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)

Ooh @LillianGish my friend is in Paris for a few days (he does a blog for one of the hotels). He tells me that there is a newly opened Cheese Museum. Mmmm!

Whilst I was touring Provence earlier this year I slathered at many cheese shop windows.

(photos added of cheese and general vibes). I adore Provence.

Best wishes for tomorrow from me too @Bimblesalong
Those French cheese shops are bloody gorgeous. I still dream of the cheese I ate in Burgundy.

Wishing you all the best for tomorrow @Bimblesalong, hope it all goes smoothly and you're back on the mend quickly. 💐

I love Provence too, although my heart lies in Italy.

Need to read back properly and slowly, have missed quite a lot on the thread the past little while! We've had beautifully warm weather this week, which has been a welcome balm to my soul.

We'll each receive our books soon! Looking forward to that.

I put my new autumn wreath up today to see if I was happy with it and now I can't be bothered to take it back down...I was going to wait 'til October to put it up but oh well, I suppose it's okay since it's officially the start of autumn in a few days.

Been lurking and loving all the pictures and the lovely tone of all the posts. Just wanted to wish you all the best for tomorrow @Bimblesalong and hope you have a speedy recovery. Now I’ll go back and reread properly- I’ve never had an autumn wreath- do I need one?

@Bimblesalong All best wishes and good thoughts for tomorrow.

It’s been unseasonably warm here this afternoon, but I’ve just come upstairs and there’s a beautiful full moon shining.

Best wishes for tomorrow from me too @Bimblesalong

Sending good wishes to @Bimblesalong

Just running in when I should be working to say Bimblesalong hope today and all required following it, goes well for you.

Midlifeshenanigans, that is a lovely thought. If, and only if, it lines up, that would be lovely. If it should happen let me know postage costs and which charity it was otherwise headed to.

RainbowZebraWarrior Beautiful big skies and photo. Love the wildflower pics too. I spend (too much) time trying to encourage their growth in the city. You're taking your bees on working holidays? If I've understood correctly, deeply impressed!

HowManyDaysTilChristmas that's a very fine quilt you've created. It's fabulous

IngenTing the yellow chanterelle mushrooms and berries look gorgeous and MontyVerdi, love the language information.
That's as far as I've caught up the thread, hope to catch up over the weekend.

Good luck @Bimblesalong

The moon was incredible last night but I didn't manage to get any photos.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I'd managed to forget (story of my life, but let's not get on to that!) that your wreath is already up. Yay, I can leave mine up too, then.

@Midlifeshenanigans I've never had an autumn wreath before. Mainly because my Scandinavian principles dictate that I really should make my own, preferably from entirely foraged natural materials, and that's just not going to happen. But this year I really fancied something cheerful/beautiful/hopeful at the entrance to my home to mark the change of the season, so a faux one it is!🌻🌻🌻 In answer to your question, 'need' is subjective, of course. But if you feel that you need one, maybe you do! 😉 😁

So many beautiful photographs. Thank you for sharing. It seems like quite a few of us are grappling with stresses and difficulties in various forms - that's life, I suppose - and I, too, am grateful for this calming, soothing and uplifting space. Thanks, all, for bringing the loveliness!

We've spent some really lovely time out on walks this week - the weather has been so nice, like a mini Indian summer. Today we're going to our local farm shop to stock up on meat, and after that we'll stop to enjoy an ice cream at a parlour where they make their own from their own dairy herd.

I'm ready now for the weather to turn. Am looking forward to leaning into it.

🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁🍂🌾🍁

I was helping out with DS scout group and the moon was amazing. Didn't need a torch most of the time and they were building shelters in the woods.

Here's to our wreaths @HappyDane <clinks hot chocolate mugs>

@EphemeraleEudemonia Yes, the bees go on their holidays for 5 or 6 weeks every summer. It's like their own little Air B&B. They have a lovely view of Derwent Reservoir too!

So excited for next week. Nige's book + M&S Christmas food to order!

I love the idea of a holiday for the bees.

I haven't seen a low price new version of The Christmas Chronicles but Amazon has a deal where you can buy it together with a New York Christmas book for £28.99. So you get Nigel's book new for £14.50 and then another book which you could gift. I think they come as two separate books not packaged as a gift set. Might be useful for someone.

amzn.eu/d/6ciWHiV

Rainbow M and S food ordering?!?!
That news is making me want to crack open the mulled wine! 🙌🏻

@EphemeraleEudemonia sorry I’m running a few days behind on the thread but how do you hand press your apples?
Haven’t made cider for years but I think we used to put the pulp in a sheet, big chopping board on top then dance on it.

Dull and grey today, so a good day for making soup for lunch, and I found a pack of chopped pumpkin in the freezer, left over from last year. So, delicious pumpkin soup from an old favourite recipe from Jennifer Paterson’s Seasonal Receipts. Dd keeps me supplied with pumpkins from her allotment, but it’s a bit too early for them this year - coming across last year’s at the back of the freezer was a happy find. Souper!!

Dull and grey here, too. I'm just waiting for DD to come out of school and watching the sea fret roll in. Stove on tonight I think, and I've already got brisket in the slow cooker.

My DIY Neom style candle seems to have lost it's whiff, so I'm not as clever as I might have thought. Will have another go over the weekend at trying something new.

VERY mixed weather here today (Hampshire). Started out mild and overcast. At about 11 a massive thunderstorm struck and torrential rain for about 90 mins, flash floods everywhere (I was driving for part of it). Now ir is really hot and sunny. Anyway I put my NVN (artificial) autumn wreath up last weekend

@Bubblesbythesea Souper indeed! I made spicy tomato soup yesterday with the (very very nearly last) of the tomatoes. We've just harvested the Scotch Bonnets and Jalapeños now, so I need to think of something to do with them. I usually pickle them.

Tonight's job is to locate my mother's old 70s soup mug bowls (the ones with the long handles if anyone remembers them)

Eesh is boiling here today. I want mist and murk now. Not humid silliness. I love your NVN wreath

Please may I join in? I've just found this thread, and I'm loving all the homely/nature vibes on it. I have an offering of some pictures of my sunset and moonrise walk with the dog, taken last night. It's was a clear, crisp night where we are, you could sort of smell autumn in the air

Welcome @MistyMoonlight lovely photos, we have had some really nice evenings this week

Non uk resident enjoying all your talks of autumn mists and foraging. It is cooling here, it was a cooler 28 degrees today, and considerably cooler in the evenings. It was lovely sitting out last night.
I've made cauliflower soup, and chilli tomato soup ready for the winter.

Lovely pictures @Isthiscorrect and @MistyMoonlight I'm now wondering whereabouts you both are! (you don't have to say if you don't want to) Hello to you both, anyway.