dining space and coffee bar. The locals will be wary – they’ve never relished change. But I’ve been toddling past there for my coffee throughout the transition (they never actually closed for business), and am rather thrilled to see the facelift, in particular the enchantingly on-brand Panzer’s espresso cups glazed in its custom pink and green. Panzer’s remains one of the most premium grocer’s in London, and every time I visit it feels like I’m giving myself an enormous treat. Plus, according to my HTSI calculations, I can use all the money I’m due to save on water and splash out on its banana bread.
@jellison22
Want to read HTSI before everyone else? Get all the top stories straight to your inbox every Friday. Sign up to our free weekly newsletter here