HTSI editor’s letter: the wisely issue

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What is wise in 2024 remains a much-debated topic: but the value of a great education is something about which few would argue. For this week’s cover story, we followed Oxford student Grace Clover as she enjoyed her final days as an undergraduate at Wadham College, in a university recognised by many as being the world’s most prestigious. Grace writes about her experiences in a piece to accompany the pictures, and captures the strange contradictions, exhilarations and adventures that come with student life. In particular, she notes the peculiar isolation that comes with fulfilling the weekly essay deadlines, the “constant socialising” and the tremendous privilege of being surrounded by so much history and beauty.

As someone who has just delivered their child to university (though not Oxford), I found Grace’s essay especially pertinent. I also felt a huge nostalgia for that short moment where one stands on the precipice of “grown-up” life. The undergraduate experience is emotionally intense, confusing and wonderfully liberating. The pictures capture the great gift it is to be a student. Side note: it also bears testimony to the many friendships forged in adolescence – the shoot’s photographer, Tom Craig, and I were both in the same graduating year at Edinburgh.

Reading and studying are two ways of grasping the branches of universal wisdom. Other stories in this issue look at different ways to live intelligently. Grace wears predominantly vintage and pre-loved fashion, a business that has transformed with the rise of sites such as Depop and eBay, but one that can be somewhat overwhelming for those who prefer a more boutique-curated browse. Rosanna Dodds has compiled a list of the world’s best vintage dealers, most of whom have online and in-person concessions as well as areas of specialisation. The guide is designed to sort the jewels from the jumble and, in a crowded and largely ungoverned market, help steer a more productive search.

Can sustainable cutlery be sustainable and satisfactory? © Morwenna Parry

Next, a personal obsession: since the ban of single-use plastic cutlery in England in 2023, restaurants and fast-food outlets have had to introduce a range of sustainable alternatives. There are now dozens of options when it comes to compostable cutlery, but most make for an unpleasant eating experience – there are few things more revolting than eating one’s lunchtime soup from a “cringey” and rough-sided wooden spoon. Ajesh Patalay investigates the state of eco cutlery, the issues of trying to make something both satisfactory and sustainable, and whether the current composting options are even viable. He finds that few options are especially compliant: I’ve vowed therefore to try to keep a real spoon around the desktop.

Polentina restaurant and staff canteen in east London © David Post

On the subject of the working lunch, how many of you have a kitchen or catering facilities in your office? You’ll probably enjoy Grace Cook’s piece about some of the world’s great staff canteens. From Polentina, an Italian restaurant set in a garment factory in east London, to Kantine, the kitchen restaurant that feeds the staff – and visitors – of David Chipperfield’s Berlin headquarters, Grace has looked at the new wave of cooks and forward-thinking employers who are rehabilitating this much-derided catering genre. I am rather envious of the folk at On Labs in Zürich, who have a dining room designed to mimic a living space where they get to enjoy a “vegan buffet”. Thankfully, many of these kitchens are open to non-staffers: you don’t need a visitor’s pass to try them for yourselves.

@jellison22