The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2024

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, it's nearly that time!

For anyone who has not already had the pleasure, the annual Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles read along is a real time annual MN tradition.

The book begins on 1st November, however there are a good few pages by way of introduction. This is why I start the thread now; so that we have time to prepare and settle in.

A lot of us already have the book. For anyone who doesn't, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. WH Smith has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is the holy grail and adds a certain special-ness that simply extends that warm, fizzy Nigel feeling.

I shall post each day and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the day's recipes and sentiments. It's particularly lovely to share any memories and personal traditions (as Nigel himself does)

Note: Reading by candle light can be particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nigel's favourites but they are somewhat pricey. Share your festive finds here, even if they are at the cheaper end of the scale and possibly NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, grab a cosy blanket, and light your candle of choice. It's that most wonderful time of the year!

Gorgeous. There are always loads of squirrels where you are (we often stay in the area during school hols) I'm always amazed when I see them all running about in the park.

Might have a trip down our seafront before the early sunset this evening takes me by surprise.

I love hearing about all your woodland walks and seaside strolls - the closest I came to Nigel today was passing the Trudon shop during an afternoon mooch round the Marais. The weather has been very flat and grey here today - it already feels as if dusk is starting to fall - time to light a candle and crack open the Christmas Chronicles!

Oh @LillianGish I have a feeling of hiraeth there!

Today has been strolling in the bright sun but it’s getting dark now - the time change will really affect evening wanders. The holly berries in the church yard are looking beautiful, particularly against the bright blue sky. I’ve taken a pic of a cheeky pond dweller from my perambulations 😀

@EphemeraleEudemonia thank you, yes, you are right, it was on undisturbed land (churchyard) and there were several other types there too (some of the people I was with were knowledgeable about fungi).

@Bearsinmotion Bibury? I’m not a Cotswolder but my DS is living in the area at the moment and I visit at every opportunity.

I have also checked my forced hyacinths, I couldn’t find anywhere cool or dark for them where they wouldn’t risk being knocked over in the house or shed but we have one of those bench seats in the garden which no one really uses except me so they have been safely in there for the last 6 weeks or so.

I too have been out for a bit of a nature walk this morning, it has been a glorious day here, teeshirt weather. I decided to listen to the intro to CCs as I was at the allotment (where the butterfly photo was taken) and did what I always do when listening to it and overshot, I realised when I heard him say November 6th, oh well, I will have to rewind.

First pair of Christmas socks finished 😃

Those are wonderful, @Songlines, lovely knitting and I love the Christmas colours, I’m so impressed!

Thank you, I've discovered sock knitting fairly recently and they're lovely to do now the autumn is well and truly here.

(It's self striping yarn, you don't need to be too impressed!)

They’re lovely @Songlines Is it WYS yarn? It’s lovely to knit with (I used the Robin colourway to make socks for dh one Christmas).

hand knitted socks are so lovely to wear. I am now musing on what socks Nigel prefers.

It is WYS, I think it's Hollyberry.
I'm just about to start using this year's Christmas yarn. It's called Yuletide and has sparkly bits in it!

@ExquisiteIyDecorated yes, it's Bibury! Beautiful but full of tourists, it must be hard to live there! We're lucky that our village is too small to be on the tourist trails but still lovely. I worry that the DC will find it too small and quiet for teens but at the moment they love our funny old house.

@Songlines sounds gorgeous. You’ve jogged my memory that I have a sparkly wys yarn in my stash. I really must focus on my current side quest for now!

Sunday update for that - I’m on the yoke section at present. The blanket it’s on is a treasure that took me 8 months to make. It’s so cosy.

@Bimblesalong your knitting is amazing. You are very talented.

DS and I went there when he first arrived in the Cotswolds a couple of years ago, it was a gloomy autumn day and not many people about but I can imagine it gets rammed. I used to live in South Bucks and sometime have days out in the Cotswolds, I remember how busy the popular places got on sunny days.

@Bimblesalong and @Songlines I am truly impressed by the knitting! Unfortunately I can’t wear wool so although I crochet I restrict myself to acrylic yarn and really only make things for the Woolly Hugs charity.

I completely agree. Also @Songlines those socks are fabulous. I have no idea what Nigel’s taste in socks might be, but I know Monty Don wears only red socks. I think Nigel would probably go for something more muted, quite possibly cashmere and almost certainly eye-wateringly expensive.

My book just arrived today. Omg, it is gorgeous 😍 I've never read any of Nigel Slaters work but I'm so excited to start this.

I've read the introduction. I'm sure I say it every year, but he writes so well. And I love the wintry illustrations and the vintage decorations. Winters here are more likely to be wet and mild (with the very odd exception). There isn't such a big contrast between summer and winter. We joke that the rain is warmer in summer. It amuses me when I read posters on MN talking about making a switch to casseroles and stews when Autumn rolls around. Unless it's a very hot day, I pretty much cook the same things in summer as I do in winter.

And I also say it every year, but I'd love to read his autobiography. It's definitely on my wish list this Christmas. So sad that he lost his mother at Christmas, but I'm glad it didn't put him off the season.

I thought it was interesting that he referred to the world as a shitshow (in the context of escaping from the world). The book was published in 2017 so it came out before Covid and before Russia launched the attack on Ukraine and before the troubles flared up (again) in the Middle East. The world is a much more troubled place now.

I don't plan to cook or bake anything from his recipes. It's a busy time of year between work, shopping for Christmas presents. extra socialising and preparing my house for guests at Christmas etc. But if a recipe catches my eye, I might try it out in January.

Beautiful socks @Songlines and such a beautiful jumper @Bimblesalong. You're both very talented knitters. My Mam was a really good knitter (hand knitting and machine knitting). She made lots of our cardigans when we were small. I remember some lovely cardigans with white cats around them. I never picked it up myself. I mastered the plain stitch but could never figure out purl, even though Mam maintained it was the same as plain but in reverse. And anything I did knit (which mainly consisted of a scarf) was full of holes from dropped stitches.

@Confusedmeanderings The words 'Tithe Barn' send cold echoes through my bones!
@Songlines lovely socks and I had to look up self striping wool! @Bimblesalong that's really lovely, but the blanket is absolutely amazing!

I used to dye a lot of wool but not so much these days. I'm reduced to crochet only here.

@Taytocrisps I also won't be 'cooking as we go' but will be looking for what makes a recipe, alongside how to translate to veggie or vegan.

Fell for these in IKEA:

Those baubles are beautiful @EphemeraleEudemonia I'm sorely tempted, but I won't go to IKEA as it's just too busy and a PITA to get to for me. I need to stop spending money anyway. I bought the White Company Advent calendar yesterday.

I've made a note of all the book recommendations. For this months Audible credit, however, I have plumped for my favourite childhood book; Watership Down. It has the bonus of being over 17 hours long, so great value. It's also read by Peter Capaldi, whose voice suits the story nicely.

Ahhh I didn’t make it to the end last year but I’m determined this winter. I can’t wait.

Morning everyone! I didn't get to reading yesterday but will do so this evening once it's dark (must be read in the dark for maximum hygge).

Love all the mushroom baubles. I have several different styles, but IIRC most of them are with my daughters who share a flat - I left some of my decorations with them to use.

I've got one with me which I think I'll be using in my Advent Candleholder this year.

@Songlines the socks are 😍😍 and @Bimblesalong that blanket is completely wonderful and so is the jumper! The colours are a delight.

@Aquarelles it's a work of art. Glad to have you with us to enjoy it!

I bought the book two years ago but this is my first year not teaching full time with a long (albeit scenic) commute so I'm really going to have time to enjoy it! It's a beautiful bright autumn morning here and I'm fully embracing life for the first time in many years.

This is so lovely to read.

@EphemeraleEudemonia what gorgeous baubles and photo. I’m also converting recipes to vegetarian and vegan, with the added delight that my husband is coeliac so we have to add this in the mix. He is also allergic to eggs, which rules out things like omelettes et cetera although I really don’t like texture things so it’s no great loss. He can manage eggs in cakes so we do get to have a little bit of the delights of Christmas in gf baking form. This is another reason that I love to go overseas with my friend who works in Paris occasionally and who I meet for meals and arts. I don’t have to worry about food ingredients as long as the vegetarian and even for Paris the vegetarian offer can be brilliant.