The Autumnal Christmas Chronicles Preamble thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hi, and welcome to the Nigel Slater appreciation society Christmas Chronicles Premable thread.

The thread will start proper in late October where we begin our annual journey of reading the Christmas Chronicles in real time. It is a cosy, heartwarming event that one can dip in and out of as life allows. Think flickering candles, woodsmoke, delicious recipes, the odd home made tipple, and bucket loads of touching Nigel-esque anecdotes. It is a veritable Hyyge of a thread.

This thread is to see us through until that time. You will find me, like a squirell, checking on my store of candles at the back of the cupboard.

It's also worth noting that Nigel's new book; A Thousand Feasts is out on 26th September. (with a deliciously Autumnal cover)

@narniabusiness your little hedgehog sounds absolutely adorable!

@piscofrisco that is gorgeous. I'm just about to try and do something similar for my wreath (desperately in need of a job that allows me to be seated after standing too long this morning) then I'm going to try a garland if I have enough trimmings left.

Your candle is beautiful and the fragrance also sounds gorgeous @RainbowZebraWarrior! I finally brought my big candle out and I'm glad I did because I remembered that although it's very nice I'm really happier with scentless candles. Yay now I can stop being tempted by all the delicious sounding ones that seem to be everywhere right now. However I love the soft glow it throws which is great for hygge so I'll definitely keep the holder.

@Champere lovely garland and I like how you've ponced it up. I bought some faux branches earlier this year at reduced price and I'm excited to use them. Sparse, maybe more Scandi looking, but that goes with my decs so I think it'll work well. I'm planning to put some in the bay window of the sitting room, some above door frames and possibly also running down the staircase. Not sure yet.

@piscofrisco that's very pretty! Lovely and full and so abundant, love it.

I'm in Scotland (Northern) and I'm from just outside Dublin but moved here in 2007.

I recommend wearing hats for sure, get outside for a walk when it's daylight to help with mood, take vitamin D if deemed appropriate, lead into the cold and darkness - accept that it will be cold and dark for a few months and just try to keep cosy.

New Year (Hogmanay) is a big thing, I think. Personally I love Halloween so that's big for me and Christmas. Also we definitely celebrate Burns Night in January. Husband adds: Whisky, lots of whisky...

Sorry - should have said 'Lean into the cold and darkness'

Reflective gear for walking in the dark...

@MontyVerdi I totally agree - you really have to lean into the cold and darkness in Scotland (lived there for a year a long time ago)/anywhere properly Northern.

@narniabusiness wonderful to hear about your hedgehog getting cosy.

I've just walked into my bedroom @narniabusiness saw this, and thought of your little hedgehog. They are kits that my DD makes for me and lines up along my big bedroom mirror.

So cute! 😍😍

@RainbowZebraWarrior Love this! So sweet!

It’s finally tights weather here on the South Coast!

@RainbowZebraWarrior In awe of the ability to make dupe candles. Can just about manage to make basic essential oil mixes and coconut wax in a jar ones in a slow cooker. Hedgehog is sweet.

We're without hedgehogs here, so lovely to hear of @narniabusiness having an efficient one happily working away.
But, vaguely aware of what I thought was a neighboring cat sneaking up behind me, I held out my hand sideways and made encouraging noises to what turned out to be a slightly startled young fox. Very soft chocolate brown fur up it's front legs. Initially froze, then sauntered casually away looking back ever so often to check.

@piscofrisco 🙂

Temperature has definitely dropped here. We had beautiful blue skies and little white clouds yesterday, obliterated by ginormous low hanging grey monsters sweeping across under them intermittently and dropping contents causing mini flash floods, then rainbows. At one point I was getting soaked while the sun illuminated the rain falling on me. Today may be similar.
Rescued two drowning hoverflies and a small buff tailed bee from floodwater, which made being caught out in the downpour feel more worthwhile.
Harvested more blackberries, and cut back, much to the interest of one of the resident robins, and have tried dividing some rescued raspberry splash lungwort and hawksweed clumps and planting in pots for now. Both are much loved by bees and other pollinators and after this years lowered numbers I'm looking to up my game.

Greenhouse is a disaster area awaiting rescue. Was in hospital earlier in the year and it's been entirely overtaken by a couple of vigorous triffids to the point I can't get in! Afraid I've left it too late in the season to try to sort it all out. Managed to clear a small space near the door for the pots, and it's all a prayer and promise for now.

Thanks- I'll definitely try to lean in to the winter here!

Ooh what a lovely thread I'd love to join! Autumn is my favourite season and absolutely love Christmas!!! Have managed to find a copy of Christmas Chronicles on Vinted which is winging its way to me can't wait for it to arrive.

This is all lovely. It’s turned sunny here in Cornwall and in sheltered corners you can’t feel the strong winds. I’ve spent the day on the beach reading Toast, which I’d recommend.

I do feel like I’ll be going back up to winter - eldest DS is home, working, so we are getting the weather reports!

We have hedgehogs, I a cidentally kicked one on the garden parh a couple of weeks ago (in the dark, we have a tumble dryer and freezer in our garden shed so we use the path a lot in the evenings). It curled up for about 10 mins then vanished. Ooops.

The candles look lovely, as does the table garland.

Look at this beautiful shop window display I saw today. we are lucky to still have a few nice independent shops here

We have hedgehogs too, in our woodpile. Our middle dog loves a little bark at them but they don't seem phased. I'm always surprised at the speed of them-they are so quick when they need to be.

Chilly chilly here this evening so I've made what my best friend calls 'THE soup'- a sort of thick chicken, chilly and sweetcorn chowder type thing that you swirl a bit of cream in to at the end. I got the recipe out of my Dads Daily fail when I was about 18 so I've been making it for 26 years! It's brilliant for cold nights and for colds in general in fact.

@EternallyDelighted, what a lovely window. My dream job would be creating beautiful shop window displays. I'm a MH social worker so not much call for it in my line of work unfortunately.

It's been about 14° here today so my partner has put the heating on for the first time. If I could, I'd leave it off most of the Winter as I prefer cold air and a hot water bottle attached to me at all times! I just had a long bath and was cold getting in and out, which I love. It is due to warm up again, though, so not getting too comfortable thinking Summer's over...

I finally bought The Christmas Chronicles last week and haven't let myself look at it yet! Not sure if I can wait until November, though. 😅

@HappyDane do I spy Life is A Menu in your collection ? Love that memoir

That’s so sweet@RainbowZebraWarrior
It’s lovely to know that there’s still lots of hedgehogs (and startled foxes) around.
@Bimblesalong It looks like you’ve been very lucky with the weather in Cornwall. I saw your photo and thought you must be somewhere much further south.

Sorry to hear that. Check out Dr Casey Means - she has a holistic, spiritual and medical approach to food and improving health. There are recipes in her book and newsletter as well as advice on swaps.

www.caseymeans.com

@RainbowZebraWarrior sorry to hear that re health and also the dr’s approach. Hopefully there will be some tasty ideas.

@narniabusiness yesterday was the first day on the harbour beach all day. We’ve not managed to sit on the surf beach at all as winds have been between 20-40 mph gusts all week! Today they drop just in time for us to leave tomorrow but it’s been a good week. I’m going to send ds a short shopping list as he will have the fridge full of protein yoghurts otherwise! I like a nice roast butternut squash with spices and to blend it with roast onions and garlic for soup. Such an easy air fryer recipe.

Does anyone have frost? It's 2 degrees here and it seems like such a crazy drop for the time of year. Waiting for the heating to hurry up and warm the house.

Just 1° in Ireland this morning. There's a touch of ground frost. I took a photo of these lovely trees at the end of my road in the early morning sunshine.

Ooh, I've just realised it's Friday 13th. We are going to see Beetlejuice tonight. Spooky!

We had a very slight frost yesterday morning, but only in shadiest places and it had gone by 7am.

I’ve started the stash of stocking gifts now. We’re trying to move house and no idea which house we will be in for Christmas!

If anyone sees a copy of Christmas Chronicles for sale please let me know! Amazon have copies for £45?!