Several months ago, I bought myself a pneumatic espresso maker, to which you add coffee and boiling water, exert pressure and out comes delicious, fresh, creamy (crema-y) espresso. It works very well. I then also bought myself a small gas stove and a small kettle for the gas stove so that I could make myself espresso while hiking around the Lake District at the start of July and then while hiking up Snowdon in the middle of August.
On both trips, I carried all this equipment around with me, however whenever I was at a point on mountains to want an espresso, there was both too much wind and too much rain and not enough shelter to make it happen, meaning I essentially carried ballast with me.
Desperate, though, to finish the Summer with one use of the pneumatic machine and gas stove equipment, I insisted my friends loiter in a lay-by in North Wales between the Airbnb and the station so I could make use of my devices. I filmed myself, because that’s the kind of thing I do, but also – unprompted, I must add! – my friend began to film me, too. In the below video I use footage from two separate shots to create a stunning documentary feature documenting my experience of making an espresso on the edge of some Welsh woods. Watch as I, in other words, “do expresso beneath at tree”:
Additional camera work is by my friend David Bamford. I don’t know if he’d care about the credit but I suppose it’s ethical to include it anyway unless I’m asked to remove it?
Thank you so much for reading TriumphoftheNow.com! If you like what you’ve read, please subscribe, share and order one of my books. If you love what you’ve read, why not order me something frivolous and noisy from this Amazon wishlist or make a quick donation via my ko-fi page?
I’m currently focusing on parenting and creative practice, so small donations are appreciated now more than ever!
scott manley hadley aka SOLID BALD live
Here’s a video of me recently performing at the prestigious (it has a Wikipedia page) comedy night, Quantum Leopard. Listen to how much fun the crowd is having. You could have that much fun, too!
Forthcoming gigs include the following – there may/will be others:
17th March 2026, 7pm: Slap & Giggle @ Coin Laundry, Clerkenwell
24th March 2026, 7.30pm: Lolipops, Southwark
26th March 2026, 7.30pm: Comedy @ Cosmic, Plymouth
9th April 2026, 7pm: Sunset Comedy, Chalk Farm
15th April 2026, time tbd: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER 40min-ish WIP at Shirker’s Rest, New Cross (more details soon!)
27th June 2026: Twinkles Cabaret, London
9th August – 14th August: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER at The Street, Edinburgh, part of PBH’s Free Fringe
Discover more from Triumph Of The Now
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Triumph Of The Now 
0 comments on “video: do expresso beneath at tree”