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)

So far it’s been knitted as a tube with the stripy sections for the front and arms which will be cut open. I’ve reinforced what will be the new edges by crocheting up them and will do a row of machine stitching to absolutely anchor it as this wool isn’t as grippy as the wool I get from the Hebrides (the sheep are made from girders there!)

Thank you for the thread, I got my copy of the book last year for Christmas so I’m looking forward to the readalong.

Sorry if this has been posted before, I've not read the whole thread. Just noticed Nigel Slater's new book is on preorder at WHSmith for £10.

That's fabulous! I love fairisle. I have a lovely fairisle jumper, but I can't wear it as I can't bear the texture of wool.

Oh my goodness, @Bimblesalong that is stunning!

I've been for a swim in a lake today and it felt very autumnal. The water is definitely cooling down, and I got to eat blackberries growing by the lakeside while treading water, and the leaves are starting to turn bronze, and there were some magnificent patches of rosehips.

what a lovely thread...

I'm 60 now but for as long as I can remember I have 'felt' Autumn approach in the far distance. In July I can be outside and suddenly there is a change in the wind and I 'hear' the thin bat-squeak of it approach. I feel different and feel a thrill of something intangible. It is really hard to describe and my dh thinks I am crackers but I know what I know.

Out today and I remember the seasons verses I learned at school...

"warm September brings the shoot
sports men then begin to shoot"

Bonfires and the woodsmoke tang, the first leaves turning amber, the dew on spiders webs and the robin's change of song.

I love Autumn...it is the season of renewal and change and expectations for me

Oooh I love knitting, especially fair isle styles (to look at and wear; I never acquired the skill so just admire from a distance).

We went for a walk around Bolam Lake today (I know there's other North Easterners about 👋) and there were quite a few blackberries to be had, so there's now some gin steeping away. Forgot to macerate the berries, just chucked it all in together, so I guess it may need a little longer. That's OK, we have several bottles of rhubarb vodka that need drinking 🍸

Weather was really autumnal. It didn't actually rain, but cool and grey all day.

ohh I am swooning with that fair isle knit. Wool is a main staple of my wardrobe but I am hopeless at knitting. Love sewing though

@Gettingannoyednow I am a bit further south in Durham but I've had a huge haul of plump & juicy brambles. All in the freezer at the minute awaiting being made into jellies & jams. I also got 1kg bilberries in July (which anyone who knows bilberries will know took a lot of picking) which have been made into 'mucky mouth jam'

What a wonderful post @Gatekeeper

@Gettingannoyednow yes, I know Bolam Lake very well. It's a place I remember going since I was very young. There and Plessey Woods (with it's abundance of wild garlic in Spring) We don't usually macerate our blackberries when infusing in alcohol as we find it's rather nice to have the whole boozy fruits. It always reminds me of Nigel commenting on the fat apricots "pissed as newts" in his Apricot Brandy recipe (is it Brandy? I always forget, as I seem to just use whatever I have to hand) I won two bottles of Whisky at our PTA summer fayre, so they will likely be used for something similar, soon.

ordered Nigel's book today...a tenner so not much to pay for the anticipation and pleasure of reading

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/sep/24/nigel-slaters-10-best-recipes-over-the-past-30-years-at-the-observer

Thought you might enjoy.

The thing is in Ireland Autumn starts on 1 August so winter for us is 1 November onwards. I couldn't understand why ds started to correct me about Autumn starting in September when he started school here in the UK.

Well in the Celtic year anyway! The names for September (Meán Fómhair) and October (Deireadh Fómhair) translate directly from Irish as "middle of harvest" and "end of harvest".

Oh the chocolate and Guinness cake recipe sounds like something I'd like! I don't like traditional Christmas cake as can't handle the texture of raisins etc. so that could be our pudding on Christmas Day. If you don't mind sharing your tips to veganise it, that would be really kind.

The UK is so small. I lived in Australia tor a while, and while I could get to grips with the differences there, it's weird to think of it here. Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is officially 22 September. However, I've always lived by the fact that September, October, and November is Autumn. December, January, and February are Winter, March, April, and May is Spring, and June, July, and August is Summer.

I'm in NE England, and the seasons tend to run true to this. I guess in a way, I'm quite central, UK wise. South of England / Scotland / Ireland can be 3 to 4 weeks different either way. I watch Beechgrove (Scottish gardening programme) and even that has variations of around 3 weeks season wise from North(ish) Aberdeen to Edinburgh in the south.

I've been reading the River Cottage at Christmas book this week. It's a fab book and Hugh includes a recipe for blackberry whiskey.

I'm in Aberdeen - Beechgrove garden is great.

Tis dark here in winter....

I think I saw Nigel doing a programme on porridge where a porridge expert had to point out that Nigel was stirring the porridge with the wrong end of the spurtle! Poor Nigel was mortified.

All this talk of a Chocolate and Guiness cake has led me to order The Christmas Chronicles. It was 399kr! Nearly £45 with exchange rate! So I hope it's worth it! 😆

Autumn definitely starts here mid August, birch leaves are already falling now but it's a welcome relief to the 24 hours of daylight we have from May onwards. Autumn is short too, snow by mid October and then through to late April. Although this year we had heavy snow on 6th June.

I can't wait to get my book and begin!

This really made me laugh, thank you. (I had to google what a spurtle was but I can just imagine his face!)

Loving the autumnal posts, but having to remind myself that the Chronicles doesn't actually start until November 1 (although there is admittedly a rather lovely and lengthy intro - one of my favourite parts of the book - in which Nigel waxes lyrical about winter). We still have two months to go. I'm currently revisiting the Kitchen Diaries in which Nigel is enjoying picking raspberries, green beans and tomatoes in his garden and reminding readers of his house rule: 'bright sunshine - cold food'. I can't grow my own, but trying to remain Nigel adjacent by enjoying all the figs, melons and soft fruit in the greengrocers outside my door which have not yet given way to crisp apples and pears and the inevitable glut of mushrooms in all their forms.

If anyone can popularise the incorrect use of a spurtle it’s Nigel 🤣

Yes @LillianGish that's why I decided to get the 1000 feasts book - for £10 I couldn't resist; I'll read it throughout October to fill the gap. Might dig out the Kitchen Diaries today as well.

Have had a few very gentle days here. Two days of beautiful summer weather so we went out for long walks, one of them along a river. Didn't feel autumnal at all which was a pleasant surprise.

Beautiful knitting @Bimblesalong!

@IngenTing those berries are beautiful! I fondly remember picking blueberries/bilberries on the hills in Norway many years ago. I really love birch trees, they remind me so much of home. You don't see them here so much.

Oooh, I've just found this thread. I normally join the CC read-along but usually end up losing track in the business of christmas week and then not picking up again. Every year I tell myself that I'll make it through the January and fresh start chapters but I never do. This year is going to be different anyway as I'm going to have family staying for an extended time from late November until Christmas. While it will be lovely in many ways, it's fair to say that these family members are Not At All Nigel and I'm already a little bit stressed about how to make all my winter/christmas traditions work. Maybe this year I do need to concentrate more on the New Year aspect and pick up at the point I normally tail off.

Until then, however, I'm very excited about Autumn (both the season and the new book). I can't wait to go for Autumn walks with low sunlight through the trees and crunching through leaves (hopefully not squelching through soggy leaves) before home for comforting soups, crumbles and banana bread.

I love autumn food and especially how it seems to reflect the colours of the season. Lots of pumpkin and squash and also cabbage and sage, apples and cinnamon and ginger....

It's almost time to start looking out cardigans and cordurouy too!