The Five at Five: Earl of East London

The Five at Five is a download of the best things to read, watch, shop, and get inspiration from.

This week’s selections have been curated by Paul Firmin, Co-Founder, Earl of East London. Born out of Hackney, Earl of East London is a boutique home fragrance brand set up in 2015 by business and life partners Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin.

Read: For all the budding entrepreneurs out there I would strongly recommend 'How to Start a Business' from Courier. Hopefully the first in many guides from one of my favourite magazines. Courier has always been so supportive of Earl of East and reading it religiously has given me so many hints and tips over the years.

Watch: It wouldn't be Christmas without some cheesy holiday movies. Of course, there is Love Actually and the Holiday, but I love watching Sister Act and Jumping Jack Flash at this time of year, they are somehow festive to me, even though they aren't at all.

Listen: Shameless plug. Over the course of the year, we have curated a series of playlists inspired by our scents, we have also just added a few new festive playlists ready for the holidays, just search Earl of East on Spotify. I've also been ploughing podcasts this year, and have finally listened to every episode of Table Manners and HOSTEing with Laura Jackson, both have a knack for making you feel like you're in the room with them.

Shop: The guys from L'Estrange have just opened a new spot in Westbourne Grove, the space was designed by Fred Rigby who also worked with us on our newest space BookWorkShop. I've loved watching some businesses take risks during this time, especially when it comes to physical retail space.

Inspiration: I have been really inspired by the resilience and determination of the many independent brands, makers, and artists from within my own community. When things have felt difficult, seeing the collective effort of everyone still making sure they get through this, and have a positive year really has given me the driving force to keep pushing through.