The Wanderlust Issue #10

March 2025 // Good coffee, Spring gardens, colourful artwork and Angkor.

Mar 17, 2025

Welcome to Issue #10 of The Wanderlust, my monthly zine where I share what I’m up to, encourage you to dance, wander and explore and discover amazing new creative talent. I delve into my photo archives, share snippets from my travel journals and drop in the odd freebie. So if you know someone who you think might like this, feel free to share it with them.

The last 4 weeks have been a bit of a blur. My new photo journal Moments has had over 100 subscribers in 2 weeks! I’ve been completely blown away by the response to it. I’m in the middle of writing my next post and I can’t wait to share some more photos and the story behind them.

I made it down to the launch day of the Landscape Exhibition at the Glasgow Gallery of Photography. It was really nice to see my work back up on a gallery wall again. If you’re local to Glasgow, it’s free and runs alongside the Women in Photography exhibition until the 29th this month.

Last month in Issue #9 I mentioned heading over to Edinburgh to try a new speciality coffee shop called Cafēn. Delicious filter coffee in a very chill atmosphere. I’d recommend checking it out if you love your coffee. I’ve also updated my Scottish Coffee Shops list to include it. We followed coffee with lunch at Söderberg Bakery. Their Pavillion branch has a really nice vibe with an open kitchen and the most amazing cakes! It’s right next to The Meadows for a stroll after too.

Time to read: 4 mins

Time to dance: 5 mins 19 secs

It’s all about gardens this month with places to see Spring flowers and Cherry Blossom.

The Scottish Rhododendron Festival (now part of the Spring Garden Festival) runs from 1 April to 31 May. There’s plenty of places to see them (rhodies for short) but the Japanese Garden at Cowden and Branklin Garden in Perth both have beautiful collections.
Greenbank Garden has also been on my list for quite a while. I lived in Glasgow for so long and new nothing about it. A picnic or afternoon tea on the lawn in the Spring sunshine after a wander around the gardens would be perfect.
It’s cherry blossom season and I’ve always wanted to see the spectacular trees in their native Japan but, that’s going to have remain on the list for a while yet. Instead, I’ll be heading over to the Japanese garden at Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh where I’ve read they have a lovely display.
Glasgow Coffee Festival is back at The Briggait this year on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of April. It’s a ticketed event and they usually sell out pretty quick!

I’ve just discovered Cassia Beck and her amazing collage artworks. Living Dangerously and Moving Mountains are my current favourites.
I first came across Alex Proba on Instagram years ago but I’ve only just noticed Proba Home where her colourful, abstract artwork comes to life as 3D homewares like rugs and cushions. I’ll have one of everything please!
Another long standing love, Tiff Manuell is an Australian artist painting colourful, fun artwork which for years, she made into iconic bags. Each one was a unique, statement piece cut from her hand painted canvasses. She’d decided to stop making the bags to focus on other projects, but I was delighted to see her share that she’s back making them again in very small batches. They sell out crazy quick so keep an eye out for when they return.
Polish ceramicist Aleksander Kozera creates the most striking, brutalist cups and plates using 3D modelling and printing to create casts that he can then pour the porcelain into. His process videos are fascinating and give you a glimpse into the work that goes into creating each piece. I can see why his most recent drop sold out really quickly.

I’m taking you all the way back to 2006 and a stint in Cambodia at the temples of Angkor. The South Gate of Angkor Thom is reached by a causeway flanked by a stone balustrade featuring carved giants holding a Naga serpent. Devas on the left and Asuras on the right. It was surprisingly quiet when we arrived and I was lucky to get a few shots in before a hoard of tourists appeared. They all seemed fascinated by the composition I’d chosen and thought nothing of piling up in front of me to take exactly the same photo. Even looking back repeatedly to check how high or low I had been holding the camera. Still makes me laugh to this day.