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!

@Bimblesalong it was a little card and gift shop by Bravissimo , gorgeous shop with Angela Harding bits and bobs too, (I always have an Angela Harding Advent calendar)

@Lemonbaytree I love the Moomins. You are never too old for a Moomin story or two

@Lemonbaytree tips for getting up early - fill the coffee pot ready to just turn on the evening before

It also depends on what your mornings are like.
Is it just you to get ready? smaller kids, teenagers? partner still in bed?

All these things can make you resentful and not be able to have the calm headspace

And some people are just morning people. Some spring into action mid-evening.

My tip is perimenopause 😂 I used to love snoozing late and now I'm lucky if I make it to 6am and I absolutely cannot stay in bed for some reason.

I'm quite jealous of Nigel's surfeit of maple syrup. I do have lovely skeleton hydrangeas and was going to share a photo, but the only recent ones I have are from when I was trying to identify a giant spider that had made a web on them, and that might not be everyone's favourite thing to see!

Yes I have teens and young children. My husband gets up at 6. He just doesn't need as much sleep as me. He can go to bed at 1 and be up at 6. Where as me, I need like 12 hours!

@IlovetoKnitandRead I don't like WC candles either, but love Bravissimo. I used to get my bras from Rigby and Peller back in the day.

@frozendaisy Aubergine, feta and Sea Bass sounds VN! My ex partner was a fisherman and used to get very snobby at Bass being termed as Sea Bass as apparently "there isn't any other type of Bass." He was the same about 'Sea' gulls. Arse.

@Lemonbaytree getting up early I think is a genetic thing. I've always been an early riser, but that also means I'm shattered by 8pm. My real name is very much in keeping with my early rising. Also, yes, Moomins are Marvellous.

@LillianGish I never tire of your photos. Scarves, gloves and bobble hats have been the order of the day here in the NE of England for a few weeks now, so I love hearing of your slightly milder climes.

Hoping @IngenTing joins us soon also, speaking of different climes. Similarly, hoping @DecktheHallswithCireTrudonSpiritusSancti can remind me of when and what I'm supposed to do with my Nisser. I do love to hear about the Danish Christmas traditions.

@Bimblesalong Yay for the worktop. You're getting there. Hope you enjoy / enjoyed choir.

The Bill Nighy podcast is an absolute gift. I also love his 'banned words' spiel and would be very happy to add to his list. A welcome half hour was spent chuckling away at him today. Right up my street. The world definitely needs more Bill Nighy. Also, the music in the background reminds me of Charlie Brown.

Sending love to all those who are in weather warnings in the next couple of days. It looks awful for some.

Well let's start today with good tidings... the candle that I bought in TK Maxx, was born in the pine forests of Norway and frankly, I suspect has the juice of every Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, as every time I take the lid off, the room is filled with the scent of spruce, Douglas Fir and the tree we brought back from the smallholding by the EkCo factory when I was a child! It is a joy.

Next my tussles with the aged boiler have been successful, the heating is restored... I mean who knew that the thermostat needed batteries, let alone where to insert them. I mean, I do now... but really?

On the not so good news, my lovely boss is a tad stressed and he does not do conflict well, it is why he has me... but this is above my pay grade. And, he has to make a big speech on Saturday, he shared it with me today and I sobbed, and I knew what had happened but boy, did this bring it back.

And there is a sodding fruit fly in the house... I have attempted to destroy it on a number of occasions but the little git is like a kamikaze pilot who has failed basic training... I will win.

And on the NvN front, I resorted to oven chips tonight, with mayo and Worcestershire sauce, and a glass of Prosecco as I sit down to listen to Nigel. That is the good thing about living on your own... no one will tut at me when I hit the choc ices!

Definitely going to check out Bill Nighy.

I am being bombarded with candle adverts online and am now lusting after this https://www.labruket.com/en-gb/products/candle-winter-pine-260g - wish they had a UK stockist where I could go and sniff before buying!

@LatteLady your candle sounds amazing makes note to visit TK Maxx

I'm jealous of all you people who find St Eval candles in T. K. Maxx. The only brand mine seems to have is Sand and Fog.

Hundreds of candles lit in the Place de la République tonight to commemorate ten years since the Paris attacks. Hesitated to post as NVN, but incredibly moving.

I find the Moomins terrifying, and have done since I was a small child. One of my earliest memories is being scared of the cartoon version on ITV. Funny what sticks and what scares you as a child for no discernible reason.
Lovely pics as always. And good news on kitchen worktops and conservatory roofs.
Im lying awake waiting for DH to get home safely from London (he takes the train that the awful events happened in recently and the weather is terrible here so I won’t sleep til he is back). The rain is lashing down and I am toasty in bed with the dashchund. Dd has the Jack Russell’s. We went for a very un Nigel spoons tea as I was too tired to cook. Will do better tomorrow on the food front!

@LillianGishten years! That seems like yesterday to me :( awful. But what a lovely tribute

@IlovetoKnitandRead excellent, I know it well. There’s a nice little antique shop along there too. I also like bravissimo as they make a couple of pretty bras which I can wear after my cancer surgery.

@LillianGish gosh that is so moving. I had dinner in the restaurant opposite one that was attacked only a couple of days before it happened. Those poor people.

good luck all of those facing the very extra weather coming in.

Same here and I have 2 TKMaxxs I can go to.

That does look very moving @LillianGish thank you for sharing.

What a beautiful and moving picture @LillianGish I also can't believe it been 10 years

14 November

Candlelight and roast cabbage

I wake early, sit at my desk and write. A daily ritual which if missed sets my world briefly off it's axis. For the best months of the year, it will still be dark, a prickle of cold in the air, the slightly too long arms of my sweater (my writing jumper, a dear old friend) slipping softly over my fingertips as I type, as if I was wearing fingerless gloves.

No images in the entry again today, but I love a long jumper that slips over the hands, and also have an extensive cashmere fingerless glove collection with every colour in the rainbow and more.

This is part of the collection. It gives me great joy selecting a lovely pair to match an outfit each day.

I confess I had been wondering what sort of soap Nigel favours (I knew he'd be an old-fashioned bar soap person) and now I know.

York today where I intend to sniff many candles, incense, soaps, perfumes, etc!

Very unusual light here this morning, everything was an eerie orange colour, not in a pleasant autumnal way, but more of a post apocalyptic glow 😅 unfortunately didn't get a photo as we were rushing as usual 😂
No TKMax shops here at all much to my dismay, I think I'll go and see what the fancy shops in town have on offer candle and soap wise this afternoon.
I'm more of a mid-length sleeve person unless it's bitterly cold, I roll my sleeves up to just below my elbows as I dont like things touching my wrists (urgh even worse when you wash your hands and your cuffs get wet 🤮). Anyway, back to nice things 😂 So glad it's almost the weekend, this week hasn't been great although 2 pupils bought me a bar of chocolate as they thought I looked sad 🥰
Just looked at the weather forecast, rain rain rain, and very mild temperatures, its been 20⁰ for a couple of days now, where has my lovely autumn weather gone?? I'm going to stop writing now as I don't want to bring the thread down any further 😂

@AlicePottery oh I'm with you on the sleeves. I can't abide my sleeves around my wrists!

It's absolutely pouring down here (and I had put washing on the line before bed because my local weather had looked chilly but dry) and it's hard to feel VN on days like this! But we move on.

We've been making orange and clove pomanders and everywhere smells lovely. I think this weekend we'll make some salt dough Christmas decorations for the tree.

Hope everyone has a good and not too wet day!

@AlicePottery 20 degrees!!!!!! It’s been much cooler here. Very dark and very wet here today. Thankfully we had some sunshine and blue skies yesterday and some of the leaves had dried out and were crisp to walk through. We are heading into very low temperatures next week and there is talk of snow!!!

I have to resort to fingerless gloves due to Reynaud’s, but I like sleeves in winter that are wrist length, but they have to push up easily. I have a lovely jumper which has long wider sleeves and its a right pain as the sleeves don’t push up and stay up…soggy ends if washing up or such like.

I hope you can reset a little over the weekend.

Ooo I missed it, which soap does he use?

Soap from an Italian monastery! https://uk.smnovella.com/products/soapmelo?srsltid=AfmBOoqrfKoBzwHynlcnsiZHnX_xAYhk_6mcIQdaXEQNtBYBUsk13UOp

Of course he does 😂

I love those medieval style sleeves that hang wide at the wrist…. but no longer actually wear them, for all the reasons PPs have mentioned. They don’t look so flamboyant and stylish when they’ve dipped in coffee, tangled on doorhandles and slammed shut in drawers.

My cashmere fingerless glove action is poor, Zebra. I must work harder. I do have a similarly vibrant collection of underwear though- lovely prints from Mardypants. Though I’m not buying any more at the moment.

Advent bunting… maybe sew a panel a day and string them up? Ideally with appropriate numbers on.

I’m having a crochet day today, but also organising Sunday’s church service. There’s rather a lot to do, as the other leaders are off on other tasks so it’s a bit of a one woman band. Luckily DH does the tech for me on the day, or I’d really struggle.

I’m making an autumn leaf garland and refreshing my skills. I’m not sure I’ve correctly read the instructions but hopefully by the time it’s a bit longer I’ll have worked it out! There will be a tidy end and a messy end 🤣