The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. Read Along Thread 2022

[Dillidilly]

INTRODUCTION

Nigel begins his Chronicles proper on 1st November, but there is a lovely, quite lengthy introduction we can dip into during the second half of October.

Last year, posters were also kind enough to share where they had found cut price copies of CC, so hopefully anyone late to the party still has time to find a copy before we start the first chapter.

I had forgotten the lovely introduction. Together with the beautiful photograph at the very beginning of the book, flipping through it and seeing his headings reminded me of why I loved it so much last year!

Great. That's a plan then. I may need some post it notes to mark the recipes I couldn't make on the right day but could go back to after a quick shopping trip...

I didn’t always make it on the specific day, but just within the following week - I really wanted it all very low-key and chilled out as getting stressed and frazzled would have been counterproductive to the aim of the book and the readalong (for me, anyway) which was to find joyful, peaceful moments of rest and reflection in amongst everything else. I like a stress-free Christmas season!

Thank you to the posters who gave the tip-offs about the £9 copies at WH Smith. I have just pounced on the last one in my local branch. And, as a bonus, a £8 copy of Monty Don’s The Complete Gardener too! Definitely my lucky day.

The book is really enjoyable without doing any of the cooking. I am vegan, so most of the recipes are not suitable for me at all, although some of them can be adapted or inspire me. I still very much enjoyed the read.

My Trudon Carmelite candle is on the coffee table and I keep getting little wafts of it even though it's not lit at the moment.

Oh definitely, NiqueNique. I just wanted to check I was doing it right

I've had a flick ahead and don't fancy much until the aubergine and lentils, so I'll make sure I have everything for that one, at least.

Ooh, I've just remembered I've got frankincense and myrrh Christmas tea lights!

Oooh excited! I might start the introduction this weekend! Really loved the book and thread last year and looking forward to it this year!

I also picked up the £9 copy in WH Smith today. It is smaller than I expected (height-wise), but 450+ pages! I'm hoping this helps me keep up, as smaller pages must be quicker to read??

If you are hoping to grab one in WH Smith, I would recommend calling ahead. I initially popped into my local store, and their system said they had one in stock, but the kind assistant couldn't find it so said it was likely 'ghost stock'. She did look at the stock levels in the nearest few stores and they all had 3 or 4 so she was fairly certain they actually existed.

On to the actual book! I'm loving the first page already. I not sure what I was expecting, but certainly not the word 'wasabi' in the second sentence.

I visited the Cotswolds today and it was absolutely stunning seeing all the different colours of the leaves. It was quite windy, so we were wrapped up warm in coats and scarves. The leaves were flying everywhere and my 5 year old said it looked like they were walking down the footpath. 😍

Found it! Smaller than I remember but just as beautiful. Have also found two mystery jars of what could be Nigel's mincemeat. Why oh why did I not label?

So excited to find you all! My mum read this last year and recommended it. Then she surprised me with a charity shop found copy in the summer! I’ve had it squirreled away waiting for November.

I love this time of year but don’t get much time to myself. So a few minutes joy and being able to meet and share on here is perfect.

Hello All, I'm excited to join you - my copy arrived yesterday. What a gorgeous looking book!

Where I am it's a hot and sunny day, but the days are still drawing in so I'm looking forward to this. Should get me in the festive mood ready for when I'm in England in December, grumbling about the 3.30pm gloaming 😀

PP 8 and 9 today, an observation and a question!

He refers to the world as 'a bit of a shit show'. It was published in 2017. I wonder what he'd call it today?

Is that reed matting forming a path in his garden? How does that work, do you think? How often would you need to replace it? Just lay more on top?

Lovely to see so many new and old Nigel babes I haven't opened mine yet this year as it's still bloomin 25 degrees here. Pfffft. Excitingly I'm coming to the UK in 2 weeks to visit DD who is at university now <quiet sob> so can source things I've never been able to before in the run up to Christmas. I'll be the one flying in with hand luggage and out with 60kg I expect.

Very much agree with @NiqueNique about the book- it's more the writing than the recipes in all honesty, though I must do more of them this year.

For those new to Nigel- he has an Instagram page where he is just as lovely as he is in print and we get to have house and garden envy too! And spot all the lovely corners he talks about in his books. I laughed yesterday as he posted his annual bowl of quinces perfuming his house (I'm the MNer in Italy whose MIL always gives me carrier bags of the things and until Nigel I'd politely say thanks and they'd all end up in the bin. Now I put them in a bowl in my not as beautiful as N's house to scent it for a while before I bin the stringy feckers)

@LillianGish I remember us all wanting to run off with your husband over the Cire Trudon candle!
@BumWeasel and everyone just joining us- you will love it! Nigel writes so beautifully.

Checking in. I’ve had this book for a couple of years but a read along sounds lovely.

Now I put them in a bowl in my not as beautiful as N's house to scent it for a while before I bin the stringy feckers this made me LOL @Geamhradh I also love to follow Nigel on Insta. But your post gets to the nub of what's so great about him - it's about taking what you've got and presenting it beautifully - so a bowl of quinces that you'd previously never given a second thought to becomes something highly desirable and aspirational - but without spending a fortune (Trudon candles aside ) My absolutely favourite part of the book is the introduction where he makes you think about winter in a totally different way so you positively long for the dark evenings and frost crackling underfoot (I'm trying to put off re-reading until the end of October to make the most of the golden autumn days, but my fingers are twitching to pick it up). I also love his description of unwrapping long-loved Christmas decorations from their tissue paper - I packed all mine away much more carefully last year after reading his book which was a pleasure in itself, just so I could have the pleasure of unwrapping them again this year. It's not about going out and spending a fortune on a new Christmas colour scheme, but about treasuring what you have and taking pleasure from that. It really is the perfect book to accompany Christmas 2022 - use what you have, make what you have beautiful and desirable, appreciate what you have instead of going out, spending money and buying more stuff.

@Decaffe and those who have had the book for some years, I have too and have always loved it but I found that the read-along and the lovely chat here made reading it lovelier still!

@Geamhradh ahh I remember the bittersweet feeling of DCs flying the nest! Lovely that you’ll have some time with your DD soon. 😊

Welcome to all the newcomers, and how lovely to read how much last year's posters (and their mums!) enjoyed the thread.
I follow Nigel on Instagram too, and love his photographs. When I saw the quinces in a beautiful rustic bowl, I immediately thought of everyone here!

It's the last week of term here, so I still haven't read the introduction as I've been wrangling a dingle dangle scarecrow (don't ask) and completing paperwork. But I'm going to grab some quiet time over half term next week, light a (Aldi, sorry Nigel) candle and enjoy...

🎄🎄🎄warm welcome to new arrivals 🎄🎄🎄

@HannahDefoesTrenchcoat I am very close to buying that book! I really wanted it last year but managed to resist. But I’ve just added two charity shop bargains to my Christmas collection (one by Raymond Blanc, and the Good Housekeeping Christmas book) so I’m not sure I can justify adding another volume this year... <deep sigh>

@Dillidilly those advent candle sets are very popular in DK. I’ve had one before but I’ve no idea where the jar went! I might get another one this year, I’ve been looking for bargains over the summer months but haven’t found anything that’s exactly right and at the right price. I could just buy a numbered candle set as I’ve already got a holder that would work reasonably well. But it’s tin and doesn’t really go with the aesthetic in our living room...I want to limit my spending this year (same as I did last year) so I’ll have to balance it against any other purchases I want to make.

@LillianGish I'm browsing the site just now! Who knows - I might win the lottery any day now!! 😆

@Waitwhat23 are those M&S by any chance? If so I’m very envious as that’s a lovely scent. I also love their other Christmas signature scent, something like Mandarin, Cinnamon and Cloves. But I am boycotting so I’ve had to do without for several years now. 😑

@picklemewalnuts that’s me in a nutshell (combined with a strangely at odds stubborn rebellious streak), so I knew where you were coming from. 😊 @Dillidilly made the point many times last year that it was intended to be a lovely, gentle thread for cosy chat and hygge and there wasn’t any pressure to do anything, nor any right or wrong way to participate.

@mistopheles Ohh a jarred surprise! You could always wait a while until you get to that section in the book, check them and see! Perhaps you’ll have two jars ready to use (without any effort at all) for the relevant recipes...

It's not about going out and spending a fortune on a new Christmas colour scheme, but about treasuring what you have and taking pleasure from that. It really is the perfect book to accompany Christmas 2022 - use what you have, make what you have beautiful and desirable, appreciate what you have instead of going out, spending money and buying more stuff.

Yes, very much so. I’m a magpie and tend to constantly find beautiful new things that I ‘must have’. However, over the past few years I’ve toned it right down and especially the past year or two have practiced making much more considered choices, and it really is true that it does help you to fully appreciate what you already have.

Purchased last year and didn't get to read (savour) it properly. Cant wait to get stuck in. Epitome of Christmas

I got out a blanket, lit a candle (Ikea, sorry Nige!) all ready to read the introduction but DH is upstairs putting DDs to bed and all I can hear is them squealing and laughing their heads off 😂. Which is lovely but means I can't concentrate so I'll have to try another time ha ha. I did manage to get to the bit where he talks about his two mile walk to school and the changing of the seasons. This is something I've tried to pay much more attention to over the past year on my walk to and from school with DD1. It's been lovely picking blackberries with her over Summer and now spotting the beautiful autumn colours and the leaves falling. Soon we'll be wrapped up in hats and scarves and will be able to see our breath in the morning!

Can I join (waves at my MN friend @Geamhradh)?

I bought the book last year (probably cause of this thread!) but didn’t get started with it. Have it down and ready to go. Should it be in the kitchen (where I spend most of my time when not working, but which is currently cold and uninviting (aga off). Or should I take it upstairs to my cosier sitting room to read while under blankets?

@Dillidilly
I have to ask…..does the scarecrow have a flippy floppy hat?