The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, it's that time of year again!

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 Christmas Chronicles (Notes, stories and 100 essential recipes for midwinter) book begins on 1st November, however there are 25 pages of Introduction. That's why I start the thread one now; to allow time to prepare and fully appreciate Nigel in All His Splendour come 1st November.

Some regulars to the thread already have the book. For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. Vinted has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is always a bonus. Don't forget, you can also listen along to Nigel's dulcet tones via Audible.

I shall post daily and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the days recipes, sentiments and indeed Dear Nigel himself. Observations of nature and the seasons are also very welcome.

So welcome to old friends and new, and don't forget that reading by candle light is particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nige's candles of choice, but it's somewhat pricey. We don't discriminate against other less expensive brands - even if they are NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, light a candle, grab a cosy blanket and join in!

My candle has been purchased, it’s pine and the mad thing is I can smell it now… it’s like someone has set up a wreath making class in the kitchen.

A surprise also arrives, a new block from my quilting group… I am making a chicken quilt, well that is one of the quilts, but is this chick not bonny? We each make a block a month and post it on so by the end of the year you have a dozen and the bones of a quilt. This one is definitely not destined to be a Sunday dinner, though…

Thanks for the heads up on the candles. The Trudon just burned terribly. Smelled amazing though! Its burned down through the centre with huge amounts of wax left at the sides. I may try and melt it down and add a new wick. I melt down all the remains of scented candles to make firelighters but that would make a pricey firefighter!
I've currently got pickled onions, mincemeat and piccadilly in the pantry and I've made a batch of whisky marmalade today.

I read that as a pickled onion and mincemeat scented candle and was ...bemused.

Could be an idea…..

Well I've lit one of my Frankenbougies and it doesn't smell of much (which could be a blessing in disguise). It's burning nicely and the sitting room feels lovely and cosy so yay!
DH is making parkin which smells amazing, but I've been told it must rest and we won't be eating any today 🥲
I fell asleep listening to Nigel last night, I have no idea where I got up to so I'm just going to start again 😂.

Hello all. Just catching up after our craft fair. It was a 10 till 2 number which is an awful lot more manageable than a full day and means I was home and had a chicken curry in the slow cooker not much past 3pm.

@piscofrisco Yes, Party mouse is still with us and is very much part of the family. He lives in the conservatory and seems to enjoy it there as he's frequently joined by Mr D. DD has just reminded me that she renamed him Mr Fuzzywig last year (she loves A Christmas Carol and enjoyed switching the name up because felt is fuzzy). Does anyone remember Fuzzy felt?

I also use a coffee grinder for spices but having lots of random peppermills that also sounds like a darned good idea!

Picture of our stall today, and Mr Fuzzywig saying hello.

@LatteLady that chicken is a bonny lad or lass indeed!

@AlicePottery OMG I love Parkin! Also, 'Frankenbougies' Brilliant word. You should register it! I'd add some drops of essential oil for some scent. I always do this with my own disappointing candles. It sort of reminds me of when my elderly uncle told me he had a great idea for my market stalls. He then went on to say I should save all my slivers of used soap amd melt them together and sell them! Lovely. Not.

@EnchantingDecorations which magazine was the pumpkin spice mix in please? I got November's issue yesterday so I'm gusessing its either Octobers which i now cant find or the weekend newspaper.

Right curry needs stirring. I totally get what you mean about the bolognese @PricklyBob and can imagine myself doing something like making 14 portions in that situation. Cooking is my comfort zone and my kitchen is my sanctuary. We've talked to loads of people about this at the craft fair and many agreed. Stirring = Comfort. Alchemy.

Also just back from a lovely boy sky walk. Yours looks coastal @KittyRannaldini. Ours very much land locked but lovely non the less. Finished off with a Mr Whippy in the town en route home. My dss2 came with us too which km
pleased With. 2 and a half hours no moaning and off his screens. He is doing 50 miles in November for Cancer research and I’m doing it for the Samaritans. He has £100 donated already! I’ve got rather less but just happy to get him out

ah there is mousey in all his glory @RainbowZebraWarrior. Mr Fuzziwig is a great name for him x

Happy Nigel day.

I had so many plans for today - bread making, cheese scone making, bacon and lentil soup making and damson gin making. And then I woke up this morning with a migraine so have been in bed for most of the day. I have however managed to listen to the introduction and 1 November of the book rather than read it.

I will be avoiding candles and red wine today but hopefully as the migraine seems to have now passed I shall make tomorrow my 1st November!

Hello everyone. Happy Nigel day!

I’ve just had a nice half hour catching up with the thread. What a joy to read and what wonderful things you’ve all being doing and making!

@WeMeetInFairIthilienWe must live very close based on your last two outings. I also enjoy going the Abbey and think Ela was a marvel for the age she lived in.

We had a day out today with family at our local garden centre which does the most fantastic Christmas display. Hot chocolate and twinkly lights and such beautiful decorations. It was lovely.

Now we’re home with the log burner going and rain pattering away outside. I’m going to read the first bit of CC and then get dinner started.

I just began my first journey through this book. I’m loving his reminiscence of his childhood, which was near to where I grew up and similar in lots of ways.

But I have to share a very Mumsnetty thing that I discovered as I flicked a few pages forward. I wonder who had this before me… and why she didn’t keep the book. ❄️ I wonder if she did make the Leek, beans and Italian sausages and the bubble amd squeak…?
Maybe she’s a Mumsnetter too?
See photo….

Thats interesting @changingliketheseasons, I wonder why they didn't keep the book?!
I adore the first page of the introduction...in fact I've used it when teaching creative writing!

Mr Fuzziwig is wonderful! As is the chicken and all the other crafts on display. I'm.not an arty/crafty person at all but I feel that I should be. Lots of folk seem surprised that I don't knit, sew or make things - i think I have that aesthetic. Cooking is, I suppose, my outlet.

I've had the house all to myself today - and have another couple of hours before DH comes home
I had to go into the city earlier- it was so busy, which is obviously good for shops and service industry - but I had to take a quiet 30 minute walk along the river when I got back.

Have now read the 1 Nov entry and made the apple drink, just for myself. Am currently on my second glass. It's now dark outside and i'm sipping this by candlelight, with my newly purchased eucalyptus in a ceramic jug on the table and don't think i've ever felt more Nigel.

Yea, we have a coffee grinder but DH is very precious about it, it's an expensive burr one and I wouldn't dare.

I used to keep a spare pepper
grinder with spices for garam masala in but it broke. The spice grinder I have ordered is a manual twisting one a bit like a pepper grinder but with microplane blades.

I had a mooch round town with sole
friends today, gone are the days of fashion shopping with friends it seems, we went round Lakeland, Robert Dyas and various chi-chi home shops. I think we are officially middle-aged. We were in Lakeland for ages.

Just back from an atmospheric Toussaint stroll around Père Lachaise, which was full of people carrying chrysanthemums to their family plots. Found the most Nigel tomb ever with a single candle lit in front of a stained glass window. Sorry to hear about your Trudon disappointment @Thanksforyourlackofthought - I find the key to avoiding tunneling is to ensure you always let the wax melt across the whole candle before snuffing it out. In the event that tunneling starts to occur, you can rectify it by making a tinfoil collar for the candle so only the wick is uncovered as it burns. Personally I would rather have one showstopper than a collection of cheaper pretenders which can easily add up to the same price. A Trudon or a Diptyque will burn for 50 hours and I can smell my Trudon even when unlit. Otherwise I just burn standard tea lights which cost pennies in a multipack, but are perfect for creating that cosy Nigel glow.

@changingliketheseasons How marvellous, that means the previous owner must have used the book and cooked from it. Almost as much fun as finding a shopping list and trying to work out what the owner was about to make.

I know, I’d love to know why she didn’t keep it.
What an amazing writing prompt. You’d only need one paragraph or even one sentence to start your mind creating a whole rabbit hole to fall into. It took me right back to my childhood just reading the introduction.

My book arrived today! Will need to do a bit of catching up, and I already know that this isn’t going to be the year I stay on top of the thread - life is a bit crazy at the moment and I’m off to SA for work next weekend! - so I’m going to treat this as a special corner of cosiness for lurking and the occasional check-in if I ever get on top of the to-do list!

I can’t remember who mentioned their fig tree is still fruiting: mine too! We had an amazing harvest in August, and now it’s trying valiantly to deliver a second batch despite all its leaves falling….its only a small tree and this is the first year it’s made it this far with the second crop. We have a very small London garden, so I’ve prioritised a handful of things that i can’t buy in the shops: greengages, heritage apples, gooseberries, redcurrants. Sadly the foxes killed my rhubarb a few years ago, and I haven’t replaced it (yet).

So far this year, I’ve made sweet pickled figs, figs in brandy and fig chutney, an enormous batch of greengage and apple chutney, and a huge amount of blackberry and greengage jams, with another 5 kilos of greengages and 2 of gooseberries in the freezer, and the rest of the apples in the garage, all awaiting some form of activity!

For now, I was about to start reading the intro and catching up in general but I’ve been distracted by @RainbowZebraWarrior‘s cheese scones. Exactly what I fancy for dinner this evening so I’m off to the kitchen to investigate supplies and timings (taxiiing DD1 to a party at 8pm, so let’s see!).

Yes exactly what I thought. I wonder if she’s young or old? Happy or sad? Did she lose this book? If the lists are still in the book did she never make them?
Perhaps she left the book in a little coffee shop before going to the supermarket…. I hope she went and bought another book.

Evening
My first time reading. So far nothing appeals in the recipes but I feel inspired to try making Parkin tomorrow which feels in the spirit. Never made that before either. I’m Scottish so although we do bonfire night fireworks here “guy fawkes” is not so much of a thing.

Some beautiful photos today. @LillianGish as always, yours seem so atmospheric and almost other worldly. I can almost imagine myself there from your descriptions. Our craft fair was in our local library today and they have a lot of information about local history. I picked a book up about the history of our village. It's an old pit village in the NE of England. I've been to our local churchyard enough to see the memorial of a tragic pit disaster in 1862. Some of the poor souls were only 10 years old. I looked at some photographs today where they depicted the 200 coffins being carried through the village. Fairly recent history really, but unthinkable in these times.

@KittyRannaldini I loved yours too. The light is amazing indeed. I've just bought a new camera, but it's taking a while to get to grips with it. It's funny to think that we once had to wait to not only use up the film in cameras, but then send the film away and wait for the pictures to come back. I think I've become so reliant on my phone, and how it makes me impatient and expectant of instant results.

@changingliketheseasons I also wonder about the original owner of your book. I once picked up a very old cookery book in an oxfam shop that had dozens of cuttings from the early 1900's. I put it down, went around town then went back for it, but of course it was gone.

@piscofrisco congrats to you and your DSS for your challenge. Two absolutely amazing causes.

@Frenzi hope you are feeling a bit better this evening.

@bibliomania it's my ambition to experience an onsen like Nigel does. We went into Trailfinders recently to price up a two week trip to Japan. Not only was it going to be £10k plus for us, I also think it feels rather more daunting as a middle aged woman with a 13 year old DD. Good for you for signing up for the swim and sauna though! Do let us know how it goes.

I started making parkin two years ago (having not heard of it previously) and absolutely love it. I go between the Nancy Birtwhistle and the Good Food recipes. Also Scottish and not a particular fan of fireworks so we light the fire pit, make posh s'mores (with chocolate hobnobs), eat parkin and roast baked potatoes.

I have never made anything from the first chapter, I can't get too excited about making my own drinks, but as I settled down to read this evening I remembered that this section contains a Nigel classic on the subject of alcohol soaked figs: I often have one or two, straight from the jar, as a treat when I have finished the ironing.

I bought some Eucalyptus today from the market. I love it. So pretty in a jug.